Review: Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl

Bad Boys Do
~Victoria Dahl

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: HQN Books
Publish Date: September 27, 2011
ISBN-10: 0373776020
ISBN-13: 978-0373776023
ASIN: B005HRT7D2

From the author's website:
Olivia Bishop is no fun. That’s what her ex-husband said. That’s what her smart bob and glasses imply. And with her trademark determination, Olivia sets out to remake her life. She’s going to spend time with her girlfriends and not throw it all away for some man. But when an outing with her book club leads her to a brewery taproom, the dark-haired beauty realizes that trouble – in the form of sexy Jamie Donovan – may be too tempting to avoid. 

Jamie Donovan doesn’t mean to be bad. Sure, the wild streak in his wicked green eyes has lured the ladies before. But it’s time to grow up. He’s even ready for a serious romance. But how can that be when Olivia, the only right woman he has ever met, already has him pegged as wrong.

Olivia Bishop wants to have fun; the thing is, she doesn't know how.  She married young, gave up her ambitions for those of her husband, and then when she caught him cheating on her, she divorced him.  His parting shot:  If you knew how to have fun I wouldn't have had to look elsewhere.  She's a teacher at the local college, and when another employee suggests joining a book club, one that meets once a month at the Donovan Brothers Brewery, Olivia hopes this is her first step on the way to 'fun'.

Jamie Donovan is the middle sibling in the Donovan family.  His older brother Eric is responsible for most of the business end of running their family brewery andis younger sister Tessa is responsible for the marketing aspect.  Jamie feels like the black sheep in the family - he looks pretty but isn't reliable.  He wants to prove himself to his siblings: he dreams of adding a restaurant to the brewery but knows he needs a plan before presenting it, so he signs up for a class at the local college.

Olivia and Jamie each have something the other wants, so they agree to help each other out - Jamie will help Olivia loosen up and have fun, and Olivia will help Jamie with his restaurant plans.  What neither of them counts on are the feelings that develop between them.

My thoughts:
I am a huge Victoria Dahl fan, and Bad Boys Do did not disappoint.  Prior to reading Bad Boys Do, I had just finished a heavy, emotional read and wanted something sweet and humorous to cheer me up - and Bad Boys Do did the trick!

Olivia is 35, divorced for about a year, and her ex-husband Victor is a real jerk.  He cheated on her, and since they both work at the same University, he flaunts his younger girlfriends whenever he gets the chance.  Olivia's had enough, and in a spur-of-the-moment decision, she invites Jamie (who's 29) to be her date to a University function.  I kind of had a problem with Olivia using Jamie like that, but giving her credit, she felt guilty about it too.  Her ex did a real mind-f*ck on her, essentially molding her from a young student into what he wanted her to be - a professor's wife.  She put her dreams on hold, giving them up in place of Victor's wishes.  When she found out he was cheating she was angry and hurt and determined to never give up any part of herself for a man again.

Jamie has a different problem - he's viewed by friends and family as a carefree guy with no responsibility and not really caring about anything but himself.  While this was true when he was younger, he's grown and wants to take on more responsibility but no one, especially his brother, will believe he's changed.  Every time he tries to show he's more responsible, it backfires and usually makes things worse.  He sees in Olivia someone who's responsible and knowledgeable about a project he's determined to make succeed.  I really liked Jamie (and not just because he's a sexy bartender who wears kilts on a regular basis) because he was so earnest in his endeavors to be more than a hunk in a kilt.  I really felt for him when his brother or sister would disregard his input.

Bad Boys Do is a great "opposites attract" story.  I could see where each half of the couple brought to the table something the other needed, and also how their differences could create problems in their relationship - especially when Olivia wasn't viewing it as a relationship but as an arrangement.  Each made the other stronger, whether they realized it or not.  When Jamie's "activities" come to light from the last book (Good Girls Do), Olivia is understandably upset.  Jamie's explanation, however, was heartbreaking; I just wanted someone to believe in him!!!

