Monday, November 30, 2009

November Review Re-Cap


I had a varied reading month for November. Unfortunately, I also had my first DNF.

5 Stars

Bound to Shadows - Keri Arthur
Bitter Night - Diana Pharaoh Francis
Rosemary and Rue - Seanan McGuire

4 Stars

The Untamed Bride - Stephanie Laurens
Shattered - Joan Johnston
Skinned - Robin Wasserman

3 Stars

Keeping It Real - Justina Robson
Would-Be Witch - Kimberly Frost
Shadowfae - Erica Hayes
Santa Olivia - Jacqueline Carey

2 Stars

Real Vampires Don't Diet - Gerry Bartlett

DNF

Seduced By Shadows - Jessa Slade

My rating system:

5 Stars - Loved It!!
4 Stars - Really Liked It!
3 Stars - Liked It
2 Stars - Didn't Like It
1 Star - Hated It
DNF - Did Not Finish

M

Mailbox Monday

Good Monday morning everyone. :) It is hard to believe this is the last day of November....my, how time flies. :)

Here are a couple of books I've received from paperbackswap.



Book Blurb:

Is she a good witch or a bad witch?

With the flip of her raven hair, a flash of her topaz eyes, and a shake of a stick, rumored witch Melody Seabright has cast a spell on single dad Logan Kilgarven. What else can explain what's happening to him
?

Logan, a television producer, can't seem to concentrate on anything since he met his enchanting new neighbor...

When Logan agrees to help Melody find a job at his TV station, he never expects the culinary-challenged siren to land her own cooking show. Her charisma keeps things bubbling on the set, and behind the scenes, things are starting to steam up between them.

Logan knows he can't resist her charms - but is there more to their attraction than the here and now? If only he had a crystal ball to show him....

And




Book Blurb:

Three's a charm, and the third Cartwright sister, Destiny, is certainly not lacking. However, she is troubled by her attraction to paranormal debunker Morgan Jarvis. Destiny opts out of a week in his company, hoping that a meditative stay alone at her sister's lighthouse will shed some light on her contrary feelings and psychic gifts.

Unbeknownst to Destiny, her sly sister also left keys with the unsuspecting Morgan. Late one night, they literally stumble upon each other - and the lighthouse's ghostly inhabitants.


Destiny and Morgan have nothing in common other than the one bed they need to share and some crazy physical attraction. Raising the dead might be easier than trying to make these two opposites work together, but Destiny has experience - and love - on her side....

These sound like fun, quick reads....:)

M

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Review: Rosemary and Rue


This is the first book in the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire.

Book Blurb:

October 'Toby' Daye, a changeling who is half human and half fae, has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the Faerie world, retreating to a 'normal' life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world has other ideas.

The murder of Countess Evening Winterrose pulls Toby back into the fae world. Unable to resist Evening's dying curse, which binds her to investigate, Toby must resume her former position as knight errant and renew old alliances. As she steps back into fae society, dealing with a cast of characters not entirely good or evil, she realizes that more than her own life will be forfeited if she cannot find Evening's killer.

I loved this book! :)

I have never been so blown away by a books prologue as I was with Rosemary and Rue. I was shaking my head and saying 'what'? - that can't be right. LOL

I love Toby - she has been through so much, tried so hard to maintain a semblance of a normal life - only to be pulled back into the world she so desperately wanted to leave behind.

I am fascinated with all of the characters that populate this world Ms. McGuire has created - especially Tybalt, the King at the Court of Cats. He is pureblood Cait Sidhe and I can't figure out just what his feelings are for Toby - she seems to think he hates her - I'm not convinced. :)

I give Rosemary and Rue 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait for the next installment.

M

And don't miss the next installment - A Local Habitation - due out March 2, 2010.

Book Blurb:


Now comes the second in the series-from a dynamic new fantasy talent!

Toby Daye-a half-human, half-fae changeling-has been an outsider from birth. After getting burned by both sides of her heritage, Toby has denied the fae world, retreating to a "normal" life. Unfortunately for her, the Faerie world had other ideas...

Now her liege, the Duke of the Shadowed Hills, has asked Toby to go to the Country of Tamed Lightening to make sure all is well with his niece, Countess January O'Leary. It seems like a simple enough assignment-until Toby discovers that someone has begun murdering people close to January, and that if the killer isn't stopped, January may be the next victim.

