Re-Read Challenge 2010: December!!

Bet you thought I'd never put this post up, right? I thought of just letting it go, but it seemed just wrong... especially since there were entries ^_^; I'm going to take the opportunity to recap the Re-Read challenge as well :)

I started the Re-Read Challenge in 2009, because I thought I was too focused on reading new releases and not enough on enjoying my favorites :) I'd say I keep 85% of the books I buy and when people ask me if I re-read them, I always answer yes... because I do, but not as much since I started having a TBR pile. So I thought a challenge would make me re-visit some of my favorites :) Overall, I thought that the Re-Read Challenge was a success and people seemed to enjoy it, so I decided to continue it in 2010. However, I knew it'd be taking it easier this year and so, there'd be no sign-up, no reminders and no prizes. And easier I did take it, often putting up the Re-Read posts and my own entries late. Actually, this post being a perfect example.

It's obvious that this year, the Re-Read Challenge 2010 wasn't as successful. Part of it was obviously me - being late on posts is never a good thing ^_^; At the same time though, I think the challenge suffered from the blogging blues. There were less participants, but at the same time, there was less blogging overall in blogland. Seems like many went through blogging slumps, me included. Still, there were some consistent participants: Miss Moonlight, Hilcia, Leslie and Ames :) Thank you to you 4, as well as everyone who participated :)

Surprisingly, there was only one person who completed the challenge, i.e. did 12 re-reads and wrote 12 reviews, and that person is...

HILCIA!!

Woohoo!! Totally awesome Hils!! And you've just won a 50$ gift certificate for anymore bookstores you wants!! I meant  to do something special with the Re-Read Challenge back in June and July, but never got around to it and I think the only person who completed this challenge should be rewarded :)

Finally, I'm wrapping up the Re-Read Challenge 2010 with the following reviews...

Miss Moonlight: Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning

Hilcia: If You Desire by Kresley Cole

Nath: Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper 

And here we go, the end of the Re-Read Challenge :) It was really a pleasure to host this challenge and I hope everyone who participated had a blast and everyone else enjoyed all the reviews!! :)

Re-Read: Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper

Guess what?!? There is no Hauling Sunday post this week, because... I didn't buy books!! Woohoo! Surprised? LOL, I am. This is due partly because it was so busy and hectic as I mentioned in my other post, but also because there was no new releases. However, do not worry, everything will go back to normal this week and there will definitively be a post next week :) Proof? I got 4 books today LOL.

Since I don't have a Hauling Sunday post today, I'd continue catching up on the posts for 2010 that I've been wanting to do. So today, I'm wrapping up the Re-Read Challenge :) I'm concluding this challenge with a book from one of my favorite authors, Kay Hooper.


Stealing Shadows by Kay Hooper
published by Bantam Books in September 2000

What if you can enter a madman's cruel mind as he plans his vicious crimes? What if you can see the terrified face of his prey as he moves in for the kill-but you can't stop his frenzy once he strikes?

Psychic Cassie Neill helps the L.A. police catch killers-until she makes a terrible mistake and an innocent child dies. Cassie flees to a small North Carolina town, hoping that a quiet life will silence the voices that invade her unwilling mind. But Cassie's abilities know few boundaries. And she's become certain-as no one else can be-that a murderer is stalking Ryan's Bluff.

It's his fury that Cassie senses first, then his foul thoughts and perverse excitement. Yet she doesn't know who he is or where he will strike. The sheriff won't even listen to her-until the first body is found exactly where and how she predicted. Now a suspect herself, she races desperately to unmask the killer in the only way she knows: by entering his twisted mind. Her every step is loaded with fear and uncertainty...because if he senses her within him, he'll trap her there, so deep she'll never find her way out.

In Stealing Shadows, Kay Hooper introduces FBI agent Noah Bishop, whose rare gift for seeing what others do not helps him solve the most puzzling cases. Now, Bishop's adventures continue in two new electrifying tales of psychic suspense.

Beware of what you see. It's dawn when the police arrive at the murder scene. The victim is propped against a tree, her eyes still open, her head tilted, her lips parted in a silent cry. Just as Cassie Neill predicted. Just as she saw while she was inside the killer's mind. The killer knew she was there. And next time he won't let her get away.

Genre: Romantic suspense, psychic
Series: FBI SCU series, Book #1

The Story: Cassie Neill is a psychic with the uncanny ability of entering the minds of twisted monsters and seeing through their eyes. As a result, she has spent most of her life helping the police putting those monsters behind bars. However, her gift - or more accurately, her curse - only gives her an edge and is not a certainty. A wrong interpretation can lead to a tragic end; and when a little girl dies, Cassie knows she's reached her limits and can no longer continue. She retreats to Ryan's Bluff where she's inherited a house from her estranged aunt.

The last thing she expects in this small and peaceful town is to connect with the mind of a killer, but that's exactly what happens. With no big surprise, the sheriff refuses to believe her and Cassie cannot remain on the sideline. She decides to reach out for the judge, Ben Ryan, in the hope he can sway the sheriff.

As women are murdered, Ben and the sheriff quickly realize that Cassie might be their only way to stop the killer. However, Cassie is not certain she can go this once again... and Ben finds himself unwilling to let Cassie risks herself. Especially when the case is more complicated than they believed it was and connected to Cassie...

My Opinion: I discovered Ms Hooper FBI SCU series back in 2004 and simply fell in love with it. It was in-between two classes and I was at the bookstore, flipping through some books and I picked up Whisper of Evil. I started reading it and after a couple of chapters, I knew. I knew that I would love Ms Hooper and that these books were for me. So put back Whisper of Evil and set on a mission: go to every UBS in downtown Montreal to find Ms Hooper FBI SCU series books. After that, I came back to the bookstore and bought the ones that were missing :) Like I said, I just knew... and I was right :)

Stealing Shadows is the first book of the series I really enjoyed it, although it wasn't my favorite and I haven't re-read it in a couple of years... which is why I picked it up back in December. I was in a mini-slump and felt like reading a Kay Hooper and thought, why not Stealing Shadows? Sometimes, it's good a few years have passed, because you don't remember everything about the story and can go "Ohhh, right" and that's what happened :)

Overall, I really enjoyed re-reading Stealing Shadows. I pretty much like everything about it - the characters, the romance and the suspense. Cassie is very strong and independent. She might not be someone you get chummy with, but it's definitively someone you admire. It also seemed to me that she was finally living... For too long, she's focused on helping with her gifts and I can't imagine the pressure it was, the horrors she's seen... and thus, seeing her meeting Ben, falling and love and getting her HEA ending, it was great. As for Ben, he was really solid, exactly what Cassie needed. I liked that he was persistent in his pursuing of Cassie, that he did not give up and his protective side of Cassie. I have to say though, I would have liked to know Ben a little bit better, to have him a bit more fleshed out... However, I don't think it detracted too much from the book.

