Monthly Reads: May 2011

15th is a good day to post the Monthly Reads post, right? Well at least, it's earlier than last month which is good :) This time, I went about it in a different way. Instead of writing the synopsis first, I wrote my impressions of the books... I almost didn't write synopsis. Ames told me not to bother... but it's not my style ^_^; However, I did try and I think I succeeded at keeping everything a bit shorter :)

Enjoy!


1) Hounded by Kevin Hearne: B


2) Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison: B
Upcoming Review.

3) Lady Amelia's Secret Lover by Victoria Alexander: C+

Amelia and Robert Hathaway have been married for 6 years and it seems the passion in their relationship has faded away. Afraid that Robert is given his attention to someone else, Amelia comes up with a plot to reclaim her husband: make him jealous by taking a lover... and she has the perfect man in mind! However, Robert is unto Amelia and concocts a plot of his own... and he also has the perfect candidate in mind :)

This is a novella I've been wanting to read for a long time because I love Ms Alexander's writing :) I thought this was a very cute story, it proves that marriage takes work from both parties and that you cannot be too complacent. I like that both Amelia and Robert wanted to save their marriage and LOL at the plans they came up to. It was hilarious actually that both enlisted the help of Robert's twin LOL. All in all, a very cute novella :)

4) Swept Aside by Sharon Sala: D+

Swept Aside is the last book in Ms Sala's Storm Front trilogy. While the characters are not connected, the three stories have been taking place at the same time. So when Swept Aside starts, we all know that among those four prisoners who have escaped jail, one is actually an undercover DEA agent: Nick Aroyo. He and the other three convicts take refuge at Amalie Pope's house, "kidnapping" her in the process. So throughout the story, Nick has to protect Amalie while maintaining his cover. As for Amalie, she has just survived a shooting at her previous job. She was in a coma for a few weeks and when she woke up, she learned that her grandmother has passed away upon hearing the news of Amalie being shot. All Amalie wants now is to go home to heal physically and emotionally... but the last thing she expected was her house to be under siege by four on-the-run criminals and to have to fend against them. And while Nick has been protecting her... how much can she trust him?

Hmmm, this one is a tough one for me. I think one factor that wasn't in favor for Swept Aside is that I've read the book just after re-reading Angel Falls by Nora Roberts. In both books, the heroines were shot and while they survived, others died. When comparing the two heroines, I think Ms Roberts did a much better job at describing the trauma and how hard it is to survive. In Amalie's case, she has just recovered a couple weeks ago, then learned that her grandmother has died... and now, coming home, she's taken hostage and almost raped and that's the extent of her reaction? If I've been in Amalie's position, I would have been catatonic ^_^; There was one scene where Amalie totally freaked out and that made sense, but afterwards... it's as if what she's been through was pushed aside. Personally, I think the whole story was too much for Amalie to handle so soon after what she's been through... There's strong and tough and then, there's unbelievable ^_^; Also, looking at the big picture, I think the storyline was just too far-stretched for me and ultimately, it affected the romance as well.  I mean I liked Amalie and Nick's characters and under another undercover plot, it would have worked for me... but in this case? Nope. So not the best ending to a very average trilogy.

5) Gobsmacked by L.B. Gregg: C

Mark Meehan came home early from his shift to the hospital... to find his boyfriend in bed with their landlord. Shocked, Mark retreated without a word... However, later that day, he can't stand the betrayal anymore and assault his boyfriend... in church... with a bible. In a small town like Smithfield, it doesn't take long for everyone to find out what happened. Soon though, Mark realizes the real extent of his boyfriend's betrayal... and Mark is not about to go down quietly. And to complicate the situation, Mark's long-time crush, cop Tony Gervase, finally makes a move...

I bought this book during the literary signing at RT last year in Columbus.. and I figured I should read it before meeting Lisabea again this year at RWA! LOL. I heard a lot of good about the Men of Smithfied series and was looking forward to read Gobsmacked. I love the opening scene where Mark hits his boyfriend with a bible... LOL, for the longest time, I actually thought the book was titled Godsmacked LOL. However, Ames set me straight :) I still think it would have fit LOL.

Overall, I enjoyed Gobsmacked. I liked the characters; there was an honest quality about them. They were also genuine. I like that neither Mark or Tony were perfect. They had needs, they made mistakes, they act rashly. As a result, I liked their relationship and thought it was very realistic. What didn't work as well for me was the ex-boyfriend's storyline and Mark sleuthing around, "investigating" on his own. I don't know, I thought it didn't mesh together ^_^; Still, it was a nice book and now, I'm looking forward to the next book :) Which I'm going to get at RWA LOL.


6) Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning: B-


7) First Comes Marriage by Mary Balogh: C+
Upcoming Review.


8) Baby, Drive South by Stephanie Bond: D+


9) The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan: C
Upcoming Review.


10) At Last Comes Love by Mary Balogh: C
Upcoming Review.


11) Then Comes Seduction by Mary Balogh: D+
Upcoming Review.

12) Master of None by Sonya Bateman: C-

Gavyn Donatti might be skilled at what he does, unfortunately, it doesn't change the fact that he is the world unluckiest thief. Proof? His latest job. How could he lose what he was hired to steal?!? This puts him in the worst of situation because Trevor is not known to be understanding... and it puts his ex-girlfriend and a son he wasn't aware of in danger. Lucky for Gavyn, Ian, a djinn aka genie, appears to save the day... Is it really luck though? It's clear the anti-social djinn has an agenda of his own... and Gavyn soon finds out how it links to him...

