Best and Favorite Reads of 2015

Well, I thought I had figured out how to juggle real life and blogging... but I was obviously too optimistic LOL. Or perhaps I should say that it doesn't take much to disrupt the balance ^_^; Anyway, all to say that I was very busy and didn't manage to post anything up :( The good news though is that I wanted to!! That's a very good sign and a step up from last year, so I'll take it :) Still a lot of curling ahead in the next few weeks (months), but I think it'll be more manageable - I hope :)

All right, enough about my life and let's talk books :) Here is my list of Best and Favorite Reads for 2015:


Contemporary romance

While contemporary romance was my most read genre in 2015 with 62 books, I did not give out a single A grade ^_^;  I had to look at the B+ reads and two stood out: Sustained by Emma Chase and No One Like You by Kate Angell.

I initially didn't intend to buy Sustained in the bookstore, just wanted to check it out because Ms Chase was supposed to attend RARE 2015... However, after reading the first few pages, I was hooked and had to have it :) Sustained is about a hotshot defense attorney - confirmed bachelor - who falls in love with a woman who just got the guardianship of her six orphaned nieces and nephews ranging from 8 months old to 14 years old. The appeal for me was the 6 kids and Sustained sure delivered :) Loved the H/H and their interactions with the kids - the day-to-day life snippets were great. The male 1st POV was also very refreshing and made this book stand out. The only reason Sustained didn't get an A was because the hero got cold feet twice and I thought the second time was just unnecessary/redundant.

Kate Angell is an auto-buy for me. I love her writing style and the Barefoot William series has just been the ray of sunshine I need after a long winter :) Light, fluffy and fun, they are the perfect beach reads. No One Like You has four adorable dogs - especially the big doofus Atlas,  a nice-paced romance and likable characters. The best? Ms Angell has corrected my biggest pet peeve with her books: our H/H is the only couple and the focus of No One Like You!!

Honorable mentions - Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas and Dirty Thoughts by Megan Erickson


Category romance

The Spy Who Tamed Me is the last book in Ms Hunter's The Wests series and features the eldest sibling, Jared West. Jared has been undercover for two years, determined to find out the culprit who caused the mission in which his younger sister got injured to go FUBAR. Back to his life, Jared must now face the music which is being delivered by new Director of Operations, Rowan Farrington.

I'm not a fan of older woman/younger man romance, but Ms Hunter makes it work for me - probably because the age difference wasn't a huge issue. Also, Jared and Rowan had great chemistry :) The Spy Who Tamed Me was fast-paced and sucked me right in from page one. Not much happened in the story action-wise as The Spy Who Tamed Me was more about Jared's internal turmoil - making amends to his siblings for disappearing on them for two years and what is the next step in his career, but there was something about it that just worked. It was also a nice conclusion to the series :)

Honorable mentions - A Bad Boy for Christmas by Kelly Hunter


Historical romance

I haven't been much in the mood for historical romance lately. All the books I've picked up in this genre were from auto-buy authors with the exception of The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne. It's a strategy that paid off because my favorite authors all released very solid books... but no wowzer, unfortunately. The Duke and the Lady in Red by Lorraine Heath is the one that stood out the most for me. Rosalind Sharpe is a swindler - she seduces men and disappears with their money. In order to provide the best last days to her ailing brother, she goes for the biggest mark: the wicked Duke of Avendale... and she almost succeeds! Avendale is not ready to let our heroine go, especially not after she almost made a fool out of him, and so, makes a proposition - to be his mistress for a week.

The Duke and the Lady in Red started out like any other typical regency historical romance, but turned out to be more thanks to our great H/H and their circumstances. I loved Rosalind's loyalty, Avendale's generosity and their chemistry. This was a book about the journey with no nefarious villain :)

Honorable mentions - Catching a Falling Heiress by Laura Lee Guhrke, The Daring Exploits of a Runaway Heiress by Victoria Alexander and Love in the Time of Scandal by Caroline Linden


RS/Mystery/Cosy Mystery

Yes, once again, my Favorite RS read of the year is a Karen Rose book. What can I say? I simply love her writing! Also, there aren't many RS out there featuring cops or FBI agents and focusing on the investigative work nowadays :( If you know of any other, let me know!

