The Recruit by Monica McCarty

Synopsis: Scotland’s King Robert the Bruce is retaking his kingdom from the invading English. To win, he’ll need all the grit and courage of his elite band of warriors, the Highland Guard, men who fight without fear and love without limits.
 
Fiery, aggressive, and bold, Kenneth Sutherland is a true champion—skilled with any weapon and driven to win. Now Kenneth is ready for his greatest challenge: joining Robert the Bruce’s secret army to fight among the elite. Kenneth’s best chance to attain that honor is by winning the Highland Games. Focused and prepared for victory, he is caught off guard by a lovely wisp of a woman—and a stolen moment of wicked seduction. Her innocent arousal and her shameless hunger fire his blood. He will win his place in the guard—and in Mary of Mar’s bed.

The ruggedly handsome hero-in-the-making stirs a heart that should know better. Mary vows that her surrender will be sport only—no promises, no heartbreak, just one night of incredible passion. Nothing, she swears, will persuade her to give up her hard-wrought independence and put her fate in the hands of another powerful man. But with every gentle touch and heart-pounding kiss, Kenneth makes her want more. Now Mary wants his heart. But is this determined champion willing to surrender everything for love?

My Thoughts: Earlier today I finished The Recruit by Monica McCarty and was wowed by it. This is the first book I've read by her and found it to be rich in history and rich in well fleshed out characters. There was a time I felt a bit overwhelmed by it's length (it's about 75 pages over an average historical romance which for some reason intimidates me LOL) but then I was totally swept away by the conflict of Scotland to England and the people who took sides (or was trapped between the two) and the sizzling passion between the two main characters. This is the 6th book in the series and I will go back and read the ones before (especially with the glowing reviews of the first one The Chief) but probably not right away. I want to savor this one a bit longer and don't want to gorge myself until I puke on the Highlander yumminess that are McCarty's Highland Guards. I might have given this book a full 5 stars but for the constant misunderstanding between the two main characters because they didn't communicate... although as a disclaimer I should mention there were very good reasons for Mary to mistrust her husband so the conflict was necessary and explainable. I just got a wee bit tired of it. Oh and Kenneth every now and again would think or say something so chauvinistic I wanted to thwack him with his own sword. Even his boorish attitudes on occasion was explainable as this was medieval times and in 1309 men could pretty much do as they pleased and women had no say (this is something I struggle with while reading romances from this time period.... my inner Gloria Steinem tends to be appalled for all the oppressed women every time.)

 In a nutshell I would totally recommend this book to historical romance readers everywhere.

Dark Night by Kitti Bernetti

***this review contains potential spoilers****

I 'bought' this short erotic novella several months ago when it was offered for free on Amazon.com and decided that since I was between full length books at that moment this would be a fun quick read. At least it was quick. (Oh and the cover is pretty hot!)

Short stories often suffer from underdeveloped characters and/or plot. This one suffered from both. The author told us what she felt we needed to know about the characters but there was little else to discover about them that was worth reading. The heroine was a bucket full of contradictions and I had a hard time suspending my disbelief. I could have sworn I read that she was a virgin, yet performed like an old pro. Who has the dexterity or skill to give a man a foot-job while plummeting towards earth in a thrill ride? (yes that is a foot-job....similar to a hand-job but...well, you get the idea.) The sex was the only thing fully developed within the story to tell the truth. I thought those parts were actually decent which is why this book is getting 2 stars instead of 1.

The heroine, Breeze, is nothing more than a thief and Seb is a pig. Because she was stealing from him he decided she would be his Saturday Whore for the next month. She goes along with it so she wouldn't go to jail. Somewhere along the short Saturday encounters they fell in love.

The ending was wrapped up into a big unbelievable burrito, filled with an annoying message of love can cure everything, even terminal cancer. Really? I probably won't read another short story by this author based on the experience with this one. If you decide to read it I truly hope your experience is better than mine.

 

Too Tempting to Resist by Cara Elliott

Synopsis: In the Wolf's Lair . . .

Determined to stop her wayward brother from squandering their dwindling fortune, Lady Eliza Brentford decides to follow him to his favorite den of depravity. There, among the candlelight and raucous revelry, she encounters her brother's role model in debauchery, the notorious Marquess of Haddan, Gryffin Dwight. Staring into his smoldering green eyes, Eliza can't help but find the rakehell nobleman seductively charming-and sinfully attractive.

In a Lover's Paradise . . .

When Gryffin appears on Eliza's estate as a guest of her brother, a stolen kiss among the garden's blooms leads to a night of unbridled passion. Suddenly the lovely widow feels herself opening up, like the petals of a rose. Could this master of seduction possibly feel true emotion for Eliza? Or is he leading her down the garden path to an Eden of delights no woman can resist-and a fall no woman can escape?

My Thoughts: This is the first book I've read by this author and I enjoyed it quite a bit. I thought her opening was interesting and it certainly engaged me but I don't think she was able to sustain that initial feel throughout the book. There were interesting parts and then lulls but there were enough of the entertaining parts that the book didn't lose my attention.

I enjoyed the characters also but think they could have been a bit more fleshed out. After a week they have faded in my mind so much that I only remember a shadow of who they were. I know she paints and he writes. I know she is in need of a knight in shining armor despite her plans to solve her own problems and I know he wanted to be that knight. I remember their actions but not their emotions.

The dialogue between the characters was entertaining and earned a few chuckles from me which is a definite plus. The mysterious element that was to add a bit of depth to the plot was a bit weak as we know who was up to nefarious acts even though we weren't exactly sure what those acts were. To tell the truth Gryff's friend Cam was far more mysterious and intriguing to me than anything. The wrapping up of the mystery/suspense seemed quite abrupt also.

