TBR Challenge 2012: Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong

Wooohooo, made it for this month's TBR challenge :) Every time, it's an exploit LOL. This month, I did not stick to the theme even though we had a choice between paranormal and romantic suspense, but I wasn't that far off, having chosen a mystery book :) However, what I am most proud of is that this book is the farthest I've gone back - not in term of publication date, but actual years spent in my TBR pile!! Oh I'm sure I have older books in my TBR pile, but their chances of being read are quite slim ^_^; But Exit Strategy... well I always meant to read it one day... and it seems like the day has come. Keep reading to find out what I thought of it :)




Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong
published by Bantam Books in June 2007

Regulars at Nadia’s nature lodge don’t ask what she does in the off-season. And that’s a good thing. If she told them, she’d have to kill them. She’s a hit woman for a Mafia family. Tough and self-sufficient, Nadia doesn’t owe anyone any explanations. But that doesn’t mean she always works alone. One of her contacts has recruited her in the hunt for a ruthlessly efficient serial killer cutting a swath of terror across the country. The assassin is far too skilled to be an amateur—and the precision of the killings is bringing the Feds much too close to the hit man community for comfort.

To put an end to the murders, Nadia will have to turn herself from predator to prey as she employs every trick she knows to find the killer. Before the killer finds her...

Genre: Mystery/Thriller
Series: Nadia Stafford, Book #1

The Story: Nadia Stafford comes from a family of cops and has always known she would join the force. She also learned at a young age that cops and evidence cannot always bring justice and that criminals do walk away. This led to the 'incident' after which Nadia was asked to retire from the force and became persona non grata among her family. Nadia escaped the scandal to a remote area and nowadays, owns a nature lodge and shows her regulars a good time through the firing range and extreme sports... and to keep her business in the black, she'll accept assignments as a hit women for the Tomassinis, a Mafia family.

Nadia is coming back home from such an assignment and finds her mentor, Jack, waiting for her. It turns out a serial killer dubbed The Helter Skelter killer because he leaves a page of the book with each of his victims has been making the news and rumors have it that he's in the business... which is bad publicity for the others. So a group of hit men and women have decided to hunt him down and Jack wants to know if Nadia wants in. The only other hit man that Nadia knows is Jack and keeping it that way would be the safest... but it seems the assassin has not totally taken her over and there's still some cop in her.

My Opinion: I bought Exit Strategy when it first came out to support one of my favorite authors, Kelley Armstrong, and it's been sitting in my TBR pile ever since. Yep, 5 long years. Why haven't I read it yet? I don't really know. My best guess would be some kind of mental block and the fact that it was a departure from Ms Armstrong's usual style. So why picking it up now? Well because I've been craving for Ms Armstrong's writing... Unfortunately for me, I seem to have developed a new mental block for Waking the Witch. Yeah, I know, very ironic ^_^; Since I can't read Spellbound and 13 without Waking the Witch, I decided to give Exit Strategy another try. It also motivated me to know that Ms Armstrong has gone back to this series, now that the Women of the Otherworld series is on hiatus.

All in all, I'm happy to have read Exit Strategy :) It's not my favorite book by Ms Armstrong, but it's still a solid read and something very different. Having a hit woman as your main character is something tricky and I feel Ms Armstrong has definitively pulled it off, especially since she has kept it very realistic as opposed to the Elemental Assassin series by Ms Estep which takes place in an urban fantasy world. At the same time, while it was realistic, it wasn't overly dark or gory... and the biggest feat here was that the characters felt normal, regular despite their unusual occupation. So kudos to Ms Armstrong.

Overall, I liked the characters in Exit Strategy. I think Ms Armstrong did a good job with each of them, but more importantly, she did a great job at balance. She avoided exaggeration and stereotypes, she didn't make "being an assassin" sound cool and I think that was important. In the case of Nadia, her becoming a hit woman was all about circumstances. It's not a path she chose, instead it's a crucial event in her life combined with some decisions she made that led her here. She didn't make excuses or justified herself and she didn't pat herself on the shoulder either, thinking this was the best decision. I felt there was an honesty in Nadia that  is rare, an objectivity that you hardly ever come across... I liked the fact that for her, being a vigilante isn't better than being a regular hit man or more excusable. I also liked Jack... the first word that comes to mind is indescribable and I think it fits him :) I like that he let Nadia take her own decisions, that he didn't push her in the direction that he wanted or manipulated her. The other characters were also quite interesting and it showed me that hit men come in every shape :)

What I liked best though in Exit Strategy was the mystery: the serial killer's motivations and the rush of adrenaline he felt as well as the idea of assassins binding together to get rid of one of their own who has crossed a line. I really liked the idea that it's a network and that people in this line of business would know one another, their personalities, their work... Also, in this case, there was a lot of investigative work involved... and a lot of theories. Why was this killer killing? And why these people? In the end, I enjoyed the story as I thought it was intriguing and I liked the world it showed. By the way, one of the best scene was when Evelyn, an old lady and Jack's mentor, met with the FBI agent in charge of this investigation:

"[...] We want one thing: this guy's name removed from our ranks. Once he's yours, he was never one of ours."
p.444

It just sounds so bad-ass LOL.

I did have some issues with the book though. Mostly, it all boils down to the pacing which I thought was slow. Exit Strategy was somewhat a slow read and as much as I liked the elements above, I have to admit I simply wasn't hooked. I think it has to do with the story itself being slow at times, because it was weighted down by Nadia's long monologues since the book is written from her POV. Also, there wasn't as much action as I expected which is probably more realistic, but it also means less suspense and excitement in my opinion. Furthermore, I was a bit disappointed at how some events unfolded and a bit dubious at some relationships forming :(

My Grade: C+. Exit Strategy was a solid book with an original premise. I was going to give it a B-, but the truth is, after finishing it, I didn't jump on its sequel Made to be Broken and I think that has to be taken in consideration - hence the grade.

Monthly Reads: August 2012

Sorry for the lack of post this week!! I had plans for the blog this week, but the long week-end kind of derailed everything. Also, it seems I'm not completely out of the slump... Oh I do read, but I feel like putting down most books I pick up which is totally not me ^_^; Only way to beat the slump is to read right? :) Also, it seems I'm not the only one having a bit of blogging blues. Where is everyone?! I hope that you're all doing well and reading a storm LOL.

Anyway, I've decided to give my blogging muse a little break this week... and I'm thinking I'll put her to work this week-end LOL. With curling starting next week, I think I'll have to devise a plan so I have posts prepared :P Hopefully, this week-end will be inspiring :) So while my blogging muse is on break, I thought I could list my reads in August. Simple right? Here we go!


1) That Thing Called Love by Susan Andersen: C


2) Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews: B-
Upcoming buddy review to come


3) Haven by Kay Hooper: B-


4) The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires by Molly Harper: C


5) A Witch Before Dying by Heather Blake: B-


6) Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis: B


7) Almost a Scandal by Elizabeth Essex: B+

8) Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City by Meljean Brook: C-

Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City is a short novella, a kind of epilogue to The Iron Duke, in which readers get to see how Mina and Rhys are adapting to their new life after the HEA ending. A big part of the book is about Rhys and Mina's internal struggles: Rhys and his fear for Mina due to her profession and the risks it entails and Mina trying not to overload their adoptive daughter's, Anne the Tinker, life with her maternal instincts. In addition, there's also an investigation about the death of an aristocratic bounder who has been drumming support for his labor initiative to reward factories that didn't install fully automate machinery, putting manual workers out of a job.

