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2013 Reading Challenge
Jen (That's What I'm Talking About) has
read 0 books toward her goal of 75 books.
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
10) PJ Schnyder
11) Kait Ballenger
12) Denise L. Wyant
13) Lucy Monroe
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Sunday, August 26, 2012
Sunday Snippets #118
Blazing the TrailAuthor: Deborah Cooke
The Dragon Diaries (Trilogy) #3
Publisher: NAL Trade
Released: June 5, 2012
REVIEW HERE
So, I was in a pretty crap mood when I got to English class late, one that was not improved by Derek glowering at me from the back of the room when I entered. I could feel his gaze boring into the back of my skull throughout the whole class, and he was ticked enough to not know the answer when he was called on.
I think that had to be a first. I hoped he'd be mad enough to ignore me afterward, but no luck; he followed me out of class and back to my Muriel check.
I was really not interested in getting chewed out, but Derek's heightened sense of smell apparently wasn't' sharp enough to pick up on that.
Or else he didn't care.
"So, what was that all about?" he demanded in his growly undertone. "Where did you go? And why were you in Trevor's car?"
"You saw that?"
"I had a feeling. I turned back to find you." He glared at me. "I saw you leave, but I couldn't catch up with you." His tone turned fierce. "You never should have gone anywhere with him. You know he's dangerous."
"He told me that Adrian had been eating shifter shadows. I went with him to try to stop Adrian." It seemed like a good idea not to mention - yet - that I'd completely, totally, and utterly failed in that goal. I marched down the hallway and he walked beside me.
"Alone? Dumb Zoe. Dumb."
That stung, because it had been dumb. It woul dhave bene nice for him to have had some confidence in me, though. "I told Meagan."
"Well, you didn't tell me."
I strode onward. I hadn't exactly had time to update everyone on the planet on my situation.
"We're a team," he said with force. "We have an alliance, in case you've forgotten. We're supposed to work together but you acted alone." I guess the fact that I didn't immediately defend myself made him even more angry, because he took a deep breath and a step back. "If you got yourself in danger, you deserved it."
Deserved it? I was with him until those last two words.
"Excuse me?" I halted in the hallway and spun to face him. I didn't care who saw me and I didn't care what my eyes did. I was feeling the need to breathe some fire.
"I deserved to be spellbound?" I demanded in an undertone. "I deserved to be cornered and nearly sacrificed to the ShadowEaters? Is that really what you think? Just because I didn't tell you what I was doing, I should die?
Derek, to his credit, looked shocked. His eyes widened as he surveyed me. It was a bit late, to my thinking, to worry about the details.
"No," he whispered.
"Yes," I hissed with force. "The ShadowEaters are free. I tried to stop Trevor and Adrian, but I failed. Not only that, but they're hungry and they've already killed someone by eating his shadow."
Derek paled.
"Plus Adrian has become one."
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Friday, August 24, 2012
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You can now find us:
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Thanks for your support and Happy Reading!
Review: Seawitch by Kat Richardson
Seawitch
Author: Kat Richardson
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2012
Publisher: Roc
Greywalker #7
ISBN: # 978-0451464552
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Hardcover (338 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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More than a quarter century ago, the Seawitch cruised away from her dock and disappeared with everyone on board. Now, the boat has mysteriously returned to her old berth in Seattle and the insurance company has hired Harper to find out what happened.
But Harper is not the only one investigating. Seattle Police Detective Rey Solis is a good cop, albeit one who isn’t comfortable with the creepy cases that always seem to end up in Harper’s lap. As they explore the abandoned vessel, Harper and Solis discover a cabin containing symbols drawn in human blood, a haunted engine room containing an artifact that should never have been aboard, and a log book that hints at dark events leading up to the ship’s original disappearance.
But the search for answers leads to a mysterious suicide, monstrous creatures, and the horrifying wreck of another ship a hundred years earlier. To discover the answer to the disappearance of the Seawitch’s passengers and crew, Harper and Solis will need to put aside their differences and solve a deadly mystery more than a hundred years in the making…
What G & U are talking about:
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Seawitch is the latest installment in the Greywalker series and let us tell you, Ms. Richardson did not disappoint. Our first foray into the Grey was the previous novel Downpour. Although it was not an issue with Downpour, there are previous issues discussed and alluded to in Seawitch that we did not quite comprehend because we had not read all of the previous novels. However, it did not distract from our enjoyment of Seawitch.