Overall, the author did entertain me. Her main characters were not complete cookie cutters (Eliza is a widow which is fairly rare) and the secondary characters were intriguing. The ending was wrapped up too quickly and the I love Yous were borderline cheesy but I still did enjoy reading this book. Cara Elliott's writing style suited me quite a bit and I will definitely read more (especially Cam's story).

I'd be a bit remiss not to mention that my e-copy was provided by NetGalley for my review and it had multiple formatting issues. Often I'd come across a sentence thatwasnotspacedatallmakingitdifficulttoread. In addition the book would skip from one moment in time with one character to another character later on (or sometimes even the same character several hours later) with no indication that the time frame had changed. For example one paragraph would read that Eliza was pouring tea then the next paragraph would say that Gryff was talking to Cam. It wasn't because Gryff and Cam were with Eliza partaking in tea but because there were no natural or even unnatural breaks other than a chapter break. This often lead to some confusion on my part but it didn't effect my rating of this book. My rating is strictly on the story. 

 

 

That Thing Called Love by Susan Andersen

Synopsis: For a guy she's fantasized about throttling, Jake Bradshaw sure is easy on the eyes. In fact, he seriously tempts inn manager Jenny Salazar to put her hands to better use. Except this is the guy who left Razor Bay -- and his young son, Austin, whom Jenny adores like her own -- to become a globe-trotting photojournalist. He can't just waltz back and claim Austin now.

Jake was little more than a kid himself when he became a dad. Sure, he'd dreamed of escaping the resort town, but he'd also truly believed that Austin was better off with his grandparents. Now he wants -- no, needs -- to make up for his mistake. He intends to stay in Razor Bay only until he can convince Austin to return with him to New York. Trouble is, with sexy, protective, utterly irresistible Jenny in his life, and his bed, he may never want to leave….



My Thoughts: I've seen Susan Andersen's books gracing the book store shelves for years. Heck, I even have some of her books on my personal TBR shelves. Many bookie friends have praised her and now I can see why. Between extremely realistic characters and a decent storyline it's a wonder I haven't rushed right out and bought up all her books to read right away.


The Characters: Jenny is a girl next door type (with an added pinch of spice) who has loved Austin as a brother since he was a baby and Jake is a jet-setting photographer finally coming home to be the parent he should have been ages ago. Austin is an angsty (yes spell check, I know that isn't a word) teenage boy who desperately wants a father but can't trust the father who has just popped back into his life...with good reason. But honestly it wasn't just the 3 main characters that were the only stars of this book. The entire book is filled with fully three dimensional characters making for a rich and satisfying read. When an author can run my emotions from one extreme to another during the course of a book she gets mega-praise.


The Plot: What you see is what you get. The book opens with the idea that Austin's absentee father just might want to claim his parental rights and take over the raising of Austin, which is exactly what happens. There are no real OMG moments and I don't recall ever uttering "I never saw that coming." but I think this book's simplistic storyline really allows for the readers to become fully immersed into the depths of the setting and characters.  


I did think that the ending was wrapped up too quickly (and by ending I mean the 'I Love Yous'  part.) I think Jake should have had to grovel more than what he did. But maybe that's the sadistic side of me talking.
  
Just so you know, there were some other happenings going on within the book. Jake and his half brother had to finally come to terms with being brothers. Jenny had a less than stellar visit with her father. Austin had his first crush. But honestly these things helped build the characters and not necessarily the plot.


In A Nut Shell: A slightly above average contemporary romance story with excellent characters made for very good read as I am extremely character driven when it comes to books I like. I will definitely read more from Susan Andersen (actually I'm hoping that Jake's brother gets a turn at HEA.) 

The Darkest Day by Britt Bury

Synopsis: ALL-CONSUMING DESIRE . . . Izel Campbell was raised to believe she is an immortal Fionn with the magical skills of persuasion. But when she travels to Scotland to visit her ancestral home, Izel discovers that she is actually the world's last living human. Forced to run for her life, Izel crosses paths with Kelvin Kerr, the Campbells' greatest foe-and the most magnificent warrior she has ever seen.   BURNS BRIGHTEST . . . A thousand-year-old battle chief of the Kerr clan, Kelvin lives only to avenge his father, who died at the hands of the bloody Campbells. Honor demands he kill the Campbell heir, but when he learns that the lovely Izel is both Campbell and human, Kelvin is torn between duty and desire . . .

My Thoughts: The Darkest Day had my attention from chapter 1 and despite a couple of things that struck me odd during the course of the book I would say Britt Bury has penned a winner of a debut!

What I Liked: Despite the similarities between Bury's book and Kresley Cole's Immortals After Dark series (there are quite a few similarities), I found the bulk of this book to be well put together and quite original. Normally if someone would have told me that a chunk of this book was just like the IAD series I might have refused to read The Darkest Day on principle. I love IAD and would hate for someone to make a less than adequate copy of it. However, Britt Bury did not make a horrible copy of a Kresley Cole book. The similarities are done in a way that is more of a shout out rather than a punk copying answers to the test kind of way. I wont get into specific similarities but if you read this book (which I think you should) and you're familiar with IAD you will see right away what I mean.

The Characters: Izel and Kelvin are pretty amazing together. Their banter is fun and made me laugh a few times. Their passion is pretty sizzling too. I was fully invested in them as a couple that towards the end I admit I was a little bit weepy.

