Review: For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle

Hi everyone!

As I said, here I am! LOL. I'm jumping straight in with a review. It's been a while and I'm a bit rusty, so hopefully, the review isn't awful ^_^; I'm still trying to figure out things and there's a chance some stuff will change... but for now, here we go :)


For the Longest Time by Kendra Leigh Castle
published by New American Library (Signet) in July 2014

For Samantha Henry, it took a ten-year absence to appreciate the close-knit New England town with an appeal all its own...

After a perfect storm of events leaves Sam high, dry, and jobless, she has to head home to Harvest Cove to regroup. Growing up, she was the town misfit, and a brief high school romance that resulted in heartbreak made her realize she was never going to fit in. But now with the support of her mother and an unexpected circle of allies, Sam starts to wonder if she’s misjudged the town all these years.

Life’s been good to Jake Smith. He transitioned from popular jock to town veterinarian without any trouble. But Sam’s homecoming makes him question his choices. The sharp-tongued beauty was never a good fit for the small community, but he’s never forgotten her—or how good they were together. While she makes it clear she’s not about to repeat the past, Jake’s determined to convince her to give him—and Harvest Cove—a second chance.

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series: Harvest Cove, Book #1

The Story: I don't think I can do a better job than the blurb as it is pretty accurate. All I'm going to add is: 1) Sam is an artist and 2) what Sam and Jake had in high school wasn't really a romance. It was definitively the start of something until Jake denied his acquaintance with Sam in front of his friends from the popular clique.

My Opinion: In the past year, I've complained a lot about small-town romances and how I'm tired and over them. Yet, I keep picking them up, especially new authors and series ^_^; For the Longest Time is the perfect example of why... because every time, I hope this one will be different, that it'll wow me. And that's exactly what happened with For the Longest Time :)

At first glance, the premises of For the Longest Time is not so different from most small-town romances. You have a heroine who is down on her luck, coming back to her hometown. The first person she runs into is of course the last one she wants to see: the guy who broke her heart in high school. She hasn't been able to erase him from her memory and he's attracted to her and wants to reconnect... However, the way Ms Castle executed it made For the Longest Time very refreshing :) First, the story was focused on Sam and Jake and their romance. Even though this was the first book in the series, there was no information dump, no introduction of a funny cast of characters and very little sequel baiting. Instead, almost everything in the story was relevant to Sam, Jake and their romance. Of course, it's a bit plus that Sam and Jake were very likable and enjoyable characters. They were simply regular people, but I have to say very mature... and that's what made this book for me. They were able to see things with an open mind... For example, Sam left Harvest Cove because she didn't fit in. It was nice to see the woman Sam grew into and it's really no wonder Jake was attracted. Anyway, Sam gave Harvest Cove a chance and once She realized she liked it, she didn't get stubborn about leaving like so many other heroes/heroines. It's little things, but those made the differences when comparing For the Longest Time with other small-town contemporary romances.

The most refreshing part of For the Longest Time for me was that Jake, who had stayed in Harvest Cove, is the one who grew the most, who had a revelation. Usually, it's the other way around... the person who returns has the big revelation which makes it convenient to change his/her mind and settle down. I liked seeing Jake realized that his life was lacking and that his group of friends was insular. I don't want to give too much details, but it was nice. Usually, these books are all about old friendships, reconnecting with old friends and how good it is. But For the Longest Time shows us the other side of the coin which is as true and realistic. It was a bit sad and made me a bit uncomfortable because it hit a bit close to home for me, but in the end, it was nice to see Jake grow. It's also comforting to know that he still has good friends there for him.

Another part I enjoyed a lot was the atmosphere of the story. It was relaxed and quiet. There was no pressure, no obsession... Sam's goal wasn't to get out of Harvest Cove ASAP by any means possible. Instead, it was really the perfect place for Sam to go and re-assess her life. There were no stressful relationships either. I actually loved that Sam had a good relationship with her family. It was nice to see a normal mother-daughter relationship... but more importantly, it was good to see a loving and understandable mother that let her daughter figures things out by herself and in her own times. I enjoyed Sam rediscovering her town and the new friendships she made. I actually liked Sam's new boss, Zoe, a lot and am looking forward to her book.

Of course, For the Longest Time wasn't perfect. For one, I didn't get why Sam was so hard on herself when she came back home. Sam acted like she was an utter failure, as if she lost everything... and perhaps it's me who is not understanding enough, not having been in her shoes... but it felt to me, not that bad. And while the romance was very sweet and I liked Sam and Jake as a couple, I wished there's been more scenes of them together, more interactions. I also felt that the ending was a bit abrupt and fast. In the end though, these were all minor flaws that I easily disregarded because I felt the story was very refreshing :)

My Grade: B+. I was curious about Ms Castle's transition from paranormal to contemporary romance and I'm happy to say she pulled it off admirably :) For the Longest Time doesn't pack a punch, but in its quiet way, it made a way to my heart. I really enjoyed this book and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series, Every Little Kiss. March seems too far away!

Review: Skin Game by Jim Butcher

I'm still alive :) Actually, not much is going with me except reading... so I really hope to find my muse so I can share my thoughts with you. I'm currently toying with some ideas for the blog... Hopefully, some of them will pan out :)

For now, enjoy this review!


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

Skin Game by Jim Butcher
published by New American Library (ROC) in May 2014

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, is about to have a very bad day...

Because as Winter Knight to the Queen of Air and Darkness, Harry never knows what the scheming Mab might want him to do. Usually, it’s something awful.

He doesn’t know the half of it…

Mab has just traded Harry’s skills to pay off one of her debts. And now he must help a group of supernatural villains—led by one of Harry’s most dreaded and despised enemies, Nicodemus Archleone—to break into the highest-security vault in town so that they can then access the highest-security vault in the Nevernever.

It’s a smash-and-grab job to recover the literal Holy Grail from the vaults of the greatest treasure hoard in the supernatural world—which belongs to the one and only Hades, Lord of the freaking Underworld and generally unpleasant character. Worse, Dresden suspects that there is another game afoot that no one is talking about. And he’s dead certain that Nicodemus has no intention of allowing any of his crew to survive the experience. Especially Harry.

Dresden’s always been tricky, but he’s going to have to up his backstabbing game to survive this mess—assuming his own allies don’t end up killing him before his enemies get the chance…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dresden Files, Book #15

The Story: The blurb is a good summary for the book, so there's not much for me to add. Basically, since the events of Cold Days, Harry has been living by himself on Demonreach with very little contacts with anyone. Then Mab shows up because she has a job for him... and if he's successful, she'll help remove the parasite in his head which is going to kill him in a few days.

However, when Harry learns of the job, he's ready to balk no matter the risk to his life... because not only will he be stealing for Hades, Lord of the Underworld, but he'll be working for Nicodemus Archleone. Unfortunately, Harry doesn't have a choice... and he'll do everything in his power to undermine Nicodemus' careful planning.