Thursday, November 26, 2009

Happy Thanksgiving

Good Morning. May your day be filled with family and friends and wonderful food. :)

I am thankful everyday for so many things - the health and happiness of my family most of all. But, like so many people, my family has been hit by the poor state of the economy - and I am very thankful things are turning around. :)

And though some may think it silly - I am thankful that I have a place to visit with ya'll and discuss all the lovely books we've read or want to read. :)

So for all of my US friends - Happy Thanksgiving! And for those friends outside of the US - have a wonderful day!


M

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Review: Skinned


This is a YA novel by Robin Wasserman.

Book Blurb:

Lia Kahn was perfect: rich, beautiful, popular. Until the accident that nearly killed her. Now she has been downloaded into a new body that only looks human. Lia will never feel pain again, she will never age, and she can't ever truly die. But she is also rejected by her friends, betrayed by her boyfriend, and alienated from her old life.

Forced to the fringes of society, Lia joins others like her. But they are looked at as freaks. They are hated...and feared. They are everything but human, and according to most people, this is the ultimate crime - for which they must pay the ultimate price.

Skinned is a good book - but it made me very angry.

Lia Kahn was in a horrible accident. The doctors could not save her body - but her brain was salvageable. Lia's father makes the decision to have her brain downloaded into a new body - and the results are a disaster.

Skinned is set sometime in the future. Technology has been invented that, with enough money, anything is possible. You can stop the ravages of time and disease, fix almost all imperfections in the womb and even order DNA sequences that guarantee the eye and hair color, sex, IQ and athletic abilities of your unborn children.

With all of this technology - the family dynamic is lost. I felt awful reading Skinned - my heart went out to Lia. Against her will she was altered in a way that made it impossible for her to fit in anywhere....even in her own home.

I am looking forward to finding out what happens to Lia in the next book - Crashed, which is available now.

I give Skinned 4 out of 5 stars. :)

M

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Review: Seduced by Shadows


This is the first book in the Marked Souls series by Jessa Slade.

Book Blurb:

When Sera Littlejohn meets a violet-eyed stranger, he reveals a supernatural battle veiled in the shadows, and Sera is tempted to the edge of madness by a dangerous desire. Ferris Archer takes Sera under his wing, now that she is a talyan - possessed by a repentant demon with hellish powers. Archer's league of warriors have never fought beside a female before, and never in all his centuries has Archer found a woman who captivates him like Sera.

With the balance shifting between good and evil, passion and possession, Sera and Archer must defy the darkness and dare to embrace a love that will mark them forever.

This is my first DNF - Did Not Finish

Seduced by Shadows sounds promising in the blurb - but fell short in actuality.

At first it appears to be your typical 'tormented guy finds girl' yada, yada, yada. And it was in the beginning - but then it just lost all the momentum it had and died.

I made it to page 232 out of 387 - and I just put it down. I'm not interested in the characters or what happens to them. This could be due to the fact that out of those 232 pages we only had 2 encounters with the bad critters - the rest was talk. And not good talk - boring talk.

Seduced by Shadows was just boring.

My rating is DNF.

M

Monday, November 23, 2009

Mailbox Monday

Good Monday morning all. :) I hope everyone has a wonderful week and for those in the US - a wonderful Thanksgiving on Thursday. :)

Here are a couple of the books I received from paperbackswap last week. :)





Book Blurb:

Taya soars over Ondinium on metal wings. She is an icarus - a courier privileged to travel freely across the city's sectors and mingle indiscriminately among its castes. But even she can't outfly the web of terrorism, loyalty, murder, and intrigue that snares her after a daring mid-air rescue.

Taya finds herself entangled with the Forlore brothers, scions of an upperclass family: handsome, brillant Alister, who sits on the governing council and writes programs for the Great Engine; and awkward, sharp-tongued Cristof, who has exiled himself from his caste and repairs clocks in Ondinium's lowest sector.

Both hide dangero
us secrets, in this city that beats to the ticking of a clockwork heart....

And

Book Blurb:


Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette.

Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate.

With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart?

SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

I am looking forward to both of these...something a little different from my normal paranormal romance. :)

Happy Reading.

M



Friday, November 20, 2009

Review: Santa Olivia


This is a novel by Jacqueline Carey.

Book Blurb:

Lushly written with rich and vivid characters, SANTA OLIVIA is Jacqueline Carey's take on comic book superheroes and the classic werewolf myth.

Loup Garron was born and raised in Santa Olivia, an isolated, disenfranchised town next to a ..US.. military base inside a DMZ buffer zone between ..Texas.. and ....Mexico..... A fugitive "Wolf-Man" who had a love affair with a local woman, Loup's father was one of a group of men genetically-manipulated and used by the ....US.... government as a weapon. The "Wolf-Men" were engineered to have superhuman strength, speed, sensory capability, stamina, and a total lack of fear, and Loup, named for and sharing her father's wolf-like qualities, is marked as an outsider.

