Week-End's Minis XXVI: Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis

Oups, didn't mean to neglect my blog! I was attending W' little sis' civic ceremony on Saturday and had to be there at 9am ^_^; Everything went well and it turned out to be a lot of fun, so that was good :) However, because of the early hour, that meant  my day was pretty much gone. Since I did not buy any books the past week, I was going to post this WEM feature on Sunday instead... but I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose. Ugh. It wasn't so bad in the morning, but after lunch? I cuddled in my bed, under my blankets and slept it off. And that's why this review is late. But hey, better late than never right?

Also, since it's the first of the month, that means I have listed the new releases that I'm looking forward to over at Breezing Through with Ames and Monroe. Click here to take a look :) Some great books coming out, can't wait!

Forever and a Day by Jill Shalvis
published by Grand Central Publishing in August 2012

Love can happen in one heartbeat.

Grace never thought she’d be starting her life over from scratch. Losing everything has landed her in Lucky Harbor, working as a dog walker for overwhelmed ER doctor Josh Scott. But the day his nanny fails to show up, Grace goes from caring for Josh’s loveable mutt to caring for his rambunctious kids. Soon Grace is playing house with the sexy single dad...

With so many people depending on him, Josh has no time for anything outside of his clinic and family–until Grace arrives in town. Now this brainy blonde is turning his life inside out and giving a whole new meaning to the phrase “good bedside manner.” Josh and Grace don’t know if what they have can last. But in a town like Lucky Harbor, a lifetime of love starts with just one day...

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Lucky Habor, Book #6

What do you need to know? There's been a lot of reviews for this book, but just in case you haven't read them... Forever and a Day is Grace Brooks', the third member of the Chocoholics Club, book. She was let go from her previous job and headed West, hoping she'd have more luck finding a job that suited her experience... and that measured up to her genius adoptive parents' expectations. In between interviews, Grace has been taking odd jobs in Lucky Harbor. When Dr. Joshua Scott mistakenly calls her to hire her as a dog walker, Grace seizes the opportunity. Soon, not only is she walking Josh's demonic puppy, but also looking after his son Toby and his sister Anna, who was in a car accident five years which killed their parents and left her a highly functioning paraplegic... and falling in love with Josh.

Josh has a lot of responsibilities on his shoulders and is over-worked. He has his shifts at the hospital, his father's practice to maintain and the hospital's board of directors on his back to buy him out. He practically has no time for his son who lately only barks and doesn't talk. Add to it all that his relationship with his sister is not good, actually very tense because of whom she's dating and the lack of direction in her life... The last thing on his mind is meeting an attractive woman and falling in love with her... but love doesn't wait.

Why this book? I was originally interested in Josh and Grace's characters and reading the excerpt of Forever and a Day at the end of Lucky in Love sealed the deal for me :)

What did I like? Well I did end up enjoying Forever and a Day a lot more than I expected, which is always a good thing :) I think what worked for me in this book was the humor and the funny scenes. There were quite a few LOL scenes such as the opening when Grace dog-walked Tank and thought he drowned in the sea, the nude modeling and Amy asking Grace for accounting help. I could totally see Grace's incredulous face when she received the shoe box and saw the napkin LOL.

I also liked Josh and his family. I felt they were portrayed realistically, not too stereotypical. I liked that Grace didn't immediately connected with Toby, Anna or Tank as well. She wasn't Mary Poppins with answers to every questions, I liked that she was out of her depth from time to time. As for Josh, while he should have realized he was way over his head earlier, I liked that despite everything, he tried to be a good father.

Finally, while the town was still presence, I felt it wasn't as obtrusive as in previous books and that was a good thing for me - wasn't as annoyed with the town Facebook page.

What didn't work? In a way, I thought both Grace and Josh were too stubborn. They had an idea in their head and what they did had to match to that idea. They didn't take a minute to take a look at their reality. I was very annoyed that Grace kept speaking about getting a high-paying job when it was clear that she was happy in Lucky Harbor and was actually building a business. I'm glad that Ms Shalvis showed us why, the source of her obsession... but at the same time, I would have liked her to elaborate that part. I wished we've had seen Grace confront her parents, for her to realize that it was okay. At the end of it, I guess she did it for love, to stay in Lucky Harbor with Josh and his family... but I would have liked if she had done it for herself.

As for the romance, I was glad that Josh and Grace tried to fight off the attraction a little bit. However, I don't know, I didn't feel it. It was once again the kind of romance the two parties embark in, not expecting anything and realizing oups, I fell in love somewhere along the way. I also got really tired that everyone around Josh and Grace pointed out that they were in love.

My Grade? B. Forever and a Day was a solid book in my opinion.

WEM XVII: Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis and If the Slipper Fits by Olivia Drake

Hello everyone! How are you doing?

Ouf, it's still Saturday! Was planning to get this done this morning, but didn't have time before I had to rush out and meet my friends for Snow White and the Huntsman ^_^; Ahhh, I'm so glad it's the week-end :) This week was quite long, tiring and I was so out of it ^_^; So I really hope to enjoy my week-end and so far so good! Of course, it helped that I started my week-end by rewarding myself with some cannoli and Italian cookies :) I've been craving it for weeks now and finally, I went to the Italian bakery.... so much traffic, but worth it!

As promised, this week's WEM is a double-feature! And you guys have spoken: Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis and If the Slipper Fits by Olivia Drake :) You ask, you get LOL. Enjoy!!


Lucky in Love by Jill Shalvis

published by Grand Central Publishing

Mallory Quinn has had enough of playing it safe. As a nurse and devoted daughter, she takes care of everyone but herself. And as the local good girl, she's expected to date Mr. Right. But for once, she'd like to take a risk on Mr. Wrong. And who could be more wrong than Ty Garrison? The mysterious new guy in town has made it clear that he's only passing through, which suits Mallory just fine. Besides, his lean, hard body and sexy smile will give her plenty to remember once he's gone...

For the first time in his life, Ty can't bear to leave. Helping this sexy seductress-in-training walk on the wild side is making him desire things he shouldn't- including leaving the military for good. As their just-for-fun fling becomes something more, Mallory and Ty wonder if they could really be this lucky in love. After all... anything can happen in a town called Lucky Harbor.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Lucky Harbor series, Book #4

What do you need to know? Well with all the reviews out there, you probably know what happens in this book LOL. But here's my take.

The book opens up with a freak snowstorm in spring and Mallory Quinn, Amy Michaels and Grace Brooks find themselves stuck in the diner, bonding over chocolate cake while Amy is trying to sell Mallory the merits of walking on the wrong side of the line and dating Mr. Wrong. A tree falls in, they hit a guy and somehow, they end up in Mallory's car, tending to Mysterious Cute Guy and waiting for the ambulance... and on impulse, Mallory asks Mysterious Cute Guy out for the week-end's auction. This event is important to Mallory because a portion of the proceeds of that soirée will go towards her pet project, the Health Services Clinic. She wants to open such a clinic in memory of her sister Karen who probably wouldn't have died if she had access to such services.

Mysterious Cute Guy is Ty Garrison, a former Navy SEAL trauma medic, but was honorably discharged after a plane crash in which his team and best friends all died. In the process, he almost lost his leg and now, has re-injured it in one of his most recent assignments - private contracts to accompany and/or rescue dignitaries in war zones. So Ty has chosen Lucky Harbor as his haven to recover... and has been dubbed as the Mysterious Cute Guy on Facebook by the community.

On the auction night, one thing leads to another and Mallory and Ty end up having hot sex. Mallory has always been the "reliable" child in her family - the one that never acted out and whom her mother never had to worry about, while her siblings ran loose. After tasting a bit of wild, Mallory decides to throw caution aside and starts a temporary fling with Ty...

Why this book? I told myself I wasn't going to pick up Lucky in Love, but got swayed by all the good reviews LOL. Yes, I'm that easy. It's not that I don't enjoy Ms Shalvis books, I do... just not as much as everyone else seems to and that's why I think she and I don't click. There's something everyone else is seeing/feeling and I don't ^_^;

Any Issues? I'm going to start with the issues I had with this book, because I think it makes for a more coherent review. Basically, my issue with Lucky in Love is that it was a typical contemporary romance, like so many that are being published nowadays. Goodie-two-shoes heroine, former SEAL hero with PTSD and a romance that starts out as a fling with neither party looking for commitment or long-run... but you know they'll fall in love and you know either the H/H will walk away, realize his/her mistake and come back. If you're looking for something original and refreshing, Lucky in Love is not it ^_^; To her credit, Ms Shalvis has tried to add some depth to the story through Mallory and Ty's backgrounds/sad pasts. It works to an extent, but again, it's not very original... and I have to say, I found the weight Mallory and Ty had on their shoulder, a big draggy.