Favorite quote:

     "We get along," she whispered.  "Of course.  as friends. As people who...see each other."
     He took her hand.  "It's more than that.  You bring out something better in me.
     Her heart lept at his words, but it quickly fell back down again, thumping in fear.  Was he saying he loved her?  That couldn't be right.  "Have you been drinking?" she blurted.
     "No," he said with a laugh.  "I'm sober.  And sincere.  When I'm with you, I feel mature.  Responsible.  It's what I liked about you from the start.  You're so serious-" When she gasped, he held up a hand. "I know that's not what you want me to say, but it's true.  You're serious and smart, and I like that.  You make me want to be more."
~Bad Boys Do, location 3664

And if you think that's their HEA, you'll be as surprised as I was at what comes next! Ms. Dahl took Jamie and Olivia's story to highs and lows and dragged my heart right along with it...

Bad Boys Do is the second book in the Donovan Brothers Brewery series; I am thoroughly enjoying these characters and watching each their stories unfold.  Eric, the oldest of the siblings, seems pretty uptight and I'm looking forward to his story next:  Real Men Will (October 2011).

My Rating: 
Book received from the publisher via NetGalley.

Pam's Review: Deep Disclosure by Dee Davis

Deep Disclosure
~Dee Davis

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: September 1, 2010
ISBN-10: 0446582921
ISBN-13: 978-0446582926
ASIN: B0047Y0EU6

From the author's website:
After spending years in prison under deep cover, black ops agent Tucker Flynn joins A-Tac, an elite CIA unit masquerading as faculty at an Ivy League college. Nothing can shake him-except a vulnerable young woman marked for death. 

DUAL DECEPTION 

When Tucker is assigned to protect-and secretly investigate-Alexis Markham, he expects a routine mission. But this mysterious beauty has a past even darker than his: her father created a horrifying new biochemical weapon-and was murdered to keep it secret. 

Alexis has spent the last decade racing to stay one step ahead of the shadowy operatives who will stop at nothing to possess her father's formula. She can trust no one, not even her handsome new bodyguard. But the heat that flares between them is impossible to resist. Will giving in to passion bring her the safety she's always craved, or will her love for Tucker draw him into a killer's sights?

Alexis has been in hiding her whole life. Her family died in an explosion when she was in high school and ever since then she only has her father’s friend, George, to rely on. She grows up constantly having to watch her back and leaving no trace of herself behind in fear of being discovered. Then something happens that leaves her more alone and frightened than ever. Alexis goes home to get her belongings before she goes on the run once again; and there she meets a man who tries to kill her. She might have been killed if not for Tucker. 

Tucker is part of a secret organization in the CIA, but he can’t tell Alexis this because the government are the people that she has been running from her whole life. So instead, he tells her that he is a friend of George’s and he is there to help her. While he does help her, the real reason he is there in the first place is to find out how Alexis is involved in a recent bombing that took place. While Alexis and Tucker both try to find answers, they find love with each other along the way.

My thoughts: 
This book took me days to get through. I was so bored; I could not wait for it to be over. I felt like I was just reading a bunch of words. The characters had no depth. They said things, I just didn’t believe them. I wasn’t fond of Alexis either. Again, I felt like I needed to see inside her more to get a feel for her. Also, certain situations that occurred in the story annoyed me because they weren’t believable, but I can’t mention what they were without giving anything away. This was the fourth book in a series; I didn’t read the previous ones. Would it have changed my opinion if I knew some of the characters previously? Who knows, but this book on its own was not good.

