Sarah has
119 books
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| # | cover | title | author | isbn |
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asin | num pages | avg rating | num ratings | date pub | date pub (ed.) | rating | my rating | review | notes | recommender | comments | votes | read count | date started | date read | date added | date purchased | owned | purchase location | condition | format | ||
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| 1939056012
| 9781939056016
| 4.55
| 20
| May 14, 2013
| May 14, 2013
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Wow! This book sucked me in right from the beginning. This is a confident writer with a clear vision of the world created in Bleeding Hearts, the firs...more
Wow! This book sucked me in right from the beginning. This is a confident writer with a clear vision of the world created in Bleeding Hearts, the first book in the Demimonde series. Blood Rush picks up right where the first book ended, with Sophie recovering from her near-death after her lover is driven mad with blood-lust. As she slowly recovers, she realizes that Marek has no intention of coming near her again, and that he is no longer the man she knew and loved. But picking up the pieces of her life is harder than it should be, because she is still the Sophia, an empathic Oracle of wisdom and emotional comfort to the DemiVampires. Grieving, physically recovering, and trying to pay the rent, Sophie is also being stalked by a Were and spends her afternoons running out of her office building to evade her hunters. She moves constantly and is nearing her limit when Marek's brother Rodrian suddenly pops back into her life with a too-good-to-be-true offer: Marek's country mansion is now Sophie's. The catch? Rodrian's daughter Shiloh will live there too, and Sophie will help keep an eye on the bubbly teenager. Sophie is suspicious, but also desperate for some stability and contact. Pretty soon she and Rodrian are acknowledging their attraction to each other and flirting while pretending nothing is happening. After all, Sophie still loves Marek and Rodrian worships his older brother. The progression of their relationship is awkward, sexy, and uncomfortable - in other words very believable given the circumstances. During Sophie's recovery she has become best friends with Dahlia, one of the DV and soon she adopts another stray named Toby. Little by little Sophie is making a family for herself even as she mourns the loss of Jared, Marek and her dreams for the future. Things look even brighter when Sophie is contacted by an experienced European Sophia who offers to train Sophie as an Oracle. Sophie jumps at the chance, and even though Eirene and her sidekick Dorcas are arrogant, condescending and rude, Sophie's power grows quickly under the tutelage. She is soon able to protect herself against the DV's compulsions - and about time, too! I mean she's their Oracle, but they yank her around like a puppet. Sophie's not an ass-kicking heroine but at least now she can defend herself. One of the frustrating parts for me is that Sophie is still willfully ignorant about much of the DV world she now lives in. When Pontian or Rodrian hints at their age or history, she immediately changes the subject, claiming she is too freaked out. Wouldn't you want to know as much as possible, being the weak, helpless food source surrounded by predators? Sophie has the survival instincts of a sofa for the most part, but she survives anyway due to her stubborness, her tenacity, and her faith - and lots of luck. But that is also part of her charm as the heroine - in many ways she is a very traditional old-school, romance heroine. She is gentle and kind, her empathic and compassionate skills slowly soothing the savage alpha-male beasts surrounding her while she befriends and charms the other women - classic! Blood Rush also gives us some intriguing little windows into the DV world Krafton has created. There is a brief mention of the DV Special Ops at a rock concert attended by DV and Weres, which I think could be a whole new book right there. We learn a bit more about the prejudices and bitter hatred of the two races, and we have some great new characters. Fast paced, well-written, with a very satisfying blend of realistic romantic entanglements, intrigue, betrayals and some great surprises, I loved this book. (less) | Notes are private!
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Mar 08, 2013
| Paperback
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| 9781937248000
| 3.78
| 2,841
| May 26, 2011
| May 31, 2011
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This was my first Courtney Milan book, and I can definitely see what all the fuss is about! Her writing is sparkling and witty, with characters I quic...more
This was my first Courtney Milan book, and I can definitely see what all the fuss is about! Her writing is sparkling and witty, with characters I quickly came to love. Although the story is set in 1840, the theme of bullying and its consequences is timeless. Elaine was so severely ridiculed and cruelly teased by Evan and his cousin Diana during her first season ten years ago, that she has become a pariah of society, existing on the fringes. Essentially the popular kids ganged up to torture a single girl, and all their mindless lemming asshat groupies copied them, causing Elaine to be treated with mockery and disdain. In all the years since Evan left (after becoming so ashamed of his rotten behavior toward the woman he secretly had feelings for), Elaine has transformed from a vibrant girl who openly enjoyed laughing and life to a quiet woman who hides behind bland colored gowns and stays in the corners. When Evan returns to England after a decade of wallowing in self-pity for his actions (and mountaineering which taught him lessons in the true value of people and friendship), he is resolute in apologizing and making amends to Elaine. But Elaine is pissed and has no intention of taking anymore abuse. She does not trust Evan's apology, and certainly doesn't believe his offer of friendship. I really loved Elaine. She had been beat down at a young age, but was not going to stay down. She maintained her self-respect, her dignity and her sense of self in spite of how she was treated. Although her outward behavior allowed her to blend in and hide, she was strong and tough inside, never allowing anyone to see her break down. Evan's genuine attempts at friendship eventually win her over, and her affections, but her trust is much harder to earn. Which is as it should be after his past behavior. I couldn't stop reading until I knew how Evan earned Elaine's trust. (less) | Notes are private!
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Mar 03, 2012
| ebook
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| 1936467178
| 9781936467174
| 4.06
| 18
| Dec 01, 2011
| Jan 16, 2012
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Trashy Chic is a satisfying, whodunnit laced with tongue-in-cheek humor, set in the trashy Kardashian/Real Housewives version of Southern California. B...more Trashy Chic is a satisfying, whodunnit laced with tongue-in-cheek humor, set in the trashy Kardashian/Real Housewives version of Southern California. Bertie is the kind of gal I want to hang out with - she is smart, unappreciated, pissed-off and stubborn, kind of like an older, wiser, disillusioned, and sarcastic Nancy Drew. When Bellingham is murdered, Bertie is determined not to lose the opportunity for a serious story, but the problem is, Bertie has become a target herself. Because the murder victim was so incredibly wealthy and tacky, nobody is exactly sad to see him gone. There is no shortage of legitimate suspects, from a greedy younger wife, to an inept son and bizarre daughter, and even the family gardener. Bertie's adventures veer off into the madcap, but the mystery of the murderer's identity and the fast pace kept me reading until the end.(less) | Notes are private!
