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Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paranormal romance. Show all posts
Today's review is for the first in a new series from Sidney Ayers...
Title: Demons Prefer Blondes (Demons Unleashed #1)
Author: Sidney Ayers
ISBN-13: 9781402251740
ARC: 392 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts: Demons Prefer Blondes is a paranormal romance that is quirky and funny. The heroine is a newly-aware succubus who happens to be succubi royalty. The hero is a tortured demon who cannot believe he’s being sent to Earth to retrieve an antique chest. And once Lucy and Rafe meet, all Hell breaks loose. Literally. So what else is there to do but fight?
On the bad side: A big bad demon who’s intent on getting his hands on an antique chest that Lucy’s bff bought from an antique store. He wouldn’t mind getting his hands on Lucy, too, especially once he finds out who her father is. Oh, and he has Rafe’s sister in his thrall.
On the good side: Rafe. His posse: BFF Nic, clean-up maestro Kalli, talking ape-imp Squeaky, Lucy’s guardian angel, and her salon employee-slash-friend Frankie.
Who do you think wins? Why, love of course. After all, this is a romance novel. And in the helter-skelter from the first page to the last is a ton of humor.
With all that said, I do wish I liked this book more than I do. It was an ok read for me--there was so much chaos from so many characters, so nobody really stood out--not even Rafe and Lucy. And their story seemed a bit rushed into, and yet they’re pledging undying love and all that jazz. But still, it’s a fun romp, so give it a whirl if paranormal romance is your thing.
Today I'm participating in a blog tour for Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider, the first in a new series about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse...
Larissa Ione bio:
I began writing the way so many writers do—the moment I learned to wield a pencil. But even as a child, I didn't write "kid" stories. I preferred something more dramatic. Something that didn't include Dick, Jane, and a dog named Spot. I wanted my characters to be named Dracula and my dogs to have names like White Fang or Cujo. I'll always have my parents to thank for that. They never censored my reading material (though I suspect that if they had truly known what was between the covers of some of the books, they'd have been a little more careful,) so when other girls my age were reading Laura Ingalls Wilder and Judy Blume, I was immersing myself in Stephen King and Dean Koontz.
Later, after I'd joined the Air Force and was in dire need of something to read between shifts at the weather station, I continued to read horror, but I'd branched out into fantasy, and then, finally, romance (though I admit I went kicking and screaming to the latter.)
Turned out that I loved romance! So I started writing it, but again, my style and voice leaned toward the dark, paranormal side. Fortunately for me, paranormal romance, as a sub-genre, was booming. I let my imagination fly, and soon I'd sold a series of dark, sexy paranormal romances to Grand Central Publishing.
I still read a lot of horror, science fiction, and fantasy, and in fact, one of my all time favorite books about writing is On Writing, by my favorite childhood horror author, Stephen King. If you're an author or a reader, I highly recommend this book for an insight into an author's mind—which can sometimes be a very scary place.
About the book:
Title: Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #1)
ISBN-13: 9780446574495
ARC: 402 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Hachette Book Group
They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
His name is Ares, and the fate of mankind rests on his powerful shoulders. If he falls to the forces of evil, the world falls too. As one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, he is far stronger than any mortal, but even he cannot fight his destiny forever. Not when his own brother plots against him.
Yet there is one last hope. Gifted in a way other humans can't--or won't--understand, Cara Thornhart is the key to both this Horseman's safety and his doom. But involving Cara will prove treacherous, even beyond the maddening, dangerous desire that seizes them the moment they meet. For staving off eternal darkness could have a staggering cost: Cara's life.
drey's thoughts:
Larissa Ione is a new-to-me author even though I have her Demonica series on my bookshelf--they were a giveaway win that I haven't gotten around to yet. But I know she has tons of fans, and thought that Eternal Rider was a great way to get introduced to her work.
I don't usually comment on covers, but this one made me think "hmmm, nice bod, but is that supposed to be War?" Ok, so he's Ares, not War (yet), but still. Dude looks a bit young. Great, now I sound like all the fans kvetching about the pick for Dimitri in the VA movie facebook page. Ugh!
Anyway, about the book. I thought it started off a bit slow. 18 pages of prologue, eight more before Cara appears, and we're on page 40 before Ares and Cara share the same breathing space. That's a whole tenth of the book! And then, he ups and leaves! Sheesh... Or, maybe I'm a titch impatient?
Character: Cara is an ok heroine. She's dealing with a lot of things that can't be possible, and her life is forfeit if the bad guys get a hand on her. And while she doesn't come across as whiny or wimpy, she does spend a bit too much time waiting for the good guys to fix the problem. Not that she's without power at all--as a matter of fact she happens to have a healing affinity, which comes in really handy when faced with a hellhound pup in dire straits.
