TBR Challenge 2012: True Vision by Joyce Lamb

Ouf, I made it!! Yay! I've been aware of the TBR challenge day was coming and that I needed to write my review, but lately, I'm having difficulty managing my time. I don't know what's happening, where time is going, but it seems I've been quite busy ^_^; My reading and blogging are both going so slow :( I can't wait for both to pick up, but I don't think it'll be any time soon :( Sigh.

So this month, it was my turn to get the theme wrong ^_^; I thought it was "How Did This Get Here? (a book you can't remember how/why you put in your TBR!)" month, but turns out that's in July ^_^; By the time I realized my mistake, it was too late for me to read another book. Lucky for me, the themes are optional LOL. As a result, you get True Vision by Joyce Lamb :)

True Vision by Joyce Lamb
published by Berkley in June 2010

Newspaper reporter Charlie Trudeau is living an ordinary life, until witnessing a fatal hit-and-run accident gives her an intense psychic power she has no clue how to handle—and brings a Chicago police detective to her doorstep...

Noah Lassiter wants nothing more than to find the driver who killed his good friend. But his only lead is the beautiful Charlie Trudeau, who gets prickly when he starts nosing around town. Charlie’s clearly hiding something, but Noah needs her help unraveling the mystery of his friend’s death—even if the electricity between them complicates things.

But the more Noah and Charlie uncover, the more they realize they’re looking for a desperate killer—and the more danger they’re in. And if Charlie can’t gain control over her psychic powers, they may not survive long enough to explore the full sizzling potential of their desire...

Genre: Romantic suspense
Series: True trilogy, Book #1

The Story: Charlie Trudeau is a reporter and is working for the Lake Avalon Gazette, a newspaper owned by her father. She is also very idealist, believing that a reporter's job is to help the population by reporting the truth, bringing down the bad guys.

One night, while Charlie is leaving the office, a woman calls after her. Next thing Charlie knows, she's witnessed a hit and run. It's only when Chicago cop Noah Lassiter shows up that Charlie learns the woman was her cousin on her mother's side. Noah was a good friend of the victim, Laurette. In fact, the two worked together from time to time as Laurette was a psychic who helped him in some investigations... and perhaps, if the stars had aligned, they would have been a couple. When he learns of her death, Noah decides to come down to Florida to push the investigation... and he believes the key is Charlie. However, Charlie is reluctant to offer help. First, she knows nothing of her mother's family and the two women are on bad term. Second, she has to deal with the fall out of her article in the newspaper... She's also being overwhelmed with her empathy power which seemed to have received a boost. Her attraction to Noah is just one added complication she doesn't need at the moment... But she's glad the man has been around after he saved her from a few attempts on her life. Slowly, doubts start to creep in and Charlie and Noah both wonder if Laurette was indeed the target... or was she mistook for someone else?

My Opinion: A few years ago, I was browsing the bookstore, looking for new authors when I stumbled upon Ms Lamb. They had a few things going for them: the covers were pretty and caught my eye, the genre was romantic suspense and you can never have too much RS and the publisher was Berkley, one that I usually enjoy. I decided to go ahead and buy Cold Midnight and True Vision. Hey, at least I read one right away! LOL. And now, True Vision qualifies as my TBR entry :) So win-win, right?

I knew when I picked up True Vision that Charlie was a reporter - one of my pet peeves, but I was hoping it'd be offset by the fact that she was also psychic. Unfortunately, it wasn't. I kind of liked the psychic aspect of True Vision - the way she got flashes - but I was expecting a bit more... and the situation in which Charlie found herself in was a bit weird. Charlie's always been an empath, but her power wasn't that strong until she witnessed her cousin's death. On one hand, she's not new to the power, but on the other one,, she has no clue how to deal with it once it became supercharged... So Charlie finds herself stuck in the middle and never really moved from it. She never learned more about her power and never embraced it :( And what really rubbed me the wrong way was the fact she scoffed at the psychic her grandmother recommended Charlie to go see before her death. Seriously? I hate it when a character's a psychic and doesn't believe in other's powers. As for Charlie being a reporter, sigh, I rest my case. What I can say is that Charlie wasn't as annoying as I expected. It was nice to see someone with conviction and learning that sometimes, what you believe and reality clash and it results in a bad outcome. While Charlie wasn't as annoying, it didn't stop her from having TSTL moments though. There was one particular scene where they suspect someone is after her, but she sneaks out nonetheless to go meet someone at a cafe. They sit outside in the open... The thought of it being a bad idea does cross her mind, but instead of moving inside, she thinks "But if I'm killed, there'll at least be witnesses." Again, seriously?!? So yeah, I find that Charlie was a hard character to like... and to understand.

As for Noah, I liked him better than Charlie, but I didn't get him either. At the beginning of the book, it was mentioned a couple of time how "dark" he was, how he had demons... and that side of him was never really explained - or, I completely missed it. However, I did like he was a good friend and took the trouble to come to Florida to investigate Laurette's death. Also, he had much more sense than Charlie. As for the romance, it was too quick to my taste. I didn't see any connection between the H/H - not enough for them to be in love at the end of the book. I saw attraction and lust, but beyond the physical, I didn't even get why they liked each other ^_^;

Something else that didn't work in True Vision's favor is I felt I was missing a chunk of background story. Charlie's past with Mac, her ex-best friend... and Logan, one of Charlie's cop friends, and Charlie's younger sister Alex. It's kind of funny because Lori read True Colors which is the next book and said in her review: "while I could tell that important things happened in the first book (for example, the h/h - Alex and Logan - already have a well established friendship/almost relationship), I didn't have any difficulty jumping right into this one." Here I am, reading the first book and still feeling puzzled ^_^; I felt the readers never really got a good explanation. Also, there was the relationship between Charlie and her mother that was never really developed nor resolved :(

At the end, what saves this book from being a dud is the suspense and the writing. True Vision wasn't actually thrilling and I was able to guess who was the villain fairly early on, but I kept reading to find out his motives. As for the writing, I enjoy Ms Lamb's voice and style. That'll be the main reason for me to pick up Ms Lamb again :)

My Grade: C-. Basically, True Vision was a passable book for me and I believe my mood, when I read the book, didn't help matters either. While I believe Ms Lamb has a lot of work ahead of her, especially when it comes to characterizations and relationships, I'm most probably going to give her another try because I also believe she has a lot of potential :)

Review: The Witness by Nora Roberts

I can't hardly believe we're at the end of April already! Actually, if I think about it, my birthday is next week! Wow, how did that happen? LOL. Where did time disappear on me? Although when I look out the window, it's more like early March weather. We've really had wacky weather this spring. It was so nice and warm at one time, almost like summer... and today? It's 2°C, extremely windy and rainy. Actually, I had to scrape wet snow off my car yesterday and there are parts of the province that are getting 5 to 10cm of snow!! Crazy! And of course, this morning, traffic was horrible. Sigh.

Anyway, let's get on with the program! If everything goes according to my plans, this week is going to be very busy on the blog :) Hopefully, I'll be able to deliver! First, I want to start with a review for The Witness by Nora Roberts. Find out how much I enjoyed Ms Roberts' 200th release!


The Witness by Nora Roberts

published by Putnam in April 2012

Elizabeth Fitch's short-lived teenage rebellion began with L'Oreal Pure Black, a pair of scissors, and a fake ID. It ended in blood...

Daughter of a cold, controlling mother and an anonymous donor, studious, obedient Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking too much at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent to lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive. The events that followed changed her life forever.

Twelve years later, the woman now known as Abigail Lowery lives alone on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks. A freelance programmer, she works at home designing sophisticated security systems. Her own security is supplemented by a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms. She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing.

Unfortunately, that seems to be the quickest way to get attention in a tiny southern town.

The mystery of Abigail Lowery intrigues local police chief Brooks Gleason, on both a personal and professional level. Her sharp, logical mind, her secretive nature, her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated. He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something, even if he doesn't know what - and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

Accustomed to two-bit troublemakers, Gleason is about to walk into the sights of very powerful and dangerous men. And Abigail Lowery, who has built a life based on security and self-control, is at risk of losing both.