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May 09, 2013
| Paperback
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| 1841498076
| 9781841498072
| 4.20
| 6,422
| Jul 26, 2011
| Aug 04, 2011
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Whew! What a great book. Fans of Armstrong's novels will not be disappointed, as Spell Bound is churning with deadly plots, a possible deity, a swiftl...more
Whew! What a great book. Fans of Armstrong's novels will not be disappointed, as Spell Bound is churning with deadly plots, a possible deity, a swiftly approaching war and a gathering of characters from Books 1-11. The story begins when Savannah's spells are taken from her by a mysterious entity, forcing her to rethink who she is if she has no power, how her powers have defined her relationships, and her new feelings of vulnerability. At the same time she and Adam are being hunted by witch-hunters, and soon learn of a paranormal uprising in the making. Turns out the other side is interested in these events, too, as no less than two lord demons contact Savannah. And the paranormal leaders of the uprising want Savannah on their side, kidnapping her in an attempt to convert her. As Adam and Savannah gather information from strange and often questionable sources, work with a demon trying to gain political influence, and start to unravel the clues, they don't know who to trust. Trying to stay alive, figure out what the uprising has planned, and determine who is involved keeps Adam and Savannah running and confused. As their friends begin to gather in Miami under the safety net of the Cortez Cabal, they race to discover the goal of the uprising and the ulterior goals of the legendary man behind it. Savannah has grown over several years and books into a great character - strong, brave and smart, yet reckless and immature. She is realistic, and fascinating, and I feel like I know her. The insecure little girl who lost both her parents has blossomed into a fierce but still scared woman who has incomparable power. The constant underlying tension that is caused by her unspoken love for Adam, her partner and friend, is steadily humming throughout this book as well, and their relationship reaches a breaking point. Armstrong's writing is fast-paced, full of action, humor, danger, fascinating characters, and a beautifully layered plot that is slowly revealed as Adam and Savannah race for answers. One of Armstrong's many strengths in this series is the consistency of her characters. Even though they naturally grow and change, they stay true to their personalities, and this continuity in turn creates a believability for the reader. The characters are the focus of these books. As the world building and incredible action send the reader on fantastic adventures, the characters always bring us home. And I think that's why these books still feel fresh and exciting to read, even though Spell Bound is the twelfth in the series. I can't wait for #13! Readers new to the Otherworld will enjoy this novel as a standalone, but reading the entire series is well worth it, as previous characters, actions and stories all culminate in the war that begins in this book(less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 09, 2012
| Hardcover
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| 1841497975
| 9781841497976
| 4.20
| 28,168
| Mar 01, 2011
| Mar 01, 2011
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Ah, it feels so good to be back in Mercy's world, in the sixth adventure for our coyote shifter and walker. She is now Adam's fiance and mate, after s...more
Ah, it feels so good to be back in Mercy's world, in the sixth adventure for our coyote shifter and walker. She is now Adam's fiance and mate, after surviving the faerie queene, a pissed off vampire Mistress, and various and sundry supernaturals, plus one psychotic rapist. But living Mercy's life vicariously is the ONLY way I want to live it, because by page 7 she is once again getting the crap beat out of her. Her strength and stubbornness are exceeded only by her loyalty to her friends. Gotta love the girl! Patricia Briggs is a masterful storyteller, and River Marked is an elegant example of how a story should unfold. The pace is swift, the characters an interesting mix of the familiar and the new, and as the mystery is revealed the menace and danger continue to increase. Mercy is once again caught up in a swirling mix of supernatural freakiness and adventure, as she and Adam try to enjoy their honeymoon while figuring out who or what is killing people in the river. Soon Mercy meets other Native American shifters, and a good bit of her father's lineage is revealed as well, explaining her nature and abilities. The revelations about her father explain so much, making the reader realize just how beautifully crafted the entire storyline has been up to this point. Every clue, every little piece of Mercy's history, has a place in the puzzle that is assembled here. Mercy and Adam learn they were manipulated by the fae (there's a shock!) to spend their honeymoon near the River Devil's hunting ground, and they soon join forces with local Native American medicine men to defeat the monster. As the River Devil gains in strength, she pushes Mercy to her limits in a violent final showdown. Urban fantasy does not get better than these books. Mercy's world perfectly straddles the real and the supernatural, creating its very own magical "between" place capable of transporting readers. By having Mercy so involved in normal daily living, the author has created a much more believable world, and allows for a smooth addition of the supernatural. The blending of Native American and European folklore and mythology is seamless, highlighting the common themes and variations between the pantheons. Those of us who grew up reading the original Grimm's fairy tales will recognize the often terrifying European fae (as opposed to the sanitized, Disney versions), and they are a great addition to a world of vampires, shapeshifters, werewolves and more. Ancient legends pop up frequently in these books, and casual readers and students of folklore alike will devour them.(less) | Notes are private!
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Sep 27, 2011
| Paperback
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| 1611940443
| 9781611940442
| 3.53
| 371
| Jul 08, 2011
| Jul 01, 2011
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Mai Tai One On is the first book of a new series, and it is a quirky, fun, delightful escape. Part mystery, part chick lit, and 100% enjoyable, Mai Ta...more
Mai Tai One On is the first book of a new series, and it is a quirky, fun, delightful escape. Part mystery, part chick lit, and 100% enjoyable, Mai Tai One On takes place in beautiful Kauai at a run-down old landmark bar called the Tiki Goddess. Owned by Em's Uncle Louie, who may or may not be suffering from senility, it is a tourist hot spot and local watering hole. Em's arrival is a second chance for both her and the financially floundering bar. After a humiliating and painful divorce back in Southern California, Em has started to come into her own managing the bar. She has earned the respect and affections of her uncle, the new bartender running from a shady past, and a troupe of wacky "seasoned" ladies who are members of the Hula Maidens. After a universally disliked neighbor is murdered and dumped into the Tiki Goddess' luau pit, Em and the Maidens decide to conduct their own investigation after the local police focus on Sophie, the new bartender with secrets. Adding to the cast of characters is Roland, the hunky police detective who moonlights as a fire dancer. Although the sexual attraction between Roland and Em is present, it is barely touched upon, and is secondary to the mystery and Em's adventures. Readers who enjoy books without overt sexual scenes will love this enjoyable mystery lightly tinged with the beginnings of a romance. I am looking forward to the next book in the series.(less) | Notes are private!
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| Jun 28, 2011
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Jun 29, 2011
| Paperback
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| 1605423823
| 9781605423821
| 3.49
| 869
| May 01, 2011
| May 01, 2011
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This was a surprisingly original take on the zombie genre. Told from the perspective of Maddy, a quiet teenager with a popular best friend, a coroner...more
This was a surprisingly original take on the zombie genre. Told from the perspective of Maddy, a quiet teenager with a popular best friend, a coroner father, a gravestone-rubbing hobby, and a big crush on the handsome new football player, Stamp (really - STAMP?!). Luckily for our Maddy, Stamp likes her right back and asks her to a party. But on the way there she's struck by lightning and when she wakes up a couple of hours later - after her actual death - she's a zombie. I loved reading the author's theories on zombies, electrical charges, animation, and death - he's really thought about this. And creating a zombie political structure, and a lesser species of violent zombies called Zerkers, made for a fun read as well. Maddy is the narrator, and she is engaging, likeable and relateable. She is practical and realistic, and doesn't dwell on things very much, taking events in stride, to include her death and zombie-fication. The weakness of this story is that the action drives the plot, rather than the story. After Maddy wakes as a zombie, she learns that she must report to the Zombie Elders, who are protected by the militant zombie guards called the Sentinels. Supposedly the Elders make all decisions concerning zombie citizens. But when Barracuda Bay is being overrun with Zerkers, and a huge fight to the (final) death is planned at the Fall Formal Dance, the Elders are nowhere to be seen or even mentioned. Why didn't Dane and Chloe report the Zerkers to the Elders? Why weren't the Sentinels called in? Where are the adults in this book as Maddy is screaming in the street, or laying dead for hours in a puddle? Why is there no fuss when students in this small town start dying in large numbers and their corpses are missing brains. Additional zombie information and trivia is also tossed in willy-nilly to justify the action sequences. For instance, as our heroes are dressing for the Fall Formal Dance and zombie showdown, Maddy is told that Zerkers are distracted by cherry bombs and hurt by graveyard dirt, but Zombies are not. The fast-moving pace of the plot, as secondary characters are introduced, die, wake up as zombies, and sometimes die again, creates a story that moves like an amusement park ride. This speed and nonstop action covers up the inconsistencies in the story, and creates a fast, enjoyable read that is quickly forgotten. And that's not necessarily a bad thing. Like a fun action movie, the reader's willingness to suspend belief in order to stay in the flow/mood of the story allows for an entertaining time, with no emotional "hangover" lingering after the past page.(less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 04, 2012
| Paperback
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| 1601830068
| 9781601830067
| 3.74
| 92
| Jan 03, 2013
| Jan 03, 2013
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Oh, how I love this cover! Chest, abs, arms, sickle - all the requisite sex symbols! But more importantly I also loved the story. I believe this is th...more
Oh, how I love this cover! Chest, abs, arms, sickle - all the requisite sex symbols! But more importantly I also loved the story. I believe this is the author's first published work, and Lori Sjoberg will be an author to watch. Her style is confident and consistent, the plot is tightly written and the pacing brisk. The characters are so fleshed out and realisticI feel like I know them. David is my favorite kind of hero. He's strong, conflicted, stoic and brooding. After 60 plus years of reaping souls and stifling his emotions in order to deal with the horrific deaths, David is apathetic and numb, just waiting for his efforts to result in atonement. He has just started training the newest reaper for the Greater Orlando area, when he meets his apartment neighbor, Sarah. Sarah has life complications of her own. Her grandmother Pearl is a fortune teller/con artist, but seems to have some legitimate psychic abilities. Unfortunately, she is using her real skills to tell her fellow nursing home residents when a death is coming. This has resulted in her getting kicked out of numerous facilities, and Sarah does not know what to do with her beloved grandmother. On top of that, Sarah is being sexually harassed at work by her boss just as her research is at a critical point. When Sarah's creepy boss Angelo slashes her tires and then drugs her one night, David is there to rescue Sarah and threaten Angelo. From that point on they begin a friendship where they build mutual affection and respect while ignoring the serious chemistry between them. And then one day Sarah sees David doing his job. Except that as a mortal, she shouldn't be able to see the soul being harvested. Turns out Sarah has some unique psychic abilities of her own, and David sees no option but to tell her the truth. Sarah realizes her grandmother is not crazy but is really psychic, and she starts to spend a lot of time with both Pearl and David, asking them a million questions to learn more about this new dimension of her world. As the weeks go by, David and Sarah truly get to know each other and fall in love, but David refuses to act on this, terrified that if he lets his love for Sarah flow, then all the other emotions he has locked away for the last half century will come flooding back. And keeping his emotions locked away is the only thing that has kept him sane while reaping thousands of souls after their unnatural, often horrific deaths. Eventually David decides that after 60 years he is willing to take a chance on love. I really liked the fact that David and Sarah had a relationship first, and their love grew from a delicious combination of chemistry, respect, humor and friendship. It was realistic and sexy as hell. Everything is going beautifully, until the day Sarah's name comes up on David's weekly hit list. His decision to save her and cheat Death will come at a huge cost - his soul. Because the business of Fate, Death and reaping is one big bureaucratic structure of strict rules and regulations and there are no exceptions to these rules. At this point of the story, I was reminded of O. Henry's The Gift of the Magi. Mentioning that is spoiler enough, so I won't say anything further about the plot, except I actually shed a few tears, there is a happy ending, and you need to read this book! I am so happy that the author is working on the next in the series, and it features one of David's fellow reapers named Ruby. That's a woman with a hell of a story, and I can't wait to read it! One of the strengths in Grave Intentions is the incredible cast of supporting characters. David's coworkers are all Reapers like him, humans who did something that damned their souls before they died, but Fate has decided they are capable of redemption. Each is worthy of their own story, so hopefully a series is in the works.(less) | Notes are private!