I feel like this is a really negative review, so I want to leave with something that I liked; a quote:

She wished it were as simple as all that. That the world was divided into black and white. But she’d learned a long time ago that things were far more complicated, the world filled instead with muted shades of gray. Good and evil looking practically the same. The trick being to choose wisely.
~Deep Disclosure p. 215

My Rating:Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Review: Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Silver Shark
~Ilona Andrews

Format: Kindle Edition 
File Size: 242 KB 
Publisher: NYLA  
Publish Date: September 14, 2001 
ASIN: B005N9FPOO

From the author's website:
Claire Shannon is a Kinsman, a woman gifted with enhanced mental capabilities. Her skills and her life were taken over by the military to fight in war that has raged on her home planet for decades. But as the war ends, she is forced to hide her abilities in order to make a new life for herself as a civilian. It’s a new persona, a new planet and new job that has her crossing paths with the powerful and alluring Venturo Escana. Is she strong enough to hide her true nature from her perceptive new boss? And as they grow closer, will she even still want to try?

Claire Shannon was born in a country at war. Brodwyn has been at war with Melko since before she was born; her entire life has been one of service and sacrifice - hot water, food, happiness, her life - all given up for the war cause.  Claire is a soldier; she has been since the age of 14 when she was taken from her sick mother's bedside. She's a member of an elite team of "psychers", or soldiers who fight with their minds instead of their hands.  Claire can disarm or kill any threat in a matter of seconds.

Claire's team is on a mission when she finds out the war is over and her side lost. They're killing all the psychers, so she's forced to hide her identity and manages to get deported to the planet of Rada, where she must learn to assimilate and hide her abilities or be killed immediately, no questions asked.

When she gets a job with Guardian Inc. as an assistant to the handsome and powerful Venturo Escana, she thinks all she has to do is hide her "talent" and blend in.  Then, one of her countrymen gets into some trouble and Claire is the only one who can help, but by helping will she destroy everything she has done to survive?

My thoughts:
Silver Shark is the second book in Ilona Andrew's Kinsman series, but it can absolutely be read as a stand-alone.  I read the first book, Silent Blade, because I have Book OCD and couldn't read out of order - with Silver Shark it really wasn't necessary.

I consider myself a "light" sci-fi reader, and Silver Shark was a nice fit for me - not too complicated as far as world building, and a bit of romance to keep me happy.  The world building was very good: I loved the contrast between Claire's home planet - grey, drab, depressing - and her new home, the planet Rada - colorful, friendly, vibrant.  You would think she would be thrilled to be there, but the mindset she was raised with is difficult to shake off, as when another refugee meets her on the street and tells her she stands out, which is a bad thing on her home planet.  She's scared but determined to adapt to her new life.

Silver Shark actually had two different types of world buiding - the physical world and the world Claire enters when she hooks into the system to use her psycher abilities:  This world is lush and full, as if Claire could escape her physical surroundings when she went to work.  I love that her "mental" world also changes after her deportation to reflect her new surroundings.

Claire is a great heroine - smart and resourceful, ruthless yet at times compassionate in her psycher mode.  Her attraction to her boss is achingly wonderful - she cannot reveal herself but yearns for him nonetheless.  I liked Venturo but feel like I would have benefited from knowing more about him; he was a good match for Claire though.

My main issue is with the ending - we're rolling along and the story is moving nicely and then BAM!  It's over.    Don't get me wrong - I'm happy with the outcome, but it was fast.

Silver Shark is a captivating short story, wonderfully descriptive and with a nice romance that doesn't overpower the plot.  I would absolutely recommend Silver Shark for readers who aren't sure if they'd like sci-fi and are looking for something to try, or for seasoned sci-fi readers who are looking for a quick, entertaining read.

My Rating:

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

Review: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Lola and the Boy Next Door
~Stephanie Perkins

Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile
Publish Date: September 29, 2011
ISBN-10: 0525423281
ISBN-13: 978-0525423287
ASIN: B004RKXHZY

From the author's website:
In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.

 Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn't believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola's style is outrageous, she's a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket—a gifted inventor—steps out from his twin sister's shadow and back into Lola's life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Delores "Lola" Nolan has just turned 17 and thinks her life is moving along just fine - she's got a boyfriend who loves her, a great best friend, and she loves her two dads.  Well... things are fine if you don't count the fact  that her dads don't approve of her 22-year-old boyfriend.  Then, the Bell twins move back in next door and her birth mother shows up, and Lola's life gets turned upside down.

