Books I received/bought for my birthday:
Demon Mistress by Yasmine Galenorn
Faeries Gone Wild (anthology)
Blood Noir by Laurell K. Hamilton
This Duchess of Mine by Eloisa James
Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells
Blue Diablo by Ann Aguirre
Ravenous by Sharon Ashwood
What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown
Burning Alive by Shannon K. Butcher
Guardian by Angela Knight
Forbidden Nights With a Vampire by Kerrelyn Sparks
Till There Was You by Lynn Kurland
The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (anthology)
The Betrayal by Pati Nagle
Blood Magic by Jennifer Lyon
Nightwalker by Jocelynn Drake
Tails of Love (anthology)
Jaye Wells, Jennifer Lyon, Jocelynn Drake, Pati Nagle and Sharon Ashwood are new to me.
I have three books to review here by the computer and I'm almost done with 3 or 4 more so I'm going to try to do those before I start on the new ones. I said TRY. :)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang by Katie MacAlister
I love the titles of MacAlister's books. If you don't get the titles, you probably won't get the books either. Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang follows Zen and the Art of Vampires (which I reviewed) and you definitely need to read the first before you read this one. It is really one book divided into two volumes.
The first book did not have a happy ending, but I don't think it gives anything away to say this one does. Pia and Kristoff soon reunite and Pia finds out Kristoff has been framed for embezzlement and they are both suspected of foul play in Alec's disappearance. Pia is caught between the vampires and her duties as a Zorya and as if that wasn't enough she needs to find Alec who has an agenda of his own.
Pia is still a bit too insecure and that can be annoying, if understandable (at least by those of us who don't look like models.) It was fun to watch her gain confidence and develop her relationship with her Beloved. I really enjoyed their banter.
I loved the secondary characters, in particular poor Mattias, Esme the ghost and Magda, the perfect sidekick. The book had a fast pace and a lot of action. The details about the lore of the vampires and the reapers were fascinating, and I'd have liked to know even more about the Zoryas and Ilargi. My favorite things about the book were the humor and the characters.
I'll rate this book 8.0 out of 10.0 and I eagerly await Katie MacAlister's next book.
The first book did not have a happy ending, but I don't think it gives anything away to say this one does. Pia and Kristoff soon reunite and Pia finds out Kristoff has been framed for embezzlement and they are both suspected of foul play in Alec's disappearance. Pia is caught between the vampires and her duties as a Zorya and as if that wasn't enough she needs to find Alec who has an agenda of his own.
Pia is still a bit too insecure and that can be annoying, if understandable (at least by those of us who don't look like models.) It was fun to watch her gain confidence and develop her relationship with her Beloved. I really enjoyed their banter.
I loved the secondary characters, in particular poor Mattias, Esme the ghost and Magda, the perfect sidekick. The book had a fast pace and a lot of action. The details about the lore of the vampires and the reapers were fascinating, and I'd have liked to know even more about the Zoryas and Ilargi. My favorite things about the book were the humor and the characters.
I'll rate this book 8.0 out of 10.0 and I eagerly await Katie MacAlister's next book.
Kiss of Fury by Deborah Cooke
This is the second in the Dragonfire series. I reviewed the first book, Kiss of Fire, and rated it 8 out of 10.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Kiss of Fury as much as the earlier novel. It took me a long time to finish it because I kept getting bored and putting it aside. I think one reason I enjoyed Kiss of Fire much more is because I liked the hero and heroine better. Donovan Shea and Alexandra Madison just didn't come alive for me.
Yes, Donovan is sexy and brave, but other than that he doesn't seem to have much personality. Alexandra is smart and brave to the point of recklessness, but she was not very interesting to me. And together, they didn't seem to have much in common other than the lust driven by the Firestorm.
I do think the world that Cooke has built with the shape-shifting dragons is interesting, as is the rivalry between the good dragons and the evil ones, but the characters in this book didn't live up to the promise of the series. Some of the secondary characters, such as Rafferty and Sophie, were more interesting than the main ones.
I'll rate Kiss of Fury 6.0 out of 10.
Unfortunately, I did not enjoy Kiss of Fury as much as the earlier novel. It took me a long time to finish it because I kept getting bored and putting it aside. I think one reason I enjoyed Kiss of Fire much more is because I liked the hero and heroine better. Donovan Shea and Alexandra Madison just didn't come alive for me.
Yes, Donovan is sexy and brave, but other than that he doesn't seem to have much personality. Alexandra is smart and brave to the point of recklessness, but she was not very interesting to me. And together, they didn't seem to have much in common other than the lust driven by the Firestorm.
I do think the world that Cooke has built with the shape-shifting dragons is interesting, as is the rivalry between the good dragons and the evil ones, but the characters in this book didn't live up to the promise of the series. Some of the secondary characters, such as Rafferty and Sophie, were more interesting than the main ones.
