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Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) has
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New-To-Me Authors
2013 reading goal:
15 new-to-me authors.
1) Stacy Gail
2) Heather Massey
3) Sidney Bristol
4) Ann Mayburn
5) Thea Harrison
6) Virna DePaul
7) Mary Quast
8) Molly Harper
9) Eleri Stone
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Showing posts with label angels. Show all posts
Showing posts with label angels. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Review: Savage Angel by Stacy Gail
Savage Angel
Author: Stacy Gail
Release Date: Feb. 4, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Earth Angels #2
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: NetGalley
About the book:
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Feel nothing. Sara Savitch's personal mantra has been hard to live by ever since her torrid one-night stand with army doctor Gideon Mandeville. Descended from the Seraphim, angels known as heaven's soldiers, Sara may be an expert fighter, but she's an amateur when it comes to relationships.
Physically unharmed, but still battle-scarred, Gideon has returned to Dallas in the hopes of regaining his faith in humanity—and in himself. Instead he's walked into a nightmare. His father is on a serial killer's hit list, and has hired a personal bodyguard—the very woman who has haunted Gideon's dreams for a year.
As Sara works to build an impenetrable fortress around her client, she yearns to tear down the one around Gideon's heart. With his bitter rejection of warriors, will he ever be able to accept her true nature? Sara must find a way to trust Gideon with her secret as the killer closes in.
What I’m talking about:
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Sara Savitch is a top-notch security expert and next in line to take over her family business, Lynchpin Security International. Unbeknownst to anyone but family and the trusted inner circle at LSI, Sara is descended from a warrior angel, which really gives her the edge when it comes to protecting her clients. Unfortunately for Sara, her next assignment, protecting her father’s wealthy friend, Noah Mandeville, will involve more than her cunning skills as a guardian.
Gideon Mandeville, Noah’s son, is back from a traumatic tour overseas as a battlefield doctor with the Army. Feeling survivor’s remorse and suffering PTSD, Gideon has distanced himself from those that care about him. So when the one woman that rocked his world (including a steamy one-night-stand the night before he deployed) shows up as his father’s body guard and head of security, Gideon attempts to discredit her and get her to leave.
I am going to say right up front that I really enjoyed Savage Angel. The mythology is unique and captivating, the action quick and entertaining, the romance sweet and passionate, and the plot completely captivating. At times the descriptive detail provided by Ms. Gail paints such a realistic visual that felt I was right there, along side the characters.
First the storyline... Noah is recipient of heart from woman who was murdered suspiciously. Now the people who received her organs are also being killed. I was completely hooked right from the get go. Although I was able to identify the culprit almost immediately, the reason behind the attacks was a pleasantly surprising twist.
I adore the primary female lead in Savage Angel, Sara. I cracked up and simultaneously empathized with her inner monologue spiels about how she is clueless when it comes male/female relationships and how she wonders if she is a psycho-stalker! Sara is an extremely strong woman, and I am not just referring to her physical prowess. She stands up for herself and defends those close to her. For a large chunk of the story, Gideon sends all sorts of mixed signals, and I like that Sara, although internally hurt and confused, holds Gideon to the fire and doesn’t let him play her. Gideon was being a total jerk on purpose, and Sara wouldn’t take it. She’s the kind of girl I’d want for a best friend.
Then we have Gideon, a man who is emotionally scarred from his time in combat. He sends out mixed signals because he isn’t certain what he wants - or rather - what he deserves. I was disappointed that Gideon dismissed Sara as Noah’s bodyguard because she is a female. However, once I got to know him, it became clear how he was pushing hard on Sara as a defense mechanism. At times Gideon was such a tortured soul, so when he pleaded with Sara and asked if he’s done too much damage to their budding relationship, I totally swooned. And their first kiss... it knocked me off my feet. There is a lot of emotional intensity between Sara and Gideon.