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May 02, 2013
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| 1597802840
| 9781597802840
| 3.69
| 75
| Oct 01, 2011
| Oct 01, 2011
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This is a brilliantly twisted sendup of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Bella Swan has been transformed into Bonnie Grayduck, a smart, self-aware s...more
This is a brilliantly twisted sendup of Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. Bella Swan has been transformed into Bonnie Grayduck, a smart, self-aware sociopath who has arrived in Lake Woebegotten for her senior year of high school. Bonnie murdered a couple of classmates back in Santa Cruz, California, and while there is no evidence tying her to the deaths, there is plenty of suspicion, so spending a year with her police-chief father is very convenient. And as a sociopath, it's all about self-serving convenience for our Bonnie. Edwin is still the pale, gorgeous, brooding mysterious vampire, but as with Bella, the author has taken the minor personality traits and switched them to become the dominant ones. Edwin is old-fashioned, priggish, has a thing for live teenage girls, and his concern for hurting Bonnie in the throes of passion does not prevent him from enjoying certain "services". The story unfolds through the viewpoints of two narrative voices: the first-person journals of Bonnie, and the omniscient Narrator, who occasionally interjects to clarify or fill in background. Bonnie's narrative voice is cold and clear like a brook in winter. All of the people in her life, including her parents, are "cattle" or puppets, to be manipulated and used to further Bonnie's goals. And she definitely has goals! First and foremost she must maintain an appropriate persona in order to blend into society, and her favored one is the slightly shy, clumsy pretty girl. Bonnie believes this also gives her the advantage, as others will not expect her to be vicious and strong should she need to kill them. Her main goal, though, is to be turned into a vampire, by Edwin, with whom she has an infatuation. Inasmuch as she is capable, Bonnie believes she has feelings for him, but the main appeal of Edwin is that he is her "ticket to superpowers and immortality and becoming an apex predator". Bonnie's consistently cold, predatory, self-serving narcissism (yep, I'm aware of that redundancy but I like it) is so refreshing as the events of the Twilight series unfolds. Her calculating nature is always running scenarios of manipulation, all to her advantage. Bonnie learns that she is not the biggest monster in town, and as with herself, he is all too human. Bonnie soon has her capable hands full as she juggles two vampires who want to kill her, maintaining a semi-fake relationship with Edwin in the hopes he will turn her into a vampire, hiding her past, and keeping up appearances as a teenager for her father and classmates. The humor in this story was unexpected and truly laugh out loud funny. Consistently tongue-in-cheek, dark and devious, and true to the sociopathic, predatory nature of Bonnie Grayduck, The Twilight of Lake Woebegotten was a fiendish delight! (less) | Notes are private!
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Jul 23, 2011
| Paperback
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| 1594745137
| 9781594745133
| 3.72
| 122,863
| Jan 01, 2011
| Jun 07, 2011
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Every so often a book comes along that is pure magic, and "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is one such book. Part fantasy, part adventure...more
Every so often a book comes along that is pure magic, and "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is one such book. Part fantasy, part adventure, part eccentric photo collection, this is a story that will enthrall and enchant teens and adults. Jacob is the sixteen year old narrator, and he is intelligent, funny, realistic and perceptive. He is very close to his secretive grandfather, who used to tell him fantastic tales of his youth, and the children's home where he grew up. These tales were often accompanied by odd old photographs, and these same photographs are included in the book, creating a rich visual record that transports the reader on a magical journey. Jacob believed in the possibility of a magical life because of his grandfather and the tales he told. But as Jacob grows older, he stops believing in magic as his grandfather begins to age and show signs of senility. After the shocking murder of his grandfather, Jacob's life is turned upside down. He sees something unbelievable, something that lends credence to his grandfather's stories, and his parents and the police question his mental stability. In an attempt to help Jacob reconcile what is real from the fantastic, his father takes him to Cairnholm Island off the coast of Wales. Once on the island, Jacob feels the impact of being in a place seemingly out of time and separate from the world. The island seems to hide secrets of its own, its fog providing a curtain between the present and past. But hoping the reality of his grandfather's childhood will allow Jacob to heal, his father permits Jacob to explore the island and the old Home. But what Jacob finds forces him to believe in the magical and fantastic once again. Soon events take a darker turn, as Jacob learns he is being hunted by evil beings for shocking reasons. As Jacob says in the story, "Sometimes you just have to go through a door", and this would make a great theme for the book. Jacob must make frequent leaps of faith in order to decipher his grandfather's cryptic final words. He must find the inner strength to deny the opinions of his parents, the police, and his psychiatrist and follow his heart and his instincts. Taking these chances is like going through a door, never knowing what is on the other side. But every door he goes through brings him closer to his grandfather's secrets, and these secrets come alive (sometimes literally) as Jacob continues his quest. Enthralling, magical, spooky and wonderful, "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" is one of the most original and captivating books I have read in a very long time. Read this!!(less) | Notes are private!