Honestly, Mina Wentworth and the Invisible City was an okay novella. I picked it up because I was curious to read about Mina and Rhys' HEA ending... Unfortunately, I forgot that I didn't care much about Mina and Rhys' characters and thus found the whole internal struggles, Rhys' fear for Mina's life and their adaptation to married life, boring ^_^; I simply wasn't hooked. The mystery was not bad, but it wasn't great either. It would have been more interesting and intriguing if Ms Brook had more pages to work with, if it wasn't so closely connected to Mina's life and if the ending hadn't been so anti-climatic. Like everyone else, I did enjoy Scarsdale's appearance and I'm wondering if he'll have his own book one day...


9) Paradise by Jill S. Alexander: B-
Upcoming Review.

10) Dirty by Megan Hart: B

I'm not going to attempt to summarize Dirty because I don't think I could make it justice. If you want to know what happens, you can always check out Goodreads or read Hilcia or Rosie's reviews.

I've heard a lot of good about Dirty, especially since it was Ms Hart's debut novel IIRC, and almost singularly launched her at the top of the list of best erotica authors in romance blogland. Of course, her subsequent books kept her there :) Nowadays, whenever I hear the name of Megan Hart, I always associate the name with refreshing and deep erotica romance books. I'm not a big reader of erotica romance, but I'll pick up a book once in a while... and after reading Hilcia's review, I was intrigued and therefore decided to revisit the past and give Dirty a go. And now, I understand why Ms Hart became so popular so quickly :)

Dirty was a very solid and good book, one that I stayed up late to finish and let me tell you, those books are rare these days. What makes Dirty stands out so much in my opinion is that nobody expects such a deep story when picking up an erotica romance book. It comes as a total surprise, so at the end, you can't help but be a little wowed. Also, I thought the story, everything that Ella has gone through, felt very real. I really admired Ella and was so happy that despite everything, she built herself a good life. She didn't let the past control her totally. I loved Dan, the hero. I thought he was a great guy and his patience was exactly what Ella needed to heal. The secondary characters were well written and all served a purpose in the story. I liked Ella's younger brother, hated her mother and was happy that Ella was opening up her shell and making friends. I have to say though, having read the reviews and knowing this book was more than it appeared, it was easy to pick up Ms Hart's clues throughout the book and know the reason why Ella was broken. And I guess that lessened the wow factor for me, hence the grade. Still, at the end of the day, Dirty was an excellent book... and it was actually a lot steamier than I expected in comparison to Broken, one of the other books by Ms Hart that I've read :)


11) The Line Between Here and Gone by Andrea Kane: C+


12) Wild Texas Rose by Jodi Thomas: C+


13) All Seeing Eye by Rob Thurman: B+


14) The Best Laid Plans by Sarah Mayberry: B-


15) Fool for Love by Beth Ciotta: C-

***

Balance 
Books bought: +9
Books read: -15
TBR pile: -6

Genres
Category Romance - 1
Contemporary Romance - 3
Historical Romance - 2
  --> (Regence - 1/Western - 1)
Urban Fantasy - 1
Steampunk Romance - 1
Paranormal Romance - 1
Mystery/Thriller - 3
Cosy Mystery - 1
YA - 1
Erotica Romance - 1

***

Well, well, well. I think August turned out to be a great month after July. Reading double-digits of books always signifies a good month for me :) All the other numbers also look good to me LOL. And I think this was my most diversified month to date when it comes to what I've read. All in all, can't complain... except to say I wished September had been as good!

Quality-wise, well no wowzers - although a few were on the verge of being so - but no real bummers either. Maybe I'm a tough grader, but at the same time, I know what I like... and well, it seems to me that a lot of books have the same problems when it comes to the romance... so perhaps it's not really me :P

What do you think of my month?

Monthly Reads: April 2012

Over the week-end, I was thinking the blogland was in a lull once again. Today, I came back home from work and there were 27 posts waiting in my Google Reader... In a couple of hours, that's not bad. It seems everyone has decided to post today :) And I won't be left behind!

So here is what I read in April:


1) About that Night by Julie James: B

2) Just Down the Road by Jodi Thomas: B+

3) Discount Armageddon by Seanan McGuire: C+

4) Eon: Dragoneye Reborn by Alison Goodman: D

5) I Want Candy by Susan Donovan: C+

6) Flirting with Intent by Kelly Hunter: B-

7) We'll Always Have Paris by Jessica Hart: C+

8) I'd Tell You I Love You, But I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter: B-

9) Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter: C

It's the start of a new semester at Gallagher Academy and the girls are in for a surprise. The first mission in their Covert Operations class takes place in at the Jeffersonian museum in Washington D.C. and it is to make it to a certain display at a given time, without being tailed. Unfortunately for Cammie, she trusted the wrong person and failed miserably. However, she does confirm the existence of the male counterpart of Gallagher Academy: Blackthorne. And for the first time in history, the two academies are going to work together... which explains the presence of Zach - the boy whom she trusted in Washinton, at the academy. The more she interacts with Zach, the more Cammie feels something fishy is going on... and with her friends, she decides to put into practice the skills they learned to find out what.

I picked this right up after reading I'd Tell You I Love You, But I'd Have to Kill You. Why not right? Since the story and world would still be fresh in my mind :) While Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy was still a fun book, I thought it wasn't as good as I'd Tell You I Love You, But I'd Have to Kill You. One reason is I thought there was a bit too much moping from Cammie since her relationship with Josh came to an end. Then, there was the new love interest introduced: Zach. In this case, because she's not over Josh, it felt very much like a love triangle which I really dislike ^_^; Also, Cammie is a character who needs to have the upper hand and knowing that Zach knows something she doesn't, she doesn't feel secure. As a result, she questions Zach's action and motives a lot. Obviously, it doesn't help that Zach is indeed keeping some stuff away from her ^_^; And what really hurt Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy in my opinion was the fact that it didn't really have an overall plot. Li said on Goodreads that it lacked substance and I agree with her. Ms Carter got away in  I'd Tell You I Love You, But I'd Have to Kill You because she was setting up the series, so there was a lot of world building... but it wasn't the case in Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy and it impacted the enjoyment a lot.

Still, as I said, the book was fun. I did like the friendship between the girls and the test at the end was entertaining. I still wonder if the Code Black breach was part of the test or not... Also, I liked that there are people able to get the upper hands on Cammie and her friends when it comes to spying or uncover their spying :P It makes it realistic and more balanced. In any case, I was still interested enough to read the next book :)

10) Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter: C+

It's summer and Cammie is visiting one of her roommate, Macey McHenry, in Boston. Actually, Macey is on the presidential campaign as her father, Senator McHenry, has accepted the nomination for vice-president and she wanted company. During the visit, Cammie and Macey thwarted a kidnapping attempt... and for the first time, Cammie is confront with the reality that despite all her training, there are things that she cannot do. When school starts again, Macey is back to Gallagher Academy, but this time, with a bodyguard from Secret Service... who turns out to be Cammie's aunt Abby. However, Macey is still expected to participate to the campaign and that means doing brief appearances at several events. Cammie has seen how Macey's father's political aspirations is stifling her life. However, what concerns Cammie most is the kidnapping attempt and she worries Macey is still in danger. Therefore, Cammie and her friends decide to take matters into their hands.

I was really looking forward to Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover, because based on the blurb, I thought the setting was going to be different than the two previous books, not taking place at school. I was wrong, but Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover still turned out to be an enjoyable read.