My Opinion: I love the Dresden Files series. It's really one of my favorite Urban Fantasy series because it has it all: solid world building, complex stories full of twists and turns, great characters and great humor. The last book, Cold Days, was epic which is why I considered it my Best Read of 2012... I was so excited when Skin Game was finally announced, especially since the blurb sounded so good! I mean, Harry having to team up with Nicodemus to steal the Holy Grail from Hades?!?! OMG! LOL. I guess all of this meant that I really had high expectations for Skin Game... and as much as I wanted to love this installment, it fell flat a little for me :(

In short, what was missing for me in Skin Game was the intensity, the "sitting on the edge of your seat" excitement. The last few Dresden Files books were pretty much non-stop action and revelations... and while there was plenty of both in Skin Game, it felt less urgent. It also seemed like there was a lot of "quiet" time. When I read the blurb of Skin Game, I thought the book was going to be about going into the Underworld, the obstacles and people they'd meet in order to succeed. An adventure! Instead, a huge part of Skin Game was about planning the break-in and involved a lot of running around. Even worst, breaking-in the vault in the Underworld and the theft turned out to be anti-climatic! ^_^; I talked to my friend about Skin Game and his words were "the pacing was weird." I think a better word would be: uneven. Skin Game started out pretty strong, but then, it slowed down too much and lost momentum. So when it was time for the grand finale, it couldn't reach the high it was supposed to :(

Another issue I had was with Harry. In Skin Game, Harry still struggles with being the Winter Knight and how the mantle can affect his personality. He's still scared to become lose his conscience and become a monster. I understand that we all want character's growth and development, especially in a series featuring the same main characters... but in the case of Harry, it just seems a bit pointless. Perhaps it's because he's so aware of the possible effect of the winter mantle and therefore, keeps worrying about it and bringing it up. To me though, all his concerns just make him wishy-washy :(  Especially since in the end, Harry still reverts back to the same old Harry that we like and want. I wish he would stop worrying and accept the consequences of the decision he made. He needed the power of the Winter Knight to save Maggie. He tried to kill himself and didn't succeed. What else can he do? Especially now that Molly is the Winter Lady, shouldn't he stand by her side? Also, I feel that Harry should have processed his feelings and thoughts already. I mean, at least a year goes by between books... doesn't he think about it? As a result, it makes this issue a bit redundant.

Despite my complaints, there were quite a bit to like about Skin Game. I liked that Mr Butcher kept the cast of Skin Game small and intimate instead of bombarding us with all of Harry's friends and allies. It allowed more focus which was a good thing in this book. It was so nice to see Michael again and to have him team up with Harry... Just nice :) The twist about the parasite was inspired LOL. I'm curious to see how it's going to turn out. All I can think though is that Bob will have company and who knows, perhaps a girlfriend in the future :P I'm also happy that some elements of the whole series are moving along. For example, Harry and Murphy's romance - finally!! I understand Murphy's fear, but it'd be sad to miss out on love because of it. Also, we have a new Knight of the Cross! Yay! It was a good surprise to see who picked up Fidelacchius... Unexpected, but good because seriously seriously, Butters rocks LOL. I'm also happy that Murphy as a possibility as a Knight of Cross has been resolved. As usual, there was also a lot of humor in Skin Game. I particularly liked the scene with Uriel's mortality... and oh, the parasite - that was priceless LOL. However, my favorite part of the book is when Harry finally meets Maggie :) She deserves a father and Harry needs her. Oh and I'm really glad that Harry will finally be back in Chicago.

My Grade: B-. I read in LazerWraith's Goodreads review that Mr Butcher considered Changes, Ghost Story and Cold Days as a three-part mid-season special episode... and they were. He attained such a high with those three books that coming back down was going to be inevitably hard. I know that I'm in the minority, but I feel that's what happened to Skin Game. It's definitively not a bad book, but the difference between it and the three other books is huge. Still, I'm looking forward to the next book! Can't wait to see what Mr Butcher and Harry have in store for us :)

TBR Challenge 2014: Sea Glass Winter by JoAnn Ross

Yay, I made it!! Okay, this was close one! LOL. With everything that happened in the past month, I didn't Sea Glass Winter by Ms Ross. I read Castaway Cove not long ago and it reminded me Sea Glass Winter has been on my radar, so I decided this was it. So read on to find out what I thought of it :)
think I would make it. Especially since I had so much difficulty choosing what to read :( It's crazy to have such a big TBR pile and not know what to read. The worst is that this month's theme was easy! I'm a huge fan of contemporary romance, have tons of them and yet... Curious to know what I picked in the end?


Sea Glass Winter by JoAnn Ross
published by New American Library (Signet) in December 2012

He was used to getting what he wanted. And what he wanted was her.

As an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist, Dillon Slater had one of the most dangerous jobs in the military. Now, he’s enjoying the pace of life in Shelter Bay, where he teaches high school physics. He still gets to blow things up, but as the school basketball coach he also gets to impart leadership skills. His latest minefield: fifteen-year-old Matt Templeton—and Matt’s irresistible mother…

Claire Templeton moved her troubled teenage son to the small town of Shelter Bay to escape the bad influences at his school in L.A. But when his attitude earns her a visit from the handsome basketball coach, she wonders if this role model might be too much of a temptation—for her. Because though she isn’t looking for a relationship, she can’t seem to resist Dillon’s playful charm. But what she doesn’t realize is that Dillon isn’t playing games—he’s playing for keeps…

Genre: Contemporary romance
Series; Shelter Bay, Book #5

The Story: Basically, the blurb has it right. Claire Templeton is a jewelry designer and single mother who's had a difficult year during which she lost her mother and her teenage son started hanging with the wrong crowd. She hoped moving from L.A. to Shelter Bay would give her son Matt a better environment for a fresh start. A basketball star, Matt is not thrilled at the move to this quiet little town, especially given the basketball team's losing record... and not everyone in the team is happy to get a savior.

Dillon Slater used to be an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Specialist. Now, he's a physics high school teacher as well as the new basketball coach at Shelter Bay. He's a bit wary at Matt's arrival because he doesn't want a savior. He never expected to change the tide in one year, what he had planned was to teach his players leadership skills as well as teamwork spirit which a star as talented as Matt still lacks. He also didn't expect to find Matt's mother so attractive...

In Sea Glass Winter, we also catch up with past couples; in particular Ethan and Paige and Sax and Kara who are expecting babies.

My Opinion: I've read this series on and off, mainly because all the heroes used to be military men and I'm just way past military men turned civilians whether it's in contemporary romance or romantic suspense ^_^; I don't know, they just don't do it for me anymore :( I'm tired of the same issues being brought up and approached the same way, the alpha-ness and the fact they are "more" because they used to be military men. I understand that all this is a reality, but to read it books after books, heroes after heroes... It just takes away something :( Anyway, all this to say I haven't read all the books in the Shelter Bay series; however, I was interested in Sea Glass Winter because of the positive reviews and the storyline. I liked that the hero was the basketball coach and was hoping for some good mentor-trainee moments.

All in all, Sea Glass Winter wasn't a bad book... However, it didn't have anything to really make it stand out. The writing was good as usual- it made for a nice read, and I liked the small town that Ms Ross has created, mainly because it wasn't too stereotypical. I also thought the story had potential... but it felt to me it lacked focus. I would have been really happy if Sea Glass Winter had only been about Claire/Dillon and Matt/Aimee. Given that the heroine had a teenage son, I expected him to have a storyline, even wanted  it... and it looked promising. I liked the insights he had about his new life, his friendship with Aimee. I actually would have loved to read more about Aimee, she sounded like a cool girl :) It would also have been interesting to see more of his growth, the basketball team coming together, etc. Unfortunately, everything was cut short to give more time to the secondary characters and their storylines. Perhaps it's because I didn't read Ethan and Paige's book, so I didn't particularly care about the new development in their relationship. Honestly though, I thought it was superfluous, especially given the way it was solved. Seriously, it's no use to introduce a problem if it's going to become a non-problem!! That seems to be the new trend lately in books... but I digress. There was also a big part of the book towards the end that was about Paige and Kara both giving birth during a storm and really, I could have done without it. I wished that part instead would have been dedicated to Claire and Dillon's romance which was developed a bit too fast to my taste. I mean, Claire and Dillon were attracted to each other at first sight and they are thrown together a few times because of Matt. Then, the first chance they get to be alone, they jump on it and on each other and the next thing you know, they are a couple and Dillon is asking Matt's permission to marry his mother. It's not that I wanted more conflicts, but I wished I was shown more interactions between all the main characters.