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| Jun 12, 2011
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Jun 13, 2011
| ebook
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| 1594743347
| 9781594743344
| 3.25
| 53,869
| Jan 01, 2009
| May 01, 2009
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A few years ago, when all things Jane Austen seemed to reach the height of craziness, the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came out, and I HAD to...more
A few years ago, when all things Jane Austen seemed to reach the height of craziness, the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies came out, and I HAD to have it. Two of my favorite things in one pretty little package! As far as I know, sheltered girl that I am, it was the first book of its kind, mixing most of the original text with carefully added sections to create a whole new spin on a long-treasured novel. I absolutely loved it, and the thing I loved most was the really well-crafted blending of the original story with the insertion of a zombie thread running through the ENTIRE plot. I would guess about 80% of Austen's text is perfectly intact, and Grahame-Smith managed, by adding a sentence here and tweaking a paragraph there, to create a whole new meaning to the nuances of Austen's delightful and insightful prose. It was still the book I loved, and the zombies felt like a natural addition to the story, not the clumsy insertion they easily could have been. Elizabeth and Darcy's smart and witty dance of manners, emotions, and societal requirements was actually enhanced as they dealt with bothersome zombies with the same sparkling and practical finesse. (less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 24, 2013
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| 1479327247
| 9781479327249
| 4.00
| 71
| Sep 13, 2012
| Sep 18, 2012
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Sweet Mary, mother of god, this book was all kinds of awesome. I first learned of it from Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer (http://www.caffeinatedb...more
Sweet Mary, mother of god, this book was all kinds of awesome. I first learned of it from Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer (http://www.caffeinatedbookreviewer.com/) who also loved it. Layla is living in Washington D.C. and working as a medieval weapons museum curator and instructor (of the practical, medieval weapons-wielding kind), when she receives a very mysterious and brief call from her mystic and psychic Russian grandmother telling her to come home right away. Turns out the zombie apocalypse is about to happen, and Grandma Petrovich is a big believer in being prepared. The incredibly psychic Grandma P. has bought huge stockpiles of food, fuel, weapons and ammo, and has her property fenced in. Next thing Layla knows, Grandma P. has given her a magic mushroom tea to open up Layla's considerable (but latent) psychic abilities. She wakes up the next morning with a whopping hangover to discover the apocalypse is at hand, Grandma P. is nowhere to be found, and zombies are at the gate. Pretty soon a Native American warrior spirit tells her to save the town survivors, which Layla does in a slam-bang action scene using a fierce combination of medieval and modern weaponry. With her calm presence, her extensive academic background in studying medieval battle tactics (because life gets down to the non-electric basics mighty fast during the zombie apocalypse, folks), and her skill with weapons, Layla soon becomes the leader of the survivors. All while dealing with her new second sight and the fact that her high-school sweetheart (who betrayed her) is still alive and human. She excels at strategy and staying alive. After a few months the survivors are found by a mysterious group that comes in a boat across the lake. They promise them a safe haven at an island luxury hotel. But something is off about the newcomers, and another frightening adventure with a new enemy is just beginning. Layla can't convince her friends to stay where they are, and is forced to go with them to try and protect them. By this time Layla has embraced her abilities, and the story is richly woven with creatures and tales from folklore. I won't go into further detail because it would spoil the ending of the story, which is really a fantastic beginning to Book 2. Reading this literally left me breathless, as I kept going, wanting to know what happens next. Layla is a fabulous heroine. Reluctant, grieving, ethical, smart, and capable, she is a superior leader, a fiercely loyal friend and just all-around wonderful. She does the job because people are depending on her and because it's the right thing to do. And she is damn good at it. This story had so many fantastic elements all wrapped up in one superbly written and plotted book. Folklore, fairies, magic, zombies, medieval weapons and battle strategy, all held together by the very human drama playing out with a small group of survivors, who may be on their way to losing status as the dominant species. I have a particular interest in folklore, and reading this absolutely delighted me - I haven't read this many references to classical folklore since I cracked open one of my Katharine Briggs books! Book 2 is The Shadow Aspect, and the publication date is May 1, 2013.(less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 10, 2013
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| 9781465751829
| 3.94
| 1,556
| Mar 01, 2012
| Mar 03, 2012
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Helena discovers Niccolo while lost in the Mexican jungle, and soon her carefully planned life is turned upside down by the incredible physical attrac...more
Helena discovers Niccolo while lost in the Mexican jungle, and soon her carefully planned life is turned upside down by the incredible physical attraction and magnetic pull she feels for him. Throwing caution to the wind, she lets him bring her to New York City where he makes her a virtual prisoner in a fabulous penthouse while he waits for the three month mark (in accordance with Cimil's prophecy)to convert her. But he refuses to tell her anything, and she has no idea what he does, who he is in the vampire world, or what she can expect after she is turned. Meanwhile, she is under constant vampire guard, has extremely limited contact with her mother and best friends, and has absolutely no information about the world she is waiting to enter. This section required me to shut off the part of my brain that was screaming all kinds of self-preservation and common-sense mantras - like "Run, run, run!" and "Stalker!". As the reader I knew Niccolo had (mostly) honorable, if selfish intentions. But Helena does not. This was mildly disturbing because she puts up with it for 2 months. In real life she would be dead, stuffed and her picture would be on the wall at WalMart. But this is a romance novel, not real life, so hang in there because Helena finally hits her limit, and she outsmarts the thousand year old Viking vampire guarding her and takes off, only to be intercepted by a slightly crazy goddess and an angry Demilord. At this point the story changed from a creepy stalker/prisoner love story, and became more of a romantic suspense/action story and I could not put it down. Helena is thinking rationally now, and although she is only human, she is smart and capable. I liked her a lot more at this point as she began to truly question her feelings for Niccolo and whether she could trust him. On the run with no idea how to break their bond, she has unwittingly paired up with Andrus, a Demilord who plans to kill both Niccolo and his maker, the Vampire Queen. But once Helena and Niccolo are physically separated, the strength of their Mate bond is evident, and the two-way flow of emotions allows both Helena and Niccolo to figure out how they really feel. Pretty soon the goddess Cimil pops back into the narrative, and to call her bat-shit crazy is an understatement. Her brain is so stuffed with all potential future scenarios she is cryptic without meaning to be, and unfortunately she likes to be cryptic and manipulative anyway. I really loved Cimil - she has a lot of laugh-out-loud moments and I would love to read another book with her character! The author's view of the gods is really classic - as in, they're divine but have many human-like foibles and character traits (ie. petty and bitchy). As with the Greco-Roman pantheon, the gods like to involve themselves in the lives of humans (and vampires and their newly created hybrid, Demilords) with tragically comic results. Luckily, this being a romance novel, the end is happy! I was really delighted with how damn funny this book was - I haven't laughed out loud this much in quite a while. Whether it's Niccolo trying to adjust to life after a three hundred year nap, and his attempts to use current slang and navigate technology, or his reaction when he realizes that a Mate bond forces him to feel human female PMS, or Cimil's truly funny sense of humor, or the scene in a gay biker bar, I snickered all the way to the end. Reading this reminded me a lot of Kerrelyn Sparks' Love At Stake series. It was fun, the pace was fast, there were laugh out loud funny lines, plenty of pop-culture references, and lots of very sexy moments. I am DEFINITELY going to be reading the author's other books!(less) | Notes are private!
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Apr 24, 2013
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| 9781465739322
| 3.90
| 1,981
| Jul 13, 2011
| Jul 25, 2011
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In the 4th book of the Vampire For Hire series,Samantha has made the most difficult decision of her life, and now has 4 days to find a way to reverse...more
In the 4th book of the Vampire For Hire series,Samantha has made the most difficult decision of her life, and now has 4 days to find a way to reverse her son's vampirism before he realizes that he is different. She has rested all her hopes on the mysterious medallion her attacker left behind six years ago, but finding someone who can help her unlock its secrets will nearly kill her. Kingsley gives her a clue, and her new vampire friend Detective Hanner offers the next, and soon Sam is discovering supernatural beings she could never imagine. Meanwhile she is struggling to maintain a friendship with Fang, who has a psychic link with her and really wants to be transformed into a vampire. Although Sam is tempted and truly cares for him, Fang's past is troubling, and his stalking of her leans toward the obsessively creepy. But at the same time he is always supportive and never judgmental, unlike Kingsley who condemns Sam for her choice, while he defends his own decisions to knowingly defend murderers in court. As with the previous books, the parallel situations spotlight the fact that right and wrong is often a matter of perspective and context. Her relationship with Kingsley apparently over, Sam takes dangerous chances to find someone who can help her, and she soon attracts the attention of an ancient, evil, rotten vampire who wants the medallion and will do anything to possess it. When he kidnaps a sick little boy, thinking he's grabbed Anthony, Sam goes after him. In Moon Child Sam's psychic abilities continue to expand, and there is further evidence of a greater spiritual network in place, behind the scenes. The metaphysical layers to these stories offer teasing views into a much wider, fascinating world. I really love Sam - she is strong and always tries to do the right thing, even though that places her in danger. She's smart, sarcastic and funny. These books are exciting, interesting, and always fun.(less) | Notes are private!