Gideon and Sara are great together. They really are two halves of a whole. They compliment each other well and help the other to be a stronger, more complete individual. They aren't needy or codependent. I do think that Gideon may have healed from his PTSD quickly, but at the same time, he did emphasize that the scars will always be there.
I like the overall relationships between the characters - Sara with her dad, Gideon and his dad, and the Lynchpin team cohesion. I would love to stay and explore many of these characters, but based on how things were left in this book, I think that the focus of subsequent books will be on other "earthy angels" that we have yet to meet.
Savage Angel is a wonderful story in what promises to be an exciting new series. I look forward to learning more about other descendants of the Nephilim and what lurks in the shadows...
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Reviews in the Series:
Monday, January 21, 2013
Review: Nobody's Angel by Stacy Gail
Nobody’s Angel
Author: Stacy Gail
Release Date: Jan. 21, 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Earth Angels #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance, novella
Format(s): e-book
Book Source: NetGalley
About the book:
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Investigative journalist Kendall Glynn is horrified when a friend and colleague signs off permanently during a live newscast, jabbing a pen into his jugular. Kendall's no expert, but judging by the strange white veil in the anchorman's eyes, she would swear he was a man possessed.
A descendant of the accursed Nephilim, Zeke Reece prowls San Francisco by night, keeping the city free from paranormal phenomena. But even he is no match for whatever malevolent force is behind a recent rash of murder-suicides. And when a beautiful tenacious reporter becomes the next target, Zeke has no choice but to stay close to her, until he can find the evil spirit and cross it over.
The closer Kendall gets to the truth, the more danger she's in. Fortunately, a sexy and mysterious masked stranger keeps swooping in to the rescue. Kendall's life depends on finding who or what is responsible for the killings, before it finds her.
What I’m talking about:
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Evil is among us, and investigative reporter Kendall Glynn has just enough para in her normal to realize things are not as they should be. When she witnesses firsthand her coworker and friend attempt to kill his co-anchor and then end his own life while on air, Kendall notices a strange veil of color in his eyes. Then when EMT Zeke Reece questions her about the apparently freaky eyes, Kendall starts to put her investigative skills to good use, trying to uncover what is happening.
Zeke seemingly knows more than he’s letting on, yet he attempts to discredit Kendall and turn her away from the story. He was aloof and tried to make Kendall feel stupid for believing she saw something out of the ordinary. This bothered me - knowing that Zeke and Kendall would eventually become a couple. However, I enjoyed that Kendall recognized Zeke’s attempts to discredit her, and instead of letting it bring her down, she fought harder for the truth.
The reader (and eventually Kendall) discovers that Zeke is a human descendant of the Nephilim (children of angels and human women). Due to the particular Nephilim from which Zeke originated, he has extraordinary abilities, which he uses to protect humans under the guise of the Guardian Angel - a superhero-like, mysterious man. One of the things I enjoyed about the world-building in Nobody’s Angel is how Kendall learns about the Guardian Angel (Zeke) via reading newspaper clippings on the web. It fits the feel of the story since Kendall is a reporter, while affectively giving the reader a tremendous amount of background without it being "told" the information.
Kendall meets the Guardian Angel and feels an inexplicable attraction, although he keeps his identity well masked. Then as Zeke and Kendall begin spending more time together, their mutual attraction gets the better of the pair. They share a sexy kiss in a coffee shop, and it was easy to get wrapped up in the emotions surrounding a really good first kiss. I also liked how Kendall pulled away, questioning her feelings towards the Guardian Angel while kissing Zeke.
Kendall is a smart woman and eventually pieces everything together (including Zeke’s identity). I felt that Zeke and Kendall worked well together, when he wasn’t trying to sabotage himself. I continued to be frustrated throughout the story at Zeke’s treatment of Kendall’s theories, claiming he knows more that she. I felt he belittled her one too many times.