I would categorize Ms Hooper's Shadows trilogy as romantic suspense as opposed to her Fear and Blood trilogies being more mystery/thriller instead. That being said, the romance is on the light side. Still, I was satisfied with it. Cassie and Ben get to know each other, understand each other and build a relationship. Yes, the timeline was a bit fast, but the romance well written :) As for the suspense, I think that's what Ms Hooper does best. It was really suspenseful and complex. I think that the psychic element also allows Ms Hooper to flex the boundaries a little bit. At the same time though, it's not evident. What I mean is that because of the psychic element, not everything is explainable. For example, not everything is A --> B, sometimes, it's A --> C... and you perhaps have to suspend disbelief, so it probably doesn't work for everyone, but it does for me :) All in all, I think Ms Hooper did good balancing everything in this book :)

One of the thing I also like about this book is Noah Bishop's appearance. Noah Bishop is the pivotal character in the FBI SCU series, because he's the one who put together the SCU - Special Crime Unit. What I never caught on my first reading of Stealing Shadows though is that Cassie and Noah are cousins!! I only found that out later, on Ms Hooper's website, and after re-reading the book, I could pick up the clues. I thought that was really cool LOL.

Another thing that I really like about Stealing Shadows is that it might be the first book in this series, but it doesn't throw you in the SCU right away. Instead, it's like a preface book. It shows you a bit why Bishop wants to build the SCU, the motivation behind it and the usefulness of such an unit. I think it was a brilliant way to open the series really. Usually, in the first book, the unit would already be put together and running. You'd be introduced to all those characters and there'd be a lot of explaining about the unit, it's purpose, etc. This way, we get to experience it and I like that :)

Finally, the reason why I like the FBI SCU series and why it stands out the most for me is the way Ms Hooper has incorporated the psychic element into the suspense/mystery. The approach she's taken to explain psychic abilities is scientific and her characters are no-nonsense about it. Also, most importantly is that the characters have come to terms with their abilities and have learned to live with them... and her characters are stronger for it :) Some of them do have a vulnerable side to them, but it's not the fragility that you usually associate with psychics. Put it all together and that is why it matches with the suspense so well. Instead of the psychic abilities being mystic and something elusive, it's scientific, cold and solid and suits the FBI :)

My Grade: B. What's really hard with re-reads of romantic suspense and mystery/thriller books is that knowing who's done it takes out of the intensity... and Stealing Shadows is not an exception. However, I still truly really love this book :) Perhaps it's more sentimental than logical, but isn't that the way with books? :)

Re-Read: When You Call My Name by Sharon Sala

LOL, I'm trying to sneak in a review for my re-read. I actually re-read quite a few books in November/December... The problem though is that some, I've already reviewed as re-read ^_^; and others, well I've re-read and reviewed other books by the same authors. I'm trying to vary here, but yeah... there's just something about comfort reads and re-reads, ya know... In the end, I finally chose When You Call My Name by Sharon Sala.


When You Call My Name by Sharon Sala
published by Harlequin (Silhouette) in January 1996

Whenever you need me...

She had given him the most precious gift of all -- the gift of life. But something more than a mere blood transfusion linked Wyatt Hatfield to the stranger who had saved him. Something that allowed her to call out to him for help in the stillness of the night -- without ever speaking a word....

And now it was his turn to give. For the connection that linked Wyatt to Glory Dixon was the only hope he had of saving her from danger. And he had to try -- because without ever trying, Glory had become more precious to him than his own life.

Genre: category romance, contemporary romance, psychics
Series: none

The Story: Hmmm, where to start? Actually, the story is quite simple. Glory Dixon has "the sight" and have been sheltered from the normal world by her father and her brother throughout her life. One night, she wakes them up during a blizzard because she needs to be at the hospital... and that is how Wyatt Hatfield survived his injuries from a car accident. Without the blood from a stranger, he would have died.

Fast-forward a year and Wyatt is hearing a voice in his head, asking for help. Thinking that perhaps the voice is due to some brain damage caused by the car accident, Wyatt returns to the little town... where he discovers the voice actually belongs to Glory. He also finds out that Glory's father and brother have been murdered and that Glory is in danger as she was the target... and that someone won't stop till Glory is forever silent.

My Opinion:  I first discovered Ms Sala with Out of the Dark, which was an impulse buy, and became an instant fan. Out of the Dark was such an emotional, gripping read - my heart ached throughout it and I cried so much you cannot imagine. Since then, I've been trying to get my hands on every books with the name of Sharon Sala or Dinah McCall on it... So it's only natural (at least for me) that I got When You Call My Name when it was re-released a few years ago in an omnibus along with Rider on Fire. I remember thinking it was a cute story, but seriously, it didn't leave a deep impression in my mind, because I forgot that I've read it ^_^;

A few weeks ago, I read My Fiercest Heart by Sharon Sala. I was waiting for my sister and I've managed to finish the novella at the bookstore. I really enjoyed it, but because the story was half a category romance book in length,  I didn't buy it. Instead, I went to look online if I couldn't buy an e-version of it... and I came across When You Call My Name. The blurb sounded so interesting that I was really tempted! Lucky for me I don't buy ebooks as fast as I buy print books LOL, because I realized that I actually already owned and read When You Call My Name!! Since I couldn't remember anything of it though, I decided to re-read it.

While re-reading the book, details of the story came back to me. Overall, I thought that the premises had potential. I really liked the idea of two people being able to telepathically communicate after the exchange of blood and the blurb really drew my attention. However, it misled me a little bit. For some reasons, I thought the story would be more about Wyatt looking for the voice, finding Glory. Still, I was okay once I realized it wasn't... I was still engaged by the premises... In the end though, I was disappointed by When You Call My Name. I can't exactly pinpoint what it is about the book that didn't work for me. I can try to guess... one of the reasons that pops up in my mind right away is that it simply didn't measure up to some other of Ms Sala's books. It didn't have the impact, the poignancy that other works of hers have. Emotionally, it really didn't reach me and this is what Ms Sala is good at.

Also, I felt like the book was a bit superficial. Lots of things happened, some related to the murder and some not, but it never went deep inside the characters or the storyline. It's like one thing happened after another to keep the story going, keep the story rolling to the conclusion so Ms Sala didn't have to develop the romance or the characters. Perhaps it's because this was a category romance... I don't know. I thought Ms Sala had some really interesting elements such as Glory being a psychic and all; however, she didn't exploit those elements. Plus, the driving force of the plot, the reason for the murder was a bit far-fetched. Yes, I can understand it... but you still had to suspend disbelief a little.