So I've been very curious about this urban fantasy series. First, because it's an urban fantasy series published by Simon & Schuster and they've had some winners lately (Elemental Assassin and Dark Descendants) and also, because this book features a genie. Unfortunately for me, I didn't get into it as much as I had hoped. For me, the biggest problem was the world building. I felt the information was coming in a trickle and when I finally got the complete image, it was a bit too late. I mean, nobody enjoys the overload of information usually associated with world buildings, but at least, you know what's happening, what to expect. In this case, I was as lost as Gavyn and it wasn't very enjoyable ^_^; Also, I don't think Ian was the best person to deliver it. Of course, it made the most sense, since it's his world... but not a very amiable character ^_^; I really felt sorry for Gavyn, LOL.

Gavyn was a nice character, but I wonder if he is really hero material ^_^; The other characters were interesting and I guess have potential, but we'll have to find out in future books. As for the story, I enjoyed the paranormal side of it. However, I didn't care much about Trevor - Gavyn's "boss." I know that part is necessary for the whole book to make sense, but I wonder if Ms Bateman could have found a different way...

In the end, I'm not sure I'll pick up the next book...


13) The Girl Who Disappeared Twice by Andrea Kane: C


14) Playing Dirty by Susan Andersen: B
Upcoming Review.

15) Love is a Four-Legged Word by Kandy Shepherd: D+

Madeline Cartwright is a chef and a cooking magazine editor and has just learned, through the lawyer, that her old, sweet and cheap landlord happened to be rich... Not only doesn't Maddy need to find a new place to live, but she is now the guardian of Brutus Stoddard, the mutt who inherited it all - if he survives the next three weeks. Tom O'Brian, the lawyer, is the one in charge of executing the will and make sure that Brutus survives... at the end of which, the law firm will get a hefty bonus, insuring him of making partner to his law firm, right on schedule to his 5-years plan. However, not everyone is happy about the will... and someone really doesn't want to see a dog getting loads of money.

All right, as you can see, from the grade, this book didn't really work for me ^_^; I think the main problem I had with Love is a Four-Legged Word is that Ms Shepherd takes a fairly typical storyline: young woman inheriting a fortune from an elderly man, and doesn't do anything more/different with it. As a result, the storyline is predictable and a bit uninteresting :(

Something else that didn't work too well for me was Maddy, the heroine. She was a bit contradictory in my opinion. When she's first introduced, Maddy comes across as someone competent, career-focused... However, her actions didn't reflect those first impressions and as the story went, Maddy turned into a klutzy and a bit of an air-headed heroine. It's not that I don't like klutzy heroines, I do actually, but instead of being charming with Maddy, it bothered me instead. As for Tom, I thought it was cute how he had a 5-years plan LOL. Also, I liked how smart he was and the ending of the case? That was great, that was a twist I didn't see coming and good for Tom. On a whole though, I'm not sure about their chemistry and their romance. I usually like happy-go-lucky heroine thawing out stuffy hero storylines, but Love is a Four-Legged Word just didn't do it for me. It was an okay read.

16) Collision Course by K.A. Mitchell: B-

Joey Miller and Aaron Chase are complete opposite. Joey is a social worker who believes in his work and he's already fallen in love 10 times in his life. Aaron is a paramedic who abhors social workers and foster care because of his past and who prefers to have no-string attached hook-ups. However, in this case, Joey knows that Aaron is THE one... and Aaron knows that his relationship with Joey is different... Can they work this out?

Ames has really jumped on the M/M bandwagon and one of her favorite authors happens to be K.A. Mitchell. So when Collision Course was offered free as an ebook on Borders, I got it :) It's been sitting in the TBR pile for a while and when I didn't know what to read, I decided this would do nicely :)

All in all, I enjoyed Collision Course. I think it was a very nice story and I like the romance between Joey and Aaron. It's always enjoyable to see someone reluctant to get involved, being drawn in a relationship :) There is such sweetness in it and it really makes me feel warm inside :) I also really enjoyed Joey's interactions with Aaron's family. Aaron had had such a difficult past and despite his rough behavior, it's clear that he loves his siblings... I like that Joey was not put off with Aaron's attitude towards his job :)

While I enjoyed the romance, I think as a whole, the story was lacking a little bit of omfph. Also, while I liked Joey, I don't think I fully understood him. Perhaps it's because I haven't read the first book in the series... Which I guess I should do :) Actually though, I'm more interested in the third book... :P


17) Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn: B

18) Demon Kissed by Patti O'Shea: B-

I'm copy/pasting the blurb of the book because I think it's an excellent summary for once :) And I don't think I can do better ^_^;

Demon slayer Bree Molina has always felt an attraction for fellow hunter Andras. She knew he was handsome and brave...but she's shocked to discover that Andras is a demon, too! That's just the first revelation Andras has in store for Bree. The demon world has put a price on her head--and the only way Andras can save Bree is by making her his mate....

Ms O'Shea is one of my favorite author and so, this was a novella I've been wanting to read for a while :) While Demon Kissed was very short, it was still a satisfying story and romance. I liked both Bree and Andras and they had chemistry :) My only issue with Demon Kissed however is that it reminded me a lot of Through A Crimson Veil, one of Ms O'Shea earlier works. In this case, Bree is the reluctant demon who needs to embrace her nature to survive... Sounds familiar? That is the only reason why Demon Kissed is not getting a B+ instead. Also, Ms O'Shea has created an interesting world inhabited by vampires and demons... I wouldn't mind reading a full-length novel set in it :) Actually, I'm hoping!


19) A Secret Affair by Mary Balogh: C
Upcoming Review.