What I liked? At the end of the day though, Lucky in Love was still an enjoyable book thanks to Ms Shalvis' execution. She has two nice and likable characters as H/H, has also set up the stage for her new set of heroes and heroines well and has not looked back too much on the previous trilogy. Also, I think everyone liked the idea of the Chocoholics - CA :) And it's nice that Mallory, Amy and Grace have such good chemistry together. While the friendship is very new, there is honesty and support in there which makes for a very promising relationship. Finally, Ms Shalvis added the right touch of humor through the quirky characters in the community :) So really, it was a typical contemporary romance, but at least a solid and well-written one.

My Grade: B.

If the Slipper Fits by Olivia Drake
published by St. Martin's Press in May 2012

Will she have her happily ever after?

Is This Love Real?

Raised in a girls’ school, Annabelle Quinn longs for the world outside the walls of the academy. When she’s hired as the governess to an orphaned duke, Annabelle never expects the child’s breathtakingly handsome guardian to capture her imagination—or her heart.

Or Are They Living In a Fairytale?

Falling for his young nephew’s governess is an irksome complication in Lord Simon Westbury’s orderly life, but Annabelle’s quiet beauty and wry intellect are too much to resist. Meanwhile, a mysterious danger looms over the remote Cornwall estate. Will their newfound desire stand the test of time? Or are some happy endings just too good to come true?

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Cinderella Sisterhood, Book #1

What do you need to know? Annabelle Quinn was raised in a girls' school in Yorkshire and has remained at the school, but not by choice. Without any means and family, she doesn't have many prospects... but that doesn't stop her from longing for the outside world. When the opportunity arises for an interview to become the governess to the young, orphaned Duke of Kevern, she's determined not to miss it.

When Annabelle arrives at the Cornwall estate, she quickly realizes two things: Lord Simon Westbury, guardian of the duke, did not expect her presence and is really unhappy with it... and he has neglected his charge, leaving him to the care of the staff and the very rigid and boring vicar. Well Annabelle will have none of that...

It turns out that Simon was in love with the duchess and she reciprocated his feeling, but in the end, did not choose the younger son. When his brother announced their engagement, Simon left and enrolled in the Army and has never returned to Cornwall... and therefore, has never met his nephew. Simon was about to embark on an epic voyage to the continent when he got words of his brother's death and his new responsibilities as guardian... All this years, he has not let go of his anger against his brother and sister-in-law and that has translated to a minimum of interactions with his nephew since his return... But with the noisy and pretty governess, this is about to change.

Why this book? The cover of If the Slipper Fits really caught my eyes and I thought the book sounded interesting after reading the blurb.

What I liked? Unfortunately, If the Slipper Fits did not really meet my expectations ^_^; and I have a lot of issues with it, but there was still some positive. Overall, I did like Annabelle's character. I liked that she was persistent. Given her situation at the girls' school, it would have been so easy to give up and be depressed... but she still dreamed and when she saw an opportunity to change her life, she gave her best. She was also very genuine and definitively to give the duke a better life, a better childhood. She had guts going against Simon and standing for what she believed. My favorite part of the book was definitively the bond between Annabelle and the young duke and how Annabelle roped in Simon to care more about his nephew. I simply like seeing adults and children develop a relationship together, to see the trust that is being established... Also, I find children keep adults honest and down-to-earth :) So that part was well done. And while I wasn't impressed by Simon's behavior, I thought Ms Drake did a good job with his character and establishing the motives for his neglect. In addition, this was my first time reading Ms Drake and I did like her writing. Another good thing was the lack of sequel baiting... I have to admit it's a bit weird, because I'm not even sure we were introduced to the future characters, but I'll take it :) Unfortunately, all this wasn't enough to negate my issues.

Any issues?  As I mentioned, I have a few. The most important one is that I didn't care for the romance in If the Slipper Fits. I think that Simon and Annabelle didn't have any chemistry together and I dislike how Simon takes one look at Annabelle and desires her... At the same time, he makes no efforts to get to know her or try to establish a relationship, since he is too busy looking for a wife. Ugh. Also, I just don't see why Annabelle succumbed to his charms and when was the moment lust turned into love for both of them? Oh and Simon's proposal was just way premature. In every aspect, the romance just didn't work for me :(

The other main issue was the big reveal at the end about Annabelle's identity. It came out from absolutely no-where in my opinion and was really far-fetched. Really, I thought it was totally superfluous and once again, did not care about this twist. I guess it was to tie in the Cinderella theme, but meh. It might have worked with a bit more shadowing and if it had a bigger impact on the storyline... Speaking of Cinderella, I'm not a big fan of fairy tales retellings and Cinderella sure is not a favorite... but when the series is named Cinderella Sisterhood, you have some expectations... and really, the link between If the Slipper Fits and Cinderella is very tenuous. I guess depending on the reader, this can be a good or bad thing.

My Grade: C-. At this point, I'm not sure I'll be picking up the next book...

Review: You Belong to Me by Karen Rose

Sometimes, I think reviewing is like biking or jogging. First, it's something that you never forget how to. Second, the first few steps are always the hardest LOL. Seriously, sometimes it's so hard ^_^; but I made it! So enjoy :)


You Belong to Me by Karen Rose

published by Headline Book Publishing in January 2011

When forensic pathologist Lucy Trask stumbles across a mutilated body by the chess tables in her local Baltimore park, its face so badly damaged it is unrecognisable, her sole concern is that it might be her old school teacher Mr. Pugh. When the corpse is identified, Lucy is shocked to discover that the victim is actually another man from her past. Who killed him and why his skin is burnt with the number '1' is unclear but it's evident that someone is demanding Lucy's attention. The discovery of a second branded body raises worrying questions: how many more lives may be at risk before the killer's final message is revealed? And can Lucy solve the killer's gruesome puzzle before their thirst for revenge is complete?

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: TBA

The Story: In You Belong to Me, forensic pathologist Lucy Trask discovering a body during her morning jog and mistaking it for Mr. Pugh, her high school teacher and good friend, due to the clothing. Quickly, the police - JD Fitzpatrick and Stevie Mazzetti - figures out that Lucy was meant to find the body and that she is somehow involved into this case. This is only confirmed when the heart is left in her car. How is she involved? Who is the killer? Those are the questions the homicide detectives hope that she will help answering.

JD Fitzpatrick is at a crossroad in his life. He lost his wife a couple of years ago, has just recently changed from Vice to Homicide and has been trying to sell his house for months. He is ready to move on, but is not sure in what direction. When he meets Lucy on the case, JD immediately feels something. They have shared a moment in the past, a connection... and now, attraction. For his future, JD is determined not to let Lucy come to harm, but it is something difficult to accomplish when a killer is after her.

My Opinion: It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Ms Rose... and the love continues :) When I heard that You Belong to Me was coming out in hardcover in the UK 6 months before the US release, I knew right away there was no way I was going to wait. No way. So I did the sensible thing: I pre-ordered the book from Amazon.co.uk LOL, and waited for it to be shipped :) And it was totally worth it!! :)

In You Belong to Me, Ms Rose brings us to Baltimore and introduces us to a new cast of characters. I really like how Ms Rose has different settings and casts of characters and that her books are loosely connected. It definitively gives her room to play, but also keeps everything new and fresh for the readers. There is no sequel baiting feeling and the process/character growth seem more natural as there is no pressure to get their book. At the same time, we get to re-visit and catch glimpse of old characters :) It's really well-balanced and the suspense/police work is what connects all this books rather than relationships.

LOL, but I'm getting side-tracked. The H/H of You Belong to Me are Lucy and JD. By the way, I would have loved to find out what JD stood for! Overall, I liked both characters a lot. Really, you can't help but admire Lucy because she's so strong. I loved her sense of loyalty and it makes sense that she values the people who helped her go through so much. At the same time, she's also a very caring person and that's not easy to be... because it can bring you heartaches, caring for people who do not deserve it, but you can't help it. While reading, Lucy's secrecy about her other life bothered me a bit, because her other passion is nothing to be ashamed of... but then, the more I thought of it, the more I understood why she was doing it. Lucy was definitively a very complex character and very contrasting a the same time. I think it'd be good for her if she could blend her two lives together. I liked JD's character, but I think he could have been developed a tad more, just so I could understand him better. He has a past - being a sniper, losing his best friend, feeling guilty for his wife's death, etc. However, at times, it felt more like a list of things than his own character. I think the main reason I feel this way was because Lucy was really central in You Belong to Me, the whole suspense revolving around her... because of that, we came to learn events that shaped Lucy, made her who she was today. On the other hand, JD's character was very much about the moment, his protectiveness, feelings, attraction to Lucy. I mean, I like that man, he's a great guy, an awesome guy... Who wouldn't crack for a man who buys a little girl a kindergarten's graduation? It's just that I wanted to know him better, understand him a little better.