I thought the first part of Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover was very good and solid. I liked the electoral campaign, it was a good backdrop for the story and it fits the concept of this series: being secretive, acting discreetly and not getting noticed :P Also, the influx of new blood - Cammie's aunt and geeky boy Preston who is Macey's counterpart - is a good move on Ms Carter's part too. I also think the plot in Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover was the most interesting thus far in the series and that we're finally getting somewhere with the overall storyline of the series. The best part though, what makes the book for me, is the deepening friendship between Cammie and Macey :) It's nice to see the evolution of their friendship and some development of the secondary characters. Hopefully, Liz and Bex get the same treatment :)

The reason Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover is not getting a higher grade though is that while they are improvement on several fronts, others are getting old and predictable. For example, the whole snooping around is getting old and how Cammie can so easily sneak out of the academy. I know that's the basis of the series given that Cammie and her friends are spies in training, but it feels very repetitive. Also, the whole Zach thing is getting old as well. Cammie's wishy-washy attitude towards him: is he a good or bad guy, is he interesting in her or not and the fact that he knows more than her and she kind of resents him for that ^_^; Also, what bothers me is that I find it arrogant that Cammie and her friends thought they could protect their friend better than the pros. It stems from a good heart, but you really think you can do better when you don't have all the facts? I feel their just stumbling around like an elephant in a china store and perhaps making things worst instead of aiding.

While I enjoyed Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover more than the previous installment, I found that I needed a break from the series... and have yet to pick up the next book.


11) Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins: C+

12) Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg: A-

13) The Witness by Nora Roberts: A-

14) The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan: B

15) Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski: B-

16) Hunting Kat by Kelley Armstrong: B-
Upcoming review to come.


17) The Calling by Kelley Armstrong: B-
Upcoming review to come.

18) Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters by Natalie Standiford: C-

The Sullivans family is a well-off family, but their wealth relies on the matriarch, Arden Louisa Norris Sullivan Weems Maguire Hightower Beckendorf, and unfortunately, someone has displeased her. As a consequence, she demands a written apology by New Year or else, she's disinheriting the whole family. The problem is the family has no idea who have displeased Almighty Lou, but they guess it's one of the girls. So each writes their own letter, confessing their sins. First you have Norrie who fell in love with a guy 8 years her senior and ran out to him on the night of the Bachelors Cotillon which is basically her introduction to society. Then there's Jane who got into a feud with her best friend and has taken to blogging - revealing all the family dark secrets... and finally Sassy who believes she has accidentally murdered her step-grandfather.

I got this book through a contest over at RT and was really looking forward to it for some reasons... but once I got it, it languished in my TBR pile. Having read it now, well I wouldn't have minded if it languished in the TBR pile a bit more ^_^; I think the problem is I was expecting something a bit more fun based on the cover and Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters wasn't. Basically, the book is divided into 3 parts, each narrated by one sister retelling what happened. Overall, I thought the writing was good, but the problem was the story. First, the book was too short to contain 3 POVs and as a result, Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters lacked some depth in my opinion. It would have been a lot better if Ms Standiford had focused on one story. My favorite was Norrie's, probably because it was the most mature and romantic. I thought Jane's story was passable, but Sassy's was pointless. Seriously, I could have done without.

While Norrie's story was my favorite, I do question the relationship between a 17 years old woman and a 25 years old man. I'm not saying that it's bad or anything... I just wonder if a 25 years old guy would really be interested in such a young woman for an invested relationship. I think this might have worked better for me if the man was a tad younger.

Book-wise, Confessions of the Sullivan Sisters was definitively not the best YA I've read. Far from it. Based on the story, I think I would have given it a D. However, it got upgraded to C- because I did like Norrie's story and I really enjoyed the family dynamics, especially the siblings complicity :)

***

Balance
Books bought: + 10
Books read: -18
TBR pile: -8

Genre
Category Romance – 2
Contemporary Romance – 4
Fiction – 1
Romantic Suspense – 1
Urban Fantasy – 1
YA – 9

***

Sigh, time goes by so fast! It's almost the end of May and I forgot how awesome a month April has been! I'm really happy with my numbers :) 18 books is a great number and I reviewed almost all of it! Unbelievable. Seriously, that would have been impossible last year. As months pass, I'm really tickled with my Week-End's Minis feature :)

Reading-wise, I think the month was very balanced :) I had some really great reads - hey 2 As in there!  Those are rare for me LOL. There were also some duds, but they happen and didn't really dominate the month for me, so that's a good thing :) Really, thinking back, I have to say April was a really good month. I was looking forward to many new releases and they all delivered! :)

I also really like the negative number in the TBR :) Another thing I'm doing great at this year. I realized today that I have not been running after new releases as much as previous years either. It feels unnatural at times and good at others LOL.

Also, I think the surprise is the number of YA I've read last month... I feel I've been burning out on a lot of genres lately and therefore, fell back on YA. Even though it's really the same genres that I read usually - contemporary and urban fantasy - the fact that it's a younger set of characters does make a difference LOL.

All in all, April turned out to be a really good month :) What do you think?

Monthly Reads: March 2011

Yay! I'm done with my Monthly Reads post and we're just a few days into April :P Go me! LOL, I think it helped I only read 12 books this month. It really felt like a so-so month for me, I didn't have any momentum/rhythm at all. I think I was half-way through the month and had only read 5 books... so it seems that I managed to "save" the month, but still. It was just so busy, first with the presentation and then, the BPPV. Sigh. Lots of good books are coming out in the next few weeks, so I hope that helps my reading mojo :)

Review-wise, I'm still not completely satisfied with the numbers of reviews; however, I am getting my groove back :) I've managed to review most of the books I read in February that I planned to review, so I'm pretty happy. Now, onto books for March!! I think that by the end of this month, there won't be such a delay between the reads and the reviews :P

Now, what did I read this month? Let's find out!


1)Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins: D+

published by Hyperion in March 2010

The heroine of Hex Hall is Sophie Mercer, a 15 years old witch who inherited her powers from her absentee father - her mother left him when she discovered he was a warlock. After yet another incident that reveals her powers to humans, Sophie is sent to Hecate Hall - a school for supernatural "delinquents" which Sophie will attend till her 18th birthday. Being the new kid at school is hard enough, but this is also the first time that Sophie spends time with her peers - shifters, fairies, witches... and the deck is stacked against her. First, Sophie's roommate is the school's sole vampire who's been suspected of killing another student, then she keeps getting pestered by the other three witches to join their coven... and oh, she discovers that her father is head of the Council and he's the one responsible for exiling all students and teachers to the school. Yeah, let say that doesn't make her the most popular kid...

I really had high expectations for Hex Hall based on the blurb and the good reviews. Unfortunately for me, the  book didn't measure up to them. My main issue with Hex Hall is that as a heroine, I don't feel like Sophie had anything that made her stand out or that she was very likable. Oh, she wasn't disagreeable or anything, just not someone I warmed up to. There were also some facts regarding her situations that really bothered me such as Sophie never having met her father or knowing that he was the head of the Council. It wasn't her fault, it was her mom's, but I think it was really stupid on her part. Yes, she did her best to help Sophie by studying anything paranormal, but there's nothing better than experience and exposure and I think that Sophie would have been so much prepared if she's been able to meet her father.

Otherwise, the world building wasn't that engrossing and the kids at Hex Hall - ugh, just spoiled and stupid!! It really bothered me when they whined that they didn't deserve to be at Hex Hall - all she did was fly to catch the bus! It's hard to like characters that are so immature and don't take responsibility for their action. The only character that was okay was Jenna, Sophie's roommate, and Cal, the ground keeper and healer.