The different types of beings: This is the first book I've ever read that has introduced me to a Pookah and a Fionn. I love that Bury didn't rely on the tired Werewolf/Vampire species when building her world. Yes there are vampires but they aren't hunky ones that you want to throw out your morals and bare a dozen undead children with. They are nasty buggers (they're eeeeeeeevilllllll...insert diabolical laugh here).

What I Didn't Like As Much: Her Shielding Glamour...At the beginning you find out that Izel has been glamoured which masked her human-ness from leaking out making her highly sought after....and not in a good way. This, apparently, was done at birth. I had some unanswered questions regarding this. Why did her glamour fail at that specific time? Why did her entire appearance have to change? If the glamour prevented her from feeling emotions why did she never at least try to have a 'normal' physical relationship? She experienced pain so she should have experienced pleasure too. I always have a hard time believing in a 27 year old virgin in the year 2012.

I also thought that even though the different species was interesting I was confused as to what a Pookah and a Fionn were through a large part of the book. Come to find out there is a glossary which helped out immensely. As this is an ebook flipping back and forth between the text and the glossary is something that I struggle with...but that isn't Ms. Bury's issue. It's mine. I just mention it because I want to make sure no one else wonders what the hell a Pookah is through so much of the book.

Izel's Lack of Knowledge About Her Own World: It's like the woman lived in a bubble (which could have been true because of her human-ness but it wasn't). I am just wondering why she wasn't naturally curious about herself, her parents and the other species that are enemies of the Fionns. Plus it appears she is a major player in her Grandfather's Clan....she didn't know about that either. I understand that some of the book relies on her naivety but I would have liked her a little more knowledgeable.

It's the Old Fated Mate Plot: Granted this has worked  very well in the past and Britt Bury pulls it off nicely. I'm just tired of this plot devise being so overused to explain why the couple should be together. Once again this is my issue and not necessarily the book's. I mention it because this review is all about my feelings toward the book.

To Wrap It Up: Despite some drawbacks this book is actually very entertaining and enjoyable. I am really looking forward to reading more in the series and there are a few extremely interesting men who I am hoping get their HEA. Overall, 4 cups of coffee!

Oh and this book appears to only be available in eBook format. Never fear though, you can purchase it at amazon and Barnes&Noble  (in the US) for only $4.99

At Last by Jill Shalvis

Synopsis: HER LOVE HAS COME ALONG... — Amy Michaels loves her new life in Lucky Harbor.  A waitress in the local diner, she's looking forward to her first weekend hike through the mountains.  But when a wrong turn takes her off the trail, she finds herself up close and personal with forest ranger Matt Bowers.  And even though she's tempted to kiss that sexy smile right off his face, she won't make the mistake of getting involved with the town heartthrob.

A former cop whose life went south, Matt doesn't let anyone get too close.  But something about the feisty beauty caught his eye the moment he first saw her in the diner.  After a hot night under a starry sky, Matt can't deny their attraction -- or the fact that for the first time in a long time, he feels the stirrings of something more.  Now it's up to Matt to help Amy see that, no matter what is in their past, together they can build a future in Lucky Harbor.

My Thoughts: I've been struggling over the last couple days to put into words what I felt about this book. Honestly it isn't a favorite but it was more enjoyable then an average book. Amy is vulerable yet stubbornly independent. She's struggling to create a life for herself and become something better than who she was in her past. Matt is fascinated with her.

What I Liked: Their attraction. It's really what brings them together, (that and our heroine being lost in the middle of the woods needing a hunka-hunka DNR officer to rescue her) so, anyway, I was not surprised that the love scenes were sizzling. I was surprised that I enjoyed reading them as much as I did. I'm a habitual skipper of the noisy moisture sharing parts in my romance books but didn't skip even one word of the hot lovin' that Ms Shalvis created. I think this attests to her skill in writing these scenes and that she doesn't throw them in to meet some hot monkey sex quota.

The secondary characters were equally fascinating. I am looking forward to the hunky doctor's story and to see where the young homeless person's storyline goes. I'm hoping that we see more of her anyway and she gets a happily ever after someday.

The secondary storyline of Amy's grandmother and her journey to the mountains near Lucky Harbor was also very well done. We learn about it through Amy who is trying to follow the journey made so many decades ago in hopes of finding herself. This storyline gave us insight into Amy.

What I Didn't Like (or rather what I thought could have been a tad better): There was yet another storyline within the book that could have been fleshed out more. We see a group of juvenile delinquents wrecking havoc on Matt and his job but after having read another book with a similar secondary storyline I couldn't help compare them. Which honestly, isn't that fair to Jill to compare her to Nora Roberts but as I just finished reading the Roberts' book I just can't help it. Nora just did it better. I think this secondary storyline was important to the characterization of Matt as it showed his morals, values and his ability to stand against evil (or one snot nosed special brownie eating punk teenager). Because it was important I would have liked to have seen more of it.

Overall a good read that I'm glad I had the opportunity to read. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series (Forever and A Day). Jill Shalvis is quickly becoming my go to author for fun contemporary romances.

 

The Witness by Nora Roberts

Synopsis: Daughter of a controlling mother, Elizabeth finally let loose one night, drinking at a nightclub and allowing a strange man's seductive Russian accent lure her to a house on Lake Shore Drive.  The events that followed changed her life forever.  Twelve years later, the woman known as Abigail Lowery lives on the outskirts of a small town in the Ozarks.  A freelance programmer, she designs sophisticated security systems -- and supplements her own security with a fierce dog and an assortment of firearms.  She keeps to herself, saying little, revealing nothing.  But Abigail's reserve only intrigues police chief Brooks Gleason.  Her logical mind, her secretive nature, and her unromantic viewpoints leave him fascinated but frustrated.  He suspects that Abigail needs protection from something -- and that her elaborate defenses hide a story that must be revealed.

