Reviewing Slammed by Colleen Hoover at Parajunkee's View

Alright, y'all, I'm reviewing Slammed by Colleen Hoover over at Parajunkee's View.  
Go check out my rave for this fabulous self-published book. 

Talking about Julie Garwood's 'The Wedding' at Parajunkee's View

I'm talking about one of my favorite books - Julie Garwood's The Wedding over at Parajunkee's View.  Haven't tried historical romance?  See why this one's on my keeper shelf.

Review: Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy

Tigers and Devils
~Sean Kennedy

Paperback: 376 pages 
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Publish Date: March 9, 2009 
ISBN-10: 1935192450 
ISBN-13: 978-1935192459 
ASIN: B001V7POB6 

From the author's website:
Football, friends, and film are the most important parts of Simon Murray’s life, likely in that order. Despite being lonely, Simon is cautious about looking for more, and his best friends despair of him ever finding that special someone to share his life. Against his will, they drag him to a party, where Simon barges into a football conversation and ends up defending the honour of star forward Declan Tyler — unaware that the athlete is present and listening.

Like his entire family, Simon revels in living in Melbourne, Victoria, the home of Australian Rules football and mecca for serious fans. There, players are deemed gods and treated as such – until they do something to cause them to fall out of public favour. Declan is suffering a horrendous year of injuries, and the public is taking him to task for it, so Simon’s support is a bright spot in his struggles. In that first awkward meeting, neither man has any idea they will change each other’s lives forever.

As Simon and Declan fumble toward building a relationship together, there is yet another obstacle in their way: keeping Declan’s homosexuality a secret amidst the intrusion of well-meaning friends and an increasingly suspicious media. They realise that nothing remains hidden forever… and they know the situation will only become more complicated when Declan’s private life is revealed. Declan will be forced to make some tough choices that may result in losing either the career he loves or the man he wants. And Simon has never been known to make things easy – for himself or for others.

Tigers and Devils is the story of Simon Murray and Declan Tyler.  Simon is the director of an independent film festival in Melbourne, Australia; he's also gay and is "out".  Declan is a famous AFL football star -one of he best in the league- and definitely not "out".  Their meeting is embarrassingly comical and sets the tone for the whole story:  Simon has been dragged to a party by his childhood BFF, Roger Dayton, and Roger's wife, Fran.  Simon is hiding out in a dark corner, listening to some strangers talk about AFL football, when he hears some disparaging comments about Declan Tyler's playing abilities.  He stands up to defend Tyler and ends up couching it inside an insult, but of course he doesn't know Tyler is standing right behind him!

What follows its the story of their relationship, the challenges Declan faces as a gay football player, the challenges Simon faces as not only his partner, but a non-famous person dating a well-known football star.

My thoughts:
In a word:  Amazing!  I absolutely loved Tigers and Devils and can honestly say it is one of my favorite reads this year.  I could not put this book down, Sean Kennedy's writing is so entertaining and the characters are so realistic that when I finished the book, I felt like friends had just moved away.

Simon's dry wit and sarcasm pulled me into the story immediately:

     "Stereotypes are a killer," he said.  "I mean, if I was to go on what you look like, I would say you're a typical arty wanker, what with your cargo pants, your Doc Martens and your all-black wardrobe."
     "Ah, but I am an arty wanker," I replied.  Rule one, always be self-deprecating and get in with insults about yourself before the other party can.
     "Where's your beret?"
     "That's for Sundays."
~Tigers and Devils, location 275

As the "arty wanker", you would think he would be the more open of the two, but you'd be wrong.  Simon's gruff exterior hides his feelings of being hurt:

As he swiped us through the lobby with a security card, I wondered whether even without the secrecy built around our relationship, if we would feel comfortable with such a public display of affection.  when it came down to it, I honestly did't think I would be.  And I wasn't sure if it was fear or just the fact that I was reserved to begin with.
~Tigers and Devils, location 3029

Declan, on the other hand, while hiding his homosexuality from the public, is more accepting of his feelings and knows what he and Simon have is real and good:

"As long as I'm here in the morning," he yawned.  "This was where I wanted to be all night, so that's why I came here."
There was a deliciously gooey feeling in my belly, damn it.  "I'm flattered."
"I love you," he whispered.
~Tigers and Devils, location 5712

Simon and Declan were funny and stubborn and sweet and frustrating - they love each other and both want to protect the other from being hurt.  There are misunderstandings and scandals and touching, heartwarming scenes.  I loved every page of it.  The sex scenes are light - not explicit at all, and I'd say they're a perfect fit for the story.

Not only did I adore Simon and Declan, their friends were amazing as well.  Sometimes, when you're reading a story, you kind of skip over the friend parts - not so with Tigers and Devils.  Roger and Fran were integral to the story and their support of Simon (and more than a few whacks on the head when he was being a stubborn idiot) was touching.  Everyone needs BFFs like Roger and Fran.  Declan's friend couple, Abe (a teammate) and Lisa were great.  I enjoyed the scenes were Lisa takes Simon to the games.

I find that in general m/m stories are a bit short, but that was not the case with Tigers and Devils, as a matter of fact, I didn't want it to end.  The length  is necessary to cover how much time passes during the course of the story; this is not an "immediate attraction" story but could be a real relationship with all the ups and downs that can happen there.  I like that the author didn't end with their getting together and fading to HEA - we got to see what happens after that, when things get rough and disagreements happen.

I cannot say enough how much I enjoyed Tigers and Devils.  If you've never read m/m romance before then this would be a perfect book to start with.  If you are a regular reader of m/m romance, you cannot miss Tigers and Devils, it's a must read!




My Rating:5 stars
Book received from the publisher via NetGalley.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

Anna and the French Kiss 
~Stephanie Perkins 

Reading level: Ages 12 and up 
Hardcover: 372 pages 
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (December 2, 2010)
Language: English 
ISBN-10: 0525423273 
ASIN: B005EP1PJQ

 From the author's website:
Anna was looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. So she's less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all . . . including a serious girlfriend. 

 But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss? Stephanie Perkins keeps the romantic tension crackling and the attraction high in a debut guaranteed to make toes tingle and hearts melt.

Anna Oliphant is starting her senior year in high school.  She should be extatic, but she's not; her father has enrolled her in a French boarding school for American students.  She's leaving behind her best friend, Bridgette, and her latest crush, Toph, the cute guy at work who she finally kissed the night before she left for Paris.  She's alone and doesn't know anyone, doesn't speak French, and just wants to go home to Atlanta.
She does make friends, of course, and even while she's pining for Toph, she develops a crush on Etienne St. Clair, one of the guys in her group of friends.  She thinks he might feel the same, but St. Clair has a girlfriend; she graduated last year and attends a local Parisian college.  It shouldn't be complicated, right?  But it sooo is...  
My thoughts:It's ALWAYS the books that I put off reading that I end up adoring.  Anna and the French Kiss is like hot chocolate (chocolat chaud) on a cold winter day:  It warmed my heart, made me smile, and I didn't want to put it down.  
Stephanie Perkins has written a wonderful story about a teenage girl who's learning that although things change, they're not always bad.  Her cast of characters are well-rounded and each of them brings something special to the story.  Besides the witty writing and sweet story line, though, I think what I liked best is that Anna is a character that I can relate to.  I remember those feelings of insecurity and just feeling so...awkward.  Her fears about being an American in France are comically endearing.  I also swooned with Anna over St. Clair, he was  so charming and sweet had his own problems to deal with.
As you probably guessed from the title, Anna and the French Kiss is set in Paris, and Ms. Perkins does a wonderful job of highlighting all the parts of Paris I hope to one day see for myself.  There were several scenes that took place in the city, notably a very sweet scene when St. Clair takes Anna on a brief tour of the city to assuage her fear of leaving the school's campus. 
In case I haven't made it clear yet, I absolutely recommend Anna and the French Kiss; it's definitely going on my Keeper Shelf.  I plan to read more books by Ms. Perkins, starting with the next book in this series, Lola and the Boy Next Door, on shelves September 29.
My Rating:

Review: Cipher by Moira Rogers

Cipher 

~Moira Rogers 



Format: e-book 

File Size: 449 KB 

Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. 