Genre: Contemporary romance, Romantic suspense
Series: Stand-alone

The Story: I'm not going to attempt a recap, because I don't think I could do it without giving too much away ^_^; Also, I think the blurb is pretty good to give readers a sense. If you want more details, you can always check out Ames' review or May's review, both excellent by the way :)

My Opinion: People will say what they want about Nora Roberts, it doesn't change the fact that she's one of the most consistent and solid authors out there, and not just in romance. You have to be in order to publish 200 books! Of course, not all of her books are wowzers, but they are almost all enjoyable. Truth be told, I've yet heard people say unanimously "Stay away from X book, it was a real dud." And if we continue being honest, her 'duds' are often better than a lot of books out there. That's why I keep looking forward to Ms Roberts new releases. She's become an auto-buy author, but also a comfort author. Yes, I know what to expect, but at the same time, Ms Roberts delivers :) And I'm glad to say that Ms Roberts indeed delivered with her 200th book, because The Witness was a winner for me :)

What made The Witness was a winner for me? Well the fact that I stayed up till 3am to read as much as I could. I was hoping to finish it, but alas... it's quite a big book. I don't know if it's age or what, but I don't stay up late anymore to read. Sleep has become more important... *gasp* I know! So I really have to be into the book to stay up late... and 3am?!? I was really, really into it LOL. If it had been during the week-end, I would probably have stayed up till I finished it :) The second reason this book was a winner for me is simple: I liked everything about it :) The characters, the story and the setting - liked and enjoyed it all.

I have to say, I especially liked Abigail and Brooks. I thought they were just so likable and had such great chemistry together. Ms Roberts has written socially awkward characters, but never to Abigail's level. Think of a cross between Temperance Brennan from Bones and Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory :) The thing though is I don't think Ms Roberts was trying to be caricatural or build on the success of such characters. If you look at Abigail's past, given her upbringing and the years of hiding, her personality fits, makes sense and that's what I liked about her character. She was genuine. Had Abigail's childhood been different, I had no doubt she would be sociable and comfortable :)  And seriously, her personality paired with Brooks' gave rise to some really funny moments, loved how her mind was so literal at times :) Speaking of Brooks, I always say that Ms Roberts excels at writing grumpy hero like Simon Doyle in The Search, but The Witness reminded me that she can do charming heroes as well :) The type that get under your skin before you realize it :) Really, for someone who is not used to socializing or interacting with people, it's no wonder Abigail was confused and baffled by Brooks LOL. It's no secret that I love the "happy-go-lucky heroine thawing the stuffy hero" trope, but before The Witness, I thought the opposite wasn't as good. However, that's exactly what you get with Abigail and Brooks. A laid-back hero who draws out a socially awkward heroine and I realized that what I liked to read was characters out of their depth :)  It was endearing  to see Abigail trying to find her balance, coming to grasp with the relationship and Brooks being there for every step. I loved his endless patience with Abigail and the fact that he never pushed, he waited for her to be ready. I also admire his integrity when it came to his work, but also his flexibility, the fact that he acknowledged there were shades of grey in the world. Seriously, Abigail lucked out with Brooks because he was a great man.

I enjoyed the story; I thought it was well-balanced between giving us a glimpse of Brooks and of Abigail's lives. I have to say, I was really surprised by the direction the suspense took. Throughout the book, I kept expecting a particular event (highlight to find out: for the mafia to find Abigail)  to happen and I could definitively see the building up for it. I was at the edge of my seat, dreading the moment... I kept thinking how improbable it'd be and why now? However, as I said, Ms Roberts totally surprised me. It was unexpected, but more importantly, it fit with the characters' behaviors, especially Abigail, and made The Witness really interesting. So kudos to Ms Roberts :)

I think everyone will enjoy The Witness :) Especially since Ms Roberts laid back on the research with this one. It's a great feeling when you feel like the author is listening to you. I enjoyed the secondary characters, they fleshed out the background a bit more. I actually liked that they did not steal the spotlight and that for once, there was no secondary romance.  As usual, Ms Roberts did a great job with the characters interactions. I liked seeing Brooks with his family, how they welcomed Abigail... and once again, Ms Roberts did not overdo it. I feel like she held back a little, restrained herself, but not in a bad way. Instead, it was so the focus remained on Abigail and Brooks, which was definitively a good thing :)

While I loved Abigail, Brooks and their interactions, I did have a little issue with their romance. A tiny, wee issue really and that was the timeline of their romance. I felt things happened rather quickly between our H/H. From the moment Abigail and Brooks met to the moment the plan is put into action is 3 months I think. Three months is actually not bad, but when I read it, it felt much shorter than that. I know part of it was that Brooks got under Abigail's skin, but it was hard for me to believe she would open herself and trust him so quickly... However, when you take The Witness all together, it is a very small issue and not enough to ruin the book for me, that's for sure :)

My Grade: A-. The Witness was a great book, one that I really enjoyed. It was a definite winner for me and I can't think of a better way for Ms Roberts to celebrate her 200th book :)

Monthly Reads: February 2012

Hello everyone! Hope you're having a good week-end :) It's gorgeous outside at the moment. It's also supposed to be +20C (68F) for the whole week! Which is quite unbelievable weather for March :) But I won't complain. In fact, I think I should try to do something outside... but I don't know what ^_^;

I didn't buy any books this week as there were no new releases I was looking forward to. So I decided to post my Monthly Reads post for February :) Initially, I was thinking later this week... but I realized there was also the TBR Challenge and it'd probably be too busy. So all works out well :) And as I mentioned yesterday, my Week-End's Minis feature is really working out well. This Monthly Reads post took me no time to put together and almost all of the books have already been reviewed! Yay!  I can't help but feel good about it :) Speaking of Week-End's Minis, don't forget the poll on the sidebar!

So here is what I read in February...

1) Deadly Intent by Kylie Brant: D

I've been on the hunt for new RS authors to discover. After reading No One Left to Tell, I was looking for other RS books heavy on the investigation side. I had Deadly Intent in my TBR pile and hoped it would satisfied my craving.

What is the worst fear for parents who had their child kidnapped? To have her being kidnapped a second time. This is what is happening to the Mulders and it's even worse this time around since it was from her own bedroom in their fortress. Millionaire Stephen Mulder does not hesitate one second to call Adam Raiker who returned Ellie the first time and bring in his team, in the hopes that the miracle will be repeated. Adam brings in Macy Reid, a linguist who's an expert on kidnapping and has gone through the trauma herself when she was a child, and Kellan Burke, an investigator who is not afraid to break some rules to obtain results. Macy and Kellan are complete opposite and often seem to be at each other's throat... but that's only because they are attracted to each other.

Overall, Deadly Intent was an okay read. There was some investigation going on - yay! - but at the end of it, it was more about turf war between Adam Raiker's team and the FBI and that got old pretty fast. In addition, the storyline didn't feel very suspenseful... you didn't feel like it was a race against time. Everyone, including the parents, were just so level-head. I think if Ms Brant has used some date/time headers like Karen Rose does, it would have increased the suspense a little... Because as it is, I found it hard to know how much time had gone by.

While I know this was Ellie's second kidnapping, I felt the investigators wasted too much time going through list of suspects related to the first kidnapping... which were pedophiles/human trafficking people. I guess this was to link with Macy's own kidnapping/past. By the way, I thought there would have been more links between Ellie and Macy's kidnappings... and perhaps it'd be more emotional. But it wasn't and I thought that was a waste. You give the heroine the perfect background to sympathize on such a case and you didn't carry it out. I know Macy is a professional, but still. Also, a bit part of the investigation didn't make much sense to me. The first time around, Ellie was taken from a birthday party outside... that speaks of opportunism. Kidnapping Ellie from her bedroom from a millionaire's house with so many security levels and all? It takes planning and money... and it's a complete different feel. I'd think trained investigators would have recognized this. Oh and the resolution of the case? The "who" did it? Not great either. Just very sad actually.

Finally, the romance was meh. I liked Kell because he was fun and a bit devious :) However, I never really warmed up to Macy... and I didn't feel like the H/H had much chemistry.


2) Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones: B


3) Because of the List by Amy Knupp: B-

4) Dark Awakening by Kendra Leigh Castle: C

I received this book at RWA last year. I've seen good reviews for the second book floating around blogland and therefore chose to give this a try :) Plus, I haven't read many new paranormal romance series and was wondering if I was missing any.

Dark Awakening focuses on the vampires in this world. Vampires are divided into Houses with low and high bloods individuals. Tynan MacGillivray is a cat-shifting vampire who is part the Cait Sith which are considered lowbloods and have been enslaved by the Ptolemy House. Because of his hunting abilities, Tynan has been favored the queen of the Ptolemy and he hopes to lessen the burden on his brothers' shoulders. Some dark entity/curse has been killing Ptolemy vampires and they need to find a Seer in order to launch an attack against he enemy. Enter Lily Quinn who lately has been haunted by nightmares of a woman being beheaded. When Tynan discovers Lily, he thinks he's found the Seer... but the strange mark on her neck makes him hesitate. Unconsciously, he knows that Lily is much more than a Seer and wants to find out for himself... even if it means defying his queen.

