Success!!

Yes!! Just a quick post to let everyone know that I successfully re-format my computer!! Woohoo!! It's like new now and I'm really happy :D It actually feels new LOL. Re-formatting wasn't that hard because I have a Dell computer, so it came with the necessary CDs. Just for that, I might continue buying all my computers from Dell ^_^; I was able to find some tutorials online and even a video... while it wasn't exactly the same, it was similar enough not to confuse me :)

LOL, can you feel my happiness?

Review: In the Darkest Night by Patti O'Shea

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

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


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

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 Unwilling to share what happened, he's withdrawn from his family and the Gineal council has removed him from his position as a troubleshooter.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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Computers... can't live without them, but they suck!!!

Remember the computer problems I mentioned yesterday? Well they're even worst now ^_^; I tried to fix it and obviously, it didn't work, sigh. As a result, I need to re-format my computer. Yes, re-format it. I've never done it, so I'm not really looking forward to do it. Apparently, it takes time, so I'm only going to tackle it this week-end. Luckily, we have a lot of computers at home and I spent most of my days at work... so it's not as if I won't have access to internet (now I wouldn't survive that LOL). However, it's been soooo hoooot these past couple of days (we haven't turned on the AC. I have no idea why...), that the idea of sitting close to a heat-emanating/generating machine is makes me sweat even more ^_^;

Anyway, I just wanted to warn everyone not to worry if you don't see/hear from me :P I'm still alive and not dead in a ditch :P

Review: Nine Rules to Break when Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Hello!!

How was everyone's week-end? In Canada, it was a long week-end and we had gorgeous weather in Montreal. Sunny and warm... perhaps too warm ^_^; I should have gone outside and enjoy the sun, but I didn't ^_^; Perhaps this week as it's supposed to be as nice.

My computer at home has been driving me crazy. Ugh. Can't live without a computer, but sometimes, sometimes... they suck big time. Basically, Firefox and Google Chrome both keep crashing and the anti-virus is giving me a hard time too. I don't know whether it's because I've installed a few new program last week (Adobe Digital Editions, Kobo, Calibre...) or because my anti-virus was updated and got a new look. I'm going to try a few things tonight - wish me luck!!

Speaking of the Kobo, for those who are wondering (like Ames :P), no I didn't have time to play with it more or read on it. There's been a lot of new releases out lately plus the 50-something books I brought back from RT. And there's still a tons of books I want to get at the bookstore in the next few days. So I haven't really had the opportunity to use it... but I will. Soon. Just not now ^_^;

I'm hoping to have a few reviews up this week... but they're not written yet LOL. Only one is ready and you can head over to Breezing Through to find out what I thought of Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean. Buddy reviewing with me was Ames :D You can find the review here.


Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean
published by Avon in April 2010

A lady does not smoke cheroot. She does not ride astride. She does not fence or attend duels. She does not fire a pistol, and she never gambles at a gentlemen's club.

Lady Calpurnia Hartwell has always followed the rules, rules that have left her unmarried-and more than a little unsatisfied. And so she's vowed to break the rules and live the life of pleasure she's been missing.

But to dance every dance, to steal a midnight kiss-to do those things, Callie will need a willing partner. Someone who knows everything about rule-breaking. Someone like Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston-charming and devastatingly handsome, his wicked reputation matched only by his sinful smile.

If she's not careful, she'll break the most important rule of all-the one that says that pleasure-seekers should never fall hopelessly, desperately in love...

Acknowledgments and extra epilogues...

Happy week-end!! I hope everyone is having a great time for the long week-end :D The weather is gorgeous in Montreal!

I haven't posted in a few days - feeling lazy. Also, I picked up a couple of new books at the bookstores on Wednesday and Thursday (I know, I know. As if I needed more!), so I've been reading instead of blogging ^_^; Although, I did work on a few buddy reviews for Breezing Through; I guess it balances it out :) 

Anyway, I've just, just, just start reading a book and peeked at the ending... and then, came across the Dear Reader message from the author. In it, I found out that the author has written an extra epilogue to the book which will be posted on her website and publisher website!! Squeeeee!!! I immediately jumped out of bed to take a look, but realized that it's probably not up yet... since technically, the book is not out ^_^; However, that got me to think... and tada, I have a post! LOL.

 Q1: Do you read ever read the additional pages there are in a book such as the acknowledgments at the beginning, author's bio and message at the end?

I usually don't. Most of the time, I jump right into the story and pay very, very little attention to those pages. I find that I'm more likely to read those pages if I like the author's work, but it's still pretty rare. So I'm pretty happy I did this time around LOL!