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Mar 03, 2012
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| 1463759002
| 9781463759001
| 4.33
| 264
| Jul 30, 2011
| Jul 30, 2011
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This is a new series by Liliana Hart featuring small town mortician and coroner J.J.Graves, who has recently returned home to Bloody Mary, Virginia af...more
This is a new series by Liliana Hart featuring small town mortician and coroner J.J.Graves, who has recently returned home to Bloody Mary, Virginia after the death of her parents. J.J. feels pressured to give up her career as an ER doctor in order to take over the family funeral home business. After the death of her parents she learned (when the FBI came calling) that her parents had been engaged in illegal activities. J.J. is a great character. She is smart, strong, and wounded. She is also a smart-ass with a great sense of dry humor. I like her. She has spent the last ten years in college and med school and then the ER, she has no living family, and hasn't had sex in three years. Her parents had some kind of illegal and secret life, so the FBI is still poking around months after her parents deaths, and she feels like a pariah in her small hometown. But she has a tight-knit support group of childhood friends, and one of them is her oldest and best friend, Jack, the hot horny sheriff of Bloody Mary. She and Jack have been best friends since grade school, and he is her anchor. As sheriff and coroner they also work closely together, and when a woman they've known their entire lives is found murdered, it's the roller-coaster start to a series of homicides and secrets that will affect everyone in their circle. When a sexy mystery writer shows up asking to shadow her on the job for research, J.J.'s sleeping hormones wake up and she is soon busy making up for her three year dry spell. Meanwhile Jack show some unexpected jealousy, and J.J. is trying her damnedest to figure out murders and men at the same time. The ending is violent, conclusive, and a great emotional cliff-hanger, which is why I immediately started the next book. The setting of this series is a small southern town with a lot of personality. Bloody Mary is a small town, full of Victorian-style houses that populate the brick-lined streets, which are named for the dead wives of Henry VIII. The population is a mixture of rich and poor, black and white, local and non-local. And much like the small town I grew up in, local means at least 2nd generation. Living there for 25+ years still makes you the new guy. As interesting as the town is, the author doesn't indulge in too much quirkiness other than street names, and the interesting locals feel normally interesting and nuts, not "quaint and colorful". If you like the TV show "Bones" you will love this series. There are a lot of similarities - the gritty, violent mystery, the smart verbal sparring of the two romantic leads, and the sexy personal relationship that spills over into their shared worklife.(less) | Notes are private!
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Nov 04, 2012
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| 1451612753
| 9781451612752
| 3.51
| 569
| Dec 11, 2010
| May 03, 2011
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This is a beautifully written, incredibly rich mystery novel set in a quiet country village where a series of murders is taking place. The story has a...more
This is a beautifully written, incredibly rich mystery novel set in a quiet country village where a series of murders is taking place. The story has a claustrophobic feel, from the tiny village of tiny cottages, to the long dark nights of midwinter. The village is surrounded by steep hills, and the residents are a collection of depressing individuals. And they seem to be suffering from an unusually high number of tragedies. Serial killers, paralysis-causing accidents, dementia, drunken veterans with missing limbs, etc etc. Jonas himself has given up an exciting police career to care for his beloved wife, Lucy, who is dying of MS. His parents are dead, and he has mysterious trauma from his childhood. He works, takes care of Lucy, and also does all the housework. And now a killer is getting busy in Shipcott, killing off people Jonas has known his entire life. With the bleak setting of the story, the grisly crime mystery, and the depressing characters, you might think the book would be depressing, too. But the author is a master at quirky insights, unique turns of phrase, and dark, tongue-in-cheek humor. She sprinkles the story with pop-culture references, primarily to television shows and horror movies. I snickered more than once while reading. However, shortly after the first murder I was pretty sure I knew who had done it and why, but the answer was so cliched and overused I hoped I was wrong. I wasn't. Sigh.............. . But, I will say the entire book is well worth reading. I can't go into much more detail without giving away some of the secrets of this novel. I highly recommend it for the well-crafted mystery, the marvelously cloying atmosphere and the darkly humorous character insights.(less) | Notes are private!
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Aug 31, 2011
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| 1449925030
| 9781449925031
| 3.57
| 821
| 2009
| Dec 03, 2009
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Published in December 2009, this is a wonderful blend of mystery, with a touch of romance, set against a period backdrop of 1879 San Francisco. I was...more
Published in December 2009, this is a wonderful blend of mystery, with a touch of romance, set against a period backdrop of 1879 San Francisco. I was completely absorbed from the beginning, as the reader sees Annie in her dual roles as a boarding-house owner and in her role as Madam Sibyl (love the appropriate name). It's fascinating that the word "respectable" needs to be placed in front of the phrase "boarding-house", as they were frequently fronts for a much older profession. Annie is young, extremely smart, capable, and just barely hanging on to her status and her inherited boarding-house through the profits earned by Madam Sibyl. Annie had been left destitute when her husband killed himself, after spending the considerable fortune Annie had brought to the marriage through her dowry. Unable to overtly use her considerable financial and business skills to support herself due to societal constraints, Annie is forced to rely on the charity of her in-laws, and is shunted from one to another until she inherits the house. When one of her favorite clients and friends dies unexpectedly, Annie believes it to be murder, and has to convince the family lawyer Nate Dawson, who happens to be young, handsome, hunky and open-minded. His affection for Annie and his tolerance for her escapades is sorely tested, however, as Annie's investigation puts her in all kinds of dangerous situations. Annie and Nate feel like real people, and I found myself alternately cheering for Annie and scared to death for her, as she poses as a maid and hunts for clues to the murder. The setting and situation are so clearly described, I could feel the societal constraints holding Annie back at every turn, always requiring that she dress, speak, and behave a certain way, whether as a respectable widow or as the maid she pretends to be for part of the book. I was frustrated for her, even as she found methods to work within and around these class rules. Fascinating story, with a well-crafted mystery, realistic characters, and a lovely romance - highly recommended!(less) | Notes are private!
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Jun 14, 2013
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| 144056650X
| 9781440566509
| unknown
| 5.00
| 4
| Jul 15, 2013
| Jul 15, 2013
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This was a really fun and sweet romance. Dominic is one hot hero (Hockey player. Russian. Big blonde athlete. Enough said.) and my only complaint is I...more
This was a really fun and sweet romance. Dominic is one hot hero (Hockey player. Russian. Big blonde athlete. Enough said.) and my only complaint is I really wanted this book read to me by a deep-voiced man with a Russian accent, preferably one sitting next to me on the couch, rubbing my feet and ........OK, I digress, but this sexy little (112 pages) story really ignites the fantasy part of my brain. Diana is a very disciplined, hard-working woman with the crystal clear goal of owning a bed and breakfast. She's been working in the hotel business for several years and is ready to start her own business. And as much as she dislikes Dominic and the lifestyle he apparently lives, she is not going to turn down half a million dollars for posing as his girlfriend for two weeks. Naturally there is more to Dominic than meets the eye, and Diana is in deep trouble. Ignoring her physical attraction to Dom was hard enough, but discovering the fact that he's a really nice guy makes it impossible to keep her feelings neutral. Dominic's sweet wooing of Diana is romantic and touching, even as her resistance to his advances feels realistic and smart. I loved the fact that as the reader, I felt romanced by Dominic even as Diana does. Little by little I switched my loyalties from Diana to Dominic as his true nature is revealed, rooting for both of them and their happy-ever-after.(less) | Notes are private!
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Jun 17, 2013
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| 9781440566486
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| 3.68
| 462
| Apr 22, 2013
| Apr 22, 2013
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Breathing His Air marks a first for me - my first biker romance book! The action starts right away as Tori, a 24 year old mobile coffee shop owner jus...more Breathing His Air marks a first for me - my first biker romance book! The action starts right away as Tori, a 24 year old mobile coffee shop owner just arrived for a 3 month shift, is harassed by a badass biker gang as soon as she steps out of her coffee trailer. Things are starting to look pretty darn scary for her when Rain, lead biker of the local (nice guy) club and alpha male supreme steps in and literally carries her away to safety. In order to protect the silly and naive Tori, who refuses to leave town, from the unwanted attentions of the visiting (and nasty) biker gang, Rain claims Tori as his woman (also known as "stamping" her) in order to mark her as untouchable by all bikers. She, of course, refuses to be considered "his woman" and constantly refuses this status, all the while prancing around the local bar in short-shorts, high heels and sucking on her grape lollipops. Hard to believe nobody takes her seriously, right? Rain is the classic alpha-male, powerful, handsome and completely dominant, both in town and his interpersonal relationships with his employees, and fellow bikers. However, his alpha-maleness reaches new heights when he doesn't allow Tori to go anywhere without an escort. She is pretty much a bird in a gilded cage. And for a girl who has lived the last 6+ years as a gypsy with her mobile coffee trailer, she does not take kindly to the heavy-handed approach. Rain finds the lovely and sweet Tori to be incredibly sexy, classy and completely whacked - which also happens to be his three requirements for the perfect woman. Naturally they are both very attracted to each other. While Rain is preoccupied with keeping Tori safe, running his various businesses, and keeping the peace with the rival biker gang in town, Tori is charming all the locals with her sweet ways. She makes friends out of every stranger she meets, with one exception. Somebody wants Tori out of the way, and burns her cabin down to send her the message. Is it the bad-guy biker, or Rain's conniving and vicious ex-lover? Or someone else entirely? Either way, Rain protects what is his, and Tori is his, so off they go to his mansion in the woods. Pretty soon their relationship heats up and we finally learn about Tori's horrific past. What saved Rain and Tori from being frustrating, extreme stereotypes as characters was how much they struggled to see the other's side of things. Both really stepped out of their comfort zones in order to meet the other half way, and the author did a great job in slowly building the relationship and building the personalities of Rain and Tori, creating depth and shading to their characters. In many ways this is a classic romance. Tori is the sweet, young, ingenue who is in way over her pretty little head. She has a heart of gold, a Barbie-like body, is nearly a virgin, and has a painful past that causes her to go catatonic when she sees a gun. Rain is older, wealthy, sexually experienced and determined to protect Tori while also wanting to get into her pants. He is arrogant, patronizing and aggressive, and constantly calls Tori his woman. If Barbara Cartland was into sex and bikers, this would be one of her classics! And I mean that as the ultimate compliment, because one of the things I love about romance novels is the formula: the hero is big and strong, the heroine is sweet and kind and there is a happy-ever-after. If I wanted reality I'd watch the news. I want romance. And Debra Kayn delivers in a delightfully fresh package! (less) | Notes are private!