Publish Date: September 6, 2011 

Language: English 

ASIN: B00530J3AA



From the author's website:

Fourteen months ago, Kat Gabriel's life changed forever when she used her empathy as a weapon. Now she can't escape the weight of those deaths--or the loss of the easy friendship she and Andrew once shared. Obsessed with her mother's violent past, Kat is determined to learn the truth of her inner-darkness by understanding her legacy.



 Since the attack that turned him into a wolf, Andrew Callaghan has done everything possible to make himself stronger. More capable of protecting Kat--both from the supernatural world that forced her to kill, and from their own volatile connection. Pushing her away hurt them both, but he's finally made himself into the protector she needs.



 As Kat's quest leads her into the darkest underbelly of the psychic world, Andrew is determined to be at her side. But every step forward reopens old emotional wounds and shakes their control. For a dangerous alpha and a deadly psychic, distraction could be fatal--especially when the greatest threat they pose is to each other.

Kat Gabriel is a powerful psychic - she can feel other people's emotions as well as project emotion into others.  She knows her mother also shared this gift, and was involved in some questionable practices that may have resulted in her death.  Kat is even stronger than her mother though, and fears her powers will affect Kat like they did her mother; to that end, she is looking into her mother's past to try to find out where things went wrong.



Andrew Callaghan is a "turned" werewolf - he was not born this way.  Fourteen months ago he was attacked trying to save Kat.  New werewolves are very unpredictable, and with Andrew's strength, he knew that to protect Kat he had to stay away from her.  Neither of them are happy about it, but they both accept that that's the way things are.  There had been an attraction between them before the attack, and it hasn't gone away.



When Kat needs some help tracking down a lead from her mother's past, Andrew ends up going along to assist.  When Kat is almost killed, Andrew cannot overcome his instincts to protect her.  Together they  uncover a mysterious cult and battle for Kat's safety.



My thoughts:

I have been waiting for Kat and Andrew's story for what feels like forever; it was totally worth the wait!  In Deadlock, the authors tease us up with bits of Kat and Andrew's story, and in Cipher they BRING IT!!!



Cipher is a super-sexy psychological thriller.  Without giving spoilers, Moira Rogers doesn't pull any punches in this 4th installment of their Southern Arcana series - things are still unsettled in the political heirachy of the shifter world, old friends from previous books in the series are suffering, and this new threat that Kat uncovers is ruthless and will stop at nothing to attain their goal.



Because Kat is a psychic, a large portion of  the book is mental - thoughts, feelings, emotions - but it's definitely not passive.  Cipher is full of action - both the kick ass kind of action and sexy kind of action.  Kat and Andrew are both killing machines and worry about accidentally hurting the other by not being in control of their powers.  If they want to be together they must learn to trust each other and themselves.  I absolutely loved the way Kat and Andrew work through their relationship issues in the bedroom *wiggles eyebrows*.



Cipher hit all the right buttons for me:  An exciting mystery with creepy delusional bad guys, sexy and strong hero/heroine who compromise and work together, a few plot twists that I didn't see coming, and revisiting characters from previous books.  This series just keeps getting better and better!

 My Rating:

Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

Succubus Revealed
~Richelle Mead
Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Kensington
Publish Date: August 30, 2011
ISBN-10: 0758232012
ISBN-13: 978-0758232014
ASIN: B005CRY8CW

From the author's website:
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations...to Las Vegas.
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—-and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it--no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won’t include the one man she’s risking everything for...

Georgina Kincaid has had a rough few months, but things are finally settling down.  She's working as an elf at the Mall since she quit her dream job at the bookstore.  Maybe it's not ideal, but it pays the bills.  She's back together with her boyfriend Seth, and although there are a few things in their relationship that aren't perfect - namely every time they have sex a piece of his soul turns dark - she's happy they're together.  They've had their ups and downs and everything seems to have worked itself out.

Then, out of nowhere, she gets a message from hell - she's being transferred in a month from Seattle to Las Vegas.  She's devastated, until she realizes she can bring Seth.  But his sister-in-law is sick with cancer, and it's suddenly gotten worse; Seth must stay to help his brother and sister-in-law with their five young daughters.  Georgina takes a weekend trip to Las Vegas to check in and make preparations for her arrival, and it's too good to be true:  her boss is and old favorite, her new roommate is a very good friend, and he introduces her to another succubus who is a lot of fun and helps her land her dream job as a showgirl.

Later, as she's telling her roommate, Roman, about all these things, he's deeply suspicious.  Roman wants to know why hell wants her out of Seattle so quickly.  As more and more secrets are uncovered, Georgina's future looks uncertain - for good or bad, no one knows.

My thoughts:
A fabulous ending to a fantastic series. I couldn't have asked for more.  I had so many questions at the end of Succubus Shadows, and they were all answered in Succubus Revealed.

Georgina's crew is like hell's version of Friends:

"No trouble at all.  I get a discount at the mall."
Jerome sighed and set down his fork.  "Are you still doing that Georgie?  Don't I suffer enough without having to endure the humiliation ofa succubus who moonlights as a Christmas elf?"
"You always said I should quit the bookstore and find something else to do," I reminded him.
"Yes, but that was because I thought you'd go on to do something respectable.  Like become a stripper or the mayor's mistress."
~page 9, Succubus Revealed

Ms. Mead writes the quirkiest demons I've ever read.  I mean, really, where else are you going to read about a bowling competition to prove demonic superiority?

Seth was on my shit list for part of the series, but I'm firmly back in the Team Seth category.  He's good for Georgina; he loves her more than anyone knew.  Well, almost anyone...

Roman was another character I had doubts about earlier in the series, but I must say that Roman was amazing.  Everyone needs a friend like Roman; someone who's there for you despite the situation or the risks, someone who will fight for you and do everything in his power to ensure your happiness.

And Carter, oh Carter.  I think this is the only series where I like a secondary character more than the actual hero.  Carter is an amazingly wonderful and complex character - his non-answers frustrated me throughout the series but really, why should that change in the last book, lol.  (The last thing Carer says to Georgina on the very last page of the book brought tears to my eyes.)

Throughout the entire series I've wanted a HEA for Georgina but I could not figure out for the life of me how she was going to get it.  In her Succubus series, Ms. Mead has done a wonderful job weaving clues through multiple books, ending with a scene that left me holding my breath and closing one eye because I was afraid to look but had to keep reading.  The epilogue left me extremely satisfied, although I may have needed a tissue or two.

I can't really say whether or not you would enjoy this book if you haven't read the rest of the series - but I wouldn't advise it.  This is book 6, and as such there is so much history between Georgina, Seth, and her demonic counterparts that you really should read the whole series.

Oh, just one more thing: Hey Ms. Mead - how about a spinoff series or short story featuring Seth's little niece, Kayla, when she gets a bit older?


My Rating:
 

Book received by publisher at ALA.

I can admit when I'm wrong: 5 stars to The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Queen
(Book 3 in the Iron Fey Series)
~Julie Kagawa

Reading level: Young Adult
Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Harlequin
Publish Date: January 25, 2011
ISBN-10: 0373210183
ISBN-13: 978-0373210183
ASIN: B004JF688U

From the author's website:
In less than twenty-four hours I'll be seventeen.
Although, technically, I won't actually be turning seventeen. I've been in the Nevernever too long. When you're in Faery, you don't age. So while a year has passed in the real world, agewise I'm probably only a few days older than when I went in.
In real life, I've changed so much I don't even recognize myself.

