http://www.goodreads.com/user/updates_rss/1016782 en-US Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:08:25 -0700 60 http://www.goodreads.com/ 200 41 http://www.goodreads.com/images/layout/gr_logo.gif 24696912 Tue, 10 Jun 2008 14:08:25 -0700 Review22068516 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/22068516 to: Forever Odd (Odd Thomas Novel, Book 2) by Dean Koontz
bookshelves: to-read
This is the second in the series for the Odd Thomas character. Odd sees dead people and often helps the chief of police solve crimes. In this story, a friend, Dr. Jessup shows up at his apartment—after his untimely demise. Fearing for Dr. Jessup’s son, Danny (a childhood friend), Odd goes to the house to realize whoever killed Dr. Jessup has kidnapped Danny. His sixth sense or intuition leads him to believe if he involves the police, Danny will die. He goes alone to rescue him.

They wind up in an old burned out Indian casino with haunts of its own. They’re trapped there with Detura, a demented want-to-be witch lady and her zombie-type thugs.
This story was eerie and dark with a truly diabolical villain.

You can’t help but hope Odd will save his friend. With his unpredictable outcomes, you’re never are quite sure how it will all end. I enjoyed the second installment in the series. I recommend that you read these tales in order to get the full feel of the character Odd Thomas—his pain, his struggles and his love that makes him who he is.
]]> 26099929 Wed, 28 May 2008 16:08:45 -0700 Review23162998 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23162998 to: True Mates (e-book) by Zena Wynn
Zena Wynn/True Mates
ISBN: 9781596326279



Steamy Hot Page Turner!

Alex Wolfe is a werewolf, the alpha of his pack. He wants to wait for his true love, his soul mate. His friend, Conor has the uncanny way of sniffing out one’s true mate and he does so for Alex, leaving her tied to the tree in the forest.

Keisha Morgan, a woman who is used to being in control isn’t exactly sure how she likes being told she is Alex’s woman. She thinks Alex is one gorgeous man who knows how to make her feel all so much like a woman, but is that enough for her to bind herself to him forever?

I read this story in one sitting. It was fast paced and the story gripped me from the first page.

Ms. Wynn pens a tale of two people who understand what it means to be in love. The sex is off the scale hot, but she forges a relationship of commitment, honesty, understanding, and friendship—all which make a relationship last for a lifetime. I loved her secondary characters as well: Carol and Mark and their friendship to make the transition for Keisha easier. I also like the back story of the rival packs and their different sets of laws. I found the vampire, Nikolai and Shannon, a werewolf's attraction intriguing. Perhaps there is another story in the works by Ms. Wynn. The ending leads you to believe there will be. I look forward to reading about their adventure. Well done!

(genre: erotica)

Karen Michelle Nutt
PNr Paranormal Reviews



]]> 26098905 Wed, 28 May 2008 16:00:47 -0700 Review23162147 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23162147 to: Wolf Moon (The McKenna Legacy) (Harlequin Intrigue) by Patricia Rosemoor
Patricia Rosemoor, Wolf Moon
# 0373692986
# ISBN-13: 978-0373692989
The McKenna legacy was left to the family by their grandmother. Everyone has a gift. Aileen’s gift is her dreams of the future and of the past, but some of her past is missing. She takes a trip to Wolf Creek, hoping to discover a memory from her past and her reasons she is compelled to study wolf packs up close and personal. When she runs into Rhys Lingren in the woods, she’s taken aback by the instant connection she has with him.
Rhys is equally floored, sensing he knows Aileen. He recognizes her, knows her somehow. He wants to protect her, but there is a greater problem in Wolf Creek. People of Wolf Creek are turning up dead and the town thinks its wolves. If he doesn’t put a stop to the mass hysteria, there’ll be wolf hunt he won’t be able to stop.
Rhys and Aileen work together to solve the mystery of who or what killed the people of Wolf Creek. Aileen realizes there is something supernatural about the killings and Rhys is somehow involved. His closeness with the wolves makes her believe he is one of them. The longer she works with Rhys the closer they become and her dreams more vivid revealing why she and Rhys are connected.
From the first page you will be drawn into Ms. Rosemore’s world. There’s romantic suspense with twist and turns as the plot exposes the truth. I look forward to reading more of the McKenna Legacy books.