In Alone in the Dark, Ms Rose tackles the subject of human trafficking with a cop heroine close to a burn-out and a reporter/vigilant hero whose family is still reeling from a recent tragedy. As usual, the book was fast-paced with a lot of twists and turns and cold-blooded villains. I liked the H/H, but they were not my favorite couple. It'd be nice to have some main characters with less baggage from time to time. Still, a very enjoyable read :)

One of my favorite series ever is the FBI SCU aka Bishop series by Kay Hooper. Fear the Dark is newest installment and also the beginning of the new trilogy. Bishop's FBI agents are sent to Serenity, a small mountain town in Tennessee, where five men and women have gone missing without a trace. Readers renew with Lucas and Sam which were the H/H of Hunting Fear - one of my favorite books of the series - and introduced to medium Dante Swann and telepath Robbie Hodge. Once again, Ms Hooper delivers a chilling mystery :) Also, the feel I got from Fear the Dark is a lot closer to the earlier books in the series - more investigative work and clues - which I really appreciated :)

Honorable mentions - Hunted by Karen Robards


Paranormal romance

I did not read many paranormal romance in 2015, but I don't think it would have made a difference if I'd read more LOL. Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh is one of my 4 reads which got an A-. I just loved everything about it, especially Aden and Zaira. I loved their devotion and loyalty for each other. Lots of things happening and characters interacting with each other, but it all fit. The over-arching story is also advancing well and is almost coming to a conclusion :) I also found Shards of Hope refreshing because so many paranormal and urban fantasy series/books at the moment are about the fractures between races while here, the different races are coming together. The only reason why Shards of Hope did not get an A was because the focus was on Arrows and I wished to see how less powerful Psy are adapting.

Honorable mentions - Fangs for the Memories by Molly Harper


UF/Fantasy/Sci-Fi

Hmmm, this was a tough category. Again, all my favorite authors delivered solid reads in 2015... however, none of them really wowed me. Perhaps it's because my expectations were too high or I'm just extremely picky, but I just wanted more out of them all. In my opinion, Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs lacked intensity, Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews had "transition feel" written all over and the humor has vanished in Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop, in addition of having the heroine take a step back. In the end, the surprise of the year for me was Driven by Kelley Armstrong. And I mean, it literally took me by surprise because I had forgotten all about it ^_^; However, I guess it played in its favor in earning the A- grade since I had no expectations for it :P

Elena always knew being Alpha was a tough job, but she never thought she'd have to juggle between welcoming Malcom back to the Pack and protect the Cains, a clan of werewolves known to be big, brutish and not-too-bright, from someone bent on exterminating them. I really, really enjoyed Driven. Over the years, we've witnessed the difficulties and challenges of the Pack and it was just nice to catch up with it and see how their ranks have been replenished and the new dynamics they have. Also, Malcom's return!! Talk about a twist that I have never never seen coming!! And the reference to Derek was just the perfect final touch :) I hope that Ms Armstrong will continue writing these stories and that eventually, we'll have a cross-over with Derek and the others.

Honorable mentions - Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs, Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews and Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop


Young Adult

This was another tough category because all 11 YA books I read this year were excellent. The lowest grade was a B-!

I've been meaning to read a book by Jennifer Lynn Barnes ever since RT 2010 where the panel of YA authors mentioned her debut novel, Raised by Wolves. Finally, this year, I picked up The Fixer and wowzer - my third A- read!! The Fixer is about Tess Kendrick who moves to Washington D.C. to live with her estranged older sister after their grandfather has been diagnosed with Alzheimer. Tess finds herself attending Hardwicke Academy along with the children of the rich and powerful and discovers that her sister's job is to fix their problems - any problems... and it seems everyone believes that Tess is following in those footsteps. I've always loved court intrigues in fantasy novels and this is like the modern version of it - political conspiracy. Tess is thrown in a world she doesn't know and readers learn along the way with her. The mystery is interesting and complex, but what I enjoyed the most about The Fixer it's realistic aspect. Sure, it's fiction so some of it stretches a bit, but overall, it didn't feel over the top like the Gallagher Girls series by Ally Carter.

I really kick myself for not picking up My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick earlier. It got quite the buzz when it came out and it was totally deserving! My Life Next Door is a sweet romance between Samantha and Jase. The two have been neighbors for years and have watched each other from afar as their home lifestyles are completely different; Sam with her single, strict Stepford-style mother and Jase with his loud and chaotic 7 siblings. When the two finally meet, sparks fly... but can their romance surpass tragedy? Everything about this book was great: the story, the characters, the romance :) I loved Sam's strength, Jase's family and I thought Jase was such a great hero. Would have been great to get his POV.

