R4: Team #4 ~ Four Leaf Clovers

[Kate]

Thanks guys :-)

I'm half way through Lover Reborn and I'm enjoying it but at the same time not... If that makes sense.

I still miss Wellsie.

[Leah]

Okay ladies, I finished it!! My review is below, but I've spoilered out most of it because I talk about things that will ruin the book if you haven't read it yet.
Overall this book was between a 3.5 and 4 star read, so I bumped it up ;)


Book: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
Date Read: 5-Apr-12
Rating: 4 stars
Review:

This is was a really difficult book to review. I settled on four stars because there were some really stellar parts and then some meh parts, but overall still a very good read.

This is a long book - my hardcover was over 550 pages - but there really isn't that much action. Especially for the first half of the book, it's all emotional scenes for the characters. I'm going to break down my review into the various plotlines, because this makes more sense:(view spoiler)[

Tohrment and No'One - three stars
This plotline was done as well as it could be. To be honest, I still like Wellsie (Tohr's mate who passed away in one of the earlier books) too much to actually enjoy Tohr falling in love with someone else. I think maybe I need more time? The book says it's only been a year and a half since Wellsie died, I just can't realistically see a man getting over his mourning period that quickly when he was mated to this woman for over 200 years.
Having said that, I didn't hate No'One like I thought I would. And her and Tohr's interactions did make sense. I'm so glad that it wasn't like the rest of the books where Tohr fell in love with her at first sight. Tohr didn't even like her at first, and even as he made a connection with her, he fought falling in love the whole time. There were some plot devices I thought were a bit silly -- like No'One's needing.

Qhuinn and Blaylock and Saxton and Layla - three and a half stars
Briefly, I loved all of Qhuinn and Blay's and Saxton's interactions. Despite my love for the upcoming 'Quay' pairing, I even found myself feeling bad for Saxton at some points. There wasn't a whole lot going on in their story this book, but it was nice to see how the time passing is affecting Qhuinn (watching Blay and Saxton grow as a couple).
The reason this is only 3.5 stars is because of Layla and Qhuinn. I'm sorry, but (***big spoiler warning***)I felt like the decision to have a child with Qhuinn came out of nowhere! There was a bit of setup for Layla (she had nothing of her own, etc.) but for Qhuinn, I just felt like it came out of nowhere. We know he was heartbroken but I hadn't gotten the impression that he felt alone. I wish Ward would have set this up a little better so it didn't seem like such a plot device designed to create drama.

Band of Brothers and Assail - five stars
The baddies in this book! Loved them all, I thought they were interesting and I like reading about them way more than I liked reading about the lessers in the previous books. I actually used to skip some of the lesser parts in the old books, and now I found myself looking forward to reading the parts about the BDB's enemies. Assail was interesting too and I would be happy if one day we got a book just about him. He reminds me of Rehvenge - you can't tell if he's good or bad.

John Matthew and Xhex - four stars
I know some people hated this plotline, but I liked it. Xhex and John Matthew's marital problems were realistic, though they were a bit of a downer throughout the book. I liked that the couple was not just settling in immediately as a perfect couple like all the other matings (Ward even comments this exactly in one scene -- John has nobody in the house that can relate to his problems). This is the type of writing that makes Ward's books popular and realistic. If everyone was all rainbows and sunshine, then I wouldn't believe the stories and wouldn't want to read them! The only thing I could have wished for here was a bit more of a solid ending to this plotline.
(hide spoiler)]

I enjoyed this book way more the Lover Unleashed, the last novel in the series. I'm hoping that the next book (Qhuinn and Blay) is a five-star review!!

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

FOUR LEAF CLOVERS


Week 9: 31 Mar - 1 Apr 12
G16: Reader's Choice - 3/5 - TBD
✔ Amanda - The Duke Is Mine - ★★★★½ - 5 Apr 12 - Reveiw
✔ Christina - Fantasy Lover - ★★★★ - 6 Apr 12 - pending
Heather - Last Dragon Standing -
Kate - Lover Reborn -
✔ Leah - Lover Reborn - ★★★★ - 5 Apr 12 - Review

[Heather ~ Marceline]