Karen Michelle Nutt
Pnr Paranormal Reviews
]]> 26098655 Wed, 28 May 2008 15:58:36 -0700 Review23161949 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23161949 to: Earthly Pleasures: A Novel (Paperback) by Karen Neches
Karen Neches/Earthly Pleasures
# 0743292480
# ISBN-13: 9780743292481

Skye Sebring works in the Heaven’s Hospitality Department. She welcomes the newly departed hoping to make their transition into heaven as easy as possible. In her spare time she watches the Reality show Earthly Pleasure. She is drawn to Ryan Blaine’s life for reasons she can’t explain. There’s a connection but what could it be?
Ryan Blaine is lonely for his wife, Susan—the wife he remembers before her accident. He feels he’s living with a stranger, a woman he could have never fallen in love with. When Ryan has a near death experience for brief moment he comes face to face with Skye. He’s drawn to her as Skye is drawn to him, but before either one can find out why, Ryan returns to earth.
Earthly Pleasures is a sweet story about star-crossed lovers with a mystery to unravel, and the journey to find each other again. The premise of the story has a serious underlining tone with people dealing with the loss of a love one—grieving and healing, but there is also times you’ll chuckle like when the new teenager arrives at heaven’s gates and oh so typical teenage attitude and how God teaches life’s lessons through the lyrics of the Beetles songs. I especially loved how Ms. Neches intertwined the ‘souls’, connecting them in someway. Truly a delightful tale.
Karen Michelle Nutt,
PNR Paranormal reviews


]]> 26098324 Wed, 28 May 2008 15:54:44 -0700 Review23161716 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23161716 to: Brother Odd (Odd Thomas Novel, Book 3) by Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz/Brother Odd
ISBN#
0553589105
9780553589108

This is the third book in the series. Odd Thomas sees dead people. Sometimes the ghosts seek him out to right a wrong. Odd tries to comfort them and hopefully help them to move on. In the opening of this book, Odd retreats to a monastery to find peace after what has happened to him in the last year, but peace doesn’t last when he spots a bodach (dark shadow creatures that feed off of catastrophic events.

Odd feels the disaster will hit the children’s hospital (run by the nuns) since the bodachs are roaming the halls. Odd finds himself up against a supernatural power. With the help of the monks and nuns, Odd must find out how to stop the evil being before it’s too late.

This fast-paced thriller touches on thoughts about science vs. creation, giving the story an intriguing twist. You will fall in love with the character Odd Thomas—quirky, witty and humble. I especially like Brother Knuckles and wished he had more of a part. I also liked Boo, the resident dog at the monastery and of course Elvis (who haunts Odd.) I recommend you read the series from the beginning to truly appreciate the character Odd Thomas.


Karen Michelle Nutt, PNR paranormal reviews
]]> 26098055 Wed, 28 May 2008 15:51:34 -0700 Review23161509 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/23161509 to: Hungers of the Heart (Guardians of the Night, Bk. 4) by Jenna Black
Jenna Black/ Hungers of the Heart
# ISBN-10: 0765357186
# ISBN-13: 978-0765357182


A Spellbinding Tale that'll have you hungering for more!

This is the fourth book of the Guardians of the Night series. The Guardians are an organization that protects the humans from the vampires who want to kill them. The Guardians feed off a lamb’s blood to keep the beast at bay, but they must start this ritual from the moment they are made. It is next to impossible to go back once a vampire has killed to survive. Drake is a vampire, a killer, but he preys only on unsavory individuals. Some of the vampires resent him for being a killer, leaving him always alone—an outsider. He decides to team up with Gabriel, a born vampire and killer who heads the Guardians in the Baltimore area.

This story is a power struggle between Brigitte, a born vampire and her mother, who resides in Europe. The French Seigneur, Armand and his entourage of killers arrive to take Brigitte back home and to kill Gabriel. Armand must not fail or he will face a most unpleasant death himself.

Drake is forced to take over leadership of the Guardians when Brigitte kidnaps Gabriel for her own evil plans. Drake must keep the peace by dredging up a part of his past he thought he’d put to rest. He starts to question himself. Is he’s evil and just fooling himself to think otherwise?

Faith is one of Armand’s unwilling concubines--unless under the influence of glamour. She has never killed and detests her life, but she must endure for her sister’s sake. (She is human and at risk of being turned.) Faith and Drake are drawn to each other and connect not only physically but emotionally as well.

In Ms. Black’s tale we have a grander view of the vampire world and all who are involved. Drake has been a character in all the Guardians books and I have looked forward to reading his story. Hungers of the Heart did not disappoint. The love story between Faith and Drake is sexy as well as heartfelt and sweet. They are both guilty of self-doubt, but together they bring out the best in each other. They are perfectly matched. I loved how the author creates her characters – not all are good nor are they completely evil. They are complicated beings, which is the magic that brings her characters to life.
This is a series you do not want to miss.

This story can stand alone, but you don’t want to miss the other Guardians of the Night tales.