Finally, I don't think there was much to the book story-wise. The first half was Sophie learning about herself and the other beings, adapting to school and her little run-ins with the three other witches. Then there was her crush on Archer, which really didn't do much for me. Probably the only redemption in the end was the mystery which led to quite a big revelation about Sophie... All in all, Hex Hall really didn't impress me and I won't be picking up the sequel.


2) Blackout by Rob Thurman: A-
Upcoming Buddy Review with Leslie.


3) River Marked by Patricia Briggs: B+
Upcoming Review.


4) Five Flavors of Dumb by Antony John: B/B+
Upcoming Buddy Review with Li.


5) Beau Crusoe by Carla Kelly: C
Upcoming Buddy Review with Ames.

6) Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer: C
published by Penguin Young Reader in March 2008

Vladimir Todd is a vampire, born from a vampire father and human mother. Three years ago, his parents died mysteriously in a fire and now, Vlad is living with his mother's best friend, Nelly, who is a nurse and brings him back blood from the blood bank. At 13 years old, Vlad has to deal with being a teenager at school, but also with his awakening powers. Things get complicated when one of Vlad's favorite teacher disappears and is replaced by someone that seems to know way too much about supernatural beings... and when another vampire shows up in town looking specifically for Vlad.

I've been quite curious about The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series because the books have been prominently displayed in my bookstores in the past year, but I've never really come across it on blogland. So when the YA books were on sale, I decided to give it a chance. I also liked the idea of a male being the protagonist. Overall, I thought that Eighth Grade Bites was pretty okay. Hmmm, it introduces Vladimir, a young vampire that is still getting over his parents' deaths, whose powers seem to be getting stronger and who has to deal with everyday's life as a teenager. Vlad was a nice protagonist and I didn't mind reading from his POV. I really enjoyed his relationship with Nelly and his best friend, Henry. I think that really made the book for me, because it felt so real. I mean, despite being a vampire, Vlad was also an everyday boy who enjoyed hanging out with his best friend and eating junk food :)  I also liked Mr Otis, Vlad's new teacher.

Unfortunately, the book wasn't perfect. First, I thought it was a big too short, probably because of the young audience Eighth Grade Bites aims for. It made for a really awkward pacing in my opinion, because 3/4 of the book was used to set up Vladimir's world and life, the ground work for the rest of the series... and then, in the last 1/4 of the book, Ms Brewer dealt with the book's storyline, the action and mystery. Blink and you're going to miss it ^_^; So that aspect was weak... and I also thought Ms Brewer was trying too hard at misleading the readers, trying to infuse mystery into the book. It felt a bit forced or perhaps again, it's because the book is aimed at younger readers.

So not a bad book, but not one that made me rush to devour the next installment.


7) Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles: B
Upcoming Review.


8) Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath: B
Upcoming Review.

9) Almost Home by Mariah Stewart: C
published by Bantam Books in March 2011

Steffie Wyler has known at an early age what she wanted in life: 1) make ice cream, 2) Wade MacGregor and 3) live happy ever after. She's achieved her first goal, being the proud and successful owner of One Scoop or Two and is working on the other two. Few months ago, she almost went to bed with Wade, but he had to leave abruptly. Now, he's back in town, stopping on his way to his new job, with a baby in tow and Steffie doesn't know what to think. It seems like she should be moving on; only problem is that Wade has always been the one.

Few months ago, Wade had it all - he was in business with his best friend, Robin Kennedy, brewing beer - a work that he enjoyed immensely. Then, Robin's boyfriend embezzled the business, Robin died from cancer and left him with her precious little boy. Instead of selling KenneMac to someone else, Wade preferred to close down shop and found a job in another brewery. Before heading for the new job, Wade decided to stop in St. Dennis to spend time with his family and introducing his son. As usual, sparks between him and Steffie fly, but Wade knows that Steffie's life belongs in St. Dennis...

Sorry for the synopsis, not the best... but at the same time, I'm not sure how else I could describe this book. I actually thought Almost Home was a romantic suspense, given that's what the previous books I read by Ms Stewart were... but instead, it was more contemporary/small town romance, so it took me a little by surprise.

Almost Home was quite a quick read, mostly because not much is happening. Actually, a lot of little things are happening, but in the grand scheme, in the general sense of a storyline - yep, not much is happening. The book pretty much focuses on Steffie and Wade's romance and what made Wade closed down his business. I feel like there was a lot of superfluous aspects in this book such as the Ouija thing and the witch magic to fill up the pages ^_^; I think Almost Home would have been more interesting if the romance has been more intense. It just took a while for Steffie and Wade to decide what they wanted and to go after each other. I mean, in the beginning, Steffie was angry at Wade because he shows up with the baby and that means he might have been married or with someone else when he and her almost got together... and that's really understandable. Then, you had Wade that thought he should avoid having a relationship with Steffie, but just couldn't keep away from her. When she finally comes around, well it's his turn to brush her off, because her life belongs in St. Dennis and so it's best not to start anything... and yada, yada, yada. The worst is that in the end, everything - everything - was resolved so easily, even the "intrigue" aspect of the book... so it really felt like a lot of elements were just unnecessary, there just to make this book longer, sigh.

It's quite unfortunate, because Steffie and Wade were likable characters. They're nice, they're loyal, they're decent and every day persons who have to make a living. They have great families and friends surrounding them and healthy relationships with others. I also liked that Steffie and Wade valued each other, that Wade told Steffie the truth about his son. I liked when Steffie told Wade that she was big enough to decide on her own and it wasn't his choice to make. I think they were quite compatible and mature... However, their romance was missing some excitement, some flirting, some witty banter. It's the way they interact with each other, as if they didn't have chemistry :( Instead of focusing on the relationship and interactions between the H/H, it feels like Ms Stewart was trying too hard to infuse drama and conflicts and it just felt forced.

Almost Home was not a bad book, but it did miss the mark for me where the romance is concerned :( I did enjoy some aspect of it, but I doubt I'm going to re-read it and I don't think I'll be picking up the first two books ^_^;


10) Texas Splendor by Lorraine Heath: B
Upcoming Review.

11) Juggling Briefcase & Baby by Jessica Hart: C+
published by Harlequin in October 2010

Lex Gibson is a very driven man, having spent most of his life trying to please his father. Now as CEO of the family business, Lex is about to close a deal with a Scottish grocery chain - something his father has tried all his life and never succeeded. To say this deal is crucial is an understatement and Lex will let nothing ruin this deal - surely not the re-appearance of Romy and her baby girl... baby?!?

Lex and Romy have known each other since they were kids, their mothers being each other's godmother. When Romy was 18 years old, she spent a passionate week in Paris with Lex who proposed to her. However, being too young and afraid of commitment, Romy refused and has spent the last few years in tropical locations for various jobs. Now a single mother, Romy has returned to London for stability and has a part-time job in Lex company to build up her CV. Lex has been scrupulously avoiding her, but when an emergency comes up and Romy is the only one who can accompany Lex and secure the deal, he has no choice to spend time with her...