I finished for Reader's Choice on 4/7/12 and gave it 4*'s. I always enjoy her Shelly Laurenston books better, but the GA Aiken Dragon Kin books are a fun read as well. My problem with these books is there are just so many dragon characters and their mates. It always seems to take me so long to figure out and remember who is who, I felt like I spent a good part of the book figuring everyone out. I never laugh quite as hard in these books, but they are still fun. This book was about Keita, an irrisistable dragon princess who seems to be a pied piper of males, of all species wherever she goes, and Ragnor, a Lightnight dragon from the Northlands. He is able to see past the guise that Keita displays for all that she is a silly twit and really a smart, protective daughter, truly looking out for mother and acting as a protector of the throne. Ragnor accepts the Queen's request to stay with Keita as they try to trick the Queen's enemies into revealing themselves. Ragnor knows that he cannot claim this dragoness as his own without scaring her, so he slowly shows her they can love each other without belonging to each other. The one thing these books always have that the Pack and Pride series don't have are the small fighting scenes and the war battle scenes. There is much more talk of war between lands in this series. Throughout this book the storyline unfolds that will continue on in the next book. Due to the continuing storyline as well as the characters, I will definitely continue on with this series.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

NEW SHELF

DRATS! Oh, well....a least it's one that keeps us in the running for another week. :)

GR Author

Steph sez:
"Our next shelf announcement is up ~ 'Goodreads-author' **
** This shelf has a link; books not listed on the shelf, but written by a Goodreads Author are not permitted "


FOUR LEAF CLOVERS


Week 9: 31 Mar - 1 Apr 12
G16: Reader's Choice - 5/5 - TBD
✔ Amanda - The Duke Is Mine - ★★★★½ - 5 Apr 12 - Reveiw
✔ Christina - Fantasy Lover - ★★★★ - 6 Apr 12 - pending
✔ Heather - Last Dragon Standing - ★★★★ - 7 Apr 12 - Review
✔ Kate - Lover Reborn - ★★★★ - 9 Apr 12 - Review
✔ Leah - Lover Reborn - ★★★★ - 5 Apr 12 - Review



Week 10: 7-8 Apr 12
I10: GR Author - 1/5 - TBD
Amanda - Demonglass (maybe??)
Christina - Armed & Magical
✔ Heather - Clouds and Rain - ★★★ - 9 Apr 12 - Review
Kate - Hounded
✔ Leah - Enemy Within - ★★★★ - 12 Apr 12 - Review

[Leah]

Hey ladies, I'll be reading for this shelf. It's wayyy down on the GR author list (page 19).

If anyone's looking for reads, I noticed that and are both on the list, and both have received good reviews from someone on our team :)

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

I skimmed all the pages of the GRA shelf -- and I still don't know what I'm going to read. Lots to choose from. If I hadn't started Magic Unchained (and half done), I could have picked it for this shelf.

Some interesting things I came across while examining the spreadsheet. Based on GRA being called,

-- we're not the only team lacking a 4 in a row. Teams 5, 9, and 11 are also without one.

-- if 2011 or New 2 You Series is called next, 4 teams each will be scrambling for Bingo. However...

-- if Favorite Supes is called next, it will be EPIC! It gives ELEVEN teams a 4 in a row! The other four (Teams 2, 10, 14, and 15) already have at least one each.

-- Vampires, Favorite Author, and SFR are still good shelves for us as well. UF...is still blah.

[Heather ~ Marceline]

After a whole lotta looking... and looking(ended up viewing every single page of the list), I will be reading . Nothing was looking good to me this week, so yeah, this is what I'll be reading because it sounded good. I am actually in a bit of a pnr-uf funk this week I think and hankering for some cowboys so this fit the bill quite nicely I think.

[Leah]

Heather wrote: "After a whole lotta looking... and looking(ended up viewing every single page of the list), I will be reading . Nothing was looking good to me this week, so yea..."

Cowboys are usually a safe bet. ;-)

[Kate]

Finished my Reader's Choice book:


Book: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
Read: April 9, 2012
Rating: ★★★★

Before I started reading this book, I knew it was going to be hard for Ward to convince me that Tohr belonged with anyone other than his dear Wellsie. I loved the relationship they shared in the early books of this series and with the state that Tohr has been in since returning with Lassiter, I was unconvinced that he was going to be able to find a happily ever after that I’d be satisfied with. And remarkably, I was impressed with how Ward managed to do it. By the time the novel was finished I was behind Tohr and No’One as a couple.

I really liked the BoB - they're great villains and I'm excited to see them in the future.

As I'm a Qhuinn/Blay shipper I'm thrilled that they will have the next book. I enjoyed their interactions in this one. I like Saxton too. And surprisingly, I even enjoyed Layla in this book. Previously there was something about her that annoyed me but I liked her in this one.

I enjoyed the JM/Xhex story. I think I'll have to go re-read Lover Mine now I'm more fond of these two characters.

Think that's all. Loved the book. Better than I expected and a hundred times more enjoyable than Lover Unleashed.