It's really unfortunate because I liked the characters. Wyatt and Glory were so different and complement each other. The whole romance was very sweet and it was nice to see the two fall for each other. Still, at the end, I don't feel like I really knew or understood Wyatt and Glory :(

My Grade: C-. It pains me to give such a grade,but this was definitively not Ms Sala's best.

Re-read Challenge 2010: November!!

So sorry this post is late!! I've been meaning to write it up, but I haven't been in the mood ^_^; December has been far busier than I expected and it's taken a hit at my reading/blogging mojo. Grrrrr. Still, better late than never, right? :)

Only one more entry for the Re-Read Challenge after November! Seriously, can you believe a year has almost gone by? I can't. The first half of the year seems to go by so slowly, but the last few months have just zipped through! After this year, there is no doubt that I am not continuing the Re-Read Challenge. It was fun; however, blogland has quieted down as well as the participation rate to the challenge. Plus, I think I want to be challenge-free next year. Challenges are great, but at the same time, they add pressure to my reading... and seriously, the way things go, I always have difficulty keeping track of time and when to read a certain book for a challenge and when to post the review. So after today's post, there'll be one more entry for the Re-read Challenge :)

Let's see what people has re-read in November:

Miss Moonlight: Soul Deep by Lora Leigh

Ames: Crossing Borders by Z.A. Maxfield

Leslie: The Unsung Hero by Suzanne Brockmann

Hilcia: A Bride in the Bargain by Deeanne Gist

Nath: When You Call My Name by Sharon Sala

Did I miss any reviews?

Re-Read Challenge 2010: September and October!!!

Okay, so I've been quite lax with the Re-Read Challenge post, mainly because the rate of participation is way down LOL. I'm not too surprised, as I myself have difficulty doing my re-reads... Anyway, to catch up what I missed last month, I'm combining September and October together :)


September

Nath: The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
Hilcia: Lady Sophia's Lover, A Separate Peace, Almost Like Being in Love, Cullen's Bride and Mr. Perfect


October

Miss Moonlight: The Viking's Woman by Heather Graham
Hilcia: Rising Moon by Lori Handeland
Nath: Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie
Ames: Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie and Seducing Stephen by Bonnie Dee and Summer Devon

If I've missed any review, please let me know!! Enjoy everyone!

Re-Read: Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie

Happy Halloween everyone!!

While I don't particularly like Halloween, I think it's great that we do end the month with a bang :) Makes it more exciting, I guess. In any case, I'm just happy the month is over. It's been a really tough month and I want it behind me :P

For this month's Re-Read challenge, I'm cheating a little bit, because Trust Me on This is not a re-read per se. See, I bought this book by Jennifer Crusie eons ago. At that time, I've just discovered Ms Crusie and tried to get my hand on all her backlist, but especially this one since apparently, it was hilarious. I remember reading somewhere that Trust Me on This was so good that the person thought she should buy a second copy and put it in a safe in a hermetic seal, open it 20 years later and make a fortune out of it, LOL. So after much efforts and money (I think I paid about 25$ on ebay ^_^;) I got the book, skimmed through it and put it on the shelves ^_^; I think that at the time, I was afraid to be disappointed because of too high expectations... and seriously, the cover wasn't that appealing as it turns out ^_^;

This month, Trust Me on This was re-released; I bought it and finally read it :) While I never truly read it previously, I have skimmed through it... and I have had years for my expectations to cool down. With such a history, I think Trust Me on This could be considered a re-read :P Well no matter, that's what I'm going to do...


Trust Me on This by Jennifer Crusie
published by Bantam Books in June 1997

Dennie Banks is an investigative reporter chasing down the biggest story of her career. Alec Prentice is a government agent working undercover to catch an elusive grifter. When they meet by accident, it's a case of mistaken identities at first sight. What they don't mistake is the instant attraction they have for each other, an attraction they'll do everything in their power to resist-because Dennie thinks that Alec is running interference for her interview subject, and Alec suspects that Dennie is linked to his swindler. As the confusion grows, so do their feelings for each other, and what begins as a romantic comedy of errors may just end in the love affair of a lifetime.

Genre: contemporary romance, category romance
Series: none

The Story: The book starts off with Victoria Prentice, a college professor who has dedicated her last 40 years to her career, feeling old. At 62 years old, Victoria feels the need to rejuvenate herself and decide to spend time with her favorite nephew, Alec Prentice, at a literature conference.

Alec is delighted to spend time with his aunt and might as well combine pleasure with work. Alec works for the Bureau of Fraud and with a pair of glasses, has practiced to be the perfect mark. While his field agent days are over and he sits behind a desk... Alec misses being in charge. Alec and his boss, Harry, are currently after Brian Bond, a conman who sells real estate to college professor, and his brunette accomplice. Alec figures there is a chance he'll find Bond at the literature conference and that'll put some excitement back into his job.

Dennie Banks is a brunette whose life has been stagnant. An investigative reporter, she's been covering the socialite events, dating men she could wrap around her finger and stayed at the same job because she knew how to handle her boss. Realizing she's been taking the safe path for too long, Dennie decides it's time to take some risks... To land a job at a better newspapers, Dennie has a plan: interview Janice Meredith - the expert on relationships and marriage - about her upcoming divorce. Luckily, Dennie knows just where to find Mrs Meredith... at a certain literature conference.

However, things don't work out as planned for Dennie. Instead of getting the interview she's hoping for, she is warned away for stalking. However, she quickly figures out that she can get to the Janice woman through Victoria through Alec...

My Opinion: Put together a lot of colorful characters and a few misunderstandings and in true Crusie-style, you get mayhem... and the best kind LOL.

Frankly, I felt like Trust Me on This was a wee superficial. Superficial in the sense that we never went deep into the characters as the storyline was very focused on what was happening during the literature conference (Four Fabulous Days! Three Glorious Nights!). All I know was that all these characters were dissatisfied with their current lives. I don't feel like I got to know Alec or Dennie very well and as a result, didn't connect with them very much. It doesn't help that the timeline of the book was very short, so the relationship was developing very quickly and sometimes, too quickly to be believable.

Still, Trust Me on This was a fun book. It's really a book that you take at face-value, the kind that you read to have fun. It'd actually be the perfect book to adapt into a romantic comedy movie :P What with the colorful characters, their hidden agendas and the misunderstandings. Throughout the read, I had a huge grin on my face because after all, this is a Crusie book. However, there were never really LOL moments, never a passage that I had to re-read again because it was so funny or read out loud to someone because I just had to share it.