I bought this book because Wendy, our Super Librarian, really enjoyed it :) Howmever, I'm starting to think that my reading tastes quite differ from hers, which is actually not such a big surprise LOL. In all Ms Hart's books, I've really enjoyed the British settings and the writing. I think it's the romance and the characters that just don't do it for me ^_^;

In Juggling Baby & Briefcase, I really didn't mind the secret baby plot, because it was executed quite differently. Basically, Romy had a brief affair, wounded up pregnant and returned to London. She never told the father, because he got back with his ex-girlfriend, now fiancée; however, as Freya is growing, Romy figures her daughter should get to know her father. So basically, the secret baby plot had nothing to do with Lex and that's what I found interesting. I also applauded Ms Hart for taking this direction with the storyline, as it is pretty unusual in my opinion. Instead, the part I found cliché is Lex and Romy having to fake a relationship in order to close the deal... although it did force Lex to spend time with Romy.

I thought Lex was quite an interesting character. I would like to say that I liked him, but it's not really possible, because he was not very likable ^_^; He was too hard-edged and uncompromising in my opinion. I did like the way that Ms Hart developed him, I understood what shaped him and what pushed him to be the man he is. It's quite unfair that he had to spend his whole life trying to prove himself to his father, gain acceptance, while it was so easy for his brother... Being first-born is really a hard job in certain circumstances and really unfair :( Likewise, I think that Ms Hart also did a good job developing Romy's character. Unfortunately, I found her harder to like, which is quite a surprise because I usually love free-spirit characters and from the blurb, that's what Romy seemed to be. My biggest issue was Romy wanting Lex to do the first step - acknowledged her in the company or at Lex' brother's wedding - for them to re-connect, when she's the one who turned him down. She wanted to know that he still cared, that she still meant something to him... and I thought it was quite selfish of her. It was also selfish of her not to want Freya to develop any attachment to father figures. I mean, yes, Romy was hurt when her father left her mother for another woman... and I understand that Romy was trying to protect Freya... and I shouldn't say anything because I've never been in that position, but really...

I enjoyed Lex scenes with Freya and actually wished for more. I think Ms Hart did a great job at portraying the child and how babies behave. As for Lex and Romy, I actually want a little more development. It just felt flat for me, these two who supposedly never got over each other. They just didn't seem to be able to trust each other and I think that's sad in a relationship :(

Overall, I liked the book, but was far from loving it. I guess because there was a baby, I was expecting something a bit cuter. Instead, Juggling Baby & Briefcase was more a fast and brisk read.


12) Sugar Creek by Toni Blake: C
Upcoming Review.


Books bought: +23
Books read: -12
TBR pile: +9

12 books read, not too bad :) There were a few books that stood out, but overall, it was not really an exceptional month. What I'm most proud of is how eclectic the month was, I think I really mixed it up well, and two books came from my TBR pile!! Can you imagine? LOL. However, a lot of new books made it to the TBR pile ^_^; Ah well, can't win it all, right? :)

So far, April has had a good start and I hope it continues on that trend! :)

TBR Day: Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin

Woohoo, first TBR Challenge of the year!! And guess what? I made it :D Barely, but still :) I had difficulty choosing what book to read - not just for the challenge, but in general... Finally, I settled for Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin.


Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin
published by Ace Books (Berkley) in May 2009

A girl with attitude. An all-powerful amulet. This could only mean trouble.

My name is Raine Benares. I'm a seeker. The people who hire me are usually happy when I find things. But some things are better left unfound...
Raine is a sorceress of moderate powers, from an extended family of smugglers and thieves. With a mix of street smarts and magic spells, she can usually take care of herself. But when her friend Quentin, a not-quite-reformed thief, steals an amulet from the home of a powerful necromancer, Raine finds herself wrapped up in more trouble than she cares for. She likes attention as much as the next girl, but having an army of militant goblins hunting her down is not her idea of a good time. The amulet they're after holds limitless power, derived from an ancient, soul-stealing stone. And when Raine takes possession of the item, it takes possession of her.

Now her moderate powers are increasing beyond anything she could imagine—but is the resumé enhancement worth her soul?

Genre: Fantasy
Series: Raine Benares, book #1

The Story: The heroine of Magic Lost, Trouble Found is Raine Benares, an orphaned, elven sorceress with limited power and was raised by her extended family of smugglers. Wanting to help out a friend, Raine finds herself in possession of an amulet and suddenly becomes a very popular girl... but why? Suddenly, Raine finds herself on the run from the goblins' new king, his adviser - a horrible goblin shaman, the exiled goblin prince and the Guardians of the Conclave. Giving them the amulet wouldn't be a bad idea, if only she could take it off without suffocating. Things get even more complicated when her friends are kidnapped, her powers suddenly increase and the amulet is somehow connected to her father, one that she never knew. Who can she trust?

My Opinion: I believe I first found out about these books from Li and bought the first two books last year or the year before. It sounded interesting and it is.

What I found most interesting in this book were the characters. As a heroine, Raine is okay. She's a little bit a female version of Harry Dresden. She's confident, but her confidence doesn't stem from arrogance, but experience. She's not too tough and she goes with the flow a lot :) She's also surrounded by a very good cast of characters. There's her godfather - a retired, powerful mage, Piaras - her godfather's apprentice and powerful spellsinger, Phaelan - her smuggler cousin, Mychael Eiliesor - a powerful spellsinger and also the Captain of the Conclave Guardians and Tamnais Nathrach - a prominant goblin. So yes, an interesting cast of characters, all with different personalities and purposes. So far, I like Piaras the best... He's sort of a younger brother with so much potential. The love triangle is also set up between Raine, Tamnais and Mychael... It's not too prominent in Magic Lost, Trouble Found, but I bet that's going to change in the future books. I admit, I'm not too thrilled at the love triangle (not a fan), but I've decided to root for Mychael :D

The story was okay. It actually started off really well and had a lot of potential. It was intriguing and interesting, but then, became a bit too complex and it started to drag a little at 3/4 of the book. It just didn't sustain my attention and I found myself skimming a few pages here and there. Part of it, in my opinion, was due to the world building. The world building in Magic Lost, Trouble Found is definitively different. It comprises different kind of magic, goblins, elves and humans. There's politic, king and prince and a fragile peace. Again, I think it's interesting... but it wasn't detailed enough. It is not explained or described and as a result, a bit hard to imagine and process everything.

Another thing that made the reading of this book a bit difficult was the voice. I believe the writing is good, but it's simply not fluid enough. I think Ms Shearin has difficulty describing "magical action"... so I stumbled here and there.

My Grade: C+. Interesting characters, story with potential, world building to explore. Not the best fantasy out there, but still enjoyable. I'm going to give book #2, Armed and Magic, very soon :D

Review: Moonshine by Rob Thurman

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a nice week-end. The weather is being very nice lately, but the temperatures have definitively cooled down :(

I'm sick :( Stuffy nose and sore throat and perhaps a little bit of fever. The good news is that I don't have a cough, so it should not be the swine flu ^_^; I'm totally blaming my supervisor for this: stress and lack of sleep has weakened me. I loaded up on orange juice yesterday and I've been drinking a lot of water... Hopefully with a good night of sleep, I should feel better tomorrow.

Depressing no?

Onto better news though, here is my review of Moonshine by Rob Thurman. It is over at Breezing Through and my buddy this time is the lovely Hilcia :) You can find the review here. One more book and I'll have reviewed all the books read in a month! Wow, a first for me LOL :)

Enjoy!


Moonshine by Rob Thurman
published by ROC Fantasy in March 2007

I was born a monster. Although truthfully, I was only half monster. My mother was human; my father was something... else. Half monster or whole, in the end it didn’t matter. I had my weaknesses, same as anyone else.

And I was facing one of them now.