***

MY NAME IS MEGAN CHASE.
I thought it was over. That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stand by my side. Drag me into the core of conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.
THIS TIME, THERE WILL BE NO TURNING BACK.

"No thanks, I don't like books about fairies."
"Nope, haven't read that series, faery stories don't interest me."
"A Young Adult novel about the Fey? I don't think I'll enjoy that book."

I'll admit it; I was wrong. There. I said it. I was totally and completely wrong. I just glommed this whole series, and The Iron Queen is my favorite so far.

The story:
*SPOILERS FOR BOOKS 1 and 2*

Megan Chase is half human, half faery; her father is Oberon, the Seelie King.  Ash, her boyfriend, is prince of the Unseelie Court. In the first book, The Iron King, Megan (with the help of Ash and her best friend Puck, of A Midsummer Night's Dream fame) rescues her brother from Faery and defeats the Iron King. In the second book, The Iron Daughter, the trio battles to retrieve the Scepter of the Seasons, which has been stolen by an Iron Faery. As The Iron Queen opens, Ash and Megan are in the human world, banished from Faery at the end of the second book because of their love for each other, which is forbidden.  They're heading to Megan's family, which she hasn't seen in almost a year, hoping to rest and recharge before they figure out what they're going to do with their futures.

Before she can reach the house, though, Megan is attacked. It seems there's a False King in the Iron Realm who wants to kidnap Megan so he can forcefully take her Iron magic. At the same time, the False King is waging a war with both the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, taking over Faery and killing everything in its path with iron magic. Megan has been asked back into Faery to defeat the Iron King and save Faery.

My thoughts:
OMG I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!

Now that I got that out of the way, here's why...
Julie Kagawa is the kind of storyteller that pulls you in right from the beginning of the story. The Iron fey are both striking and creepy: if the "regular" fey are the result of human imagination, the Iron fey are the result of human's belief in technology. Her descriptions of the Iron fey are imaginative and believable:

Movement all around us, as dozens of Iron fey melted out of the shadows.  I felt the cold pulse of Iron glamour, gray and flat and colorless, as they surrounded us in a bristly ring. I saw dwarves with mechanical arms and elves with huge black eyes, numbers scrolling across their pupils like glowing green ants. I saw dogs with bodies made of ticking clockwork, green-skinned fey with computer wires for hair, and many more.
~The Iron Queen, page 54

Ms. Kagawa also writes the angst of first love well. Don't get me wrong, it's definitely not an angsty teenage book. BUT, despite all the battles and plotting and war, Megan is experiencing first love with Ash, a hundreds-year-old faery with some love issues of his own. Throw Megan's best friend Puck into the mix (he's also in love with Megan), and there's plenty of emotion woven into the story. I liked Ash through the first two books, even when we were supposed to think he was a jerk, but I fell head-over-heels in love with his character in The Iron Queen:

He ran his fingers through my hair, brushing it from my cheek.  "If I'd thought I would regret it," he said calmly, "I never would have made that oath. I knew what becoming a knight would mean.  And if you asked me again, the answer would be the same." He sighed, framing my face with his hands. "My life...everything I am...belongs to you."
~The Iron Queen, page 196

And of course, I can't forget to mention Grimalkin the cat with the talent to appear exactly where he needs to be when he needs to be there.  He reminds me of a feline Galdalf.

I'd also like to take a moment to also mention the gorgeous cover and beautiful scrollwork on the chapter pages, which adds to the overall reading experience; the whole package is designed to draw the reader in; the story and fabulous writing keep you there.

This series has been added to my keeper shelf. I cannot wait for the next installment in this addictive series, the Iron Knight, which will be told from Ash's point of view. Ms. Kagawa did a livestream interview with some big announcements and an excerpt from the Iron Knight - her recap can be found here.

My Rating:

 

Book received by publisher at ALA.

Review: Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews

Magic Slays
~Ilona Andrews

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Ace
Publish Date: May 31, 2011
ISBN-10: 0441020429
ISBN-13: 978-0441020423
ASIN: B004LRPJ72

From the author's website:
Plagued by a war between magic and technology, Atlanta has never been so deadly. Good thing Kate Daniels is on the job.

Kate Daniels may have quit the Order of Merciful Aid, but she’s still knee-deep in paranormal problems. Or she would be if she could get someone to hire her. Starting her own business has been more challenging than she thought it would be—now that the Order is disparaging her good name, and many potential clients are afraid of getting on the bad side of the Beast Lord, who just happens to be Kate’s mate.

So when Atlanta’s premier Master of the Dead calls to ask for help with a vampire on the loose, Kate leaps at the chance of some paying work. Turns out this is not an isolated incident, and Kate needs to get to the bottom of it—fast, or the city and everyone dear to her might pay the ultimate price . . .

*SPOILERS FROM BOOKS 1-4*

When Book 4, Magic Bleeds, ends, the sh!t has hit the proverbial fan. Kate has left The Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, her best friend Andrea is gone, she's killed her Aunt, and feels responsible for almost killing her mate.

When Magic Slays opens, Kate has opened up her own mercinary business, with the financial assistance of the Pack. Things are slow going though, until she gets a call that a runaway vampire is headed in her general direction. One thing leads to another and suddenly she's got a new employee (or two) and their first big case: she's got to find a man who has disappeared. Not just any man, but a man who invented a "magic doomsday machine" - when the machine is turned on, it removes all magic in the vicinity, and kills anyone who has magic. In her search for the missing man and machine, they discover a super-secret cult of anti-magic fanatics.  If Kate doesn't find him before the anti-magic zealots do, the aftermath will be devastating.


My thoughts:
When I have a favorite series, I'm always cautiously optimistic about the next book - will it disappoint me? Will the story go in the direction I hope it does? Have I built it up in my head to be more than it really is? By now I should know better than to have these fears, at least in respect to this writing team.  Ilona Andrews consistently delivers unputdownable books, and Magic Slays is no exception. I have to be honest - I sat on this review for days. Why? Because I didn't feel like I could adequately express what an amazing book this is. Fans of the series will not be disappointed.

My personal highlights:

If I was worried at all that Kate and Curran would lose their "spark" after they got together, they don't. Kate and Curran after the mating are just as good as before - he tells her what to do and she ignores him.  Can I tell you how much I love his possessiveness towards Kate?  They joke about it, but he is and she knows it:

     I threw a bread roll at him.  Curran snapped it out of the air.
     "Would you like me to carry a foot-long stick?  I can just poke people with it when they get too close."
     "That's a good idea."  He held his arm out.  "If you can extend your arm and touch them with the stick, they are too close."
     "You're insane."
     "If I'm insane, what does it make you?"
     "A terrible judge of character."
     I went back to the couch.  I could've fallen for someone steady.  Dependable.  Well-grounded.  But nooo, I had to lose my head over this idiot.
~Magic Slays page 275

Kate still as ballsy as ever - she goes through this book kicking ass and taking names.  She's involved in Pack life and managing well.  But there's also a personal side of Kate that we're slowly seeing more of as the series progresses:  I was thrilled that we learn more about her childhood in Magic Slays; a lot of the things she thought were truths about the people she loved were not necessarily so.  My heart breaks for her as she struggles with her inner demons:  does Curran love her for herself or for who and what she is?  What's going to happen when she inevitably meets her father?


Curran continues to be wonderously and terribly Alpha.  The Beast Lord has not gotten soft being mated to Kate:

     "Will you acquiese to our terms?" the man asked.  "Your answer?"