Q2: What do you think of extra epilogues? Do you like them? Do you read them?

Obviously, I think they're nice because we get to re-visit some of the characters and it usually wraps everything up more nicely :) Although in this case, I don't know why it was not included in the book itself :( However, there aren't many. I remember Nora Roberts wrote 1 for her Irish Gallagher's Pub trilogy and she wrote a little snippet in-between books story for the Chesapeake trilogy. I know Julia Quinn is writing a 2nd epilogue for each book of the Bridgerton series, although those I haven't read because you actually have to buy them ^_^;

Anyway, all I want to say is I do like the idea of extra epilogues :)


What about you?

Review: The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

Finally, a review!! LOL, you don't know how much I've been itching to write a review, but I thought it'd be better to write the recaps of the RT convention before I forgot. Then, my monthly reads list, because hey - I was already late! Hopefully, now that I'm starting to review again, I hope my muse won't take a vacation...

Today is TBR Day, part of Keishon's TBR challenge... Unfortunately, I haven't completed the challenge this month ^_^; Been too busy to and also, I have all these new, shiny books. Let just say I've been working hard at keeping my TBR pile at bay by reading the new precious! And if I might add, I've been doing a good job so far :D Although I just thought of something... TBR can also stand for "To Be Reviewed" no? I have plenty of books in that pile as well LOL - not as much, but still... Something to think about :)

***Warning: The review most probably contains spoilers as this is the last book of a trilogy***

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
published by Harpercollins Publisher  in April 2010

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I'm on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We're hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We'll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we'd left behind and take out the Edison Group... or so we hope.

Genre: YA, urban fantasy
Series: The Darkest Power, Book #3

The Story: This is the last book in the Darkest Power trilogy where Chloe finds out that she's a necromancer. Not only is she a supernatural, but she was part of a genetic experiment done by the Edison Group whose goal was to diminish her powers... Let just say it didn't work. Now, Chloe and her new friends Tori (a witch), Simon (a sorcerer) and Derek (a werewolf) are on the run from the Edison Group and have hopes to reunite with the boys' father. For now though, they have found refuge with another group of supernaturals who have banded together in order to dismantle the Edison Group. Thus, the teenagers are given a reprieve and also the chances to learn about their powers. Too bad the reprieve is not long as Chloe and company quickly find out that all the adults have their own agendas, which does not bode well for any of them....

My Opinion:  Wow! I was really looking forward to The Reckoning. In fact, I was planning to wait till RT to get it, but it turned out that I needed some cheering up (first half of April was very rough reading-wise...) and so I caved... and it was a great decision! I really enjoyed The Reckoning and thought it was a great way to end the trilogy. The book is everything you expect from Kelley Armstrong: plenty of action and twists and
 a strong romantic element :)

I was very pleasantly surprised with the plot of The Reckoning. There were not many hints from The Awakening or the back blurb to know where Ms Armstrong was going with the storyline and characters and so, pretty much everything was possible. I really enjoyed the events in The Reckoning. Yes, the characters were given a reprieve, but it doesn't mean it was boring. Oh no, there was plenty of action! And let's not forget about all the twists :D Like I said, so many things I did not expect! It was really exciting and I couldn't help from wanting to find out more. Also, I think that Ms Armstrong did a good job wrapping up all the loose ends.

I love seeing the relationship between Chloe and Derek getting stronger. For me, there was no doubts from the beginning that Chloe and Derek were a pairing... However, while it's obvious for the readers, it's not always obvious for the people involved. I was really dreading the love triangle between Chloe, Derek and Simon and I was wondering how Ms Armstrong would resolve it. I was really satisfied with the outcome and how the characters handled it :) Poor Derek - so clueless... but even more, poor Chloe!! LOL, it was really cute when she was wondering why she had to fall for the rude guy! LOL. Even though the characters are young, I'm happy :D

One of my favorite scene is when Derek undergoes his first complete change. I didn't like Chloe's behavior when Derek asked her to accompany him - granted, she was pissed at Derek for his attitude before that, which is understandable... However, Derek asked for her help for one of the biggest event in his life. I thought she could have put aside their difference for a while... It just felt like Chloe was being a bit childish and stubborn... I mean, Derek deserved the attitude, he should have to grovel, but perhaps better at another moment. Anyway, still, I like the fact that Chloe was there for Derek's first change and how she wasn't afraid of him in his wolf form. It was cute to see them enjoy each other company and play :)

One thing that did surprise me though is everyone's reaction to Derek, because he is a werewolf. I think because the Women of the Otherworld series started off with Elena and the werewolves, readers are used to them and don't see how isolated and separated they are from the other supernatural races. They are definitively quite feared and little is known. I guess it makes sense given the number of them... Anyway, I liked this little insight... It definitively adding more to the world building. I hope we get to see about vampires in the future :P