After saving the world from his fiendish father’s side of the family, Cal Leandros and his stalwart half brother, Niko, have settled down with a new apartment and a new gig – bodyguard and detective work. And in New York City, where preternatural beings talk the streets just like normal folk, business is good.

Their latest case has them going undercover for the Kin, the werewolf Mafia. A low-level Kin boss thinks a rival is setting him for a fall, and wants proof. The place to start is the back room of Moonshine, a gambling club for nonhumans. Cal thinks it’s a simple in-and-out job. But Cal is very, very wrong.

Cal and Niko are being set up themselves - and the people behind it have bites much worse than their barks...

TBR Day: Moon Called and Blood Bound

I see a pattern in my reading when it comes to series. Either I jump on the wagon from the start and then spread my love (or sometimes dislike) or I play catch up and run after the wagon. With the Mercy Thompson series, it's the latter that happened. When Moon Called came out, it got good reviews so I bought the book... and it sat in my TBR pile. Then, Blood Bound came out and I bought it too.. and guess what? Yep, it joined Moon Called in my TBR pile and I have no idea why... because I've only seen positive comments for this series. Still, it took my good buddy Ames to convince me to read them :) and so, I'm glad to be able to review them for this month's TBR Day.


Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
published by Ace in January 2006

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they’ll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I’m not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson’s sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She’s tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself…and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, book #1

The Story: Mercedes Thompson is a not a werewolf... She's a skinwalker and can change into a coyote. However, having been raised in a pack of werewolves, she has a pretty good understanding of them. A Volkswagen mechanic, she lives in Tri-Cities where non-humans seem to have gathered: her neighbor, Adam, is a werewolf and probably the second most powerful alpha, her mentor, Zee, is a fae and her good friend Stefan, vampire.

Then one day, a new werewolf walks in her garage shop asking for a job. Next thing Mercy knows, he's being attacked and Mercy discovers he was changed against his will. Bringing the young werewolf to Adam, Mercy hopes all problems will be resolved... Of course, that is until Adam's home is attacked leaving him severely injured and his daughter is kidnapped.

My Opinion: All right, so what took me so long to read this book?!? I really enjoyed Moon Called. I like Mercy: she's a strong woman and very independent. Having grown up with werewolves, she knows how to deal with men and people who dislike her. I also think she has an interesting background, since she has a human family and I wish to see her interacting with them in the future.

However, what I like best is the world that Ms Briggs has created as well as the werewolf culture. Moon Called is taking place in a time of transition... Paranormal creatures have started to show themselves to humans, starting with the lesser fae. Werewolves are debating whether or not they should reveal themselves. I think it adds an edge to the storyline. As for the werewolves, as I said, I like what Ms Briggs has done with them. None of the werewolves are born werewolves... they all have to go through the change, survive it and adapt to their new lifestyle. Some do it better than others. There's also the fact that female werewolves can't carry babies to term and even when werewolves mate with female humans, there are high risks of miscarriage. It adds lots of drama :P

The most interesting aspect of the werewolves in the Mercy Thompson series is the hierarchy/dominance. I think it's the first time I come across a series where there is so much emphasis on it and where it plays such a central role. Yes, we all know about alpha and submissive and it's been mentioned in other werewolves books... but in most books, dominance is only mentioned briefly, establishing who is THE alpha and then forgetten. There is no way you can forget how important dominance is in the Mercy Thompson series. I find that all behaviors are truly governed by it, as it should be. This in my opinion is what makes the series stands out so much.

Being the first book in a series, Moon Called can't escape the numerous characters introduction and information dumping. However, I think it was well done, well incorporated into the storyline. It probably helps that Mercy is not a werewolf, but has knowledge about them. Having been raised with them, but then kicked out, there are many moments where she reflects on the Pack.

Finally, the storyline :) I truly enjoyed it. I like how one event happened after the other. Yes, there was a lot of action, but it wasn't always fast-paced and that gave the author opportunities to impart information with the readers. I thought the intrigue was very well built. My only disappointment is how everything was resolved at the end. First, it was happened too quickly, I felt it was a bit too rushed. Second, I didn't like how Mercy was the one who figured out everything. She is well surrounded with Adam and Sam... but no, it was all Mercy. This gave the book a bit of a Mary Sue feeling. Also, although there was a lot of background information on Mercy, there are still some things I don't understand. For example, why is the Marrock Pack so wary of her? Why does the Marrock mate hates her so much? I hope that these questions will be answered in future books.

My Grade: B+. This book has gotten a lot of positive reviews and comments ever since it came out and it totally deserved it all :)

***

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
published by Ace in January 2007

Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside him...

Genre: urban fantasy
Series: Mercy Thompson, book #2

The Story: In Moon Called, Stefan, Mercy's vampire friend, helped her getting information. Now she owns him a favor and Stefan is here to collect. It should have been a harmless errand where Stefan pays a visit to a stranger vampire with Mercy accompanying him in her coyote shape... However, it ends up in a blood bath with Stefan having no recollection of what happened except waking up with blood all over and Mercy fainting... Later, they discover that some demon-possessed wizard is the cause of their problem... However, how to stop such a creature?

My Opinion: Okay, hard to believe, but I enjoyed this book even more than the previous one!! Part of it is because of Stefan. I really enjoyed his character, he's so different than any other vampires I've ever come across and provided some good laughs and moments LOL:)

I think that Ms Briggs did really good with Blood Bound. The plot was tighter, probably because Ms Briggs didn't have to spend too much time setting the world and storyline, the intrigue more interesting and easier to follow and the action, more fast-paced. Dominance continues to play a major role here, especially with Warren, Mercy's good gay werewolf friend, injured and other werewolves trying to get his position and Adam's temporary disappearance. I also loved seeing Warren and his boyfriend make up :)

In this book, we also see the love triangle unfolds where Mercy is stuck in the middle of two werewolves: Adam, her new love interest, and Sammuel, her teenage crush. It doesn't take up much of the book though, but it gives depth to Mercy in my opinion. I know that Mercy makes a decision in Iron Kissed, the third book, but even in Blood Bound, you know who Mercy has in her heart and who she will choose.

My only complaint for Blood Bound is that there was an even more Mary Sue-ish feeling to the book than in Moon Called. Mercy is once again the person who saves the day... while all the males are otherwise occupied ^_^; However, what annoyed me most is why did Stefan had to love Mercy as well? Wasn't Sam and Adam, the two most alpha werewolves in the vicinity, enough? Why did Stefan has to have romantic feelings for her as well? I thought it would have been better if they were just friends... or perhaps, I'm pissed at Mercy's treatment of Stefan at the end.

My Opinion: B+/A-. I wouldn't have hesitate to give the A- if it wasn't for the ending between Stefan and Mercy :(

ps - anyone knows why Mercy's tattoos are different in each cover? Is it significant?

Review: No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

Ugh, I can’t believe this book has been out for 11 months already. I remember how excited I was when this came out. I devoured it and just never got around to review it. Well at least, it’s not too late… since the paperback version just came out about 2 weeks ago. Maybe this review will convince others to pick it up… :P


No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong
published by Random House in April 2007 (HC) and March 2008 (paperback)

Jaime, who knows a thing or two about showbiz, is on a television shoot in Los Angeles when weird things start to happen. As a woman whose special talent is raising the dead, her threshold for weirdness is pretty high: she’s used to not only seeing dead people but hearing them speak to her in very emphatic terms. But for the first time in her life – as invisible hands brush her skin, unintelligible fragments of words are whispered into her ears, and beings move just at the corner of her eye – she knows what humans mean when they talk about being haunted.