With romantic suspense novels, the balance between the suspense and romance is pretty crucial... and also very hard to reach. I thought Ms Rose did a great job given the book. Yes, it could have used a little bit more romance, I would have loved more "normal" scenes between Lucy and JD... but at the same time, given the timeline of the book - 2 days - then yes, I'm happy with the romance we got. And it was actually pretty well-written and believable. I loved that Lucy and JD had a connection prior this case and I think that the moment they shared at the morgue, over a little girl's body, is something unforgettable for either of them. They didn't know each other, never really spoke to each other... but that connection made what they had and felt believable :) Plus this time, we got an epilogue that wrapped it up nicely :)

As for the suspense, well it was well done as usual. With such a short timeline, things were happening one after another and that was great for the pacing. The murders, the killer were classic Karen Rose's style which means a complex killer and some gory scenes. The killer was really scary and how he plans thing... Gosh. I really liked how everything came together, was linked. It makes me realize that they are really bad people out there, jerks and people without conscience. Also that everything has two sides, can be good, but can also be bad. Parents, small town, law enforcement... That good intentions can be used for bad purposes... Some really scary stuff when you start thinking about it ^_^;

A reader on Goodreads felt that Ms Rose wasn't bringing anything new with this story and she doesn't. However, I don't think it took away from You Belong to Me. I mean, romantic suspense as a genre is hard to play around with.... especially with Ms Rose's style that focuses on the investigation. As long as she continues the way she is, writing good characters, intense murder investigations and a nice romance, Ms Rose will be the Queen of RS for me and I actually don't want her to change :)

My Grade: A-. Once again, I feel that Ms Rose has delivered :) You Belong to Me was a fast-paced, intense romantic suspense with good and solid characters as well as a nice touch of romance. I hope that she'll return to Baltimore in the future, because I like this cast of characters and they had some interesting dynamics going on :)

Review: One Scream Away and Last To Die by Kate Brady

Yes, a review!! LOL, it's been such a long time, I don't even know if I can write them ^_^; Kidding. I hope :P But yeah, it's been a while and it just kind of happened...

So today is a double feature. I've had One Scream Away in my TBR pile for a couple of months and finally decided to read it in preparation of Last To Die, whose blurb really appealed to me.


One Scream Away by Kate Brady

published by Grand Central Publishing in July 2009

One Step Away

Seven years ago Beth Denison was attacked by a killer named Chevy Bankes. Since then, she's created a new life for herself and her daughter, one far removed from the night that ended in an awful tragedy. But now Bankes is out of prison, and his chilling phone calls tell Beth he's coming for her.

One Breath Away

Ex-FBI agent Neil Sheridan is driven to investigate a chain of murders eerily similar to a disturbing case from his past. When the killer's trail dead-ends at Beth's doorstep, Neil finds a beautiful woman with a secret she'll do anything to keep. Yet even as Beth surrenders to Neil's protection - and then his embrace - she still refuses to tell him why Bankes hungers to hear her scream, and why she'll soon consider doing the unthinkiable: face Bankes alone.

Genre: romantic suspense
Series: Sheridan, Book #1

The Story: The blurb is pretty accurate. Seven years ago, Beth was kidnapped by Bankes and witnessed a murder and her testimony put him behind the bars. However, for some reasons, he is now out of prison and after her. He has started another killing spree and uses the cell phones his victims to contact Beth.

Neil Sheridan is an ex-FBI agent who spent the last few years doing bodyguard work overseas. However, his last job went wrong, landing his brother in the hospital. Neil is pulled into this new investigation because of the similarities to the case that ended his career. Following the trail leads to Beth... and her daughter.

My Opinion: Lately, all romantic suspense books I read, I tend to compare them to Karen Rose's books and she's set the standards pretty high ^_^; Not that it's a bad thing though. Truthfully, the reason why I bought One Scream Away was because it was published by Grand Central Publishing, same publisher as Karen Rose :P

Okay, review time. I thought that Ms Brady showed a lot of potential in this debut novel. I think the best part of the book was the suspense. The case and villain were chilling, gory and twisted and Ms Brady did a good job at fleshing the villain, so he would appear more than one-dimensional. At the end, I couldn't help but sympathize with the villain a little, for what he went through and what made him deranged. It doesn't excuse what he's done, but it's good to know what was behind it. In that aspect, Ms Brady's style is quite similar to Ms Rose's.

Unfortunately, Ms Brady has a major weakness: her characters. It's not that they are TSTL or boring. Truth be, they are actually quite interesting. Beth and Neil have both gone through difficult period in their lives and the strength necessary to come on top was unbelievable. However, that's not enough... The real problem to me was that Ms Brady didn't develop Beth and Neil's backgrounds and personalities enough. They are given characteristics, but it was never really flesh out - unlike the villain. For example, Neil just came back to the States, after leaving the Sentry. What really happened? How is his relationship with his brother now? Is Mitch really angry? What is he going to do then? How did he lose his job/quit at the FBI. Readers are given the information, but Ms Brady never delves deeper into the details. As a result, Beth and Neil didn't seem real enough and so, I never really connect with them... or any other characters. There is a scene where Neil's best friend dies... and that should have been heart-breaking, but I didn't feel the impact of his loss emotionally. It was "Oh, he died."

As for the romance, I thought it was so-so. Personally, it felt abrupt to me. I didn't feel the chemistry between Beth and Neil. In the beginning, it seemed very improbable that anything would develop between them. Neil is after Beth because she's concealing information and she's concerned for her daughter's safety... and the next minute, Neil is lusting for Beth and suddenly, Beth is ready to accept Neil. Also, I felt that Neil was accepting Beth's daughter a bit too easily, given his past. I'm not saying the romance wasn't nice, but quite frankly, it just felt improbable with everything going on and the short timeline. I think it would have worked better for me if the relationship had been a bit more platonic and Beth and Neil work at getting to know each other better after the events of One Scream Away.

My Grade: C+. Ms Brady is definitively writing books in the genre that suits her and as I mentioned earlier, has shown a lot of potential in this debut novel. Of course, there are elements to improve, but I believe that when she will, she'll be a force to reckon, an author not to miss :P


Last to Die by Kate Brady
published by Grand Central Publishing in September 2010

No Warning

A ruthless killer hides in plain sight, portraying the ideal citizen while hatching a horrific plan. Sins of the past have come to light and now the time is right for revenge. Six desperate women will be brutally murdered as punishment for the secrets they've kept hidden...

No Escape

Detective Dani Cole is devastated to discover that a young woman viciously killed in a local park was someone whose life she'd helped redeem. Her investigation becomes even more personal when it leads her to Mitch Sheridan, a renowned photo-journalist. The two share a painful past... and an attraction that sparks as they race to find the killer. But danger is much closer than anyone imagines. For in the shadows, this calculating has a new target: Dani Cole.

Genre: romantic suspense
Series: Sheridan, Book #2

The Story: Mitch Sheridan is a renowned photo-journalist who's traveled the world in an effort to expose other countries' suffering. However, things have gone wrong during his stay at Ar Rutbah where Mitch was gravely injured... and since then, he's lost his passion for photography. Only the death of his mentor brings Mitch back home - to find out the circumstances of the death and to do one final exhibition. The last person he expects to cross path again is his first love, Dani Cole.

To say Dani Cole is going through a rough patch is an understatement. It's always been hard to be a cop when your father is a cop who was known to accept bribes from the mob, it's even harder after he's blown his head in your guest room. So her job is on the line, then she loses one of her protégées - a young troubled woman who used to be a prostitute - and her only suspect is her first love's mentor ^_^; On top of it all, she has to face her old flame again - the perfect guy she had to dump because she couldn't trust her heart... Of course, if things can get worst, they will... and that's how Dani finds herself the next target of a serial killer...

My Opinion: Last To Die is Ms Brady's second novel and I picked it up because the blurb sounded really good. Already, it feels like Last To Die is tighter and better than One Scream Away.

What Ms Brady did well in One Scream Away, she does well again in Last To Die. I definitively have no complaint about the suspense. In fact, mixing everything together, it felt like the plot was more complex. The villain might have been revealed a bit early, but I don't think it took away from the suspense at all. Also, there was a twist in the book and I have to say, wow :P

I think where we can see improvement is the romance. I thought that Dani and Mitch had much more chemistry than Beth and Neil. Perhaps it's due to the fact that Dani and Mitch already knew each other and have been in love in the past. I felt that they knew and understood each other well and that made the romance more believable.

While I think the characters were better developed in Last To Die, the characterization is still lacking. Mitch's personality was better fleshed out this time around; however, I would have liked to see his past and family background expanded more. In One Scream Away, we were introduced to Neil, Mitch's older brother... and yet, I still can't describe the brotherhood between the two. They don't seem to get along well, despite a good childhood. And both have a younger sister that's barely been mentioned. Same thing with Dani. I also feel that the author doesn't need to make the characters background too complicated. More complex doesn't mean more interesting or easy to connect and it doesn't necessarily develop them.