After her mother dies, Loup goes to live among the misfit orphans at the parish church, where they seethe from the injustices visited upon the locals by the soldiers. Eventually, the orphans find an outlet for their frustrations: They form a vigilante group to support Loup Garron who, costumed as their patron saint, Santa Olivia, uses her special abilities to avenge the town.

Aware that she could lose her freedom, and possibly her life, Loup is determined to fight to redress the wrongs her community has suffered. And like the reincarnation of their patron saint, she will bring hope to all of Santa Olivia.

This was an interesting read. :)

Santa Olivia is set in a town that once belonged to the state of Texas. Due to epidemic illness and war with Mexico, Santa Olivia was closed off completely from the rest of the world and is now occupied by the military. Everyone who was born in Santa Olivia after it was closed off - has never left - and probably never will. Unless they win a boxing match against the Army's champion boxer.

Loup (Lou) Garron and her older brother Tommy were born in Santa Olivia after the epidemic illness that killed almost all of Santa Olivia's residents. It is Tommy's goal in life to win a boxing match and a ticket out of Santa Olivia for himself and Loup.

Things don't go as Tommy plans and Loup winds up in the ring - fighting for herself and Tommy - hoping against hope to make it out of Santa Olivia alive.

I enjoyed Santa Olivia - it was a definite change from the usual 'were' read. But the main characters in this book are children - Loup being barely 18 by the end of the book. I wonder if Ms. Carey plans another book in the life of Loup Garron - I am interested to know what happens to her in the next phase of her life.

I give Santa Olivia 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

New series promo: Babes on Brooms

Book Blurb:

From the Wild & Hexy imagination of a New York Times bestselling author

Sexy witch Anica Revere has one rule: never under any circumstances get involved with a man before telling him she's a witch.

Still, what's one silly rule? Especially when the guy in question is as cute as Jasper Danes.

But when Anica and Jasper have a spat, she breaks an ever bigger rule of witchcraft and turns him into a cat.

Bad news for him. Worse for her...


And

Book Blurb:

From the New York Times bestselling author of Blonde with a Wand--another charming tale of love and witchcraft

Lily Revere is free-spirited and fun-loving-two dangerous qualities in a witch.

Lily needs a date for her sister Anica's engagement party, and she's determined to bring hot Griffin Taylor. But the jaded divorce lawyer claims his job has warned him off romance.

Slipping a love elixir into Griffin's drink may not be the noble thing to do-but it sure works! There's just one problem:

Are Griffin's feelings the result of some truly good witchcraft-or could he really be in love?

These books sound like fun. The first one is due out February of 2010 and the second one in March. :)

M

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

ARC Review: Shattered


This is the 8th book in the Bitter Creek series by Joan Johnston.

Book Blurb:

Nine years ago Kate Grayhawk Pendleton walked into Wyatt Shaw's life - and out of it the next morning. Now Wyatt's back - and has the power to shatter Kate's future with the man she loves.

By reputation, Wyatt Shaw is a brutal killer who always gets what the wants. And he wants Kate and her twin eight-year-old sons.

Texas Ranger Jack McKinley is hot on Wyatt Shaw's trail. The presumed heir to the D'Amato crime syndicate is threatening to steal the woman he loves.

Holly McKinley is fighting to keep Jack from leaving her for another woman. Now the secret she's kept for over twenty years may save their son's life, and cost her the only man she's ever loved.

This book was submitted for review and I retain this book. :)

Shattered is a great read.

This is the first book I have read by Ms. Johnston and I have to say, I love her writing style. Shattered has a wonderful flow and is not overly descriptive - I like it when a writer does not feel the need to explain every single detail - trusting that the reader will understand what is happening in the story. :)


Shattered being the 8th book in the Bitter Creek series made me think that I would be lost as far as the characters went - but I was wrong. This can be read as a stand alone book - but with several characters being referenced from previous books, I am eager to start with book one and work my through the previous seven novels.

I am very interested in finding out more about the Grayhawk, Creed and Blackthorne families. :)

I give Shattered 4 out of 5 stars.