She is determined to get to the bottom of these manifestations, but as she sets out to solve the mystery she has no idea how scary her investigation will get. As she digs into the dark underside of Los Angeles, she’ll need as much Otherworld help as she can get in order to survive, calling on her personal angel, Eve, and Hope, the well-meaning chaos demon. Jeremy, the alpha werewolf, is also by her side offering protection. And, Jaime hopes, maybe a little more than that.

Genre: fantasy/paranormal, horror
Series: Women of the Otherworld, book #7

The Story: I was going to write a synopsis, but then I’m re-reading the back blurb and it’s quite good, so I won’t bother :P

My Opinion: I’ve been waiting for this book forever. Ever since Jaime was introduced and seeing her crush on Jeremy being re-informed in the subsequent installment, I wanted this book. I wanted to know how Ms Armstrong was going to resolve Jaime and Jeremy’s relationship :P and oh my, I wasn’t disappointed.

First, Jaime. I like her :D She’s always been an entertaining character in my opinion… and although I rarely enjoy heroine of 40+ y.o. Jaime is different. She’s very confident as a woman, but not so as a necromancer. Mainly because she’s afraid of her powers… and seriously, I don’t blame her. She has little control over it and it’s not as if she can stop ghosts from talking to her and asking her help… and knowing that most necromancers become mad with old age… I don’t see many advantages for her. It’s been really interesting to see her struggling with her abilities and helping others, as she tries so hard. In the end of No Humans Involved, you see her fully accepting her necromantic abilities and that has been a very long journey for Jaime… What helped her out are her friends. She now have friends that will back her up, support her… and she now has Jeremy too.

I love Jeremy, he’s such an awesome character. I like his quiet side, his sense of responsibility and his kindness. He’s very different than most males in the series… maybe because he’s so wise. After this book, I love him even more! We get to see a totally different side of Jeremy. Not the leader, not the alpha, but the man. The balcony scenes? OMG, so awesome! We also get to see the backstage of being an alpha and that was really interesting.

I wanted to read how Jaime and Jeremy would get together, but at the same time, I was kind of dreading it. In the end, I think that Ms Armstrong came up with the right solution and right balance for Jaime and Jeremy’s relationship. I was really satisfied with it.

As for the plot, I enjoyed it a lot. It was interesting, intriguing and gripping. I like how it was resolved and the amount of work and energy they had to put in it. The whole book was well-balanced in my opinion between the case and the relationship. My only complaint, and this is surprising, is that the whole part where Jaime went to Portland to see Paige and cie and ask them for information was superfluous. Although I enjoy seeing past characters, Eve, Kristof, Hope, Karl and Jeremy were enough. Also, why go all the way when a simple phone call would have given the same result?

My Grade: A-. Simply a great addition to the series, a fantabulous read.

Ps - I have buddy reviewed Personal Demon, the next installment in the Women of the Otherworld series, over at Breezing Through with Li from Book Daze. Check it out here. Plus, polls concerning this series are up :D

Review: Elijah by Jacquelyn Frank

Yay! My first review of the year!! LOL, there was a couple of books I was excited to get at the end of the year 2007... that I've gotten and read :) So I'll try to review them...

So let's get the ball rolling! The first book I'd like to review is Elijah by Jacquelyn Franks. I've reviewed Jacob, but not Gideon... I'm still waiting for Ames to read Gideon so we can buddy review... so blame her LOL :)


Elijah by Jacquelyn Frank
published by Zebra books in December 2007

They are called the Nightwalkers, an ancient race devoted to protecting the world from the darkness of the Necromancers. And their proudest warrior is Elijah, a man who bends for nothing and no one...until one woman brings him to his knees...

SOME FEELINGS YOU JUST CAN’T FIGHT

He is known as the Warrior Captain—a master of every weapon, a fierce soldier sworn to protect his kind from violence. Powerful, relentless, merciless, Elijah has always won every battle he’s ever taken on—until now. Ambushed by Necromancers, he is left for dead only to be rescued by a woman who could very well deliver the final blow…Siena, the Lycanthrope Queen.

For over a decade, an uneasy peace has existed between the warring Lycanthropes and Elijah’s people, and he’s not about to let his guard down now around their queen.

But Siena’s will is every bit a match for Elijah’s own, her sleek and sensual nature waking a hunger within him that he cannot deny. Now, the Warrior in Elijah is consumed with a different battle—winning Siena’s heart by giving her pleasure beyond all boundaries. What starts as attraction and arousal soon burns into a passion with consequences that will echo through the ages for both their people. And as would-be enemies become inseparable lovers, another threat approaches, one with the power to destroy them all...

Surrender to the night.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: The Nightwalkers, Book 3

Hmmm, let see. It's been a while since I last wrote a full review, so I don't know from where to start... LOL. Okay, here we go…

The Story: In the previous books, Ms Frank has built a world that's in tumult – after years of wars between the Nightwalkers creatures, they have finally reached a truce and they now have to cooperate in order to fight off new threats. In Jacob, Ms Frank has focused mainly on demons and their ways and how through the centuries, they’ve been modified and changed from what was originally the truth. In short, the whole truth being discovered resulted in the rebellion/treason from two female demons who have created a "sect" composed of humans, necromancers and witches who hunt all Nightwalkers creatures (i.e. demons, vampires, weres, etc.). So at the beginning of this book, we read about Elijah who's been ambushed by this sect and is about to die... luckily for him though, Siena appears in her were-animal shape and rescues him. Both of them are stuck together for a number of days… During that time, they are wildly attracted to each other and both succumbed to their lust, even if they do not entirely accept what the other is. See, demons and were-people have been at war for hundreds of years and have just been living in peace for the past 14 years. Siena is the new Queen of her people and Elijah is the Captain of the demons and it’s been said that he killed a great number of Siena’s people. So being together is not a very good option; however, they don’t have a choice because Siena and Elijah are mates.

My Opinion: To be completely honest and why shouldn’t I, I had several problems with this book. First is the fact that Siena and Elijah got together so fast, especially while Elijah was injured. Why not work out the problems before hopping to bed together? See the problem is not only the fact that Siena is a were and Elijah is a demon, the biggest issue is that Siena will only mate once. This means that whoever she chooses as her first lover will be her mate eternally… and as Queen, she can hardly pick a demon as King, especially not a demon that has killed hundreds of her people. However, she gives in to temptation after holding up for a decade and jump into bed with Elijah. Then, a day or two later, she has to leave… and Elijah barely makes it home due to injuries… I was quite @_@ that he could have sex but not make it home.

By the way, after all the drama of “He’s a demon, I can’t mate with him even though I had sex with him,” the solution in order for them to get their HEA ending was almost too easy, too simple.

My other problem with this book is that it seems to me there are too many restraints to the characters because of the world building. I mean, demons have to be and react a certain way because they are demons, vampires get to be this way because they are vampires. I understand that in order to make the creatures interesting and new to the readers, authors have to come up with some ideas and particular traits; however, it seems to be too much in the Nightwalkers series and it really stifles the characters in my opinion. It might have been better also if there was no “Imprinting” which is how the mate system is called in this series.

Finally, because of the drama between Elijah and Siena, the politics between all the different kind of creatures and the treason/sect story, I have the feeling that I didn’t get to know the characters very well. I was given the major lines, their reactions, but never got to see development.

