Jane Litte's Blog, page 87

REVIEW: Viking in Love by Doug Cenko

In this laugh-out-loud picture book, a Viking falls in love and must face the only thing in his way of attaining it: his fear of the sea.

Stig is your quintessential Viking guy. He loves fresh air, stew, and adorable kittens . . . but he hates the sea. Ingrid is your quintessential Viking gal. She loves all of the above and the sea. What happens when Stig sees Ingrid? Of course, he falls head over heels. But there is one significant problem that stands in their way: the sea.

Will Stig find a w...

REVIEW: The Professor Next Door by Jackie Lau

Friendly neighbors can have their benefits…

Nicole Louie-Edwards enjoys the nightlife and bringing men back to her apartment, although lately, she’s gotten tired of the chase. Her quiet new neighbor, David Cho, isn’t her type, but after they get trapped in an elevator together on her birthday, she develops a friendship with the kind geology professor.

Then, blushing, he tells her that he can hear her having sex but tries not to listen. Except it’s clear he’d like to, and she’s surprisingly tur...

REVIEW: The Bait by C.W. Gortner and M.J. Rose

Revenge is a diamond best served cold.

A year after THE STEAL, Ania Thorne is determined to take back what the Leopard stole from her. Together with her lover and partner, Jerome, she stages a spectacular heist during the Venetian Carnival, to lure out the treacherous mastermind they unmasked. She’s willing to risk it all—until her revenge takes a dangerous twist that could cost her what she loves the most.

Jerome Curtis has given up everything for Ania. She needs his help and he’s fallen head...

REVIEW: Madison Square Murders (Memento Mori #1) by C.S.Poe

Everett Larkin works for the Cold Case Squad: an elite—if understaffed and overworked—group of detectives who solve the forgotten deaths of New York City. Larkin is different from others, but his deduction skills are unmatched and his memory for minute details is unparalleled.

So when a spring thunderstorm uproots a tree in Madison Square Park, unearthing a crate with human remains inside, the best Cold Case detective is assigned the job. And when a death mask, like those prominent during the V...

REVIEW: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Dear Ashley Herring Blake,

I first spotted your debut contemporary romance on Goodreads. Early reviews there were very favorable, and even though it’s a “big city girl comes back to the small town where she grew up” story and that is one of my least favorite tropes in the genre, I was intrigued. My review schedule was packed so I hemmed and hawed about whether there was time to pick up a new ARC but, in the end, I went for it.

Thirty-year-old New York City art and wedding photographer Delilah G...

REVIEW: A Village Romance: a novella of stories (The Village Life) by Izzy Abrahmson

Courtship, weddings and celebrations, stories of Rosh Hashanah, Chanukah, and Passover, and of course delicious food. It is time for a new generation of readers to discover the unorthodox wisdom of Rabbi Kibbitz and the savory sense of Mrs. Chaipul.

Izzy Abrahmson is an undiscovered genius of delightful fiction. Readers of all backgrounds will be captivated by his lighthearted take on Jewish village life. In interviews, he sometimes says this is his family’s history, and sometimes says he made...

REVIEW: Here Be Dragons by Susannah Lloyd, illustrated by Paddy Donnelly

Here be dragons! Where? That’s the question in this laugh-out-loud picturebook where everyone’s in on the joke but the hapless knight.
A knight is on a mission: to find and slay a dragon. The other knights have told him that there’s no such thing as dragons, but he doesn’t care. For he has a map, and the map says:

“HERE BE DRAGONS!”

He travels right to the spot marked ‘X’, past treasure, suspicious bones, and many signs telling him to turn back. He wanders up and down a huge, spiky hill (the ...

REVIEW: Sydney and Taylor and the Great Friend Expedition by Jacqueline Davies, illustrated by Deborah Hocking

In this laugh-out-loud early chapter book with charming full-color illustrations, best-selling author Jacqueline Davies follows hedgehog Taylor and skunk Sydney as they set out on an adventure to make new friends, even through doubt and obstacles. Perfect for fans of the Mercy Watson and Owl Diaries series.

Sydney and Taylor have been best friends since before they can remember. But how does one make new friends? Taylor wants to try, so Sydney does what any best friend would do: accompany him ...

CONVERSATION: Shifter Recommendations

Sirius: If you do like shifters what are your favorite ones?

Yesterday we ran the first part of our discussion on Shifters. Today’s post, the second part, is all about recommendations for shifter books. We hope you enjoy these! If you read them, we’d love to hear your thoughts on these books. ~ Janine
 

Popular and/or Wolf Shifter Books in Contemporary Settings

Sirius: I love how all shifters are portrayed in the Kate Daniels series. In that world shifters are humans infected with special virus ...

REVIEW: The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh

Deadly storms have ravaged Mina’s homeland for generations. Floods sweep away entire villages, while bloody wars are waged over the few remaining resources. Her people believe the Sea God, once their protector, now curses them with death and despair. In an attempt to appease him, each year a beautiful maiden is thrown into the sea to serve as the Sea God’s bride, in the hopes that one day the “true bride” will be chosen and end the suffering.

Many believe that Shim Cheong, the most beautiful g...