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R5: Team #4 ~ Better Off Read
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Sandra, Kindle Operator Licence Required
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Jul 27, 2012 06:52AM
Angie, that's all exactly what I thought of Vlad & co, as well :DDD
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LOL, Angi! Hagrid! How funny! Glad you liked the book. I really liked Maximus. I hope he gets some love later on in the series.Poor Lethal. Having to deal with TSTL heroines. We all know how you feel about those.
Demons Shelf:
Finished: 7/25/2012
Rating:★★★★★
Review:
I love the Raine Benares series and this was a great addition. The action was non-stop, there was some sexy times, and the plot continued to thicken. I wouldn't recommend this one for new readers, but why would you want to miss all the goodness of the previous books anyway?
In this book, Sarad Nukpana has escaped from the Saghred and Raine & Co are trying to track him down. Sarad remains a menacing character, but I kept waiting for him to directly attack someone close to Raine. When it finally happened towards the end of the novel, I was shocked. The tension was great and I was pleased with the outcome. The ending of this book laid out a good setup for the next and it looks like we will get to see Tam become a political animal.
The love triangle of Raine, Mychael, and Tam had some huge developments in this book. I'm pleased with Raine's choice, but I have to say that I would have been happy to see the triangle continue. Polygamy isn't illegal in this world, right? I don't normally care for love triangles, but I loved both of the guys so much and they each had genuine chemistry with Raine. The umi'atsu bond also goes through some changes here, and it will be interesting to see what effects that has on our intrepid trio. I feel like Tam's character was fleshed out nicely in the previous book, and this time we learn about Mychael's past. It was a great back story, and one I didn't entirely see coming.
All of the normal characters were here again and they were all as delightful as usual. We finally found out what exactly was going on with Markus Sevelian. Also, are introduced to two new characters, Imala Kalis and Nachtmagus Vidor Kalta. Imala was great; she's another strong, fiesty woman. I'm interested to learn more about her history with Tam. Nachtmagus Kalta slipped easily into the lies and cons of our heroes. He was whip smart and self-confident. I loved seeing him give Caranades the what for. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book, Con & Conjure!
Great review!! Sounds like a great book.
It's that time of the week again! We should have lots of choices with our new shelf ~urban fantasy~! Good luck with your picks!
Demons
Finished 7/28/12
Rating★★★★☆
Review
This is the first book in Meljean Brook’s Guardian series. Whew. So much happened in this book that I don’t know how I would begin to summarize it. All I can say is that I am now a complete fangirl of Meljean Brook. Thank you Lethal.
Lilith and Hugh. Hugh and Lilith. Now one of my favorite couples. Hugh was a swoon worthy hero, but Lilith really stole my heart. Lilith was a complete badass. She lied, killed and manipulated pretty much everyone and made no apologies for it. She was insulting, rude and crude. I really liked her. And Hugh never asked her to be any different. Given the choice, he wanted her to stay the exact same. He loved her and her demonish ways. I loved these two together. The chemistry and the banter between the two was perfect. It did take them a long time to finally have sex (BOO!) but when they did... holy hotness. Hugh did admit that even though he was a virgin, he had centuries to imagine what he could do to her. And he delivered. Oh boy, did he deliver.
I did have a few moments where I wasn’t really sure what was happening. I felt like the world building was kind of thrown in my face and when I finally caught on, something else was happening that made me go, “WTH?” If it weren’t for my slight confusion and some parts that I felt were drawn out this would have been 5 stars. I loved the world and loved the characters!
Thanks Angi, Sandra & Breann. I'm glad that monstrosity is finally over with!Great review, Angi! I thought the Maximus story was a little odd too. I'm sure it was put there to add some suspense but I was feeling it.
Awesome review, Breann! I am so happy you liked DA! It & Demon Moon are two of my favorite romances OF ALL TIME. I mean, really? Can you get more tragic than a (view spoiler) I totally know what you mean about the slight confusion. Brook has her fingers in so many pies in this series that I've had to reread a few in case I missed pertinent info. Brook does have an "endgame" in mind. A lot of info and actions you might think aren't important in some books end up bitch-slapping you in the face in others when it all comes together and you're like "Ahh!"