Harper Blaine, after the events in Downpour, seems to be back to her usual day-to-day routine in Seattle. The novel begins with the reappearance of Seawitch, a ship that had mysteriously disappeared 25 years ago. Ms. Richardson captures you from the first moment with her prose-like style. Her imagery of the Grey and the interactions of the “normal” and the Grey that Harper muddles through are enthralling. Una had just read the first chapters of Seawitch the night before she got up for her morning swim and the local gym pool. Swimming before dawn with the pool light the only illumination – Una felt like at any moment she would start seeing Seawitch in all its decay and mildew. This just shows the absolute power and richness in Ms. Richardson’s storytelling. The reader can easily walk into this world through the words.
However, it is not just the imagery that grabs you. The process and plot of the mystery, the way it unravels (not just unfolds) has a rhythm and seamlessness to it. Maybe it is because she is partnered with Detective Solis in this novel. The way each of them approaches this mystery helps to balance the foreign and unbelievable with a foundation of reality. It is uncanny and amazing how plausible the world that Ms. Richardson has created is. The only time Gikany and Una really noticed a stop or bump were the references to previous novels that we had not read. Truly, the combination of the rich fantasy and the detective mystery with its twist of paranormal is a recipe for an incredible story that sticks with you.
Gikany and Una could go on but we do not want to give anything away in our gushing. We have Twimom to thank for giving us Downpour to review. Hopefully we can “catch up” before the next novel and read the back-stories. If you haven’t picked up the Grey series, please do so. However, if you don’t want to wait, you could jump into Seawitch, but just know that some references will not be completely clear. But without a doubt it is a rich and wonderfully woven urban fantasy mystery series.
Their Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series:
Thursday, August 23, 2012
Review: A Lady Never Lies by Juliana Gray
Please welcome Ang, who brings you today’s Guest Review of...
A Lady Never Lies
Author: Juliana Gray
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2012
Publisher: Berkley
Affairs by Moonlight #1
ISBN: #978-0425250921
Genre: Historical Romance
Format(s): Paperback (320 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Lady Alexandra Morley, an alluring widow, is desperate to devise a plan to reverse her fortunes. When fate lands her in the arms of Phineas "Finn" Burke, an attractive inventor, she despairs of ever getting what she needs...until they kiss.
Finn has always been impervious to the charms of the female species, intent only on perfecting his "horseless carriage" engine. He never dreamed he'd meet a woman like Alexandra, who is as stubborn as she is comely. Despite the brewing scandal, Finn longs to make Alexandra his wife, but he must first convince the maddening lady that their love is the only thing that matters
What Ang is talking about:
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A Lady Never Lies is a fun, witty and sensual romp in the Tuscan Country Side filled with memorable characters and interesting dialogue. Even the secondary characters were fun and memorable, which is a good thing since they are sure to be the main characters in upcoming novels. My one complaint is with the curse on the castle. The castle is almost a character in and of itself, and along with Giacomo and Morini, I felt like I needed their back stories (although, I've got a feeling the back story would likely be a novel in and of itself).
Despite the distractions, our main characters, Alexandra and Finn were completely engaging. The differences in their characters, backgrounds and personalities played off each other nicely, building a well written tension between them. I especially enjoyed the banter throughout the story, but I did struggle with Finn's scientific mind at times, especially when he often speaks of Alexandra’s menses. I'm sorry that simply isn't a term or a detailed conversation I want to read in a romance novel. I get that the author was playing up the Finn’s scientific mind and his natural concern in reference to those things but I found it off putting. It's like mentioning the wet spot in the bed after an especially romantic scene in a story, you just don't do it. Thankfully, Alexandra insures these conversations are short lived allowing us to to get back to meet of the story quickly.
I have to say what held my interest was not only the love story between Finn and Alexandra but also the self-discovery Alexandra finds herself apart of. As a young widow who married a much older man at a very early age, she really hasn't discovered who she is intellectually or sexually. The journey she takes in this novel is well written as she figures things out in reference to her relationship with Finn and her placement in the world around her.
Overall this is a fun escape and it was nice to read a historical romance placed somewhere other than England. I don't know that I'll put myself on any pre-order list to get the next two in the trilogy, but having experienced Ms. Gary's writing style, I definitively wouldn't pass them by should I stumble on them in a book store. If you like historical romance you'll likely enjoy this novel.