Ares on the other hand is larger-than-life--which he'd have to be, to be one of the Horsemen. He's also the perfect romance novel hero. I mean, how could he not be? He's gorgeous (of course), strong (definitely!), good (except where it concerns hellhounds), and he comes flying to your rescue on a horse. Knight in shining armor, anyone? Of course, he also has his faults. If he didn't, we wouldn't quite enjoy reading along as Cara shows him the error of his ways. *wink*
Pace & Plot: The slow beginning notwithstanding, the rest of Eternal Rider flows quickly. There are the usual trust issues and hang-ups to get over, because love never comes easily in romance novels. Add life-threatening demons and hellhounds to the mix and you have an engaging read where the action doesn't let up until the last word, and the infamous Cerberus himself makes an appearance.
drey's rating: 3/5 Good: A hot and sexy read! I can't wait for Immortal Rider to come out in December!
Have you read Eternal Rider? What did you think? And if you haven't, read on for a chance to win a copy of your very own!
Giveaway!
Thanks to the publisher, I have for you up to three copies of Eternal Rider, if you live in the US or Canada (no PO Boxes, please!)... To enter, fill out the form below before 6pm CST April 25. For every 10 entries, I'll draw a winner, up to the three (because there are only three copies). Good luck!
I've read and enjoyed Linda Wisdom's Hex in High Heels, and thought I'd try her new series...
Title: Demons are a Girl's Best Friend
Author: Linda Wisdom
ISBN-13: 9781402254390
ARC: 354 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Maggie is a rebel with a cause. Kicked out of the Witch Academy ages ago, she's a member of the Hellion Guard, whose job is to keep the paranormals in line (and dispatch those who cross it). She is feisty, and can be somewhat cranky. But if you've lived for 700-odd years, you'd be feisty and cranky too. Right?
Maggie meets Declan when a bust at his club goes ka-blooey (literally). Demon--check. Gorgeous--of course. Attitude--did you even have to ask? But, being the smart kind of tall & gorgeous demon with attitude, Declan sees something in Maggie. Not that he'd follow up on it, oh no. Except, oh wait. He does.
Two smart-asses never ever get along at first, until circumstance pits 'em together against something bigger--and that doesn't change in this paranormal romance offering. The circumstance? Finding and protecting a sullen and rebellious teenager. The something bigger? Evil Mayan priests looking to bring back their biggest of the baddest by sacrificing said sullen rebellious teenager. Nothing like a good ol' end-of-all-days catastrophe to bring 'em together!
Do the evil Mayans succeed? Does the rebellious teenager turn Maggie's head bald? Do our demon and witch decide that love is worth everything? You'll have to read and find out, 'cuz I don't ever spill the beans... *wink*
drey's rating: 3/5 Good: A quick read that's fun & entertaining, with lots of interesting characters and a major plotline that flows throughout.
Today, I'm participating in the blog tour for L.A. Banks' Surrender the Dark... Banks is a new-to-me author, and I was thrilled by the opportunity to check out her writing!
About L.A. Banks:
L.A. Banks is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than thirty-five novels and twelve novellas in a wide range of genres, including her popular Vampire Huntress and Crimson Moon series. In 2008, she received Essence magazine's Storyteller of the Year Award. She lives in Philadelphia. Visit her online at www.leslieesdailebanks.com.
Title: Surrender the Dark (new series!)
Author: L.A. Banks
ISBN-13: 9781451607789
Paperback: 373 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Simon & Schuster
About the book:
Celeste Jackson’s life has been a series of tragic occurrences. Haunted, the thirty-three-year-old woman has bounced from therapists to group homes, to drug halfway houses. Plagued by nightmares and hallucinations and misdiagnosed as schizophrenic, she is found by the angel Azrael—her protector. But as Azrael helps her to unlock her powers, and they work to amass an army of those with powers like Celeste’s in order to fight the forces of darkness, Celeste has as much to teach Azrael as he has to teach her. She’s been down the path of temptation and addiction. Now she must help Azrael overcome the one temptation that could make him an eternal prisoner—his addiction to her.
drey's thoughts: Surrender the Dark packs a lot of stuff into its 373 pages. The world is a battleground between the forces of good and evil, and the Mayan calendar was right--12/21/2012 is the end of the world as we know it, because that is when the forces of Light and Dark descend upon our world to fight it out once and for all. In preparation, angels are being sent into our world to protect the Remnants--those who have human and angel in their bloodlines.