     "No," Curran said.  "Here are our terms:  you line up in front of the Capitol, beg forgiveness for murdering hundreds of people, and blow your brains out.  You can hang yourselves or fall on your swords.  You can set yourselves on fire.  I guarantee that any method of suicide you choose will be pleasant compared to what we will do to you.  You have until the end of tech."

     The disconnect signal sounded like the toll of a funeral bell.
 ~Magic Slays pg. 261

Julie, Kate's teenage ward, hasn't had a huge part in the books up until now, but in Magic Slays, all that changes.  I don't know what's going to happen in future books with Julie, but I'm sure it's going to be interesting.  All I will say is that Kate has some serious ethical challenges ahead.

Andrea is back and I love her! She had a rough time between Magic Bleeds and Magic Slays, but she's back in true Andrea form and she and Kate are great together. I was surprised we didn't see Raphael in Magic Slays.

One of the best parts of the book, for me, was seeing all the different magical factions band together to fight the anti-magic fanatics: The Pack, The People, the Natives, the Mercinary Guild, the Norse Heritage group, The Mages (including witches, volhuvs, druids, and others), and the Red Guard.  I loved seeing them all unite to grudgingly work as a team as they attempt to defeat their common enemy. 

Magic Slays is my favorite book in the series to date.  You can't tell from my review, but the authors manage to inject a lot of humor into an action-packed story.  I wouldn't recommend reading it without reading the previous books, there is too much going on at this point to fully understand the world and the players or their motives without having all the back-story.  (Trust me, it won't be a hardship to read the series - it's that good.)

I'm already looking forward to the next book in the series - the way Magic Slays ended, while not a cliff hanger, blatantly hints at much more to come.

My Rating:

 

This book was received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review and Giveaway: Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

Moonglass
~Jessi Kirby

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 240 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Publish Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN-10: 1442416947
ISBN-13: 978-1442416949


From Goodreads:
From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead. I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both. Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface. While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Learn more about the book here.

As the story opens, it's the end of summer and Anna and her father are moving from her childhood home in Pismo Beach, California, to Crystal Cove. In addition to the difficulties of leaving behind her home and friends, she's also leaving behind her mother; or rather, the place her mother died. When Anna was four, she watched her mother walk out into the ocean and not come back.

Anna's father is a professional lifeguard, and they are moving to Crystal Cove because he accepted a position there. As Anna starts to get settled in and meet new friends, she slowly learns there's more than just a new job in Crystal Cove - it's the place where her parents met and fell in love.

My thoughts: First I have to say that I love the cover - they nailed it, and, it's gorgeous. The title refers to the pastime Anna and her mother used to share: They'd walk along the beach looking for sea glass. When Anna found a piece at night, they dubbed it moon glass.

I fell right into Moonglass, and by the end of the first chapter I was hooked. Anna is a sweet kid and I liked her. She seems pretty well-adjusted, but her memories of her mother are constant, even in this new place, away from where she killed herself. She never talks about her mother with her father. It's not that she's not allowed to, they just don't discuss her.

She meets Ashley, a stereotypically rich, gorgeous, weight-obsessed California girl, and since they'll both be starting school together as new students, they decide to be friends. When Ashley asks about her mother, Anna doesn't tell her she's dead.

She also meets Tyler, a cute lifeguard working on the beach in front of her house. Her father has warned the lifeguards away from Anna, but she gets invited to their end-of-summer beach party, and gets to know Tyler a little better. She also learns a little history of the Cove and how her parents met. A tiny peek into her mother's life...and she wants more, no, she doesn't want more...but she does. She learns her mother lived in one of the cottages; it's one of the now-abandoned cottages, and she can sneak in, if she wants.

Anna's relationship with Tyler progresses at a sweetly, yearningly slow pace, and she wants to think about him and not her mother. Her running helps her forget her questions about her mother, but the questions seem to be coming more frequently now, especially as she meets more people who knew her mother.

I thought this was a fabulous story; there is so much more to it than what I've talked about in my review: her relationship with her father, her mother's past, Anna's own feelings about her mother's death. It's not a light, fluffy read, but still a great book for summer reading - the author really brings the beach setting off the pages. I thought her friend Ashley's character was a bit superfluous and annoying, but not enough to diminish my enjoyment of the book.

Moonglass is Jessi Kirbi's debut novel, and I can't wait to read more by this author.

My Rating:

The giveaway: Simon and Schuster is offering a copy of Moonglass to two lucky winners! (Trust me, this is one you want to win!!) To enter, leave a comment telling me why you like reading YA, and a way to contact you. US addresses only please. Following is not required but is appreciated. Ends May 22.

This book was received by the publicist in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill

Hard Bitten
~Chloe Neill

Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: New American Library
Publish Date: May 3, 2011
ISBN-10: 0451233328
ISBN-13: 978-0451233325
ASIN: B004IYIU1U

From the author's website:
Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals--and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are ... tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else.

Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in theheady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society--a world full of vampires who seem to ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands...

Hard Bitten picks up a few months after Twice Bitten leaves off - Cadogan House has been attacked and the vamps are slowly rebuilding. Of course, things can't just stay quiet, and Merit and Ethan are called into the Mayor's office to discuss a possible vampire attack: Apparently vampires are having "raves" and the violence is escalating. The Mayor wants it handled or he's going to arrest Ethan. Merit starts investigating, and calls in a favor from a friend - Jonah, a vamp from Grey House, and a member of the Red Guard (sort of a secret vampire police). With a little luck, they manage to get into a rave, and witness the evening transform from a quiet interlude into a testosterone-filled frenzy - and they can't figure out why.

After a night at the local vampire bar, and another vampire free-for-all, things start adding up: someone's making and selling vampire drugs. Add to that the fact that one of the elite vampire leaders from Europe is visiting Cadogan House to check on things and potentially appoint a replacement for Ethan, and Merit is under a lot of pressure to put an end to the problem.

My thoughts: O.O *blinks* O.O

Hard Bitten blew me away! Although it's a 350 page book, it felt like a short story: I couldn't put it down - I had to keep reading to find out what happened next. Let's just get right to it:

Merit and Ethan were hot, hot, hot. I adore Ethan and he really worked at getting Merit back:

"No. I will never be far behind you." He tipped up my chin so that I could do nothing else but look back into his eyes. "Do the things you need to do. Learn to be a vampire, to be a warrior, to be the soldier you are capable of being. But consider the possibility that I made a mistake I regret-and that I'll continue to regret that mistake and try to convince you to give me another chance until the earth stops moving."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to my forehead, my heart melting even as my more rational side harbored suspicions.

"No one said love was easy, Sentinel."
~Hard Bitten, page 88

*sighs* How can you not love him?

We also get plenty of Catcher/Mallory, Jeff, Grampa Chuck, and Lindsey. I was trying to figure out who was my favorite character, but really, I can't choose. Ms. Neill writes fabulous characters that are so well defined that I feel like they're my own friends. There may be a little wrinkle in Catcher and Mallory's world in the form of her magic tutor, Simon; I definitely sensed some tension there. Merit's conversation with her Morgan had me throwing my fist in the air :) I liked getting to know Jonah a little bit better. As the story progressed I liked Jonah more and more, although it seems like his feelings towards Merit may be getting... complicated.

We also meet a new adversary, McKettrick. With his "special-ops" team and his desire to get rid of the vampires, I don't think his work is done and I think we'll be seeing him again. He has the potential to be a bad, bad man...