So writing-wise, I think that Last To Die was better. The deal breaker unfortunately for my enjoyment was Dani's character. She wasn't very likable ^_^; I cannot pinpoint exactly what it was, but she just rubbed me the wrong way. I have to say, I didn't really like the way she treated people, although as a cop, it sometime made sense. I think overall it was the way she looked at life - I just didn't like her perception of it and how strong she had to be. That's why she broke up with Mitch the first time around, because she didn't want to rely or trust him, even though things were going badly. Sometimes, it's something to admire, but other times, it just feel like being stubborn for nothing. Especially when the guy is so great.

My Grade: B-. I enjoyed the suspense part and Mitch. I wanted more from the characters, but I do feel it's something that Ms Brady can achieve. This would definitively have been a B if I'd have liked Dani better ^_^;

Review: Silent Scream by Karen Rose

Work is still busy, but hopefully, it'll get better this week. We're doing an experiment, or actually, I'm doing an experiment and we're going to see the results this morning. Cross your fingers and pray for me... cos this is a year worth of work as my supervisor kindly reminded me yesterday - no pressure at all. Eeeeep. I think the rest of the week will be spent analyzing results and coordinating the Men's Day next week. Men's Day is next Wednesday and it's a day where we try to raise awareness for prostate cancer in a shopping center. Men will be giving samples of blood and urine and in exchange, they get an appointment with an urologist, which can be very hard to get... In the past years, they have gotten anywhere between 200 and 300 samples of urine... and my boss want to get them... Definitively another eeeeep! LOL.

Hopefully, it'll give me a bit more time to get back in a blogging and blog-hopping rhythm :) Lately, I don't have much time to do so at work... and once I get home, I'm a bit too tired to do all I want to do... So both my blogging and blog-hopping have suffered and I don't like it one bit :(

Okay, enough whining LOL. Here is my review for Silent Scream by one of my favorite author, Karen Rose :)


Silent Scream by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in June 2010

Four college students believed they were making a statement. They were activists, fighting to preserve the environment by burning down a new apartment complex. But they didn't realize that someone was watching. A blackmailer hides in plain sight, using people's secrets for personal gain, and when this criminal sets his sights on the four young arsonists, he begins his most deadly game yet.

Firefighter David Hunter is devastated when he's too late to save a teenage girl from a Minneapolis fire. Authorities soon discover that it was a case of arson and homicide detective Olivia Sutherland and her partner Kane are assigned to the case. David and Olivia shared a night of passion some time ago, and sparks fly when they are drawn to one another again. But just as they begin to revisit that fateful night and address the events that tore them apart, David and Olivia are forced to pursue the blackmailer, whose horrific plans threaten to destroy those closest to them.

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Book #11 (books are loosely connected to each other)

The Story: There is a different blurb on Ms Rose's website and the back of the book, but I thought this one  described the story better :)

A teenage girl dies in an arson and detective Olivia Sutherland is assigned the case. For the past couple of months, Olivia has had a hard time doing her job... mainly because she cannot get the picture of the body pit out of her mind. In the last book, I Can See You, the MPD caught a serial killer who has been dumping the bodies of his victims in a pit for the last decade. Olivia and her partner were the unlucky ones who had to sift through the remains and inform the relatives of their losses. Let just say that the assignment has taken a toll on Olivia and she's been queasy around bodies lately... not very good for a homicide detective. The case becomes personally more complicated when she discovers David Hunter's firefighter company responded to the call and that she'll have to work closely with David.

Two and a half years ago, Olivia and David met during Olivia's half-sister's wedding and felt an instant connection to each other. They shared a night of passion... until a drunk David called out another woman's name. Olivia promptly ran back to Minneapolis while David was left wondering if it was all a dream. Then, seven months ago, David moved to Minneapolis and Olivia has been waiting for him to make the first step. Finally seizing his opportunity, David does so in the midst of the investigation where Olivia and her team find out that this case is much more complicated than what it appeared to be.

My Opinion: Wooohooo, we finally get David Hunter's story!!! Seriously, I thought the day would never come LOL and I was so happy to find out that his heroine was Olivia :)

Okay, enough fangirlish moment :) Where to start? Well first, I'm going to draw your attention to other bloggers' reviews for Silent Scream. I don't usually do this, but I think everyone had an interesting view of Silent Scream and it will probably cover whatever I forgot to mention, LOL :) So here are Holly's review, Lori's review and Kris' review. Now onto mine :)

I really think that Ms Rose is the queen of romantic suspense. Long time fans will definitively be satisfied with Silent Scream and she is sure to acquire new fans :)  Every element that makes a Karen Rose book is present in Silent Scream: great characters, good romance and intricate plot. I mean seriously, how can you not love David Hunter. He's been making appearances since Ms Rose's first book, Don't Tell, and definitively left a strong impressions on readers. He's handsome, handy with tools, knows his way around the kitchen, nice and gentle... the perfect man and definitively swoon-worthy material :) Yet, there are deeper layers that I didn't expect. Personally, I'm not sure how I feel about that... just because I don't think Ms Rose had those layers planned out when she introduced David's character in Don't Tell. It hasn't been foreshadowed much; however, it fits with what happened in the past and explain David's personality. David is really a great guy, a gentle soul and so deserving of an HEA ending. To see him yearning for it and yet, blunder his opportunities with Olivia is both heart-breaking, but also shows how human he is. It also demonstrates that you cannot always be nice and considerate... that at time, you have to be a bit more forceful and seize your opportunity. David is very lucky to have gotten a second chance with Olivia... which makes me like her even more :) Olivia is a good heroine. She's strong but has her vulnerabilities and issues, which makes her cautious, but not overly. She has a social life and loves her work. All she's missing is someone to share her life with, but she's still reeling from the past hurts and taking her time. I liked that. I liked that she's doing her things at her own pace and that she is her own person.

What I enjoyed the most about the romance was that once they stopped dancing around each other, David and Olivia communicated. Yes, talked and listened. It doesn't sound like much, but nowadays in romance, it's huge LOL. They didn't shout and get angry, instead they listened and tried to understand. It's obvious that David and Olivia wanted this relationship and wanted to make it work. If you think about it, their relationship is a weird one... They shared one week-end, spent a night together and actually talked to each other once more... and then, they have watched each other for almost two and a half years. Yet, they know and understand each other so well :) It was a very nice romance and quite different from anything else I've read :)

As for the plot, I really enjoyed it :) Ms Rose's plots are always complex, convoluted and Silent Scream is no exception. Early on, the readers discover that Silent Scream is going to be more than an arson case, yet I wasn't prepared for some of the twists. I also liked the fact that Ms Rose spent time to develop her villains. Some of them are so naive ^_^; but others, totally bone-chilling and evil. Something else I like about this plot is that it involves a current trend, free Wi-Fi connection. It sounds silly and insignificant, but not only it raises awareness, but in my opinion, it allows readers to connect more to the story, relate to their real life. I mean, free Wi-Fi connection... it's so banal... You don't think it can be dangerous ^_^;

I think another thing that makes Ms Rose books stand out is the investigation part. I like seeing the ongoing investigation, how they connect the dots, the work it involves, the distribution of tasks, the procedures and the clock ticking... The only series that does it better is perhaps the In Death series by J.D. Robbs aka Nora Roberts. It's thrilling and increases the suspense levels when it's well done :)

Unfortunately, Silent Scream was not perfect. I did have an issue with it and that was the pacing. I was not sitting on the edge while reading Silent Scream, not trying to the turn the pages as fast as I could. It was a good book with a good suspense, but not as intense as some of Ms Rose's previous books such as Count to Ten, Scream for Me or Die for Me. Personally, I think it had to do with the length of the book and the balance between the suspense and the romance. This is going to sound weird, because that is one of the thing I complain the most, balance between the plot and the romance. It's really difficult to get it right and please everyone. In the past few books, Ms Rose has been more heavy on the suspense than the romance... in Silent Scream though, I think she got it right. The romance was prominent and satisfying... but while the suspense was fast-paced due to the investigation and short timeline (3 days), the romance was slow-paced because it involved a lot of talking and listening. As a result, it created an imbalance in the pacing. Silent Scream clocks just under 600 pages and has a timeline of 3 days, yet it felt much longer than that due to the romance. I'm not saying I wanted less romance because it's not the case. I'm really  happy that David and Olivia romance wasn't short-changed... but I do think that Silent Scream was as intense and powerful as other books because of it ^_^;

Oh, another thing I wasn't totally fond of is how David and Tom went after the villain, but neither is a cop. I mean, David is a firefighter yes, but quoting Tom: "We need a damn gun." LOL, although it did surprise the villain in the showdown at the end! If it was a heroine, it would totally be in the TSTL category... but since David has faced many situations in the past, it's not totally TSTL. Yes, the dreaded double-standard :P So while not entirely TSTL, it wasn't very smart either... hence the not fond of it :P

Finally, I'm happy the story took place in Minneapolis and we got to see  some familiar faces :) I also thought David's mother presence was nice. Ms Rose seems to be building up the Minneapolis entourage with some interesting characters. I guess this mean she will come back to Minneapolis in the future and I'm glad ;)

My Grade: B+. I really enjoyed the book - David and Olivia, their relationship and the plot. I'm really happy about David finding his HEA ending and his character and story didn't disappoint. However, I think the fact that Silent Scream wasn't as intense really affected my reading experience. I've been wavering between B+ and A-... If I break down everything, the story, characters, etc., it would be an A-... but the reading experience was really a B+, so that's what I'm going with.