I picked out Emmy & Oliver on a whim and I'm so glad I did!! Emmy and Oliver were neighbors and best friends... until Oliver's father abducted him in the middle of a messy divorce. For the next ten years, Emmy and her friends' lives were shaped by this event. Then, one day, Oliver returns. Can Emmy and Oliver become best friends again? From the start, this book made me smiled. I loved the characters and the story, but what got me was the friendship and the honesty - it saved this book from being too dark and transformed it into a ray of sunshine :)

Honorable mentions - To All the Boys I've Loved Before by Jenny Han, The Boy Most Likely To by Huntley Fitzpatrick, The Libby Garrett Intervention by Kelly Oram and The Summer Sword by Rick Riordan


New Adult

In 2014, I discovered Sarina Bowen and fell in love with her writing after reading The Understatement of the Year. They were my picks for Favorite New-to-Me Author, Favorite NA Book, Favorite Book of 2014 and Author of the Year (except I never got around to write that post). Ms Bowen does it again in 2015 with Him that she co-wrote with Elle Kennedy. Him is about two college hockey players and estranged best friends reconnecting during hockey camp where they are now instructors and falling in love. Obviously, there's more to the book... but really, all you need to know is that this book is awesome! My last and final A- read of 2015 :) I loved the characters and the romance and the story was fun and sexy :)

Honorable mentions - The Friend Zone by Kristen Callihan, The Shameless Hour by Sarina Bowen and A Shattered Moment by Tiffany King

Favorite Book of 2015

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And there you have it, my list of Best and Favorite Reads of 2015 :) If you've read all the post, thank you - you've been a trooper!! I'm really sorry for the long post, but since I've barely reviewed this year, I really wanted to share my thoughts of the books :) 

2015 in numbers...

Well... I don't know why I thought writing this number post was going to be such a big endeavor, but obviously, it wasn't ^_^; Yep, my spreadsheet was blank, but it didn't take that long to complete it... Guess there's a positive to reading less in 2015 LOL. Of course, taking out a whole section of the breakdown - the one that requires the most numbers crunching - didn't hurt either :P

Big thanks to Li and Wendy for inspiring me with their own number posts :)

Number of books read

153

My reading goal for 2015 was 180 books, 1 more than what I read in 2014 (179). I thought I had the whole juggling between curling and reading down to pat and therefore, 180 was achievable... but 2015 turned out to be a lot busier than 2014 since I traveled a bit and played hostess/tour guide for guests :) Also, I had no way to predict I'd renew my passion for Chinese tv series with Nirvana In Fire!

Another big hurdle in 2015 was the eternal "what to read next" question which led to many mini-reading slumps :( Aside from the auto-buys, I just didn't know what to pick up! In many instances, I turned to "safer" bets - authors I knew, story tropes I liked; nothing too out of my comfort zone... Except I think I'm tired of my comfort zone ^_^; And so, many of those "safer" bets didn't really engage me :( Hopefully, with me getting back in touch with blogland, this hurdle won't be an issue anymore (or at least, not be as big) in 2016. Gotta say, I'm optimist though! I've already got quite the list of recommendations based on everyone's 2015 recaps and 2016 anticipated lists :)

Since 2016 is going to be as busy - if not more ^_^; - than 2015, I'm aiming for 160 books. I have a good start so far, so hoping it'll continue! :)


Number of books bought

This section of the post has always been the hardest for me to keep track... perhaps because deep down, I don't really want to know LOL. This year was even harder - what with the blank spreadsheet, RWA and RARE. I did manage to scrounge up some numbers though, so let's take a look :)

• Bought print online: 25
• Bought print in-store: 26*
• Bought e-books: 10
• RWA print books: 127
• RWA e-books:  35
• RARE print books: 13

For a grand total of...

191 print books* + 45 e-books

Okie dokie. That is a lot of books ^_^; Especially, considering that the number of print books should be higher as I'm pretty sure I bought more in-store than what's indicated (hence the asterisk). Not much more though - perhaps 10?

Overall, I'm actually quite happy with myself.. even a bit proud! If we don't look at the books I got at RWA and RARE, I purchased only 61-71 books. Okay, so I held off buying books because I knew I would get many of them  at RWA... but still! I took a look at my numbers in 2011, the other time I attended RWA, and that year, without counting my RWA haul, I bought 157 books! So I did exert some self-control this year! :) More evidence of that self-control: most of my book purchases in-store were done after RWA!

Out of those 61 books that I bought, I have read 43 which means 70.5% . That's an increase over last year, but still a bit low in comparison to 2012 and 2013. Of course, this percentage takes a drastic plunge if we consider my RWA haul ^_^; In my RWA post, I said I had read 15 books prior to RWA... and since then, have only add 9 reads from the haul. Oups. So if you take in account books from RWA and RARE, I have perhaps read approximately 76 books total from all those new books - 32.2%. Not too bad, but I think I can do better ^_^; At least, I know where to turn to for the TBR 2016 challenge that Wendy is hosting and I'm participating in lurker-mode :P Now that I think about it... one of my goals this year should be to keep reading from the RWA haul, hmmmm.

