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R2: SSS 5th Wheel
Space 11
Book: Carnal Secrets by Suzanne Wright
Read: 17-Feb-2014
Rating: ★★★
Review:
This was a third book in a good series but it was quite disappointing. We finally find out the reasons behind Nick's rejection of Shaya as his mate and see how he comes around and decides to win her.
It was nice to watch Nick's wooing and Shaya didn't make it easy for him, but (view spoiler) was a bit too much. We meet most of the Phoenix pack again as they join Nick and Shaya and it was fun to watch them annoy Nick.
There wasn't anything about the book that really bothered me, but it just fell short in comparison to first two books. It had its funny moments but it was not enough for me.
#11 doesn't really leave us with much choice about books, and you said you finished many series already :P It's not good to just finish series, we also have to start new ones to keep things interesting :D
Mod
Read a book that is 1st or 11th in series OR Alternative choice 4-Stars shelf
Book:Finding Zach by Rowan Speedwell (Finding Zach, Book 1)
Finished: February 17
Rating & Review: ★★★1/2. This book was a bit painful to listen to. It's not a book I would ever pick up again.
This story begins with the rescued a young man Zach Tyler, who had been in captivity for 5 years. During his captivity in Costa Rica, he was subjected to horrible things. For instance, his captor Rebel leader Ernesto, called him his pet dog and forced him to stay in a wire dog cage. The abductor sometimes "walked him" around the compound with a dog leash and required him to bark. Even thinking about some of that stuff is making me sick.
When he is rescued, he basically has to learn how to communicate again since he barks. He has to learn to differentiate what's real and what isn't. He has to unlearn all the lies his captors told him about his family. He has to learn how to trust and let people help him. Most of all, he has to learn how to move on in the present.
His father, mother and a child hood friend were relentless in their support and love. Most importantly, his childhood friend David "Taff" had to let go of the boy he loved and learn to love this new man, though Zach didn't make it easy.
This story was full of anguish but also courage. The human spirit is hard to heal once broken, but the great thing is that it can be healed. It is hard watching a person with no self-esteem or sense of worth, but in this book we got to witness Zach slowly gain that strength back physically, then mentally & emotionally.
Mod
Book: Carnal Secrets by Suzanne Wright
Read: 17-Feb-2014
Rating: ★★★
Review:
This was a third book in a good series but it was quite di..."
I'm going to hold off on this series.
The first book was a novelty that wore off fast. Book 2, the Greta Banters were so much weaker as Jamie's comebacks were pathetic.
Jamie seemed to hold grudges for wrongs committed against her but overlooked all the crap she pulled on people. She was petulant and selfish a lot and she annoyed me. (view spoiler)
Current Space: 111st in Series option
Book:Sunglasses After Dark by Nancy A. Collins
Date: 2/19/14
Rating: Five stars
Review:
If you're sick to death of the 'Twilight' approach to vampire literature, this book will cure that malaise pretty thoroughly. Be aware, though, that the violence and gore is quite graphic.
Sonja Blue, the main character, formerly heiress Denise Johnson, became a vampire in 1969 as a result of a brutal attack by the so-called 'Sir Morgan,' a "Noble" level vampire, who left her for dead. In this case, a human being is transformed by become a host to a 'demon,' or as Sonja calls it, the Other. At the beginning of the story, she's being held captive in a high end mental institution, being pumped full of drugs to keep her under control. Unfortunately for those who kidnapped her, vampires can eventually build up an immunity to drugs of all kinds. She eventually breaks out and goes on the hunt for those who put her away.
Most of the book is concerned with Sonja's back story - her awakening as a vampire, her post-human existence as a prostitute in Europe, her encounters with other supernatural beings and her quest to find Sir Morgan. The human population, in this book, doesn't see the Pretenders, the vampires, ogres, succubi and other supernatural creatures that live side by side with them all over the world. Sonja meets up with several such nasty characters, including Revenants, the most common types of vampires.
