This is about as close as a book gets to pure perfection for me these days. The writing is flawless; clever, smooth, and engaging from the very first ...moreThis is about as close as a book gets to pure perfection for me these days. The writing is flawless; clever, smooth, and engaging from the very first page. I adored Toby, and would have gladly followed her through Fairie forever. The plot fizzled for me just a bit at the end, and I was left with a couple of questions. Also, maybe I'm just slow, but I still can't figure out what the title has to do with anything. Still, none of those issues were significant enough to detract from how much I enjoyed this book.
I'm greatly looking forward to the next in the series, and rooting for Toby to get together with Tybalt. I've always had a thing for cats...(less)
Fun book! I really enjoyed the premise of the story. As always, Gena's writing is smooth, flows easily, and remains engaging throughout. Her character...moreFun book! I really enjoyed the premise of the story. As always, Gena's writing is smooth, flows easily, and remains engaging throughout. Her characters have a lot of chemistry, and because her focus is on the developing romantic and sexual relationship, reading one of her books is an almost voyeuristic experience. The dialogue is witty, the characters well-developed, and the plot is entertaining.
However, the ending felt rushed, like she needed to hit her word count and it didn't matter how she got there. I was disappointed, and felt she'd glossed over a few key scenes.
Overall, this was a fun read, and there is wonderful potential for future books.(less)
I have a love/hate relationship with zombies. I'm scared to death (haha) of them, but I find them fascinating as well. So when I picked up this book a...moreI have a love/hate relationship with zombies. I'm scared to death (haha) of them, but I find them fascinating as well. So when I picked up this book and started reading, I quickly found myself unable to read it at night. And then I realized I also couldn't put it down.
Joan Frances Turner writes zombies like someone who's also fascinated by them, and wants to understand what makes them who (what?) they are. Jessie is a great protagonist, a zombie who likes her undead life, but who also longs for the family she left behind.
Having said all that, I did have some problems with the book. Chief among them is the fact that it was so darn slow. It's extremely repetitive at times, and there are entire chapters when not much happens. For a zombie novel, it's not an action caper, but more of a slow character study - almost literary at times. I also didn't understand why the author had to conjure up Death as a real character toward the end of the book. That seemed to come out of nowhere and made no sense to me.
Overall, though, I enjoyed the book, and I would read the sequel.(less)
Now THIS is why I read urban fantasy. I want flawed characters, a plot that grips me by the throat and doesn't let go, fabulous writing... and hey, a ...moreNow THIS is why I read urban fantasy. I want flawed characters, a plot that grips me by the throat and doesn't let go, fabulous writing... and hey, a love triangle sure doesn't hurt. I adored Annabelle from the very beginning. "Flawed" doesn't even begin to describe her. She's got a ton of demons she's trying to exorcise (the wrong way, for the most part), but she makes no apologies for who she is and the way she lives her life. My heart ached for her every time she had to have one of those heart-to-heart talks with Cane, but each time the interaction felt genuine. And that's one of the great strengths of this book: all the character interactions come across as extremely authentic, as do the characters themselves.
I'm eagerly looking forward to the next book in the series. I can't wait to see what kind of trouble Annabelle gets herself into next!(less)
There's been a lot of chatter about this book since it came out. I mean, John's success is undeniable. What author wouldn't want to replicate his resu...moreThere's been a lot of chatter about this book since it came out. I mean, John's success is undeniable. What author wouldn't want to replicate his results? Still, I wasn't convinced that his way of doing things would work for me. But like hundreds of other writers, I purchased the book because, hey, all I had to lose was $5, right? Well, I got my money's worth, and then some. John Locke has put together a concise and easily understandable marketing plan. Although I don't agree with everything he does or suggests I do, I agree with about 80% of it. And that's huge! Because he talks in depth about things like identifying your market, finding your niche, surveying your readers and giving them what they want. He talks about blogging, emailing your core group of die-hard fans, and creating a Twitter "circle". This is all incredibly valuable information. I'm going to start working on implementing some of John's techniques.(less)
Holden's entire premise for his happiness program is that all of us have within us the capacity to be 100% happy with our lives, but we squander that ...moreHolden's entire premise for his happiness program is that all of us have within us the capacity to be 100% happy with our lives, but we squander that by 'chasing' after happiness. We look for external validation and we mistake pleasure for true happiness, when in fact real happiness is a spiritual joy that's always within us.
I enjoyed his take on what makes us happy, as well as his suggestions for being present in your life so that you make the most of what you have, right here, right now. We can all benefit from living in the moment and enjoying the lives we have as opposed to constantly wishing for things to change, so that we can be happy 'someday'.
Although the book gets a bit repetitive at times, it's filled with solid concepts and helpful exercises.(less)
What a fun book! As unlikely as the premise is, the characters more than make up for it. Katie is sweet and naive, yet she's got a backbone of steel a...moreWhat a fun book! As unlikely as the premise is, the characters more than make up for it. Katie is sweet and naive, yet she's got a backbone of steel and never backs down from a challenge. She's more than a match for Jorlan, whose arrogance and domineering attitude would destroy a weaker heroine. I loved their instant chemistry and their non-stop banter. A light, breezy read, THE STONE PRINCE is a fabulous introduction to Gena Showalter's work. I'll definitely be buying more of her books!(less)
I admit, I picked up this book with a little trepidation. I got my start writing erotica, and I've been crafting sex scenes for over 8 years, with nea...moreI admit, I picked up this book with a little trepidation. I got my start writing erotica, and I've been crafting sex scenes for over 8 years, with nearly 50 published short stories, novellas, and novels under my belt. I figured I knew just about everything there was to know about writing sex. I was wrong.
Stacia Kane's approach to developing a sex scene blew me away. She takes the time to explain her process in great detail, from the importance of minute details to penning believable dialogue -- just how much chatter is too much in a sex scene, anyway? And if you said it depends on the characters, you're right. Kane does a great job explaining how to make each sex scene unique, so that only this couple, in this moment in time, can be having this encounter.
Following Kane's suggestions will prevent any author from writing sex scenes that read like a formulaic, paint-by-numbers experiment, and will ensure clean, emotional, engaging sex scenes that will speak to readers. This is an impressive collection of essays, which I'd recommend to any author, whether writing in an erotic genre or not.(less)
I loved this book. Loved it. It's an excellent example of what a Harlequin Intrigue novel should be: intense, emotional, romantic, and filled with ten...moreI loved this book. Loved it. It's an excellent example of what a Harlequin Intrigue novel should be: intense, emotional, romantic, and filled with tension from the first page to the last. I instantly fell for Edward. He pulls off the wounded hero thing so well that I couldn't wait to see how he came around to Holly and accepted her as well as her love. Although I was a little disappointed with the stalker storyline (it seemed tacked on and wasn't really explained), that was a minor glitch in an otherwise flawless romance. Miller's entire BROTHERHOOD OF THE BADGE series is worth reading, as each book is better than the last. (less)
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