First, I'd like to say my mood wasn't great when I read Dark Awakening... so the grade might be more me than the book ^_^; Overall, I thought the book had a lot of potential with its world building. I really liked the idea of dynasties and the politics that arose. It definitively makes for a complex and interesting world :) What I liked less about this world was the whole lowbloods and highbloods, the prejudices and condescension. It just got old very quickly. I find I have a lot of difficulties with such behaviors lately, perhaps because there is still so much in own world. Anyway, I wondered why the Cait didn't rebel earlier... or at least try. Also, how do you decide who becomes what house? Does it depend on the sire? Are some born this way? Does it depend on your ancestry? I'd have liked for this to be clearer.

So I found the world building very interesting and by extent, Lily's and the House of Lilith's story as well. I think it was really well thought out and executed. What I didn't much care for was the romance ^_^; All in all, Ty and Lily were okay characters... I thought Ty's character was interesting and quite honorable. He's trying to gain favor of the queen so he could show his House's worth and therefore, elevated it... The only problem is that he remained blind to his queen's faults too long. And Lily, I liked her because she has guts and was smart. However, once again, I thought their attraction was too fast, too instantaneous. Sometimes it works, if the characters show really good chemistry or usually, a prior acquaintances. But in this case, I wonder how Lily wasn't overwhelmed with all the new knowledge, the new world and the danger.

On the plus side, Dark Awakening had some interesting secondary characters. I really loved Vlad and Anura... Such old and powerful characters must have interesting back-stories in my opinion and I would definitively read more of them. Jaden and Damien, Ty's brothers-in-arm, I`m not sure ^_^; Although I have to admit, I'm tempted by Jaden's book, Midnight Reckoning. Guess I'll find out :)


5) Frostbound by Sharon Ashwood: C+


6) Thread of Death by Jennifer Estep: C+


7) Conor's Way by Laura Lee Guhrke: B+


8) Sweet Enemy by Heather Snow: C-


9) Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb: B-

10) Black Wings by Christina Henry: D

Madeline Black is a 30 years old, single woman who happens to be an Agent of Death. As an Agent of Death, she is responsible for escorting the souls of the newly departed to the afterlife and she has retractable wings, which when opened makes her invisible, to reach her destinations. She inherited this job along from the powers from her mother who was killed by a monster which left her soulless. When Maddy's best friend is killed in the same fashion, Maddy is determined to find out the culprit and exact revenge... However, nobody at the office believes her, least her supervisor. The only help she receives surprisingly comes from her new tenant Gabriel Angeloscuro who's there under false pretense. Indeed, the angel was sent by Maddy's unknown father to keep an eye one her...

I was looking for a new UF series to start and remembered that Black Wings was one that I wanted to try. However, I doubt I'll be continuing it ^_^; I kind of liked the premises of this series, the fact that it involves demons, nephilims, angels and etc. And I also found Maddy's background/root story to be interesting... which actually all linked back to the demons and angels. However, the rest of the book didn't really impress me :( First, I thought that Maddy's attitude throughout the book was tad too casual. The timeline is quite short and given everything that's happening, it should be suspenseful and exciting... but Maddy's thought process and action negate that urging feeling. Also, it didn't make sense to me that she didn't seem to have any training in fighting or magic. Isn't that weird for Agents of Death? Does that mean that souls always follow them meekly? I didn't necessarily want a kick-ass heroine because there are so many out there in UF series... but I did expect someone with some basis. Add in the fact that she suddenly saves the day with magical powers she wasn't even aware of. Sigh.

Another strike for this book was the romance. It's clear that early on, Maddy and Gabriel are attracted to each other... but it seems their feelings for each other are a bit too premature. Then, Ms Henry seems to be setting up for a love triangle, if it's not a square.

In the end, instead of being satisfied with my read, I was left pondering too many questions. Sometimes it's a good thing, because it makes you want to read the next book to find out. Other times, like this instance, not so much because it shows that the book and the world building are flawed.


11) Ride with Me by Ruthie Knox: C
Upcoming Buddy Review for Breezing Through.


12) Trouble in a Pinstripe Suit by Kelly Hunter: B-


13) I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella: B


14) Angel's Flight by Nalini Singh: B


Books bought: + 8
Books read: -14
TBR pile: -6


Genre

Historical Romance – 2
Category Romance (Contemporary) – 3
Romantic Suspense – 2
Mystery – 1
Paranormal Romance – 2
Urban Fantasy – 3
Chick-Lit – 1

Something else to feel good about is the number in the TBR pile!! That's two months in a row with negative numbers :) I think I'm really doing well so far with my book-buying and reading. Also, something I've been wanting to add to my Monthly Reads post was the break-down in genre of my reads... But because my posts were always so long, I decide against. Now that it's much shorter, there you go :)

So what do you think of my months? Any books in there you've read and agree or disagree with my take? :P And how was your month of February?

Review: Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

It's Friday! Yay! I ended up being a lot more busy than I thought I'd be this week ^_^; First, there was the grant application deadline yesterday. I ended up proof-reading for my boss - I don't know how the people in the publishing industry does! The most difficult was the lay abstract! Thanks for everyone who helped me, it was really appreciated! Then, my reading has finally picked up!! Doubly yay!! So instead of blogging, I've been reading. Now, I need to find the right balance :) Still, I managed to write this review which I'm really happy about because I really wanted it to go up this week. Earlier in the week, but I'll take it LOL. So enjoy!! And oh, Ames, Monroe and I have our New Releases post for March up at Breezing Through :) Go take a look and let me know if I forgot something!


Celibrity in Death by J.D. Robb

published by Putnam in February 2012

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It’s a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks almost like her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody—drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.

Talented but rude, and widely disliked, K. T. Harris had made an embarrassing scene during dinner. Now she’s at the center of a crime scene—and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster, to step into the role she was born to play: cop.

Genre: Romantic Suspense, Futuristic, Mystery
Series: In Death series, Book #34

The Story: One of Lieutenant Eve Dallas' biggest cases in career was the Icove case (Origin in Death). It had garnered a lot of attention, especially after Nadine Furst has written a book about it. And now, it's being adapted in a movie and Eve really wants no part in it. However, there's no where else to run and Eve has no choice then to go on set and meet the cast. Nothing weirder than seeing someone looking like you, saying what you said and doing what you did. Factor in the set that looks like her offices at home and at work... Weird! Then later that evening, Eve and Roarke attend the production party as guests of honor along with some of their friends. Surprisingly, Eve is enjoying herself... until they find K.T. Harris, the actress who portrays Peabody, dead in the pool. From then on, it's business as usual for Eve, Peabody and the gang. From her brief encounter with the victim earlier, Eve knew the actress was a bitch... but as she digs deeper, it's clear it was a lot more than just rude attitude... and it's a wonder it didn't happen earlier.

My Opinion: In the previous book, New York to Dallas, I was excited because the story took place outside of New York and therefore, Eve and Roarke were away from the gang. I thought these changes would shake things up... but, I was wrong ^_^; Turns out I ended up missing the merry gang LOL. So I was pretty happy things were back to normal in Celebrity in Death :) While this was not one of the best installments, it was still a nice read.

What I enjoyed the most in Celebrity in Death was the pacing of the story; it was actually slower than usually. This one didn't feel like Eve and Peabody were racing against the clock and so, it wasn't as suspenseful. Usually, this wouldn't be a good thing in romantic suspense... but in the case of Celebrity in Death, it allowed us to see a slice in their everyday life that we don't usually get to witness. In the previous books, Eve and the team have always been so focused on the case or there have been very specific events that influenced the storylines... Here, the atmosphere was actually pretty relaxed for once and I really liked it. Plus, I felt Ms Robb did a great job at adding some details to make it feel like "everyday." For exam Eve asking her people how their case was going, her spending time with Roarke because that's what husband and wife do, etc. :)

Something else I enjoyed was the story in general and the situation Eve and the rest found themselves in :) It's not every day you see someone portraying yourself and you all know how easily Eve can be weirded out LOL. Actually, almost everyone was having an actor/actress portraying themselves and at time, it gave rise to some funny dialogues :) Here's a snippet between Eve and Peabody, with Eve speaking first.

"I was having the surreal experience of having myself show myself around my office and bullpen."
"Oh! My desk. I could've sat at my desk. I could've sat at your desk."
"No.:
"It's a vid set."
"Even then, no."
"Mean. The other you is nice. I can call her Marlo. The other me is kind of a bitch."
"There you go. Typecasting."

