Think I'd like to strangle whoever recommended Christina Dodd's Treasure of the Sun.  Started out OK, but ran out of steam halfway through.  By the end I was so bored I nearly fell asleep.  Almost didn't finish.  Now I wish I hadn't.  What's the biggest stinker you've read lately, so we can all avoid it?

Mastered by Love by Stephanie Laurens.  Dull, dull, dull. Just like the other recently published books of hers. I used to like her....may never read another.

The Laird Who Loves Me by Karen Hawkins. It is the last of the MacLean Curse series focusing on Alexander, the eldest brother.

Just wanted to throw the book against the wall. I actually did not finish it.

Anything by Meredith Duran -- she's a good writer, but her stories lose steam and direction very quickly, imo.

I don't really have a stinker to add here, but I just had to say that I was terrified to open this thread for fear that a book I was really looking forward to might be lambasted, lol.

OK, let the bashing continue.....

The newest Laura Lee Guhrke put me into a coma.  But it wasn't the only recent offender.  Lisa Kleypas's new book bored me to tears, and the one I was REALLY looking forward to, Highland Rebel by Judith James was a fairly big letdown.  That new Karen Hawkins book... blehhh.  Don't even get me started:P

Virtually His by Gennita Low.    I dnf'd it.  Supremely technical and VERY little romance, even afte 200 pages.

I just finished Dark Seduction by Brenda Joyce - the first in her Masters of Time paranormal series.  Although I've never read any of Brenda's historical romances, I've heard that they are good.  And IMO she should have stuck with them because this book was baaaaaaad.

I liked the overarching mythology of the book (time-travelling superhuman "Masters" who are descended from Celtic Gods who are born to fight evil and Demons), and that is the only thing that kept me reading the book.  Otherwise I would have put it down after the first sex scene - which was a little too close to rape for my taste.  And if that hadn't done it, the multiple TSTL (too stupid to live) moves by the heroine would have.  Or the many little contnuity errors in the book that had me thinking "What just happened?????".

I have decided yet whether or not to read the second book in the series.  I've read the reviews and they say it gets better.  But it would have to get a LOT better. 

Although Linda Howard is one of my favorite authors, her newest release, Burn, was just awful.  Well, maybe not awful, but certainly not up to her usual standards in my opinion. 

Oh I'm so sad to hear that Burn wasn't great.  I'l read it anyway, but I was really looking forward to it.

The Viscount's Kiss by Margaret Moore - clumsy and predictable.

I just finished Dark Seduction by Brenda Joyce - the first in her Masters of Time paranormal series.  Although I've never read any of Brenda's historical romances, I've heard that they are good.  And IMO she should have stuck with them because this book was baaaaaaad.

I've enjoyed a lot of her historicals, but I thought this series was beyond dreadful. I barely was able to read the first one, completely gave up on the second. If they improve, it isn't right away is all I can say.

My feeling is she's burnt out as a writer. Lots of repetition, lots of doing whatever's popular at the moment.

If you want to try a historical, I'd recommend After Innocence or Violet Fire.

I'm in decent streak lately...but the one I remember not liking at all was Dreamwalker by Kathleen Dante. The plot was just ridiculous (even for a paranormal.)

I finished Dangerous Ride by Vonna Harper yesterday.  Ended up skimming the last half of it, just wasn't my thing.  A little too hardcore BDSM for my taste and I didn't really like the hero or care about the heroine.

I'm adding Highland Sinner by Hannah Howell to my list.  Ugh.

The book wasn't really a stinker, just not my taste. Great writer and I love her style, but this one was about a couple who kidnap and torture teenagers and was WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY to graphic for me. I didn't finish it. I don't want those pictures in my head.

Love You to Death by Shannon K. Butcher....the romance part was good.. but the serial killer - gruesome.  I'm like Mary.. I  didn't want those pictures in my head so it was a DNF for me.  Other readers seem to like it ... so maybe it's just me.

Margy

DEEP, DARK & DANGEROUS (Deep, Dark & Dangerous) by Jaid Black

Best thing about it is the cover art.

I don't know why I keep reading Autumn in Scotland by Karen Ranney. I guess because I usually finish a book unless the writing is terrible, but it's not. Just everything else is. :-\

Lol.  It comes up again...  I told you it wasn't a good book:P

wow I liked Deep Dark and Dangerous! read it twice and skimmed another time!

luckily I haven' gotten hold of a stinker in a while!

I thought that reading Noah from Jacquelyn Frank would be a good book since I like vampires. Ok this book was awful. I could not get passed the 6th chapter and Noah had no character whatsoever. I was even more put off that the book is 507 pages long and if I was in chapter 6 with no luck I did not want to continue reading this story. Sorry for any Frank fans but maybe this was just not her best book. I know they are a series and maybe I should have read the first one of the series before any. Oh well what a stinker.

Thanks for all the opinions, but I have to disagree about Meredith Duran.  Both Duke of Shadows and Bound by your Touch are keepers for me.  Haven't read Written on Your Skin yet, but it's on the way =).  Must be a taste thing.   Like everybody loves Sherry Thomas, but I've HATED anything I've read by her.  Way too much jumping around in time, which makes for a confusing disjointed story.  Way too many characters.  Too long separattions =(

Somebody mentioned Linda Howard; I have another one of hers to avoid.  Son of the Morning.  Boring and no romance.  Based on that, I've never read another of hers. 

The one Frank book I tried was sooo boring I've never wanted to try her again.

But every book has its fans, of course. Or if it doesn't--poor writer! ;-)

I also liked Deep, Dark and Dangerous! On my keeper shelf :)

I have all the Frank books, but have yet to read one