In the end, I think it was a good thing I let years go by before really reading this book. I think that I enjoyed it more now than I would have in the past, when I've just binged on Ms Crusie's backlist. Still, what I want to remind everyone is what Ms Crusie writes is comedy romances and humor is very subjective. I might not find this one as funny as others, but you might find it more funny :P The writing is there, the characters and the situations and surprisingly, I thought that Trust Me on This withstood the test of time very well, it doesn't feel date at all. I mean, there are a few 80 and 90s reference... but the characters, their clothes and the settings are quite timeless :)

My Grade: B. Not my favorite Crusie book, but I am still glad I read it :)

Re-Read: The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz

Last day of the month of September! It's hard to tell whether the month has gone by quickly or slowly LOL. It seems just a few days since it was Labor Day week-end. At the same time, the weeks without new releases have gone by oh-so slowly! Anyway, it's useless to complain about it, LOL. All I can say with certainty is that fall is here... and seriously, it shows - at least, over here. Temperatures have dropped a lot and we've been getting lots of rain. The only nice touch is that the leaves have started changing colors as well - was it earlier than the previous year?

Good news, bad news for this month's re-read challenge. The good news is I did re-read a book. The bad news? Not the one that I planned... but does it really matter? LOL. I guess not. I was planning to read Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder, but I just never got around to it. I've been kind of in a slump at some point this month... nothing was appealing to read ^_^; Then, I had a friend who was purging her books. She was getting rid of many Jayne Ann Krentz and while going through my own stash of JAK books to see which ones I've read and which ones I haven't, I came across The Golden Chance... and just felt like re-reading it :) So The Golden Chance it is this month :)

The Golden Chance by Jayne Ann Krentz
published by Simon & Schuster in December 1997

When she gains control of his family fortune, it's love at first fight.

Stunning, stubborn, and independent, Philadelphia Fox lost her best friend because of the fabulously rich and powerful Lightfoot family of Washington state. Now she's got her friend's controlling shares in Lightfoot Industries - an inheritance that brings Nick, the family's prodigal and supremely attractive son, knocking at her door.

An unexpected and irrepressible spark between them blazes into extraordinary passion, and Phila - historically unlucky in love - finds the deepest satisfaction she has ever known. But behind Nick's gray eyes lurks a disturbing enigma? and Phila must make the choice of her life. Trusting Nick may come with quite a price - but giving in to his strong, sensual seduction is a golden chance that may never come again.

Genre: contemporary romance
Series: none

You can read my previous review of The Golden Chance here. Since there's already a review, I'm not going to summarize the plot again :P

My Opinion: I cannot believe it's been already more than a year since I went on my Jayne Ann Krentz binge! Seems like yesterday, really.

Okay, so I read this book till 3am in the morning, that must tell you something about my enjoyment, right? :P This is pretty much a classic JAK book - hero is a businessman with a hidden agenda and heroine is someone a bit eccentric, a lot unique :) They meet, they are attracted and they try to navigate all the obstacles - usually involved family and business. It might be classic and in some way, predictable; however, it's well written and I liked it :)

I like Phila's determination and loyalty and the fact that she tries to understand the situation and the people she has to deal with. She's not ruthless, but at the same time, she doesn't let people run over her. She stands by her own beliefs and values and that's what make her such an admirable character... and I can totally see why Nick finds her so attractive. As for Nick, I think he's a great match for her. Not as direct as her, but I do think he believes in the same thing as her... Simply, it comes off differently because they were raised in different environments. LOL, is it me or reading this time, it seems that Nick is a bit nerd-ish. Totally missed that :P In any case, I think he complements Phila well and I like that he wants to take care of her. Not simply because he wants her, but because that's who he is. Also, he's not above being sneaky or harsh to get what he wants... in this case, I think that's manly or typically male. As in, it's too much bother explaining his motives and reasoning, I'll just do it and you can think whatever you want. LOL, typically male ^_^;

One aspect of this book that I enjoyed is the whole family. Everyone fighting to protect or advance their own interest. It's a bit saga-ish and I like that style of story. I also think it's a good kind of plot when you want to focus on relationship, but have something else. I mean, you can make it as complex or uncomplicated as you want, so it will match with other elements of your storyline... and Ms Krentz knows how to take advantage of this kind of plotline.

I cannot really pinpoint what makes me enjoy this book so much. Could be the relationship between Nick and Phila, could be the story, the writing. I simply do LOL. I know, not very helpful as a review, but The Golden Chance has become somehow a comfort read.

My Grade: B+

Re-Read Challenge 2010: August!!

Seriously, I can't believe it's the end of August and the summer already. It just went by in a blur :( However, the nice weather seems to be hanging on, so that is some consolation LOL. Blogland has been very quiet lately - and I'm not the only one who think so! I'm hoping things will pick up soon, I've missed you all!!

All right, back to business. End of the month also means Re-Read challenge :) and the good news is I made it! Woohoo LOL. It's a good thing that I made it, because seeing how blogland is scarce, I'm not expecting many entries ^_^; Ah well, it's okay :) For those who are going to make it this month, you know the drill :) Re-read your book, post your review and let me know the link in the comment section :)

Enjoy everyone!


Hilcia: Rising Tides by Nora Roberts
Nath: Visions in Death by J.D. Robb
Ames: The Dark Tide by Josh Lanyon
Leslie: Loyalty in Death by J.D. Robb

Re-Read: Visions in Death by J.D. Robb

End of the month for me means Re-Read Challenge :D Looks like I'll make it this month, and on time! Woohoo LOL. I can't believe August is over already. That means kids are back in school and that the summer is over :( Time really went by fast.

Last month, I missed the Re-Read challenge. I was hoping to read two re-reads this month, but it didn't happen. Well actually, I did. I re-read The Search after writing my review... but given the fact that I've just reviewed it... I doubt you guys want to read another review of it, LOL. Perhaps next month. I have a few ideas of what to re-read and I've been kind of slumping lately... so this will be perfect :D

Okay, enough blabla. Onto the review :)


Visions in Death by J.D. Robb
published by Berkley/Putnam in January 2004

The summer had been long hot and bloody. Fall, with its cooler temperatures was coming. Maybe people wouldn't be as inclined to kill each other. But she doubted it.'

In 2059 New York City, technology and humanity collide, Detective Eve Dallas searches the darkest corners of Manhattan for an elusive killer with a passion for collecting souls...