I thought the drug storyline was a fresh twist to the vampire genre. I don't think I've seen that used in a vampire story before, and now that I've seen it, I don't know why it hasn't been done before - it's brilliant and potentially terrifying for the humans in Merit's world. I couldn't figure out why they were doing it, so the culprit surprised me. I liked the way the mystery wrapped up in that the bad guy has been outed and justice will be served (I assume). "The reveal" was *a bit* overshadowed by "the event", but I never liked this person and am hoping it's the last we see of the character...

And now, for the elephant in the room: The events on page 335/336 left me with my mouth hanging open and gasping for air. I will say this about Ms. Neill - she doesn't shy away from taking risks with her characters! The reason I decided that for me this was a 5-star read? The fact that the author was able to bring such a gut-wrenching reaction from me over the actions of her characters says a lot to me about the book. I was disappointed in the actual "event" itself, but have high hopes that the author knows what she's doing. The last page left me hopeful for Merit's future.

In summary, Hard Bitten is another fabulous installment to the Chicago Vampires series. I cannot imagine where Ms. Neil is going to take us next, but I can't wait to find out!

While I think you would enjoy Hard Bitten as a stand-alone I wouldn't recommend it. There is so much back story that you're missing out on, and the emotional punch is tenfold if you've got all the pertinent info.

My Rating:

Don't forget to stop by on Friday for an
interview and giveaway with Chloe Neill!!

This book was received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis

The Sweetest Thing
~Jill Shalvis

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: March 29, 2011
ISBN-10: 0446571628
ISBN-13: 978-0446571623
ASIN: B00495ZE4O

From Goodreads:
Two Men Are One Too Many . . .

Tara has a thousand good reasons not to return to the little coastal town of Lucky Harbor, Washington. Yet with her life doing a major crash-and-burn, anywhere away from her unfulfilled dreams and sexy ex-husband will do. As Tara helps her two sisters get their newly renovated inn up and running, she finally has a chance to get things under control and come up with a new plan for her life.

But a certain tanned, green-eyed sailor has his own ideas, such as keeping Tara hot, bothered . . . and in his bed. And when her ex wants Tara back, three is a crowd she can't control-especially when her deepest secret reappears out of the blue. Now Tara must confront her past and discover what she really wants. If she's lucky, she might just find that everything her heart desires is right here in Lucky Harbor.

The Sweetest Thing is the 2nd book in Jill Shalvis' Lucky Harbor series but can be read as a stand-alone. I read the first book in the series, Simply Irresistible (my review here), and while I liked the hero/heroine, I didn't really warm up to to the secondary characters so I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book. I love it when I'm surprised; The Sweetest Thing was fabulous - I tore through it in a day!

Tara Daniels is one of three sisters getting ready to open a Bed & Breakfast in Lucky Harbor, Washington. Although each sister grew up with a different father, they inherited the house together from their mother. Tara is the serious sister, prim, anal retentive organized, and likes to cook. She's got a secret in her past, her sisters know she had a baby when she was still a teenager and that she gave the baby up for adoption, but they didn't know her then and don't know who the father was.

Ford Walker is the past Tara wants to forget. She spent one summer with Ford in Lucky Harbor as a teen, and when she left, pregnant, she never looked back. Ford let her go and channeled his energy into becoming a world-class sailor. He's back in Lucky Harbor, taking it easy, working in his bar and on his boats... and pursuing Tara.

Tara isn't going to give in, no matter how sexy Ford is. It doesn't matter that he makes her girly bits tingle and she can't stop thinking about him...she's not going to get her heart broken again. In a moment of weakness she gives in, and it's incredible - and then her ex-husband the race car driver shows up, wanting to woo her back!

There's another unexpected summer resident who knocks Tara and Ford for a loop; she knocks their teenage handyman for a loop too *winks* I didn't think I'd like this part of the story but I was won over.

My thoughts: What a fabulous read! As soon as I finished the last page of the book I wanted to open it up and start reading all over again. I needed oven mitts to read The Sweetest Thing; the heat between Tara and Ford rolled off the pages!!! I like that we didn't have to wait until the end of the book for the sexy stuff...These two were smoldering, the sexual tension was so well written I felt like I was holding my breath through most of the book. It's a good thing I read most of it at home as I'm pretty sure I was drooling over Ford through most of it ;)

It was also pretty damn funny - the old biddies conspiring to get Tara and Ford together via Twitter and Facebook by posting all the drama in Tara's love life was hysterical. There was also Ford's drunk dial, the fight between Ford and Logan in the apple tree, the jokes about race car driving not being a real sport...I could go on and on about all the things I loved about this book; this one's going on my keeper shelf.

Ms. Shalvis also worked my curiosity about the third sister, Chloe, and the Sheriff, Sawyer - I absolutely cannot wait for their book; Sawyer is pulling at my heart strings already!

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: How to flirt with A Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper

How to Flirt with A Naked Werewolf
~Molly Harper

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket
Publish Date: February 22, 2011
ISBN-10: 1439195862
ISBN-13: 978-1439195864

From Goodreads:
Northern Exposure

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble.

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question.

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated.

Mo Weinstein has packed up her life in Mississippi and is getting as far away as she possibly can - Grundy, Alaska. She's leaving a broken relationship and well-meaning but overbearing parents. An accident has her working as a cook in the town's bar/restaurant on her second day. It's a great place to work and she makes several friends and begins to build a new life.

Cooper Graham is a handsome stranger - kind of a jerk, really. Mo can't figure out why he's so rude to her. They have a few run-ins and she starts to put things together, she realizes Cooper is a werewolf! Even with that knowledge, she can't help but be attracted to him.

"But Cooper said to try her pie," I whispered.
Evie was too distracted with Buzz to pay either of us any attention. "He said it was a life changer."
"Well, being trapped on the can for a week probably would change your life," Pete conceded. My jaw dropped, and I glared at Cooper. Well, that clinched it. He was an asshole. I was definitely going to end up sleeping with him.
~page 36 & 37, How to Flirt with A Naked Werewolf

There have been some wolf attacks in the town, and Mo is afraid it might be Cooper, but she knows she can't say anything. As they begin to fall for each other,Cooper starts to worry that it might be him, and he doesn't want to risk hurting Mo.

My thoughts: Absolutely fabulous! Molly Harper has done it again - a laugh-out-loud funny book about werewolves in a small Alaskan town. She's got the funny, the sexin', a love triangle, a dog in a sweater, and a borderline obsession with meat products. After reading this book I wanted to pack up my things (and yes, I suppose, my family too) and move to Alaska. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about this book.

I loved her Nice Girls Don't books (my review here) and her contemporary romance (And One Last Thing... -my review here); now I will be adding How to Flirt With a Naked Werewolf to my Molly Harper book shrine.

My Rating:

M/M Review: Nowhere Ranch by Heidi Cullinan

Nowhere Ranch
~Heidi Cullinan

Format: ebook
Length: Novel
Publisher: Loose Id
Publish Date: February 15, 2011
ISBN13: 9781607379485


From Goodreads:
Roe Davis is a man who works hard, keeps to himself, and never mixes business with pleasure -- until he takes a weekend away from his new job at Nowhere Ranch and runs into the owner at the only gay bar for two hundred miles. Getting involved with the boss is a bad idea, but Travis Loving is hard to say no to, especially when it turns out their kinks line up like a pair of custom-cut rails. As Loving points out, so long as this is sex on the side, no interfering with the job, they could make it work. The truth is, there’s good reason Roe never settles down and always spends his birthdays and holidays celebrating alone. Shut out in the cold by his family years ago, Roe survived by declaring he didn’t need a home. As his affair with Loving grows into more than just sex, Roe finds out what happens when he stays put a little bit too long: the past always catches up with you. Eventually, even a loner gets lonely, and home will grow up through whatever cracks you leave open for it -- even in a place called Nowhere.