Since I didn't do a great job at keeping track of my book purchases in 2015, I really have no idea of how much money I saved. I always try to avoid paying full price for a book and would say I succeeded 90% of the time. I did try to limit my spending at RARE... and in any case, I'd say that my haul at RWA - even factoring the registration fee - more than made up for it. So all I can is in 2015, I saved a lot LOL.

For 2016, I predict some changes in my book buying habits - not from my free will, but due to circumstances. First, Chapters/Indigo as well as Amazon have changed their discount policies - at almost the same time. (Seriously, how do they expect the regular consumer to believe there's no collusion/price fixing among them?!) It used to be 10% off on books over 10$, 24% off on books over 15$ and 34% off on books over 25$... but those everyday online discounts are gone :( I'm not sure what is their current policy as I see 8% and 11% on some books, but do not know how it is decided. Second, it really doesn't help that the Canadian dollar is soooo low :( Suddenly, book prices are increasing - print and e-format - and Book Depository or shopping in the States aren't as attractive either. So yeah, I'll be stalking Chapters/Indigo website, waiting for sales and promotions and hoping that books I really want to buy make it to the best-seller list ^_^; On the positive side, it'll probably mean I'll buy less books which given the state of my room and TBR pile is not a bad thing... However, it'll also mean I'm going to stick more with auto-buys and will less likely be inclined to pick up new authors on impulse. Oh, and my days of pre-ordering are most likely over as well :(


What did I read

Contemporary romance: 62
Urban Fantasy: 14
New Adult (Contemporary): 14
Historical romance: 12 (Regency: 11, Western: 1)
Romantic Suspense: 11
Young Adult: 11 (Contemporary: 9, Mystery: 1, Fantasy: 1)
Category romance (Contemporary): 10
Paranormal romance: 7
Mystery/Thriller/Cosy Mystery: 4
m/m romance (NA, Contemporary): 3
Fantasy: 3
Sci-Fi: 1
Fiction: 1

Well, no big surprise about what I read. Contemporary romance is again the big winner in 2015. I've always had a preference for it and considered it my go-to genre. Remember how I mentioned earlier that I went for "safer" bets in 2015? Yep, those "safer" bets would be contemporary romance. That, combined with the renewed and continued popularity of sport and small-town romances respectively as well as the current "billionaire" trend, probably explains why my number for contemporary romances has increased so much. The past few years, I was pretty constant with about 40 reads... but sharp increase this year: +22. As for the rest, well the numbers are down for almost every other genres. The math is pretty simple: total books read down and contemporary romance up ^_^;

For 2016, I don't really have any expectations. Sure, I'd like to bulk up my UF and Fantasy reads a bit, but Contemporary romance is still very popular. Considering I'm a pretty current reader, I feel my reading actually reflects not only my reading tastes, but what's being published as well... so it's not totally all in my hands :P

Who published them

1. Penguin (Berkley, NAL, ROC, Putnam, etc.): 40
2. Self-published: 25
3. Harlequin (HQN Books, Mira, SuperRomance, KISS, Mills & Boon, Carina Press, etc.): 19
4. Harpercollins Publisher (Avon, Avon Impulse, etc.): 15
5. Simon & Schuster: 14
6. Macmillan (St. Martin's Press, etc.): 12
6. Hachette (Grand Central Publishing, Little Brown Books, Headline, Orbit, etc.): 12
8. E-Publishers (Samhain, Entangled, Montlake, Tule): 6
9. Kensington: 3
10 .DAW: 2
10. Sourcebooks: 2
12. Bloomsbury: 1
12. Hyperion: 1
12. Subterranean Press: 1

I've always maintained that I'm a mainstream publishers reader and I still believe it's true. A few years ago, if you have told me that self-published books would be #2 on my list, I would not have believed you... however, there is no denying the changes in the publishing industry. And do I want to go against it? No, not if it means I'd miss out on so many good books. I'm still quite picky though on self-published and e-publisher books. Most of the time, I need to be already familiar with the authors or it comes as a recommendation for me to pick up the book. All those freebies on Amazon? Not for me. Also, as Li pointed out, authors who non-traditionally published books tend to have more releases per year which explains in part the jump of self-published books to #2 :)

Otherwise, I'm pretty predictable when it comes to the traditional publishers. My big three remains Penguin, Harlequin and Harpercollins. The big surprise for me: the total absence of Random House Publishing in my reading. That is crazy!