LOL. Another thing I found interesting is the fact that the victim wasn't a very nice person - I'm not saying 'evil' like murderer, but definitively not likable and who really pushed the boundaries. Obviously, for Eve, it doesn't matter because she still does the job, but it makes the case more complex and Eve has to be a bit more careful. When you're seeking justice for someone who was innocent, it's easier to barge in and make compliant to the investigation... When the victim has hurt a lot of people by her behavior and action, it's not as easy to force your way in and make everyone participate to the investigation... I think this is exactly the kind of case Celebrity in Death needed to make it work with the premises :)

Oh and if you wondered, yes, Roarke is still as yummy as ever :) I like that Ms Robb isn't shaking the boat too much. A lot of people like it when there's conflict between Eve and Roarke and it's understandable. At the same time, it wouldn't be realistic to me. Roarke and Eve have a solid relationship. They love each other, work at their marriage, compromise and communicate well. I wouldn't like for them to always be at odds or bicker ^_^; In that case, you'd wonder why they got married! Plus, given both of their pasts, it feels like Eve and Roarke have already gone through so much... How much more can you add in their paths. And if it's just to make their relationship more rocky, well no thank you for me. All in all, I just enjoy seeing them together :) In Celebrity in Death, Roarke is a bit worried about Eve because of the events in New York to Dallas. How she's dealing with it and the fact that she's having dreams... But nothing too big to take away the spotlight from the case. And that was fine with me :)

Of course, the book had a few flaws. I thought it was pretty obvious who the culprit was ^_^; I mean, by process of elimination, there weren't many suspects... and then, I'm not sure I liked how the whole thing turned out about the murderer's past. It seemed too convenient for me. Also, I would really had like to know what information K.T. held that warranted death. I don't think it was ever mentioned. I also thought the ending was quite abrupt. This is something I've noticed in Ms Robb/Ms Roberts is doing more and more. She doesn't add any epilogue or scene to wrap things up. Most In Death books end right after Eve has gotten a confession and then, Roarke is waiting for me. I felt in Celebrity in Death, it didn't work simply because there was so much questions about the movie and the people in it. I'd really have liked a few paragraphs or even pages to wrap things up a bit. For example, a red carpet scene wouldn't have been bad. Finally, the writing. Ms Robb has a style that I adore and I always find her writing to be very consistent and solid, no matter the storyline. However, this time around, I thought a few sentences were weird. I had to re-read them a couple of time to figure out what it meant, what it was referring to. Of course, it could be just me. Maybe I was tired on the day I read the book and it made me slow LOL. Another thing that really annoyed me in Celebrity in Death was the use of acronyms and abbreviations. Again, this is something Ms Robb/Ms Roberts does often. Most of the time, I don't mind much if it's something obvious such as TMI (too much information) or related to the investigation like DB (dead body) or MO. However, to use "re" in a sentence instead of fully writing out "regarding"?!? Do people say that? I mean, this is a book after all, so I expect it to be more formal. Perhaps I'm nitpicking, but it really rubbed me the wrong way this time around.

My Grade: B-. Celebrity in Death was not the best installment and had flaws, but most of them were minor and could be overlooked. It ended up being a nice read and one that I enjoyed most in the last few installments.

Monthly Reads: January 2012

LOL, it seems to me I'll never be getting these posts "on time" anymore. So to remedy that problem? Easy, change the date! Instead of the first of the next month, you can expect my Monthly Reads posts from now on to go up during the third week of the month :) That way, it gives me time to focus on reviews of books I've just read instead of juggling both months together :)

This month, I'm really happy at the number of reviews I've written :) Plus, even though there's only been two editions, the Week-End's Minis feature is working! I got some nice mini-reviews out of it and this means I'll have less to review in this post :) I also think that instead of writing mini-reviews in this post, I'll just stick to my thoughts of the books? I'll just go with the flow and see :)

So let's take a look at what I read in January :)

1) The Sweetheart of Prosper County by Jill S. Alexander: C-

I've been wanting to read Paradise by Ms Alexander for a long time because Ames really enjoyed that book. However, I haven't had the opportunity to, but stumbled across The Sweetheart of Prosper County and decided to give it a go after reading Alex's review. I really hope that Paradise is better ^_^; The story of The Sweetheart of Prosper County goes along the lines of: every year, Prosper County has a parade and Austin Gray thinks that if she can be the parade's sweetheart, the bane of her existence will stop harassing her and making jokes. So for Christmas, she asks for a rooster and intends to enter it at the fair contest.

Basically, I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed the writing, the style and how time went by flawlessly. I liked how Austin got a rooster LOL. So unusual. Unfortunately, I wish there had been more development... for just about everything ^_^; I didn't really care for Austin very much. I thought she was immature and cared too much about what other people said, especially Dean - the bully. I also think that given how small the community is, some parents should have stepped up and deal with Dean's behavior. It is pretty classic of today's society, letting your kid do anything they want without real consequences and to have the parents buy their way out. There was potential in the relationships, Austin making new friends and her crush, but there just wasn't enough of it. It wasn't developed enough for me to really care :(


2) My One and Only by Kristan Higgins: C+


3) Twice Fallen by Emma Wildes: B
Upcoming Buddy Review.


4) Bride by Mistake by Anne Gracie: B+


5) It Takes a Witch by Heather Blake: B


6) Hidden by Kelley Armstrong: A-


7) Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks: E


8) Island Heat by Sarah Mayberry: C


9) No One Left to Tell by Karen Rose: A


10) Destiny by Carly Phillips: C

11) The Shy Duchess by Amanda McCabe: C-

Did you see the cover? I simply fell in love with it and after checking out the blurb, decided to give The Shy Duchess a go :) The story is about Lady Emily Carroll, the daughter of a viscount or an earl who desperately wishes for his daughter to make a good match. Lady Emily Carroll could be the belle of the ton, if only she wasn't so shy. In addition, her shyness is also mistaken for haughtiness, earning her the nickname of "Ice Princess." Nicholas, the Duke of Manning, knows his duty is to marry and have heirs and is therefore looking for a wife. While Lady Emily is beautiful, she is not the one, as she wouldn't fit in his boisterous and scandal-ridden family. However, circumstances throw them together and when they are caught in a compromising situation, both Nicholas and Emily have no choice. Especially since scandal is the last thing Nicholas wants... but sometimes, scandal is inevitable.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I really liked the characters and the romance. Emily and Nicholas were both likable characters that you could cheer for :) The romance was sweet and I liked how it progressed, the fact that they spent time together, got to know each other and fell in love. It was a very natural process. Even though Emily was not Nicholas' choice of bride, he went into the marriage open-minded and gave Emily and their marriage a chance. He found out that Emily was a lovely woman on the shy side who was very eager to please and make him happy, that she wasn't at all haughty or snobbish. As for Emily, she found out that Nicholas was a good man who took his responsibilities seriously and loved his family.

What didn't work for me was the direction the book took. From the blurb, I expected the author to focus on Emily's shyness and the ways she would overcome it. I thought Nicholas would draw her out. Instead, once Emily and Nicholas were married, her shyness was barely mentioned and instead, the focus shifted to some external conflicts that appeared a bit out of nowhere and which I thought were superfluous and a little far-fetched :( In addition, when it came time for me to write this post, I could barely remember what were those conflicts about ^_^; In the end, I really liked Nicholas and Emily... Unfortunately, they weren't enough to keep me totally engaged and in the end, The Shy Duchess turned out to not be a memorable read :(


12) Mad about the Earl by Christina Brooke: B-
Upcoming Review.

13) Midnight Caller by Leslie Tenter: C-

After reading No One Left to Tell, I was really in the mood for romantic suspense and therefore picked up Midnight Caller. The main appeal, aside from being RS, was that the hero was from the FBI and I was hoping for a story focused on the investigation.

FBI Special Agent Trevor Rivette of the Violent Crimes Unit has been pursuing a serial killer, who's been exsanguinating his victims, for over a year when he ends up in New Orleans. Trevor can't help but wonder if the end game taking place in New Orleans is a coincidence or a taunt from the killer given Trevor's past. By pure luck, Trevor figures out that Dr. Rain Sommers - psychologist, host of a late-night radio show and daughter of a deceased emerging rock star - might be a target... Or at least, the caller named Dante is a person of interest. In order to catch this killer, Trevor intends to ask for Rain's help to introduce him into the gothic circles... and potentially act as bait.