20) Drawn in Blood by Andrea Kane: C+

Last time they were together, Sloane Burbank and Derek Parker were too stubborn to compromise and therefore, their relationship ended. This time, they're determined not to make the same mistakes because the truth is, they love each other and want to be together... However, their determination is tested when the FBI is investigating the origin of a painting and Sloane's father and his partners are persons of interest.Then,  Sloane's mother is attacked, their apartment robbed and Sloane's father tells her what really went on with the painting... So Sloane is keeping secrets from Derek, Derek has to work around Sloane... but neither realize the depth and complexity of the case they're working...

It's been a while since I read the book that precedes Drawn in Blood, Twisted, but I caught up really fast. I think Drawn in Blood's strongest element was its plot - the case. I thought it was very interesting, very suspenseful and also very original that it involved Sloane's father and his partners. The fact that it had to do with her father and men she considers her uncles added another layers in my opinion. In any case, very complex case with multiple layers... All I have to say is that the mafia can be scary... and never, never, never get into their bad side. Oh and revenge is indeed a dish best served cold ^_^; One thing that actually bothered me though with the whole Chinese mafia is the mix of Cantonese and Mandarin. If these people are from Hong Kong, then they speak Cantonese... Contrarily to popular belief, not every Hong Kong person is fluent in Mandarin... actually, they aren't. Anyway, just a very small detail considering how good of a job Ms Kane did.

I wouldn't say that Drawn in Blood is a romantic suspense novel. To me, it felt more like mystery/thriller book with a strong romance thread. Yeah, very slim difference, but it is there. The thing is Sloane and Derek are a couple now and are taking steps to move in together, build a life together. So it's not a matter of falling in love, but more working out the kinks of their relationship... and considering that Derek is part of the FBI and Sloane is a free agent and the case involves her father, there are many kinks. I did enjoy how the relationship progressed though, it's nice to see them work it through :)

By the way, I realized that I'm not much for investigations without rules. Guess I've watched too many cops shows and read too many books with cops, FBI and so on... Too used to procedures LOL. Anyway, Drawn in Blood was a solid book :) But I don't think everyone would enjoy it given the little romance there is and also, the storyline.


Books bought: +7
Books read: -20
TBR pile: -13

OMG, seriously?!? I can't believe it!! Woooohooo!! LOL, I know there were a lot of books from the TBR pile... and most of the Mary Balogh were from a friend or the library... but wow, I'm a happy camper! LOL. I think this is the best I've ever done since I started keeping track LOL. Too bad I know that June won't be as good ^_^;  Now, I just need to start working on those reviews! :)

Review: In the Darkest Night by Patti O'Shea

Sigh, it's been a long week. Been very busy at work... You know, I think that me and my co-workers have accustomed our boss to miracles... Or we've been doing things too much to please him, bending ourselves and our time. We're planning an experiment and it's like, there's no way I'm going to be ready to do it next week. I have to prepare 40 freaking samples... I usually do 4 samples/day... that's 10 days. So seriously, you're giving me 5 days?!?!? Ugh. I mean, he even knows that we'll probably not be ready, but he thinks giving us a deadline will push us more... but to what purpose?!? He's afraid it's not going to get done... well sorry, we were busy doing something else! Seriously.

Being without computer in the last week hasn't been as bad as I thought it'd be. Part of it is thanks to blogland being so quiet :) That helped. I tried to blog-hop at work... the only thing that didn't get done was me blogging sigh. In any ways, I'm going to try to re-format my computer tomorrow. Wish me luck!! In th meantime, I've been watching The Mentalist which is pretty good :)


In the Darkest Night by Patti O'Shea
published by Tor Romance in March 2010

Kel Andrews has spent the last year living with nightmares and flashbacks. Unwilling to share what happened, he's withdrawn from his family and the Gineal council has removed him from his position as a troubleshooter. But when a woman shows up asking for protection from a demon, Kel reluctantly agrees to help--and finds himself facing an unexpected adversary, one he doesn't know how to fight.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Light Warriors, Book #4

The Story: While the blurb is accurate, it's also not very detailed, so I'll try to add more. The heroine of In the Darkest Night is Farran, a character we've encountered in Edge of Dawn. She's a Tàireil who's technically the dark version of a Gineal. She was sent to this dimension by her evil father to steal the dracona despite her weak magic. However, Farran befriended Shona instead and betrayed her father. As a result, Farran is stuck in this dimension with little resources dodging both the Tàireils and Gineals... That is until she becomes the target of a demon and shadow walkers. Pushed to the limit, Farran goes to find Shona and her fiancé, Logan, for protection, but come across Kel instead.

A year ago, Kel was captured and tortured by people unknown. He might be well physically now, but mentally, he's still pretty screwed and as a result, has been removed from his position as a troubleshooter and has withdrawn from his family. When Farran shows up on his doorstep, he's willing to protect her because she's Shona friend... but when he finds out that she brings him peace of mind, he becomes determined. Unfortunately, Kel and Farran have no idea how to deal with shadow walkers and that might prove to be a problem...

My Opinion: It's no secret that Ms O'Shea is one of my favorite authors. I've discovered her a few years ago after reading Through a Crimson Veil and have been a loyal fan ever since. I was kind of disappointed with the first two books of this series, In the Midnight Hour and In Twilight's Shadow; however, Ms O'Shea seems to be hitting her stride :) Edge of Dawn was definitively a stronger book and I'm glad that it continues with In the Darkest Night.