I'm going to read
for UF. I need some good old reliable Singh to counteract the crap books I've been reading for the past few days.
Ghosts Read:
Date Finished: July 28th
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Review:
On paper, AA sounds like it could be an interesting book. We have the four archangels falling from Heaven to find their fated mates. Not the most original of plots but an exceptional author can make the most prevalent of tropes seem like something fresh and new. Unfortunately, AA was not one of those books.
There's so much WTFery in this book & I just could not suspend my disbelief to the extent that Killough-Walden wanted me to. We've got these badass archangels (yes, THE Michael, Uriel, Azazel & Gabriel) who decide they're going to go to Earth and find their Archesses. But they're on Earth for over 2000 years looking for them. Why did God (or as they call him, the Old Man) allow his best and favorite archangels to leave Heaven for 2000+ years to chase tail? They keep talking about how they're so important & powerful yet they're allowed to quit their jobs in hopes of finding their ladies? Then, in the 21st century, these archangels pick the most unbelievable of jobs. One is a firefighter, the other a cop. Then we have Azazel, who's a rock star and our hero, Uriel...who's a movie star. You're the Angel of Vengeance yet instead of saving the world, you're walking the red carpet? DAFUQ? It annoyed me.
Then there's the LOVE TRIANGLE. Somebody tell me WTF the point is of a love triangle in a PNR? You already know who the heroine is going to ride off into the sunset with so you're left with hundreds of pages of unnecessary angst. A big part of AA was dedicated to the "big" question of "Who will the heroine, Eleanor, choose?" O__o Then there's the convoluted plot lines & roadblocks that you know are just put there to unsuccessfully create suspense. For example, there's one scene where a character is turned into a vampire because of a clause in the contract he/she signed with the villain/2nd-love-interest, Samael. In AA-land, a vampire has to drink EVERY NIGHT or die so of course Sam's all "I will give you blood if you let me do this-and-that" So of course there's "OMG! S/he is gonna die! But we can't give into Sammy! We must find another way!" bs before they finally give in. I guess I, the reader, am supposed to feel shock & suspensefully feelings but instead I was all "Why the hell didn't Sam just say if you sign this contract, I'm allowed to do this & that" WTF was the point of going through all this angst when if Sam is so smart, he would've realized he didn't need to turn someone into a vamp to get what he wanted? *sighs*
I'm wrapping this review up NOW because I don't want to spend more time on this book. It didn't suck but AA was poorly executed. Shit went down in this book that seemed force for "thrills & chills" rather than organically. Too much time was spent on a love triangle that is completely unnecessary since WE ALL KNOW WHO ELEANOR IS GOING TO END UP WITH. I did like Eleanor when she wasn't having a mental breakdown (which was often). She's not what I'd call TSTL but she does have TSTL tendencies. I won't be continuing this series. There are too many books on my TBR that are more worthy of my time and money.
Thanks Lethal! Well, you are bound to enjoy Nalini Singh! It seems that woman can do no wrong.Thank you to the 7 people who shelved
as UF. I was hoping that I could fit this book into BSB this week. At first I didn't think I was but I decided to check anyway. And lo and behold! There is was!
CONGRATULATIONS, Better Off Read! You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'ghosts'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Congrats on the stamp Better Offs!
I am hoping my order from booksfree arrives tomorrow (or the next day). If it does, I'll be reading
. If not, I'll be reading
Thank you Steph and Sandra! Angi, hopefully, you get to read Changeless so you can tell me if I should continue reading the series or not! ;)
Breann you should definitely read the series!! I enjoyed them all and I'm looking forward to the spin off.
Thanks Sandra! Maybe I will pick it up again. I read the first one and can't decide if I want to continue.
Just remember that you need #3 handy cause there is a cliffhanger at the end of #2.