I thought Midnight Caller started out really well and was quite intriguing. Also, the storyline had some nice twists and surprises :) I also really liked Trevor's character and his background story. His reluctance to come back to New Orleans was totally understandable and I was glad to see him reconnect with his family and that the three siblings are moving forward. However, I didn't like the direction in which the storyline veered. The whole goth scene and vampiric feel of the case just didn't appeal to me. If anything, it turned me off ^_^; The romance also didn't work for me because of the lack of chemistry between the H/H, the fact that I didn't connect with Rain and therefore didn't care for her character and also, the timing and pacing of the romance. Finally, I was quite disappointed with the investigation aspect of Midnight Caller. There was just too much going on and therefore, we didn't have much of a feel of the investigation going on. And while I do believe in gut instinct, the way Trevor figured out that Dante was a person of interest in this case, by just happening to be listening to Rain's radio show? It just seemed a bit too coincidental and far-fetched to me.

That being said, Ms Tentler showed me enough potential in her debut novel that I will most probably give her another try :)

14) Joy by Jayne Ann Krentz: D

A couple of years back, I went on a Jayne Ann Krentz' binge and ever since, I've been collecting her backlist. Joy seemed like one I would enjoy based on the storyline. A.C. Reyson is celebrating his break-up with Daisy Middlebrook as he realized they didn't suit each other and both escaped from the marriage her parents were hoping for. Then Reyson meets Daisy's older sister, Virginia, and sparks fly. However, both have had bad marriages previously and have decided to take things slowly. Then, Reyson decides to take their relationship to the next level and whisk Virginia away on a Caribbean trip.  During this trip, Reyson wins an emerald bracelet during a high stake poker game. He never expected this bracelet to put them in danger...

As you can see by the grade, I didn't enjoy Joy as much as I hoped :( It's unfortunate, because Joy had all the signs of a classic JAK, but it simply didn't deliver. Once again, I thought the beginning of this book was very promising. I liked how Virginia and Reyson were taking things slow, getting to know each other. However, once they went on the trip, the book went downhill. My main issue with Joy was with Reyson. At first, I thought he was very considerate taking things slow... the problem is that it didn't last. He started pressuring Viginia - to have sex, to move in together, etc. It wasn't done meanly or abusively, but I didn't like it nonetheless. He was short-tempered when he didn't get his way and he didn't seem to hear what Virginia was telling him... and that pretty much ruined the book for me. The other thing that didn't work for me was the suspense. I thought it was pretty obvious, not well integrated into the romance and the pacing was bad.

One thing I found interesting though is that Joy was first published in 1988. In the novel, the heroine had a really bad first marriage. Basically, her husband belittled her, made her lose all her confidence, even made her believe she was frigid and everything was her fault, etc. I found it interesting that even 20 years later, we still have heroines like Virginia in our contemporary romances. With all the advancements in technology we've made in 20 years, it seems that women/men relationships have not changed all that much...

If you're a fan of JAK and have not yet read Joy, my advice is just skip it ^_^;


15) A Lady Never Surrenders by Sabrina Jeffries: C+
Upcoming Review.


16) She Tempts the Duke by Lorraine Heath: B+


17) My Wicked Little Lies by Victoria Alexander: B+
Upcoming Buddy Review.


Books bought: + 6
Books read: -17
TBR pile: -11

Woohooo! Double digits negative number in the TBR pile! This was definitively a great start to the year 2012!   Obviously, there were some duds, but it was nicely balanced by some great reads :) Overall I'm really happy with how much I've read, how much I bought - although truth be told, I wished this number would be higher... Withdrawal people! LOL - and I'm happy to have gotten back in a good reviewing rhythm. Hopefully, February will be as good :)

P.S. - Last day to vote for this week's WEM! Check out the poll on the sidebar to see what are the choices :)

Review: No One Left to Tell by Karen Rose

Had the day off yesterday :) It was so nice to sit back and relax :) I went out to lunch with my parents and sister. I also read, blogged and watched curling. What better ways to spend the week-end? The field this year at the nationals is really strong as well, so the games are really tight :) Now, everything would be perfect if I had a couple of books to read and stop wondering what to read next! If everything goes well though, I'll be getting some new releases at the end of the week and my wish will become true LOL.

All right, I'm off to bed :) Enjoy this review! :) I really enjoyed the book and I hope it comes through the review :) Also, don't forget to vote for the next Week-End's Minis! The poll is on the sidebar :)


No One Left to Tell by Karen Rose

published by Headline in January 2012 in UK/June 2012 in US

A woman is dead and her fiance is serving a life sentence for a murder he didn't commit. Now PI Paige Holden holds the only piece of evidence that could see him freed, and she cannot take it to the police. With the help of disarming state attorney, Grayson Smith, Paige is determined to avenge the murdered woman and set an innocent man free. But Paige has only scratched the surface of a cover-up far deadlier than she could ever imagine. A string of mysterious deaths of women with a shared past sets Paige on the trail of a ruthless killer. The problem is, the killer's on her trail too...

Genre: Romantic Suspense
Series: Baltimore, Book #2 - but loosely connected to all her books

The Story: Readers met Paige Holden in Silent Scream, as one of Olivia's best friend. Since then, Paige has been assaulted and has witnessed a friend's murder. Shaken, the karate master has moved to Baltimore for a fresh start and is now working towards becoming a licensed PI.

While walking her protector dog, Paige is almost run over by a minivan. The driver is Elena Munos, Paige's cleaning lady and also a client whom Paige was working a pro bono case for. Six years ago, a young woman was killed during a party at the estate of retired State Senator James McCloud and the gardener Ramon Munos, Elena's husband, was found guilty of the crime. All these years, Ramon has claimed to be innocent... and before dying, Elena hands to Paige a USB key containing the evidence to clear her husband. Not knowing whom to trust with the evidence, Paige decides to check out the prosecutor on the case, Assistant State's Attorney, Grayson Smith. However, it soon becomes clear that someone wants the evidence to disappear and as a result, Paige has become a target.

Grayson Smith is proud to have one of the better conviction rates in the state's attorney's office, but more importantly, he believes in his job and the system. As such, he is shaken by the death of Elena, especially since she has come to him not long ago to ask for a new trial for her husband. Grayson starts to wonder if he convicted an innocent man... and if he did, he intends to rectify the mistake. Even it comes at the cost of his job and threatens to reveal some big secrets about his past.

Obviously, it won't be a simple case, but as Paige and Grayson investigate, they quickly realize they've stumbled across something way bigger than they expected...

My Opinion: Okay, it's no secret on this blog that I love, love, love Ms Rose's books! :) You know how Nora Roberts is known as La Nora? Well for me, Karen Rose is the Queen of RS :) I simply devour her books. With No One Left to Tell, I told myself I should savor the book, take my time. What did I do instead? Stay up till 2am to read as much as possible LOL. And let me tell you, it's been a while since I've been this engrossed in a book :)

There is just something about Ms Rose's writing that works for me. It's the perfect blend of interesting and likable characters, good suspense and fast pacing and No One Left to Tell was no exception. I was really engrossed by the storyline and suspense in this book, I liked how the case was more than meet the eye. Ms Rose has a knack for complex stories and cases and as always, did a great job at connecting all the elements. Also No One Left to Tell was quite a thick book and Ms Rose really made good use of the number of pages. There was moments in the storyline when it was quieter, when it didn't feel as thrilling, but it was in no way draggy or boring.

Something else I enjoy about Ms Rose's books is that she dares. She's not afraid of writing about dirty cops and bribery, but at the same time, she always shows the two sides of the coin. She shows us cops dedicated to their jobs, prosecutors who believe in the system... Also, she shows us shades of grey. For example, you couldn't help but feel for Silas, one of the villains. He did bad things and some of the circumstances were his own faults, but he did what he had for his family. It doesn't make it right, but... All of this makes for a good balance of things and adds to the realistic feeling. Another thing that made the storyline real was the addition of technology. The fact that the video went up on Youtube almost before the crime was over, that everyone has cell phones that can take videos... the texting. It added to the storyline and makes you realize how hard it is to keep a secret nowadays, but also how more complicated some people's jobs are ^_^;

Finally, I want to talk about the characters. I loved Paige and Grayson characters. They were great people, very genuine, determined and brave. They both had heavy back stories, which sometimes may seem too much, but it wasn't because of the way they were introduced. Instead, it added layers and depth to their characters :) I liked how Paige didn't miraculously recover from the events that made her leave Minneapolis, but also how she didn't lie to herself or others by saying she was okay. She was still affected, but she coped at best she could. She didn't let others push her around... and she was patient with herself. She knew when she'd be ready, she'd resume karate and get back to a more normal self. I also liked that she wasn't too stubborn with the investigation. I think too often, heroines in romantic suspense act rashly or do something readers consider TSTL and you wonder why? Oh why? In this case, Paige had good reasons not to go to the police with the evidence... but she didn't plan to investigate solo. She reached out and that was smart. Grayson was another great hero from Ms Rose. Liked I mention earlier, he's dedicated about the job... but it's more. He cares and believes and that makes him a man of integrity and an interesting character. I also liked how protective he was of his family and found his situation very interesting. He's a man that you'd want at your back during and he was there for Paige :)

Speaking of Grayson and Paige, I really liked their chemistry and the romance. It's hard to make a romance work sometimes when the timeline of the story is so short. However, in No One Left to Tell, there was a connection between Paige and Grayson, one that was felt as soon as they met that made the romance believable. Perhaps it's because Grayson saved Paige's life, but the chemistry was undeniable :) I also liked the pacing at which the romance progressed. Paige and Grayson didn't job into bed right away. They acknowledged the attraction and also discussed what they wanted out of a relationship. I guess that's another reason why the romance worked, because despite the short period they knew each other, they communicated :) In any case, I enjoyed the moments they spent together and the romance.