I both enjoyed the characters and storyline of In the Darkest Night. I admit that at first, I wasn't too fond of Farran. There was a bit too much of self-pity and she seems weak. However, Ms O'Shea did a great job at developing Farran's character. I liked that Farran disliked her weakness and cowardice. That she wanted to do something to change it. However, change is hard, especially when your self-confidence is in the gutter. But she persevered and it paid off :) As for Kel, I liked him from the first. He's very smart, careful and very capable. That's always nice. Plus, he's been tortured and while he has recovered physically, mentally, it's another story. He still had nightmares and is now afraid of the dark... Even with problems, he tried his best and never gave up. He also has twin issues - tired of being considered the evil one :P Kel was simply a very complex and interesting character. I like that he dealt with his issues and problems and tried to overcome them, but that at the end of the book, there were still there, they haven't miraculously disappeared.

Together, Farran and Kel made a good couple. They had good chemistry and I enjoyed really enjoyed their interactions. Especially towards Kel's neatness LOL. The relationship really showcased how Kel is sensible. I liked how supportive he was of Farran and how he helped her re-building her self-confidence. He also never pushed her and was never impatient. Definitively the man Farran needed :)

As for the story, it was engaging and enjoyable. There was some action and it was enough to make it exciting.  What I liked though is that the characters acted smartly and were careful, especially when facing two different enemies. They put all the chances on their side, went into hiding and researched the enemies. Overall, I liked how it enfolded :)

I think that the last two books have been better because Ms O'Shea has had better plots with more interesting and better developed characters. The writing has also been stronger: tighter and less tentative in my opinion. Unfortunately, the weakness remains the world building, although we're finding out more and more about this world with every book. While Ms O'Shea keeps introducing new elements with each book; the problem is   these elements don't seem to mesh and connect. Instead of making the world building more understandable to the readers, it just add more question marks. I'm sure Ms O'Shea is going somewhere with it all, but I'm really not seeing it. So far, there is no story-arc encompassing the series. Instead, it feels like a number of stories simply taking place in the same world. This is not a bad thing; however, I'm not sure that is what going on ^_^;

My Grade: I'm debating a bit between a B and a B+. I enjoyed In the Darkest Night and I thought it was a solid addition to the series. It was definitively better than the first two books and I definitively think that she's found what was missing to make this series better. However, while I liked In the Darkest Night, it just wasn't as intense as Edge of Dawn... and it kind of make the flaw about her world building a bit more evident... so I'm going to go with a strong B :) Definitively looking forward to the next book and hoping it'll make things even tighter :) In the meantime, I'm lucky that Ms O'Shea has a release with Harlequin Nocturne - Demon Kissed that'll give me my fix :)

Re-Read: Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea

Amazing the things you can do when you wake up early enough. Plus, when you type quick enough :P Showering, blogging, answering emails, going through my Google Reader... reviewing :P The only thing I don't think I'll have time to do is commenting, but I'll catch up on that once I'm back home.

In the meantime, here is my re-read for this month: Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea. This is part of the multi-authors Crimson City series published by Dorchester and Through a Crimson Veil can definitively be read as a standalone.


Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea

published by Dorchester Love Spell in October 2005

Los Angeles. Once, it was the City of Angels. Now, it’s Crimson City, whose inhabitants know nothing of Heaven. The tentative peace between the species—werewolf, vampire, human—teeters on the brink of collapse. Sides are being chosen. Yet the peril is greater than any imagine. There is a power here that longs for release, an ancient darkness held captive too long. Below, beneath, beyond, it seethes. And there are those who would see it freed.

Mika herself seeks freedom. She’s come to Crimson City looking for the key. But that key’s keeper is a killer, an outsider, a mercenary with a poisoned past. To her kind, he has meant only death. No matter that Conor McCabe’s pale green eyes hold a hint of lust, the glint of a bond never to be broken; the path ahead lies in shadow. In a city like this, death can come by fire or fang, by claw or kiss. And the moment of truth must come…

Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Crimson City, Book #3 (I think)

The Story: Mika is a half-demon from a weak branch (i.e. not very powerful, not very dark) - who can manipulate air and is very playful. As a half-demon, she has the ability of crossing the veil that separates the human and demon worlds while other demons have to be summoned. Because of this particularity, Mika is asked by the Council to fullfill a mission... Mika has every intention of refusing it, until she sees the picture of Conor McCabe, a fellow half-demon and her vishtau mate. Being a half-demon, she never really expected to have a vishtau mate (soulmate). However, how can she go around his back and complete the mission while gaining his trust? Add in a few very evil demons and a pair of hitmen who are after Conor... and it gets very interesting.

My Opinion: I really enjoyed this book the first time around. It was my first Patti O'Shea book and it really got my attention and put Ms O'Shea on my favorite author radar. I pretty much enjoyed everything: the writing which is engaging, the characters - I like Mika's playful side and Conor gruffy one; it's a bit the "happy-go-lucky heroine thawing up the stuffy hero" theme that I enjoy so much, there was also plenty of action and it was hot :) So seriously, what's not to like about this book?

This is not my first re-read of the book and it won't be my last either. What grabs me everytime is how much I like the characters :) Like I said, Mika is fun and she likes to push Conor's buttons. As soon as she meets him, she gets protective of him and tries to help him any way she can. The most important is that she helps him accepting his demon side. As for Conor, he doesn't know about the vishtau bond, but he can't help but being attracted to Mika and go all protective on her. They really complement each other very well... And seriously, I really have a thing for characters who sacrifice themselves for the other LOL. In a way, it's just so romantic right?