When were they published

2015: 131 (85.6%)
2014: 11
2013: 6
2012: 4

Well, I did say I was a current reader! Still, even that's a huge number for me ^_^; And seriously, nothing published before 2012?! That's  a first for me ^_^; Obviously, I didn't fall in love with any new authors with extensive back-lists LOL.

Anyway, I'm kind of torn... do I want to read more older books? I don't know.

How much did I enjoy the book

A: 4 (4 A-)
B: 86 (16 B+, 39 B, 31 B-)
C: 63 (19 C+, 35C, 9C-)

I know I have a reputation for being a tough grader, but this is getting ridiculous! 4 As only?! Actually, not even A, but A-... Looking back though, the last A I have given was back in 2012.  Still, only 4 A reads is a new low for me. Obviously, I need to loosen up a bit ^_^; Then again, most of the time, I grade on feeling/impression and that's how I felt. Perhaps I'm expecting too much? Or am I becoming even tougher with age?

I was also surprised that I had nothing lower than C-... But after reflection, it actually  makes sense. As I mentioned, I had the dreaded "what to pick up next" syndrome this year. I started a lot of books, but did not read them all... See, a book must hold my attention for me to finish it. When it fails to keep me engaged, I just put it aside with the intention of coming back to it - one day. However, they don't go in the DNF category... they just stay in limbo LOL. That's probably why I don't have anything lower than C-.


Random numbers

• I wrote a total of 16 posts last year, 3 of them were reviews. Embarrassing!! I thought 2014 was bad, but seriously, I can't go lower than this!
• New-to-me Authors: 38 - I didn't think this number would be this high, but lo and behold! It's also staying consistent with previous years, so can't complain. The most popular new-to-me author this year must be Karen Robards! LOL.
• Part of a series: 137 - Series are fun... but I do think I need to cut a few of them out of my autobuys ^_^; And part of me really wish more more stand-alones!

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There you got it, my numbers for 2015 :) Next will be a recap of my Favorite Reads, so stay tuned!

Review: Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas

Not long before RWA, I discovered that Ms Thomas had a new series, Ransom Canyon, coming out with Harlequin. Even though the first book was slated to be released on August 25 - one month after the conference - I was hoping that somehow, she'd have the book available at the publisher signing... Guess what? She did!!! I think I first saw Wendy holding a copy and was so excited, I made a beeline to Ms Thomas to get my own and literally did a happy dance in front of her, LOL.

I figured since I was so excited to get the ARC, I should read and review it for its release. Plus, you know, there's always a thrill when you post a review before or on its release :) As if you're helping out the authors, but also your fellow readers by sharing your thoughts :)

Enjoy!


Ransom Canyon by Jodi Thomas
published by Harlequin (HQN Books) in August 2015

Rancher Staten Kirkland, the last descendent of Ransom Canyon's founding father, is rugged and practical to the last. No one knows that when his troubling memories threaten to overwhelm him, he runs to lovely, reclusive Quinn O'Grady… or that she has her own secret that no one living knows.

Young Lucas Reyes has his eye on the prize—college, and the chance to become something more than a ranch hand's son. But one night, one wrong decision, will set his life on a course even he hadn't imagined.

Yancy Grey is running hard from his troubled past. He doesn't plan to stick around Ransom Canyon, just long enough to learn the town's weaknesses and how to use them for personal gain. Only Yancy, a common criminal since he was old enough to reach a car's pedals, isn't prepared for what he encounters.

In this dramatic new series, the lives, loves and ambitions of four families will converge, set against a landscape that can be as unforgiving as it is beautiful, where passion, property and pride are worth fighting—and even dying—for.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Ransom Canyon, Book #1

The Story: The blurb is pretty accurate. In Ransom Canyon, we're introduced to the small town of Crossroads, in Texas, situated in Ransom Canyon. It's what you'd imagine from a town surrounded by ranches - rugged. For a better understanding of the town and its origins, you can read Ms Thomas' e-novella prequel, Winter's Camp.

Ransom Canyon basically consists of three storylines that take place at the same time and intersect. The main one is about 43 years old rancher Staten Kirkland. He's been raised by his grandparents on the ranch and loves his land. Unfortunately, he's been plagued by lost - his wife to cancer seven years ago and his teenage son to a car accident, five years ago. Staten believes he can't love, can't be happy anymore. And when he's filled with grief and stormy feelings, he finds solace in Quinn O'Grady's arms... but unbeknownst to him, after five years, things are about to change.