All in all, I really enjoyed and loved No One Left to Tell and will definitively re-read it soon :) I have to say, I was surprised that Clay didn't have a more prominent role in the storyline, given he'll be the hero in the next book. At the same time, it might have been a good decision, so Clay wouldn't steal the spotlight LOL. I did have one little niggle with the plot, but I don't want to address it in the review, because it'd be too much of a spoiler. However, it was a really small issue and didn't affect my enjoyment of the book at all :)

My Grade: A. Once again, Ms Rose delivers a great book with a solid plot, good suspense and pacing and satisfactory romance. Fans of Ms Rose and of romantic suspense will definitively enjoy this book. And if you haven't read Ms Rose yet, what are you waiting for? :)

Week-End's Minis: Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks

It's finally the week-end!! Yay! Hope it'll be a good one for everyone! The week has gone by so quickly (although the days have not), but if there was a way to make the week-end stretched, it'd be awesome LOL. Especially when we're having nice weather. A girl can dream right? :P

So I'd like to introduce the newest feature on my blog: Week-End's Minis. Earlier this week, I mentioned in the Monthly Reads post that I was toying with the idea of having weekly recaps, simply because my Monthly Reads posts were becoming overwhelming to write. However, the idea just lost its appeal the more I thought about it. My reasoning is I have difficulty being on time with a monthly recap which is, technically, once a month. Now, I'm going to have 4 posts at fixed dates? Sure, they'll be shorter... but I think it'll be more pressure as well ^_^; Plus my reading week vary a lot from one another and a weekly recap is just not me LOL. Instead, I tried to come up with something in-between and I think I did: the Week-End's Minis :)

Basically, the Week-End's Minis will be a weekly post with one to two mini-reviews :) It won't be a weekly recap and it won't be necessarily books that I've read during the week. It'll just be mini-reviews of books I've read and wasn't planning to write a full review for. If I can stick to having a weekly mini-reviews post, then when it'll come to the Monthly Reads post, many of the books will already be reviewed and therefore, the post itself will be shorter and less daunting to write :) And to make things a bit more fun for everyone, I thought I'd let you decide what should be reviewed! :) The plan is that I'll put a poll up on the sidebar of books that I'm considering writing mini-reviews for and you let me know which mini-review you want to read :) The poll will run from Saturday to Wednesday and on the next Saturday, the post will go up. What do you think?

Oh by the way, mini-reviews. You've seen my Monthly Reads posts and you've seen that my "mini" reviews aren't that "mini" LOL. Well it's something I want to work on. The goal of these mini-reviews is really to let you know what worked and what didn't. I have a tendency in my full reviews to go through the characters, the settings, the romance, the storyline, etc. Hopefully, here, it'll all be more concise and focused... but I'm not sure yet how I'm going to do that LOL. So please be patient with me :) And if you have any suggestion, please feel free!!

This week, I didn't have time to make a poll and I really wanted to get started LOL, so I chose the mini-review. But you can start voting for next week! :) Hopefully, this new feature will be an enjoyable one for everyone :)


Whispers in the Dark by Maya Banks

published by Berkley in January 2012

She came to him when he needed her the most

She came to him at his lowest point. The voice of an angel, a whisper in the dark. She's the only thing that gets Nathan Kelly through his captivity, the endless days of torture and the fear that he'll never return to his family. With her help, he's able to escape. But he isn't truly free, because now she's disappeared and he's left with an all-consuming emptiness as he struggles to pick up the pieces of his life. Did he imagine his angel? Or is she out there, needing his help as he'd once needed hers?

Now he rushes to save her before it's too late

Shea has been on the run from people who will stop at nothing to exploit her unique abilities. She never wanted to drag Nathan, who'd already suffered so much, into danger, but she doesn't have a choice so she reaches out to him for help. Finally face-to-face after having already formed a soul-deep bond in hell, their emotional connection is even more powerful than their telepathic one. Nathan refuses to consider ever letting her go again, but she worries they can never have a life free of the dangers that dog her every step. He'll protect her with his every breath, but can he convince her that they are meant to face these threats together?

Genre: Romantic suspense, psychics
Series: KGI, Book #4

What do you need to know about the storyline? The blurb is pretty spot on, the only thing they didn't mention - and wow, they did a great job at writing an accurate blurb and leaving this big detail out - is that the heroine is psychic. From what I've heard, this is the first book in this series that has paranormal elements in it. All the previous books have been straight romantic suspense.

Why this book? This is the first book in the series I've read and it just called to me. It sounded like something I would enjoy :)

So, my thoughts? I'll start with the most obvious for me. I don't mind psychic characters. Actually, I love them when it's well-done... Unfortunately, it wasn't in Whispers in the Dark. Perhaps it's because I've been spoiled with the FBI SCU series by Kay Hooper, but the psychic aspect here just didn't work for me. First, I don't like the idea of manufacturing psychics for military purposes. There is so much we don't know about psychics, the abilities and where it comes from... How can you "breed" psychics? Then, the psychic element was just too unbelievable ^_^; Yes, I know ^_^; When it comes to psychics, I think readers always have to suspend their disbelief a little to enjoy the story and I've done it with no problems in the past. But the thing is, you still want the psychic element to be realistic and it simply wasn't in Whispers in the Dark. I mean, a trans-Atlantic connection? If Shea and Nathan's connection was established prior, then perhaps I've had bought it... but Shea just happened to grasp on Nathan's mind while she was in the US and Nathan, in Afghanistan? In that case, what stops her from hearing any voices in the whole big world? Also, healing someone without touching? That's already stretching it, but healing someone through someone's else connection without any physical anchor? Yeah, no. You just lost me there.

Aside from the psychic element, there was also the romance that went too fast for me. Okay, yes, Shea and Nathan have a connection, but they don't really know each other. Shea calls Nathan for help, he runs to save her and hours after they've met face-to-face for the first time, they're all over each other and having sex. I can buy having feelings for each other, I can buy being protective and possessive... but the sex was pushing it for me. We're not talking one-night stand here, but real, committed sex... and I just felt it was too fast.

So basically, Ms Banks lost me pretty early in the book because of the psychic element... and I ended up skimming through most of the book. Nothing in this book - the story, the romance, the characters or the suspense - was able to grab me and while reading, I just wanted Whispers in the Dark to be done and over. That's not usually a good feeling when you're reading a book. Someone on Goodreads mentioned that the book was boring and too corny and I have to agree wholeheartedly. The only scenes I really enjoyed were the Kelly brothers ribbing each other and even then, I thought it was sometime not with a good timing.

My Grade? E.


All right, it still winded up a bit long LOL. But hey, it's my first attempt! :) What do you think? Does this format work?

Review: New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

***Warning: This review contains spoilers***

New York to Dallas by J.D. Robb

published by Putnam in September 2011

The number-one New York Times-bestselling author J. D. Robb presents an intense and terrifying new case for New York homicide cop Eve Dallas, one that will take her all the way to the city that gave her her name-and plunge her into the nightmares of her childhood.

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

Genre: Romantic Suspense, mystery, futuristic
Series: In Death series, Book #33

The Story: In New York to Dallas, Eve faces an old foe, Isaac McQueen. McQueen is a pedophile who kidnapped young girls, marked them with a number within a heart on their torso and kept them in a proof-sounded room for his sick pleasure. He was also Eve's first collar when she was still in uniform.

Now that McQueen has escaped from Rikers, he intends to pick up where he left off and seek revenge on the cop that arrested him. Meanwhile, Eve is determined to put him back in a cage where he belongs. When McQueen moves his hunting ground to Dallas, Eve and Roarke are hot in pursuit - even though Dallas is the last place Eve wants to be...