Ang’s Rating:
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Purchase Info:
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Review: Widow's Web by Jennifer Estep
Widow’s Web
Author: Jennifer Estep
Release Date: Aug. 21, 2012
Publisher: Pocket Books
Elemental Assassins #7
ISBN: #978-1451651775
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Format(s): Paperback (400 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Author
About the book:
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Once an assassin, always an assassin. So much for being plain old Gin Blanco. With every lowlife in Ashland gunning for me, I don’t need another problem, but a new one has come to town.
Salina might seem like a sweet Southern belle, but she’s really a dangerous enemy whose water elemental magic can go head-to-head with my own Ice and Stone power. Salina also has an intimate history with my lover, Owen Grayson, and now that she’s back in town, she thinks he’s hers for the taking.
Salina’s playing a mysterious game that involves a shady local casino owner with a surprising connection to Owen. But they call me the Spider for a reason. I’m going to untangle her deadly scheme, even if it leaves my love affair hanging by a thread.
What I’m talking about:
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Widow’s Web picks up only a few weeks after the conclusion of the last book, By a Thread. The opening is an amazing gut check that will leave you speechless for a couple of moments. It starts with Gin on the job - hunting her prey and preparing to take out her latest target. We learn the intricate details of how she prepared for this kill, and the scene is amazing. Ms. Estep is a masterful story teller, and she sucked me into Gin’s world so quickly.
All-in-all things are going well for Gin. She and Owen are closer than ever, and even the attempts on her life aren’t as frequent as they were after Mab’s death. But all good things must come to an end for our heroine, and that happens the moment Salina Dubois strolls into Underwood restaurant. We discover that this gorgeous southern belle is Owen’s ex, and she has her sites on reclaiming Owen as her own. Once again, Ms. Estep expertly weaves a scene that conveys an immense amount of intimate emotion and reaction. The fact that the story is told from first person puts the reader right in Gin’s head, and my heart was breaking as she notices all of the signs of someone who may still be in love with another.
As the story progresses, we learn that Salina may not be the polite charmer that Owen remembers. Owen’s sister, Eva, and underworld gambling racketeer, Phillip Kincaid, both have much to say about Salina, none of it good. Unfortunately for Gin, she’s now in the middle of an ugly situation -- fighting siblings, enemies reengaged, and meanwhile, she’s watching her lover distance himself. This story is full of layers that Gin must peel away to determine where the truth lies. Ultimately, Gin must make some difficult decisions, which add much to her character and the tale. It was hard for me to read at times because I was so worried about what might happen, but in the end Ms. Estep takes the story in the direction it needs to go.
Gin is one of my favorite heroines. She’s an assassin with a heart. She has had so much bad in her life, that she values the good so dearly. And I love that Gin is smart. She notices everything around her, and puts pieces of the puzzle together. There is no finding a clue and then filing it away for another day. Since we are privy to her POV, we figure things out as she does. For example: Gin notices how quickly Kincaid eats and compares it to how she ate when she lived on the streets. That gives us quite a bit of information, rather than letting us figure it on our own.
I also enjoy how Gin’s relationship with her sister, Bria has progressed. In the last book, they began to open up and let go of the past. Ms. Estep has taken their connection another step forward, in fact, Bria even refers to Gin as the Spider without cringing. The pair are learning how to balance their opposing careers (assassin and police office) while continuing to support one another.
Finally, we witness a more emotional, vulnerable Gin. She has a lot on the line as she debates internally how to deal with Salina and what Salina means to Owen. Ms. Estep strikes my heartstrings as she takes Gin on an emotion-filled ride with highs and lows that left me wanting more. Gin is growing past her history with Mab and onto a life that is free of revenge, which opens up so many new avenues for our heroine.
In the end, this story moves and flows. As per usual, there is lots of action and adventure. Widow’s Web has both highs and lows, and I, for one, am happy to take on both ends of the spectrum with Gin as my guide.
My Rating:
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Enjoyed - strongly recommend (A-)
Reviews in the Series:
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Review: Stars & Stripes by Abigail Roux
Stars & Stripes
Author: Abigail Roux
Release Date: Aug. 13, 2012
Publisher: Riptide
Cut & Run #6
ISBN: #978-1937551582
Genre: Romantic Suspense, GLBT – m/m
Format(s): Paperback (292 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Purchased with my own funds
About the book:
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Special Agents Ty Grady and Zane Garrett have managed the impossible: a few months of peace and quiet. After nearly a year of personal and professional turmoil, they're living together conflict-free, their work is going smoothly, and they're both happy, healthy, and home every night before dark. But anyone who knows them knows that can’t possibly last.