I'm definitively looking forward to Ms Rose's next release :) Apparently, she's introducing a new team from Baltimore :) I'm looking forward to meeting them... that will give time for Tom Hunter to grow :P Can't wait for his story... and I hope Murphy is going to get his soon :)

Re-Read: Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose

It's a good thing to make my re-read in time, but it's of no use if I don't manage to write the review! LOL. Read and review, the constant struggle! :)


Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in August 2005

As director of an inner-city woman's shelter, Dana Dupinsky safeguards many secrets. Some are new identities; some are new addresses; and some are even hidden truths about herself. Passionately dedicated to Hanover House and the women she protects, Dana has always been reluctant to look for love. But now, just as a case puts her and a child in mortal danger, it seems that love has come looking for her.

Security expert Ethan Buchanan learned to stalk men in the Afghan desert. Now he vows to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson-and falling for Dana is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For there's a deadly new secret at Hanover House. A brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge with a stolen boy at its center. And Dana is the next victim on the list...

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Book #4

The Story: Okay, I'm not going to try to write my own blurb, because there's a lot of twists in this book and I don't want to give it away. Plus, I think that the book blurb did a good job, at least, giving insight on the H/H - Dana and Ethan :)

My Opinion: I am sure, sure, sure that I've read Nothing to Fear in the past, but honesty? I couldn't remember much of it ^_^; I remember it involved a deaf boy and that's the book Dana and Ethan got together, but that was pretty much it ^_^; It kind of bugged me a little that I couldn't remember much of it after I finished  I Can See You, since it was Evie's story and she had a big role in Nothing to Fear... and after reading Silent Scream, I decided it was time to re-read it... so that's what I did :)

I don't really remember my impressions of Nothing to Fear the first time I read it ^_^; It's no real surprise, since I couldn't remember the storyline either... However, I'm pretty sure I enjoyed it LOL, since I continued reading this series :)

What about this time around? Honestly, I have to say that reading Nothing to Fear was a bit hard for me, because I did not like Dana much ^_^; My view of Dana has been changed and colored with the last couple of books, mainly because I like David Hunter's character so much. I kind dislike Dana now because she made David suffer so much, even if it is unknowingly ^_^; See, David has been in love with Dana for so long and it's all been one-sided... unrequited love. I understand that Dana doesn't feel anything for David and you cannot force love... and I don't want Dana to love David, but it caused him so much grief. What I don't understand is how everyone (and I mean everyone) knew that David was in love with Dana, except Dana. I think if she had acknowledged his feelings and confronted him with it, it would have brought closure. It makes me think that it's wrong for people to devote themselves too much for a cause... You are so focused on one thing that you missed everything else that's going on around you :( I really disliked how Dana didn't take care of herself and took risks. It's for a good cause and she feels strongly about it, but there is a limit and she crossed that line too many times for me to be comfortable. I am glad though that at the end of the book, she started questioning her action and in the end, left the Hanover House and became a foster parent.

Otherwise, Nothing to Fear is a great book. I actually liked Ethan a lot :) He's a good man... actually, all of Ms Rose's heroes are great guys :) Solid, gentle, sensible, brave and strong LOL. I did enjoy his relationship with Dana... I like the fact that both of them felt right away that this relationship was special... and that they took some time to get to know each other and explore, even if the timeline was short.

What stands out the most in Nothing to Fear and what I enjoyed the most is the plot. Oh gosh, this was great suspense. A real page turner :) The plot was cleverly built and solid with some interesting twists. Everything tied up well together and the villain was definitively scary.I also liked the investigation aspect, how they all work together to piece the clues and arrest the villain. I really enjoy Ms Rose's plots, because they are always so complex, but well constructed. They are always more than what they appear to be on the surface. Ms Rose definitively has a knack for writing romantic suspense :) I also like the balance between the suspense and the romance. I think she did a great job incorporating the romance... Sometimes, it's hard to believe in the romance in a romantic suspense, it feels like the romance doesn't have a place, especially when the timeline is short... but like I mentioned above, it works in Nothing to Fear. I really did believe in Dana and Ethan's attraction and how it played out. I'm happy that the H/H were not joined at the hip. They spent limited time together, but it magnified the importance and the impact :)

Aside from Dana's character, the only other issue I had with this book was Richard's family. Richard is Ethan's dead best friend. Throughout the whole book, whenever Richard was mentioned, I wondered if Ethan kept in touch with Richard's family. For some reasons, it didn't seem so to me, but that's perhaps just a feeling I got... but if he didn't, that wouldn't be consistent with Ethan's character... Hmmm.


My Grade: B. Nothing to Fear is a great romantic suspense - solid plot and solid characters. Not my favorite Karen Rose book, but one that I'd probably read just for the plot alone :)

Review: How To Tame A Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist

First I'd like to thank everyone for the positive feedback yesterday on the new look :) I'm happy that everyone seems to like it! :)

Otherwise, there's not much to say LOL :) Supervisor is on vacation, the summer student is leaving next Monday, already. Going to be quiet in the lab. My uncle came to help my dad do some manly work involving wood and a hammer LOL :) My cousin might swing by with her boyfriend - I hope so.

Watched SYTYCD Canada yesterday. Unfortunately, I missed the first episode on Tuesday because I went to see G.I.Joe. The auditions yesterday were enjoyable :) But man, I think they'll be a lot of people for the Top 20 selection ^_^; And there's a lot of people from last year returning. I like the fact that the judges are so encouraging, but I'm thinking they might be a wee too nice? Ah well, we'll see :P


How To Tame a Modern Rogue by Diana Holquist
published by Grand Central Publishing in August 2009

Commitment-phobic Sam Carson has only dated model-gorgeous women. But one stolen kiss from a plain-Jane schoolteacher and he's hell-bent on stripping away her floral dresses and teaching her the art of being bad. If only her good-girl ways didn't make him want to be a better man...

Ally Giordano is at the end of her rope. Her beloved grandmother actually believes that she's living in her favorite romance novel in Regency England and Ally doesn't have the heart to set her straight. But now Granny Donny's last wish is for a retreat to the country and Ally can't refuse her...until she demands that Sam accompany them. And though his smiles turn her knees into jelly, Ally knows better than to trust a playboy...and she definitely knows better than to try to change one. Or does she?

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: None (so far)

The Story: Ally Giordano is turning 25 years old and she has plans: moving on. About 10 years ago, she was abandoned by her parents who ran away due to debts after Ally's grandmother, Granny Donny, cut them off. Ally gave them a deadline - they had 10 years to come back for her... The deadline is expiring the next day and so Ally is getting ready to move on - move to San Francisco where she got a teaching position in a prestigious high school.

However, Ally's careful planning goes down the drain when Granny Donny shows up on her doorstep, dressed in regency clothes with a handsome playboy, Sam Carson. Unfortunately for Ally, it seems that her grandmother suffered of a mild stroke and believes herself to be in the world of her favorite historical novel (1812), The Dulcet Duke, and is determined to see Ally married to the Duke Whatthehell, also known as Sam. Ally realizes that this could be her grandmother's last wish and wanting to please her, Ally agrees to retire to the country (to their beach house) by horse carriage where they will host a ball. Intrigued by Granny Donny as well as Ally, Sam Carson decides to join them for the ride.

My Opinion: I've read a few books by Ms Holquist in the past and I have to admit, they've mostly been misses for me ^_^; However, the back blurb of How To Tame A Modern Rogue sounded so fun and intriguing that I had to get it. Just had to get it... so I did and I'm glad :)

How To Tame a Modern Rogue was a very cute book :) The premise/idea is quite original and refreshing and is complemented by some very interesting characters. I loved Granny Donny, such a resourceful woman who won't take no for an answer. I fell for Sam and was rooting for him all the way. Mateo's storyline was quite interesting and I hope there'll be a follow-up on him and his budding romance with Ally's best friend. However, this book wasn't perfect and my biggest caveat was unfortunatly Ally, the heroine.