Okay, I realize that my review isn't very helpful, but it's because I'm trying not to give too much away ^_^; Also, it's hard to review The Reckoning only, given that the story is a continuous one that spans the three books: The Summoning, The Awakening and The Reckoning. I think that Ms Armstrong did a great job with the storyline, but also with the characters. She introduced a group of characters that complement each other well. I liked that they used their brains LOL, and didn't simply rely on their powers. I'm happy to see where the trilogy ended and I'm looking forward to see Chloe, Derek and the others in the future. I definitively wish that one day, the YA series will cross-over into the Women of the Otherworld series. That would be great, not only seeing Chloe being properly mentored, Derek accepted by Pack... but also because I think this is something the Council should be aware of and get involved in.


My Grade: A-. Seriously, if you enjoy the Women of the Otherworld series and Kelley Armstrong's writing, you gotta read this trilogy. The writing is excellent, it's full of action and the plot is as complex. The only real difference between the two series is that the characters are younger... I'm definitively looking forward to her next trilogy - once again set in the same world, but new cast of characters. If only there weren't a year apart!

Monthly Reads: April 2010

All right, vacation is definitively over and it's time for me to come back with my usual programming :D

I'm going to start with my monthly reads list for April :) Now April was an extremely busy month for me, think insanely crazy ^_^; On one hand, there was work and on the other, preparing for the trip (well okay, fretting and worrying)... and let's not underestimate the amount of will required for me not to buy books. As a result, my recording of April's reads and books bought is a little bit sketchy ^_^; But we all try our best, right? :)

Here we go...

1) Wicked Games by Jeri Smith-Ready: C+

I've heard a lot of good of Jeri Smith-Ready, especially for her Aspect of Crow trilogy. Since I've been on on an urban fantasy kick, I thought I'd try out Ms Smith-Ready with Wicked Games. Plus, it got good reviews from Leslie and Brie. Unfortunately, it didn't work out so well for me ^_^;

I've just taken a look at my bookshelves and realized that while I really enjoy urban fantasy, most of my favorite series are predominantly werewolves or wizard/witch characters. I'm not such a big fan of vampires...

In any case, the main problem for me with this book was I just couldn't get into it. The characters and storyline felt a bit bleh for me. I liked the idea of  vampires being stuck in the time period they were changed and how the author carried out this idea with the world building. The main intrigue was also quite interesting. However, I felt something was missing... perhaps it was the characters... none of them really tug at any of my heartstrings. I do have the second book in my TBR pile, but not sure when I'll get to it.


2) Don't Kill the Messenger by Eileen Rendahl: DNF

I was really looking forward to this book; however, it turned out to be quite disappointing. Perhaps it has to do with the vampires, sigh. Basically, the story is about Melina who is a messenger. She got her powers after being electrocuted at the age of 3 and it developed over the years. As a messenger, Melina brings messages from one supernatural being to another... During one of her job, Melina makes the discovery of kiang shi - Chinese vampires, but they're really zombies. These kiang shi are being controlled by the Chinese triad which has plans to take over the underground world in Santa Fe.

The premises sounded good and I liked the idea of Melina being a messenger. I thought that would be a cool and necessary job... and the kiang shi part was cool, because I knew about it from watching Chinese tv series. So why didn't it work for me? Well first, I didn't really like Melina too much. I felt she was a bit too whiny about her job as a messenger, especially considering how long she's been at it. She should have adapted and worked it out. Also, as someone that wasn't very too fond of the supernatural world, she kept getting deeper into it, being noisy and choosing to help out. I mean, yes, her desire to sort things out is what kept the story going on, but a bit out of character. I wished the messenger portion would be a bit more developed - the powers, the actual job, etc. Also, while Melina get with the human at the end, there are way too many guys that suddenly start paying her attention, i.e. the hot vampire and hot werewolf. Big warning bells about upcoming love triangles :(

In the end, I just wasn't getting into it and didn't really feel like finishing it... But I still like the original idea and I like Ted - the human :)


3) Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz: D

Hmmm, I think I've learn my lesson. Ms Linz is just not for me, sigh. Faith West gets jilted on her wedding day and decides that the best way to get over it is to still enjoy her honeymoon. She goes to Italy where she meets hunky, tall guy and proceeds to have sex with him. Only problem, hunky, tall guy - Caine, is not there coincidentally... he's actually there keeping an eye on Faith. He's a P.I. who works for Faith's father's rival firm and he believes that Faith's father mis-investigated his father's case which led to his father's suicide... so he wants revenge. Long story short, they both get onto the case to find out the truth while fighting like cat and mouse.