Nobody’s Angel is an excellent introduction to Ms. Gail’s Earth Angels series. The novella-length story provides a good foundation for the series, which continues with the second book, Savage Angel (February 2013). Although sometimes the characters felt a tad over-the-top and slightly dramatic, I was impressed with the mythology, and the smexy times were hot. I look forward to more mischief from this new world created by Ms. Gail.
My Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Nobody's Angel (The Earth Angels 1)
Monday, June 11, 2012
Review: Beauty and the Best by Judi Fennell
Beauty and the Best
Author: Judi Fennell
Release Date: April 6, 2012
Publisher: self-published
ISBN: #978-0985453411
Genre: Contemporary Romance, angels
Format(s): paperback (296 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Jolie Gardener, personal chef by day, aspiring romance writer by night, likes to talk and does it a lot. She has to because if she stops, all the pain, disillusionment, and abandonment of her AWOL mother, question-mark father, and foster-care childhood will rise up like a chocolate soufflé on steroids, sweeping away the fragile infrastructure of her life. But she's fine. Really. She is.
Or so she thinks.
Todd Best isn't fine. He knows it. And doesn't care.
After his wife died—the woman who believed in him when he was a struggling artist—he put painting aside, moved from their home, and lost himself in the minutiae of daily life. Alone. Private. The way he likes it. The last thing he needs is some chatty cook seeping into the perfectly bland canvas of his life.
Or so he thinks.
So when Jonathan, a guardian-angel-in-training, turns himself into a kitten to help these two lonely souls find a happily ever after together, it ought to be a piece of cake.
Or so he thinks…
What I’m talking about:
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What a wonderful, refreshing, happy story! Right from the start I was in love with the hero, Todd Best. A lonely, depressed man who lost his wife two years ago, he has all but given up on life and the will to continue his work (a famous artist) and even to feed himself. His concerned family has hired different personal chefs to help him over the past two years, and now Jolie is starting the task. On her first morning, Todd stumbles into the kitchen, hungover and naked. Instead of being arrogant and cocky as we would expect a famous man to be, we learn from Todd’s inner monologue that he is embarrassed by his actions.
Jolie has had a tough life - alcoholic mom, never knew her dad, in and out of foster homes. She’s seen it all, but she has managed to make the most of her life and to rise above the circumstances. Yet there is a price to her success - she has shut out almost everyone, scare to be hurt and let down again. She won’t let her emotions get hold and allow herself to hope.
Early on we learn of Jolie’s plans to author a romance novel. She hopes to use Todd as inspiration for her hero, Tom. I was on edge and cringing knowing that a fictional exposé of Todd's life--a man who loves and protects his privacy--will not end well. I just hated knowing that Jolie is going to get hurt for her innocent book aspirations. From the first mention of the book in this story, I could see the misunderstandings, hurt feelings, etc. that were to come. And while I knew a confrontation would come, I understood the couple would have to go through it to move beyond their pasts.
Todd and Jolie have some help when it comes to the romance department. Family friend, Jasmine Gray has sought out the help of Guardian Angel-in-training, Jonathan Griff, to help Todd have a happily-ever-after. Mr. Griff enters into their lives in different forms - one as a book store owner, another as a cat. Jonathan tends to be a bit nervous as he tries to earn his wings, and sometimes can be a bit goofy. In my opinion, he seemed to know too much about Jolie and Todd, but they never questioned it. I kept waiting for the lightbulb to go on in Jolie’s head, but things continued to move forward, and Jonathan did his job.
Jolie is full of cliche comebacks and cracks about life "I always say do or die" kind of things. While it can (and did) get tiresome at times, it is a great reflection of her desire to hide away the pain of her childhood and pretend it doesn't bother her. Ms. Fennell developed this annoying, but honest character flaw to Jolie which works well.
As Todd and Jolie grow closer and quickly fall for one another, I fell in love too. Their romance is honest, simple and refreshing. Their first kiss put flutters in my belly. Even though we know from almost the beginning Jolie’s desires for Todd, it took time for the reader to learn more from Todd’s point-of-view. But once he realized it was okay to love again, the emotions flowed forth.