I found Ally extremely annoying ^_^; I don't enjoy Ally's type of heroine: controlling, pessimistic and suspicious. I hate how she kept jumping to conclusions and how she always thought the worst of Sam, simply because he enjoys life. The first time she saw Sam, she immediately thought he was a conman after her grandmother's money. Then, when she saw Sam's penthouse - she still didn't quite believe he was rich himself, must have gotten it from some old rich women (i.e. she thought he was a gigolo). During their journey, when Granny Donny and company ended up at the horse racetracks, of course, it must have been Sam. Or whether he was sleeping with the hired help. Ugh, it drove me nuts!! Yes, she has a sad past and I could understand some of her reactions, but she went too far, she was too much. I mean, after all, she was raised with Granny Donny - who enjoys life. Did her grandmother abandon her too? Nope. As a sidenote though, I think that Granny Donny should have told the truth to Ally much earlier. Yes, Ally might have suffered, but at least she would know and it would have allowed her to move on earlier.

I also didn't understand why Sam fell in love with her. Why her? Okay, so he was attracted to her after the kiss. Fine, but otherwise? I thought Sam was an interesting character, especially given his upbringing, a modern rogue who fit the duke's description to a T, LOL. I thought it was cute that he was all outraged after reading The Dulcet Duke :) At the same time, it also showed him how empty his life is... It's quite sad when you realize that you're all alone and that nobody would really miss you. However, that's how he chose to live his life and I admire him for standing by his decisions. He started from scratch and made a fortune. I mean, he did succeed in life... and is it really our business how he chooses to live his life? Whether he does join a firm or not and his strings of affairs. So it makes him commitment-phobic... but how many out there are this way? Does that make him a bad man? No. So that's why the way Ally treated him annoyed me a little. I didn't like that Ally couldn't accept Sam for who he was. She wanted a sad story to justify his choice, the way he lived his life... In my opinion, there's nothing wrong with Sam and the way he is. He's not a bad man and as long as he's willing to change his ways for the right woman, it's great! Of course, he did have a sad story in his closet ^_^; but at least, he didn't use it to excuse his choice. I liked the fact that he stood his ground, that he knew the choices he made were conscious and that they couldn't be excused by his past. All in all, I thought he deserved better than Ally. The only redeeming factor in this relationship between Ally and Sam to me is the fact that Sam is the one who walked away from Ally and she's the one who had to grovel. Although, Sam went easy on her, in my opinion.

It might sound like I didn't enjoy this book, but I did. The storyline overshadowed the characters in my opinion and it made up for the heroine. I mean, it was just fun imagining this party crossing New York in a horse carriage and making their way to the beach house. The soccer's tidbits were also fun :) LOL, the fact that Sam was so passionate about soccer... it fit him :) Mateo's storyline was also quite interesting and as I said earlier, I hope we'll see more of him in the future.

My Grade: B. A cute book, fun and enjoyable. The grade would have definitively been higher if I'd have liked Ally better.

Review: I Can See You by Karen Rose

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Karen Rose! Love her books, I think she's one of the best romantic suspense authors out there, if not THE best :) So it's no surprise that I've been running after her newest release - although to tell you the truth, hers wasn't so hard to find :)


I Can See You by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in August 2009

Eve Wilson was the victim of the villain in Don’t Tell, an assault which resulted in disfiguring injury. After the incident, Eve retreated into the virtual realm, seeking refuge from the public eye. Now, with the help of a surgeon, her face is mostly restored and she has returned to the real world. Now a graduate student, her goal is to research the use of the virtual world as therapy to improve self-esteem. But when a string of suspicious suicides connected to her Internet activities leads homicide detective Noah Webster to her door, Eve is forced back into an intoxicating world of Web sites, alternate identities, and secret passions. A world where her experience and expertise are key... and where she becomes a player in a deadly game, trapped in the fight of her life.

Genre: romantic suspense
Series: Karen Rose, book #10

The Story: It's been 6 years since the events of Don't Tell where Eve was brutally assaulted and left for dead. She has finally emotionally healed enough to move on, but in order to do so, she had to leave the nest... and ended up in Minneapolis where she's attending grad school in psychology and is a bar tender at Sal's, a cop bar. Her thesis project is a subject study about the use of the virtual world, Shadowland, as therapy to improve self-esteem. Everything goes well until Eve starts worrying about some of her subjects spending too much time in Shadowland and wrecking their real life. Concerned, Eve breaks the double-blind code of her study by 1) entering Shadowland herself to monitor her most at risk subjects and 2) finding out their real-life identity. However, things are worse than Eve could ever imagine when her subjects become the targets of a serial killer. Having no choice and putting her dream of becoming a therapist in jeopardy, Eve turns to Noah Webster, the dark, tall and lean lead investigator who has caught her eye by coming once a week at the bar, for help.

Noah Webster has been attracted to Eve at first sight which is the reason why the recovered alcoholic has been coming to Sal's bar once a week, every week of the past year. Her vulnerability elicits in him feelings that he's long forgotten and an urge to protect her... from him. Not wanting to burden her even more with his own baggage, Noah decides it's better to stay away from her... But fate has a different idea by throwing them together during this investigation, where someone is staging suicide by hanging the victims after dressing them up in a red dress and shoes and gluing their eyes open...

My Opinion: I've said it in the opening, I love Ms Rose books and I think she's a great author. What makes her stand out as one of the best romantic suspense authors is her consistency. I admit, I haven't adore all of her books; however that was due to the characters and my personal taste. When it comes to the storyline, the intrigue and the writing, Ms Rose excels every time. I Can See You is no exception - it's a great book: gripping and entertaining. I couldn't read fast enough, all I wanted to do was keep turning the pages and find out what happened next... which I did :) Not only I enjoyed the storyline, but the characters as well, so I'm a very happy camper with Ms Rose's newest release :)

First, I'm very glad that after the Vartanian siblings trilogly (Die For Me, Scream For Me and Kill For Me), Ms Rose comes back to a storyline/style closer to Count to Ten and her earlier books. It's hard to describe into words, but if you've read Count to Ten and Scream For Me/Kill For Me, you've probably notice a little difference. It's not in her writing style per se, but more the intensity, the urgency... and perhaps, in the balance between suspense and romance. I thought that there was a better balance between the suspense and romance in I Can See You and it was very reminescent of Count to Ten.

Secondly, I think that Ms Rose is awesome when it comes to connecting books together. That's what I like about her... She has 10 books so far and all of them are connected, but in a subtle way. You wouldn't be able to group them under a series name (except for the Varthanian trilogy) unless you do as I did and call the series Karen Rose LOL :P In most series, authors introduce the readers to a group of characters (either a team, an alliance, group of warriors, siblings, etc.) and then each of these characters gets their book, one after the other. However, it is not the case with Ms Rose. Instead, what she's done is varying things up by introducing readers to many different investigation teams via investigations and/or siblings relationship throughout her books: Chicago PD, Philadelphia PD, North Carolina State Bureau, Georgia State Bureau and now, the Hat Squad in Minneapolis PD. Then, she writes and writes and when she thinks a character is ready to have its own book or when it's been a while since we've seen this team, she goes back and writes it. It's like a big networking, giving her much more options to work with, and she does. Also, she doesn't have the need to have all of her previous H/H make cameo appearances in all of the books and when they do, they have the decency not to steal the show :P Again, Ms Rose only gives us subtle updates on them. Can you tell I really like how she's managing her books?

Anyway, I should get back to I Can See You right? :) Like I said, I really enjoyed this book :) I think that Ms Rose did a good job fleshing out Eve and Noah's characters. You can't help but admire Eve. She's been through 2 traumatic events in her life, but she's a fighter and is still out there, living a life. Perhaps not the life she imagined so many years ago, but a life. I liked the fact that it took her time to get where she is. We are seeing a different Eve, a more mature one. She's always been older than her age, she's seen more because of her background - coming from the bad part of town, running away from foster care, helping in abused women shelters... However, the rebellious teenager is gone and has been replaced by a calmer self, less rash... For sure, the events of Don't Tell have marked her - how could it not since it still impacts her so much physically... but it's something else, a quiet wisdom. I guess what I find amazing is that Eve still cares for people and not just her little support group. She's willing to form new friendships, new relationships. As for Noah, he's a good man and a good cop. He has his own baggage, is haunted by his own demons, but he's a survivor as well. He's work hard to continue living and he was smart enough to ask for help when he needed most. There's an inner strength in him that complements Eve so well... and I think he really needed Eve, otherwise, his life would be so empty. I enjoyed the relationship between Eve and Noah. I understand the reluctance from both for getting involved, but I definitively think they needed each other and are well suited. Their relationship is not an intense one like Mia and Reed in Count To Ten. Instead, it's something that has been building up over the year, although neither spoke of it and the yearning for each other makes it very poignant and precious.