M

Shattered will be available from Mira books in January 2010.
ISBN-13: 978-0-7783-2829-2
432 pages

The CowboyThe TexanThe LonerThe Price
The RivalsThe Next Mrs. BlackthorneA Stranger's GameShattered


Monday, November 16, 2009

Mailbox Monday


Good Monday morning. :) I hope everyone has a wonderful week. My children are on 'count down' - this is the last week of school before Thanksgiving break. LOL

Here are a couple of books I received from paperbackswap.


Book Blurb:

The Blood Sword Legacy

Bound by a brotherhood forged in the hell of a Saracen prison,
eight Blood Swords -- mercenary knights for William the
Conqueror -- set out to claim their legacies the only way they can:
by right of arms, by right of victory, by right of conquest.


For Sir Rohan du Luc, known as the Black Sword, enemies fall easily beneath his assault...until he comes face-to-face with a foe more worthy than any battle-hardened knight. Bold and courageous though she is, Saxon maiden Isabel of Alethorpe cannot stop Rohan de Luc from seizing Alethorpe and its people in the name of William the Conqueror. Then Rohan demands not just the manor, but Isabel herself. She vows that her heart will remain her own, even if she is forced to allow him to lay claim to her body. But while the lady's lips say no, Isabel's traitorous body is awakened to desire by the seductive attentions of this potent invader. Can she remain true to her Saxon heritage and her hopes that her brother may have survived the battlefield, or will Sir Rohan's skilled touch capture her unwilling heart as surely as his prowess with his sword captured her father's lands?

And

Book Blurb:

THE HUNTER AND THE HUNTED

In the days when powerful witches used their magic to shield humanity from demons, their allies and guardians were a group of men gifted with preternatural abilities of their own-the witch guardians. But when a band of witches traded their humanity for demonic power, the ancient bond was broken, and the guardians became the hunters.

Darcy MacAlister knows nothing of demons or magic. But this beautiful young woman is about to discover the truth about her past . . . and her future. For she is a witch-not just any witch, but the key to breaking the curse that has plagued witches and the men who hunt them. For if a hunter kills an innocent witch by mistake, the price is no less than a piece of his soul.

Axel Locke, gorgeous leader of the Wing Slayer Hunters, has sworn never to shed the blood of the earth witches who have resisted the temptation of demonic power. But when his sister is cursed by a demon witch, he discovers that Darcy MacAlister may hold the cure-if she can master her newfound powers in time. When the chase begins and Axel and Darcy come face-to-face, this hunter must weigh his soul against his honor-and against his heart.

I have read good reviews for both of these and I'm looking forward to reading them.

M





Friday, November 13, 2009

Book Cover: Flirt by L K Hamilton




This is the cover for the 18th Anita Blake book due out Feb 2, 2010.

I'm not sure about these last few covers. This one is a razor blade....not very flirty in my opinion. :)

Blurb forthcoming.

M

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Review: Real Vampires Don't Diet


This is the 4th book in the Glory St.Claire series by Gerry Bartlett.

Book Blurb:

First Glory's stood up on New Year's Eve by her long time main squeeze Jeremy Blade. Then a moonlight boat ride on Austin's Lake Travis with newly turned vampire, rock star Israel Caine (Ray) goes horribly wrong. Who knew there was a Siren lurking in the lake just waiting for her chance to lure unsuspecting vampires into a trap? Now Glory and Ray are racing against time to find vampire sacrifices or they're doomed.

With the storm of the century threatening to wash out her new home and an old enemy taking aim at her, things don't look good for Glory.

As for her relationship with Blade? Well, Glory wonders if maybe it's time to cut her longtime lover loose.

Valdez is at her side as usual, along with her friends who won't let Glory go down without a fight. Surely all this action is bound to help our curvy vamp lose a pound or two.

This installment let me down.

Usually I love the adventures Glory has and the trouble she gets herself mixed up in....but Real Vampires Don't Diet was boring.

In previous installments I have enjoyed the back and forth banter between Glory and Valdez - not so much this go round because it seemed like Valdez was more paternal - more responsible (and really, who wants to be reprimanded by a talking dog?) instead of being the sarcastic side kick I have grown to love.

I don't like Ray. Maybe it's because I really like Blade and think that Glory and Blade need to get together and decide they belong together forever. I'm not sure - but this story had too much of Ray and that could be why it didn't do it for me.

I give Real Vampires Don't Diet 2 out of 5 stars.

M

Real Vampires Have CurvesReal Vampires Live LargeReal Vampires Get LuckyReal Vampires Don't Diet
Real Vampires Hate Their Thighs


Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Review: Bitter Night


This is the first of the Horngate Witches books by Diana Pharaoh Francis.