What I liked: The beginning.  I really enjoyed learning about Liz and felt for her when it was clear that her mother was not maternal. I was really able to identify with the decisions she made. I also loved that because of her logical mind she was able to comprehend what mistakes she made that lead up to her life being turned upside down.

I also liked Abigail and her social awkwardness. If you've watched the TV show The Big Bang Theory, Abigail is like Leonard. So smart but socially stunted and completely out of her element when she has to be around other people. 

I really liked Brooks too... I think that Nora really excels at creating men that we women really want but have a hard time finding.  Brooks is a great blend of an Alpha Male and a Beta. His need to protect is great but does not feel emasculated when Abigail does not need him to protect her. He is not one to beat on his chest then throw his woman over his shoulder to 'rescue' her. He may feel like he needs to do so but he doesn't. He's one smart cookie.

What I didn't like: Around the half way mark the book lost some momentum. This is when we are introduced to Abigail. As fascinating as she was (love an uber smart woman) her part of the storyline seemed to drag a bit. There were a few scenes that really did nothing to propel the story forward and could have been cut. 

Which leads me to the length. I read the hard cover version and there were almost 500 pages. There were a few times that I really felt the book was 800 pages long. I really have a short attention span and books that are over 400 pages tend to intimidate me. True story.

I thought Brooks' and Abigail's romance was nice but I just didn't have an big 'sigh' moments.

Back to Abigail...I think there was an inconstancy or two in her behavior towards the last 1/3 of the book. She is so much like Tempe Brennan from the Bones TV show (a good thing!) She is very smart and very clinical. She analyzes everything.  Knowing this I find it strange she would all of a sudden say something like (and I'm paraphrasing) 'you and our love is magic.' Abigail does not wax poetic. She describes mutual physical attraction as a chemical reaction for Pete's Sake! For her to refer to their love as magic (and Brooks in particular) she'd either have had to be drunk or suffering from a concussion. (So now I've totally compared Abigail to two different TV show characters!)

I would have liked to see more of a wrapped up ending when it came to the bad guys too. I find it odd that despite the bad guys being really bad it didn't seem that they were doing much to find Liz. Perhaps if the book would have spent a bit more time from their point of view instead of the once or twice it briefly did I would have felt that part of the book was more developed. I expected more of a thrilling read with Liz being in suspenseful danger but we really didn't see that. 

Overall a decent read but not a favorite. I was hovering between 3.5 or a 4 star rating and ended up with 4 because I love Nora and I'm one of those preferential treatment people.

 

Thief of Shadows by Elizabeth Hoyt

Synopsis (back blurb):

A MASKED MAN . . .
Winter Makepeace lives a double life. By day he’s the stoic headmaster of a home for foundling children. But the night brings out a darker side of Winter. As the moon rises, so does the Ghost of St. Giles—protector, judge, fugitive. When the Ghost, beaten and wounded, is rescued by a beautiful aristocrat, Winter has no idea that his two worlds are about to collide.
A DANGEROUS WOMAN . . .
Lady Isabel Beckinhall enjoys nothing more than a challenge. Yet when she’s asked to tutor the Home’s dour manager in the ways of society—flirtation, double entendres, and scandalous liaisons—Isabel can’t help wondering why his eyes seem so familiar—and his lips so tempting.
A PASSION NEITHER COULD DENY
During the day Isabel and Winter engage in a battle of wills. At night their passions are revealed . . . But when little girls start disappearing from St. Giles, Winter must avenge them. For that he might have to sacrifice everything—the Home, Isabel . . . and his life.

My Thoughts: Overall I was impressed with this book. I have read one other Hoyt book (The Leopard Prince) several years ago and both books share a few things in common. Both have women of a social standing much higher than the men. The men are working men, the women are women of leisure. She has money he doesn't. There is also a story within the story. I thought parts of the book seemed to drag a bit but overall it kept me wanting to get back to it. The story within the story was told in short parts at the start of each chapter and it made me want to hurry up and get to the next chapter.

Winter was a pretty good hero but perhaps not as 'mysterious' as Hoyt tried to make him. His 'inner beast' came across a bit silly as he is more of a Beta hero than an Alpha (I don't care what he does in his spare time he is still a Beta....but still wonderful...truly). Isobel comes across as cold and not quite likable but Hoyt does an excellent job of showing us that she really isn't cold despite her various actions throughout the first half of the book that would lead us to believe the worst of her. I think as characters go, standing alone, they would be average but together, as a couple, Isobel and Winter are just stunning.

And what can I say about the love scenes? You will rarely hear me say this but most of them were absolutely wonderful. For someone who tends to skip the moist parts I read a couple of them twice. 

As far as the plot goes, the pace seems a bit slow in spots but this is easily overlooked as we get wrapped up in Winter's need to save the innocent and Isobel's need to save Winter. The mystery aspect of the plot is a bit overshadowed by the romance between Isobel and Winter but not in a bad way, as this is a book one wouldn't read for the mystery anyway.

I am so glad I read this book and after reading a teasing sample of the next book in this series (Lord of Darkness) I can't wait until December.  Elizabeth Hoyt has made me a fan.

My favorite quote: "Never volunteer. Not even when pleasantly filled with warm scones and hot tea. Warm scones were obviously the work of the devil....."

