Thursday, July 28, 2016

Memory Zero by Keri Arthur


Title: Memory Zero
Author: Keri Arthur
Series: #1 in the Spook Squad series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Originally released by ImaJinn Books (June 15, 2004) re-released by Dell (August 26, 2014)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: MORTAL RECALL

For Sam Ryan, life began at age fourteen. She has no memory of her parents or her childhood. In a decade of service with the State Police, Sam has exhausted the resources of the force searching for clues to her identity. But all mention of her family seems to have been deliberately wiped off the record. Everything changes the night Sam’s missing partner resurfaces as a vampire . . . and forces her to kill him in self-defense. Now Sam is charged with murder. Suspended from the force, and with no one left to trust, Sam accepts some unexpected help from Gabriel Stern, a shapeshifter who conceals startling secrets.

While investigating the circumstances surrounding her partner’s strange behavior, Sam discovers that Garbriel’s been involved with a dangerous organization that’s planning a war on the human race. More immediate, someone is guarding the truth about Sam’s past—someone who’d rather see her dead than risk her knowing too much. To stay alive, Sam must unravel the threads of her past—and find out not only who she is but what she is.

My Thoughts: Being a fan of Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series I knew I was in for a treat with this one!

The Good and The Bad of it all: A lot of my good points could also be construed as bad so I'm lumping everything together. This book is non-stop action. It takes off from the beginning with Sam meeting her missing partner after a surprise call from him one night and it never lets up until the last few pages. This, for me, was great. It kept me turning the pages. I hated having to put the book down to go to work. I needed to see what would happen to Sam! Too much action can be a bad thing as well. There seems to be a trade-off with the action and developing the characters. Sure things went breakneck fast but perhaps at the expense of getting to know Sam and Gabriel better. I think the mystery of Sam worked out well though. Sam doesn't know who or what she is anymore than we, the readers do. She will become a full fleshed out character in due time. Gabriel is still quite a mystery but I like me some mysterious men!

There is no romance within this book. I like that this book left out sex and romance to focus on the world building and action. Although there isn't a specific timeline listed within this book it had a futuristic feel to it with the types of technology being used. This was cool but left me a little confused as the weaponry was high-tech, as was the communication/wrist units and crime scene locks, yet the cars and other aspects were closer to our current time frame. I think having a futuristic world feel could have been more consistent. Either go full on futuristic (like the JD Robb In Death series) or keep things in the now.

In a Nutshell: Overall, this was a good book, bordering on great. I'm intrigued with Sam and knowing she isn't exactly who she thought she was and is becoming more is motivation to read more in the trilogy.
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It Happened One Autumn by Lisa Kleypas


Title: It Happened One Autumn
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: #2 in the Wallflower series
Genre: Historical Romance
Publisher: Harper Collins  (October 13, 2009)
Source: Purchased
Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Four young ladies enter London society with one necessary goal: they must use their feminine wit and wiles to find a husband. So they band together, and a daring husband-hunting scheme is born.

It happened at the ball...

Where beautiful but bold Lillian Bowman quickly learned that her independent American ways weren't entirely "the thing." And the most disapproving of all was insufferable, snobbish, and impossible Marcus, Lord Westcliff, London's most eligible aristocrat.

It happened in the garden...

When Marcus shockingly—and dangerously—swept her into his arms. Lillian was overcome with a consuming passion for a man she didn't even like. Time stood still; it was as if no one else existed... thank goodness they weren't caught very nearly in the act!

It happened one autumn...

Marcus was a man in charge of his own emotions, a bedrock of stability. But with Lillian, every touch was exquisite torture, every kiss an enticement for more. Yet how could he consider taking a woman so blatantly unsuitable... as his bride?

My Thoughts: Everything I could ask for in a Historical Romance and more!

The Good: Being so character driven of course I have to list Lillian and Marcus as being the "Good" in this book. Their banter is delightful. Lisa Kleypas certainly knows how to do entertaining dialogue. I love that both Lillian and Marcus profess their complete dislike of each other throughout the book yet find their amazing chemistry at odds with their brains. There is a scene at towards the beginning where 3 of the Wallflowers go to the wishing well to wish Marcus a wife. Well, in 2 of their cases they wished for a wife/love of his life but in Lillian's case, after decided that he is infuriating, wishes a woman for him that'll bring him to his knees. I love her. I love him. I love them.

The ended was pretty amazeballs and after our hero rescued our heroine from the dastardly villain one can't help but wonder how Kleypas could possibly turn that villain into a hero. Not the first time she's done that but it amazes me each and every time. I guess I'll have to read the next book to find out how she does it.

The Bad: I got nothing. Nada. Zilch. I loved this book and everything about it.

In a Nutshell: Another wonderful book by Lisa Kleypas. Another great installment of the Wallflower series. Another book to put on my Keeper shelf. I'll keep this book and read it again some day when I'm in a funk and can't find my way out. It's that good.
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