For Urban Fantasy Shelf I am going for
Urban Fantasy Read:
Date Finished: July 30th
Rating: ★★★★☆
Review:
After the crap books I've been reading for the past few days, I just knew turning to Singh would cheer me up. BoJ is an exceptional addition to the "Psy-Changeling" series. Max has made appearances on & if in series since Mine to Possess IIRC. I didn't think much of him & wasn't all that excited to read about his HEA, since I've found I enjoy Psy/Changeling pairs the most (please, please, PLEASE, Nalini, write another book with a Psy hero, because Judd was on-freaking-fire!). As for Sophia? Oh, great. Another heroine who has to take baby steps in breaking the pain/pleasure of Silence. *sigh*
It turned out to be really good, though. I was annoyed at first at how similar to the Changeling males Max was (what's the freaking point in having variety when all the men act the same in lurve?) but Singh did a good job of making him unique. I like how Sophia & Max's relationship started, with them both knowing what was going to happen between them from the very beginning & accepting it. I also liked how I was unable to figure out how there HEA was going to last, given Sophia's special circumstances. The ending was a bit ambiguous. I have a lot of questions & doubts as to how their relationship is going to work in the long run, like (view spoiler) But I have hopes. Things have been going on behind the scenes since book 1 & the shit is definitely going to hit the fan at some point. Maybe then the questions I have about their lasting relationship will be rendered obsolete, since (view spoiler). Overall this was a really good story and was a pleasure to read.
Yay, a winner! I love this series, LL. One of my favorites! One of the rare series where I care about ALL of the scenes. The ones with the H/h, the past characters and the bad guys! In other series *cough*BDB*cough* I tend to skim - or completely skip- sections that are about the baddies. Not here though. I eagerly anticipate reading about
Urban Fantasy
Finished7/30/12
Rating★★★★☆
Review
Holiday in Death is the seventh installment in J.D. Robb’s In Death series. While it wasn’t my favorite, it was still a great read!
There are a string of serial type murders happening around Christmastime and the only link between the deaths is the dating service, Personally Yours, that all the victims used. All of the murders are sexual homicides and they really seem to hit Eve hard. Luckily, she has some really great people around her to take care of her. Eve doesn’t accept their help easily and fights them every bit of the way. To the point where tranqs had to be involved. It was funny.
There is constant hilariousness in these books. The banter between the characters is priceless! Especially Peabody. I could quote that girl all day long. She is too funny constantly swooning over Roarke. But, really, who wouldn’t? I really want her to get an HEA. I can sense it coming, hopefully soon. (view spoiler) And then there is Roarke. He is so perfect for Eve. He really understands her and knows where she comes from, being that he came from a similar situation. But he doesn’t let her get away with all the crap she tries to pull. And Eve really makes people put up with a lot of crap.
I just love this series and loving the characters more and more. Peabody is a certified badass and is officially one of my favorite characters.
Shelf: Demon
Finished: 31/07/12
Rating: ★★☆☆☆
Review:
Jacob is a Nightwalker, since time began they have lived in the world protecting humans from those who live in the shadows. Contact and love with humans is strictly forbidden and it is Jacobs job to ensure this happens as the Enforcer.
He is a demon who has walked the Earth alone for 700 years upholding the law never wanting love, until he meets Librarian Isabella, both feel physically drawn to one anther but don't know why. Not only are they extremely attracted to each other but they can also hear each others thoughts and pick up each others feelings....and they fall in love.
I have to say the plot of the story was good but I found myself reading blah, blah, blah really had to struggle to get through it! I am glad I got through it however another book off my TBR list, but I will not be reading the next book in the series unfortunately :(
I hate it when you are just waiting for a book to be OVER. Hopefully you will enjoy your UF read better.
Yeah Lethal so happy you didn't get a crap book this time around! ;-)Breann - That series sounds a lot like Kay Hooper... whom I LOVE. It's mystery with a bit of supernatural goodness in it. Sounds really interesting!
Also, I do hope this time around I am feeling the Changless series... the first one I wasn't too excited about but everyone seems to love it so I am giving it another go..... we shall see!
Jade - So sorry this book wasn't as great as you had hoped but yeah for getting it off of your TBR pile! There is your silver lining!
P.S. Breann - I just realized I HAVE read J.D. Robb... the first of the "In Death" series... was it Naked in Death? Anyhow, I liked it pretty well but it wasn't my favorite. And I don't think there was any supernatural element to it, was there? I do remember liking Eve. I'm going to read the next one at some point to see if I like it more.