Sonja's a tough character to like sometimes, but you do like her - she has a conscience, which makes living with the destructive (and malevolently sarcastic) Other extremely difficult. It's a constant battle to keep her bad side under control. Sonja's also a freak in a world of freaks. She is developing into a Noble vampire at an accelerated rate and appears to have very few of the typical vampire weaknesses. Ironically, she's also a self-styled vampire hunter, out for revenge on the monster who took her human life away. In short, she comes off as a sort of female "Blade" just without the messianic zeal for killing any and all of the undead.
I meant to start reading this series some time ago. It's a quick read, as well as a compelling one. As I said earlier, the gross-out factor of some of the more descriptive violent scenes will probably be too disturbing for some readers. Still, I'm interested to see where Collins takes this character.
Mod
Space 11 - #1 in a series.
Hex Hall (Hex Hall #1) by Rachel Hawkins reviewed on Feb 19, 14
4 of 5 stars
Hex hall was a very enjoyable book to read. I especially liked the mc, Sophia ( aka Sophie ).
Sophie gets sent to Hecate ( hex hall) for doing one too many spells that get out of hand. Hecate is a boarding school for kids that are magical/paranormal (werewolves, witches, fairies,etc) but have gotten out of hand in the real world. She is sentenced to stay till her 18th birthday. She doesn't seem to hit it off with the other kids due to lack of knowledge of all things magical. Her stay at hex hall is more learning about history of what she is then learning spells and such. Sophie learns some big news about her father that sheds some light on why she is not liked at hex hall. Archer , the bad boy, seems to have a love/ hate relationship with Sophia. I liked their dialogue with each other. It wasn't one of those instant girl / boy love stories. There is a give and take of witt and sarcasm that was very amusing. Jenna is the only vamp at school and Sophia and her become roommates and friends, which doesn't help Sophie any on the popularity scale. There is something going on at Hecate. Girls are being attacked. Jenna is the culprit in everyone's eyes but Sophie. She believes she is innocent. But who is the real monster behind it??? There is a major twist at the end that I didn't see coming.
I recommend this book - it has a great story, like able characters, dialogue that flows easily and witty banter.
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Starting Space: 11
4th Roll: "4"
Current Space: 15
*Read a book that is 1st, 5th or 15th in a series
Alternative: Color: Blue
Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Awesome Tera...are you getting sleep with your blessing? I hope she is making you as happy as my daughter made me. Is she your first?"I try to sleep when she does. So it is hit and miss. She is my second - I have a 6 yr old son too. of course- she makes me happy.. ;)
I completely forgot that we roll again today lol That's what beginning of school does to me I'll probably read Gemini (Gemini #1) by Penelope Ward
Hurray! I can move further along in the Greywalker series now. I'll read #5, Labyrinth by Kat Richardson.
Mod
Six year gap? WOW. you are so brave. My youngest will be 3 in June and the thought of having to do it all again, carrying diaper bag, pumping and storing breastmilk for daycare etc.
I don't know...I think I may call it quits with the 3 I have.
do you have help? Like a mom or mom-in-law close by?
Mod
(Book 5 of PsyChangeling).
Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "@Tera,Six year gap? WOW. you are so brave. My youngest will be 3 in June and the thought of having to do it all again, carrying diaper bag, pumping and storing breastmilk for daycare etc.
I don't ..."
yeah it is a wide gap but he is doing well with the new baby. yes i have both of them near by and the hubby helps a lot too. just taking it one day at a time. :)
I am going to read
(dark light #1) by s.l. jennings
Mod
(dark light #1) by s.l. jennings"goodluck (*shudders). I know people enjoyed that book, I didn't understand why. but to each his own!