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Mar 24, 2013
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| 1416532358
| 9781416532354
| 3.89
| 7,614
| Jan 01, 2006
| Jan 02, 2007
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I picked this up in an airport last weekend, and I believe it's the first Sandra Brown novel I've read. Which is impressive, because she's got more th...more
I picked this up in an airport last weekend, and I believe it's the first Sandra Brown novel I've read. Which is impressive, because she's got more than 70 novels in print under a couple of different names. Ricochet is a character-driven mystery novel centering on Duncan, a detective with a rock-solid moral core and Elise, a beautiful trophy wife who may or may not have committed murder. As Duncan investigates the shooting, he is increasingly attracted to and drawn in by the lovely and mysterious Elise. Before long he is so besotted with her that he is willing to compromise the investigation and his own ethics and career just to spend time with her. I believe in love at first sight, but this development was hard to swallow. Duncan's uncontrollable lust makes him edgy and angry, and I just was not able to suspend belief enough to accept that Duncan would throw away a life of living honorably based on said lust. Elise is constantly telling Duncan that the man she shot was actually hired by her husband to kill her - but she never tells Duncan why her husband wants her dead. So even though he thinks she is lying and may be a murderer, Duncan is still secretly meeting Elise, listening to her version of the story and never tells his partner. Okaaaay. After 400 pages (400!!) we learn that Elise may not be a lying baddie after all. But I've got to tell you that by then I kinda didn't care, and I forced myself to read the last 100+ pages. I wasn't feeling the attraction between Duncan and Elise, the slowly unfolding mystery was still slowly unfolding, and learning that Elise had married her husband in order to (unsuccessfully) gather evidence against him made me think - WTF? Three years of pretending to love a wealthy man, living as a trophy wife, and she has no proof of anything wrong, made me dislike Elise even more. Once she proves to Duncan that she is telling the truth, he does a quick little backpedal and tells her that all those times he acted angry with her, he was actually falling in love, or as he says, "You haunted me". As much as this is a well-crafted mystery it is also a love story, but with the unbelievable behavior of the hero and heroine, it was just not ringing true. At the end every little detail is wrapped up, karma catches up with the bad guys, and Duncan and Elise are in love.(less) | Notes are private!
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Dec 16, 2011
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| 1416520384
| 9781416520382
| 3.54
| 1,322
| Jul 04, 2006
| Jul 04, 2006
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This was a fast and funny read. Published in 2006, it's the first in a series, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to read my first Marta Acos...more
This was a fast and funny read. Published in 2006, it's the first in a series, and I can't believe it's taken me this long to read my first Marta Acosta book. Written in a chatty, witty, first-person narrative, Happy Hour at Casa Dracula is a refreshingly different take on vampires. In this book the main vampire characters consider themselves to be afflicted with a rare genetic disorder, and while they do not consider themselves to be vampires, they do enjoy drinking carefully harvested animal blood. After Milagro is bitten by hunky Oswald during some hotel room nookie, she seems to have contracted the disorder (wait, isn't it genetic, not viral? this is one of those moments the reader just has to ignore). Milagro is an interesting character. She is smart, verbose, well-read, sexy and somewhat lazy. She makes regular references to classic authors and uses some really fun, multi-syllabic vocabulary (which I love, dork that I am). But for all her talk, she remained a pretty paper-thin character. She relates many stories that should create a deeper sense of character - her mother Regina's coldness, her own hand-to-mouth existence, being a Latina graduate of a WASPy elite univeristy, her spotty employment, her eclectic circle of friends. But while these are interesting and colorful, they remain largely anecdotal, failing to create a more complex picture of Milagro. Consequently, I am already forgetting details about the story. I finished reading it a couple of hours ago and the details are fading fast - it's not one of those books that create a strong impression and stays with you for days afterward. But that's not necessarily a negative. I like books that are a fun break from my reality, and this book gave me that escape. The pace is fast, the humor is steady and there's enough going on in the story that I zipped through the book quickly and enjoyed it while reading. I would like to read the rest of the series. *As a side note, this is one of those rare romance novels that has no explicit sex. The author neatly avoids the details, while still writing a couple of steamy scenes. (less) | Notes are private!
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Nov 27, 2011
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| 1402237502
| 9781402237508
| 3.79
| 7,267
| Jan 01, 2009
| May 01, 2010
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I think I've been living under a rock, because this is the first book I've read by Jill Mansell, and it's the first I had ever heard of her. Shocking!...more
I think I've been living under a rock, because this is the first book I've read by Jill Mansell, and it's the first I had ever heard of her. Shocking! Because this is easily one of the most sparkling, witty, delightful, engaging and every other happy, bubbly descriptor out there. It's the mimosa of books - bubbly, fizzy fun, with some quality writing thrown in. Tilly is a rather aimless twenty eight year old, who is dumped by her boring boyfriend. She heads off to quiet little Roxborough to spend the weekend with her best friend Erin, and impulsively ends up taking a job as a "Girl Friday" to Max, a divorced interior designer with a teenage daughter. Tilly is definitely aware of local hottie Jack Lucas, and it turns out he is Max's best friend. But Tilly is determined not to become another notch on Jack's bedpost, and does her best to ignore their mutual attraction. As Tilly adapts to her new job and life in quaint Roxborough, she realizes small town life is anything but boring. While reading Rumor Has It, I was completely sucked in by the zippy narrative and quick-witted dialogue of all the characters. Mansell really has a gift for writing conversations that come alive and feel spontaneous, engaging the reader in the moment. Her secondary characters are just as interesting as Tilly, Jack and Max. Max's ex-wife Kaye is a Hollywood actress who comes home to hide after a paparazzi nightmare, Erin is having a love affair with Stella's estranged husband Fergus, and Stella herself is a bitchy, vindictive force of nature. There is a lot going on in this book besides Tilly and Jack's developing relationship, all of it interesting. My only issue with this otherwise wonderful book is that, after I finished it, I realized I still had no real sense of Tilly. I couldn't really picture her in my head (physical descriptions are minimal for the most part), and never felt as if I knew her. She felt like an acquaintance and I had a window into her life, keeping me as the reader at a distance and not emotionally engaged. Entertained yes, but not personally engaged. During the reading of this book I didn't feel disconnected at all, because there was so much else going on plotwise. But after I had finished, rather than feeling intense satisfaction, I felt as if something was missing. It's the same feeling I get when I go see a Hollywood blockbuster-action-type movie, and I am thoroughly entertained for 90 minutes but once I leave the theater my brain's already starting to forget what I just watched. Which is not a bad thing:-) Overall a delightful escape - and who doesn't need that in their life?(less) | Notes are private!