Celeste is one of the Remnants. When we first meet her, she is strung out on dope and fear, along with a history of mental instability behind her. Then she meets her guardian angel Azriel, and pretty much goes through a miraculous transformation. I honestly don't know how she managed to hang onto what's left of her sanity. And Azriel. Well. Tall, dark, and handsome indeed. And completely confused as to how to function in earthly society.
Their adjustment to each other, getting Azriel put together, and meeting Celeste's aunt takes the first 140 or so pages. The remainder of the book covers their journey to find the rest of the good team, introducing the rest of the cast of characters, and fighting the bad guys. I so wanted to put "evil forces of the Destructicon" there! *grin* But that's beside the point. Surrender the Dark is an interesting new series I'll be adding to my to-check-out list.
drey's rating: 3/5 Good
Challenge: New Author
Have you read Surrender the Dark? What did you think?
UPDATE!!
Sorry this is late, hopefully it didn't get missed... BUT thanks to the publisher, I have two copies of Surrender the Dark for you, if you live in the US (no PO Boxes, please)!! *grin*
To enter, comment with your email address and share what L.A. Banks book(s) you've read & whether you liked 'em! Do it before 6pm CST April 13th! Good luck!
Tamara Hogan is a new-to-me author, and her new paranormal romance offering Taste Me is a combustible mix of rock stars, sirens, and sex demons.
Title: Taste Me (Underbelly Chronicles #1)
Author: Tamara Hogan
ISBN-13: 9781402246012
ARC: 370 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Scarlett Fontaine was hooked on Lukas Sebastiani. Too bad he didn't feel the same way. But she's spent the past year touring with her band (she's not running away, nuh uh) so maybe she's weaned herself off of all that now... Or maybe she'll just stay far away from him. She'll find out soon enough--returning home for the last gig of the tour will provide a respite from the grueling schedule that's taken a toll on her health.
But murder has followed Scarlett home, and takes a loved one from her. And she has no choice but to accept that Lukas is going to be sticking by her for a while. Not because oflove, oh no--he's her bodyguard. What's a girl to do in this situation? Well, let's start by making him squirm at that very last show on the tour schedule. She is a siren after all...
Taste Me was a good read throughout, but I didn't love it because I didn't love Scarlett. She seemed a little bit too immature to me--and I know that sounds off, but hey, she's a rock star, she's gorgeous, and she's spent all this time moping about a boy. And that boy. What a tortured soul. What a martyr. He loves the girl but he's afraid that his brand of making whoopee is too rough for her. Um, dude. Get over it already! (For the record, there was nothing kinky going on...)
The story played out nicely, the cast of characters had enough (characters) to make my head spin at times (thank goodness there's a lil' cheat sheet to keep me straight on who's who and who's what), the premise behind how the others got to our world is refreshing, and the murder subplot left me with questions--but as this is a romance novel and not a mystery novel, I'll not grumble about that.
I was first introduced to Lydia Dare's brand of paranormal romance last year, and couldn't wait to check out It Happened One Bite!
Title: It Happened One Bite
Author: Lydia Dare
ISBN-13: 9781402245077
ARC: 390 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Lydia Dare's It Happened One Bite is a love story infused with humor and warm fuzzies, and it just happens that the hero is of the blood-sucking variety and the heroine can throw fireballs...
Blaire Lindsay is feisty with a capital F, rules the roost with an iron hand, and cusses like a sailor. Not exactly the epitome of a lady, at least the lady her brother would like her to be. And on top of that, she's one of a five-woman coven, some of whom have starred in Lydia Dare's series featuring the Westfield brothers...
Blaire and her brothers have just moved to an inherited castle when they find a visitor in the basement--one who's been there for twenty years.
James Maitland is confused--and doesn't understand why he's been imprisoned, or who did it. Then he finds out his rescuer may be related to his captor, which brings up the all-important question: does she know why he was thrown into that dark basement? And he's disbelieving when she says "no," but still can't help falling in love with her. Throw in some baddies from his past, and now you have a bit of tension playing out in this lil' drama...
Can James and Blaire make it? How will a coven of witches take to having a vampire in their midst, even as they've gotten used to werewolves? And what will Lydia Dare have in store for us next?
And don't think I'll tell--you're going to have to read it yourself to find out! *wink*
drey's rating: 3/5 Good: Light heart-warming paranormal romance infused with humor and wit.
Have you read It Happened One Bite? What did you think?
I liked the sense of humor that Molly Harper included in her Jane Jameson series, so when I heard she had a new book out, I just had to pick it up...
Title: How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #1)
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN-13: 9781439195864
Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Simon & Schuster
drey's thoughts:
Molly Harper's latest offering doesn't disappoint. There's humor, wit, and sarcasm aplenty in this one, so if that's your thing, pick it up!