From this review, it sounds like I didn't enjoy Sea Glass Winter and that's not true . I'm just frustrated because the whole story got side-tracked by the secondary characters. As a result, it feels unfinished. It seems there were a lot of issues brought up only to be forgotten with two romances that didn't get enough developments :(

My Grade: C-. Sea Glass Winter did have its moments, but not enough to make up for the lack of focus on the H/H and their romance, turning this into an okay read only.

Review: Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop

Okay, so I've been wanting to review this week for almost two weeks now, but words having been forthcoming... and they still aren't ^_^; So please bear with me as I try my hardest to make sense! LOL.


Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2014

After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.

The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard — Lakeside’s shape-shifting leader — wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.

As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet—and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Others, Book #2

The Story: I find the blurb of Murder of Crows to be a bit too focused on Meg while so much is happening, so I'm going to attempt a better summary. Not sure how successful I'll be, but in any case, I know Hilcia was pretty spot on, so if you are curious, you can check out her review :)

Murder of Crows pretty much picks up where Written in Red has left off. Meg has recovered and is back in the Lakeside Courtyard. She is still figuring out life outside of the compound as well as the full full extent of her ability. In addition, there's her deepening friendship with Simon Wolfgard, the leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, which seems to leave the two of them confused.

Meanwhile, in the rest of Thaisia, relations between humans and terra indigene are escalating while tension is mounting. Repercussions are being felt even in the Lakeside Courtyard. Across the continent, all blood prophets are seeing the same prophecy to all their requests: fire, destruction, floods, deaths... The terra indigene are growing impatient with the humans, especially after violent outbreaks aimed at them and the Humans First and Last (HFL) organization spreading their propaganda. When it is discovered that the violent outbreaks were spurred by two new drugs - "gone over wolf" and "feel good" - the terra indigene are willing to destroy its source... but it turns out to be Namid's wondrous and terrible creation, the cassandra sangue... What will they do?

My Opinion: As you probably all know by now, I loooved Written in Red :) It was my favorite read of 2013 and needless to say, I was really looking forward to Murder of Crows. Lucky for me, it showed up on my doorstep early... and you can imagine what happened next :P

My first impression of Murder of Crows is that it wasn't as good as Written in Red :( Mainly because I felt the book lacked a focal point. There were many POVs, many subplots and basically, some of them were unnecessary. Others felt incomplete because they were set-up elements for the next book. In other words, there were just a bit too much going on and pulling in different directions. This is Ms Bishop's writing style and it usually works well because her main storyline is solid and the rest is just complementing that storyline. For example, in Written in Red, the book was about Meg escaping and settling in the Lakeside Courtyard. However, in Murder of Crows, I don't know what was the main storyline...  was it Meg or what was happening between the terra indigene and the humans? I wish I could say it was Meg, but it didn't feel that way because Meg didn't feel like the main character to me. Yes, she was central to the story... but not really for the character itself, but more for the prophecies which got the rest of the book moving along. In truth, I felt like there was almost no development to her character, no growth :( And I guess that's why I didn't enjoy Murder of Crows as much. It also feels like Ms Bishop is missing an over-arching... or if she has one, it's a bit too subtle and has gone straight over my head.

The rest of the book was pretty good and well-written. As Ms Bishop demonstrated with the Black Jewels series, she is quite the master at writing about the interactions of two battling populations vying for power and the darkness and the blood it generates... and she does it again in Murder of Crows. It's quite frightening how dark the storyline is getting without you realizing it, because in your head, these are just words, are fictional events... but in reality, they could or have happened ^_^; I'm looking forward to see how this part will be resolved... if it can be.

One of the best elements of Murder of Crows was Meg and Simon's relationship. Ms Bishop did a great job at developing it as it had just the right pace and the right feelings on both characters' parts. We're definitively heading towards a romance and it's interesting to watch Meg and Simon muddled through it :) Once again, I enjoyed the different characters and interactions introduced and the humor Ms Bishop has injected into the story to counterbalance the darkness :)

My Grade: B. Overall, Murder of Crows was a very solid book. I just feel it would have been better if it focused a bit more on Meg ^_^; In any case, I'm still looking forward to the next book, Vision in Silver :)

TBR Challenge 2014: Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Yay, made it two months in a row! So far so good :) This time around though, I didn't take any chance and read my TBR book as soon as possible... and it paid off! Going to have to try to repeat that :P

So this month's theme was "series catch-up." I cheated a little and started a new series instead, the Chicagoland Vampires series... However, for once, I'm really far behind as book #9 just came out earlier this month. So if I get hook on this series, I will have a lot of it to catch up! Plus, I have two books of Chicagoland Vampires in my TBR pile, so it's as if I was catching up on the series, right? :P

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill
published by New American Library in April 2009

They killed me. They healed me. They changed me.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was mine. I was doing fine until Chicago’s vampires announced their existence to the world-and then a rogue vampire attacked me. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker… and this one decided the best way to save my life was to make me the walking undead.

Turns out my savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now I’ve traded sweating over my thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four hundred year old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects my gratitude-and servitude. Right…

But my burgeoning powers (all of a sudden, I’m surprisingly handy with some serious weaponry), an inconvenient sunlight allergy, and Ethan’s attitude are the least of my concerns. Someone’s still out to get me. Is it the rogue vampire who bit me? A vamp from a rival House? An angry mob bearing torches?

My initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war-and there will be blood…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Chicagoland Vampires, Book #1

The Story: Merit comes from a new-money family with parents who aspire to be part of the elite social class of Chicago and two older perfect siblings. The only person she's close to is her grandfather Chuck who used to be a cop for 34 years and who now works for CPD's Bureau of Investigative Services. Not fitting in with her family, Merit wants to be independent and left alone to complete her graduate studies in English literature. However, her life takes a drastic turn when she is attacked by a rogue vampire and later changed by the head of the Cadogan House, Ethan.

Even though it was for her survival, Merit is unhappy about her change because her choice was taken away from her. And so it makes it even more difficult for her to conform to the vampires feudal system. However, if she wants to enjoy her second life, Merit won't have a choice... especially when it becomes evident that Merit is more powerful than any new vampire should be.

And then, there's the actual attack by a vampire. Merit wasn't the only victim - two more were attacked before her and actually died. At each site, clues against a vampire house was left behind. So who is a the real culprit? Is it really a rogue vampire, a traitor of the Cadogan House, a vampire from a rival house?

My Opinion: I've had Some Girls Bite in my TBR pile for quite some years. I bought it along with the second book in the series, Friday Night Bites. I can't remember whether it was an impulse buy to cheer me up or I needed some books to take advantage of a "buy 3, get the 4th free" promotion... although I have the feeling it was the latter ^_^; Throughout the years, I've started Some Girls Bite several times, but always lost interest because of newer and shinier books. This time though, I was determined to finish it... and I did!

Despite all the false starts, Some Girls Bite was actually an interesting read. I thought the storyline had a lot of potential. Unfortunately, most of the book was used to set up the world and the characters... This is not always a bad thing, but in the case of Some Girls Bite, it just overtook everything. I felt the story wasn't as developed and complex as it should be, especially the intrigue. There was also a definite lack of action which was surprising given that Merit turned out to be very proficient with weapons with her acquired speed and agility, earning her the rank of Sentinel. That combined with Merit's internal struggle of being a vampire and joining the Cadogan House just made for a tedious read at times ^_^; If only there's been more focus on the intrigue and a bit more action, Some Girls Bite would have been a bit more balanced and exciting.