 

Undead and Unstable by MaryJanice Davidson

Synopsis: Betsy's heartbroken over her friend Marc's death, but at least his sacrifice should change the future--her future--for the better.  But it's not as if Betsy's next few hundred years will be perfect.  After all, her half sister, Laura, is the Antichrist, Laura's mother is Satan, and family gatherings will always be more than a little awkward.

What's really bothering Betsy is that ever since she and Laura returned from visiting her mom in hell, Laura's been acting increasingly peculiar.  Maybe it's Laura's new job offer: Satan's replacement down under.  Unfortunately, the position comes at a damnable price: killing Betsy, her own flesh and blood.

Over Betsy's dead body.  And for that matter, Marc's, too, since he's not quite as buried as everyone thought.  Now a war has been waged--one that's going to take sibling rivalry to a whole new level and a dimension where only one sister can survive.


My Review: I'm officially done with Betsy. Her constant ignorant chatter and her inability to concentrate was annoying but to have everyone in her life call her stupid or remind her that she's easily distracted by shiny things is beyond palatable. She thinks she's as dumb as a box of rocks. Her friends think she is as dumb as a box of rocks. Her husband thinks stuff too but loves her anyway. Not only has Betsy not grown over the course of 11 books it is apparent that she is sliding backwards. If Betsy was this stupid in book 1 I never would have read book 2.

The actual storyline was all of 3 chapters scattered throughout the book. The rest was filler where Betsy drinks smoothies or semi-mourns her cat or gets chased by dogs or gets arrested. None of which is actually pertinent to the plot.

The time traveling aspect is just silly as there are some events that were altered for the sake of humor but for the life of me I can't figure out how they happened. Nick is now Dick and throughout the book (and the last one) Betsy calls him D/Nick or Nickie-Dickie or some other annoying name. I have no idea how Betsy's visit to the past could have changed one of the character's names but having her repeatedly calling Nick, De-Nick annoyed me.

The writing itself seems chaotic. It's written from Betsy's perspective which is just awful. As I mentioned earlier she is easily distracted by shiny things so her mind wanders. We, as readers, are unfortunate to get to read about how she wonders what hair products so and so uses while that character is talking to her. In addition to this, one chapter opens up with something along the lines of 'and that is how I got arrested' but the end of the chapter before that had nothing to do with being arrested. The explanation of her arrest and the actions leading up to it are explained after the opening of that chapter.




In addition to this the book is not friendly to new readers. You cannot pick up this book and read it without having read any other Betsy Taylor books. Things are reviewed at the beginning of the book on what has happened thus far in books 1-10 but I found some things were not explained. For example why does Betsy call Satan Lena Olin? A new reader wouldn't know and it's not explained.

So, because of the lack of growth on Betsy's part, the lack of a decent plot, the fact that the book is trying to be funny to the point it isn't and the chaos like writing I doubt I will ever pick up another Queen Betsy book.

Brains Brains BRAINS! (it's a tastey giveaway)

Who doesn't love zombies? No one that's who. Because everyone loves zombies I'm letting you in on an awesome giveaway over at The Bookish Brunette  called Zombie Craze! I know, pretty sweet huh? Lots of freakin' excellent zombie books are being given away. So, either click on The Brunette's clicky link above or you can click on her pink Zombie Queen link on my right sidebar. Either way works and would be totally worth it! Giveaway ends on 5/31/12 so hurry!

77 Shadow Street by Dean Koontz

Synopsis: I am the One, the all and the only. I live in the Pendleton as surely as I live everywhere. I am the Pendleton's history and its destiny. The building is my place of conception, my monument, my killing ground. . . .
 —The Pendleton stands on the summit of Shadow Hill at the highest point of an old heartland city, a Gilded Age palace built in the late 1800s as a tycoon’s dream home. Almost from the beginning, its grandeur has been scarred by episodes of madness, suicide, mass murder, and whispers of things far worse. But since its rechristening in the 1970s as a luxury apartment building, the Pendleton has been at peace. For its fortunate residents—among them a successful songwriter and her young son, a disgraced ex-senator, a widowed attorney, and a driven money manager—the Pendleton’s magnificent quarters are a sanctuary, its dark past all but forgotten.

But now inexplicable shadows caper across walls, security cameras relay impossible images, phantom voices mutter in strange tongues, not-quite-human figures lurk in the basement, elevators plunge into unknown depths. With each passing hour, a terrifying certainty grows: Whatever drove the Pendleton’s past occupants to their unspeakable fates is at work again. Soon, all those within its boundaries will be engulfed by a dark tide from which few have escaped.

My Thoughts: This book was a revisit to Koontz's earlier horror type books which was a nice change of pace from the last few that I've read by him. I don't want to get into the plot of the book because to explain it I'd have to be way too detailed than I want to be at 3am but here are some pluses and minuses of the book...

Minuses---
A lot of characters (this is a big city condo building and this book is about the people in the building....there were close to 20)

Very wordy (one of the characters is a conspiracy theorist...I ended up skipping whole paragraphs when the book was focused on him)

Often times the book read a bit complex to where I was confused and had to back track and read parts again (sometimes whole pages)

Ended with some questions unanswered (however the ending was a plus overall)

Big bad evil creatures had a name that annoyed me (granted that is just a weird quirk of mine)

Pluses---
Interesting characters (not all of them but a large portion) a couple of which had some really good banter between them

Time travel (not a big fan of time travel but the way Koontz carried it out was very interesting)

Ultimately the ending (despite the fact that I still have some unanswered questions) was actually wrapped up nicely. Not too quickly wrapped up and it was quite satisfying.