The pair have a few bumps and minor misunderstandings. And the big conflict did happen just as I knew it would. But Ms. Fennell is able to write a solid path away from the conflict and into a satisfying resolution. There was a point when Todd confronted Jolie and asked if she felt anything. Jolie’s response was poignant and moving, bringing tears to my eyes. I thought to myself, “Haven’t we all felt that way at some point?”
In the end I had a smile on my face and a sigh of contentment. Beauty and the Best is a happy-go-lucky, sweet, simple romance. The tale is light-hearted but full of emotion. The story stirred in me feelings of falling in love all over again. It was just downright enjoyable to read!
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Labels:
4 stars,
angels,
contemporary romance,
Judi Fennell,
self-published,
Twimom Review
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3
comments
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Review: A Touch of Crimson
A Touch of Crimson
Author: Sylvia Day
Release Date: Oct 4, 2011
Publisher: Signet
Renegade Angels #1
ISBN: #978-0451234995
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Format(s): Paperback (356 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Can a love that transcends death survive a war between angels, vampires, and lycans?
An angel with immense power and insatiable desire, Adrian Mitchell leads an elite Special Ops unit of the seraphim. His task is to punish the Fallen--angels who have become vampires--and command a restless pack of indentured lycans.
But Adrian has suffered his own punishment for becoming involved with mortals--losing the woman he loves again and again. Now, after nearly two hundred years, he has found her: Shadoe, her soul once more inhabiting a new body that doesn’t remember him. This time he won't let her go.
With no memory of her past as Shadoe, Lindsay Gibson knows only that she can't help being fiercely attracted to the smoldering, seductive male who crosses her path. Swept into a dangerous world of tumultuous passion and preternatural conflict, Lindsay is soon caught between her angel lover, her vampire father, and a full-blown lycan revolt. There’s more at stake than her love and her life--she could lose her very soul...
What G & U are talking about:
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A Touch of Crimson is the debut novel in the new Renegade Angels series. Gikany and Una jumped at the chance to read something different a bit ago, and this novel was included in that leap of faith. We are eager to report that this novel and series did not let us down, it was overall exciting, fresh and enthralling.
A Touch of Crimson takes place during our time, but angels, vampires and lycans exist alongside us, invisible to mere mortals. The world and mythology in the Renegade Angels is intriguing. The role of the lycans and the creation of the vampires are fascinating. The angels, a sect of warriors from the Judeo-Christian religion, are engaged in a battle with a group of fallen angels who have become vampires. Although the religious aspects are not forthright, it is basis of the mythology from where the story and characters unfold.
One element that Una had difficulty with is that angel Adrian, the leader of the elite group of angels, is often blasphemous. It was rather odd since he is working for God to be taking his master’s name in vain. This, combined with other elements, reinforces the old adage that God has mysterious ways and we assume, is flexible with his Sentinels. Adrian is truly complicated, caught between duty and desire – an intriguing conflict since angels are not supposed to feel desire or any emotions. This inner battle of choice is gripping as it is seen not only in Adrian but in other characters as well.
The element of Lindsay being a vessel for an additional soul was very intriguing. The question of whether Adrian’s interest is for Lindsay or Shadoe (the other soul within Lindsay) was an interesting twist to the idea of a love triangle. We enjoyed Lindsay’s strength and compassion. She was a well-developed character that truly came to life off the page.
A Touch of Crimson was a gripping page-turner filled with wonderful sexual tension and suspense. The Renegade Angels Novels to be a fresh and wonderful new series and we cannot wait until the next novel, A Hunger so Wild, releases.