Ms O'Shea also has a writing style that suits me a lot. Even if the plot is not as engaging, her writing just pulls me in. It's fast and to the point. Ms O'Shea also puts a lot of scenes, time and efforts to build up the connection and chemistry between the H/H. She does have the perfect balance between the action and the characterization.

Of course, the story is a bit less exciting on re-reads because you already know what's going to happen... but that's what happens with the action-packed book :) But I really enjoy it every time I re-visit Mika and Conor :) They're just great :D

My Grade: B+

Review: Edge of Dawn by Patti O'Shea

How was everyone's week-end? Mine was quite relaxing, although I did a 12 hours shift at the priests' house on Saturday. Still, I only got a handful of phone calls, so I got off lucky LOL :P

Otherwise, I got to read 2 books, one of them Deathwish by Rob Thurman. Yesterday, my sister and I made tacos for lunch :) Good practice for when my parents are going to be gone on vacation :P There was also some good tennis happening and the top 20 for So You Think You Can Dance Canada was revealed. LOL, really nice week-end overall :)


Edge of Dawn by Patti O'Shea
published by Tor Books in June 2009

Glass artist Shona Blackwood has lost her ability to create, but instead of panic, all she feels is apathy. Her detachment is shaken when she narrowly avoids being mugged, thanks to a timely rescue by a man who makes all her senses come roaring to life.

Logan Andrews is a magical troubleshooter assigned to protect Shona from an unseen enemy. Shona is unaware that magic actually exists and Logan is under orders not to tell her, but it isn't long before he finds his loyalty torn between his people and the passionate woman he is guarding.

He thought this would be a straightforward job, but Logan quickly realizes that in an edgy contest between magic and passion, love is destined to win.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Light Warriors, Book #3

The Story: Logan Andrews is the troubleshooter in charge of Seattle area. However, ever since the bouda attack, Logan has been having troubles with his magic - after every use, he gets seizures, flashbacks that do not belong to him... and each time, the amount of magic that triggers those seizures is less and less... Now, he's been assigned a mission by the council: protect Shona Blackwood, a dormant Gineal whose parents were stripped of their magic as a punishment and who has no idea of her real heritage and of having an older brother, Creed Blackwood - a rover, the elite of the elite. The Gineals believe that Shona is in danger from a taireil who is seeking revenge over Creed... but soon, it becomes apparent that it's something bigger than petty revenge... and Logan has his hands full with his magical problems, keeping the truth from Shona and their mutual attraction...

My Opinion: I love Patti O'Shea. She does not have an extensive backlist, but I've really, really enjoyed her books and as a result, she's one of my auto-buy author. However, I must say that so far, I haven't been wowed by the Light Warriors series... and as a result, I didn't move heaven and earth to get this book ASAP. For once though, I think that played in my favor. You know how sometime, you anticipated a new release so much, have high expectations and read the book as soon as it is released, basically inhaling it... and you're left with a void at the end, slightly disappointed. That's how I felt after reading In the Midnight Hour and In Twilight's Shadow... This time, my expectations weren't as high and it allowed me to really enjoy Edge of Dawn.

The best thing about this book was the H/H and their connection. I really like Logan and enjoyed his character. Put aside his magic and I felt like he was a "normal" guy which is what readers need from time to time :) He wasn't an alpha man, but at the same time, not beta either. He's just a guy who loves his job, loves his family and enjoy life. There's no complicated past, no tragedy, no tortured emotions. The simplicity makes him charming and very likable... and I love the fact that at the end, he chose her over everything. As for Shona, I like her as well. She was another normal and real character. I liked the fact that she was shy and a bit socially inept. She is definitively an introvert person with some self-confidence issues (somehow, she reminds me a little bit of myself :P) I wonder though if her self-confidence issues were linked to her artistic creativity being gone or not. She was also smart and level-head. One of the thing I like the most in Edge of Dawn is that Shona did not freak out once she discovered that Logan had been assigned to protect her. She didn't go bersek and angry because he lied or omitted telling the truth or that the fact that he appeared in her life was planned. She analyzed the situation and understood the circumstances. I really liked that of her and when Logan assured her there was something real and strong between them, that he didn't woo her because of his job, she didn't doubt his word. I gotta say though, I'd have liked to know a little bit more about her past. I think it was glossed over a little and I can't help but think that it would have helped readers understand her better. Then, there was Logan and Shona's chemistry. Wow, it was hot and intense... exactly what the book and readers needed. Love the fact that they went out on "dates" and got to know each other. Love that gallery scene, it was hot :) I liked the fact that they spent time with each other... There simply was a lot of chemistry between them, their characters fitting well together.

Edge of Dawn focused a lot on Logan and Shona, which was the right decision. I also liked the fact that it distanced itself from the first two books of the series. We see some recurring characters - the Council - and we know that Shona is linked to Creed, but otherwise, it was really Logan and Shona's book. Previous main characters do not appear, except for Creet at the end for an introduction. I think it was a smart choice to do... it also introduces some interesting future characters such as Logan's siblings.

There was also plenty of action in this book, as usual when it comes to Ms O'Shea book. Those were enjoyable and balanced out the relationship scenes. I liked the fact the whole plot, the villains trying to get the dracontias from Shona. Although I have to point out that once again, the weakest point of the book was the world building. I mean, I've come to expect this... if you don't establish the world building well in the first books of a series, it's not going to get better in the subsequent ones. I still find the Gineal world confusing and it doesn't help that Ms O'Shea keeps introducing weird creatures. I know they do not play an important role, but still. Also, in the last book, Maia turned out to be a special person... and in this one, Shona is the dragon mage... Hmmm, I know that Ms O'Shea is building up to something... I just hope the climax will be well done and it won't flop.