The book is written in a way that I can only describe as each set of characters having their own television channel and we, the readers, are flipping through the channels which are being broadcasted live as the Pendelton building is going through some crazy stuff. So chapter two might have a heading that says Bailey Hawks then in a few pages it will skip to Winny and Twyla. Does that make any sense? There are also very short chapters scattered through the book italicized and titled as The One. These chapters are from the big bad evil's point of view. I think this way of writing this book was excellent especially with the number of characters involved. We were never wondering whose storyline we were reading about at any given moment.

I do wish the book had been at least 100 pages shorter (this book was hardcover at 450-ish pages) but I honestly don't know what he could have cut (other than some of his more elaborately descriptive passages).

Overall this book was an ok read. I think the build up took a long time despite the creepy happenings. Once I got to page 250 or so it sped up. But that is a long time to wait.

Sweet Enemy by Diana Palmer

Synopsis: Under His Spell Sparring Partners Wholesome Maggie Kirk had always been wary of commanding cowboy Clint Raygen. So if her best friend's forbidding older brother rubbed her the wrong way, how come she'd chosen his ranch to recover from a broken heart? She knew the dangers that her foe posed . . . yet every time she crossed paths with the hard-edged cattle rancher, her pulse would race out of control. Maggie secretly dreamed of awakening to womanhood in Clint's powerful embrace . . . but did these sweet enemies have a shot at becoming lifelong lovers?

My Thoughts: So after finishing  Sweet Enemy I was hovering between 1 or 2 for a rating and decided based on the fact that this is a Harlequin written in 1979 I'd have to give it a little leeway so I went with the higher rating.

Overbearing older rich man. 20 year old naive virgin. Older man brutally kisses young woman one minute (because she wants it) and the next ridiculing her for her weakness (for wanting him). Over and over and over it went. They fought like cats and dogs but he apparently wanted her anyway, yet treated her badly. It was back to the frame of mind 'when a boy pulls your hair it means he likes you' kind of thing. The hero was terrible. He belittled her repeatedly then grabbed her forcibly and punished her with a long bruising kiss which she fought against for all of 1.5 seconds only to succumb to his expertise in the ways between a man and woman. At which point he would shove her away from him stare her down in an accusatory way because it was her fault he wanted her. I especially enjoyed (not) the time he told her to to tell him she wanted him. Then he made her beg for him. After she said please bend me over your desk....(ok that didn't really happen) but after she basically begged him to make love to her he mocked her feelings for him in such a way it made her feel 1/2 an inch tall. She managed to get a dig into him to try to salvage what was left of her dignity only to have him be even more calculating and mean to her later in retaliation to his bruised pride.

She was just as bad as he was. Her main flaw was that she let him treat her so poorly. In addition she actually decided she loved him. Really?

I rarely run across a book that I absolutely detest the two main characters so much but on the upside I liked a couple of the minor characters. One might have his own Harlequin out there somewhere (this book is book #179 in the MacFadden Romance series so who knows). Unfortunately the other character I actually liked died during the course of the book.

As far as Palmer's writing goes, I can't fault it that much other than I've heard she has not modified her style even after over 30 years of writing. Her heroes are all still like this and her heroines are all innocent virgins no matter what their age. As far as this book goes the only plot there seemed to be was the combustible relationship the hero and heroine had. I find it a bit odd that the romance is  the plot devise in this book. Normally you would find a plot that carries the storyline along during which, the H/h fall in love. So, plot not good. However, somehow Palmer did make me feel for the heroine during her lowest point despite the fact that I didn't like her and she was everything that I detest in a female character. So she gets kudos for that. Not everyone can make me feel sorry for a character that I hate.

Now the big question.....will I read another Palmer or not. I will. Only because this is the only book I've read by her and I believe in giving an author a better chance than that. I will read at least one more book by her just to make sure that this particular book wasn't just an unfortunate release to an otherwise stellar bibliography.

Stray by Rachel Vincent

Synopsis: I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifer, and I live in two worlds. — Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked. 
— I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws and I'm not afraid to use them... 

My thoughts: Faythe is one of only a handful of Tabbies in the North American Prides making her and the others highly treasured. When a Stray, a werecat with no Pride, attacks Faythe she is rushed home to her father's home and her Pride. This doesn't sit well with her as she has been struggling to make a life for herself. To be independent when her entire family struggles to keep her in their fold is a constant struggle. When a Tabbie goes missing Faythe knows that is the end of her independence but hopes to convince everyone in her life that she can take care of herself.

I thought that Faythe's constant whining about wanting to be away from the Pride was a bit much. As a large cat, her instincts should be completely opposite of wanting to be alone. Her need to prove she can take care of herself puts her in dangerous situations making her someone I'd want to slap. The first half of the book was tolerable but dragged with this. It also had most of the world building and a lot of info dumpage on how Prides work.
Thankfully the last half of the book really picked up. Faythe redeemed herself and towards the end I saw her as a total kick butt chick but still vulnerable. Stray really handed the reader some great villains and awesome (yet graphic) fighting scenes. Overall a really good read despite it was over 600 pages and the first half felt tedious.

Honey and the Hired Hand by Joan Johnston

Synopsis: Wanted: Ranch hand to mend fences--and broken hearts. . . — When her first husband, a Texas Ranger, was killed on the job, Honey Farrell swore she'd never risk her heart again. She no longer has time for men, anyway--not with a ranch to run, a dwindling bang account and two teenaged boys to raise. So when cowboy Jesse Whitelaw turns up on her doorstep looking for work, he seems like the answer to her prayers.