I think what saved Some Girls Bite was Merit's character. She's smart, independent and quite witty. She's not the submissive style who will automatically obey. She wants what is best and if she sides with you, you know she'll be loyal to you. I enjoyed her character, her snark and her insight. Her internal struggle about becoming a vampire and her feelings for Ethan was understandable and added depth to her character, even though sometimes, it was a bit draggy ^_^; What didn't work so much for me with Merit is that right away, she's exhibiting signs that she is "special", i.e. more than just a regular vampire, and also that she has feelings for Ethan. For both instances, I feel it was too fast. I think it would have been more interesting if it had been more subtle, if it had been weaved in in the storylines - even if it would have taken many books - instead of being so obvious... because then, Merit becomes a bit of a cliché :( Also, besides being good-looking, Ethan doesn't seem to be that crush-worthy. I mean, for most of the book, Merit thinks he's pompous and condescending... So what is it that she finds attractive in him? What redeems Merit and Ethan's attraction for each other is that it seems their relationship won't be easy-peasy. There seems to be some obstacles in the way and that should make it interesting.

There also seem to be some interesting secondary characters. I'm very curious about Merit's best friend, Mallory, and Catcher. The two are interesting, although I find that their pairing, like Merit and Ethan, was quite fast to happen. Wonder if there isn't something behind it. Morgan is another vampire, the third party in the love triangle with Ethan and Merit, and at the end of Some Girls Bite, becomes the head of the Navarre House. I'm curious how that will turn out, because so far, I do like Morgan more than Ethan... There's a few more character such as Merit's grandfather, a shapeshifter named Jeff and some other Cadogan vampires that might make this series more interesting. So all in all, a nice cast of secondary characters.

My Grade: I initially gave Some Girls Bite B-, but after writing this review, I feel it's more of a C+ read. I feel Some Girls Bite could have been better if it didn't suffer of the first book syndrome. Still, it was an interesting read and it showed that the series had a lot of potential. However, I'm not in a hurry to check if I'm right or wrong.

Monthly Reads - January 2014

Sigh, I haven't written one of these for months!! And then, the first one I have to write, I'm days, weeks late! But I'm not giving up :) So let's see how this post turns out...


1) The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin: B


2) How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper: C-


3) The Last Guy She Should Call by Joss Wood: B+


4) River Road by Jayne Ann Krentz: B


5) Her Secret Fling by Sarah Mayberry: B


6) Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett: C+


7) The Spider by Jennifer Estep: C


8) Hope Flames by Jaci Burton: C


9) Rush Me by Allison Parr: C
Upcoming Review.


10) The Avery Shaw Experiment by Kelly Oram: A
Upcoming Review.


11) Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill: C+
Upcoming Review.

12) Castaway Cove by JoAnn Ross: C+

It's been a while since I last read Ms Ross. I somewhat find it unfortunate that she stepped away from romantic suspense and jumped on the bandwagon of small town contemporary romance, even though she still features ex-military characters. Anyway, Castaway Cove is the 6th book in the Shelter Bay series, but I think it stands alone quite well. The story is about Mac Culhane, a radio DJ who went to the world's most dangerous war zones to bring the soldiers some comfort from home with his voice. His last stint in Afghanistan didn't go so well as he was injured... and when he got home, his wife walked out on him, leaving him in charge of his six years old daughter, Emma. At crossroads, Mac decides to move to Shelter Bay to be close to his father and grandfather who is suffering from Alzheimer disease. There, he meets Annie Shepard who is new to Shelter Bay and had opened a scrap-booking store, wanting a fresh start after a painful divorce. Upon their first meeting, Mac and Annie can feel the sizzling attraction between them... but are they ready for a new relationship?

I really like Mac's side of the story - his struggles being a single-father, accepting his grandfather's disease and trying to spend the most time with him. In contrast, I didn't really care about Annie's backstory. I think it's mostly because I didn't understand that Annie - why she would get married to the man she did, etc. She seemed so different from the current Annie that it seemed like two complete different women. Also, truth be told, her backstory just wasn't as interesting as Mac's. Emma and Charlie - Mac's grandfather - were also two interesting and very likable secondary characters and I enjoyed their bond. Finally, Mac and Annie's relationship worked for me. Yes, it was a bit draggy at times - just get together! However, what I liked is that when they did, they both knew they were embarking into something more than just a fling.

While Castaway Cove didn't shake things up for me, it was a very nice read with some interesting elements :)


13) Dirty Secrets by Karen Rose: B-
Upcoming Review.

***

Genres

Category romance - 2
     --> (Contemporary - 2)
Contemporary romance - 3
Historical romance - 1
New Adult - 1
Paranormal romance - 1
Romantic Suspense - 1
Urban Fantasy - 3
Young Adult - 1

***

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how 2014 started :) 13 books is a good number and what I'm most proud is the number of books I reviewed :P Made this post so much easier to write! LOL. Now, hopefully, I'll be able to keep up in February... but I doubt it ^_^; As for the books read, well there's really one that stood out for me, The Avery Shaw Experiment. That one, I will be reviewing very soon :) For the rest, it's not that it wasn't good - there were some very enjoyable and nice reads; however, I found the majority simply felt too familiar, nothing really new or refreshing. Perhaps I need a change in genre or something... Then again, there were no blockbuster books coming out in January, so perhaps it was to be expected. It'll be interesting to see what a reading year 2014 will turn out...

So what about you? How was your start of 2014?

Review: Written in Red by Anne Bishop

OMG, a review!! Yay!! Finally! I'm also particularly happy because Written in Red is a book I've been wanting to review ever since I read it, because I wanted to share its awesomeness with you all! Hope you enjoy it :)


Written in Red by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2013

As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: The Others, Book #1

The Story: In this world, among the humans and the others, there is a special race of female humans called cassandra sangue or more commonly known as blood prophet. Whenever their skin is cut, they see the future, prophecies. They are rumored to live in special place away from the population for their own safety and pampered, but in truth, they are raised in a compound with no control whatsoever of their life and their ability is sold to the highest bidders.

When cs759 escapes from the compound, she takes the name of Meg Corbyn. Knowing that the Controller won't let her go that easily, she takes refuge in the Lakeside Courtyard, a business district operated by the Others where human laws do not apply, as their human liaison. Her job consists of receiving deliveries, sorting and delivering the mail and packages. For the first time in her life, Meg is free to live how she wants and she's avid to discover life.

Simon Wolfgard is the leader of the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard. He's confused and intrigued by Meg because while human, she doesn't smell like prey. One thing he does know is that she quickly becomes an integral part of the Courtyard, befriending everyone with her special attentions, especially Mr. Erebus - the patriarch of the Sanguinati (read vampires) - and Simon's nephew Sam. As such, whoever wants to harm Meg will have to face the Others.

My Opinion: Written in Red has been on my radar since I've found out about it, but I had my doubts at first. I enjoyed Ms Bishop's Black Jewels series, but some of her other books/series, not as much. However, after seeing all the positive feedback that Written in Red received, I decided to pick it up and I am so glad I did! Because I looooove Written in Red and have already re-read it three times since March!! LOL, I guess that says it all, right? :)

Written in Red excelled on all levels: the writing, the characters, the plot and the world building. However, what stood out the most for was the world building because it felt like it was the purpose of this book. I loved that there was no information dump and instead, Ms Bishop chose to show the readers how things were and worked. Written in Red was all about the little community that is Lakeside Courtyard and the interactions, dynamics, inter-plays of the different Others with the humans, between each other and with Meg. Oh, I'm sure there's much more to this new world Ms Bishop has built, but for now, I feel I had a good grasp and I'm satisfied. And the bonus was that I really enjoyed seeing the day-to-day events and how Meg became part of the Lakeside Courtyard :) I also loved the cast of secondary characters that Ms Bishop introduced in Written in Red and I find they are an integral part of the world building :P

While the storyline did take a back-seat to the world building, I still found it quite interesting and thrilling because the threat of the Controller was constant. Meg knew he would never let her go and readers also came to that understanding when we learn how accurate and sensitive Meg was. I liked that Meg didn't let her guard down, that she was always aware of her surrounding and what was going on, but at the same time, it didn't stop her from enjoying life. And I have to say, it was chilling to see the Controller's reach and to what extent he'd go to get Meg back. I really commend Ms Bishop for doing such a good job weaving the intrigue into the world building so seamlessly and also putting things in place for the future storylines. My only complaint about the storyline in Written in Red is that the pacing was a bit slow with the bulk of the action all happening at the end, and that's very minor considering everything.