On one of the city's hottest nights, New York Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas is sent to Central Park-and into a hellish new investigation. Her latest homicide case is a particularly vicious case. The victim, Elisa Maplewood, a young mother, is found on the rocks, just above the still, dark water of the lake. Raped and strangled in the park, her body naked but for what appears to be a single red ribbon tied around her neck. Her hands are posed, as if in prayer. But it is the eyes-removed with such precision, as if done with the careful hands of a surgeon-that have Dallas most alarmed.

Eve starts investigating Elisa's friends and relations, and as more bodies turn up, each with the same defining scars, Eve is frantic for answers. An offer of help comes from an unlikely source. The only reason Eve agrees to meet with psychic Celina Sanchez is that she is a friend of a friend. But Celina claims to have experienced visions of the killer and can recite precise details of the case - details that the police have kept to themselves. She is also no glory-hunter - she doesn't want her name released to the media. Haunted by the visions of death that she sees, all she wants to do is help Eve catch the criminal so that she is left in peace. Though Eve remains sceptical of Celina's abilities, against her instincts, she serves the greater good, and she will use all the resources she can to track down the killer before he strikes again...

The psychic who offers one vision after another-each with shockingly accurate details of the murders. And when partner and friend Peabody is badly injured after escaping an attack, the stakes are raised. Are the eyes a symbol? A twisted religious ritual? A souvenir? With help from her husband, Roarke, Dallas must uncover the killer's motivation before another vision becomes another nightmare...

Genre: Romantic suspense, mystery
Series: In Death series, Book #22

The Story: The blurb is pretty self-explanatory, right?

My Opinion: I chose to re-read Visions in Death because Leslie has just recently reviewed it here. In my memories, Divided in Death and Visions in Death will always be a marking point in the series. First, because that's when the In Death series started being released in hardcovers... but more importantly, that's when I considered stop reading the series. As a result, I've always associated a bad feeling with these two books and as such, I haven't re-read them ever. However, I was kind of intrigued after reading Leslie's review, given she's enjoyed it so much. So I decided to give it another chance :D

After reading Visions in Death, I can definitively say that it wasn't as bad as I remembered LOL. Eve is thrown into a new case and soon realizes that she is dealing with a serial killer. While chasing the perp, Eve has to deal with a psychic with information that obviously, given at how cynical Eve is, she doesn't trust, but does not want to dismiss. She also has to confront some nightmares of her own as well Mavis' demand that Eve be her birthing coach and aiding Peabody adapt to her new position. Visions in Death was actually pretty solid. There's definitively a lot going on and at times, it felt a bit too much for me. I think that Ms Roberts tried to cram too many In Death elements in single book. You know how there are some In Death books more case-oriented and others, more characters-oriented; well Visions in Death was trying to be both at the same time. Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting case and I, like any other fans of the series, love it when it deals more with Eve and Roarke's lives; however, in this case, it was definitively too much. I mean, there was the visiting of the shelter, Eve nightmares, Mavis baby, Peabody and McNab moving together, the get-together with Charles and Louise, Eve telling Peabody her past, Peabody getting attacked. Each and any of these elements could have been explored in a book on its own and would have made for a great book, but instead, they're all put together in a single book. The most remarkable though is that Ms Roberts make it work and there is actually some balance in the Visions in Death! LOL.

I love reading  the more personal aspects of this book. Seeing Eve get-together with friends, navigating the social ethics such as the moving together gift LOL. The scene where Mavis asks Eve and Roarke both to be present at the baby's birth and their reaction. Priceless. These are definitively what make this series stand out and are the parts that readers love the most. And I do too :)

The case was okay, although it seems almost too easy, the investigation. Of course, that's all thanks to Eve and you have to admire how her mind works LOL. Problem is, they kept referring at how much the crime were horrifying... and I didn't feel it. Usually, Ms Roberts does a great job at making the case integral to the book and it engages me. However, with Visions in Death, I felt this connection was missing. Again, it comes back to too much going on in the book.  Still, the case was interesting and there was an awesome twist at the end, one that I really didn't expect... but looking back, it makes sense.

I think the reason why I wanted to stop the series when I first read Visions in Death was an overload. I've just read several In Death books one after the other and hit this one and it simply was too much. Re-reading it now, it makes me realize how pivotal this book is to the series, especially for Eve and Peabody's partnership :) In the end, it turned out to be a good and solid read for me, but not the best unfortunately ^_^;

My Grade: B. Even though it's a re-read, it's hard to forget my first impressions. Have I really enjoyed Visions in Death the first time around, I believe that the grade would have been higher. As it isn't the case, it has to make with the modest B :P

Re-Read Challenge 2010: July!

Time is really flying ^_^; I know I say this almost every month, I seriously cannot believe that July is over yet. Do you know what this mean?!? That the summer is almost over! It's really heart-breaking :(

I've been mentioning a contest/draw for the past two months and I never got around to put my stuff together. I'm really, really, really sorry ^_^; I don't mean not to keep my words, but all I can come up with is that work is killing me. Sucking all my energy like a vampire. Sigh. So I apologize ^_^; As soon as I find my motivation and energy again... I'll do something huge, probably because I'm going to be so damn happy about it.

In the meantime, this is the end of the month and so it means Re-Read Challenge. Tell you the truth, I didn't do a re-read this month. It really goes with my mood, seriously ^_^; The month started out great for me, but in the middle, I kind of hit a wall and it took me forever to just read a category romance. How pathetic is that? I was afraid of slipping into Slumpville, so I didn't force the re-read. I'll try to make it up though. While I didn't make it, others did... want to know who? :P


Miss Moonlight: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
Hilcia: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
Leslie: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Re-Read: Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh

My re-read this month - okay, last month :P - was Mine To Possess by Nalini Singh. The reason I chose to re-read this book was to prepare myself for Ms Singh's upcoming release, Bonds of Justice, as the hero, Max, was introduced in Mine to Possess. LOL, great minds think alike, since Hils did too :)

You can click here to read my original review, which was a buddy review with Chantal over at Breezing Through. 


Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh

published by Berkley in February 2008

A ghost returns from a leopard changeling’s past, making him question everything—even his base animal instincts…

Clay Bennett is a powerful DarkRiver sentinel, but he grew up in the slums with his human mother, never knowing his changeling father. As a young boy without the bonds of Pack, he tried to stifle his animal nature. He failed... and committed the most extreme act of violence, killing a man and losing his best friend, Talin, in the bloody aftermath. Everything good in him died the day he was told that she, too, was dead.

Talin McKade barely survived a childhood drenched in bloodshed and terror. Now a new nightmare is stalking her life--the street children she works to protect are disappearing and turning up dead. Determined to keep them safe, she unlocks the darkest secret in her heart and returns to ask the help of the strongest man she knows...