This is one of the hardest reviews I’ve tried to write. I loved this book: I want to *squee!!* and *sigh* at the same time…

Monroe (Roe) Davis is a cowboy, born and raised in Iowa, living with his family, until the day his mother is cleaning out his room and discovers his porn stash….and realizes it’s all men in the pictures. After repeated attempts to “help” him by the family and the local preacher, he’s given the ultimatum to “save himself” or leave. He ends up leaving the state, drifting the Midwest from ranch to ranch, not staying anywhere long enough to get attached - it’s the way he lives his life…and his love life – no strings, no attachments.

When he lands at Nowhere Ranch in Nebraska, his intentions are to stay long enough to earn a few bucks before leaving again. One weekend when Travis, the owner is away, Roe heads out of town to find a gay bar and pick up some action. He gets the shock of his life when he walks in and ends up sitting next to… Travis!!

It’s an uncomfortable situation, so they drink and talk, and the conversation leads to what they’re looking for in a pick-up. As Travis describes what he wants, Roe realizes they both want what the other is offering. They agree to get together – for the night only. It turns into a crazy sexy weekend and then they’re back to the ranch acting as if nothing ever happened.

A few weeks later, Roe gets a letter from his cousin. In the letter, she blames him for ruining his family by being gay; that his selfishness has caused heartache and pain and he needs to fix himself and come home. He goes for a walk to clear his head and runs across Travis; still reeling from the letter, he agrees to go to the Rodeo. At the rodeo, Roe meets Haley – the ranch foreman’s daughter. She’s chatty and bubbly and way too peppy for Roe, who just wants to be alone.

On his birthday, Roe runs into Haley again in the grocery and she won’t let him refuse her offer to take him out for his birthday. They go out for dinner and karaoke; Travis ends up at the bar and Haley makes a discreet exit. Travis and Roe go back to Travis’ house and crazy sexy birthday sex ensues.

Eventually, Travis convinces Roe that they can be bedmates without being "in a relationship", and the story really picks up. The ranch is busy, Haley's tutoring Roe to get his GED, Roe is spending more and more time at Travis' house and less time in his apartment, and life is moving forward at a good pace.

Of course, life doesn’t just mosey along without a hitch or two, and Roe gets several thrown at him all at once, making him question his wandering lifestyle, love, and what makes a family.

_____________________

My thoughts: I know that’s a crazy-long summary for me, but it doesn’t even begin to cover all the events and emotions found in Nowhere Ranch. I was drawn in from the first page and tore through this book in a day. Did I stay up way too late because I wanted to finish? Oh yeah! Every time I thought I knew where Ms. Cullinan was taking me, she turned a corner and *surprise*, we weren’t where I thought we’d end up. I love that!! Nowhere Ranch is told in first person, past tense – Roe is telling the story, and he's a great storyteller.

Heidi Cullinan’s writing style is fabulous, her characters were sympathetic, and even though I don’t usually go for older man/younger man relationships, Roe and Travis’ relationship worked for me. Travis’ cut-and-dry personality was a great match for Roe’s more emotional one. Although Roe tried to bury his emotions, eventually they’d back up until they poured out of him in moments of stress or revelation.

I’ll admit, some of the sexy stuff was a little bit beyond my reading experience (such as the pony bench – I don't quite get how everything fits, lol) (also, this was my first fisting story) and some scenes occasionally made me wince, but wow – the sexin’ was rough, raw, and hot!

The way Haley’s story played out was unexpected. I can’t go into much more without major spoilers, but she was a fabulous secondary character who ultimately did more than just help push the story along. I think as a female reader, I was better able to insert myself into the story via Haley’s character, and I was pleased with that. She might have made a decision or two I can't relate to, but as I mentioned above, Ms. Cullinan did not always lead me in the direction I thought she would.

In summary – I loved Nowhere Ranch: the characters were likeable, the story was good, the sex was hot, and I stayed involved and entertained – who could ask for more?

My Rating:

This book was received by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Does the world really need another Shadowfever review? Why yes, yes it does.

Shadowfever
~Karen Marie Moning

Hardcover: 608 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (January 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385341679
ISBN-13: 978-0385341677


From the author's website:
"Evil is a completely different creature, Mac.
Evil is bad that believes it's good."

MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.

Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals that have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.

What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief, while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh--a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King that contains the power to create and destroy worlds.

In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac, and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.

Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman that haunts her dreams? More importantly, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?

From the luxury of the Lord Master's penthouse, to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover, to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac's journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and make a choice that will either save the world...or destroy it.

Oh what a ride this has been!!! After the agony of that cliffhanger ending in DreamFever, I just knew Shadowfever had to be amazing. No author would leave her fans hanging like that unless she knew the finale was going to be magnificent. And it was. The final installment of Mac's story was everything I wanted it to be. Mac's long and winding trail to find the Sinsar Dubh was a twisting, turning, sometimes upside down and inside out journey. So many times in the previous books, Mac would pepper Barrons with questions, and he would tell her that when she didn't need to ask anymore he would like to know her then. Mac finally became that woman, and I liked her a lot.

And Barrons, oh Barrons...we get to see Barrons like we've never seen him before, and I loved it. We learn some of his secrets (and they're doozies!), and we finally get to see what's under the garage!!! Barrons has been "my guy" from the beginning and that did not change at all in Shadowfever.

My favorite highlander (and lie-detector), Christian MacKeltar, is one of the few unfinished story lines in the book. All I can say is "WTF? I did NOT see that coming." (Luckily, KMM said in her Q&A that we will be seeing Christian in future books).

I'll admit I was never "Team V'lane" and Shadowfever did not change my mind.

And Dani - You know, Dani has been one of my least favorite characters throughout the series. She really shone in Shadowfever though - she had some of the funniest lines in the book. Her story isn't finished either and I never thought I'd say this but I'm actually looking forward to the telling of it.

Everyone else:
I loved Barron's "Band of Merry Men". They were so testosterone-filled and angry. They were mad, bad men and I couldn't help but like them. I'd love to hear their story. I laughed out loud at the scene where Mac's mother talked about how she cooked for them and what they liked to eat. And when Lor propositioned Mac - wow, just...wow. The MacKeltars are back, and there's a cameo by Adam from Ms. Moning's Highlander series, which was nice. Fiona was a bitch to the very end. As far as Dreamy-Eyed Guy - I had a theory about DEG, and I was wrong. He surprised me.

There are just enough loose ends that I'm looking forward to whatever spin-off Ms. Moning decides to write, but not so many that I'm left feeling unfulfilled.

All told, I love Mac's growth through the series and this book in particular. She questioned herself constantly. She analyzed and made lists. She got scared. She got mad. She was epic. Ms. Moning said from the beginning that Mac's story would ultimately be a happy one, that things would be dark before they got light, and she was right.

A tip of the hat to you, Ms. Moning. Bravo!

My Rating:

Review: Deadlock by Moira Rogers

Deadlock
~Moira Rogers

Format: Kindle Edition
File Size: 972 KB
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
Publish Date: January 4, 2011
ASIN: B004C44OXO


From the author's website:
Abandoned by her wolf shifter father and raised by her human psychic mother, Carmen Mendoza can't deny she's different. She craves things most women shy away from--and she has a trail of shapeshifting ex-boyfriends to prove it.

Working at a clinic for supernatural creatures, she's escaped the notice of her father's legacy-obsessed family. Until they need a pawn in their bid for power. Snared by a vicious spell designed to wake her inner wolf, Carmen's only hope is to trust the one man strong enough to soothe her darkest instincts.