I read a review somewhere about Written in Red in which the reviewer stated that this book seemed to be a bit of a departure from Ms Bishop's usual style. I personally don't agree. It is true that Written in Red is not outright dark and I was grateful for that. I enjoyed all the funny, light-hearted moments and I felt it was refreshing, different from the sarcastic and cynical humor that readers are accustomed to with urban fantasy kick-ass heroines. But really, there is an underlying darkness to Written in Red: the real truth about the blood prophets, their cuttings and the nature of the Others in general, their disregard for humans and so on. It is subtle, but it is there. Also, the focus on Lakeside Courtyard and the pace in Written in Red reminded me a lot of Shadalor's Lady, which is one of my favorite Black Jewels books :)

Finally, my favorite part of the book was Meg's relationships with Sam and Simon. I liked Meg's character a lot. She was a great blend of determination, rightness, sweetness and innocence. Her personality and her desires to belong are what won her the respect and friendship of the Others in the Lakeside Courtyard and I feel she deserved it. Meg's friendship with Sam was just so sweet, the two of them discovering the world, opening themselves. I also think Meg not knowing Sam prior to his mother's death helped, it was like starting anew. As for Meg and Simon's friendship, I definitively hope it will lead to more :P

My Grade: A. There's no doubt in mind that Written in Red will be in my Top 3 favorite UF books at the end of the year :) It was such a great start to a new series full of potential, but more importantly, it was a fun and enjoyable read :) I just can't wait to see where Ms Bishop will lead us next and I hope to find out more about the blood prophets soon! :)

Review: Slashback by Rob Thurman

Hey everyone :)

I have a buddy review up over at Breezing Through. Joining me is Leslie and/or Hilcia to discuss our yearly fix of the Cal Leandros series :) So head over to Breezing Through to find out how much we enjoyed this new installment!





Slashback by Rob Thurman
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2013

I stopped and let them circle me, first because it was intriguing and, second, because, honestly, what could they do? Only knives, but all armed, and that made them even more interesting. Interesting. Fun.

Playtime…

Taking on bloodthirsty supernatural monsters is how Caliban and Niko Leandros make a living. But years ago—before they became a force to be reckoned with—the brothers were almost victims of a very human serial killer.

Almost.

Unfortunately for them, that particular depraved killer was working as apprentice to a creature far more malevolent—the legendary Spring-heeled Jack. He’s just hit town. He hasn’t forgotten what the Leandros brothers did to his murderous protégé. He hasn’t forgotten what they owe him.

And now they are going to pay… and pay… and pay...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Cal Leandros, Book #8

Review: Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby

Sigh, so once again, I've been neglecting my blog. I'm sure you're tired of my excuses - curling, work, being busy, etc. I mean, I am too ^_^; However, I have to say, at the end of the day, the real reason is I'm just not in the mood to blog. Lately, the moments I can still away from real life, I'd rather read than blog... I'm not saying I'm done with blogging, because I'm not. However, I think I need to stop pressuring myself about blogging all the time. I mean, who really expects it? And it's especially hard to stay motivate when everyone else seems to also be busy with real life or affected with the blogger blues. Anyway, all to say that I'm going to try my best to blog, but there'll probably be some quiet times :)

In the meantime, I do have a review for this week :) It's a buddy review over at Breezing Through :) Joining me is Jan from Notes from a Readerholic! Head over to Breezing Through or click here to find out what we thought of Ms Raby's debut novel, Asssassin's Gambit.


Assassin's Gambit by Amy Raby
published by New American Library (Signet) in April 2013

Vitala Salonius, champion of the warlike game of Caturanga, is as deadly as she is beautiful. She’s a trained assassin for the resistance, and her true play is for ultimate power. Using her charm and wit, she plans to seduce her way into the emperor’s bed and deal him one final, fatal blow, sparking a battle of succession that could change the face of the empire.

As the ruler of a country on the brink of war and the son of a deposed emperor, Lucien must constantly be wary of an attempt on his life. But he’s drawn to the stunning Caturanga player visiting the palace. Vitala may be able to distract him from his woes for a while—and fulfill other needs, as well.

Lucien’s quick mind and considerable skills awaken unexpected desires in Vitala, weakening her resolve to finish her mission. An assassin cannot fall for her prey, but Vitala’s gut is telling her to protect this sexy, sensitive man. Now she must decide where her heart and loyalties lie and navigate the dangerous war of politics before her gambit causes her to lose both Lucien and her heart for good.

Genre: Fantasy romance
Series: Hearts and Thrones, Book #1

Review: The Best Intentions by Candice Hern

Guess what? Yep, I have another buddy review over at Breezing Through! Seems like Ames and I are on a roll :) Speaking of roll, for it to continue, I need buddy review partners!! I've updated my sidebar with the books that I am currently reading and have read recently. If there's any books in there that you'd like to discuss, let me know! Also, I'm planning to read Written in Red by Anne Bishop and that one has been getting rave reviews, so it might be fun to talk about :)

In the meantime, you can click here to check out my buddy review of The Best Intentions by Candice Hern. Enjoy!


The Best Intentions by Candice Hern

self-published in May 2011 (first published by New American Library in June 1999)

The Earl of Strickland is a handsome widower in search of a new wife to be a mother to his two young children. Having lost his one true love, he is determined on a practical, dispassionate match with a mature woman. Young girls in their first Seasons, their heads full of romantic notions of love, are not for him. When his sister comes to visit bringing along a beautiful widow, Miles thinks he may have found the perfect match. But the widow is chaperoning her gauche, much younger sister, an artless girl who causes Miles's best intentions to go awry as he finds himself falling in love with precisely the sort of woman he sought to avoid. Set at a grand country estate in the Midlands, this sweet love story of the reserved and dignified Miles and the delightfully guileless, clumsy, outspoken Hannah is sure to charm readers.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Country House Party, Book #2

Review: Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance

Fury's Kiss by Karen Chance

published by New American Library in October 2012

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. But so far, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing...

Dory is used to fighting hard and nasty. So when she wakes up in a strange scientific lab with a strange man standing over her, her first instinct is to take his head off. Luckily, the man is actually the master vampire Louis-Cesare, so he’s not an easy kill.

It turns out that Dory had been working with a Vampire Senate task force on the smuggling of magical items and weaponry out of Faerie when she was captured and brought to the lab. But when Louis-Cesare rescues her, she has no memory of what happened to her.

To find out what was done to her—and who is behind it—Dory will have to face off with fallen angels, the maddest of mad scientists, and a new breed of vampires that are far worse than undead...

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dorina Basarab, Book #3

The Story: As usual, Ms Chance pens a complex story, so let see if I can write a coherent summary :)

Since the last book, Death's Mistress, Dory has been working for the Vampire Senate. During her last mission, she was sent out with the Senate task force to investigate on the smuggling of magical items and weaponry out of Faerie and into their world. However, something went utterly wrong and 11 first-level masters died; Dory the only survivor. Whatever happened definitively messed her up because during her rescue, she didn't even recognize her love interest, Louis-Cesare. Eventually, her memories came back, but not the ones from the ambush... In order to find out what happened, her father, Mircea, who has powerful mental abilities, needs to enter her mind and retrieve those memories... That is when Dory learns that this is not the first time Mircea has played with her mind. A very long time ago, because Dory was dying due to her vampire half over-powering her human-half, Mircea had to put a barrier in Dory's mind, separating her two consciousness... and this has cost Dory a  lot.

While trying to retrieve her memories, Mircea is attacked and injured. Obviously, something is happening... and it might just have to do with the ongoing challenges for seats on the North American Senate. It's therefore up to Dory with her unexpected allies to stop the conspiracy.