My Grade: B+. I think that so far, Edge of Dawn is the best of the series. I really loved Shona and Logan and their relationship. The world building could use some clarifications and if it was better executed, this book would definitively have gotten a higher grade. As it is though, I still enjoyed it a lot, so it's good :)

Around the web...

Hi everyone :)

So what's new around the web? Well I'm probably the last one to realize that there's an excerpt of Demon Bound, new installment in the very good series The Guardians by Meljean Brook... I did the mistake of reading it and seriously, I want the book NOW! NOW!!! (click here for excerpt)

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Also, Ms Naomi Novak has just put up an excerpt of Victory of Eagles, book #5 in the Temeraire series, on her website. I really enjoyed it and luckily for me, the book is coming out next month, so that's not too far away :P I might just survive the wait LOL (click here for excerpt)

Finally, the muse of blogging has been visiting me this week and I've been very productive writing posts and reviews LOL :) Result? I have reviewed In Twilight's Shadow by Patti O'Shea over at Book Binge :) (click here for review)

The Little-Known Favorites Meme

Hello everyone!

So how was your week-end? Mine was relaxing :D A little of work, a little of gardening... little of reading and lot of sleeping LOL :D I've been reading some books, but I don't feel like reviewing them... so instead, here is my The Little-Known Favorites meme (I've been tagged by DanceChica)

I thought this meme was particularly hard to do ^^; I looked at my books and was: which ones are my favorites? which ones are not really well-known? I've been reading mainly romances and I guess I'm pretty mainstreamed. Anyhow, I finally came up with three books which I have read and re-read so many times.... and yeah, I know... I've raved about them so many times (or at least about the authors, but stay with me :P)

Rules: List and describe three of your favorite books that other people might not be familiar with. Then tag five people. See, easy!

Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea

This book is part of the Crimson series by different paranormal authors, but it is a stand-alone in the series. There are all new characters and it introduces the world of demons to the readers.

The story is about Mika, a half-human/half-demon, who has lived most of her life in the realm of the demons which is separated from the realm of humans by a crimson veil that no demon can cross except for halflings. Mika is given the mission to steal some magic incantation from Connor McCabe, another half-human/half-demon who has lived in the human realm all his live and is in fact a demon slayer. While Mika embraces both her demon and human culture, Connor despises his demon nature...

I simply love this story. I've always been a sucker for storylines in which a) there is a playful heroine who draws out a very stern and serious hero and b) one of the main character sacrifices him/herself for their great love. This book contains both of these elements I love so much. In addition, Mika is a great heroine :D She's a kick-ass character with a playful side to her and not at all annoying or typical :D Connor also makes a very attractive and protective hero :D As for the storyline, I thought it was great as well :D

The Perfect Lie by Dinah McCall aka Sharon Sala

I've gushed so much about Dinah McCall/Sharon Sala in my blog, so it's pretty normal that one of her books make this list :D I think The Perfect Lie is my favorite among all her books written as Dinah McCall.

Jonah Slade was once in love with a rich heiress, Felicity Blaine... however, she broke his heart by aborting his baby. To forget his pain, Jonah pours all his energy into his career, an undercover agent for the CIA. 16 years later, Macie Blaine, Felicity's younger sister, shows up on his doorstep and tells him that Felicity lied under the pressure of their father and that Jonah has a son... and his son has been kidnapped...

I have to say I'm not really a fan of those storylines where the hero or heroine later falls in love with their ex-whatever's sister/brother... but in this case, it works well and I guess that's because Jonah and Macie had very little contact with each other when Macie was young and so much time pass through. Also, Macie really loved Jonah and she gave up a lot for him. In addition, I found the storyline very interesting.... but what drew me most were the characters and their relationships.

Touching Evil by Kay Hooper

Finally, my third book is Touching Evil by Kay Hooper. I think that Kay Hooper is quite well-known as an author, but not really in the romance sphere. Me, I just love the FBI SCU series :D and it was a hard choice btw Touching Evil, Stealing Shadows, Out of the Shadows and Hunting Fear :P In the end, Touching Evil won... there is just something about this book...

There is a serial killer on the loose: he rapes, beat his victims and take away their eyes. So far, he has made 4 victims. John Garrett's sister was one of the victim and she killed herself later on... John is determined to seek justice for his sister and he is ready to do anything. If this means calling his good friend Quentin and his partner from the FBI SCU and putting faith in Maggie Barnes, a sketch artist with an extraordinary gift, he'll do it... although he doesn't believe in psychics.

Maggie's psychic ability is both a gift and a curse... She's an empath and so she feels what her victims feels. She's also an amazing artist which allows to draw such accurate sketches and she believes that she's been put in this world, been given this gift to right something she did wrong in her past life... to re-establish a balance that has been long ago disrupted... However, this case is different from all what she's been through, the feelings she gets are amplified and her powers are starting to grow stronger... scaring the hell out of her. Will she succeed to re-establish balance? or will she fail again?

Like I said, I love this series :D Yes, it is gory and there is a lot of violence, but we're talking serial killer and FBI stuff and so I don't think there's any way around it... The real world does have a lot of gratuitous violence :( I also love the author's take on psychic abilities, the explanations she gives in her books are very believable... I guess I'm more of a scientist than I thought :D This is one of the best in the series in term of plot and relationship :D and I really liked Maggie and she was going through... only someone very strong could have made it.