My Opinion: I kind of had high hopes for New York to Dallas, partly because of the blurb, but also because of the title change. In a series like the In Death series, after 30-something books with the same pattern in titles, when there's a change, there must be a reason and it must have a big impact, hit hard. Unfortunately, it wasn't the case and instead of being a wowzer, New York to Dallas fell flat for me :(

I think the biggest problem about New York to Dallas was the lack of excitement. There wasn't anything in the book that made me sit at the edge of my seat or make me turn the pages faster to know what would happen next. There was also a lack of intensity in my opinion. New York to Dallas was just another book in the series instead of being one with a lot of impact. Don't get me wrong, I'm always happy to read an In Death book, because I know it's going to be a solid read... but the couple last installments have been solid, but not great and I think it's time to have a great In Death book just to shake things up. I thought New York to Dallas was a great opportunity for Ms Robb to deliver something different, considering that Eve and Roarke were alone in Dallas, away from the gang - no Peabody, McNab, Feeney, Summerset and the tons of supporting characters. It would have been a great opportunity to explore Eve and Roarke's relationship for example, have something happens... but instead, it was just the usual, i.e. Eve trying to stop the bad guy. Even worse, I missed the gang because Ms Robb didn't really have anything in the storyline to fill the void ^_^;

All right, so instead of thinking what was missing, let's focus on what was actually in the book. The writing as usual was solid, fluid. Ms Robb definitively has a distinct style of writing when it comes to the In Death books and I like it :) The actual case wasn't bad... but it didn't really stand out for me. One of the reasons is if I remember correctly, there was a similar case in a previous book, i.e. the villain fixating on Eve for revenge. Another reason is Eve's ability to "read" the villain - know his thinking process, what he's going to do, etc. It bothered me in New York to Dallas because it seems that Eve was very familiar with McQueen, the kind of familiarity that comes from a cop chasing after a killer for a long period of time, through many cases. However, it is not the case between Eve and McQueen. McQueen's arrest by Eve was "coincidental." She basically stumbled over him while going door to door for another investigation. I can understand Eve familiarizing with his M.O. afterwards, because that's just who she is, especially given this was her first arrest. But even then, what they would have discovered from McQueen would be hear-say as opposed to living it and therefore, I can't really believe that the bond between Eve and McQueen would be so strong... and the fact that Eve was so effectively in McQueen's head, knowing him, predicting his next move - it just took away from the suspense for me.

Another issue I had with New York to Dallas was Eve's mother's appearance. Obviously, going back to Dallas, there would be a part of the book dedicated to Eve's past. I knew that, even expected it. However, I thought it was a huge coincidence that McQueen's accomplice would be Eve's mother. If at least, it had been intentional, as in McQueen actually chose her because she was Eve's mother... but no. Also, the one time that Eve goes to Dallas, she runs into her mother? I think it'd have been more powerful if it's been somewhere else, like in New York or another city. The only good news is that we're finally done with Eve and Roarke's parents and can move on ^_^;

All in all, New York to Dallas wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations either. I just feel that Ms Robb had an opportunity to deliver something really different and she missed it. Instead, New York to Dallas felt redundant, nothing original or new :( Still, I'm not giving up on the series yet and I'll be picking up Celebrity in Death in February :)

My Grade: C.

Monthly Reads: June 2011

I saw two Monthly Recaps on blogland yesterday, so I figured I'm not that late to the party LOL. June was an extremely, extremely busy month for me. First, there were the summer students in my lab to take care, then the clinic day on which we collected the samples. Ugh. We're still not done processing it. Whatever, LOL. And while RWA was a lot of fun and great time, I did not read a lot during. Well actually, I did not read at all LOL.

Given everything going on, I was still able to read 11 books... which wow, I didn't expect LOL. But hey, I'll take it! Here is the list:


1) Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh: B+
Upcoming Review.


2) Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews: A-

3) Love is the Higher Law by David Levithan: C

Love is the Higher Law is about three teenagers/young adults - Claire, Peter and Jasper - who live in New York City and their reaction to the events of 9/11. I find it really hard to summarize this book, because to some extent, it's quite philosophical and so I won't attempt it. Sorry ^_^;

I picked up this book because it was written by Mr Levithan whose writing I really enjoyed previously. I actually had no idea the book was about 9/11 ^_^; I don't regret picking it up, but I have to admit, this is much deeper than what I usually read and as a result, I didn't enjoy it that much. At times, it was very tedious because it's all about their feelings, but at the same time, they don't know how they feel. For example, Jasper knows how he should feel, but he's a bit numb and wonder if it's really wrong not to feel. Another aspect that didn't really work for me is the whole 9/11 event. It's going to sound a bit unfeeling, but the events on 9/11 didn't affect me as much because I'm not American. The newscasts, the patriotism, the aftermath and then, later on, the war. An event such as this one brings together a country... but not the neighboring country... It's like the Japan tsunami earlier this year. It's horrific and the first few days, it's on the news everywhere, but after that... it becomes a distant memory for those who are not involved, touched. It shouldn't, but it is... and 9/11 is the same for me  :( So I think this is another reason why Love is the Higher did not reach me as much.

What I did like about this book is reading about the aftermath of 9/11 - not in a bloodthirsty way. Just, how the characters felt in the few days after where everything was kind of in limbo. How it was, how the community got together, etc. It must have felt so unrealistic. All in all though, this book was not for me. I'm giving it a C for the feelings it brings up and the writing. However, if you want a story about characters, then not much happens :(


4) Hexed by Kevin Hearne: C+


5) Yours to Keep by Shannon Stacey: B-

6) Unfinished Business by Nora Roberts: C

After 12 years of touring the world, Vanessa finally returns home - but it is under bittersweet circumstances. She has just lost her father, who's been her anchor throughout her career as a concert pianist, and as a result, wants answers from her estranged mother. Why did she let him take her away, why has she not contact Vanessa after she left? However, her mother is not the only person she will confront because to her surprise, Brady Tucker is also back in Hyattown. The rebellious boy who once held her heart when she was 16 has followed in his father's footsteps, becoming a doctor, and he's in Hyattown to stay...

Lately, I've really been in the mood for la Nora's writing and though I've been re-reading a lot of her books. I came across Perfect Harmony which is a compilation containing Unfinished Business and Local Hero and so bought it, because I have not read either story. While reading Unfinished Business, I couldn't help but think that it was the ancestor of Carnal Innocence as both heroines are world-famous concert musicians and have difficult relationship with their parents. Anyway, Unfinished Business was a typical Nora Roberts short romance: it has good writing, good dynamics between the characters and the storyline is solid. However, as a whole, the book is not memorable. The vibe Vanessa gives off is very standoffish, especially towards her mother. I can understand her resentment at her mother; however, at the same time, I thought that it went both ways. Why didn't Vanessa reach out to her mother? She wasn't a kid of a toddler when her father took her away. She could have come back way earlier, if she really wanted. Also, it was obvious that Vanessa's father was not innocent in the conflict. Redeeming factor of this book in my eyes were the hero and his father. Love the friendship between Vanessa and Brady's father, very nice... and I thought Brady was a good man. Conclusion? A nice book to read, but not one that will leave a long-lasting impression.

7) Local Hero by Nora Roberts: C-

Local Hero is about a single mother, Heather Wallace, moving in a new apartment building with her son, Radley. Radley quickly befriends their neighbor, Mitch Dempsey, who turns out to be the author of the popular comics "Commander Zark" and Rad's idol. Very quickly, Mitch is falling for the son and the mother.. but Heather's been burn in love before and is not ready to commit. After all, she can take care of her son all on her own.

Very short synopsis, but it pretty  much sums all the storyline. What I liked the most about Local Hero was the hero, Mitch. I liked his nonchalant attitude, the way he befriended Radley. It was really clear he enjoyed Radley's company and let the boy knows. On the outside, he looks irresponsible, but looks can be deceptive :) As opposed to Mitch, I didn't like Heather as much. She definitively was a great, loving mother... but as a woman. I don't know, a bit too suspicious of other people's motives, a bit too standoffish as well. Also, I thought Mitch fell in love with Heather a little too fast. I can understand his friendship to Radley, but his attraction to Heather? Still, I liked that the story was focused on the relationship and that Radley was a part of it :) So once again, solid but a bit bland.