Alec Jacobson was once the heir apparent to the wolves' ruling elite, until he walked away to marry the woman he loved. She paid with her life. He lives as a rebel, a black-sheep alpha who protects the supernatural residents of New Orleans from the wolves' barbaric class system. Too bad he can't protect himself from his need for Carmen.

Yet staking his claim on his enemy's niece will turn his city into a battleground. Unless he can find a way to stop breaking the rules--and start making them.

Warning: This book contains a renegade alpha wolf, a smart empathic doctor, very dirty sex with psychic safe-words, the occasional dominance game in and out of the bedroom, and a group of supernatural citizens ready to take on the corrupt leaders of their world.

If this book is any indication of the rest of my reads in 2011, I am going to be a happy, happy girl this year - Deadlock kicked ass!!

I have been a fan of Moira Rogers' Southern Arcana series since the first book, Crux. Deadlock, book 3 in the series, is my favorite so far:

Alec Jacobson is about as Alpha as they come - he's the unofficial leader of the New Orleans area "pack", and a lot of people rely on him to keep things running without interference from the official pack hierarchy up in New York. In previous books he's been a bit gruff, tough, and bad-ass, but you know he's got a heart of gold. In Deadlock we see some of Alec's past... we learn he was married to a human, and she died because of it. He hasn't really gotten over it, and pushes himself to protect the supernaturals in New Orleans so that they can live and love like he didn't get to do.

Carmen Mendoza is a doctor who is new to New Orleans - she's come to work in the supernatural hospital. She's half-werewolf and an empath. She's also got a very power-hungry father and uncle, and they're disappointed that they haven't been able to marry her off to another powerful werewolf family. When she refuses to meet their latest potential suitor, they decide to take matters into their own hands using powerful, dangerous magic.

Alec's protective instincts go into overdrive to save Carmen, and when she's near him she feels safe. The heat between them is scorching hot; I love that a 44-year-old man and a 30-something woman get to have this amazing, sexy, primal romance.

I also felt like this book did a great job of focusing on the rest of the supernatural community, both in and outside of New Orleans. Political issues that we've been watching in the first two books come to a head and I am love-, love-, loving where that storyline is going.

I can't do a proper review without mentioning Andrew and Kat. OMG I need their story NOW!!! Their pain and desire leaped off the page. I want these two to get an HEA so badly!

The combination of the love story, the political machinations, and Andrew and Kat's yearning storyline made for a fabulous read! When I wasn't reading Deadlock I was wondering about the characters; I love it when a book grabs me like that.

I know this review has been all over the place; I feel like I'm pointing in every direction and saying "how cool is this", and "look at that", and "check this out", "and this too!", but there were so many good things going on!

I'll leave you with this little fun thing: One of the locations in Deadlock is Algiers Point, a small neighborhood on the Westbank of New Orleans. I've lived in Algiers for over 20 years, and for many of those years lived 2 blocks away from Lavergne Street, which is specifically mentioned in the book. In addition, Alec mentions that "they've got someone in the 4th", which is where one of my brothers works. You know as soon as I read that I wanted to call him and ask him which of his co-workers he thought was a werewolf! So those things took an already great read and made it a bit more fun for me ;)

I do recommend reading Crux and Crossroads, the first two books in the series, before reading Deadlock. It can be read as a stand-alone, but will be much more enjoyable if you know all the background players and their history.

My Rating:

This book was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Book Discussion with ALPHA Reader: The Piper's Son by Melina Marchetta

From the author's website:
Thomas Mackee wants oblivion. Wants to forget parents who leave and friends he used to care about and a string of one-night stands, and favourite uncles being blown to smithereens on their way to work on the other side of the world.

But when his flatmates turn him out of the house, Tom moves in with his single, pregnant aunt, Georgie. And starts working at the Union pub with his former friends. And winds up living with his grieving father again. And remembers how he abandoned Tara Finke two years ago, after his uncle’s death.

And in a year when everything's broken, Tom realises that his family and friends need him to help put the pieces back together as much as he needs them.

__________________

Several months ago, I read two reviews by Danielle at ALPHA Reader that piqued my interest: Saving Francesca and The Piper's Son, both by Melina Marchetta. (Her reviews are here and here)

I don't remember how it came about, but she sent me Saving Francesca, which I loved (my review here). I tried to get my hands on the follow-up, The Piper's Son, but it's not available in the US until March 2011, so Danielle graciously sent me her copy.

All I can say is: Wow, freakin' fantastic! I really liked The Piper's Son - I was so involved in Tom's life, it was hard to separate and put the book down. I had a few questions about the book, and they turned into a joint squeefest between Danielle and myself. Once we'd gone back and forth, we both realized how long it was - there is so much in this book to talk about!

Book Addict: First of all, I love the cover! I don't know why but it speaks to me. Also, the graphics at each chapter - I know it's superficial, but I feel like they emphasize how much of a mess Tom's life is. And he certainly is a mess. His mother and sister moved out b/c his father is an alcoholic. Then his father left. He's living in some crappy apartment with "not really" friends, until he comes home from an evening in the hospital and sees his stuff all over the lawn. He turns to his aunt for shelter.

ALPHA Reader: Funny you should mention the cover-art. . . Naomi over at inkcrush recently posted the Aussie/US cover comparisons and revealed that the cover is actually a photo of Australian musician, Pete Murray. It’s a cast-off photo from his album photo-shoot. And it’s quite funny because now that I think about it Pete Murrary is sort of how I pictured Tom. . . that very manly Aussie bloke, with a tender heart underneath it all. A lot of Pete Murrary’s songs could be a soundtrack to ‘The Piper’s Son’ too, like his song ‘So Beautiful’ (about Tara Finke?)

‘So Beautiful’ lyrics:
God my fingers burn,
Now when I think of touching your hair
You have changed so much that I don't know,
If I can call you, and tell you I care
And I would love to bring you down,
Plant your feet back on the ground

BA: Oh, wow, I checked out the covers and I definitely like the Aussie cover better! I’m not familiar with Pete Murray but looking at the pics I could see Tom as a young Pete Murray. And yes, that song totally fits his relationship with Tara.

BA: His Aunt Georgie is...I don't know what to say about her. On the one hand, she's a mess too. She can't get past the deaths of her brother and father. She can't get past the fact that her significant other had a fling while they were "on a break" that resulted in a child. She seems otherwise normal, but the relationship with Sam was painful to read.

AR: I was very sceptical about Georgie when I first started reading. Marchetta has never written from an ‘adult’ perspective, yet Georgia is 42 and I really didn’t know how she fit into a young adult book. . . I should really learn to have more faith in Ms. Marchetta. By the end of the book I was thinking that Georgie was an inspired and brilliant character. Yes, she’s 42, but she doesn’t have her life together. . . in fact, her life is as much in shambles as Tom’s. I think Georgie is a sort of sign-post for Marchetta’s young audience, a hint that getting older doesn’t necessarily mean getting wiser. . . and that’s okay. Mistakes are going to be made, it’s how you correct them that matters.

BA: I can tell you from reading this book as a 40-year-old woman that was one of the things I did like about how Georgie was written is that she wasn’t perfect and put together and had a wonderful life. My life is not like that and I resent when authors suggest that at some point in your 20’s everything just clicks and you get your HEA.

AR: I think both Tom and Georgie are living in the fallout of their mistakes. Georgia had a one-night-stand with her ex that resulted in her getting pregnant. At any time over the last few months she could have had an abortion, discussed adoption etc, etc. But instead Georgie just sort of lets things fester. She doesn’t broach the subject with her family or with Sam. She sort of hopes that ignoring the problem will make it go away until she’s eight-months along and has to start getting proactive and making decisions.

Tom, meanwhile, has pulled farther and farther away from his friends until he wakes up one day and realizes that he has all but lost them. He could have picked up the phone, or accepted their kindness, but instead he chose to ignore and distance himself. And when the book begins, he suddenly finds that he needs the support of those friends he let fall by the wayside.