My thoughts:
I absolutely loved Anna and the French Kiss, so I was super-excited to read Lola and the Boy Next Door;  Ms. Perkins writing shines again in this wonderful story of love lost and found anew.

Lola is a sweet kid with a style all her own - wigs, glitter, dresses made from tablecloths.  She works in a local movie theatre (with Anna from Anna and the French Kiss), hangs out with her best friend Lindsey, and sees her boyfriend Max as often as her fathers will let her.  When the Bell twins move back in, she's devastated.  Calliope Bell is just a witch, and her twin brother Cricket Bell was Lola's True Love.  Then, right before they moved away, something happened between them.  It took Lola a long time to get over the hurt, so when he moves back in, she's determined not to let him get under her skin. But he does, again and again and again...

     Cricket walks several steps behind me.  It's a careful distance.
     I wonder if he's looking at my butt.
WHY DID I JUST THINK THAT?  Now my butt feels COLOSSAL.  Maybe he's looking at my legs.  Is that better?  Or worse?  Do I want him looking at me?  I hold on to the bottom of my dress as I climb into the backseat and crawl to the other side.  I'm sure he's looking at my butt.  He has to be.  It's huge, and it's right there, and it's huge.
     No. I'm acting crazy.
     I glance over, and he smiles at me as he buckles his seat belt. My cheeks grow warm.
     WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?
~Page 128, Lola and the Boy Next Door

Cricket is absolutely adorable - tall, stylish but geeky, smart, and kind. He's so interested in Lola; everyone can tell, especially Max, who's not happy about it, and Lola's dads, who are happy about it.  He's absolutely the kind of boy I'd want my own daughters to date.

     Deep breaths.  Take deep breaths.  I adjust my dress, but the fabric sticks to my leg, and I accidentally flash Cricket my thigh.  This time, I catch him looking.  His fingers are messing with his bracelets and rubber bands.  Our eyes lock.
     A rubber band snaps and shoots into the windshield.  Nathan's and Andy's heads jolt back in fright, but they laugh when they realize what happened.
     Cricket's body shrinks up in his seat, "Sorry! Sorry."
     And I'm strangely relieved to know that I'm not the only one freaking out.
~Page 129, Lola and the Boy Next Door

In Lola and the Boy Next Door, Ms. Perkins has written wonderful characters who leap off the pages:  Lola's dads, Max the boyfriend, and Cricket's twin sister Calliope are all integral to the plot without overshadowing Lola and Cricket.  I also loved seeing Anna and St. Clair again.

I think the only reason I didn't give Lola 5 stars is that I didn't identify with Lola like I did with Anna.  That sounds like a bad thing but it's not - the characters are very different, but the writing and story are still fabulous.  I tore through Lola and the Boy Next Door in a day.  This is definitely a series I will be keeping up with!  I'm looking forward to Isla and the Happily Ever After; do we really have to wait until Fall 2012?

 My Rating:

Book received by publisher at ALA.

Review: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Bloodlines
~Richelle Mead


Reading level: Young Adult 
Hardcover: 432 pages 
Publisher: Razorbill 
Publish Date: August 23, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1595143173 
ISBN-13: 978-1595143174 
ASIN: B004XFZ9CC

From the author's website:
Blood doesn't lie... 
 Sydney is an alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of human and vampires. They protect vampire secrets - and human lives. When Sydney is torn from her bed in the middle of the night, at first she thinks she's still being punished for her complicated alliance with dhampir Rose Hathaway. But what unfolds is far worse. Jill Dragomir - the sister of Moroi Queen Lissa Dragomir - is in mortal danger, and the Moroi must send her into hiding. To avoid a civil war, Sydney is called upon to act as Jill's guardian and protector, posing as her roommate in the last place anyone would think to look for vampire royalty - a human boarding school in Palm Springs, California. But instead of finding safety at Amberwood Prep, Sydney discovers the drama is only just beginning...