Another book that didn't work for me. I just didn't find this book enjoyable. I don't really like how Faith and Caine met and had sex. I mean, no wonder Faith was pissed at Caine! I thought there was no chemistry between Faith and Caine and I don't understand why Caine kept pursuing Faith. Or at least, if he really wanted to court/woo, I'd have found another way. I know the banter was supposed to be funny, but it got on my nerve. This was supposed to be a fun and enjoyable read... and it just wasn't :(


4) Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean: B-

Buddy review coming for Breezing Through.

5) Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf: C

I saw a good review for this one and thought I'd give it a try because of the marriage of convenience plot. I like those :) Creed is one of the oldest vampire and Blu is the princess of the werewolves. They get hitched in order to bring peace between the two factions. However, as it turns out, each faction has their own plans...

The story wasn't bad, but the marriage of convenience plot was blah. I would have liked the plot to focus a bit more on them getting to know each other. There wasn't many sweet or tender moments between the two. It was more about lust... There is a difference, sigh. I liked Creed, but I thought Blu didn't make enough efforts. Each had too many prejudices against each other and I don't feel like they worked it out :( 


6) The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong: A-

Upcoming review.


7) Heart of Stone by Jill Marie Landis: B


8) Her Best Friend by Sarah Mayberry: B+

I wish I could write a complete review, but I don't think that will happen. Better write a mini then :P

Amy has been in love with her best friend, Quinn, forever. Unfortunately for her, Quinn chose the third musketeer in their band, Lisa. Amy has finally thrown the towel and decided that she deserved happiness and started to move on... and therefore, tried to put some distance between her and Quinn and Lisa. Turns out though, there are troubles in paradise and Quinn and Lisa got divorced. Now is Amy's chance to grab onto Quinn... will she?

This is my favorite Sarah Mayberry so far :D She really did a good job at writing the best friends to lovers storyline. I liked Amy and Quinn's characters and I liked how realistic they were portrayed. I liked the tension and how their relationship changed throughout the book... Poor Amy, it's hard to be in love with your best friend and not being able to claim it out loud. However, there were some flaws in the book... I didn't like the evil developer storyline - a bit too typical and predictable. I also though Amy could have moved on earlier... Don't know how the storyline would have turned out, but seriously... That was the only way she would really move on. What would have happened if Quinn didn't come back, divorced? Two small quibbles, not enough to mar my enjoyment of this book :D


9) Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas: B

10) Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted: B-

Another book I picked up after reading Leslie's review. Borrowed it from the library this time :D  This is a YA rendition of Beauty and the Beast. You have Lucius Wolfe who "accidentally" blew off his house and lost his 2 hands in the process which are now replaced by hooks. He's starting school in a new town and it's hard to be the new kid under any circumstances... but his? Aurora Belle is also starting school in a new town... Her mother has recently lost her battle against cancer and Aurora's father decided it'd be better to move to another house in order to move on. Unlike Lucius though, Aurora quickly befriends the cool kid... However, she can't help but being curious of Lucius...

This was quite a good book. I thought Ms Baratz-Logsted did a good job at fleshing the characters while keeping it for an YA audience. My only problem though is that the book was a 100 pages too short. The end was rushed and as a result, it felt incomplete... especially Lucius character. We finally find out that the explosion wasn't that much of an accident, but I would have liked to find out more about his thoughts, the why... Or perhaps I just suck at reading between the lines, LOL. As for the ending, like I said, it was rushed. I think the author should have added an epilogue just to wrap up things a little more cleanly.


11) In the Darkest Night by Patti O'Shea: B+

Upcoming review.


12) Savor the Moment by Nora Roberts: B++

Upcoming review.


There you have it, 12 books. 13 if you count my re-read which was Through a Crimson Veil by Patti O'Shea. Considering how busy the month was, I'll take it :D Now, I really need to start working on some of the upcoming reviews!! I really haven't been doing good on reviews lately :( We'll see how it goes.

Now, let see how good a girl I was when it comes to buying books:

Books bought: + 8 (actually 7, since I bought a book twice - don't ask LOL)
Books read: -12
TBR pile: -4

Woohoo!! Negative number! Okay, I shouldn't be so happy considering these numbers don't take into account the books I brought back from the RT convention... and seriously, they shouldn't, because I always go crazy on trips! They're such good opportunities to find and buy books LOL. But LOL, I like the illusion... and I was a good girl :D I'm surprised at my will to resist!

All right, time to go to bed now... but LOL, I'm happy I have this post finally up :D