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May 18, 2013
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| 9780985228736
| 4.60
| 155
| Oct 26, 2012
| Oct 30, 2012
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In A Dirty Shame, we learn more about J.J.'s parents and there is some satisfying romancing going on. I'm not going to add more to that comment, beca...more
In A Dirty Shame, we learn more about J.J.'s parents and there is some satisfying romancing going on. I'm not going to add more to that comment, because I don't want to spoil it for new readers. J.J. is literally driving back into town after months of isolated recovery at her parent's Poconos cabin, when she makes a horrific discovery. And just like that she is back in her groove, running a funeral home, performing as the coroner, verbally sparring with Jack and avoiding his flirty innuendos and any other emotional contact as well, and pretending the harsh judgement of half the town does not bother her. When the apparent hate crime has ties to one of their best friends, Jack and J.J. are emotionally caught up in the investigation, even as their own emotions are now out in the open. I really love their relationship. Jack is supremely confident and insightful, and understands J.J. better than anyone. And she in turn trusts and loved him unconditionally as well. She has just never in emotions and relationships before because of her family and family history. Jack and J.J.'s teasing and flirting is witty, sexy and smart - some of the best dialogue I have read in a very long time. The sex scenes are hot, intense and hubba-hubba worthy without being very graphic. The setting of this series is a small southern town with a lot of personality. Bloody Mary is a small town, full of Victorian-style houses that populate the brick-lined streets, which are named for the dead wives of Henry VIII. The population is a mixture of rich and poor, black and white, local and non-local. And much like the small town I grew up in, local means at least 2nd generation. Living there for 25+ years still makes you the new guy. As interesting as the town is, the author doesn't indulge in too much quirkiness other than street names, and the interesting locals feel normally interesting and nuts, not "quaint and colorful". If you like the TV show "Bones" you will love this series. There are a lot of similarities - the gritty, violent mystery, the smart verbal sparring of the two romantic leads, and the sexy personal relationship that spills over into their shared worklife. (less) | Notes are private!
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Nov 04, 2012
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| 9780985003708
| 4.22
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| Jun 26, 2012
| Jun 26, 2012
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OUT-FREAKING-STANDING! I can't believe how much I loved this book. When I finished it I was really annoyed because I love Fortune and the nutty world...more
OUT-FREAKING-STANDING! I can't believe how much I loved this book. When I finished it I was really annoyed because I love Fortune and the nutty world of Sinful, Louisiana so much I didn't want to leave them. Fortune is a CIA assassin whose cover has been blown, so her boss sends her to lay low in the tiny bayou town of Sinful, posing as his beauty-queen/librarian niece who has just inherited a house from her deceased aunt. Fortune has spent her entire life - including her childhood - training for her career as CIA spook/assassin, and she only understands tactics, weapons and missions. The idea of spending months in hiding in a small town terrifies her almost more than the price on her head. Immediately after arriving, though, her life is anything but quiet. She meets two old ladies who are full of surprises, and before she knows it she's teamed up with them to locate their missing friend Marie, whose abusive, jackass husband disappeared years ago. But one of his bones has just washed up on Fortune's back yard, and Marie is nowhere to be found. Everyone assumes Marie murdered the jerk, and her friends want to find her and simultaneously find another suspect to give Marie a chance at beating a murder charge. Pretty soon Fortune is up to her eyeballs in the wacky shenanigans of her two new friends Ida Belle and Gertie, who do not act like little old ladies. They are shockingly prepared for anything, well-armed, running the town, and think nothing of bending the law a bit. And every time Fortune ends up in a compromising position, usually dressed in a towel, or a trash bag and ski mask (yes, you read that right), she is caught by the town Deputy, a hunky, exasperated man trying his best to find Marie also. Fortune is a great character - she is paranoid,smart and capable, comfortably killing anyone who needs killing, but her solitary live has left her ill-prepared for her budding friendship with Ida Belle and Gertie, and the emotional aspects of friendship. Plus, they seem to be hiding something - a lot of things, and Fortune is never sure just how much they know before they rope her into their next hare-brained scheme. From outrunning alligators on an island that smells like dung, shooting raccoons in her own attic, racing old ladies for banana pudding, or stripping naked to ride in Ida Belle's car, the craziness never ends and it all makes perfect sense. DeLeon is really funny - I was laughing out loud so many times. Her writing is confident and self-assured, allowing the pace to move along at a fast clip. As crazy as the characters seem, and as nutty as their adventures are, they still seem so real and believable. I really cared about them and hope this is the start to a very long series. (less) | Notes are private!
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Dec 23, 2012
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| 0982991363
| 9780982991367
| 4.08
| 72
| Mar 12, 2012
| Mar 15, 2012
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Sophie is an advice columnist for a city paper, and she lives a life behind the scenes, both figuratively and literally, existing in a habitual haze o...more
Sophie is an advice columnist for a city paper, and she lives a life behind the scenes, both figuratively and literally, existing in a habitual haze of solitude, visiting museums and spending her evenings in her apartment with her cat. A former nurse, she has switched careers after her nursing job became focused on profit rather than care. She is also extremely intuitive, and this has aided her in making her life choices and enabled her to avoid almost all emotional risks. One of the things I loved about this book was how the beginning unfolded (much like the movie The Wizard of Oz), switching from black-and-white to sudden color to symbolize the heroine's drab, dull existence changing to an exciting, vibrant life. Although the first 50 pages or so were intriguing enough to keep me reading, the slow pace had me worried. This black and white beginning of the book felt slightly vague - I didn't have a sense of Sophie's appearance, or her history, or her life in general. It felt like a thinly sketched "aimless woman living a lonely life in a big city who lives with a cat" scenario. And she is an orphan and her best friend is a priest - talk about isolated! But things begin to change when two colorful things happen to her - a person who wrote to her kills himself (but is still sending her letters), and she meets Marek, a mysterious and handsome man who brings vibrancy, passion and excitement into her life. Pretty soon, on one very memorable date, she learns what some of Marek's secrets are, and from here on out Sophie is awake, alive and living an unexpected life. Krafton has created her own vampire lore, with another species called the DemiVampire (DV) who are in constant battles (political and otherwise) with the full vampires, who are evolved DV (and "evolved" means killing humans while sucking them dry and absorbing their life essence). The DV are living among us, oozing power through their emotions, and Sophie is sensitive and receptive to this power. Sophie is not clairvoyant, but is an empath, sensing the emotional energy of the DV in particular, and sending healing energy out to those in need. As such she is revered as a kind of soothing Oracle of wisdom, but also as a human pet, because she is still manipulated by the DV using their power of compulsion. They profess to need her and respect her, yet they treat her in a patronizing manner. I guess if we want to look for deeper meaning it's an indication of their parasitic nature - they feed off blood and they feed off energy, too. Sophie is just a food source with two flavors instead of one. Much of the story is dependent on Sophie's ability to use her compassion to bring peace to others, including the DV (demi-vampires). First she reaches out to Marek, then his brother Rodrian, and there's lots of descriptions of the vamp's power surging with their emotions, and Sophie feeling that power, filtering their emotions and sending it back to them. While I really liked the concept of energy vampirism, and Sophie's role as a modern descendant of Isis, it is a tough thing to bring to the written page. Consequently, much of what Sophie says sounds trite, and I kept thinking as I was reading that if she is teaching beings who are hundreds of years old how to handle grief and loss, then those beings are not very bright. For those readers who love paranormal romance but don't enjoy graphic sex scenes, this is the book for you. The few references to physical romance are very chaste with absolutely no descriptive action whatsoever. While the romance of Sophie and Marek is the focus of this story, it is set against a backdrop of a political web of power-mongering between DV and vampires fighting for territory and manipulating humans. The really exciting action comes towards the end, when Sophie is kidnapped and Marek is taken. I really enjoyed the fast pace, the truly scary Master Vampire character, and the steadily increasing tension of Marek being forcibly evolved. I could not stop reading! I feel like Sophie really redeemed herself in this part of the book, and I ended up caring about her, enough so that I am really looking forward to BLOOD RUSH (Demimonde #2).(less) | Notes are private!