Sydney Sage is an alchemist:  a member of a "secret society" of sorts, one sworn to protect humans from vampires or any knowledge that they even exist.  Right now, the vampire world is in an uproar - there's a new, young queen, Lissa Dragomir, who is tenuously hanging on to her crown, and she's bringing in changes to a system that has been in place for centuries.  The queen's young half-sister, Jill, is in danger, as she is the only living relative to the queen and if she is killed Lissa will have to step down - one of the rules Lissa is trying to change is that the current ruler must have living family; they cannot be the last of their line.

Sydney is chosen to go into hiding with Jill, to "manage things" in case anything comes up; she will be posing as Jill's sister while they attend a private school in Palm Springs. Sydney is still on probation for the events that took place in Ms. Mead's other series, Vampire Academy, so she wants to do this job well to prove to the Alchemists that she's not a "vampire lover".

Things are off to a bad start though:  her supervisor, Keith, hates her, Jill is acting weird and getting in trouble, and the local vampires are giving her more stress than help.

My thoughts:
I am a huge Vampire Academy fan, it is one of my favorite YA series.  I've been looking forward to Bloodlines with a little trepidation, as my reaction to the last VA book was just "meh" (I still absolutely recommend the series to anyone who hasn't read it).  I should not have been worried - Richelle Mead absolutely delivers!

While Bloodlines is set in the VA world, it is a different story - where Rose is a kick-ass, take charge heroine, Sydney is  more reserved.  She's been raised with the belief that knowledge is power, and has been groomed since childhood to become an Alchemist.  Sydney likes to think things through and be sure about it before she acts. She's also aware of the political aspects of her assignment with regards to the Alchemists, and she holds back where other UF heroines might not.  This works for her though - she needs to analyze and plan and see the whole picture before acting.  It does, however, make for a slow start to the book as Sydney and Jill get in and settled and Ms. Mead sets up the story.  Once her investigations get going though, I spend the rest of the book guessing who the villian was - was it the obvious choice or maybe someone less obvious but with definite motivation?  I was very surprised by the end of the book.

I was thrilled that the secondary characters I loved in the VA series are here; especially Adrian Ivashkov, the chain-smoking, hard-drinking royal who is in turns charming and broody.  He is such a fabulous character and I loved him in Bloodlines:

     I shook my head, still smiling.  "You'll have a hard time getting any Alchemist to admit that. But I can say you're okay for an irreverent party boy with occasional moments of brilliance."
     "Brilliant? You think I'm brilliant?" He threw his hands skyward. "You hear that, world? Sage says I'm brilliant." 
     "That's not what I said!" 
     He dropped the cigarette and stamped it out, giving me a devil-may-care grin. "Thanks for the ego boost. I'm going to go tell Clarence and Lee all about your high opinion." 
     "Hey, I didn't-" 
     But he was already gone.  As I drove away, I decided the Alchemists needed an entire department devoted to handling Adrian Ivashkov. 
~Bloodlines page 145

While I like Jill's character, she comes across as a wishy-washy character who doesn't figure much in the story except to provide a purpose for Sydney's assignment.  She was pretty forgettable, but did come to life near the end of the story.  I'm hoping her character will grow with the series.

I must also address Sydney's potential love interest.  Without giving away any spoilers, I think this is going to be a long journey but ultimately a good one.  I see a lot of frustration in my future waiting for Sydney to come to terms with her feelings for this particular character.

I was intrigued by Sydney in the VA series, she was a secondary character who seemed to have an interesting story, and I wanted to know more about her.  In Bloodlines, we get some of her story, but you can tell there is much, much more to tell. All in all, Bloodlines is another mark in the "awesome" column for Richelle Mead!  I'm looking forward to the next book, The Golden Lily, scheduled for release in June 2012.