All right, so this post got longer than I thought it'd be :D So I'll stop here... but just before saying good night, here are the persons I'm tagging: Chantal, Kris, Isabel, Rosie and Kristie :D

Good night :D

Review: Dark Awakening by Patti O'Shea

Seriously, I need to be banned from the bookstores till the end of the month... maybe longer. Cos I think I bought over 40 books so far since Christmas and this is just insane. I can't go in bookstores without coming out with books... and not only one, but 2, 3... even 10. Definitively have to work on impulse.

Oh, before I go onto the review... anyone can tell me when Visions of Heat by Nalini Singh. Chapters online says June 2007 and Amazon says March 2007... I hope Canada doesn't get it later. Onto the review now...

Dark Awakening by Patti O'Shea: 3.75/5
published January 2007

*part of anthology Shards of Crimson

Kimi Noguchi has been attracted to Nic, a demon, ever since she met him at her cousin's wedding; however, Nic is avoiding her. When she is attacked by a Dark One, the strongest of demon, named Augustin who wants to still her newly discovered magical power, she summons Nic to protect her.

Nic has been warned by his little sister to stay away from Kimi, although she is his vishtau mate (soul mate), because Kimi is still too young. However, when Kimi summons him, all deals are off. However, Nic knows that he is no match for Augustin, who in the past, has killed Nic's father and left him for dead, but no matter what, he is determined to protect Kimi.

Series: Crimson City
Genre: paranormal romance, demons

Review: Well, I bought the book only for this short story :) I luv Patti O'Shea writing style and my complaint here is that the story is just too short. Ms. O'Shea did well for a short story and the only thing is that there's less action than usual. Everything just happened too quickly...

Characters - Ms. O'Shea did really well, fleshing her characters. I think that Kimi does sound a bit like Mika, but it's understandable. It's probably because the age. She's an interesting character that I wish could read about again in the future when she matured. I don't mean to say that she's annoying, but mostly just indecisive at time. I really liked Nic tho :D He's not the big evil demon and the Mahsei side does show in his personality :D

Story & Writing - as I said, too short... but hey, it's a short story, so understandable. Ms O'shea follows her usual style and it works for me. That's probably why she's one of my favorite author, although she has very few books out and half of them part of series like Crimson City (different authors series).

The Cover - well, I have nothing to say about the cover. I'm glad there's no one on it and it's neutral, to fit all the story.

Am I keeping the book: well yeah... unless the short story is released on its own.

Anything else: I want to read more about the demons that Ms. O'Shea has created. I'd like a book with Mika, Connor, Nic and Kimi. However, I don't think that's happening.

Comfort reading...

hello everyone,

i've been busy in the lab and at the moment, I'm very close to crying because the experiments do not work T_T I'm going to give it a shot tomorrow as well.... but man, I don't feel like it. that'd be like 2 to 3 weeks of work wasted and I only have 2-3 weeks left. arghhh.

anyway, i haven't had time reading much. I did start and finish Skintight by Susan Andersen, but I really need to re-read it again in order to give a fair review. Since I'm at the lab and have to wait for at least 80 minutes and it's presently 6:43pm and that there's not way I'm going bother with the calculations of something that at this stage, I'm not sure it's going to work... I'm going to review Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea... which is presently, my re-read and comfort reading.

Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea: 4.5/5

What can i say? I just love, love, love this book! Through a Crimson Veil is part of the Crimson city series which is 5 or 6 books, each written by different author with the exception of Liz Maverick who wrote two. The series is about different paranormal beings (vampires, werewolves, demons, witches, druids, etc.) and explores their different "lifestyles" in Los Angeles, now known was Crimson City. L.A. has become Crimson City due to the amount of blood shed and it's actually going to become worse as humans and vampires, along with many other paranormal beings, are at war.

What I actually like about Through A crimson Veil is although a lot is happening in Crimson City, the book is mainly focused on the main characters: Mika Noguchi and Conor McCabe. I kind of like it, because instead of bring back characters from previous who are not her characters, the author doesn't risk writing something that wouldn't be them. So anyway, Mika is a half-demon (demon mother, human Japanese father) from a lower race, the Maisei: so she doesn't have much power, she can control the air and that's about it. A particularity of Maisei is that they are very spontaneous and they don't take things too seriously which was very interesting :D I actually, really liked Mika's personality. So demons have been banished from Crimson City for a long time and they live in another realm, separated by the "veil." However, they can appear in our realm if humans call them forth with spells and such, but as a half-demon, Mika has been able to cross the veil back and forth without the need of any help. Which is why she's been appointed by the council for a mission: to retrieve a spell from Conor McCabe. Mika accepts the mission, but she has an ulterior motive: Conor McCabe. Conor McCabe is also a half-demon, a Kiverian; however, he is much more powerful than Mika. In addition, unlike Mika, Conor has grown up in the human realm and in fact, he's a demon slayer (due to the fact that his mother was raped by a demon, he kind of hates them). So Mika accepts the mission because of Conor, since he's her mate and she wasn't sure she had one. Apparently, the mate bond between demons is very strong.

Anyway, as I said, a very good story. it really focuses on Conor and Mika and I like their personality. I've always found endearing when hero becomes protective and possessive (of course, there's a boundary) and this is exactly what happens to Conor. He doesn't want to fall in love with Mika, but he's interested and attracted. The development of the relationship is nice too :D and I luv Mika... perhaps some will find her annoying, but I don't. I like her personality and I think that she complements Conor well. Both balance themselves... In addition to a nice love story, you get some good actions and some suspens. The romance is the main focus, but the author didn't forget about the plot (the spell, the other demons, etc). The whole story was well plotted :D

So I really can't wait the short story of Kimiko Noguchi and Nic, respectively Mika's cousin and half-brother (but Kimiko and Nic are not blood-related), which will come out in January 2007 as part of Crimson City anthology.