8) The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade: C+

Will Killian is a necromancer who's working very hard at hiding what he is from the ghosts as well as the living and hoping that by the end of high school, he'll be free to leave town and start life afresh instead of being institutionalized. However, that's before one of the popular girl, Alona Dare, is run by a bus and becomes a ghost. Suddenly, he has all the ghosts in the neighborhood asking him to help them out, has to teach Alona how to be a ghost and guide her to the light. At the same time, something fishy is going on and Will kept being stalked by a dark cloud...

Okay, it says a lot that I don't really remember what went on in this book when it comes to the action/mystery part of it. Sigh. However, I do remember liking Will. It's hard to be a necromancer, especially when the power seems to be hereditary, and after his father has committed suicide because he couldn't do it anymore. Will's plan is to finish high school and just go away, some city big enough that the ghost density will be less and where his moves and conversations won't be under the scrutiny of a psychiatrist. It's a good plan, but a little lonely. I also liked that Will was a good son, that he cared about his mother's feeling. In contrast, I didn't really like Alona... Seems to be a theme this month ^_^; I know Ms Kade intentionally wrote Alona's character the way she did, but really. I felt Alona was spoiled and superficial. All she cared was being the in the popular clique and the people's perception of her. Of course, as you read the book, you realize that Alona has more depth and that her family is not picture perfect... However, it's really hard for me to overcome my first impression of Alona :(  And because I didn't like Alona all that much, it definitively affected my enjoyment of the book. Also, I have to admit, I'm not sure where this relationship between Will and Alona is going... I mean, yes, when Will touches Alona, she's solid because he's a necromancer... but can that really turn into a romance?

So not really sure I'll be picking up the next book, although it's been getting good reviews. I did like Ms Kade's writing, her voice. It was engaging and The Ghost and The Goth was a quick read. If she would write something else, I would definitively pick it up :)


9) More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh: B+
Upcoming Review.

10) Veil of Night by Linda Howard: D

Jaclyn Wilde is one of the best wedding planners there is and she's worked with a lot of brides... but none as demanding and unreasonable as Cassie Edwards. When Bridezilla slaps her, Jaclyn is just happy to walk away... but even dead, Cassie is causing Jaclyn problem when Jaclyn becomes a murder suspect. Also, the situation is dicey because the lead investigator turns out to be Detective Eric Wilder, whom Jaclyn just had an one-night stand with the night before...

Okay, since this is a Linda Howard book, it's been reviewed a lot on blogland and unfortunately, I won't be adding anything new. I didn't really have any problems with the H/H, they were okay and actually kind of well developed. However, I just didn't feel any connection to them. What bothers me a lot though is the fact that Jaclyn didn't understand that Eric was doing his job. She was so angry at him and it seemed to me since she did nothing wrong, she didn't have to worry about being questioned. He had to cover all his bases and okay, was a bit rude... but the guy was doing his job and later, explained himself. What more does she want? But I think what bothered me the most though is that she gave him the boot after their night together. Talk about mixed signals.

Another reason why Veil of Night is getting such a low grade is that there was no depth to the story. The case was pretty straightforward - no twist, no turn, and the H/H actually didn't spend that much time together or with other characters... so it was a lot of monologues and very little action. That's not a typical Linda Howard book for me. All and all, Veil of Night just didn't work that well for me.


11) The Ideal Wife by Mary Balogh: B+
Upcoming Review.


Books bought: + a gazillion
Books read: -11
TBR pile: + (a gazillion - 11)


Okay, sorry, my mini-reviews this month suck ^_^; I think I need to write more reviews, get back into a rhythm. Unfortunately, it won't be happening tonight ^_^; Still, I think my writing reflects my impressions of the books so that's what matters :)

Also, I'm cheating here, because I'm not sure I want to know how many books I added to the TBR pile this month, LOL. I mean, do you count books that you got for free? Because technically, I'm counting the books I bought, right? Plus, some books I've already read... so they shouldn't count, right? Also, I came back in July, so do the books count for June or July? Yes, yes, I'm splitting hair here LOL. I know that before I left for NYC, I bought 5 books and that in the month of June, I read 11 books :) Good enough :) By the way, I'm really happy I made it into the double-digits in June. I didn't think so, the reading felt so slow last month... so all is good :)

So that's it for June! Very soon, I'll be working on July LOL. In the meantime, I should be able to squeeze out a few reviews, so stay tuned! :) By the way, any books in the past few months you'd like me to review?

Review: Blood Ties by Sharon Sala

Diclaimer: I've received Blood Ties as an eARC from Netgalley

Blood Ties by Sharon Sala
published by Mira (Harlequin) in May 2011

The truth will set you free... if it doesn't get you killed

Savannah Slade is not the person she thought she was. The reading of her "father's" will has led her to a world-shattering revelation: her sisters are not her blood kin—and she may be the heiress to a massive fortune. Her not-quite-fiance Judd doesn't if it doesn't care where she came from—he only wants her by his side. But the primal need to uncover her past wins out, and Savannah trades the Montana ranges for Miami's moneyed oceanside enclaves.

The wealthy and powerful Stoss family is less than overjoyed to find that Gerald Stoss's daughter has emerged from the past. But theirs is a clan seldom troubled by…inconveniences. They've always had the means to eradicate any blemish on their perfect lives. One more won't make a difference.

Genre: Contemporary romance, romantic suspense
Series: The Searchers, Book #2

The Story: After the death of their father, the Slade girls - Hannah, Maria and Savannah - discover through his will that they are not related by blood. Instead, all three girls were taken in by Andrew Slade under unusual circumstances. Andrew kept a journal for each of his daughter relating the circumstances and adding as many information as possible so if they decide to, the girls could explore their past.

In the case of Savannah, her mother was dying of cancer and had contacted Savannah's father so he would acknowledge his daughter. He did agree to take in and take care of Savannah, but was unfortunately killed. Then, Savannah's mother received a call threatening Savannah's safety. At wit's ends, she decided to entrust her daughter to the evangelical preacher doing revivals.

Another shock for Savannah is finding out that she is actually the legitimate heir to the Stoss' empire - a familial business which the first-born and only first-born inherit, and this most probably is what got her father killed. After such revelations, Savannah needs to know who she is, to find out about her birth parents, but also claim justice for her father's death. Her high school sweetheart Judd is not thrilled about Savannah leaving for Miami on her own. He's not sure if their relationship can survive the distance... and if Savannah really turns out to be the heir to the Stoss empire, would she be willing to come back to Montana to a rancher?

However, there are bigger problems than Judd being unhappy... such as people being unhappy at Savannah's reappearance in their lives...

My Opinion: Let's dive in directly, shall we? I'll start with the complaints I have about this book first, then will get to what I enjoyed :)

Basically, I had two issues with Blood Ties. The first is the sense of déjà-vu. Not only does Blood Ties take place in parallel to Blood Stains, but it also has a similar storyline: heroine posing a threat and people wanting to get rid of her. If you've been a long-time fan of Ms Sala, you'll realize that it's a trope that she uses often (Out of the Dark, When You Call My Name). I usually don't mind authors using such writing strategies, especially when they're good at it... and Ms Sala is good with this trope - Out of the Dark is one of the most poignant book I've read. Unfortunately, I don't think it was a good idea to use the same story trope in two books in a row, especially as they are part of the same series ^_^; Worst, I have a feeling Blood Trails will also follow the same pattern ^_^; I think I know what Ms Sala is trying to accomplish - trying to add some suspense to these books, but I think there is a different way than hired thugs.

My other issue with Blood Ties is that some of the elements/events of the book definitively felt over-the-top ^_^;  I know this is fiction and some things should be taken lightly, but I couldn't help but going "Huh? Really?" and I think that's never good.

Putting aside those two issues, Blood Ties was quite an enjoyable read. Savannah was a good heroine - nice, realistic and smart - and you couldn't help but root for her. I like that she already had her hero and they were already involved; it made for a different romance. I thought Judd was the perfect match for Savannah and it was cute to see him worry. His worries all made sense and showed that he cared about Savannah. All in all, I thought Savannah and Judd made a sweet couple and while the romance wasn't the focus, I was okay with it :)

Other good elements of the book were the secondary characters, especially Savannah's lawyer. I liked his personality and how he looked out for Savannah :) The story was pretty interesting as well. There were some twists to the storyline I didn't see coming, one that was really sad :( Also, I liked that Ms Sala tried to throw the readers off LOL. Finally, the constant: Ms Sala's writing :) Still enjoying it :)

Out of the three sisters, it was Savannah's storyline I was looking forward to the most because it involved her family. I guess I was expecting a typical story where they'd welcome her ungraciously, try to win her and plot against her in her back. What Ms Sala offers us is definitively different which would have been a good thing if not for Blood Ties echoing her previous books.

My Grade: C. All in all, I liked Blood Ties :)