Clay lost Talin once. He will not let her go again, his hunger to possess her, a clawing need born of the leopard within. As they race to save the innocent, Clay and Talin must face the violent truths of their past...or lose everything that ever mattered.

Genre: paranormal romance
Series: Psy-Changeling series, Book #5 (counting novellas)

The Story: Clay and Talin met as children. Talin was with a foster family with parents that abused her and when Clay found out, he killed the foster father. He ended up in juvie for 4 years and when he came out, was told that Talin has died. Luckily for Clay, he was later picked up by Nate who brought him back to DarkRiver.

Fast-forward 16 years and Talin shows up, asking Clay for help. Talin is a social worker, working for the Shine Foundation, and her charges have disappeared. One was found dead with some organs missing, the other is still missing. Talin's life is running short, but she's determined to keep her promise to Jonquil and not give up on him. Unfortunately, Enforcement is not interested in the case and thus, Talin needs help from people with power and connection...

My Opinion:  Phew, my memory was a bit rusty ^_^; I mean, I remembered the big lines of the book; however, for the life of me, I could not place Max LOL. So I'm happy I did the re-read.

On one hand, this book was very interesting. Mine to Possess was the first book with a human protagonist and as a result, it introduced a new dimension to the Psy-Changeling world. Primarily, we got to explore outside the Pack and the Psy, see how the world is in 2080. The introduction of the Shine Foundation and the Forgottens was engaging and well weaved in the storyline. I especially liked the addition of the Forgottens. It sounds simple and very logical at first, but I think it's something  not all authors would have thought to include in the world building. Ms Singh definitively has her world all figured out and she's revealing it according to her plan :) All the elements introduced move the whole story-arc forward and I thought Mine To Possess was really a pivotal book in the series :)

As for the plot itself, the kidnapping and etc. I thought it was good. Perhaps the whole was a bit too easy to figure out - connect the dots, but it was still good. I especially liked how the kids were rescued :)

What didn't work too well for me was Talin and Clay characters and subsequently, the romance. Talin was a hard heroine to like, especially in the beginning of the book. There she is, having lied to Clay, made him suffer... and she shows up out of no where, asking for his help... and when he becomes angry, she has the nerves to say: "What happened to you? You weren't like that before." I mean, seriously?!? You betrayed him and you expect him to welcome you, open arms? Plus, she's afraid of him which obviously doesn't help... but worst, you antagonize him!! Ugh. I understand she had a terrible childhood and was traumatized, but I didn't follow nor was able to sympathize with her train of thoughts and outbursts. As for Clay, he was more likable than Talin, but not by much. He was such an angry character, with the brooding and the growling. Then, he pushed and pushed Talin till she accepted and started breaking out of her shell. Good, but by then, I cared little about them and the romance :( All in all, I just feel that Talin and Clay were not the most compelling characters Ms Sing has written.

My Grade: Originally, I gave Mine to Possess a B+. Now, after re-reading it, I feel that was the fangirl in me talking and Mine to Possess is more of a B-. Ms Singh is definitively a great author and all of her books are strong and solid. Still they are some better than others, unfortunately, Mine to Possess is not one of those. I just couldn't connect with Talin and Clay and it kind of ruined it for me, luckily, the engaging plot and events saved it for me :)

Re-Read Challenge 2010: June!!

Half of year has gone by already! So, what do you think? LOL. I don't know, at instances, it seems to go by so quickly... but other times, so slowly. Although I think it helps that this year, the weather is so nice :) In any case, I'm looking forward to the new releases the summer will bring us LOL.

End of the months mean Re-Read Challenge time :D If you've done one and review it, please let me know in the comment section :) Hopefully, I'll be able to finish mine very soon and put it up :D

I mentioned in the last Re-Read Challenge post (for May) that I was thinking of hosting a contest or something in June. However, it's been so crazy, I haven't really had gotten the time to think it out. So I apologize. I'll try to think up something for this month :)

Enjoy the re-reads :D


Miss Moonlight: Bluebird by Linda Howard
Ames: Narcissus in Chains by Laurell K. Hamilton
Hilcia: Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh
Nath: Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh

Re-Read Challenge 2010: May!!

 ***This is a sticky post: scroll down for new posts***

Finally, May is over! LOL. For some reasons, May felt like a very long month to me. It was just going on and on and on :P Perhaps it's because we've been getting such wonderful and warm weather which I usually associate to June? Or so much things have been going on... At the same time though, I just completed my re-read over the week-end, so I shouldn't complain LOL. Although that, I blame on the amount of new releases in the past two weeks. Seriously, it's insane!!

Anyhow, for those who have done their re-read this month, just post your link as usual :) Tomorrow, the month of June is starting, so that means we're quickly approaching the half-year mark! I think I'm going to have a contest or something to celebrate, so stay tuned for the details!!

Hope everyone enjoyed their re-reads and the reviews to come :)


Miss Moonlight: The Fulfillment by LaVyrle Spencer
Kristie: After the Night by Linda Howard
Nath: Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose
Hilcia: To Beguile a Beast by Elizabeth Hoyt

Re-Read: Nothing to Fear by Karen Rose

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


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

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

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

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Book #4

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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+

Re-Read Challenge 2010: April

It's 6.42am in the morning. I should be sleeping, resting, gather my energy for the long day to come... but seriously? I can't anymore. I woke up at 4.30am and then at 5.30am... at 6.30am, I decided to throw down the towel and just not try anymore. Obviously, my mind is awake - either because it got enough rest (doubtful) or I'm just to excited for today (more likely), but I figured either way, let's take advantage of it. As a result, I'm sneaking on Jill's laptop and writing this post.

So obviously, since the time I wrote my last post and this, nothing has happened... except the three of us going to bed LOL. Ah well, actually... Jill and I are sharing a bed - these are tiny double bed, seriously. I have a single at home and this is not much bigger... and Jill was warning me that she pees a lot at night. Well LOL, as long as you don't pee in bed, I'm fine gal!

By the way... did I mention the other convention going on at the Hyatt Regency Columbus... so in addition of the RT, there is an undertaker convention!! So weird to have the two together. Obviously though, it's easy to know who's attending which convention :P

Okay, Re-Read Challenge. This is the end of the month. This post is going up a little bit early, but I figured since I have time, should do it. Who did their re-read this month? Just feel free to post a review link in the comment section if you did :) And I'll probably have a prize for this month's participants from the RT convention!! :D So this gives everyone a few days to re-read a book and review it :D Let say you have till I get back home (May 3rd) to make it!!