Character: Mo Wenstein is a hippy-raised southern gal running away from her interfering mother. Where does she head to? Why, Alaska, of course! Mo is funny and warm, yet sarcastic and sassy. She'd have to be, to have survived childhood with her given name! I liked her, and I liked how she's torn between trying to like the nice guy, and actually liking the grumpy one (against her better judgement!)... Cooper is the grumpy guy, and while I never quite got exactly why he's so grumpy. Yea, there's a backstory & stuff, but still... Be Alpha and be done with that! Sheesh!
Pace & Plot: This is a quick read, and you're done before you know it. The story flows well (except for grumpy dude--see above), and Mo's believable, as are the other characters in the book. Never mind that you'll see who the bad guy is from a mile away. You'll love this if you like chick-lit + werewolves + sassy humor.
drey's rating: 4/5 Excellent: Quirky and entertaining read that'll have you cracking up in places.
Have you read How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf? What did you think?
The Werewolf Upstairs is my first Ashlyn Chase, and I hate to say I didn't love it.
Title: The Werewolf Upstairs
Author: Ashlyn Chase
ISBN-13: 9781402236624
ARC: 344 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
I'm pretty sure the biggest reason I didn't love The Werewolf Upstairs is because the ARC copy I received had typos and grammatical errors in it, which really really bugs me. Blame it on my English-teacher mom. Heh.
Character: Roz is an attorney who moves into her BFF's Boston apartment after said BFF got herself married off, because she's worried about her BFF's spouse. But as soon as she gets into the apartment, she meets the sexy dude from upstairs, and before you can whistle in appreciation, he's gotten arrested, she's his public defender, he posts bail, and the two are doing the horizontal tango. All by Chapter 3. I'm like, huh? Really? I mean, I know he's all sexy and stuff, but...
And Konrad. What kind of Alpha is he to let someone else take his pack? I mean, maybe I've been reading "harder" paranormals, but can you imagine Mercy's Adam letting someone waltz in and stealing his pack? Hmm... Not on your life, baby! In his defense, he is a nice guy. Er, werewolf.
The other neighbors are a quirky lot, with two witches, a private investigator, a resident ghost, a vampire in the basement, and a cantankerous building manager... All in all, a fun group to read about.
Pace & Plot: The Werewolf Upstairs is a quick read, and the plot is pretty simple--boy & girl meets, fall in love, run into trouble, fix it all, and find their happily-ever-after. It's almost too bad I am as bothered as I am about grammar and spelling.
drey's rating: 2/5 Ok: I finished it, and maybe my complaints have to do with the ARC copy. Give it a try if you'd like to, B&N currently has the NOOKbook version on sale for $2.99.
D'ya know what sprang to mind when I saw this title for the first time? That old TV show I Dream of Jeannie, with Barbara Eden. I loved that show!
Title: I Dream of Genies (the first book of a new trilogy)
Author: Judi Fennell
ISBN-13: 9781402241895
ARC: 393 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
Jeannie is Eden, the Major is Matt Ewing, and I'm still trying to find a reference for Obo, the talking cat... For those too young to know, Jeannie was played by Barbara Eden, and Larry Hagman (the Major) also played J.R. Ewing in Dallas. I like the author's sense of humor!
I Dream of Genies is a fun, light-hearted read. Eden is hilarious, Obo is entertaining, and Matt is the reluctant hero. Together, the three get into all sorts of hijinks, especially while running from the bad guy, Grand Vizier Faruq. Are they successful? Or will Eden get stoppered up in a bottle again?
Character: I think the characters in this story were pretty stereotypical. But they all had a part to play, and they did it well.
Pace & Plot: I Dream of Genies started off a little slow, with Eden in her bottle getting bored. Doesn't bode well for the reader, does it? But it was a good way to introduce Matt... And once she busts free, the pace picks up, and things start happening--probably just a little too many things, for Eden!
drey's rating: 3/5 Good: A quick and fun read to while away a few hours with.
2011 Challenge: New Author
Have you read I Dream of Genies? What did you think?
I'd read Gentlemen Prefer Succubi last year and liked it, and so I said "yes!" when My Fair Succubi was offered for review.
Title: My Fair Succubi (Succubus Diaries #3)
Author: Jill Myles
ISBN-13: 9781439188194
Paperback: 340 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository Source: Simon & Schuster
drey's thoughts:
Things aren't as they seem in this 3rd installment of Jill Myles' Succubus Diaries series. Jackie is happily digging in the jungle with Noah (and a bunch of others, but he's the only one who's important, right?) when the Serim council shows up to arrest them both. Jackie for mistakes made as a new succubi, Noah for making her one in the first place. And you'd think angels would be nice and good, but as Jackie says on page 44, these angels are total dicks.