My Opinion: All right, so I tried my best with the summary - I hope it gives a clearer idea of the plot. Now, let's try for a coherent review :) Then again, it's going to be a short one as Ms Chance is a very consistent writer and whatever the strengths and weaknesses were in the first two books, Midnight's Daughter and Death's Mistress, they are the same in Fury's Kiss.

Once again, while reading Fury's Kiss, I LOLed so many times :P I enjoy the romance between Dory and Louis-Cesare because it is intense and he knows what he wants and what he wants is Dory and he's not taking a "no" for answers... However, that's not why I read this series. I read the Dorina Basarab series because of the mix of action and humor and seriously, nothing beats the interactions between Dory, Ray and Radu. It's simply sooo hilarious! LOL. Speaking of Ray, I'm really happy that Ms Chance decided to keep him in the cast and that his character is more than comedic relief. I liked how much insight Ray had on people and the vampire community, sometimes even more than Dory. Actually, when you think about it, Ray's character is very interesting... He's not as powerful as everyone and I think it gives him a different perspective... but despite not being as powerful and a bit of a coward, he still sticks to Dory's side. In truth, I'm looking forward to reading more about him :)

Aside from the humor, what I enjoyed in this installment is things are not stagnant. Things are happening, especially in regards to Dory and Mircea's father-daughter relationship. Theirs has always been strained, a carefully choreographed dance. Because of Mircea's position and personality, Dory always thought that her father didn't really care about her and wanted to manipulate her more,  but I always had the feeling she was wrong... and I was right :) I loved the memory of Dory and Mircea in Venice and Dory finally knowing the truth. I'm really glad that Ms Chance expanded on this part of the story and did not drag it on. No matter how dysfunctional their family is, there's no doubt that Dory, Mircea and Radu are a tight unit and I hope Ms Chance continues to explore this aspect.

Finally, a word on the storyline. As a whole, I think it was pretty good and I enjoyed it. Then again, I love stories that involved successions and court intrigues, and the challenges for a Senate seat was akin to it :) However, there was more such as Ms Chance shedding light on Dory's dhampir nature - I love that part! How did Dory survive being a dhampir while so many others have died before her and what's more, it made sense. Unfortunately, as usually, not everything did and I still got confused at times ^_^; I think there was less superfluous parts than in Death's Mistress which was a plus, but still, I got lost a few times. The two parts that come to mind are when Ray was explaining how he created portals and the child... What's annoying with the confusion in Ms Chance's books is that even after re-reading the parts, I still can't figure it out. Sigh. I have to say though, the ending of Fury's Kiss made up for all the confusion because it was simply so awesome! LOL.

Besides the confusion, my other little complaint about Fury's Kiss was Dory's best friend, Christine. She just annoyed me so much! I didn't mind her in the first two books, but in here, I simply couldn't stand her. Yes, she does offer some support and I think her faith in Dory is very important for Dory. What annoys me though is that at the end of the day, she doesn't truly understand Dory and keeps ignoring that part of Dory is vampire is annoying... It's self-denial! And no matter how bad Dory and Mircea's relationship is, she shouldn't interfere. She's being over-protective when I think Dory can take care of herself... and seriously, I don't think she's helping all that much ^_^;

My Grade: B. Overall, my enjoyment of Fury's Kiss fell in the middle of the two first installments, mainly because of the storyline - it was much better than Midnight's Daughter, but didn't have as much omphf as Death's Mistress. It was also a satisfying read full of laughs with good developments :) I'm really looking forward for the next book, although I think it will only come out in 2014. Ugh. Definitively going to re-read int he meantime :)

Review: Cold Days by Jim Butcher

As expected, I wasn't able to blog as much as I wanted this week ^_^; However, it wasn't so much laziness as lack of time and exhaustion. I wanted to have this review ready for yesterday, but Wednesday, I was soooo tired. Too much curling will take a toll on you which is why I'm so awed at curlers who compete... Playing two games a day for a week - the stamina that it takes!! Anyway, I promise a post on curling to come! So far in the in-club event, we're 1-1. We have another game tonight and if we lose, we're out. Really hoping we'll win! :)

While I didn't blog much this week, the two reviews I managed to write - Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose and this one, Cold Days by Jim Butcher - were two that I really wanted to write. Both were part of my Favorite and Best of 2012, so I'm just glad I got to share my thoughts with you all :)

For those who are interested by this review, before you read on, I'd like to warn you that there are spoilers in the blurb and in the review. If you have not kept up with the series since Changes or even prior to it and do not want to be spoiled, do not continue on!! You've been warned! Actually, the review part, i.e. "My Opinion" and "My Grade", is pretty much spoiler-free, so you can read... but if you don't want any spoilers, than do not read the book's blurb and my attempt at summarizing it, "The Story."

Enjoy!


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

Cold Days by Jim Butcher
published by New American Library (ROC) in November 2012

HARRY DRESDEN LIVES!!!

After being murdered by a mystery assailant, navigating his way through the realm between life and death, and being brought back to the mortal world, Harry realizes that maybe death wasn’t all that bad. Because he is no longer Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard.

He is now Harry Dresden, Winter Knight to Mab, the Queen of Air and Darkness. After Harry had no choice but to swear his fealty, Mab wasn’t about to let something as petty as death steal away the prize she had sought for so long. And now, her word is his command, no matter what she wants him to do, no matter where she wants him to go, and no matter who she wants him to kill.

Guess which Mab wants first?

Of course, it won’t be an ordinary, everyday assassination. Mab wants her newest minion to pull off the impossible: kill an immortal. No problem there, right? And to make matters worse, there exists a growing threat to an unfathomable source of magic that could land Harry in the sort of trouble that will make death look like a holiday.

Beset by enemies new and old, Harry must gather his friends and allies, prevent the annihilation of countless innocents, and find a way out of his eternal subservience before his newfound powers claim the only thing he has left to call his own…

His soul.

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dresden Files, Book #14

The Story: Last warning here, there are spoilers in this review, so if you don't want to know, don't read further!

In Changes, Harry needed power to save his daughter and therefore accepted Mab's long-standing offer for the position of Winter Knight. Knowing what it entailed, Harry tried to wiggle out by ordering his own hit. However, the Queen of Air and Darkness wasn't about to let Harry slips through her fingers and was able to keep him alive by combining her efforts with Demonreach. Grateful to be alive and having no choice about his new role, Harry has decided that he'll assume his responsibilities as the Winter Knight, Harry-style :)

However, in his wildest dreams, Harry never expected Mab to ask for the near-impossible for his first mission as the Winter Knight: to kill an immortal. Turns out there is a conjunction of time which occurs every year when immortals are vulnerable: Halloween night. Except that only gives him about 24 hours to pull it off. And when Mab's sanity starts being questioned, Harry has to decide whom to trust and which immortal to kill.

Of course, Harry's life cannot be that easy and killing an immortal is not all he has to deal with. Upon his return to Chicago, Harry learns the true purpose of Demonreach: a jail created in four dimensions by Merlin to imprison magical creatures that make naagloshii (Turn Coat) one of the least dangerous creatures housed in minimum security. He also finds out he's been chosen to be the warden of this prison and that it is currently under attack and if the enemy succeeds, it will not only blow up the island, but also Chicago and part of the country. And of course, Harry's deadline is November 1.

And if Harry manages to accomplish his mission and save the world once again, he should find a way to get rid of the parasite with which Mab and Demonreach bargained with to keep Harry alive before it burst forth from his skull...

My Opinion: All right, I'm going to sound like total fan girl in this review, but what can I say? Cold Days was a great, great book and it's been a while since I've enjoyed a book this much. You know the exhilarating feeling you get while reading, the not-turning-the-page-fast-enough,  the wanting to jump because it's so exciting that you can't contain your energy and the jaw-dropping at the twists? Yeah, that was me while reading Cold Days LOL.