@ ezi - I hope it is better than that. haha - guess will find out soon enough
Space 15
Book: Gemini (Gemini #1) by Penelope Ward
Read: 22-Feb-2014
Rating: ★★★
Review:
When I first added the book I was convinced this was a New Adult book and then suffered a disappointment when I started the book. Heroine is still trying to earn money and finish college but she's 30 and hero is 34.
I wondered from the beginning what Cedric's secret was and apart from that secret there wasn't much about this book that was interesting. It was nice that Allison found her family and I'm interested in Jake's story I hope it's better than this one was.
Space 15 - 5th in a seriesBook: Labyrinth by Kat Richardson
Read: 2/22/14
Rating: Five stars
Review:
Labyrinth picks up almost immediately where Vanished left off. Harper Blaine's overseas problems have followed her home to her front door - literally. She arrives in San Francisco to find her partner Quinton barricaded in their condo while a particularly strong group of vampires tries to break in.
It turns out that Wygan, the ancient, uber-powerful Pharoahn vampire is trying to trap Harper into become his Greywalking tool, something he tried to do with her father and failed. He's managed to capture Edward the head vampire in SF, with the help of Edward's former right hand man, Goodall. Harper is forced to go on the offensive into the Grey (the world between life and death, where ghosts, spirits, and other supernatural forces exist) to throw a wrench in Wygan's plans and to see if she can find any clues as to what his ultimate plan for her is. She makes brief contact with her father's spirit, which is being held captive in the Grey. He mentions a mysterious labyrinth that is part of the key to stopping Wygan.
Then there's the matter of Harper's transformation. She's healing very fast from almost catastrophic wounds and is giving off the equivalent of electric shocks to anyone who touches her when she's very close to the darker side of the Grey. What or who she's becoming is another twist in the 'labyrinth' plot.
I absolutely adore this series. It's a unique take on the human-PI-as-supernatural-go-between. Harper is tough, hardboiled, but devoted to Quinton, her friends the Danzigers and her pet ferret Chaos. It'll be fun to see what trouble her newfound powers cause in the next installment.
Mod
Book: Hostage to Pleasure (PsyChangeling, Book 5) by Nalini Singh
Read: Feb. 22
Rating & Review: ★★★1/2
Ashaya escaped the Psy Net by smuggling her son and two others and faking her own death. She had assistance from Dorian and the sparks flew between them. Dorian despises Psy as his sister was murdered by a Psy, but he can't get Shaya out of his system.
I liked Dorian and Shaya...and Keenan, the 4 yr old boy. But I don't love Nalini Singhs writing. I liked this book and may continue bit I know I can't read them back to back.
space 15 (series #1)review for
dark light (dark light #1) by s.l. jenningsrating 2 of 5 stars
Read Feb. 22, 2014
review:
it was an ok read. The idea was interesting but the main character is what ruined it for me. She doesn't know anything about what she really is at the beginning. At her 20th birthday - her adoptive parents give her a journal from her mother telling Gabriela who and what she is. At first Gabi seems ok - she is spunky. Then she meets Dorian and there seems to go her personality and will. She lives to see, be with, etc Dorian. I', sorry - I just can't stand when a person loses their selves in someone else. It makes them seem shallow and stupid...and boring. I had to force myself to finish this book. I wished the characters had more substance to them - this book seemed interesting at first.
Mod
review for
dark light (dark light #1) by s.l. jenningsrating 2 of 5 stars
Read Feb. 22, 2014
review:
it was an ok read. The idea was interest..."
yep. Told ya!
Mod
4th Roll: "1"
Current Space: 16
Read a book that is 1st or 6th or 16th in series
Alternative choice: Published in 2013
And here I hoped we land on 17 so I can read #7 from KGI. With my luck, we'll land there on Thursday :DI'll read Night Fever by Diana Palmer (stand-alones count as #1) just so that I don't have to write two separate reviews for PtP and SSS
Mod
But I may also read If I Were You (Inside Out, Book 1) by Lisa Renee Jones
Mod
I'll read Night Fever by Diana Palmer (stand-alones count as #1) just so that ..."