The other two storylines are secondary and will most probably be continuous threads in future books. You have Lucas Reyes, a 17 years old boy with a good head on his shoulder. He is working his butt off to save money for college and has the next four years mapped out. Unfortunately, they don't include a romance with the sheriff's daughter... but friendship, that's another story. As for Yancy Grey, he's a 25 years old con who's just been released from prison. Yancy is ready to put his past behind him and starts new in a place where nobody knows him. Ransom Canyon and its elderly community seem to be a good pit stop, a stepping stone for him... but of course, your past always finds a way to catch up with you.

My Opinion: While I was very excited for Ms Thomas' new book, I was also a bit apprehensive because the blurb and set up of Ransom Canyon reminded me a lot of the Harmony series. All the reviews and actually reading Ransom Canyon confirmed my fear... but you know what? In the end, it didn't matter because Ms Thomas' writing and voice are so different from everyone else. Even if Ransom Canyon echoes the Harmony books, it's still very unique and enjoyable :)

My favorite storyline was Staten and Quinn's. They took me by surprise a little because of their ages ^_^; I've always preferred characters in their 20s to mid-30s, simply because I connect better with them. So when I started Ransom Canyon, I did a double-take and started doing some maths in my head to figure out Staten's age... and yeah, both were over 40 and therefore not in my usual age range. Then, there was the fact that Quinn was Staten's late wife's best friend. The widower falling in love with his late spouse's best friend is a common premise... and unfortunately, not one of my favorites ^_^; It's always hard to overcome the death of a loved one, but when you fall in love with someone so close, there's the added guilt, the sense of betrayal on both parts and the whole "we can't be together/I can't fall in love with you" baggage. Oh, I've read some good books with this premise, but as a whole, it's not one that I usually seek. However, I shouldn't have doubted Ms Thomas because of course, she had a different take on it :) I loved Staten and Quinn's romance because it was slow, gradual and oh, so private and intimate. There was such a bond between Staten and Quinn, a trust that you rarely see nowadays in romance because everything happens so quickly. I'd say Staten and Quinn's romance lacked the passion of a lusty, new relationship... but it was so powerful because of their intimacy - and I'm not talking simply sex. Their romance started off with Staten finding solace in Quinn's arms, his heart frozen by tragedies and I enjoyed his awakening. Also loved Quinn's character... such strength under her shyness and so much understanding.

I also enjoyed the other characters and their storylines. I'm looking forward to Lucas' growth and see what he'll become in the future. I liked his maturity and the goals he's set out for himself. There's a definite romance shaping up between him and Laurie, the sheriff's daughter, and I hope it won't be as long-winded as Reagan and Noah in the Harmony series. I'm still not sure about Yancy. He's an interesting character with a surprising innocence/naiveness for an ex-con that made him a bit unrealistic to me. Perhaps when his character is more developed and I see where his storyline is heading, I'll like him more.

Ransom Canyon definitively had a ranching atmosphere and to my surprise, I enjoyed it a lot. In the book, Lucas said: "To put it simply, Kirkland was a rancher and Collins was a businessman." It's exactly the same thing here - the ranch was an integral part of Ransom Canyon, feeling-wise and story-wise, and not just a setting... and I liked that. While Ms Thomas' towns are fictitious, there's always a down-to-earth feeling to them usually communicated through the characters' limited means. A lot of other authors address poverty, slow economy and resourcefulness in their books, but it never reaches me as much as when Ms Thomas does it. In Ransom Canyon, it really hit home through Yancy's character with his humble goals, dreams and riches. And the prominent ranching atmosphere adds another dimension, a ruggedness to the down-to-earth feeling that is perfect for this new series.

My Grade: B+.

Review: Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

Wooohooo, a review! Perhaps not the most original book to review at this time, but hey, it's a start! Hopefully, there'll be more in the near future. In the meantime, enjoy!!

PS - Spent a very boring week-end. Nothing to really blab about :P You?


***Warning: This review contains spoilers. Read at your own risk***

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews
published by Berkley (Ace) in August 2015

After breaking from life with the Pack, mercenary Kate Daniels and her mate—former Beast Lord Curran Lennart—are adjusting to a very different pace. While they’re thrilled to escape all the infighting, Curran misses the constant challenges of leading the shapeshifters.

So when the Pack offers him its stake in the Mercenary Guild, Curran seizes the opportunity—too bad the Guild wants nothing to do with him and Kate. Luckily, as a veteran merc, Kate can take over any of the Guild’s unfinished jobs in order to bring in money and build their reputation. But what Kate and Curran don’t realize is that the odd jobs they’ve been working are all connected.