One thing that I liked about Eve as well is that she needed a new city to start over, somewhere where she wouldn't be able to hide... but at the same time, it didn't mean she forgot about the people who cared for her and cut loose. As a result, while Ms Rose is introducing us to a new investigation team, there are a lot of familiar faces that play large roles in I Can See You: Tom Hunter, David Hunter and Olivia Sutherland (although Olivia comes with the Minneapolis PD :P). I enjoyed their presence in the book :) Olivia fits right in, David is still such a nice guy and he deserves his own book in the near future and Tom, forever the white knight :) Grew up into a fine young man :) I liked the Hat Squad from the Minneapolis PD :) I'm curious about Noah's partner, Jack Phelps, and why Noah tolerated him for so long. I liked seeing Olivia in her element, as a cop. I like the chemistry of the investigation team - ME, CSU, detectives, etc. Once again, Ms Rose has composed a good team and I liked the fact that the superiors/captains that we've met so far are good men, good cop. They're not after fame and not pressuring their teams to save their own behind and Abbott is no exception.

Okay, enough on characters, what about the story? It was a good one and of course, there's more than meet the eye. I never try to guess who did it because I usually read the end first, so yeah, I know ^_^; LOL :) However, I think Ms Rose did a good job maintaining the suspense... I'm not sure people can guess who did it before Ms Rose wants readers to know. There's also a vendetta against Noah and his partner and this muddles the ground even more for the cops. I think that Ms Rose definitively come up with interesting ideas and cases and this one was definitively interesting. Perhaps not as thrilling and out of breath as the Vartanian trilogy, but quite interesting. I have to admit, I feel relieved a little that the crimes this time were murders and not sexual crimes. Kill For Me dealt with human trafficking and it was a rough ride. The catalyst this time is a magazine article on the Hat Squad - homicide detectives wearing classic felt fedoras. I thought that the idea of Hat Squad was quite interesting and it being real made it even better.

Although I thought I Can See You was great, it wasn't perfect - but then, very few books are, right? :) One thing I wondered is, is it possible for Eve to be so well adjusted? At any other time, I wouldn't have questioned this, but I've recently re-read Angels Fall by Nora Roberts where the heroine was caught in a shooting and she became quite neurotic. It definitively affected her life and her habits... Eve has been involved in unbelievable stuff not once, but twice... Of course the background is different and stuff... but yeah, I can't help but wonder ^_^;

Then, there's the fact that although the cops were able to capture all the villains, ultimately, the serial killer succeeded in killing his 6 intended targets. Sure it didn't go completely as he planned, but, I don't know... The death toll in I Can See You was quite high, but then, there often are in romantic suspense, especially Ms Rose's... and while they did arrest the villains, I can't help but feel that it wasn't a complete victory since he planned to kill those 6 persons from Shadowland and he did. I guess it proves that cops, even those wearing classic felt fedoras, are not modern white knights or superheroes. They do what they can and it's not always enough... I guess I find it too close to reality ^_^;

My Grade: A-. Not a perfect book, but very close :) I really enjoyed the characters and the plot. I Can See You gets a lower grade than Scream For Me and Kill For Me, but it's as good! Only the feeling at the end is less intense, breath-taking. However, Ms Rose took more risks in I Can See You fleshing out the characters more and it paid off :D

psst - I hope that David gets his book soon and that his heroine is Olivia :)

Review: How To Score by Robin Wells

Ugh, computers annoy me so much lately!! So last Friday evening, I realized I had a problem with my computer - Firefox kept crashing. I tried Google Chrome and while it didn't crash, it kept being interrupted as well... and then, I realized it was probably the new adobe flash player that I installed, because it kept popping up and saying there was a new version. UGH. And my computer in general was crashing as well... so I restored the computer to a restore point and that screw up MacAffey. Hours later, I finally restored to another restore point and it seems to do the work... but it's soooo annoying... and Firefox has already crashed twice this morning. Sigh.

Then, yesterday, woke up and there was no internet connection. Hmmm. Usually, I wouldn't bother much, because it'll probably come back sometime during the day... but little problem now... my parents switch for the phone provider, so now, no internet no phone - and that's a big no no for my mom. In the end, they called the provider... and turns out both the modem and the router were kaput. Seriously?!? The stupid thing is that we just got a new cable box and modem from the provider when we switch plans - the cable box had to be replaced about 3 weeks ago. Now the modem too?!? Then, after work, I had to go buy a router... Guess what? Of course, I had to pick a lemon. I connected everything right and it wouldn't find the internet connection... but I knew we had signal. Then, of course, my dad had to doubt me and check all over again. Had to rush to another FutureShop to buy another router - ended up with the same one Kristie bought... Alleluia, it worked!! and that one is fairly easy to install. Now though, I'm wondering if I need to do something to the configuration... Because I used the setup wizard... Ugh.

Technology is cool, but sometimes, it can be such a PITA.

Okay, my rant is over ^_^; This post is to announce that I have a buddy review with Ames up at Breezing Through. Yay!! It's been weeks ^_^; The review is How To Score by Robin Wells which I enjoyed a lot :) Click here for the review.

Her life coach...

Museum curator Sammi Matthews isn't just in a dating slump, she's putting men on the injured list. After giving one date a black eye and cracking another's rib, Sammi decides she needs professional help. Enter life coach Luke Jones, who advises Sammi on how to overcome her klutziness. And their phone sessions work! Sammi soon meets a sexy FBI agent who seems to know just what she needs.

...is changing her life

When his brother Luke goes into federal protection, FBI Special Agent Chase Jones agrees to cover for him. Then Sammi's hot voice sizzles down the line, and the usual "phone only" rule is out. With "Luke" coaching her by day, and Chase dating her by night, Sammi's confidence soars, along with her appeal. Chase falls hard, but how will Sammi feel if and when he comes clean? Chase would rather she break all his bones than risk breaking her heart.

Re-Read: Don't Tell by Karen Rose

For this month's Re-Read Challenge, I chose Don't Tell by Karen Rose, mainly because Jill has recently read and reviewed this book... If I remember correctly, this was my first book Karen Rose. Seriously though, I was a bit fuzzy on the details - I remembered the main storyline, but details? Nope. Another reason why I picked it up is that the heroine in Ms Rose next release, I Can See You coming out in August, was a character in Don't Tell... so I thought it would refresh my memory and I'm glad I picked it up :)


Don't Tell by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing (Warner at the time) in July 2003

DON'T LOOK...

It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake . . .

DON'T TRUST . . .

Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago. She is even taking a chance on love with Max Hunter, a man with wounds of his own. But her past is about to collide with the present when her husband uncovers her trail and threatens her hard-won peace. Step by step, he's closing in on her— and everything and everyone she loves.

DON'T TELL

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: stand alone, but loosely connected to Ms Rose other books

The Story: Okay, so this blurb summarizes the book very well, but I'll try to give you a little bit more details. The book opens with Mary Grace Winters being at the hospital with a broken back after falling down the stairs and her abusive cop husband warning her not to tell anyone that he pushed her if not, the next time, he would finish the job.

Fast-forward to the present, 9 years later, and we are introduced to Caroline Stewart and her son, Thomas. It took her two years, but Caroline was finally able to run away from her abusive husband with her son and as a result, Mary Grace and Robbie Winters no longer existed... just the way they want. Both are now content with their new life. Caroline has been working as a secretary in the history department of Carrington College while finishing her undergrad and soon, she'll be head to law school. Her friend and supervisor has passed away and Caroline is welcoming the new head of department, Maximillian Alexander Hunter.

Attraction flares between Caroline and Max. For the first time ever, Caroline's heart goes pitty-patty. However, Caroline is not the only one with a past... and Max is not about to forget his, especially since it resulted in a permanent limp and him walking with a cane.

What Caroline and Max don't know yet is that they might not have time to work through their issues, because Caroline and Thomas are in danger. Indeed, the car that Caroline has ditched into a lake 7 years ago to stage their disappearance has been found. This has re-opened the investigation... but worst, Rob - Mary Grace's husband - has realized he's been duped all those years and he is now on the hunt, determined to get his son back and finish what he's started years ago.

My Opinion: I love Karen Rose and it's not a secret. I read all of her books, have all of her backlist... From the first book, I recognized her talents and started to pay attention to her releases. However, the turning point was Count to Ten. That book was a wowzer and turned me into a die-hard fan of Ms Rose. Thing though is that I love Count to Ten so much that it seems to have wiped out my memory of all her other books :( So I'm really glad that I picked up Don't Tell.