And if finding herself found guilty and sentenced to die isn't bad enough, her BFF Remy is possessed, Noah proposed (before they were arrested), Zane's disappeared, and one of the council has decided that Jackie would be a wonderful baby-carrier (as in, his... blech!). There's one chance for Jackie to redeem herself though, and she jumps for that lifeline wholeheartedly. And who should she run into then, but Zane?
Which brings up that classic question: Vampire or Angel? Both suck (heh), and even more so when Jackie finds out that there's history between these two. As in, one-woman-they-both-loved history. Like she needs more complications right now, huh?
Character: Life's sure been busy for Jackie, what with being turned, losing her job, falling for two hunks who hate each other's guts, having her BFF Remy get possessed by a demon, and so on and so forth. The latest complications are just another wrinkle, but gee, can she get a break already? I like how Jackie deals with the trouble she's facing--she's bound and determined to help Remy, and makes a deal to offer the man she loves a second chance at heaven, never mind about her own sentence. The part I'm not too fond of is her wishy-washiness in dealing with Zane and Noah. Never mind that they have their reasons for pursuing her, she just seems to roll with with instead of deciding what she really wants and going for that.
Pace & Plot: This was a very quick read, and the action doesn't slow down at all. *warning* There's quite a bit of sex in this one, so be forewarned if that's not your thing.
drey's rating: 3/5 Good: My Fair Succubi rounds off the trilogy very nicely, and resolves a whole lot of ambiguity for Jackie.
Have you read My Fair Succubi? What did you think?
Looking for a paranormal romance to laugh-out-loud with? Well, look no further, here it is!
Title: Kiss at Your Own Risk
Author: Stephanie Rowe
ISBN-13: 9781402241956
ARC: 389 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, Inc., 2011
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts: Kiss at Your Own Risk started off the laughter early, as the guys--Blaine, Nigel, and Jarvis--are escaping from the wicked witch who's held them captive for a hundred and fifty years. And it continues throughout the book, that smart-alecky humor that makes you snort and giggle as you read (and causes funny looks to get thrown your way). Read it for that alone, unless you're into the romance part, which isn't half bad at all if you ask me. Yes, that was me attempting snarkiness... And yes, the romantic parts of the book were as good as the funny parts of the book.
Character: Blaine has issues. LOTS of issues. Then again, if your family had sold you to a witch and you've spent the last century and a half trying to survive her trials and tribulations, you'd have issues too. Trinity has issues as well--because as soon as she loves a fella, the poor thing's toast. As in "hasta la vista bay-bee" toast. You can only kill so many boys before you get a complex, y'know... The supporting cast of characters are pretty neat, especially Trinity's BFF, who's one of Death's assistants. And the witch? She's just misunderstood... Hah! All in all this is quite the cast that Stephanie Rowe's come up with.
Pace & Plot: The story is rockin' from the get-go, and doesn't let up on the gas. Storyline was a bit confusing (just a bit) until all the pieces clicked and you go "ahah!"
drey's rating: 3/5 Good: This page-turner had me constantly chuckling at something... Definitely pick it up if that's your thing!
After reading Molly Harper's Jane Jameson books 1 and 2, how could I not pick this one up?
Title: Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (Jane Jameson #3)
Author: Molly Harper
ISBN-13: 9781416589440
Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Waukesha Public Library
drey's thoughts:
Molly Harper's Jane Jameson is absolutely adorable--snark and sass and all things nice. She starts off the book by breaking things off with Gabriel. Or did she? She's not sure. To occupy herself instead of moping about, she focuses on re-opening the bookstore she inherited from Mr. Wainwright and joins Half-Moon Hollow's Chamber of Commerce, where she gets roped in by blonde-cheerleader-from-hell-turned-chamber-president to get donations for their charity event. Jane's already regretting signing up when Mr. Wainwright's nephew shows up and generally annoys the heck out of everyone.
Then weird things start happening--threatening letters, exploding deliveries, vandalism, and Jane thinks someone is trying to kill her. Who could it be? And why? After all, snark never hurt anybody... But then Andrea is kidnapped. And Jane finds herself smack dab in the middle of drama from Gabriel's past.
Nice Girls Don't Live Forever had me totally laughing out loud, and yes, I snorted. My favorite passage has to be when the front of Jane's house is smeared with durian, and she spends the day wondering what the stench is coming from. Followed really quickly by Zeb's explanation that people have been killed by ripe durians falling on them. Yep, felled by a fruit.