[Kate]

I think I'll read this week. Shelved two times as Goodreads Author.

[Leah]

Kate wrote: "Finished my Reader's Choice book:


Book: Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward
Read: April 9, 2012
Rating: ★★★★

Before I started reading this book, I knew it ..."

I'm glad that you liked it too Kate :)

I've changed my mind about the Goodreads Author book. Instead of Shatter Me, I'm going to read . Shelved one time as goodreads-author, it's on page 56 of the list. I have it out on an interlibrary loan, so it's a shorter timeline for me to read it than normal so I should read it this week.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Interested to see what you think of it Leah, I recently got that one & the sequel.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

No problem, Leah. I'll update our list. Too bad this week shelf wasn't SFR

I still haven't picked anything. The problem is ... I don't know what I might be in the mood for. :(

[Heather ~ Marceline]

Okay, I know you guys will likely not believe me, but I had a nice long review written and then my internet explorer went kaput. Last weekend we automatically got upgraded to the new version and I can't tell you how many times my explorer windows have just blacked out, AAHHH!!! Now it wasn't long like most of the glorious reviews of my wonderful teammates, but for a Heather review, it was really stinking long, geez! Oh well, I will try to recreate my masterpiece. I was pretty sure none of you had read the literary classic of Clouds and Rain so I was trying to give you some actual details so here goes.

I finished on 4/9/12 for Goodreads Author and give it 3*'s. This was the story of Gable and Flynn. It starts out with Flynn answering the help wanted ad placed by Gable. Hurt about a year ago, Gable, alone on his ranch, is unable to keep up with the work and needs help to get his horses ready for auction. Facing the possibility of bankruptcy, Gable can only offer room and board until the auction takes place. When Flynn comes in for the job, Gable is sure that it is too good to be true, but knowing he needs the help offers Flynn the job.

Flynn quickly becomes aware of his attraction to Gable, but is unsure if Gable will return his feelings. Gable, being a bit older than Flynn, would never have thought that Flynn would find him attractive. When he realizes that Flynn is interested the two begin a fragile relationship. Gable, have been left when he had a disabiling accident has a horrible self-imagine and cannot believe that Flynn can see beyond his physical impairment. Flynn is a nurturer, who loves Gable dispite his injury and is easily hurt when Gable does not want his nursing. The two frequently miscommunicate and it can be quite frustrating at times.

My problems with the book include the above mentioned miscommunications. There is also an odd side story that seems underdeveloped with a close female friend of Gable's that hopefully will be further explained in other books, though I am not 100% certain I will continue the series. There also seemed to be a lot of loose ends with the story that never fully got explained.

Despite all this, is was still a sweet story. The love that Flynn showed Gable, that despite his disability, through his growing illness and then recovery, he still could be loved after being abandoned, was nice to read.

[Kate]

I believe you, Heather! There are times, when I'm at my most paranoid, when I think that computers have it out to get me :P
The only times I haven't saved something are the times when the computer decides to misbehave.

[Leah]

Sandra wrote: "Interested to see what you think of it Leah, I recently got that one & the sequel."

I'll let you know Sandra - I had to wait a long while to get this from the library (they actually had to borrow it from another library) so I hope it's good. Didn't want to buy it though just based on the blurb, I think it could go really good or really badly. I'm a sucker for kidnapping type stories.

Heather wrote: "Okay, I know you guys will likely not believe me, but I had a nice long review written and then my internet explorer went kaput. Last weekend we automatically got upgraded to the new version and I..."

I believe you too!! This happens all the time!!!
But I read the whole review and it was definitely a masterpiece, so it was worth the re-typing ;)

[AmandaG]

I am still unsure what I will read for GA shelf. So bummed that neither Lover Reborn or Darkest Seduction were options. Might choose Demonglass since first book was such a quick read.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Leah wrote: "Sandra wrote: "Interested to see what you think of it Leah, I recently got that one & the sequel."

I'll let you know Sandra - I had to wait a long while to get this from the library (they actuall..."

I picked them both up 2ndhand, Leah, so not too much damage.

[Heather ~ Marceline]

AmandaG wrote: "I am still unsure what I will read for GA shelf. So bummed that neither Lover Reborn or Darkest Seduction were options. Might choose Demonglass since first book was such a quick read."

I had a hard time too Amanda, had about four books I really wanted to read, none of which were on there. After going through all 79 pages decided on the one I did.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

READER'S CHOICE




Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon - ★★★★ - 6 Apr 12
I was surprised how much I ended up liking this book. I really liked Grace and Julian -- especially after we got to know more about his past. I also liked the fact it was a stand-alone book. There is almost no hint that this book is the "prequel" to the author's Dark-Hunter series. I could easily decide not to read the series and I won't feel like I missed anything.