But Honey doesn't know that Jesse's actually a Ranger himself, going undercover to break up a cattle-rustling ring--and as she and Jesse get closer, the secrets he's keeping could destroy them both.

My Thoughts (which will result in spoilers just an FYI): So, why does a book that is really not much more than 250 pages (large font by the way) take me almost 80 days to read? Is it because I have ADD? Did I misplace the book while rescuing kittens from trees? Or maybe it just isn't that good of a book. I'm no literary genius but I'm going to go with the latter.

I found that the entire book's series of events were completely off putting and ridiculous. Here as some low lights.

1)Honey and Jesse meet for the first time at a party outside in the darkness. She doesn't see him because of the dark until she almost runs into him. Somehow she isn't frightened by his presence even though he isn't wearing party clothes because he must be a party guest since there was a party going on but he looked more like a down on his luck drifter. When she steps away from him after almost running into him he grabs her wrist. She threatens to scream but they both know she won't. After all there is nothing to be alarmed about a woman coming across a shabbily dressed stranger, after dark, all alone, who grabs her....COME ON!!!!

2)Jesse admits that he had been peeping through the windows staring at her all night. Hello Stalker!

3)"Honey turned to the stranger to excuse herself and gasped....... "You're Indian!" she exclaimed." Um OK....I thought this was a contemporary romance. Well, it was written in 1992 as a Silhouette Desire....those are contemporary right?

4)Honey's friend Angel is terrified of Jesse because he is Indian. Are you sure this is contemporary?

5)Angel can't explain fully why she is terrified of Indians because her time traveling from 1864 to the present would seem far fetched. Time Travel? Really? REALLY?!?!?! Why not? It can't be any more far fetched than people in 1992 being startled by someone of American Indian descent.

6)After only a few days Honey is thinking of breaking up with her boyfriend who asked her to marry him and Jesse is thinking of settling down and having babies with Honey.

And it goes on to chapter 2 (ok maybe chapter 3)but thankfully I've already forgotten most of it. Oh and I was also annoyed with the cover. Pretty cover but it really makes no sense that the barn is sitting in the middle of a field of wildflowers.

Navy Baby by Debbie Macomber

Synopsis: It was a night she'd never forget. . .two strangers coming together in one breathless moment of intense need and heart-stopping desire. But now sheltered Hannah Raymond is expecting the child of rugged naval seaman Riley Murdock--a man she never thought she'd see again. . .

Riley has been searching for the elusive Hannah for months--ever since that night of searing passion left him shaken to the very depths of his soul. Now fate has finally reunited them. Determined to give his child the chance he'd never had, Riley marries Hannah.

They had created he miracle of life together, but would that be enough to spark the miracle of love?

My Thoughts: I think this book overall was a decent one but it did have some flaws that are more book irritants to me than actual flaws.

The heroine is much too naive, virginal and immature to me at the beginning. She didn't take ownership of her own life and she allowed her minister father to tell her that she was getting married because she ended up pregnant even though, by lack of school activity, it appeared she had to be an adult. Her age was a complete mystery too. Despite the book setting up that she was a naive virgin because she was raised by her preaching father I still couldn't buy it. In 1991 when this book was written (and I graduated high school) her lack of maturity just felt false. She wasn't living a sheltered life in the middle of the country in corn and cow land for Pete's sake. She lived near Seattle Washington. And a shotgun wedding? In 1991? In America? Really?

Another 'deal breaker' for me is the additional God talk peppered into the book. No, I was never quoted scriptures but did tire of hearing that a certain incident happened because it was God's will.

I did like the volatile relationship that Riley and Hannah had. They were virtual strangers who ended up man and wife. I liked how hard each of them tried at one point or another to get along with their spouse. I also found myself getting irritated when one of them would provoke another misunderstanding. Glad the book wasn't any longer though because the lack of communication resulting in misunderstandings would have gotten on my nerves too.

Another plus to this particular book is that even though they met and had sex within hours of bumping into each other the love story developed over the period of 8 months or so. There was no instantaneous I love Yous. Thumbs up for that!

So, not a bad book for a Harlequin. Glad I read it. I will not read it again though and am not rushing to read the rest of D-Mac's Navy series.

(originally published in 1991 as a Silhouette Special Edition #697)

Alone by Lisa Gardner

Synopsis: Alone ... Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man's finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react ... and forever pay the consequences.

Alone ... that's where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son's death ... and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

Alone ... a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum-security prison where he'd done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous ... and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence -- but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who's woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone.

My Thoughts: Alone was quite good but honestly none of the characters were that likable. I could see how a fan of Gardner's would say that this series is not their favorite. Setting aside the fact that DD Warren was barely a secondary character even though her name is on the cover one would have to go on their thoughts about Bobby Dodge. He is kind of a cowboy who bucks the rules...more like thumbs his nose at them....and has things about himself he would rather not discuss so he lies about them. It was hard to warm up to him and don't even get me started on my thoughts of Catherine. All together this book is filled with broken characters making due with what life has handed them and not necessarily in a way that takes them along the high road. I could sympathize with the characters but not empathize. 

Despite the list of unlikable characters I found myself needing to get back to the book so I could read what the outcome would be, mostly to see if Münchausen syndrome by proxy was why Catherine's child was so ill. I was quite satisfied with the way the book ended and will continue to read this series.