An ancient enemy has arisen, and Kate and Curran are the only ones who can stop it—before it takes their city apart piece by piece…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Kate Daniels, Book #8

The Story: I was going to skip this part, because I tend to be lengthy and most of the time, I'm just re-wording the blurb ^_^; However, this blurb is pretty good at being vague and saying nothing relevant about the story. Then again, it's proof that most of us will pick up the book regardless, simply because of 4 words: Kate, Daniels, Ilona & Andrews LOL.

Here goes... Magic Shifts opens up with Kate, Curran and Julie settling in their new life, new neighborhood. Since Curran stepped down from being the Beast Lord, there is a three months period for the separation to be done. That means all of Curran's investments and money will be separated from the Pack, anyone from the Pack wanting to join Curran and Kate will have to settle their affairs as well, etc. It also means that during this period, Curran and Kate cannot go to the Keep, cannot involve themselves in Pack business and cannot try to convince people to follow them. While Curran doesn't miss being the Beast Lord, he misses making things function... and let just say business at Cutting Edge is not enough to keep him busy.

Then, someone from the Pack goes missing and Kate and Curran are solicited for help as the clan Alpha isn't deploying all the efforts for a search and rescue due to personal reasons. Hordes of ghouls are appearing, reanimative metamorphosis occurs... and of course, it's all connected. But how? And is it an attack against Kate because she claimed Atlanta or more personal?

My Opinion: Let's start with a disclaimer. I read Magic Shifts in one seating which usually is a good indicator of how good a book is. At the same time though, I stayed up way past my bedtime, which means I was pretty tired when I got to the conclusion of the book... and I wonder if it didn't affect my enjoyment of the book. Perhaps I should have stopped and gotten some rest instead of powering through it. However, what's done is done and here is how I feel about this book.

Overall, I enjoyed and liked Magic Shifts... but it wasn't my favorite book in the series. This is book #8 and at this point, we all know what to expect from a new installment - lots of action, lots of sarcasm and a good mystery involving some magical element or deity. And that's what we got... but I felt like Magic Shifts lacked some of the intensity that made Magic Strikes, Magic Bleeds and Magic Slays winners for me. Don't get me wrong, there were some great action, but in comparison to previous books, the action sequences were short... and it screwed up the pacing of the story. With a Kate Daniels book, we're used to fast-pacing, but there were a lot of down times in Magic Shifts. In other words, Magic Shifts was a transition book and it felt like it. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy seeing Kate and Curran playing house, adapting to their new normal - because I did - but it came at a cost and that cost was the action and the mystery.

I thought the mystery in Magic Shifts wasn't as complex as in previous books. I never felt that Kate and her entourage were truly threatened. Perhaps it's because the menace Kate has faced in the past couple of books was more personal and this one wasn't really connected to her. Also, I have to say, I was pretty disappointed at how the whole thing unfolded in the end. The answers came too easily, just falling into Kate's laps.

I did have a few LOL moments as usual. I just love Kate's humor :) And I'm giving two thumbs up to Ms Andrews for the secondary characters because she limited their appearances, but also kept them true to themselves. What I mean is no matter how much us, fans, love and gush about certain secondary characters, Ms Andrews doesn't make them more lovable to please us... and that takes guts in my opinion. And I'm not going to lie, I wished we'd have seen more of everyone, but this book was pretty focused on Kate and Curran and that was the right choice, given it's about their new beginning. Also, the ending was very interesting, opening up new directions :)

My Grade: It's going to be a B for me. There are always high expectations for a new Kate Daniels book and Magic Shifts just fell short a bit by lacking of ompf. Still, I'm really excited for the next book and can't wait to see where Ms Andrews takes us :)

Review: The Liar by Nora Roberts

Hi everyone!

Long time no see! I feel like I need to start this post with an apology. I'm sorry for the radio silence. Let just say that this year, curling has kicked my butt LOL. This year was the first time I curled the full season - 3 times a week, and participated to all the tournaments possible. Frankly, since New Year, I think had 2 free week-ends. If I wasn't curling, I was volunteering at the club. I loved it, but I'm also glad the season finished last week-end.

Since curling kept me so busy, I pretty much had to choose between reading and blogging... and I chose reading. I haven't read as much as I wished, but at least, I did. It was an easy choice considering that many of us have slowed down our blogging. It's unfortunate, but the truth is blogging isn't the same as when I started. As much as it pains me to say, the community sense that blogging brought me in the beginning isn't there anymore... and so I let go.

I seriously considered stop blogging, just like that. Leave my blog up, but not adding to it anymore. However, this morning, on my way to work, I felt like writing this review. So I'm giving it another go. No promise if there'll be more and at what rate ^_^; I guess we'll have to see where this leads me.