Have fun re-reading :)

Ms Moonlight: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Hilcia: Three Sisters Island trilogy by Nora Roberts
Nath: Through the Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea
Ames: Irresistible by Mary Balogh
Leslie: Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas

Re-Read: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

This month, I did several re-reads, but the one I intended for the Re-Read Challenge was Devil in Winter. LOL, I got inspired by Hilcia who re-read it not long ago :P

Devil in Winter was the book that made me aware of Lisa Kleypas. At the time, Devil in Winter was just released and there was a huge buzz about it. Then, the friendly war between Derek and Sebastian as Ms Kleypas' best hero started... so I wanted to see what all the buzz was and got the book. You can read my original review here.


Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
published by Avon in February 2006

A devil's bargain

Easily the shyest Wallflower, Evangeline Jenner stands to become the wealthiest, once her inheritance comes due. Because she must first escape the clutches of her unscrupulous relatives, Evie has approached the rake Viscount St. Vincent with a most outrageous proposition: marriage!

Sebastian's reputation is so dangerous that thirty seconds alone with him will ruin any maiden's good name. Still, this bewitching chit appeared, unchaperoned, on his doorstep to offer her hand. Certainly an aristocrat with a fineeye for beauty could do far worse.

But Evie's proposal comes with a condition: no lovemaking after their wedding night. She will never become just another of the dashing libertine's callously discarded broken hearts -- which means Sebastian will simply have to work harder at his seductions...or perhaps surrender his own heart for the very first time in the name of true love.

Genre: Historical romance
Series: Wallflowers series, Book #3

The Story: Evangeline Jenner is the daughter of a noble woman and Ivo Jenner, a boxer and owner of a popular game hall. She's been living with her maternal relatives who had hopes that aristocrats would overlook Evie's origin and she could secure an advantageous marriage. Unfortunately, Evie is painfully shy which brings her to stutter and has been a wallflower for the past few seasons. Now, she is in a desperate situation as her father is about to die from consumption and her relatives have decided to marry her to her cousin in order to keep their hands on the money.

Given the recent events of It Happened One Autumn, Evie knows that Lord Sebastian is in dire need of an heiress and so, escapes her family to propose him a marriage of convenience. Lord Sebastian would get the money necessary for him to continue his luxurious lifestyle while she would get his protection against her family, get to spend time with her father in his last days and also an amount of money that would allow her freedom.

Of course, Sebastian accepts and they both head for Gretna Green at great speed. Sebastian quickly realizes what a gem Evie is. She is not as stupid or cold as the ton believes and is actually very pretty. Then, there is the strong attraction he feels towards him. Could Sebastian do something as mundane as falling in love with his wife?

My Opinion: On my first read, I felt that Devil in Winter didn't live up to the buzz in blogland. Sure, it was a good book, but was Sebastian really the best hero? I don't think so. Then again, Derek didn't move me as much as he did to others either. So I'm probably not the best reference :D Still, Devil in Winter was a good solid book and I still feel that way this time around.

It's crazy how much the mind remembers and forgets :P I mean, you remember the big lines, but the details? Not so much.

Okay, so how did I feel this time around? I still really liked Evie. In my opinion, she definitively made the book with her inner strength. She was such a fighter, never bending to her family's will, finding ways to go to her father, proposing to Sebastian. It was quite a surprise to see her character unfolding :D As for Sebastian, I think I liked him better this time around. There was less preconceived opinions about Sebastian and it allowed me to enjoy his character better. I thought this time around that Devil in Winter kind of fit the heroine-thawing-hero theme that I enjoy so much :) While Evie wasn't very happy-go-lucky, she did draw out Sebastian's character. I wished we had more background on him, why did he become so jaded, so cynical? What shaped his life? Why did he believe that all he had to do in life was to enjoy the advantages of his position? There are many rakes out there, but not all of them are jaded, not all of them are aristocrats. We were given a glimpse of Sebastian's background - his mother and younger sister died, but that's it. It did seem like he and his father didn't get along that well either. I wished we could have seen his father, that he'd play a bigger role in the storyline. I realized writing this out that if Ms Kleypas had addressed this issue, Sebastian's character might have become a bit more stereotypical. Still, I think that it would have made me understand Sebastian more. The fact that he changed so much during the course of the book - caring for someone else, starting to "work"... Not only Westfield was astonished, but even Sebastian was! He didn't know where it was coming from.

As for the storyline, I enjoyed everything revolving around Evie and Sebastian relationship as well as the game hall. The weak point of this book remains the half-sibling storyline. It was weak and predictable - the reason  why he disliked Evi so much was so obvious. As for the "faking death," seriously? That part of the book was simply not interesting. It might have moved Evie and Sebastian's relationship along, adding some danger, but it felt a bit too much.

It was also interesting to see Cam in Devil in Winter, now that Mine Till Midnight is out. It was fun, but at the same time, he seemed so different. As for Westfield and the other wallflowers... well, I liked Westfield because he was a friend of Sebastian and understood him, but I really disliked Lillian. She just butts in where she doesn't belong and only does as she likes without regards to the others. Grrr. It doesn't matter that she wants to help, since she's not helping one bit. Come to think of it, there's a lot of connection in all of Ms Kleypas' books...

My Grade: Originally, I gave the book a 3.5/5 which would be equivalent to a B. Now, I'd say a B+. I really enjoyed re-reading Devil in Winter. It is definitively a strong and solid book, the best out of the Wallflowers series. Bonus is I really liked Sebastian's character a lot more this time around :D

Re-Read Challenge 2010: March

I'm still alive!! But barely ^_^; Sorry for having been MIA the whole week. Work has just been incredibly busy :( You know what is worse than going to work on the week-end? Having your work being for naught. In my case, last Saturday, it wasn't completely for nothing, but still... I was finishing an experiment and starting another one and lately, I've been working with cells. Well the cells I prepared for the new experiment all got contaminated :( So they were all useless and we had to start from scratch. It really, really, really sucks. So now, I still have to go in this Sunday to start it all over again. So send me your positive thoughts and prayers that my cells are all going to be nice, because seriously, I can't take have them contaminated anymore :( It's the second time and I've been so stressed about it. It sounds trivial, but seriously ^_^;

In the meantime, while the cells were growing, my boss gave me other stuff to do. I was supposed to have a presentation on April 7, but it was pushed back a week! Yes!! I so wasn't ready. Not sure I'll be ready either, but it gives us more time to prepare. Anyway, because of it all, I've had to collect more data and blablabla. I'm boring you all, but it's just to say, I've been busy and so my blogging took a hit. As a result, I'll be trying to catch up everything this week-end :D

First thing first, the Re-Read Challenge :) March was a weird month in my opinion. At time, it felt like time was going by so fast and at other time, so slowly. Wonder if it's because February was so short and daylight saving time, hmmm. The deadline was earlier this week on Wednesday and despite having re-read a couple of books, I managed to miss the deadline ^_^; Actually, nobody to my knowledge made it except for Ms Moonlight :P It doesn't matter though, because I'm giving myself and everyone else extra time!! LOL. So if you did a re-read in March and you'd like to review it, feel free to share it with everyone in this post, even though you're not an official participant :) There's really no rule this year to the Re-Read Challenge except to enjoy ourselves and our re-reads.