Watchers in the Night
Secrets in the Shadows
Shadows on the Soul

Karen Michelle Nutt, PNr Reviews


Karen Michelle Nutt
www.kmnbooks.com
www.myspace.com/karenmichellenutt
www.authorsden.com/karenmichellenutt

]]> 24177678 Mon, 05 May 2008 18:17:44 -0700 Review21667911 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21667911 to: Odd Thomas (Odd Thomas Novel, Book 1) by Dean Koontz
Odd Thomas is a twenty-year old short order cook who can see dead people. He can also see what he calls the “bodachs” which are shadowy spirits attracted to horrible acts of violence. He’s in love with his perfect match, Stormy Llewellyn who knows all about Odd’s special talents. They are destined to be together—or so the fortuneteller’s card tells them.

When he notices that a man he’s dubbed “Fungus Man” has a horde of bodachs surrounding him and there is an abundance of them in the neighborhood, he is convinced a violent act is about to be committed. He takes it upon himself to stop the tragic outcome.

I love Dean Koontz’s tales. He’s the master of weaving horror, humor and a bit of romance all into one, making you fall in love with the characters. Stormy and Odd’s relationship is tender and sweet. You’ll love Little Ozzie (who isn’t so little) and even the ghost of Elvis is added welcome. You’ll laugh, you’ll hope and cry. A must read.

This is the first of three books. I can’t wait to read Forever Odd and Brother Odd.

]]> 24082296 Sun, 04 May 2008 17:46:36 -0700 Review21595258 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21595258 to: Dark Birthright (Paperback) by Jeanne Treat
Medieval Scotland: Dughall is born and his poor mother, who had been severely mistreated, perishes. He is given to the Hays, who shower him with love, giving him the foundation to be a good and honest man.

Dughall and his brother Ian Hay share the same birthday of Oct. 31st, the day of the dead. They have the sight and can sense each other’s pain and pleasures. Doughall also has a connection with Keira, a pagan priestess. They dream of each other and hope to marry one day. For a while, everything is wonderful at the seaside village of Whinnyfold, until Dughall’s real father shows up to bring him home to Huntly.

At the castle: The Earl of Huntly gives a new name to the word evil. He is cruel and deals out punishment sometimes without reason. Dughall tries to understand his father, but there seems to be no pleasing the man. There’s Kate, the Earl’s mistress who has her own agenda and Fang, who takes great pleasure in torturing people. Dughall does find friendship with Murdock, who is assigned to protect him. He realizes there is more to his brother Gilbert than meets the eye and he meets his mother’s father, the Duke of Drake. He is a kind man who would like to take Dughall away from the Earl, but law states he cannot interfere.

As the story unfolds, the reader will find out how the characters shape each others lives and their futures.

Ms. Treat has captured the life of medieval Scotland with clear and vivid prose. You’ll enter a world where you can almost feel the spray from the sea, the warmth from the peat fires and the love as you enter the homes of the seafaring people of Whinnyfold. She shows how a noble may rule with grace and understanding or with unforgiving bitterness. She’ll take you to the stone circle to honor the goddess with pagan rituals and celebrations. She touches on the healing powers of herbs, and the medieval superstitions concerning these rites. The relationships are believable whether there’s love, loyalty or vengefulness. This is definitely a tale for everyone. It is rich with history, myths, magic, and the paranormal. Characters you’ll fall in love with and those who you may actually hate.

Reviewed for PNR Romance ]]> 24060371 Sun, 04 May 2008 12:03:03 -0700 Review21578332 http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/21578332 to: The Banshee's Song (Paperback) by M., L. McBryar
Supernaturally Entertaining!

The crew of Night’s End Detective Agency:
Cara, who was forced into becoming a vampire, must face her past and learn not to be a victim. She accepts help from a preternatural being that claims she knows Talia. Alaric, a werewolf is forced to realize that though he may love someone as family, he cannot always save them. Kyle is a vampire, who must be a mentor and guide to a sixteen-year boy, Kane, who was recently turned. It may prove to be a challenge since Kane is a psychic and his parents refuse to believe he is a vampire. Talia, a werewolf and leader of her crew is strong and determined, but with the unexpected visit from her sister Gennera, she realizes her love for her nephew, Anthony, is her Achilles heel. The rogue pack of hybrid werewolves that Gennera runs with will use this knowledge to destroy her.

While the crew of Night’s End deals with their own personal demons, they are in a race against time. Captain O’Rielly of the San Francisco police has never trusted Talia, the owner and her team at Night’s End detective agency, for they aren’t even human. However, he has been forced into a corner when he and his officers hear the unearthly wailing at two of the most grisly crime scenes ever witnessed. They must find out who released the entity, and why it is bent on destroying the entire O’Brien clan.

Banshee’s Song is Ms. McBryar’s second installment of the Scepter Series that only adds to the allure of these characters introduced to you in The Demon’s Eye. Being a fanatic of Irish history, I especially enjoy how she intertwines the ancient legends within her tales. Ms. McBryar is a true seanchai (storyteller).

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