Review: Eternal Nights by Patti O'Shea

Okay, so just to let some of you know, I successfully reserved Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase at the library (lucky me that they had a copy!) and it'll probably be returned by the end of the month. :D

Now onto the review - you guys will have to excuse me, it might be 8 a.m., but I'm exhausted. I've been staying late at the lab and staying up late to finish the book, so my mind is a bit sluggish, my body aches and I should already be on my way to the lab ^^;

All right, the review. Did any of you find an author with a style of stories you just loved no matter what? I mean, yeah, I'm a fan of Kay Hooper and Kelley Armstrong, but that's mostly because they write very well. As for Patti O'Shea, I'm not telling that she doesn't write good books, far from it... it's just that I LOVE her books (okay, there's not a ton... only 3 and I've read 2 - not counting this one) unconditionally. I discovered her through Through a Crimson Veil. It got mild reviews while I thought it was fantastic, so maybe it's just be... something in her books just appeal to me.

Eternal Nights by Patti O'Shea: 4.25/5

Wyatt Montgomery and Kendall Thomas are lovers... soulmates... from a previous life. However, only Wyatt remembers their previous life as Berkant and Zoalianna. Wyatt and Kendall are both captains in the army and are presently stationned in the Old City of J Nine, a planet lights away from Earth. Wyatt immediately recognizes Kendall as Zoalianna, but she is a completely different person, but this doesn't stop him from falling in love. Meanwhile, Kendall is afraid of love relationships and treats Wyatt as her best friends, cos friendship lasts forever while love...

Wyatt knows that something's been bugging Kendall, but the girl is closed-mouth. So he asks a friend/soldier, Catfish, to keep an eye on Kendall while he is out on the field. Why is Kendall so nervous? Because she's stumbled over a smuggling ring. See, most people on J Nine are there as archeologists to investigate on the vestiges of the Old City + the army to protect the civillians. Kendall is somewhat attracted to the Old City and particularly its temple (that pyramid on the cover). So she's been gathering evidences of the smuggling ring and when she went to colonel Alex Sullivan to inform him, he blows her up because he's been called to the murder scene of... Catfish. Meanwhile, Kendall is being pursued by the thieves and take refuge in the temple where Wyatt will join her. Both get stuck in the temple - lost with pratically no food and no water - and they have to find a way out of there, avoiding if possible the smugglers and once outside, tell colonel Sullivan so he can stop the smugglers from escaping free.

Okay, as I said, my recap of the story is not that good - blame it on the mush brain. However, I can tell you I like the book a lot! There are basically 3 storylines :

1) Wyatt and Kendall : I really liked the fact that it was Wyatt that really went after Kendall. He knows that Kendall's childhood has made her wary of love and that if he tells her he loves her, she'll bolt. So he takes it slowly, as much as he can, he's very patient and considerate. Another thing I like was that he fell in love with her... no in lust. And he might have recognized Kendall as Zoalianna; however, she's a completely different person - physically and personality wise. As he said, Berkant loved Zoalianna and Wyatt Montgomery loves Kendall Thomas. Really sweet. Oh and I liked how he was the one having memories of their past lives and she had none and that they didn't recognize at sight.

2) Berkant and Zoalianna: basically, their love was forbidden. I don't want to talk too much about their relationship because it would spoil a lot about the book. Basically, you get pieces from Wyatt and the bulk from Kendall's dream. Ever since she met Wyatt, Kendall has had these bloody dreams which makes her worried that she's endangering Wyatt. Then, as they enter the temple, she starts to remember the past as dreams.

3) Alex Sullivan and Stacey Johnson: Alex is the colonel and he's pretty much the single-minded man that most army soldiers are depicted as. He's been in a relationship with Stacey for 3 years, but not even once did he tell her he loves her. After 3 years of doing all the work in the relationship and finding out that she's pregnant, Stacey has had enough. He doesn't love her enough and he won't be a good father... so she decides to break up and return to Earth. Meanwhile, Alex has issues of his own, but he's going to win Stacey back for sure.

So I like the book: the love relationships, the action and everything :D (Maybe I'm biaised)... However, there are still some flaws and that's why the grade is only 4.25.

Flaws:

1) The book has the same settings as Ravyn's Flight which is the only book I didn't read... However, this book is supposed to be a standalone. In that case, I found that the author didn't put enough background in the settings for readers who have not read Ravyn's Flight to completely understand.

2) oh yeah, (I blanked during a moment trying to remember)... J Nine is another planet right? Berkant and Zoalianna were inhabitant of J Nine 3000 years ago. So what, their past lives were as alien? That just bugged me a little, because well, you know... alien.

3) Wyatt and Kendall have only known each other for 4 months in this life. When I read 4 months, even factoring the previous life and all, I thought: that's a bit too short. Make it half a year or a year and it would have been more believable.

4) her nickname... Wyatt calls her Bug. Where does that come from?

So that's it :D a really good read if you guys like a bit of fantasy/paranormal. If you like her other books, don't miss this one. I'm so looking forward to her next story - a continuation of Through a Crimson Veil with Kimiko Noguchi and Nic as main characters, basically Mika's cousin and half-brother. The only bummer is that it's going to be in an anthology of the Crimson City series (Shards of Crimson) so that means it won't be full length :( On the other good news is that she seems to have a contract for 2 more books coming out in 2007 and 2008 (yeah for me)!