**going off on a tangent... I used to say that when the Portugese swung by the Sultanate of Malacca back in the 1400s, instead of using the traditional keris to fight the cannons and guns, the locals should have lobbed durians with catapults at the Portugese ships... Who knows, they might've driven them off instead of being colonized! Yes, the fruit smells that bad. But it's oh so yummy!! **done with tangent
Anyway. Back on topic. If you haven't read Molly Harper, you should. If your preference is not of the fanged variety, try her chick-lit. If it is of the fanged variety, pick this up (start with #1, Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs).
The Taming of the Wolf is my first Lydia Dare... What took me so long?
Title: The Taming of the Wolf
Author: Lydia Dare
ISBN-13: 9781402244377
ARC: 373 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
Source: Sourcebooks
drey's thoughts:
A note to Dashiel Thorpe, Earl of Brimsworth:
Dear Sir -
It might be a good idea to not be such a controlling, scowling, boor, especially when you're around the lady you're trying to convince to marry you. Forgive my impertinence, but that's a surefire way to drive her far far away, as fast as she can go...
Then again, maybe expecting the Earl to be anything but what he is, when his own perception of himself is so skewed, is too lofty a goal. At least, until Caitrin Macleod comes into the picture.
This one's got all the right portions of chemistry, dialogue, and plot. If you like werewolves with your romances, then add this to your fall/winter reading pile.
Today, I am one of the tour stops for Caridad Piñeiro's Stronger Than Sin!
About the author:
Caridad Piñeiro is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who wrote her first novel in the fifth grade when her teacher assigned a project: write a book for a class lending library. Her love of writing continued through high school, college, and law school. Shortly after the birth of her daughter, her passion for the written word led to a determination to publish and share the stories she loved with others. In 1999, Caridad's first novel was released and a decade later, she is the author of more than twenty novels and novellas. Find Caridad online at her website www.caridad.com, on facebook and on twitter.
About the book:
Title: Stronger Than Sin
Author: Caridad Piñeiro
ISBN-13: 9780446543842
ARC: 317 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing, 2010
Source: Hachette Book Group
It's been six months since Liliana Carrera helped her brother rescue Caterina Shaw from Wardwell Laboratories, a group of fringe scientists experimenting on human beings. Now, Liliana--with funding from the FBI--has set up a new facility to continue testing the inhibitor complex, a cure for the patients of Wardwell. What's even better is the FBI has managed to recover another of the patients, Jesse Bradford.
When Jesse arrives at Liliana's facility, he has been drugged and displays violent erratic behavior. As Liliana helps him detox, Jesse demonstrates strange powers--superhuman strength and the ability to heal quickly.
Despite their growing attraction, Jesse is secretive and Liliana remains fearful of him. Eventually he admits that Wardwell scientists threatening his sister's life in order to maintain control over him and his powers. As they try to locate her, they begin to suspect that the scientists may have corrupted the FBI. Unless they can discover Wardwell's master plan soon, Jesse's sister, the other patients, and an unknown number of innocent people, will pay the price.
drey's thoughts:
Caridad Piñeiro sure knows how to mix up interesting characters, great back-stories, and fast action. Stronger Than Sin continues with the devious plot first brought to us in Sins of the Flesh, with Wardwell scientists still experimenting on human beings. Only this time, they're also trying to get theirs hands on Liliana's inhibitor compound, so that their genetically-modified humans don't die away so quickly... After all, if she found a way to save Catarina's life, why not the others'?
When the FBI brings Jesse Bradford to Liliana, she finds a guy who's slowly being calcified to death. And as she tries to find out how to stop the process, she realizes that people are not always who you think they are, and has to decide whether Jesse is worth going all-in for, even if that means she might not survive the experience.
Stronger Than Sin offers an interesting plot to go with the romance. Pick it up if that's how you like 'em!
drey's rating: 3/5 Good
Check out Stronger Than Sin:
Giveaway!
Like what you see? Then enter this giveaway! 5 lucky ducks will get their very own copy of Stronger Than Sin, US and Canada only (no PO Boxes please!). To enter, comment with why you're interested in this book. Remember to leave your email address so I can contact you if you win. Do it before 6pm CST November 21st.
Extra entries:
+1 for tweeting (comment with the link to your tweet)
+1 for linking on your blog sidebar (comment with the link to your blog)
Title: Poisoned Kisses
Author: Stephanie Draven
ISBN-13: 9780373618453
Paperback:
Publisher: Harlequin, 2010
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Poisoned Kisseswas provided by the publicist for Stephanie Draven's blog tour. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
Stephanie Draven's Poisoned Kisses takes war and mythology and cooks up a passionate brew of love, lust, betrayal, and sacrifice.