Their Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Friday, October 7, 2011
Review and Giveaway: Angels Of Darkness
Angels Of DarknessRelease Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
ISBN: #978-0425243121
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Anthology
Format(s): Paperback (416 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
“Angel’s Wolf” by Nalini Singh (Guild Hunters Story)
Summary: Noel was a vampire of power and position within Archangel Raphael elite team. After an unspeakable act of violence left Noel shattered, he recovered physically, but not emotionally. He is sent to work for angel Nimra, who has a traitor in her midst. Once together, the two develop a close friendship and maybe something more.
Twimom’s Take: Noel and Nimra are both strong (and feared) individuals who hide emotional scars from the world around them. I enjoyed watching their romance develop - it was very sweet for such fierce characters. There is great plot movement and character development, with a mystery at the core of the story. “Angel’s Wolf” is a lovely romance and a great introduction to Ms. Singh’s Guild Hunters for anyone that has yet to pick up the books. The characters are not part of the other stories, and there are no spoilers for the primary storyline.
Rating: 4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
“Alphas: Origins” by Ilona Andrews
Summary: A woman is kidnapped into a world divided by a superhuman civil war. As the captive of an irresistibly dangerous male, she has two choices: submit and become a pawn, or take hold of her own destiny.
Una’s Take: This is a new world that Ms. Andrews has created and it is completely, mind-bogglingly outstanding and wonderfully woven. It's science-fiction for paranormals or vice versa and either way you look at it, the story is mesmerizing. I found myself lost in Karina's plight and the choices before her. This story was a completely and thoroughly gripping page-turner. I truly hope that there will be more stories to be told from this exciting and fresh new world. If my assumptions are true, this would be a fabulous "prequel' into a new series. (I hope!!)
Rating: 4.5 stars: Loved it! - enthusiastically recommend (A)
“Nocturne” by Sharon Shinns (Samaria series)
Summary: Accepting a position in a secluded and whispered-about mansion, a woman soon discovers the source of its mystery: the blind, tormented angel who lives there, and whose secrets could now destroy them both.
Una’s Take: I was a little surprised when I started reading the story. It didn't quite match in my head the pictures created when I read the summary. However, it is a very enjoyable story of two deeply wounded souls who learn to stop running away and start reaching for life, healing and the greatest prize, love. It is a gentle story with gothic images and undertones and a brash, realistic yet romantic heroine. Albeit a little straight forward of a romance story, the personalities of the characters I find quite fascinating along with the setting.
Rating: 3.5 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (B+)
“Ascension” by Meljean Brook (Guardians Story)
Summary: Marc Revoire is one of the chosen Guardians, a man who sacrificed his life to save another, then given angelic-like abilities to come back and protect humans from demons and evil. While searching for a demon in a small town, he is surprised to find fellow Guardian, Radha, who is “on vacation.” The two share a past, but haven’t spoken in over a hundred years. Will they be able to move past their old mistakes in order to have a future?
Twimom’s Take: Although this is a romantic short, the mystery of what is going on in this small town takes center stage. Marc senses the evil of a demon corrupting a small town. The local vampire community is being killed off and the Guardians must figure out what is going on. I enjoyed following the pair as they evaluated each clue, eliminating suspects and narrowing down solutions. The story flows and there is no need to have read any of the other Guardian books to enjoy this one. Marc and Radha’s romance is more about re-igniting a deep passion they both have, and learning to let go of youthful mistakes from their past.
Rating: 4 stars: Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Our Rating (for the entire book): |
Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
GIVEAWAY: We have one (1) copy of Angels of Darkness to giveaway here at That’s What I’m Talking About. To be entered, please leave a comment telling us who your favorite fictional Angel or Demon is. You do not need to be a google follower of our blog, but it always appreciated. Contest is open from October 7, 2011 until Tuesday October 11, 2011 at 9:00 PM EDT. If your email is not part of your profile, please leave it so I may contact the winner. One entry per person. Contest is restricted to US mailing addresses only. One (1) winner will be selected from eligible entries using random.org. I am not responsible for items lost in the mail.
Thanks and Happy Reading!
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