BA: I was so surprised to read that he had pulled away from his friends. In Saving Francesca, the kids seemed to be there for each other, and I wanted to know where things had gone wrong.
I found lack of communication to be a constant through the book. I did find it a bit frustrating at times. Tom’s Mom/Dad, Tom/his Father, Georgie/Sam, Tom/Tara – come on people – talk to each other!!!

AR: The lack of communication and general ‘walking on eggshells’ was hard for me to read. I hate awkward silences, and given half a chance I will address the elephant in the room. . . but you’re right, this is a book full of what’s not said. And it’s made all the more frustrating because we get Tom and Georgie’s inner monologues, but never the satisfaction of having them *say* what they *think*. Grr! But to be honest, that’s more realistic. It’s actually very rare for people to wear their heart on their sleeve and deliver long, revealing diatribes. . . still, frustrating!

Both Georgie and Tom are procrastinators and avoiders, and Marchetta explores what happens to both of them when they have to wake up and take responsibility for their actions.

BA: This aspect of the story made me a bit crazy – I wanted to shake them both and say “open your eyes and your mouth and do something!”

AR: Georgie and Sam’s relationship was painful. I found myself squirming in my seat throughout their tension-filled scenes. Most of my discomfort was simply because Georgie *thought* things but never said them. Grr! Throughout the book Georgie wants to ask Sam about the woman he had an affair with. . . she wants to ask him if he wants their baby. But she doesn’t. Although, all that built-up tension made for a great release and monologue from Sam (page 275: “Ask me if getting you pregnant has felt like the best thing that’s happened to me since my son was born?”)

BA: Oh! That monologue from Sam brought tears to my eyes – it was so moving.

AR: As frustrating as Sam and Georgie were. . . I felt like Marchetta offered up a very rich and fulfilling storyline for them. Dare I say, Georgie could have had a book all to herself? I loved how complicated their history was – because Sam had a son from cheating on Georgie, he can’t offer her a completely honest “I’m sorry” and “I regret” for his cheating. Wow. That right there is enough emotional tension to fill a contemporary romance book! I sort of hope that Georgie’s presence in ‘Piper’s’ is an indication that Marchetta may go into adult books one day. . .

BA: Georgie was a little too passive for me to be in love with her; it seemed to me she let things happen instead of making them happen. I was frustrated by that.

BA: I don't know if this book was written with an Australian audience in mind or just set in Australia, either way, I loved it! Honestly, at first it felt a bit disjointed and I was wondering if it was actually set in England and I just thought it was set in Australia...I figured it out eventually :) I think that was because of the family obsession with his uncle's death. Tom's dead grandfather and uncle were a huge part of the story - the family didn't get a body back for either death and therefore didn't have real closure. I see in your review where their lives were turned into "before London" and "after London", and I can kind of relate to that, as here in N.O. things are "before Katrina" and "after Katrina".

AR: I think it’s great that you were unsure about the setting! Because that is a theme in all of Marchetta’s books – multiculturalism. Australia is a melting pot – it’s a cliché, but true. My family is Austrian and English, I’m third generation Aussie. Marchetta herself is proud of her Italian heritage. . . and in fact, her first novel ‘Looking for Alibrandi’ is all about a young girl coping with being third generation Italian and juggling her Nonna (grandma’s) traditions and her want to break free.

And then there’s the fact that Australian’s are prone to ‘walkabout’. We have such close ties to England that it’s very common for Aussie’s to take jobs in the UK and live there for a few years. We have so many English ex-pats living in Australia, and so many families were founded by ‘Ten Pound Poms’ (which refers to the influx of British people who moved to Australia after WWII. . . for the price of ten pounds passage). And that’s also why Australia was really rocked by the London bombings, because England is so much a part of us. . .

I think that’s a very true comparison between London and Katrina. I think Marchetta makes the point, throughout the book, that a nation is brought together by tragedy. . . in the past decade we’ve experienced such huge historic events and nations have banded together around them. Just look at the New Zealand mining disaster. . . it becomes a country’s mourning, a shared heartache. I loved that Marchetta explored that with both Vietnam and London, and illustrated the repercussions these historic events have on current generations.

BA: I didn't know any of that history about Australia. American's think of ourselves as living in the"Melting Pot", but I see that Australia is like that too.

BA: Back to Tom - I love him. Maybe because I'm the mother of a teenage son? I want to take him home with me and feed him and give him a stable home life. He's a good kid - evidenced by the fact that he takes the job at the Diner to pay for the money his roommates stole. He’s got a lot of issues to work though though; I was glad to see Frankie and Josephine (from Saving Francesca) in this book.

AR: I don’t know how she did it, but Marchetta kept Tom endearing. There were a few times there when he could have come across as an idiotic no-hoper. But I was always rooting for Tom. I always knew that he wasn’t living up to his potential and that there was a heart of gold underneath that slacker facade. I think it was his caring for Georgie, and his secret heartache for Tara Finke and the fact that you could see he was affected by his dad’s leaving and alcoholism, even when he tried to hide it. God love him, Tom was adorable.

BA: Tom is such a tarnished hero. I loved that even though he managed to get himself into a bad situation, he was able to accept help where it was offered, work hard even when he didn’t visualize a positive outcome, and come out on top.

BA: Tara Finke - what can I say about Tara? Aaaarrggghhh - I have a lot to say about her but can't find the words.

AR: I love that Tara didn’t take any of Tom’s crap. Yes, he was going through a hard time, but that didn’t excuse his behaviour towards her and his friends. . . and she never let him forget it. She kept him on his toes. You could see why he fell so hard for her, and why all those nameless one-night-stands couldn’t hold a candle to what he had with Tara. I also loved the way that Francesca kept feeding Tom information about Tara and her Brazilian boyfriend. LOL! Way to be a wing-woman, Francesca.

BA: You know, he kind of had her on a pedestal, and until he realized that he was worthy of being loved he wasn’t ready for her. Unlike his family, Tara made him express himself and I love her for that. The e-mails back and forth were wonderful, as Tom opened up more and let her see inside himself. And yes, even though Tom kept messing with Francesca and Will, Francesca didn’t lose faith and was an awesome wing-woman!

BA: The Piper’s Son was dark at the beginning but as Tom worked through things it got lighter, more witty and hopeful.

AR: I think of that Stereophonics album, ‘You Gotta Go There to Come Back’. That’s what Marchetta does with ‘Piper’s Son’ – she goes to the dark places, she lets her characters hit rock bottom. . . so that their redemption is all the sweeter. She is master at this, and I love her for it.

BA: Oh, yes, I noted that the Piper's Son was a reference to Tom's dad's gift of oration. I have mixed feelings on that. I didn't care for his dad much.

AR: I appreciated that his dad was like Tom and Georgie, in that he had made mistakes and when we meet him he is living in the fall-out and trying to regroup. But it was frustrating. . . my heart broke when Tom went to the AA meeting, and learnt of the trigger that made his dad get sober (he couldn’t remember Tom’s name when a stranger asked him who was in the picture in his wallet. OMIGOD! I cried so hard!).

BA: See, whether Tom forgives his father or not, I couldn’t forgive him. I think that’s a testament to Ms. Marchetta’s superb writing that she brings out such strong reactions in me as a reader.


Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 336 pages
Publisher: Candlewick
U.S. Release Date: March 8, 2011
ISBN-10: 0763647586
ISBN-13: 978-0763647582

Thank you Danielle for stopping by, and also for introducing me to Ms. Marchetta's work - she's a fabulous writer and I'm looking forward to reading more!

My Rating: