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Showing posts with label Phoenix Rising series. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Phoenix Rising series. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Review: Blaze by Joan Swan
Blaze
Author: Joan Swan
Release Date: Sept. 25, 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Phoenix Rising #2
ISBN: #978-0758266408
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (400 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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With a man like him, every mission becomes personal…
Ever since FBI agent Keira O’Shay started tracking a young boy named Mateo, she’s felt a connection even her empathic abilities can’t explain. She needs to save Mateo from the cult leader holding him hostage. Nothing can interfere with that—not even the reappearance of Luke Ransom, the hot-as-hell fire captain she’s regretted walking out on for three long years.
Losing Keira left Luke vulnerable—in every way. When they were together, the powers each possesses were mysteriously enhanced. But it’s the sexy, surprising woman beneath the tough exterior that Luke’s really missed. Even if she betrayed him utterly. And even if agreeing to help her uncover a government conspiracy means watching his life and his heart go up in flames again…
What I’m talking about:
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Right from the opening, Blaze, brings action, adventure and heat to the reader. The book begins with FBI agent Keira O’Shay in the middle of a cult-like hostage situation. Her extrasensory instincts tell her that they are outside of something more than a religious commune. Her worst fears are confirmed when shots are fired and a man is down. Keira, an expert snipper, is called in and her new back up is her ex, Luke Ransom, whom she hasn’t seen since she left him three years ago.
Things go from bad to worse when the place begins to explode around the pair before they can rescue they trapped children. Keira’s focus is on saving a young boy, Mateo, with whom she has shared a psychic bond for a year. With the help of Luke, Keira manages to escape with Mateo, just barely. And then, the situation really gets ugly. Keira and Mateo are kidnapped, Luke saves them, and the trio are on the run, hiding from some powerful government players.
I was sucked into Blaze immediately. The only difficulty for me was trying to piece together the who’s and what from the first book, Fever (I’d forgotten some of the key characters and going-ons). Although I would have benefited from (and enjoyed) a reread of the first book, a new-to-the-series reader can easily jump in with Blaze.
The hostage situation, followed by the continuing government conspiracy (from Fever) created wonderful tension and suspense from the get go. And the sexual tension was off the charts! The fact that Keira and Luke loved one another deeply and both regret their decisions that lead them apart made me cheer for the pair all that much more. I was emotionally invested in the couple from the start.
There were several beautiful moments shared between Luke and Keira that had me sniffling more than once. After being apart for so long, neither were certain how to act and just be around the other. Although sometimes everything felt so natural, they were both afraid to let go and totally open up. But thanks to their unique abilities, they were able to tap into one another’s thoughts and emotions. This allowed for some intense and passionate moments that warmed me to my soul. And as they began to open up (wait for the moment that Luke confesses his celibacy!), the sexual tension mounted until it boiled over into the HOTTEST reunion sex scene EVER! The scene is sexy yet, honest and real. I adore that when they finally reunited, it was as themselves, knowing that there were problems and issues, but willing to work on them to be together because they loved one another. I love this couple!
Outside of the love story, we are treated to the continuing storyline of a team of firefighters that have been altered by a chemical explosion in a warehouse. Since that moment, each has developed unique “powers,” but also plagued with emotional baggage. Keira and Luke are two members of this team. In Blaze, we learned more about what happened, and witness the group (almost all) together as a team. I love that the team is a close knit family and how they can still work as a team, even after all they’ve been through. There are some not-so-good government employees, lead by the mysterious Jocelyn, after this team, and now that they are bonding and reuniting, Jocelyn feels pressure to raise the stakes. Something big happens at the end of Blaze, that could have significant repercussions for Jocelyn, and holy hell, I cannot wait to find out what happens next!
My only real complain is that I wanted more! Luke and Keira were on again, off again throughout the entire story - sorting out their baggage and coming to terms with each other. I wanted more of the pair at the end once they finally got past all of what was keeping them apart.
Overall, I completely enjoyed this book and adored this couple. There was intense emotion. Real ones. Struggles most of us can related to... Perhaps not the actual situation, but the feelings of uncertainty and fear. Ms. Swan does a beautiful job communicating these heightened emotions while fitting them into the story without sacrificing the plot or action. I highly recommend Blaze to anyone who enjoys a suspenseful story, and values an emotionally-driven romance.
My Rating:
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Loved it - enthusiastically recommend (A)
Reviews in the Series:
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Thursday, March 15, 2012
Contest Winner - Fever
I would like to thank everyone for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About for my review of Fever by Joan Swan, and I want to specially thank Joan for her wonderful guest post about how her daily life influences her reading. I also want to thank Joan for graciously donating a copy of Fever for the giveaway.
Every person that commented was entered into the contest - one entry per person. The winner was selected using random.org.
The Winner:
Catherine Lee
CONGRATULATIONS!!
I am emailing the winner. Please email me at twimom227 (at) gmail (dot) com with your full name and mailing address so that Joan can mail you the book directly. If I do not hear from the winner by Tuesday March 20, 2012 by the end of the day, I will select another winner.
Thank you all so much for coming by and Happy Reading!
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Review: Fever
Fever
Author: Joan Swan
Release Date: Feb. 28, 2012
Publisher: Brava/Kensington
Phoenix Rising #1
ISBN: #978-0758266385
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Format(s): Paperback (354 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish… But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with a ripped body, a determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.
A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose… Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.
What I’m talking about:
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Teague Creek (yes, that is his name!) is a wrongfully convicted felon in a high-security prison. His only wants are to escape, reunite with his young daughter, and live a long life away from those who want him behind bars, hurt or worse. His plans involve kidnapping a technician from a local hospital, who happens to be the girlfriend of the man who is guardian over his daughter. Of course, when he kidnaps Dr. Alyssa Foster - the wrong woman - things go from bad to worse. Top that off with a fellow inmate who is pure evil joining the escape plans, and you have a mix for an action-packed, suspenseful journey towards freedom. Nothing goes right for Teague, and he is being hunted by government officials that would rather see him dead than free again.
Right from the start I was engrossed in this story. The details and events unfolded before me in the perfect manner. The reader is given little nuggets that are just enough to keep you going and find out more. The tone is harsh, the mood is dark, but our heroine, Alyssa, seems to find a way to make it lighter and easier. In addition, Ms. Swan demonstrates excellent descriptive abilities, smoothly integrating rich detail about the scenery and plot into the story.
Overall I liked Alyssa and Teague. They fit together well and complimented one another... when he was rash, she made him stop and think, when she was hurt, he healed her. They have one of those back-and-forth, give-and-take relationships. And boy did they have steam! Thanks to a mysterious fire Teague was involved with several years back, he has the ability to increase his body temperature to way above normal. He uses his “power” to help heal, jump-start cars, and melt metal. And I can only imagine how hot he is in bed (and other places!)
I did feel that Alyssa was a bit too forgiving of Teague at times. She was held hostage and harassed. Teague may not have meant to physically hurt her, but he did cause emotional abuse. It is a bit unbelievable in the context of the real world... that she would take his "abuse" and keep coming back. I liked how Alyssa's brother, Mitch, described the situation... Saying about Teague, he may have been an upstanding citizen going into jail, but jail changes everyone. It's true, Teague is a harder man. Luckily Alyssa continues to chip away at Teague's exterior, exposing the tarnished gem inside. And since it's a romance, I forgive the rough start and enjoy them as a couple.
The ending of the story did wrap up a little too neatly and easily for my tastes, but it is a satisfying conclusion. The author left many open doors, and I am interested to see where this goes. There are some people very interested in the group of firefighters that were exposed to chemicals which altered their body chemistry (like Teague). I want to know what will happen to the other men in Teague’s band of brothers, and what is the ultimate goal of these dark nefarious players.
I also want to comment about the use of racial slurs in this story. There had been much discussion on GoodReads about the use of racial slurs in this book. There is a character who is pure evil and YES, he uses just about ever cliched slur available. If this is something you know will bother you, then this book is not for you. It's okay not to be okay with the content in this book. It is also okay to still enjoy this book, even though it has some nasty parts. Neither opinion is wrong. This character is not a big part of the overall book and does make an exit a quarter of the way into the book. For me, the character's use of the slurs fit his persona, and I was able to read past the content and focus on other aspects of the story, but it isn’t for everyone.
Fever has the perfect amount of world-building for a first book in a new series. The story was easy to follow, unfolded at a great pace, and had just the right amount of frustration without overkill. It was an enjoyable, quick read, and I want to know what will happen next.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Want to win a copy of FEVER? See author Joan Swan's guest post HERE and enter (March 13-15, 2012)
Purchase Info:
Author Guest Post & Giveaway: Joan Swan
Hello Readers! Today I bring you romance author Joan Swan. Joan is a triple RWA® Golden Heart finalist and writes sexy romantic suspense with a paranormal twist. Her debut novel with Kensington Brava, FEVER, released February 28, 2012. Her second novel, BLAZE, follows in October, 2012.