When an emergency call from home upsets the balance of their carefully arranged world, Ty and Zane must juggle family drama with a perplexing crime to save a helpless victim before time runs out.
From the mountains of West Virginia to a remote Texas horse ranch harboring more than just livestock and childhood memories, Ty and Zane must face their fears—and their families—to overcome an unlikely enemy and bring peace back into their newly shared world.
What B is talking about:
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For several months of relative calm and stability, Ty and Zane have finally been able to enjoy being together. Aside from the constant need to hide their relationship from their coworkers and families, things are going better than ever. But, as living magnets for chaos, it’s a sure bet that such bliss couldn’t last for long.
Stars & Stripes covers a lot of ground, both figuratively as well as geographically. From the mountains of West Virginia to the Hill Country of Texas, Ms. Roux puts her heroes to the test, and proves once again that she is adept at multitasking; writing not only an endearing romance, but a compelling whodunit, as well. Subtle where it counts, and funny in the most unexpected places, this story expands on the solid foundation that’s been built by the previous novels in the series, while giving the two main characters a chance to evolve along with the relationship they’ve been working for.
I was very happy to see Ty’s family again, even though I have serious issues with Ty’s father, as was certainly intended. Every family is different, and things turned out well, but I couldn’t help feeling a strong connection to Zane and his desire for retribution during one particular scene. However, meeting Zane’s family was a real eye-opener, too, his mother being of the most fascinatingly abhorrent characters I’ve read in a while. She defies every idea I have of what a mother should be, and I absolutely hated her. Zane’s father, Harrison, on the other hand, has garnered a solid place in my heart, right alongside Chester, whose reappearance thrilled me through and through.
Both Ty and Zane are more overtly affectionate in this book, which I very much enjoyed. They’ve been together for nearly a year at this point, and have fought hard to make it this far. Combine what would have to be a substantial fatigue over having to hide their relationship from the rest of the world with the relief of giving in and letting themselves love simply and honestly, and it makes their increasingly demonstrative interactions quite lovely, indeed. They’ve travelled a long road together already, and they’ve earned it. Not that being able to love openly should be a thing to be earned in the first place, but they have, regardless.
Part of what made Stars & Stripes so interesting, was that I was truly surprised by the conclusion to the mystery Ty and Zane were trying to solve. While the villains were obvious and even fairly predictable on the surface, there was a deeper level of betrayal that I never saw coming, leaving me with the grudging satisfaction that can only come from being outwitted by a book.
The Cut & Run series continues to be an incredibly enjoyable one to read, and Ty and Zane are two of my favorite characters ever. The determined self-sacrifice each displayed earlier in the series has been transformed into the heartfelt unwillingness to live a life without each other in it. These two men are perfect together, and the more explicit depiction of the sex between them was undeniably scorching. Suspenseful and funny, Stars & Stripes is one story I know I’ll read again and again as I wait impatiently for the next novel in the series.
B’s Rating:
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Personal favorite - a must read (A+)
Purchase Info:
Reviews in the Series
Monday, August 20, 2012
Review: The Last Victim by Karen Robards
The Last Victim
Author: Karen Robards
Release Date: Aug. 7, 2012
Publisher: Ballantine
ISBN: 978-0345535405
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Suspense
Format(s): Hardcover (336 pgs), e-book
Book Source: Publisher
About the book:
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Dr. Charlotte Stone sees what others do not.
A sought-after expert in criminal pathology, Charlie regularly sits face-to-face with madmen. Obsessed with learning what makes human monsters commit terrible crimes, Charlie desires little else from life—no doubt because when she was sixteen, she herself survived a serial killer’s bloodbath: A man butchered the family of Charlie’s best friend, Holly, then left the girl’s body on a seaside boardwalk one week later.
Because of the information Charlie gave police, the Boardwalk Killer went underground. She kept to herself her eerie postmortem visions of Holly and her mother. And even years later, knowing her contact with ghosts might undermine her credibility as a psychological expert, Charlie tells no one about the visits she gets from the spirit world.
Now all-too-handsome FBI agent Tony Bartoli is telling Charlie that a teenage girl is missing, her family slaughtered. Bartoli suspects that after fifteen years, the Boardwalk Killer—or a sick copycat with his M.O.—is back. Time is running short for an innocent, kidnapped girl, and Bartoli pleads for Charlie’s help.