Enjoy :)


Ms Moonlight: Colters' Woman by Maya Banks
Ames: Dead and Gone by Charlaine Harris
Hilcia: Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
Nath: Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Re-Read: The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop

Not long ago, Tabitha asked "What to do when your urge to read war with your desire to review?" My answer was to keep on reading and not to mess with her reading roll. Well for once, I listened to my own advice LOL. I was on a reading roll in February (small because of the Olympics, but still a roll) and decided to just read what I felt like reading, even if that meant not making it for the various reading challenges I signed up for. I did feel bad missing them, especially the Re-Read Challenge because I'm the host and should set the example, but what can I say? I was afraid I'd go from a reading roll to a reading slump ^_^;


Luckily though, after reading Shadalor's Lady by Anne Bishop last Saturday, I had the urge to re-read The Shadow Queen just to refresh my memory on how it all started... and I was able to finish it on Sunday :) So today, I'm taking a page from Leslie's book of logic :P I'm posting my re-read review and, since technically, today would be February 31... I'm not late right? :)


The Shadow Queen by Anne Bishop
published by New American Library (ROC) in March 2009

Dena Nehele is a land decimated by its past. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand—without a leader and without hope…

Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to find the key that reveals a treasure great enough to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who knows Protocol, remembers the Blood’s code of honor, and lives by the Old Ways.

Languishing in the Shadow Realm, Lady Cassidy is a Queen without a court, a castoff. She is not beautiful. She thinks she is not strong. But when she is chosen to rule Dena Nehele, she must convince bitter men to serve once again.

Theran’s cousin Gray is a Warlord Prince who was damaged in mind and body by the vicious Queens who once ruled Dena Nehele. Yet something about Cassidy makes him want to serve—and makes him believe he can be made whole once again.

And only Cassidy can prove to Gray—and to herself—that wounds can heal and even the whisper of a promise can be fulfilled...

Genre: Fantasy
Series: Black Jewels series, Book #8 (Dena Nehele trilogy, Book #2)

The Story: The synopsis does a good job summarizing the book, but I'm going to add my two cents.

Dena Nehele lands and people have been decimated by generations of corrupt Queens, even more than other territories because hundred years ago, Dena Nehele had a queen and her consort powerful enough to stand up to Dorothea SaDiablo, Lia the Gray Lady and Jared Grayhaven. Thus, they had to pay a steeper price. Now, it's been two years since Witch has cleansed the three realms from the tainted Bloods and the Warlord Princes in Dena Nehele have finally quenched the landens uprising. All the people of Dena Nehele wants is to go back to their roots and live the Old Ways, following Protocol. Theran Grayhaven is the last direct descendant of Lia and Jared and thus, has been chosen as Dena Nehele leader. Theran decides to "call in a favor" with Daemon Sadi and asks for a Queen from Kaeleer to come rule Dena Nehele in order to show them the Old Ways.

Lady Cassidy has been abandoned by her First Court because she was neither pretty or powerful and did not possess an aristo lineage. However, she has been chosen by Witch herself to be the Queen of Dena Nehele. Thus, she embarks in this adventure, to try to show the Old Ways to people who has forgotten their roots. Unfortunately for Cassidy, the road will be long and hard as will have to convince skeptics to join her court... and the biggest of them all, Theran Grayhaven himself. Luckily for her, she'll find a surprisingly ally in Gray, Theran's cousin who was captured at 15 years old and tortured the two following years... at the age of 27, Gray is not whole... just the shadow of what he could have been...


My Opinion: Here is my review of The Shadow Queen the first time I read it and basically my opinion and grade have not changed much. Although it's hard to review this without spoilers of Shadalor's Lady!

After reading Shadalor's Lady, I think The Shadow Queen did a good job at setting up the story and introducing the major characters for the trilogy. The story is fairly simple, since it consisted of Cassidy arriving at Dena Nehele, setting Court and showing her colors. Still, it was interesting and fun to read :)

The main characters (Theran, Cassidy and Gray) were also in interesting lot. They're all multi-dimensional and well developed. I really like Cassidy - she has this inner strength. She's a solid woman, the kind that's not afraid of work and get it done, without all the sparks and flashes. In The Shadow Queen, Cassidy has a low-esteem issue, she's still reeling from the abandonment of her First Court and so, she's on shaky leg. Not very sure of herself, doubting... and it sure doesn't help that Theran is being such a jerk. I'd be very curious to see the Cassidy prior the abandonment. Gray was my favorite characters in The Shadow Queen. Tortured for two years by wicked Queens, he's still scarred and so protect himself by not letting him grow emotionally. However, meeting Cassidy makes him want to become a man and that's very sweet. As for Theran, well he was a jerk. There's no other words to describe him... which is quite an interesting choice, as he's a protagonist in The Shadow Queen. He's just hateful and so stubborn and frustrating, ugh. However, there's a redeeming factor in him: he does truly care for Gray. I don't want to say too much on Theran, because I think my opinion of him is being influenced by the events of Shadalor's Lady. 

I thought The Shadow Queen was a very good book the first time and it's still so the second time around. Especially when you read it a year later. Of course, the surprise element is not there anymore, but it doesn't really matter. What matters is I still laughed and chuckled as I was reading The Shadow Queen. It's quite incredible how Ms Bishop can combine such dark and crude elements with comedy and sweet moments and everything still flows very well and at no time is it awkward. That makes Ms Bishop's writing the best thing about this book :)

My Grade: B+. I still like The Shadow Queen as much as before, especially for those cute and aww scenes. It is definitively a fun read, despite the very serious and dark undertones. I love Cassidy and Gray and I think Ms Bishop sets up the new trilogy very well with this book. At the same time, we get to re-visit older characters such as Daemon, Jaenelle and Saetan which is always fun. As in my previous review, I didn't care much about Daemon and Saetan's subplots, but still, it shows the readers different faces of these characters. At least, this time, they didn't completely overshadow the main storyline :)

Oh by the way, take a look at Anne Bishop's website. Seems like it's gotten a face lift :P