It's quite amazing how consistently good Ms Rose is as a writer. I mean, reading Don't Tell, I would never have been able to tell that it was her first book. I find it as well written as Count To Ten and I'm pretty sure if I re-read all of the other books, it'd be the same as well. When authors released their first books, it's usually flawed - oh, the book can be good, but it's not perfect. It can be the characters, the storylines or the writing style... Then, they keep writing and you find their books improving as the authors find their footing. This is absolutely not the case with Don't Tell. First, it's incredibly well-balanced between the romance and the suspense. The characters are well developed and the plot is just exciting :D

Let's talk about the characters first... I really enjoyed Caroline and Max's characters as well as Tom. I liked the fact that they were strong, determined, but at the same time, flawed... and I'm not just talking about their baggage. Each have issues to deal with, secrets and fears... they felt very real to me and I felt for their characters. Ms Rose did a good job balancing their personalities and their issues, because despite everything, these characters went on with their life. They weren't going through the motion like robots, and that showed their strength.

I liked how Caroline and Max's romance developed. Yes, it was very fast, but at the same time, it worked. I thought they had a lot of chemistry... what I liked the most was Tom's presence in this relationship. It made the relationship even more real. Tom is Caroline's protector, not able to readily trust Max as his mother did, but at the same time, having to bow to Caroline's choice. I liked the fact that Tom was not charmed right away by Max and that Max and Tom's interactions throughout the book were difficult. Not difficult as in Tom was a sully, spoiled teenager... but more because Tom wanted to protect his mother and Max was an intruder. Under these circumstances, it's totally understandable why Tom has difficulty to trust men and as a result, I liked that Max wasn't able to charm him... not that Max tried very hard. I felt like Max knew that it would take time to built trust between him and Tom and it's not that he wasn't willing, simply he wasn't rushing it. He did rush Caroline though with his proposal :P

The actual plot was quite clever. When you think about it, the reason why there is such a balance between the romance and suspense is that although Caroline was involved in the suspense, she did not play an active role. She was not a cop, so not part of the investigation, and she was unaware that her husband was looking for her. As a result, she was able to focus on her relationship with Max. The suspense came from a different angle, from the villain point of view, Rob Winters, as well as the investigator, Special Agent Steven Thatcher, who was trying to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Seriously, this was a great idea and it was well executed. It was exciting and thrilling. What I love is that these characters, Thatcher, the villain, other characters involved in the investigation were well developed as well. I liked seeing slices of Steven's life - his interaction with his sons and aunt, etc.

Overall, a very enjoyable book. Pretty much liked everything about it. The timeline was short, but it worked. Like I said, the clever part was how the plot was executed, having the investigation and the romance as two separate threads. Good and solid characters... I have to say, it was great as well to get re-acquainted with some of the characters: I did not remember David at all!! I remember him in Count to Ten, but didn't remember that he had such a big role in Don't Tell! I didn't remember Evie Wilson's character either... and this is one other thing that I like about Ms Rose's books: no sequel-baiting. All of her books are stand-alone, but in truth, they are actually connected and it's done in a subtle way. She doesn't put all the eggs in the same basket either - what I mean is that she varies up the setting and the characters. When she writes a book, she puts only the relevant information on secondary characters... she doesn't give a glimpse of their history or what's to come in the future... She doesn't seem to have an order to follow and all this works to her advantage. I really like it that way.

My Grade: Don't Tell gets a B+. It was a great re-read and in some ways, very new to me :) If you're looking for good romantic suspense, she is the author to go to :) However, a warning - this is not for the faint heart... the dead count is quite high and it can be descriptive/gory a little.

Kill For Me by Karen Rose

A few weeks ago, I got really lucky and was able to buy a lot of books(Score, Score, Score!), many of them before their release dates. Among those books, Kill For Me by Karen Rose.

I've been a fan of Ms Rose for a few years already, but the book that really made a difference was Count to Ten. With that book, Ms Rose became an auto-buy author for me and I've been stalking her book releases ever since.

Kill For Me is the last book of the Varthanian family trilogy. The first two books are Die For Me and Scream For Me and HAVE to be read, especially Scream For Me, in order to be able to follow the storyline.


Kill For Me by Karen Rose
published by Grand Central Publishing in February 2009 (Hardcover format)

Five teenage girls have been murdered. A sixth girl survived, and only she can reveal the secrets of a ring that kidnaps and sells teenage girls on the black market. But those responsible for the crimes will do whatever it takes to maintain the girl's silence.

Susannah and Luke have sworn to stop the murderers for their own reasons. Susannah, the sister of the hero in Scream for Me, suffers from a mysterious past that is connected to the sinister black market. Luke is an investigative agent and a computer expert who refuses to let another child predator get away.

Susannah and Luke are instantly attracted to each other, but their troubled pasts prevent them from immediately acting upon their feelings. The case will lead them to the realm of Internet chat rooms, where anyone can mask their identity. As Susannah and Luke draw closer to the criminals, they discover a chain of deception so intricate they don't know who to trust.Susannah and Luke find comfort in one another's arms, but the killers are ruthless and determined, and will take extreme measures to insure their anonymity and keep their business intact.

Genre: romantic suspense
Series: Varthanian family trilogy, Book #3

The Story: Kill For Me's beginnings actually overlap with the end of Scream For Me where Susannah and Luke were able to rescue Bailey and a Jane Doe. While the case Susannah's brother, Daniel, was working on is closed, another has opened as the GBI discovers the bodies of 5 teenage girls where Bailey and other victims were held captive. When Luke recognized one of the girls, they soon come to the realization that they are facing a human-trafficking organization and some members are linked to the rapes cases that Daniel was working on.

Now, it's a race against time as the human-trafficking organization stays one step ahead of them. All they have to go on for this case is the Jane Doe that is unable to speak, the clues they gathered at the crime scene and... the Varthanians and especially Susannah's past.

My Opinion: Wow. This is definitively the wowzer I have been looking for :) I started that book last Thursday night at around 8pm and just couldn't put it down. As a result, I went to bed at 1.30am (very bad for my productivity LOL). While I didn't really like the theme of the book (human-trafficking/prostitution), Kill For Me was definitively a great book: great, amazing storyline and very fast-paced... and also a bit scary.

The best part of this book was definitively the storyline. It's amazing how Ms Rose connected the three books together. We started off with the case in Die for Me which seemed "simple" and all thought it was closed at the end... but it wasn't, it was connected to something bigger - the rapes cases in Scream For Me which in turn led to something even bigger in Kill For Me. Most surprisingly, this was done very subtlely by Ms Rose and I absolutely did not see it coming. It's not simply connecting these three books, but all the clues and foreshadowings that Ms Rose did, how she linked and tied up everything... Wow, it was just true genius from Ms Rose!

The story is very fast-paced and one thing keeps happening after another. It's so compelling that you don't want to put this book down. I can't go into details about the case, because that would give it away. All I can say is this book is very compelling and to a certain extent, scary. After reading Kill For Me, I'll make sure to never do anything wrong or have bad habits or closet secrets that can be used against me. It's scary how you can be blackmailed or manipulated... You read, or at least I did, about a dark world that you're not aware is out there and never want to face it. Seriously, sometimes, ignorance is bliss.

All right, so now, let's talk about romance. Kill For Me was very light on romance compared to the previous two books or Count to Ten. One reason perhaps is that Ms Rose focused on the case and wrapping up everything. The second reason is the characters themselves. Both are haunted - Luke by his job with the internet sex crimes, and Susannah being a victim of sexual assaults. In that way, I'm glad that Ms Rose did not rush and force the romance aspect of this book, because with the time length of this book, it would not have been believable.

Speaking of the characters, I think they were the weakness in this book. I liked Luke. I think he was a good guy, very patient and considerate, very brave also. His job is definitively not easy and he cares and that makes him a very good guy. He was also sweet, kind... and sinfully sexy (LOL, you'll get that when you read the book). The problem is Susannah. I had a hard time connecting to her or even just warming up to her. She's a smart woman and was very brave despite her tragic past... however, she always seemed remote which is understandable... The fact is though, nobody likes "martyr" characters, no matter what their past is ^_^; In addition, I didn't really like the way she blamed Daniel for not being there to protect her. Perhaps she was right to blame him, but it just didn't work for me.

As a result, readers might be a bit disappointed because of the little amount of romance and characterization. Given the time frame of the book (3 days), it makes sense though and makes the book more believable. Also, a warning - this book is definitively not for the faint- hearteds. First, there's the subject - human-trafficking. There are talks about rapes as well. There's torture and the death count is very high.

All in all, Kill For Me is definitively not an easy, breezy book, but a great, compelling read nonetheless. It still comes a bit short when compared to Count to Ten in my opinion, just because Count to Ten was more balance and the characters, better developed and more likable. However, it gets bonus points for the plot and the whole trilogy storyline.

My Grade: A. Ms Rose definitively does not disappoint with Kill For Me. It was great and now, I have to wait till August for I Can See You, her next release. So far away...