So what was it about Cold Days that made it so good? LOL, everything :) But first and foremost, I think it was the story. As usual, it was complex and well thought out, but more importantly, exciting! It started with the identity of the immortal that Mab wants Harry to kill. My reaction was like "Wow, really?!?" and just built up from there with a lot of good twists, culminating in a jaw-dropping ending. That ending was so unexpected, but oh so brilliant, and it showed us that Mr. Butcher knows exactly where he is going and that he's been planning ahead. Every event and small detail which are found in the books are there for a purpose :) And really, it just makes it more exciting for the future because you don't know what the author will pull out of the hat. Something else that contributed immensely to making this story so exciting is that we finally get answers to some questions that arose throughout the series. For example the purpose of Demonreach, why is Rashid known as the Gatekeeper, etc. and some of these revelations added to the wowzer factor of Cold Days :) Of course, there's still a lot of unknown going on, but at least, Mr. Butcher touched upon some and that was enough to assuage our hunger. Most authors with long-running series have their characters going through some adventures confined in one installment with an over-arching storyline connecting these installments whereas Mr. Butcher has many over-arching storylines... Sometimes, it actually feels like there's too many ^_^; But when you get a book like Cold Days where some of your questions are answered and where everything falls into place and comes together so nicely, it doesn't feel so... in fact, it makes you want more!

Another reason I loved this book so much was the humor :) There are a lot of main characters in other series who are sarcastic, but really, Harry is a first class wise-ass LOL. And it's not just Harry, but the dynamics he has with the other characters, the tone and the delivery. Also, Cold Days is the 14th book in the series, so there are some insider jokes, little things that wouldn't be funny if you haven't read the book. In any case, I know that at times when I wasn't enthralled by the book, I probably was grinning like a lunatic LOL.

And of course, you also find the usual in Cold Days: lots of action, an interesting cast of secondary characters, a likable hero, etc. It's going to be interesting to see how Harry's character develops, him being the Winter Knight. For now, he seems to be himself, but can you really not be affected by near-death experience? Also, it is said that the Winter Knight mantle changes a person... Personally, I don't want Harry to change too much, but it is time for more. I enjoyed seeing the gang and two thumbs up to Mr. Butcher for not overdoing the reunions. All the characters that were seen had a purpose and that's good. There's still a lack of romance in this series, but I don't mind much... and a relationship between Harry and Murphy - one that I've been wishing from the start - is being discussed. I liked that it's still in the air because there's a lot to consider and it makes it realistic.

All in all, Cold Days was really a great book. I loved everything about it, but I do have one niggle... Why wasn't Harry's godmother, Leanansidhe, part of the story? Given that the book involved the Winter Court, it would have made sense for her to be present... It just didn't make sense to me that she wasn't.

My Grade: A. There's really only one word to describe and sum up my feelings about Cold Days: epic!!! It was such a great book, totally worth the wait! :) And that's why Cold Days was my best and favorite read in 2012. Now, I can't wait till the next book - Skin Games - and hopefully, Mr. Butcher keeps it up!

Review: Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose

Yay, I managed to complete this review!! Woohoo! Because obviously, I didn't manage to write a few posts ahead of time this week-end ^_^; I tried and tried on Saturday, but it just wouldn't come. Then, on Sunday, it was curling the whole day. We lost both our games by a very big margin (14-2 and 10-4, yikes!), but I don't care because I played really well and totally out-curl my opponent :) And there was more curling yesterday evening... We have an in-club event going on the whole week and I'm going to try to share it with you in a post soon. In a few short words: it was fun, I curl okay, we won and therefore are moving on! Yay!

Okay, now back to books :) I'm really glad to have the review for Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose up today since it's the North American release day! I got the UK edition of Did You Miss Me? which came out back in November and was planning to have my review up during the holidays. However, with the impromptu trip to Europe, I got behind on my reviews.... but isn't perfect that my review ends up being posted on the North American release date? Funny how things have a tendency to work out well :) In any case, hope you enjoy the review!


Did You Miss Me? by Karen Rose

published by Headline in November 2012/New American Library in February 2013

Baltimore prosecutor Daphne Montgomery pulled herself out of a damaged past to build a solid life for herself and her son. But after she helps to convict a killer, her confidence is shattered once again by the news that her son has been kidnapped.

Daphne believes it’s connected to the recent high-profile trial, and at first FBI special agent Joseph Carter agrees. But together they find the reality to be even more troubling, and it runs deeper than Daphne fears. With her son’s life in jeopardy, she must unlock a dreadful secret about her past—and confront a truth that will change everything for those closest to her. And, if she survives, threaten the lives of everyone she loves.

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Baltimore, Book #3

The Story: Life has not been easy on Daphne Montgomery. She went through a traumatic event as a child which resulted in her father walking away. Then, she got pregnant at the age of 15 and for the next dozen years, became a trophy wife, trying to please her husband and mother-in-law. She finally got a divorce, but at the same time, learned that she had breast cancer... However, she survived and persisted and finally achieved her dream of becoming a prosecutor. She is currently in the midst of her first big, mediatic trial... and life is about to throw her another curve.

When Daphne's son Ford disappears, she believes the White supremacists that she is prosecuting are behind it... and so does FBI special agent Joseph Carter. However, when he learns that Daphne was also a victim of kidnapping as a child, Joseph wonders what are the odds that mother and child are both victims and starts believing this is a lot more personal. Either way, Joseph has a personal stake in this investigation as Ford is Joseph's father's employee and his crush on Daphne is the reason he is back in Baltimore.

My Opinion: There are a few authors whom I love unconditionally and who are on my forever auto-buy authors list and Karen Rose is one of them :) I love, love, love her books and can't get enough of them. So it'll come as no surprise that I was thrilled when I found out the release date for Did You Miss Me? - two in a year, awesome! - and that I highly enjoyed it :)

At first, when I read the blurb of Did You Miss Me?, I was surprised that Daphne and Joseph were the H/H as I was expecting Clay and Stevie's book, but I quickly recovered and was quite excited because I liked the glimpses we got from them in  No One Left to Tell :) As it turned out, there was a lot more to Daphne and Joseph than meet the eye. Both had quite a tragic past, one that still haunt them and definitively shaped who've they become. Honestly, I felt that both pasts were a bit over the top... especially in the case of Daphne - just so much happened! You start wondering if life can dish out even more at her? ^_^; I think Ms Rose could have cut back a bit, but there's no doubt she had achieved creating an interesting and different heroine. Reading Did You Miss Me?, I admired Daphne for her strength, her determination, her courage and accomplishing her dreams. And I liked the realistic side of her, the one that was a bit egoistical and worried how the truth would have repercussions on her career. As for Joseph, I think I'd have liked more development in his character. In the case of Daphne, all the past had a hand in creating the woman she is today, but she is comfortable with whom she's become and for the most part, has dealt with her issues. In contrast, Joseph hasn't and that's why he's been staying away from his family. What happened to him plunged him in a dark place and it's upon meeting Daphne that he's gradually getting back in the light. The unrequited feelings and crush between Joseph and Daphne worked and made the romance believable. However, I feel it was a bit too simple an excuse for Joseph to emerge from his dark place. To want to, yes, but to completely do it... That's another story and that's why I wished for a bit more development, fleshing it out more... Then again, given the timeline of the story, it was impossible. And as I said about the romance, it was believable. Joseph and Daphne have been dancing around one another for month and really just needed something to bring them together for them to confess their feelings.