I will be reading the next -- or first -- book.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

Stamp Request


FOUR LEAF CLOVERS


Week 9: 31 Mar - 1 Apr 12
G16: Reader's Choice - 5/5 - TBD
✔ Amanda - The Duke Is Mine - ★★★★½ - 5 Apr 12 - Reveiw
✔ Christina - Fantasy Lover - ★★★★ - 6 Apr 12 - Review
✔ Heather - Last Dragon Standing - ★★★★ - 7 Apr 12 - Review
✔ Kate - Lover Reborn - ★★★★ - 9 Apr 12 - Review
✔ Leah - Lover Reborn - ★★★★ - 5 Apr 12 - Review

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

Heather wrote: "Okay, I know you guys will likely not believe me, but I had a nice long review written and then my internet explorer went kaput. Last weekend we automatically got upgraded to the new version and I..."

That's why I type mine in a text document. :)


I still don't know what I want to read. I narrowed it down a few books that will work for a 25-pointer in the Seasonal Reading Challenge -- the books were published in 2008, one of the years the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley cup):

[Leah]

I vote for ! Love my Mercy books :)

I've also read Magic to the Bone and enjoyed that series too, but it's a little bit darker. I didn't mind Pleasure Unbound, I found it was a pretty typical pnr, if that's what you are in the mood for.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

Leah wrote: "I vote for ! Love my Mercy books :)

I've also read Magic to the Bone and enjoyed that series too, but it's a little bit darker. I didn't mind [book:Pl..."

Since it's taking me so long, it might be Mercy or Armed & Magical -- page-wise, they're the shortest. I want something I know I can read by Friday/early Saturday -- I've got tickets to see a play on Sunday, and I know I'll need as much time on Saturday as I can get for the next shelf.

[Kate]

I always seem to read Mercy books very quickly... It's not really that quickly - I just get so drawn into the story that everything else passes me by. It's always a cereal for dinner kind of day when I'm that into a book.

[Leah]

Kate wrote: "I always seem to read Mercy books very quickly... It's not really that quickly - I just get so drawn into the story that everything else passes me by. It's always a cereal for dinner kind of day wh..."

LOL cereal for dinner. I have these days too but I didn't realize other people did too!! Suddenly, I don't feel so alone :)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

I did the cereal for dinner, occasionally, before I got married, sadly hubby doesn't believe in it *sigh*

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

Sandra wrote: "I did the cereal for dinner, occasionally, before I got married, sadly hubby doesn't believe in it *sigh*"

Since it only me, dinner is not really a interruption to reading. ;)

I ended up going with . Mercy and the others show up on many of the shelves, so there's a good chance I can read one next week.

[Leah]

Sandra wrote: "I did the cereal for dinner, occasionally, before I got married, sadly hubby doesn't believe in it *sigh*"

Hubby doesn't believe in it??? I don't know, cereal dinners might have been a marriage deal-breaker for me ;)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yeah, but I didn't know about it till way too late and then it would of been too much trouble. ROFL.

He's pretty old school when it comes to food ie bacon & eggs is only for brekkie or brunch, can't have it for dinner and the same goes for cereal.

[Leah]

Ohmigosh, I don't know how I would manage. I could eat breakfast foods for any meal of the day. One of my favourite dinners is bacon and egg sandwiches!

But, I suppose any guy must be a good guy if they are willing to put up with our book addictions.

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Exactly, and he brings me bookcases and only complains about too many books occasionally, so I figure he can eat what he wants when. LOL.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

Leah wrote: "Ohmigosh, I don't know how I would manage. I could eat breakfast foods for any meal of the day. One of my favourite dinners is bacon and egg sandwiches!

But, I suppose any guy must be a good guy i..."

Thankfully, my father likes breakfast foods, so having eggs or pancakes for dinner -- or even cereal -- was never a problem at our house. :)

[Steph, Serious series addict]

CONGRATULATIONS, Four Leaf Clovers!
You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'Reader's Choice'.

[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]

Good Job!! :D

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Congrats on the stamp Clovers!

[Leah]

Finished my GR-Author book:


Book: Enemy Within by Marcella Burnard
Date Finished: 12-Apr-12
Rating: 4 stars

I liked this book a lot! I have to admit, the love story was much more prominent than I expected, but it was still an engaging story. This book reminded me of Song of Scarabaeus, except it had less of the sci-fi jargon and more focus on the love story. I would call this book a pnr, but be warned that there isn’t much ‘action’ (wink wink) until quite a ways into the book.