Kyra is the immortal daughter of the Greek god of war, Ares. Rebelling against her father, she vows to destroy the mortals involved in her father's game of war. When she sets her sight on Marco Kaisiris for running arms to Africa, she is unprepared for how much she reacts to the man's raw presence... But Kyra being Kyra, she's not going to let a tiny little thing like lust prevent her from trying to eliminate the man. That is, until she finds out that not everything is black and white, and it's the shades of gray that will make you doubt your convictions.
I like Stephanie's use of mythology in Poisoned Kisses. It brings that little something extra to the normal boy-meets-girl-etc table, like the powdered sugar topping on top of a really good waffle. Add this to your stack for a refreshing read this fall!
Title: Heart of Darkness
Author: Gena Showalter, Maggie Shayne, Susan Krinard
ISBN-13: 9780373774319
e-ARC: 328 pages
Publisher: Harlequin, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon, The Book Depository
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Heart of Darkness was provided by the publisher for this review. I am an affiliate at IndieBound, The Book Depository, and Amazon, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
I have a confession to make. I signed up for NetGalley late last year, requested some books, and then promptly forgot about it. I finally got around to checking it out again this year, which is when I realized (oops) that I had books to review! The first on that list is Heart of Darkness, a collection of short stories from Gena Showalter, Maggie Shayne, and Susan Krinard.
Gena Showalter's The Darkest Angel is hot. An angel decides to kidnap the harpy who's his greatest temptation. Of course, being male, he hasn't quite figure out what he's going to do with that harpy once he has her. This one's irreverent and sensuous, and a lot of fun to read.
Maggie Shayne's Love You to Death twines lost love, death, and redemption in a romantic tale that will have you rooting for the boy and girl. Along with an ending that will have you holding your breath until all's said and done.
Susan Krinard's The Lady of the Nile weaves reincarnation with Egyptian gods, sacrifice, and second chances (albeit ages later).
For those who love their romances spiced liberally with the paranormal, Heart of Darkness provides satisfaction in quick bites.
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Pack Challenge was on sale at B&N. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
I will 'fess up and let you know that I bought Pack Challenge because it was (a) on sale, and (b) has a yummy dude on the cover. Yummy, yummy, nekkidness on the cover. Yup, I'm (sometimes) shallow like that. So there. *grin*
Anyhoo. The shallowness was rewarded (ha ha!) because Shelly Laurenston's characters are wicked funny. Wicked funny. So funny I found myself snorting out loud, laughing out loud, and at points, doing both at the same time. Needless to say the Mr. was amused.
Sara, Miki, and Angie are best friends--they watch out for each other, and beat up on whomever's messing with one of the three. They're sassy, opinionated, and can sometimes be (dare I say it? skip the next few words if you're sensitive) downright bitchy. When Sara meets the man she's meant to be with, her BFFs are there to make sure she doesn't screw this up. Hilarity ensues. Give this a whirl if you like your paranormal with a healthy dose of the lovey-doveys. Or enjoy feeling just a little bad for the poor dude (as you're shaking your head along with him)...
Warning: This is a Samhain offering, which means there's quite a bit of the horizontal (& vertical) tango, along with quite a bit of language.
Title: Divine Misdemeanors (Meredith Gentry #8)
Author: Laurell K. Hamilton
ISBN-13: 9780345495969
Hardcover:
Publisher: Random House, 2009
Purchase at IndieBound, Amazon
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Divine Misdemeanors came from my public library. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
drey's thoughts:
In this installment of the Merry Gentry saga (or drama, as it may well be called), the Princess is pregnant, has renounced her claim on the throne, and is living happily with her merry men in Maeve Reed's house. She and some of her men work for a detective agency, and are called in to assist the local police force in investigating fey murders.
And with this new development, the Merry-jumps-everybody carousel turns into the pregnant-Merry-jumps-a-few-while-crime-fighting sideshow. The plot is pretty good, and believable. The sexual goings-on is pretty par for the Merry-Gentry course, but after the last 3-4 books I read, this one didn't seem like it was just about the sex.
Today Jill Myles' Gentlemen Prefer Succubi is touring... Read on!
FTC Disclosure: My copy of Gentlemen Prefer Succubi was provided by Pocket Books for this blog tour. I am an IndieBound and Amazon affiliate, and any purchases made by clicking on the cover or the links provided may result in monetary compensation.
About the book:
Jackie Brighton woke up in a dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever... with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes... and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle--until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot right-hand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?
drey's thoughts:
Public service announcement: Ok. If you don't like s*x in your books, stay away from this one. Why? Because there's quite a bit of it. Not Laurell-Hamilton's-Merry-Gentry lots, but lots. But what else would you expect from a title with succubi in it?