My Rating: 
Book received from the publisher.

A hodgepodge of things to be excited about:

There's a couple of things I'm excited about this week that I thought I'd share:

First, I'm super excited about Chloe Neill's upcoming Chicagoland Vampires novel, Drink Deep.  I know a lot of people were upset about the last book, Hard Bitten, (my review here), but I loved it.  Was I upset?  Of course!  But Ms. Neill has promised an HEA for Merit and I'm going to trust her.  I don't know if I can wait until November; someone pass the Valium and keep me away from spoilers...

Clouds are brewing over Cadogan House, and recently turned vampire Merit can’t tell if this is the darkness before the dawn or the calm before the storm. With the city iself in turmoil over paranormals and the state threatening to pass a paranormal registration act, times haven’t been this precarious for vampires since they came out of the closet. If only they could lay low for a bit, and let the mortals calm down.

That’s when the waters of Lake Michigan suddenly turn pitch black-and things really start getting ugly.

Chicago’s mayor insists it’s nothing to worry about, but Merit knows only the darkest magic could have woven a spell powerful enough to change the very fabric of nature. She’ll have to turn to friends old and new to find out who’s behind this, and stop them before it’s too late for vampires and humans alike.

Drink Deep is on shelves November 1.  More info at the author's website.

On that note - Ms. Neill has released the cover of the NEXT book in the Chicagoland series, Biting Cold (out August 2012).  This will be book 6 in the series.  *drumroll please...*






Isn't it gorgeous?!?  I really love all the covers for this series; they did a fabulous job of catching Merit as I see her.___________________________________
Another favorite author of mine, Stacia Kane, revealed the new cover for the next book in her Downside Ghosts series, Sacrificial Magic:

When Chess Putnam is ordered by an infamous crime boss—who also happens to be her drug dealer—to use her powers as a witch to solve a grisly murder involving dark magic, she knows she must rise to the challenge. Adding to the intensity: Chess’s boyfriend, Terrible, doesn’t trust her, and Lex, the son of a rival crime lord, is trying to reignite the sparks between him and Chess.

Plus there’s the little matter of Chess’s real job as a ghost hunter for the Church of Real Truth, investigating reports of a haunting at a school in the heart of Downside. Someone seems to be taking a crash course in summoning the dead—and if Chess doesn’t watch her back, she may soon be joining their ranks.

As Chess is drawn into a shadowy world of twisted secrets and dark violence, it soon becomes clear that she’s not going to emerge from its depths without making the ultimate sacrifice.

Sacrificial Magic hits shelves March 27, 2012. Dark Faerie Tales has an exclusive look at Chapter 2!!!

___________________________________

Also, Ilona Andrews has posted a snippet from Andrea's book - Gunmetal Magic (due on shelves May 31, 2012).  Go here for the snippet.  You want to.  Trust me on this.

___________________________________

And, for you Becca Fitzpatrick fans, Sea Lion Books has this Hush, Hush wallpaper:

They've got several great books being adapted into graphic novel format - go check them out!!

What have I missed? 

What great book news are you excited about?

Giveaway Winners!!!

I've had a few giveaways going on here at Caught in a FAB Romance and it's time to announce the winners, chosen by Random.org:

The winner of the signed galley of NEVER ENOUGH by Lauren Dane is:

BreiaB

who said...I have loved so many of your books. I love the Browns, the Chases and the Murphys. You are at the top of the charts in my book. Awesome giveaway!

The winner of CHOSEN by Paula Bradley is:

Melissa (Books and Things) 

who said...I can see why that would bother you. I would bother me as well. However, now knowing that they don't deal with her initial suicide attempt, I think I can deal with it better. I think it might bother me but not as much now that I know! Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!

Winners have been sent an e-mail.

Thanks to everyone who entered and to the authors for offering their books for giveaway!!


(Don't forget, there's still a chance to win 
my giveaway for my ARC of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer; it ends Monday! )