Disclaimer – I am a sucker for kidnapping love stories. I think maybe this indicates that there is something wrong with me psychologically, but I choose not to think about that too much ;).

I really liked our heroine, Ari. I felt like she was a fairly realistic character – after being tortured by alien enemies, she was released as a new, more shattered, more paranoid individual who trusted nobody (including herself – she forces herself to complete psych tests before she leaves her room every morning!). I liked that throughout the novel Ari’s character does develop, but not in an unrealistic ‘get-over-torture-in-a-week’ type of way. Even at the end of the novel, she clearly admits that she isn’t the same person she was before her ordeal, and she never will be that person again.

The love interest is Cullin, a pirate who hijacks the science ship Ari captains. I have to say, there’s a twist near the middle of the book with his character that I predicted very early in the book, but he was still an enjoyable character. Not nearly as complex as Ari, but overall a decent match for her.

The one improvement I would have recommended for this book would be more development in the secondary characters. We meet both Ari’s science ship crew and Cullin’s crew. While they are involved in the story, they are only peripherally involved and you don’t really get to know their characters at all. I didn’t feel particularly attached to anyone other than the two leads.

Overall, a great read. I definitely will read the next one. We have been introduced to Jayleia briefly, and so far I like her (she’s the lead in the next book in the series).

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Yay, thanks for a great review Leah, I'll have to push this up the tbr pile.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

I've got it in my pile, too. I've been saving it for the SFR shelf (let's see what happens there..)

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

NEW SHELF


Shelf #11 ~ 4/15/12: 'Favorite Supe'
DIRECT LINK: This is a personal shelf, not a Goodreads shelf.
==========================================
Week 10: 7-8 Apr 12
I10: GR Author - 4/5 - TBD
✔ Amanda - Demonglass - ★★★ - 15 Apr 12 - Review
✔ Christina - Armed & Magical - pending....
✔ Heather - Clouds and Rain - ★★★ - 9 Apr 12 - Review
Kate - Hounded
✔ Leah - Enemy Within - ★★★★ - 12 Apr 12 - Review



Week 11: 14-15 Apr 12
B3: Favorite Supe - 0/5 -TBD
Amanda - Every Which Way But Dead
Christina - Play of Passion -
Heather - Wanted: Undead or Alive -
Kate - Dragon Actually -
Leah - Kiss of Midnight

[Heather ~ Marceline]

I can't believe we finally have a chance at four in a row!

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

Heather wrote: "I can't believe we finally have a chance at four in a row!"

And we only have to battle it out with Team 7 if Re-Reads is called next. :)

FYI: regarding the Re-Reads shelf...apparently, it is a shelf and not a personal thing like Favorite Supe.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

For favorite supe, I'm going with Shifter -- and I decided I'll go with a pair of SnowDancers instead of dragons. ;-)

[AmandaG]

Will read Every Which Way But Dead for the new shelf for witch/magic user as favorite supe.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

AmandaG wrote: "Will read Every Which Way But Dead for the new shelf for witch/magic user as favorite supe.

"

I love the title of these books. :)

[Kate]

Shifters are my favourite supe at the moment. I think I'll read for this week.

Dragons :D

[Heather ~ Marceline]

This shelf was stressing me out because shifters are my fav supe but I really wanted to read my new book (which I actually got a couple weeks ago but misplaced when I brought it in from the mail...) but I thought was only vampires, but luckily, in this book, the love interest of the hero is a werewolf so I am in luck. Add into that I am home miserably sick so this should be a quick read for me.

ETA... okay in reading this later I realized I said this stressed me out and forgot to state that it was a joke in my medicine induced state of mind :D

[Leah]

Okay I am debating between (vamps) or (shifters). Not sure if I will be able to get Serpent's Kiss out from the library at the moment, so my choice might be Kiss of Midnight by default.

I will keep you all updated!! ;)

[AmandaG]

I finished Demonglass for the GR Author shelf today 4/15/12.
3 stars


This is the second book in the YA Hex Hall series. In this book, Sophie is relocated to a new setting in England so she can spend time with her father, and learn more about her demon abilities. She is recovering from the blow of the events in the end of the last book, especially dealing with her past/current feelings for Archer. I think Sophie has done some growing up between book 1 and 2. There were new characters introduced, that they didn't even really go in to, and I didn't really care for. This book was a super quick read and I was kind of meh about it most of the way. The end brought about a few twists and ended on a cliffhanger (kind of). Luckily I had there for me ;)

[Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required]

Leah, if you get out of the library, you'll have vamps & shifters.