Edge of Sight by Roxanne St.. Claire

Synopsis:
The killer she can't escape . . . — The heartbreak she can't forget . . . — The one man who can stop them both. —
When Samantha Fairchild witnesses a murder in the wine cellar of the restaurant where she works, the Harvard-bound law student becomes the next target of a professional assassin. Desperate for protection the authorities won't provide, Sam seeks help from Vivi Angelino, an investigative reporter who recruits her brother, Zach, to protect Samantha. A Special Forces vet with the scars to prove he's equally fearless and flawed, Zach takes the job, despite the fact that he and Sam once shared a lusty interlude that ended when he left for war and disappeared from her life. Now, as they crack a conspiracy that leads to Boston's darkest corners, Sam and Zach must face their fears, desires, and doubts, before a hired killer gets a second shot...

My Thoughts:

About picking this book up to begin with:

I was a bit hesitant to start this book for a couple different reasons. First the series is called The Guardian Angelinos which I thought was just silly. The second was because St. Claire is a new to me author. Her Bullet Catchers series has been recommended to me but this was the only book I could get my hands on by her at the time. Overall I'm glad I went ahead with it. The name is still silly but I'm comforted to know that as this is the name of the new PI/Security company started by the Angelino/Rossi family and even the men in the family think the name is silly.

The Characters:
Zach: A scarred hero with a pocket full of regrets turned out to be a pretty decent hero. Not super human and full of doubts about his abilities as a bodyguard at the beginning of the book he reluctantly agreed to play bodyguard for an ex-flame. His inner struggles with his placement within his family smacked of a pity party and his logic behind ending his 3 week sex-athon with Samantha seemed twisted at best. He exhibited some tender moments that I truly adored though. Zaccaria is certainly not in the Suzanne Brockmann hero category but he isn't a bad one for sure.

Samantha: A witness in a murder who can't rely on her memory to ID the killer ends up on the killer's hit list despite the inability to ID him. She doesn't come across as a great heroine. She is plagued with self doubt and has spent a lot of years pining away for the man who left her after she said she loved him. I'm talking years and years by the way. She fell in love with him after spending 3 weeks of having hot monkey sex with him, said I love You and was surprised when he went away and never called her again. For some reason I am more annoyed with her about this whole thing. It's just as much Zach's fault but I expect more from my heroines. She does end up proving to me she isn't a whiner but overall I'm pretty "meh" about her.

The Rossi family: I found them to be very interesting and actually looking forward to eventually reading their books. What's not to like about a large Italian family right?

The Storyline:
A reunited storyline is not my favorite plot devise but overall it wasn't a bad one in this case. The two had baggage they had to deal with but with everything else going on it was ok. There is a good whodunit within the book and the pace of the book was decent. There were car chases, close calls, near drownings, bullets flying and wolves in sheep's clothing. The book did feel a bit too long even though it wasn't even 400 pages. There were a few things that I think could have been left out that wouldn't have altered the story at all. One sex scene in particular felt a bit gratuitous and weird considering the action that happened before it.

Overall: A decent romantic suspense. The negatives are minimal and the positives totally out weigh them. I look forward to reading more by this author even in this series despite the silly name.

100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2012!

So you know I am addicted to challenges right? Well, if you are new to my reading blog then you may not know that but trust me I am. While reading some of my favorite book blogs I came across a pretty awesome 100+ book challenge going on. It's hosted by Book Chick City and basically its super easy. All you need to do is read 100 books or more. The only restrictions are that they have to be fiction and cannot be audio books. The button for the challenge is in my right sidebar....clickity click to join. The more the merrier! You can join at any time and start participating on January 1st.

Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas

 Synopsis: ONE LITTLE GIRL NEEDS A FAMILY One rain-slicked night, six-year-old Holly lost the only parent she knew, her beloved mother, Victoria. And since that night, she has never again spoken a word. — ONE SINGLE MAN NEEDS A WIFE The last thing Mark Nolan needs is a six-year-old girl in his life. But he soon realizes that he will do everything he can to make her life whole again. His sister’s will gives him the instructions: There’s no other choice but you. Just start by loving her. The rest will follow.

SOMETIMES IT TAKES A LITTLE MAGIC . . .

Maggie Collins doesn’t dare believe in love again, after losing her husband of one year. But she does believe in the magic of imagination. As the owner of a toy shop, she lives what she loves. And when she meets Holly Nolan, she sees a little girl in desperate need of a little magic.

. . . TO MAKE DREAMS COME TRUE Three lonely people. Three lives at the crossroads. Three people who are about to discover that Christmas is the time of year when anything is possible, and when wishes have a way of finding the path home. . . .

My Thoughts: Finished Christmas Eve at Friday Harbor by Lisa Kleypas and loved it. It was heart warming and just a sweet type of romance. Despite the shortness of the book the story felt full and complete. I didn't find it ended abruptly as some people did but it kind of ended, to me, as a 'this is just the beginning for us' feeling. I very much enjoyed that even though this book was short the story took place over months and months time. So no 'instantaneous love' in this book...which is a huge bonus in my mind.

I really connected with Maggie who is a young widow and she is very much scared of moving forward in her love life. I loved that Mark is a 'we don't encourage whimsical imagination of faeries living in little houses' kind of guy who ended up making his niece a bowl of rainbow when she was sick. I loved that he went from an OMG I'm not a parent type of guy to knowing he is a father despite not being biologically correct. Lisa Kleypas creates excellent characters. I cannot wait for Sam and Alex's books. Seriously when are they coming out????

I was torn between 4.5 stars and 5....I ended up giving it 5 because my overall thoughts of "I wish it were longer" had nothing to do with making the book better. It was my own selfish reasoning in wishing it was longer. The story is excellent as is. I just wanted it to be a bigger book so I could continue with my enjoyment longer.