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Mar 05, 2013
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| 0802720749
| 9780802720740
| 4.05
| 9,023
| Dec 22, 2009
| Dec 22, 2009
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Smart, dark, witty and exciting, this was a refreshingly original spin on vampire lore and a very romantic young adult novel. Solange and Lucy have be...more
Smart, dark, witty and exciting, this was a refreshingly original spin on vampire lore and a very romantic young adult novel. Solange and Lucy have been best friends forever, but their lives are about to change as Solange approaches her sixteenth birthday, when she will either transform into a vampire and fulfill an ancient prophecy, or die for good. Solange is the only daughter born to an ancient vampire family dynasty, and her very existence has started a war of which she wants no part. But as fascinating and compelling as Solange's story is, this book belongs to Lucy. Told in first-person narrative voice chapters alternating between Lucy and Solange, it begins just days before Solange's birthday. Lucy is a fierce, brave and loyal friend, and is doing her best to take Solange's mind off the upcoming change (and the fact that half the vampire world wants her). Although human, Lucy has grown up with the Drake family, and is as much a warrior at heart as Solange's older brothers and their mother. (And I loved the fact that Helena Drake is the warrior and her husband the diplomat - this is one book with serious girl power.) Lucy is a great character - she is intelligent, flawed, funny and scared, but keeps moving forward out of love and loyalty. And as she and Solange are caught up in the fighting, Lucy discovers that Nicholas, one of Solange's older brothers, likes her and not the way a big brother would, which is how he's treated her for years. Their new relationship is born under pressure, as they race to save Solange and survive, and is sweetly realistic as stolen touches and kisses ignite their new feelings. This is one of those rare books that combine outstanding characters and really good action. So often I read books that have one or the other, but not both. I felt like I knew Lucy, Solange and her family, and I liked them. Even Lucy's parents, who are only mentioned in asides and comments (they've gone on an annual pilgrimage during Hearts at Stake), create a vivid impact, the force of their personalities making them characters in the story. The pace is fast, fast, fast - it was impossible to put this book down. Every chapter ending left me wanting more. Switching narrators between Solange and Lucy was a great technique, as it really kept the action going and let the reader gain a broader perspective of the storyline. The writing was confident, smart and darkly charming, creating a fantastic story.(less) | Notes are private!
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Feb 20, 2012
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| 0778313395
| 9780778313397
| 4.02
| 1,850
| Apr 24, 2012
| Apr 24, 2012
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Love this series! It's darkly original and creepy, with twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night holding my breath. In Amelia Gray's...more
Love this series! It's darkly original and creepy, with twists and turns that kept me reading late into the night holding my breath. In Amelia Gray's world, ghosts are parasitic energy-suckers, haunting the living by leeching their warmth and energy until they are shells of their former selves. Amelia has spent her whole life following her father's rules for avoiding contact, but falling in love with a haunted police detective has exposed her to the ghosts of his sad daughter and vengeful wife, and his murdered former partner, all of whom want something from Amelia. As she investigates his death, she uncovers the dangerous subculture of Charleston involving a zombie-making poweder called gray dust and a powerful sorceror recently returned to town who had close ties with John Devlin's wife. This series is notable for it's unique take on ghosts, and the fabulously original Amelia Gray, a complicated woman with a special talent that has gifted her with a life of loneliness and isolation. Each book has a well-written mystery with nail-biting suspense and jump-at-any-sound surprises. As Amelia slowly begins to break her beloved father's rules, she exposes herself to more danger but also learns more about ghosts and the Gray, the world they inhabit. It is is scary, lonely, fascinating and compelling. The atmosphere in these books is almost another character - it is like a living mist, floating around the reader and slowly enveloping her until the dark and mysterious world of twilight and Amelia Gray seems more real than anything else. Powerfully magical, like Amelia's beloved white garden in her backyard, these books will haunt you long after the last page has been turned. (less) | Notes are private!
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Jul 27, 2012
| Mass Market Paperback
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| 0778312798
| 9780778312796
| 3.46
| 346
| Sep 27, 2011
| Sep 27, 2011
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If An Angel for Christmas were dessert, it would be the literary equivalent of rainbow sherbet - sweet and light, universally liked and lacking anythi...more
If An Angel for Christmas were dessert, it would be the literary equivalent of rainbow sherbet - sweet and light, universally liked and lacking anything heavy. It is a traditional, heartwarming story of a family gathering for Christmas, dealing with disappointments and failures, but still brought together by tradition and love. It takes the arrival of Gabe, an injured state trooper hunting an escaped prisoner, to shake up their routine and help them realize how lucky they are to have each other. His quiet presence at their home acts like a mirror held up to each MacDougal, helping each to realize who they really are, and what they want in this life. There are lots of sweet, mysterious moments. I especially liked that the mother, with her quiet faith and belief in the goodness of others, is the only adult who does not undergo a transition or have an epiphany. She is a calm, steadying presence, just as she has been all their lives. Readers looking for romance will find very little of it here. Rather, this is an inspirational tale combining the magic of the Christmas holiday with a good angel versus evil angel theme, a family rediscovering their bonds of love, and gentle, anecdotal meditations on faith. This is perfect for a quiet afternoon of holiday warmth and fuzziness.(less) | Notes are private!
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Sep 10, 2011
| Hardcover
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| 0761370773
| 9780761370772
| 3.36
| 204
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| Apr 01, 2011
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Review (Spoiler Alert! I found it impossible to review this without giving away quite a bit of the plot): The story starts just after a car crash kill...more Review (Spoiler Alert! I found it impossible to review this without giving away quite a bit of the plot): The story starts just after a car crash killed three popular cheerleaders, all named Erica (a sly nod to the movie "Heathers", and a great comment on the cookie-cutter nature of high school popularity). This should appeal to the underdog mentality of most teens and tweens. Basically, Made For Each Other is a fun and modern update on Mary Shelley's legendary Frankenstein. In this graphic novel, Dr. Frankenstein's creation has escaped to Alaska, and resurfaces as a funeral home director. His newly created son, Tom, has started school as a sophomore and soon meets up with the pretty Maria. Maria, in her own way, is as much an outcast as Tom. Her parents were killed in a car crash, she lives with her blind aunt, and is a member of the much maligned string quartet at her school. So of course Tom and Maria embark on the path of young love, and she soon discovers Tom's secrets. Both blossom as their relationship grows, but soon people start dying. Clues to Tom's family and origins, combined with a dark sense of humor, and an increasing body count, create a fun read that highlights smart teenagers dealing with the horrors of high school. All the elements of a great teen romance! The writing was smart, the action moved along at a brisk pace, the main characters were strong and capable, adult interaction was minimal, and the illustrations were fantastic. Two thumbs up! (less) | Notes are private!
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May 03, 2011
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| 0761355995
| 9780761355991
| 3.35
| 171
| Jan 01, 2011
| 2011
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If you're looking for a graphic novel full of teen angst, paranormal romance, and adventure, My Boyfriend Bites may be your thing. (It's the 3rd in th...more
If you're looking for a graphic novel full of teen angst, paranormal romance, and adventure, My Boyfriend Bites may be your thing. (It's the 3rd in the "My Boyfriend Is A Monster" series. I reviewed Book #2, Made For Each Other, in a previous post.) Vanessa Shingle is starting her senior year of high school, and has absolutely no idea of what to do after she graduates. Her uncertainty is ironic, considering that she has a history of telling her friends (and all her former boyfriends) exactly what they should do with their lives. But she is mired in the mud of senioritis, feeling pressure to pick a path following graduation. So she tags along with her older sister to the local community college, where she spots a hot and hunky janitor. Jean-Paul is tall, blond and mysterious, and Vanessa decides to ask him out. On their first date Vanessa falls down an empty elevator shaft, and is saved (twice!) by the freakishly strong Jean-Paul. Later, Vanessa decides to follow him home in an attempt to learn more about him, and she sees more than she ever expected, as he guzzles blood and changes into a strange creature before flying into the night sky. Not long afterward Vanessa is chased by a gang of vampires and is once again saved by the valiant and sexy Jean-Paul. He admits that he has been assigned as her Guardian and is sworn to protect her, claiming that Vanessa is destined to become the world's greatest monster hunter and her rise to power has been foretold in a prophecy. Vanessa is skeptical, but since all the new vampires in town seem to want to kidnap her, she begins to believe Jean-Paul. But wait! Apparently there was a mistake concerning this prophecy, and now her favorite teacher is in danger from the vampires. Vanessa and Jean-Paul team up to save her teacher, and Vanessa decides to embrace her new role as monster-hunter. As a tale of paranormal romance and female empowerment goes, this seems to be an uneven rehash of the Buffy story. (Slightly airheaded teenage girl the object of a prophecy, etc.) Vanessa's destiny apparently does not come with any skills or fighting ability, and her boyfriend/Guardian does not offer any training, other than having her turn on a shop-vac and approve of her cool new battle outfit. Rather than gaining confidence and making decisions about her life, she floats along with this destiny while being regularly rescued by the hero. I was really hoping Vanessa would come into her own, learn to fight, or at least gain something from this destiny, other than learning to be arm candy for the hero. A promising beginning but ultimately disappointing. (less) | Notes are private!
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| Jun 12, 2011
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Jun 12, 2011
| Paperback
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