As usual, the suspense in Did You Miss Me? was well-done :) The book is action-packed, edge-of-the-seat exciting and the villain was so very smart. He planned it well and seriously, it'd be scary to have such a vendetta against you ^_^; Overall, I thought the plotline was pretty tight and Ms Rose built the anticipation and revelations well. My only complaint and it's quite minor is the timeline. As usual, it's very short and it feels to me like it should be longer. I know there's 24 hours in a day and under such circumstances, people don't sleep... but nonetheless, I find it hard to believe that everything happened in such a short time-frame. I'd like her to either extend it or make it less jam-packed ^_^; Although I have to say, what Ms Rose does well is show us that even during important investigations, normal life continues... time doesn't stop and there are things that go on...

For fans of Clay and Stevie who were disappointed that this wasn't their book, you'll still want to read Did You Miss Me? because things happen in their relationship. I can't figure out if it's progress given the circumstances, but there is an acknowledgement of their feelings and what could be and it's clear Ms Rose is setting up for their book :) In addition to Clay and Stevie, there's a full cast of secondary characters that are making their appearances in Did You Miss Me? Some are new such as Ford and Novak, a colleague of Joseph; others we get to meet again such as Alec. One thing I can say is that all of them are interesting and have potential... and I love, love Ford!! Seriously, Ms Rose has a knack at writing likable young adult characters and I hope that along with Tom, Ford gets his own book :)

My Grade: B+. Honestly, I don't now how objective I am when it comes to Karen Rose books ^_^; To me though, Did You Miss Me? was another solid romantic suspense novel. Good suspense, nice romance, interesting characters... but a bit too much going on which is why I'm not giving it a higher grade.

Review: Death's Mistress by Karen Chance

Hi everyone :) How are you doing? I hope you've been enjoying the reviews. As you can see, I'm steadily catching up on my back-log of reviews. There are some books released in 2012 that I've read and really wanted to review and it'd be a shame if I didn't. So I'll continue on that track. In the meantime, my reading is finally picking up a bit!! Yay! Seriously, January has been so pathetic reading-wise. Sigh. I could say that I was away the first two weeks, but even then... Anyway, eventually, I'll be mixing up the reviews - books read in 2013 and 2012; hopefully, it'll work out since I just thought of it LOL.

Now, I gotta run to curling. That's been eating my reading time as well, but next week, there's a special activity at the club, so I hope that means I'll have more time to read and blog :) I'll try to write a post about curling soon though, I think I'm due :)

Enjoy!

Death's Mistress by Karen Chance
published by New American Library (Signet)

Dorina Basarab is a dhampir—half-human, half-vampire. Subject to uncontrollable rages, most dhampirs live very short, very violent lives. So far, Dory has managed to maintain her sanity by unleashing her anger on those demons and vampires who deserve killing.

Back home in Brooklyn after the demise of her insane uncle Dracula, Dory’s hoping her life is about to calm down. But then she gets some visitors. A friend wants Dory’s help in finding a magical Fey relic, and the gorgeous vampire, Louis-Cesare, is desperate to find his former mistress Christine.

Dory and Louis-Cesare quickly discover that the same master vampire Christine is bound to is also rumored to be in possession of the relic. But when the master vampire turns up dead, they realize that there’s more at stake than a missing mistress. Someone is killing vampire Senate members, and if Dory and Louis-Cesare can’t stop the murderer, they may be next…

Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Dorina Basarab, Book #2

The Story: At the end of Death's Mistress, Dorina received a written request from her father Mircea to work for the Senate. As a result, for over a month, she's been freelancing on the smuggling task force which mostly consists of bringing Mircea the head - dead or alive - of the vampires he asks for. This suits Dorina's abilities and it pays well, so it's a win-win situation so far for her. That is until she's asked to bring in Raymond, a fifth-level master, alive. It turns out that Raymond was in charge of setting up an auction for a magical Fey relic which protects whoever wears it from death... and let just say that with the war, political instability and the challenges for a North America Senate seat going, the relic has become the hottest item in town! Not to mention that the relic was stolen from the Fey and they want it back to protect the new heir! And so Dory is tasked by her best friend - the new Fey princess - to retrieve it. It would have been easy too if it hadn't been stolen a second time from Ray's auction and if she didn't have to work against Louis-Cesare, her latest colleague and potential lover, who needs the relic to rescue his former mistress Christine...

My Opinion: As you know, I was looking for something to read back in October and decided to give this series a chance because I've read a lot of good about Ms Chance's writing. So I started with Midnight's Daughter and while the storyline didn't blow me away - it actually confused me a lot at times ^_^; - I enjoyed it enough to pick up the next installment, Death's Mistress... and I'm so glad I did because I ended up loving Death's Mistress!!

There were a lot of elements that worked for me in Death's Mistress but what stood out the most was the humor :) There were just so many LOL moments because of the characters or certain situations they found themselves in that I probably grinned throughout the book. Oh and the combination of Dory and Ray, just priceless LOL. It also made me overlook some of the flaws that Death's Mistress had, but more on that later. Aside from the humor, I have to say that I enjoyed the characters a lot and the way they interacted with each other. If I had to be objective, I'd say Dory is not very different from all the UF heroines out there. After all, she's smart, kick-ass, mentally strong and has some unique abilities... but there's just something about her that works. Perhaps it's the fact that she's very straightforward and simple. Dory is smart, but if she doesn't get something, she'll ask you - probably with a punch - for an answer instead of spending too much time figuring it all out :) And I guess that straightforwardness is part of her charm. Where the depth in character appears is not so much in her personality, but instead in her dynamics with the other characters. She's herself, but it seems each person in her entourage brings out a different part of her personality. For example, with Radu she is more relaxed, casual; with Louis-Cesare, it's Dory the woman; with Marlowe, she's very rebellious, trying to antagonize him; and with Mircea, it's a more confused, insecure Dory. It's really an interesting way to discover Dory and I like it :)

Speaking of interactions, I'm really enjoyed Dory's relationship with Mircea and I think this is a big part of the series. They are father and daughter, but there is so much misunderstandings between them. However, I'm really liking how their relationship is developing. As much as Dory doubts it, it's evident that Mircea cares about her and loves her - not because she's an asset, but because she is his blood and flesh. And no matter what Dory says, she loves him and there is loyalty between them. In any case, I'm really looking forward to see where this is heading. I also can't help but wonder how Mircea is in the Cassie Palmer series and how it's been possible for him to keep these two women, who are so important for him, apart. Another relationship that's interesting is the one Dory shares with Louis-Cesare. This is the romance aspect of the book and I like that Ms Chance is taking her time, developing it. It's very light - in the sense that the amount in the story is limited - but it has great impact on the characters and the story. As for the story, I thought it was very interesting. I liked that there were some good twists, lots of action and how everything came together, how it all connected together. Suspense-wise, I think Ms Chance did a great job, especially with the ending. I loved what happened and wow about Anthony, it was just all exciting :)

Now, the not so great. I mentioned that I was confused at times in Midnight's Daughter and unfortunately, so was I in Death's Mistress. Sometimes, it was simply the action sequences that was hard to follow. Other times though, it was whole chunks of the story that seem to have no connection whatsoever with the storyline. For example, the part where Dory was going to the races. Big "huh" here. I understood that she needed to get to the race, but the whole meeting with those young adults didn't add anything to the storyline and it just seemed like it came out of nowhere. So those parts of the story were superfluous in my opinion, but worst, they disrupted the pacing of book... and that was unfortunate, because otherwise, Death's Mistress would have been the perfect UF book. There were also some parts of the story where I was really confused as to what was happening and I guess it's says a lot about Ms Chance's writing that I could overlook those part. Finally, I have to say that I'm not super fond of Dory's best friend, Claire. She was okay in the first book, but she's slowly getting on my nerve. Yes, she is a good friend to Dory, but the problem is she doesn't completely understand Dory and not making an effort to. It's as if what she says and thinks is it.

My Grade: B+. Death's Mistress is the kind of book that the more I re-read, the more I love and I don't think I'll ever get tired of it :)