I'll rate Kiss of Fury 6.0 out of 10.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Murder Game by Christine Feehan
This is the 7th in Feehan's GhostWalker series. I've enjoyed all of the books except for the first very much. They feature psychically and genetically enhanced soldiers paired with women who were experimented on as children by the evil Dr. Whitney. They all have different talents and abilities and how they use these is a lot of the fun of the series for me.
I thought Murder Game started a bit slow, but by the 2nd chapter the pace had picked up and it never slowed down after that. Although the author is a romance writer, and she certainly produces some amazingly intense sex scenes, I think her skill at suspense is her biggest strength. She had me on the edge of my seat numerous times.
I liked the hero, Kadan Montague, but felt that for once the heroine in a Feehan book really had the spotlight. Tansy Meadows has the ability to receive impressions by touching objects, which she has used in the past to help catch killers. After a breakdown she has retreated to the wilderness to take wildlife photos and Kaden has to convince her to help him solve a series of murders that seem to be committed by GhostWalkers. She was a fascinating character with a mix of strength and vulnerability.
It was great to see some of the characters from former books helping out their friend Kaden. The murderers and the man who was directing them were chilling.
My favorite GhostWalkers books are the two about the Norton twins, but this one was very good indeed. I'll rate this 8.0 out of 10.
I thought Murder Game started a bit slow, but by the 2nd chapter the pace had picked up and it never slowed down after that. Although the author is a romance writer, and she certainly produces some amazingly intense sex scenes, I think her skill at suspense is her biggest strength. She had me on the edge of my seat numerous times.
I liked the hero, Kadan Montague, but felt that for once the heroine in a Feehan book really had the spotlight. Tansy Meadows has the ability to receive impressions by touching objects, which she has used in the past to help catch killers. After a breakdown she has retreated to the wilderness to take wildlife photos and Kaden has to convince her to help him solve a series of murders that seem to be committed by GhostWalkers. She was a fascinating character with a mix of strength and vulnerability.
It was great to see some of the characters from former books helping out their friend Kaden. The murderers and the man who was directing them were chilling.
My favorite GhostWalkers books are the two about the Norton twins, but this one was very good indeed. I'll rate this 8.0 out of 10.
Alpha Wolf by Linda O. Johnston
Alpha Wolf is part of Harlequin's paranormal Nocturne line. As you can guess, it features werewolves, and I enjoyed it more than I expected.
I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill werewolf story. Not only was Alpha Wolf very well written, but the werewolves were some of the most convincing that I've come across. It was easy to believe that if werewolves existed, this is exactly what would happen.
The hero, Major Drew Connell, is an uber-Alpha. He is not only a werewolf, but he's also a military officer and a doctor. In spite of this, he is very likable and not obnoxiously overprotective or domineering. The heroine, Dr. Melanie Harding, is a vet with some alpha tendencies of her own. She seemed very real to me, brave and intelligent, yet not perfect.
The Nocturnes are short in length and there wasn't much time to develop secondary characters. I wish there had been a bit more time spent on the villain, because when he was revealed I thought for a moment "Who?" I did think the big mystery of who had been shooting the dogs and people in the area with silver bullets, was interesting and full of action.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys werewolf tales and I'll rate it 7.5 out of 10.
I thought this would be a run-of-the-mill werewolf story. Not only was Alpha Wolf very well written, but the werewolves were some of the most convincing that I've come across. It was easy to believe that if werewolves existed, this is exactly what would happen.
The hero, Major Drew Connell, is an uber-Alpha. He is not only a werewolf, but he's also a military officer and a doctor. In spite of this, he is very likable and not obnoxiously overprotective or domineering. The heroine, Dr. Melanie Harding, is a vet with some alpha tendencies of her own. She seemed very real to me, brave and intelligent, yet not perfect.
The Nocturnes are short in length and there wasn't much time to develop secondary characters. I wish there had been a bit more time spent on the villain, because when he was revealed I thought for a moment "Who?" I did think the big mystery of who had been shooting the dogs and people in the area with silver bullets, was interesting and full of action.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys werewolf tales and I'll rate it 7.5 out of 10.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
The Secret to Seduction by Julie Anne Long
The Secret to Seduction is not my favorite Julie Anne Long novel. I have really enjoyed her other books but this one let me down. I think it was mostly because I didn't care for the heroine, Sabrina Fairleigh.
Sabrina is the adopted daughter of a clergyman and she is planning to marry a curate, Geoffrey, and be a missionary in a foreign land. She and Geoffrey go to visit the Earl of Rawden to ask for his funding of their mission (Geoffrey has other motives as we find out later.) Rhys, the Earl, is captivated by Sabrina's innocence and apparently feels that he has to live up to his nickname of The Libertine.