So for the meantime, enjoy this review! :)

The Liar by Nora Roberts
published by Putnam in April 2015

Shelby Foxworth lost her husband. Then she lost her illusions …

The man who took her from Tennessee to an exclusive Philadelphia suburb left her in crippling debt. He was an adulterer and a liar, and when Shelby tracks down his safe-deposit box, she finds multiple IDs. The man she loved wasn’t just dead. He never really existed.

Shelby takes her three-year-old daughter and heads south to seek comfort in her hometown, where she meets someone new: Griff Lott, a successful contractor. But her husband had secrets she has yet to discover. Even in this small town, surrounded by loved ones, danger is closer than she knows—and threatens Griff, as well. And an attempted murder is only the beginning …

Genre: Contemporary romance, Romantic Suspense
Series: None

My Opinion: Sigh. I guess that tells it all ^_^;  It's true that the last couple of books by Ms Roberts haven't been stellar... but knowing what she can write, I always have high expectations when she has a new stand-alone release. I'm always hoping the next book is going to be the wowzer. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case with The Liar. In fact, I thought The Liar was quite the disappointment, even more subpar than Whiskey Beach and The Collector :(

My main issue with The Liar wasn't so much the writing - although it's starting to feel very trite, but the set-up/premise of the story and the fact that it's been done many times. Wife discovering that her husband wasn't who she thought he was, that he was a cheat, a liar and left her with tons of debts - sounds familiar? Yes, Ms Roberts took the premise one step further, but it was still very predictable. Furthermore, what was supposed to be the biggest twist wasn't because it was soooo obvious. As soon as I read the first chapter, combined with the blurb, I knew where this was heading... It was like one big red flag that was impossible to disregard, mainly because once again, it's been done previously. So that was the biggest disappointment because while it's never the focus, the suspense remains an important element in Ms Roberts stand-alone book.

There was also something else I was kind of uncomfortable with. When Shelby comes back to her hometown with her daughter, she has to face her brother and best friend. She has to admit her marriage wasn't perfect and that in a way, her husband abused her. He belittled her, cut her off from her friends and family and didn't give her any money of her own. What bothers me is that Shelby's brother and best friend were like: "Why did you let him?" I know it's because both of them know and believe in Shelby's strength, but it came off wrong. Psychological abuse can happen to anyone, no matter how strong they are. The way the brother and best friend acted was like Shelby let herself be abused. Perhaps I'm the one reading the situation wrong, but it just left a bad impression for me.

Speaking of strength, Shelby had it in spade. Of course, that was a good thing because everyone likes a strong heroine. And you had to be strong to go through what Shelby went through. On that front, I really admired her. However, I felt this strength made it hard for me to connect with Shelby. Or perhaps, it's the pride. Sometimes, there's only a fine line between strength and pride. Shelby insisted on dealing with her financial problems on her own and as I said, that's admirable. She wanted to be independent and that's also admirable. However, by refusing everyone's help and insisting to deal with stuff on her own, I felt Shelby built barriers between herself and her entourage... and those barriers were also felt between her and the readers. Every time she accepted help, it was reluctantly and that started to grate with me. Overall, I felt there was a distance between me and Shelby and didn't connect with her. The huge cast of characters also didn't help in that matter. Ms Roberts have written books with huge families, but this is the first time I was confused. I had difficulty keeping people apart - Granny, Gamma, Clayton, Clay, Jack and Jackson, etc. And I don't seem to be the only one confused because at least in two instances, there was a mistake where Shelby was referred as Callie - her daughter's name ^_^; Which by the way, I didn't like Shelby as a heroine name. I almost felt like that name didn't fit the heroine. Callie would have been better... Anyway, there were just so many characters in this book and unfortunately, very few of them has individuality to make them stand out :(

What saved the book from being a total dud for me was the hero, Griff. I thought he was a solid hero - friendly, patient, reasonable and nice. A guy I would like to have as a boyfriend and whom guys would definitively want as a friend. He wouldn't be my top 3 Nora Roberts' heroes as I liked them a bit grumpy, but he was definitively a great guy. And I loved the way he interacted with Callie, Shelby's daughter. I loved how he took Callie on dates even when Shelby wasn't present. He never hesitated around Callie, just jumped straight in and forged a relationship with her. Callie was also a good character - not too cute and precocious.

My Grade: C-. I wonder if I'm being biased or not because this is a NR. It wasn't that The Liar was all that bad... it just didn't measure up to what I'm used to by Ms Roberts. I really hope her next release will be better. It's really time she shakes things up - for her stand-alones and trilogies. I'm going to give her next book a chance, but perhaps I won't rush to get it.