I was hoping for 19 so I could read Anita Blake Obsidian Butterfly, book 9.
But now that you mention Ptp, my book is a #1 in a series, so I may use that one as well
Mod
Well neither of us got what we wished, so let's hope Marty and/or Tera had :PI usually don't mind reading two different books for two team challenges but I've had huge problems with writing reviews lately so this way is easier.
If you wish to read both of your books why choose only one? :D This gives you excuse to read both :P
Mod
So many books I do want to read in Feb
Well, I wouldn't say 16 was exactly what I wanted, but it's convenient. :) I have a first in series on hand that I really should get read and returned to the library: Poison by Sara Poole, 1st in the Poisoner Mysteries.
Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "I was hoping for 19 so I could read Anita Blake Obsidian Butterfly, book 9."Obsidian Butterfly is the book that hooked me on the Anita Blake series! It's great, you'll like it.
Space 16
Book: Night Fever by Diana Palmer
Read: 23-Feb-2014
Rating: ★★★★
Review:
This was another Diana Palmer book like Lawless, Lawman and Renegade. It shows that the book was written in 90s but I still liked it a lot just like all of her other books.
Becky has taken care of her two younger brothers and a grandfather since she was 16 and she was doing a pretty good job out of it until Clay started acting out. She meets Rourke Kilpatrick regurarly in the elevator on her way to work, where he annoys her by smoking in crowded public areas. She doesn't know he's the DA until he gets in charge of Clay's case with drugs.
After that they start seeing each other and Kilpatrick (I don't even think about him as Rourke as he was mostly Kilpatrick in the book) had some moral dillema about using her to find out more about Clay's friends or not. As usual in author's books their courtship was slow, it spanned several weeks (if not even months, I stopped counting) not just days like in most nowadays romances.
I had a big problem with author's use of Kilpatrick, I just couldn't get used to it because it's quite a mouthfull for me and I pronounced it in my head differently every time I tried. What's wrong with Rourke? I usually don't have problems with heroes' nicknames or even use of their family names, but I didn't like it in this book.
Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Btw. Great job Gea, Marty and Tera. Way to be on time"yeah us!!!! :)
Marty wrote: "Wow, Gea, that was a fast read! :D"Quick, easy, enjoyable read for Sunday morning and early afternoon while baking :)
going to read
(heist society #1) by Ally Carter
Mod
Read a book that is 1st or 6th or 16th in series
Alternative choice: Published in 2013
Book: Keeping Promise Rock by Amy Lane (Promises, Book 1)
Finished: February 25
Rating & Review I like angsty books but this book was more painful than anything. Two childhood friends find love with each other. But miscommunication makes Carrick think that Deacon doesn't want a long term relationship with him, So Carrick signs up for the army.
While Carrick was serving his country, Deacon became severely depressed and began drinking a lot. It took a couple of years for Carrick to make his way back to Deacon. It was a tough road for both men. But their journey, especially Deacon's, was painful.
I will admit that the book didn't do it for me, so I am not interested in continuing the series.
Space 16read Heist Society by Ally Carter (#1 in a series)
read 2-25-2014
rating: 3 stars
review:
This is about a teen, Kat, that comes from a family of theives. She wants out so she makes a new identity for herself and goes off to school. Unfortunately, she only lasts three months before the she has to come back home. Her father is in some real trouble, a bad man - Arturo Taccone, thinks he took his paintings and he wants them back...at any cost. Kat's father denies he took them and it's up to Kat to prove it. The rest of the book is Kat and her group of thieves trying to find out who really took the paintings and get hem back. This takes them all over the world and having them pull off a epic heist. Will Kat find the paintings in time to save her father?
It was an enjoyable read. The characters, plot, and dialogue flowed nicely. There were a few lulls but for the most part - a good story.
Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "Current Spot: Space 15Book: Hostage to Pleasure (PsyChangeling, Book 5) by Nalini Singh
Read: Feb. 22
Rating & Review: ★★★1/2
Ashaya escap..."
I just saw this. I'm sorry you didn't like it as much as I did. I really liked the series, not as much as Guild Hunter but it's still one of my favorite PNR series
Mod
Book: Hostage to Pleasure (PsyChangeling, Book 5) by Nalini Singh
Read: Feb...."
Well, I have been told that the next book,
is much better. I want to like them because I enjoyed Vaughn & Faith, even Sasha & Duncan, but the newer couples haven't hit the spot yet.
Space 16Book: Poison by Sara Poole
Read:2/26/14
Rating:Five stars
Review:
I absolutely loved this book. The historical details, the descriptions of Renaissance Rome, the power and intrigue swirling around the Vatican, the revengeful but conflicted heroine, all of it was terrific. The scene is Rome in 1492, at the beginning of the Renaissance, and the Spanish Inquisition is in full swing. Francesca Giordano has lost everything by her estimation - her beloved father is dead by someone else's hand. He was employed as poisoner by the corrupt and powerful Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia. Francesca makes a shocking yet successful bid to take her father's place. The wily Borgia already has a task for her - to finish the job her father had begun. She must find a way to kill the debauched Pope Innocent the 8th.
It's a dangerous undertaking for anyone, especially a woman in 15th century Italy. Francesca calls on her old friend Rocco, her father's contacts in the Jewish ghetto of Rome and a mysterious monk who claims to be another contact of her father's. Although Francesca thinks she may be revenging her father by ridding the world of the weak and paranoid Innocent, she is not so sure he acted alone. When a terrible set events threatens the Jews, whose money Borgia badly needs to buy himself the papacy, he charges Francesca with removing more than the current occupant of the papal throne. To make matters worse, the priest whom Francesca and her colleagues thought they could trust, turns out to be the real threat to all their lives.
My copy had an interview with the author about how she developed the character of Francesca and why she chose a woman as Borgia's poisoner. Poole certainly did plenty of research into this dangerous period. Many of the characters are in fact historical figures, including the Sforzas, the dreaded Inquisitor Torquemada, as well as Lucrezia and Cesare Borgia, Rodrigo's children. Some readers might be horrified by Francesca's profession and her brand of justice, but this is in keeping with the context of her time. She's never completely comfortable with what she does, and she has a good heart which makes her an intriguing and ultimately likable heroine.
Mod
Starting Space: 16
6th Roll: "5"
Current Space: 21
Read a book that is 1st, 2nd or 21st in a series
Alternative choice: Color Purple
This is probably the hardest one to make a choice - there's so many #1 and #2 on my TBR lol I'll probably read
(Mastered #2)
Mod
"you have read up to a #21? you are my freaking idol. That's awesome. the series I am furthest on is BDB & Elemental Assassins.
**I have no clue what I want to read. I have to think about it and decide later today
Mod
(reluctant heroes, book 1)(yes Gea, another freaking series to start. I don't know why I do this to myself)
Ezinwanyi~still loves Spartacus wrote: "you have read up to a #21? you are my freaking idol. That's aw..."Alas to burst your bubble, but I haven't read ALL 21 yet (there's actually more than 21). Some of the earlier Wexford novels are still on my TBR list. I think I've read about 60 percent of the series. :)
Mod
Alas to burst your bubble, but I haven't read ALL 21 yet (there's actually more than 21)..."
I am taking your crown back!
LOL.
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Starting another new series? :P"
LOL, I haven't read book 9 of Anita Blake or New Species, so getting to 11 would require effort.
Book 11 of Elemental Assassin won't be out this week. So There is no other series where I can get the higher number.
I have 2hours left on Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright, so I am interested in what you think about Carnal secrets. It took me a minute to get going in this sequel. Greta, "Popeye" as a nickname etc got old really quickly!