No supernatural, just futuristic. The first on is set in 2059 NY.
Angi, no supes, just futuristic like Sandra said. I have been enjoying them more and more throughout the series. You should try it again!
Thanks, Angi! I hope to never read such horrible books for BSB AGAIN!
You'll just have to pick better Lethal ;)
CONGRATULATIONS, Better Off Read! You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'demons'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D
Congrats on the stamp Better Offs!
OMG! We are kicking so much ass, Team! Look at all the pretty stamps! JUST LOOK AT THEM! We rock.
Now if we could just get 4 in a row... new shelf tomorrow ladies!
We get a personal shelf this week! ~Series Catch Up~ Here are some reminders from Steph about this shelf:NOTE:
❀ Members are allowed to choose a book from any series that they have already started - no genre restrictions
❀ Book must be 200+ pages, part of a series, but not the first in a series
❀ Re-reads are not allowed - must be a book in a series you need to catch-up
This one gives us 4 in a row!! Yay us!
I'm going to read
for this shelf. Ilona Andrews? Yes please.
FOUR IN A ROW! Woot woot!I'm going to read
for Series Catch Up. Steel's Edge is coming out in November, so I must catch up!Have fun with GM, Breann! I'm not a fan of Andrea, so I'm putting it off until I'm ready to cut off my pinky toe for an Ilona Andrew fix.
I've always really liked Andrea. I should have probably picked a book that I already own. But I couldn't resist! Just don't tell the hubs that I purchased yet another book. I haven't read her Edge series yet. Of course it's been on my TBR for forever, just like everything else.
Lethal, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised when you do need to cut off your pinky toe ;)
Breann wrote: "I've always really liked Andrea. I should have probably picked a book that I already own. But I couldn't resist! Just don't tell the hubs that I purchased yet another book. I haven't read her Edg..."
Hahaha! Your secret is safe with me. ;-) I actually started Andrews "On the Edge" series first. It took me FOREVA to grow a pair & read their KateD series. I was leery because of all the hype. But I'm SO HAPPEH I did! The OTE series is everything you expect in a KateD series, only heavy on the romance, which is nice for those who were(view spoiler)
@ Sandra: LMAO! Oh, I know. It's inevitable that I'll start scratching my neck & doing the book crack dance before KateD#6 comes out.
I must admit I love a good romance, but I prefer Kate to OTE any day. I think it is too much like an epic fantasy for me now. In my *youth* LOL I loved epic fantasy now I'm more into the PNR/UF wham bam thank you mam.
Ohh both good choices ladies! I enjoy both series but I like Kate more... her and the beast lord.... YUMMMMMYYY!On the Edge series, the third book that you are reading Lethal I was so happy to see it featured Kalder (sp?). I really enjoyed him a lot and was pondering him being featured in this one!
Breann I am so envious you are reading that! Its on my booksfree queue so not on its way yet. :(
I look forward to both your reviews!!
For this series catch-up shelf I am going to read
BTW still working on Souless.... it doesn't grab me so its hard sometimes to pick it back up.... Im working on it though!
Angi wrote: "Ohh both good choices ladies! I enjoy both series but I like Kate more... her and the beast lord.... YUMMMMMYYY!On the Edge series, the third book that you are reading Lethal I was so happy to se..."
I have never used Booksfree. Do you have an account or do you pay individually? Is it like Netflix?
SHELF - CATCH UPIm going for
Just like Netflix but for books. I love it! You pay monthly membership according to your chosen plan (3 at a time, 6 at a time, etc). They send you a return mailer that you pop your books into when you ate finished and they send you more. It's full of awesomeness :)
How long does it usually take for a book to get sent to you? I know they use Media Mail like PBS-& at PBS, it took up to 4 weeks for books to arrive.
SOS: Serious Overload of Series
Books mentioned in this topic
Bloodfever (other topics)Blaze of Memory (other topics)
Supernaturally (other topics)
Supernaturally (other topics)
Chasing Magic (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Douglas Hulick (other topics)Kelley Armstrong (other topics)
Philippa Ballantine (other topics)
Susan Elia MacNeal (other topics)
E.L. James (other topics)