Anyway. I had a good time reading Jill Myles' new book. The premise is intriguing, the dialog is sassy, and the attraction is palpable... between Jackie and both yummy hotness'... Some parts are laugh-out-loud, some are just corny, but you're entertained throughout. A nice, sizzling hot read from Jill Myles.
Giveaway!
Today must be a lucky day for y'all... *grin* Thanks to Pocket Books, I have one copy of Gentlemen Prefer Succubi for you, if you live in the US (sorry, international folks!). To enter, just fill out this handy-dandy form. And share your thoughts in the comments: Vampire vs. fallen angel? Don't forget to do it before 6:00 pm CST February 7th!
delivers a breathtaking tale of a brutal vampire soldier about to know love for the first time...and a Valkyrie aching to be touched.
Murdoch Wroth will stop at nothing to claim Daniela the Ice Maiden -- the delicate Valkyrie who makes his heart beat for the first time in three hundred years. Yet the exquisite Danii is part ice fey, and her freezing skin can't be touched by anyone but her own kind without inflicting pain beyond measure. Soon desperate for closeness, in an agony of frustration, Murdoch and Danii will do anything to have each other. Together, can they find the key that will finally allow them to slake the overwhelming desire burning between them?
GENA SHOWALTER
puts a daring spin on a tale of huntress and hunted...and concocts a sensual chemistry that is positively explosive.
Aleaha Love can be anyone -- literally. With only skin-to-skin contact, she can change her appearance, assume any identity. Her newest identityswitch has made her an AIR (alien investigation and removal) agent and sends her on a mission to capture a group of otherworldly warriors. Only she becomes the captured. Breean, a golden-skinned commander known for his iron will who is at once dangerous and soul-shatteringly seductive, threatens her new life. Because for the first time, Aleaha only wants to be herself....
About the authors: Before becoming a writer, Kresley Cole was a competitive athlete and a Master's grad in English. She sold her first two novels in 2003, and since then, she has published eleven more books and has seen her releases translated into nine foreign languages.
Kresley followed her highly-acclaimed Sutherland Series historicals with the bestselling MacCarrick Brothers Series, a trilogy of Highlander historical romances, as well as the continuing Immortals After Dark Series, a Rita award-winning paranormal romance collection, all with Pocket Books.
In January 2009, she became a #1 New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller with her sixth IAD installment, Kiss of a Demon King.
Kresley lives in Florida with her husband and far too many dogs. Find her online at her website, www.kresleycole.com.
Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.
Her novels have appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine, MTV, Seventeen Magazine, and have been translated in French, Italian and Korean. The critics have called her books "sizzling page-turners" and "utterly spellbinding stories", while Showalter herself has been called “a star on the rise”.
drey's thoughts: Well, what can I say about Deep Kiss of Winter? Other than it's hot! This is my very first Kresley Cole, even though I've heard her name quite a bit. And Deep Kiss of Winter definitely lives up to what I've heard. The heat between the ice queen and the vampire soldier just sizzles off the pages. I wasn't quite sure I liked the image of the ice queen... You know--she's off-limits, cold (literally), etc. But somehow the relationship between Dani and Murdoch just worked. Even if he's such a dork sometimes. Even if she's just a tad melodramatic sometimes.
Gena Showalter's story is the meeting of Aleaha and Breean, characters I first came across--albeit briefly--in Seduce the Darkness. Aleaha is trying to be Macy, an AIR agent, without blowing her cover. After all, she can't quite be human if she can take on another's form, can she?
This being the romance genre, there's the requisite misunderstandings, antagonistic initial impressions, and the myriad of obstacles to overcome before true love prevails. Great read for fans of Cole and Showalter. Romance fans who're not into the paranormal will want to skip this.
Title: Deep Kiss of Winter Author: Kresley Cole & Gena Showalter ISBN-10: 1439159661 ISBN-13: 9781439159668 Hardcover: 426 pages Publisher: Pocket Books, 2009
Challenges: 100+
Disclosure: My copy of Deep Kiss of Winter was provided by Pocket Books for this blog tour.
, with Barbara Eden. I loved that show!
. I like the author's sense of humor!
Before becoming a writer, Kresley Cole was a competitive athlete and a Master's grad in English. She sold her first two novels in 2003, and since then, she has published eleven more books and has seen her releases translated into nine foreign languages.
Gena Showalter sold her first book at the age of 27 and now, four years later, is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thirteen books, with eleven more on the way in a thrilling blend of genres: breathtaking paranormal and contemporary romances, cutting edge young adult novels, and stunning urban fantasy.