My Conclusion: Despite my issues with the book, I do like Ms Frank’s writing and I think she has many good ideas. However, all those ideas were a bit too much for one book. I’m not sure how I feel about the world building anymore. I enjoyed it at first when it was only the demons, but I feel it too strict when you factor in the other Nightwalkers. I am still looking forward to the next book which is Damien and features the lord of vampires. I’m hoping that his love interest won’t be a demon as I need a break from them… and I’ll decide after that book whether or not I should continue the series. For people who want to continue the series, you should definitively read Elijah since many events are happening and it’ll impact the future of the series. However, if you simply want to read a romance, then you might want to skip this book and pick up another one.

Grade: C

Lightning reviews I

*This was supposed to go up earlier this week... but I'm sick :( so it cut down my internet time a little bit :( I seriously hate being sick...

Okay, so let me try my hand at real lightening reviews :P I have a tendency to go off, so dunno if it's going to work LOL :)


Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
published by Jove in November 2007

Genre: parnormal romance
Series: Book 1 of Sign of Seven trilogy.

To be honest, I was a bit disappointed by the book, probably because I had high expectations. I believe that one of Nora Roberts strength is how well she writes relationships - siblings, parents/children, friends, etc... and she did very good with male bonding relationships in the Chesapeake trilogy... However, I thought that in this book, she was a bit off - love wise and friendship wise. The premise/idea is good though... however, I didn’t like the pacing – everything seems so rushed. For readers that want to know where this trilogy stands compared to the others, I think that this trilogy is more similar to the Key trilogy (with all the paranormal stuff, the guys vs. evil and having to stop it, their previous lives, etc.) than the Chesapeake trilogy. So if you did enjoy the Key trilogy, give a try...

Grade: none yet... I think I'm going to wait till the whole trilogy is out


Mouth to Mouth by Erin McCarthy

published by Brava in 2005 and 2007

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: None

I think Rosie nailed this down when she said that this book was cute and sexy. I thought that this was quite an enjoyable read and it's always fun for me to read about a character that is deaf, mute or blind... because they live life so differently. Lauren was cute and not annoying in claiming her independence. Russ was a great hero except for his inferiority complex because of money... I guess the only thing I'd have liked to see a bit more is how Sean, Russ' little brother, and Russ relationship changes... I thought that their issue was resolved too quickly, that it was too rushed.

Grade : B

California Holiday by Kate Cann
published by Avon in March 2005

Genre: YA, contemporary
Series: Beach series, Book #2

You know how some books are soooo good, you just have to blog about them? Well this book was just sooo bad that I have to rant about it. Usually, Avon is good at delivering romance. I mean, they're not all great, but at least, they are romance... So what went wrong with this book? Seriously, I don't consider this book a romance... First, the heroine wasn't even old enough to have a drink... Secondly, the hero - if we can call him like that, didn't appear before half-way through the book... and seriously, I didn't see much love btw the two of them. This is the story of Rowan who suddenly gets fed up with how her parents "idolized" her little brother, she decided to take a year off and be a nanny in the States (she comes from England). Once in the States, she turns into a nanny, baby-sitter and maid... she can't take it anymore so quits her job without notice (that was sooo irresponsible) and takes the iguana with her (they were going to put him down)... she runs into the hero and they start working at a hotel resort. Hero has a gf already... they were off, but now they're back together... so Rowan is waiting on the side... then, hero breaks it off with gf and get with Rowan... but he won't communicate... and when it seems that he's getting back with the gf, Rowan is fed up and takes off again... goes to Mexico where she can free the iguana... Hero runs after her. Ugh... bad, bad, bad book.

Grade: E


Her Sexiest Mistake by Jill Shalvis

published by New American Library in November 2005

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: None

I couldn't finish this book. I just didn't like the heroine, Mia Appleby. The lady is ashamed of her background and has done her best to become sophisticated and get away from the trailer park where she grew up. She has a high position job in advertising and men are only bed partners for her... So she sleeps with her new neighbor, Kevin McKnight - our hero, and then brushed him off. Then, whenever something didn't go well in her life - problem at work, never-seen teenage niece showing up at her doorstep, she'd used Kevin for sex.... and I hated it. Kevin was a great guy... but I just couldn't stand Mia.

Grade: DNF

Review: Creation in Death by J.D.Robb

Wow! Can you believe that Creation in Death is the 25th novel in the series? And what's amazing is that the series just keeps getting better and better :D I mean some series have lost it after the 15th, the 10th or even the 5th book, especially the ones with the same H/H and more specifically, the ones where the heroines are involved in a love triangle... can't they just make up your mind?!? You look at those series and you think that the author should have ended it at this or that point... However, this is sooo not the case with the In Death series! I think this series has the potential to go on and on and on... although I'm a bit worried about how Ms Roberts is all going to end this... but this is another topic and let's move onto the review now.


Creation in Death by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts

published in Hardcover by Putnam in November 2007

NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn't save-and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. The city was on edge from a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days, courtesy of a man the media tagged "The Groom"-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims.

When it turns out that the young brunette was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him in on the case-a move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal. The victim was washed in products from a store Roarke owns, and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures.

With the Groom's monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, Eve knows that he has already grabbed his next victim. Time is running out on another woman's life.

And chances are he's working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career-abducting a woman who will test his skills and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve.

Genre: romantic suspense, futuristic
Series: In Death series, Book #25

In the last book, Innocent in Death, Ms Roberts' focus was on Eve and Roarke's relationship which was long overdue in my opinon. In this book, the focus is back on the case, the investigation and little else. However, this case is completely different from any other cases from the past books... this case is special, because it's one that Eve and Feeney were not able to close 9 years ago.

The book starts with Eve looking forward to one or two days of rest as she is not on duty. However, she is called in as primary when the first body is found as everyone immediately recognizes the work of the Groom. Eve puts up a team and is determined to stop the Groom for good this time. They already know his M.O, they remember the faces of the previous victims and now, they have to find what they miss the last time in order to save the next victim.

I really enjoyed this book... After Innocent in Death which was a great success because of problems Eve and Roarke encounter in their marriage, I don't think that Eve and Roarke could just go to their normal life with a regular case... Innocent in Death needed to be followed up with a bang and as usual, Ms Roberts delivers.

As I mentioned, the case is different because it was unsolved. That in itself is really unusual in the In Death series. I know that in reality, not every case gets solved, but for ID fans, it’s the first time we see one that Eve worked on. The fact that 4 young brunettes were tortured for hours in made the case unforgettable, but that it continued in other places (Florida, Romania, etc.) after he walked away from New York, it just ate at everyone who was involved: Feeney, Eve, Morris, Dr. Mira, Dickhead and the commander. Also, for this case, Roarke was involved from the very beginning; he went to the morgue, assisted to meetings and worked at the police station (which was funny, given his past). All this makes this book stands out and makes it interesting.

Plot-wise, this book was excellent. The case was interesting and the murderer, unusual. The pacing of the book was very fast, but it contributed to the atmosphere of the story… it made the readers feel that the cops were doing something and how rushed they were as they raced against time to save the next victim. Emotionally, we do get some love and sweet scenes between Eve and Roarke, but the big show is provided by Feeney and Eve: the tension between them that the case has caused, the father-daughter relationship...

So fans of ID, Ms Roberts has done it again. She came up with a very good addition for the series… where you find all your favorite elements: Eve, Roarke, the good humor, the quick and witty comments, the interaction between characters and so on. If I had any complaints, it would be that 1) once again, Eve is a target and 2) although it works in the story very well, it seems to me Eve and her team got a bit too lucky.

Grade: Solid B+