In her day job, she works as a sonographer for one of the top ten medical facilities in the nation and lives on the California central coast in beautiful wine country with her husband and two daughters.
Joan is here today to talk about how her every day life influences her writing. In addition, Joan is offering one (1) copy of her recent release, Fever, to a lucky commenter. Details for GIVEAWAY are below.
Please help me welcome Joan to That’s What I’m Talking About. Take it away Joan...
How daily life filters into my writing
We all see life through unique points of view. I call these filters and they could be explained as sunglass for your perspective on life. We usually have several shades of filters, but one that colors just about everything in our lives.
I’ve noticed my writing is heavily influenced by the filter which is colored by my work. By day, I’m a sonographer…a.k.a. I do ultrasound exams. Doesn’t sound too extreme, right? Normally, no. But I work at UCSF Medical Center, a teaching hospital ranked the 7th best hospital in the nation. Working at this type of facility is intense. Really, beyond intense. More like one of those things you have to experience to understand.
From assisting in the operating room with organ transplants to searching for bleeds in premature infants’ brains to checking for blood clots in the veins of drug addicts fresh off the street and still high, we see it all—child abuse, spousal abuse, rape victims, miscarriages, violent trauma, incredibly abnormal pregnancies and tons and tons of transplants. I’ve had to tell parents their unborn child’s heart is not beating too many times to count. I’ve had both infants and adults code while I’m scanning them. I’ve had transplant surgeons ask me if they can close a patient.
Our patients are suffering, angry, scared, mentally imbalanced and often experiencing the side effects of medications. Generally speaking, they’re not happy campers, and sonographers are not usually their favorite people. Our studies are long and sometimes uncomfortable for those in pain. If I’m not coaxing a sick patient into doing what I need them to do for an exam, I’m telling them to do it.
Combative patients are not uncommon. Neither are hallucinations. Or abusive swearing. Or death threats. I’ve been pushed, slapped, hit, kicked and spit on. The only reason I haven’t been bitten is because I got away first.
So…how does all this affect my writing?
I write real. I write real language, real people, real flaws. I write high stakes, high pressure. I understand tension and life and death decisions. I know how people in those situations cope and function and compensate…or don’t.
I also have a deep appreciation of health. Of life. Of family. And I find myself deeply grateful on a daily, if not hourly, basis. I understand the fear and insecurity and anxiety of long term illness and I’ve witnessed the pain of death. My characters tend to have the same respect for life’s fragility. And the range of emotion I experience through my work definitely transfers to my writing.
And then there are the people. I meet some real characters, from the woman with dementia casting evil curses on me in a foreign language (I only know because her interpreter was there) to the man who told me of the ghosts who sit in his room and walk outside his window—on the ninth floor. I couldn’t make this stuff up if I tried.
My “gritty-side” filter tends to make me unexcitable, good under pressure, easy going and confident. But it also pushes me toward the jaded side, and I often find myself distrustful and impatient in many situations.
What is one of the main filters you view life through? Unconditional love…stress…serenity…financial hardship…? How do you think it affects your life?
More about Fever
Dr. Alyssa Foster will admit to a bad boy fetish…
But when she finds herself face to face with a convicted murderer with determination for freedom and an eye on her as his get out of jail free card, Alyssa knows she’s in deep trouble…. Not just because Teague Creek is a prisoner desperate for freedom, but because his every touch makes her desperate for more.
A man with a life sentence has nothing to lose…
Teague Creek has one shot at freedom, but his plan to escape with a hostage develops a fatal flaw: Alyssa. On the run from both the law and deadly undercover operatives who know of his strange abilities, he needs to avoid trouble, but every heated kiss tells him the fire between them could be just as devastating as the flames that changed him forever.
GIVEAWAY: Thank you Joan for stopping by That’s What I’m Talking About. Joan is graciously giving away one (1) copy of Fever. To enter, leave a comment answering Joan’s questions about viewing life (above). Please leave your comments for Joan by Thursday March 15, 2012, at 9:00 PM EDT to be eligible for the contest. One entry per person, the winner will be selected from eligible entries using random.org. Contest is open to US and Canadian mailing addresses only; please leave your email address so the author can send you the book. In addition, all comments are eligible for tour grand prize of either a COLOR NOOK or KINDLE FIRE. More details and entry HERE. Thank you to Joan for this wonderful giveaway!
You can find Joan online at:
Be sure to stop back later today to read my review of Fever!
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