This is what I had trouble believing in. I thought Sabrina was totally prudish and boring at this point in the book and did not believe she would attract Rhys at all. She does improve in the second half of the book but doesn't really come into her own until the end. The ending was interesting, but didn't make up for the rest. Rhys was a more interesting character, but did a couple of things that were very unheroic that I had a hard time forgiving him for.
Although this book was a disappointment and I'll rate it 6.0 out of 10, I will continue to read Julie Anne Long's books because the others I've read have been very good.
Sabrina is the adopted daughter of a clergyman and she is planning to marry a curate, Geoffrey, and be a missionary in a foreign land. She and Geoffrey go to visit the Earl of Rawden to ask for his funding of their mission (Geoffrey has other motives as we find out later.) Rhys, the Earl, is captivated by Sabrina's innocence and apparently feels that he has to live up to his nickname of The Libertine.
This is what I had trouble believing in. I thought Sabrina was totally prudish and boring at this point in the book and did not believe she would attract Rhys at all. She does improve in the second half of the book but doesn't really come into her own until the end. The ending was interesting, but didn't make up for the rest. Rhys was a more interesting character, but did a couple of things that were very unheroic that I had a hard time forgiving him for.
Although this book was a disappointment and I'll rate it 6.0 out of 10, I will continue to read Julie Anne Long's books because the others I've read have been very good.
Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
This is the first book I've read by Richelle Mead and I can't wait to read more. Like Larissa Ione's Demonica series, Mead's Succubus series focuses on the darker side of the paranormal.
Georgina Kincaid is a succubus who hates her job. It also has the unfortunate side effect of preventing her from having sex with any man she really likes because she'll suck the life from him quite literally. So if you're expecting a book with "succubus" in the title to have lots of steamy bedroom scenes, you'll be disappointed.
Georgina has a group of very entertaining friends, including vampires, an imp, an angel and humans. I hope we get to see more of them in later books, because each one was interesting and unusual. The characters are probably the strongest part of the book, although the plot and the worldbuilding are excellent as well.
There were a lot of surprises in the story, including the identity of the person who had been attacking the local demons. I didn't know who was going to end up being her love interest until the very end. I thought their relationship was handled very well although I'm not sure how or if they will live happily ever after--guess I have to read the next book!
I'll rate Succubus Blues 9 out of 10 and will be reading Succubus on Top, the second book in the series, as soon as possible. The third book, Succubus Dreams, and fourth book, Succubus Heat, are also available now.
Georgina Kincaid is a succubus who hates her job. It also has the unfortunate side effect of preventing her from having sex with any man she really likes because she'll suck the life from him quite literally. So if you're expecting a book with "succubus" in the title to have lots of steamy bedroom scenes, you'll be disappointed.
Georgina has a group of very entertaining friends, including vampires, an imp, an angel and humans. I hope we get to see more of them in later books, because each one was interesting and unusual. The characters are probably the strongest part of the book, although the plot and the worldbuilding are excellent as well.
There were a lot of surprises in the story, including the identity of the person who had been attacking the local demons. I didn't know who was going to end up being her love interest until the very end. I thought their relationship was handled very well although I'm not sure how or if they will live happily ever after--guess I have to read the next book!
I'll rate Succubus Blues 9 out of 10 and will be reading Succubus on Top, the second book in the series, as soon as possible. The third book, Succubus Dreams, and fourth book, Succubus Heat, are also available now.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Red Fire by Deidre Knight
Red Fire is the first in the Gods of Midnight series. A group of warriors from Sparta, led by King Leonidas, are made into immortal protectors of humanity by the god Ares. The premise of the novel reminded me of Gena Showalter's Lords of the Underworld series and of course the "immortal band of warriors battling evil" concept is common, and happens to be one of my favorites.
I love the concept, but the book fell short for me in execution. I had a hard time trying to figure out why. The book is well written, the pace is good with lots of action, the characters are interesting, the setting of Savannah is well done--what's not to like? I finally decided it was because I couldn't feel the emotions of the main characters.
Ajax Petrakos is the hero and he is suitably brave, strong and devoted to his predestined soul mate. But the author didn't make me care about him. The same is true of Shay Angel, his love. The story of her finding out her abilities to see and fight demons should have been fascinating, but I just didn't connect with her. This may well be my fault, not the author's. If you like paranormals with the immortal warriors theme, you may enjoy this book very much. I'm going to have to give it a 6.0 out of 10, though.
I love the concept, but the book fell short for me in execution. I had a hard time trying to figure out why. The book is well written, the pace is good with lots of action, the characters are interesting, the setting of Savannah is well done--what's not to like? I finally decided it was because I couldn't feel the emotions of the main characters.