This is the one case Charlie shouldn’t go near. But she also knows that she may be the one person in the world who can stop this vicious killer. For Charlie—whose good looks disguise a world of hurt, vulnerability, and potent psychic gifts—a frantic hunt for a madman soon becomes a complex test of cunning, passions, and secrets. Aiding Dr. Stone on her quest to catch a madman is a ghostly presence with bad intentions: the fiery spirit of seductive bad boy Michael Garland who refuses to be ignored, though in his cat and mouse game they may both lose their hearts.
Dr. Charlotte Stone sees what others do not. And she sees the Boardwalk Killer coming for her.
What VampBard’s talking about:
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The Last Victim was definitely not a predictable read! Chock full of suspense, murder, and some freaky ghost stuff, my interest level was high throughout the story. You know you're hooked when there's a self-talk monologue going through your head about where the story is headed. You know you're immersed when that self-talk comes out of your mouth. I would be deeply immersed in this title.
Dr. Charlotte Stone, a.k.a. Charlie or Doc, is our gutsy, ghost-seeing heroine. Besides seeing the ghosts of the recently, violently deceased, she's a psychiatrist studying serial killers in a special housing unit for some of the country's most warped and notorious criminals. Her current assignment has her working with prisoner, Michael Garland. Charlie has been called upon to bring her own brand of expertise to the FBI's investigation of the slaughter of a girl's family and her disappearance. Charlie, the sole survivor of the Boardwalk Killer fifteen years ago, not only can identify the killer from her past, but has the education and experience to be of great aide to the authorities working around the clock to try to find the recently missing girl before she winds up a corpse, buried beneath a boardwalk. To make matters worse, just as the FBI were about to take her to pack some things and whisk her off to the crime scene, the current subject of her study, Garland, was murdered by a fellow inmate. He died while Charlie was trying to save his life, and is 'attached' to her throughout the story.
The FBI agents, Tony Bartoli, Kaminski and Crane, were interesting characters. Besides providing protection and leading the investigation to catch the serial killer, I'm not quite sure what purpose they all served. If I had to venture a guess, I'd classify them in the following manner: Tony Bartoli, the dark, well-dressed hottie in charge of the FBI team present was probably meant to be our romantic hero. Charlie's love interest. Kaminski was probably meant to provide female kinship – a girlfriend figure – as Charlie seemed utterly alone in that arena. Crane? Yeah, besides arguing with Kaminski, I don't really see his purpose. The romance vibes between Tony and Charlie were lukewarm. They definitely had the opportunity to get busy...but Charlie didn't let things go that far. Tertiary characters were the spirits of the recently slain. None of these ghosts were threatening, and did provide information that would help nab the killer. Hopefully before another girl died.
I am fairly certain that our ever-analytical heroine has a thing for a ghost. Yeah. Based on the 'dreams' and the inner monologue we got, extolling the virtues of a convicted serial killer that died, Charlie is hot for him. This 'relationship' sort-of creeped me out for awhile. I couldn't wrap my head around how this was ever going to result in a 'happily ever after'. With the spirit of Michael Garland randomly hanging around, Charlie probably won't be engaging in anything of a romantic nature as long as he remains tethered to her. After all, who wants a completely hot, charismatic ghost that was a convicted serial killer in life, ticked off? The way Charlie describes Michael, I pictured Sawyer from Lost. With the drawl, too. You may drool. It's OK. Even though our Ghost Whisperer shrink tried to 'vanquish' Garland to the afterlife, that was an epic fail. Personally, I don't think she wanted him to leave all that much. The part of me that likes to psycho-analyze characters thinks that Garland has mommy issues, and that Charlie represents the stable female presence he never had. I think that is why he attached himself to her – she set limits for him, just like good parents do with their kids.
As for the whole 'whodunit' thing, Ms. Robards did a great job creating interest, inserting foreshadowing as well as other literary devices to assist her reader in following the story. There are two significant story arcs to follow, and they're pretty unique. Only once did I go back and re-read for clarity. That COULD be one of those 'just me' things. I'm also unconvinced that Charlie is going to find a “happily ever after” when this is all said and done. I don't believe for one minute that Tony is going to hang around while Charlie works out her little ghost problem. I'm definitely in the “HEA” camp when I read a romance title. That's WHY I choose to read romance. I LIKE the 'HEA'. Alright, Charlie was alive at the end. I suppose that is kind-of like a 'HEA'. **shrug**
Over all, Karen Robards' novel, The Last Victim, definitely had an active plot, complete with romance, suspense, and danger. I look forward to reading more about Charlie...and whomever she is to be romantically involved.
VampBard’s Rating:
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Liked it - recommend (B+)
Purchase Info:
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