Ajax Petrakos is the hero and he is suitably brave, strong and devoted to his predestined soul mate. But the author didn't make me care about him. The same is true of Shay Angel, his love. The story of her finding out her abilities to see and fight demons should have been fascinating, but I just didn't connect with her. This may well be my fault, not the author's. If you like paranormals with the immortal warriors theme, you may enjoy this book very much. I'm going to have to give it a 6.0 out of 10, though.
Friday, May 22, 2009
The Duke Next Door by Celeste Bradley
The Duke Next Door is the 2nd in Bradley's Heiress Brides trilogy. I haven't read the other two, but after reading this one I want to. The series features three granddaughters of a man who leaves his fortune to the first of them to marry a Duke.
Deirdre Cantor proposes to Calder Marbrook, who is in line to become a Duke, after her cousin jilts him. He is a widower who is known by the popular press as "The Beast of Brookhaven." He accepts the proposal, to his own surprise, and most of the book takes place after they are married which is an intriguing change.
They get off to a bad start when they arrive at his home after the wedding and she finds he has a daughter he hasn't told her about. She has an evil stepmother and is afraid of being a stepmother herself. I had a problem with Calder springing this on her and of her reacting like she did, but I adored the little girl, Meggie. She has a foul mouth and a love of trouble.
Deirdre has quite a job ahead of her because she has to make her husband fall in love with her, as she has been with him secretly for years, and develop a relationship with her stepdaughter who idolizes her mother. Unknown to Meggie, her mother died on the way to meet her lover, and Calder feels all women are untrustworthy because of his experience. Calder is absolutely horrible when it comes to communicating with Deirdre and he knows it but doesn't know how to fix it.
I enjoyed the interplay between Deirdre and Calder very much. I especially liked the way Deirdre never backed down. I did feel sorry for Calder because I think he was outmatched by both his wife and his daughter. The ending of the book is very exciting, with suspense, tears and a good dose of humor.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys English historicals and I'll rate it 8.0 out of 10.
Deirdre Cantor proposes to Calder Marbrook, who is in line to become a Duke, after her cousin jilts him. He is a widower who is known by the popular press as "The Beast of Brookhaven." He accepts the proposal, to his own surprise, and most of the book takes place after they are married which is an intriguing change.
They get off to a bad start when they arrive at his home after the wedding and she finds he has a daughter he hasn't told her about. She has an evil stepmother and is afraid of being a stepmother herself. I had a problem with Calder springing this on her and of her reacting like she did, but I adored the little girl, Meggie. She has a foul mouth and a love of trouble.
Deirdre has quite a job ahead of her because she has to make her husband fall in love with her, as she has been with him secretly for years, and develop a relationship with her stepdaughter who idolizes her mother. Unknown to Meggie, her mother died on the way to meet her lover, and Calder feels all women are untrustworthy because of his experience. Calder is absolutely horrible when it comes to communicating with Deirdre and he knows it but doesn't know how to fix it.
I enjoyed the interplay between Deirdre and Calder very much. I especially liked the way Deirdre never backed down. I did feel sorry for Calder because I think he was outmatched by both his wife and his daughter. The ending of the book is very exciting, with suspense, tears and a good dose of humor.
I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys English historicals and I'll rate it 8.0 out of 10.
The Vampire's Bride by Gena Showalter
The Vampire's Bride is the 4th in Showalter's Atlantis series. Atlantis is a world hidden in Earth's ocean and populated by creatures such as dragons (men who shift into dragons), vampires, nymphs, demons and others.
This book features the Vampire King's story. Layel lost his wife and unborn child when they were slaughtered by dragons and he has been out for revenge ever since. Delilah is an Amazon who longs to be loved. Layel was interesting to me because he struggled so much with his feelings for Delilah, fearing he was being unfaithful to his wife's memory. Delilah was less interesting, though I did appreciate that she was a strong warrior, smart and brave.
I liked the premise of the book, which is a sort of Atlantis Survivor arranged by the Gods. The loser gets killed rather than just leaving the island. I would have liked to have seen more of the challenges, and more original challenges. I did like the secondary characters, particularly the romance between Shivawn and Alyssa.
An interesting, if not outstanding, paranormal romance, I'll rate it 7.0 out of 10.
This book features the Vampire King's story. Layel lost his wife and unborn child when they were slaughtered by dragons and he has been out for revenge ever since. Delilah is an Amazon who longs to be loved. Layel was interesting to me because he struggled so much with his feelings for Delilah, fearing he was being unfaithful to his wife's memory. Delilah was less interesting, though I did appreciate that she was a strong warrior, smart and brave.
I liked the premise of the book, which is a sort of Atlantis Survivor arranged by the Gods. The loser gets killed rather than just leaving the island. I would have liked to have seen more of the challenges, and more original challenges. I did like the secondary characters, particularly the romance between Shivawn and Alyssa.
An interesting, if not outstanding, paranormal romance, I'll rate it 7.0 out of 10.
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