Book Blurb:

SOMETIMES YOU CHOOSE YOUR BATTLES. AND SOMETIMES, THEY CHOOSE YOU...

Once, Max dreamed of a career, a home, a loving family. Now all she wants is freedom...and revenge. A witch named Giselle transformed Max into a warrior with extraordinary strength, speed, and endurance. Bound by spellcraft, Max has no choice but to fight as Giselle's personal magic weapon -- a Shadowblade -- and she's lethally good at it. But her skills are about to be put to the test as they never have before....

The ancient Guardians of the earth are preparing to unleash widespread destruction on the mortal world, and they want the witches to help them. If the witches refuse, their covens will be destroyed, including Horngate, the place Max has grudgingly come to think of as home. Max thinks she can find a way to help Horngate stand against the Guardians, but doing so will mean forging dangerous alliances -- including one with a rival witch's Shadowblade, who is as drawn to Max as she is to him -- and standing with the witch she despises. Max will have to choose between the old life she still dreams of and the warrior she has become, and take her place on the side of right -- if she survives long enough to figure out which side that is....

Bitter Night is an awesome read!! I can't wait for the next installment.

This witches in this book are like none I've read about before - they are powerful and power hungry. Each witch worth her salt has Shadowblades and Sunspears to protect her and her covenstead. Shadowblades and Sunspears are humans who have been magically manipulated by the witch to gain the strength and abilities needed to defend the witch.

Max is a Shadowblade Prime and she was made so without her consent - this has caused a rift between herself and her Witch - Giselle. Max has one goal in life - to live long enough to kill Giselle for forcing her into a life she did not choose.

Bitter Night is fast paced and action filled. Simply a great read. :)

I give Bitter Night 5 out of 5 stars and look forward to the next installment.

M

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

November Book Winner!!

Thank you all for stopping by and entering this months giveaway. :) I would also like to think Author Amanda Ashley for her generous offer of a signed book and bookmarks to go along with this months' contest.

If you are not familiar with the way I choose the winner - here is a recap. Using random dot org I place all the names on a list and then use list randomizer. I shuffle the names several times and then using the number randomizer, I pick the winning number.

There were 18 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

  1. elaing8
  2. Lyoness2009
  3. Anna <3
  4. VFG
  5. tetewa
  6. Kansassweet43
  7. Madwoman
  8. Milka
  9. donnaS
  10. Tamsyn
  11. Amy J
  12. Martha Lawson
  13. Kira R
  14. Cherry
  15. ErotRomReader
  16. Mary Ann DeBorde
  17. Rachie G
  18. Jacaburl

And the winning number is: #5 - tetewa!! Congrats tetewa, please send your snail mail addy to me at kweenmg at yahoo dot com. I will get your books in the mail. Remember, I will forward your addy to Amanda Ashley and she will mail out the signed book and bookmarks. :)

Happy Reading

M

Monday, November 9, 2009

Review: Bound to Shadows


This is the 8th Riley Jenson Guardian Novel by Keri Arthur.

Book Blurb:


In the darkness, demons come out to play . . .
and someone must bring their sins to light.

Part vampire, part werewolf, Riley Jenson knows what can happen when vamps don't play well with others. But she's never seen anything like this: a series of brutal murders surrounding the latest hot spot for vampire-human hookups - and the victims aren't just killed, they're beheaded. Now Riley is launching into action, toying with a seductive - and highly suspicious - club owner, and finding herself in the middle of another mystery: women being killed one by one, without a trace of violence.

For Riley, solving multiple cases - in a world going mad with human and vampire passions - would have been tough enough. Instead she has two jealous lovers on her hands: Kye Murphy, the amber-eyed werewolf who makes Riley's wolf blood howl - and Quinn, the cool, elegant vamp who has over a thousand years' experience at fulfilling women's desires. While she's busy juggling these two sexy beasts, Riley's detective work takes a stunningly violent turn. Finding a murderer is now a matter of life and death. Especially since the killer has long since found her . . .

I loved this book - but I think I pulled out half my hair....

Yes, Bound to Shadows has Riley trying to solve several murders - but that is only half the story and for me, the other story is the more important one - Kye.

Riley has found her wolf soul mate in Kye and she hates that fate has stuck her with a hired assassin for a soul mate. To his credit - Kye is just as disappointed, but that does not stop either of them from feeling the physical attraction a wolf soul mate has for one another.

What bothers me about this book is the fact that Riley does not like Kye - yet she has a physical relationship with him. She is repulsed by the cold blooded assassin he is - yet burns for his touch. This is where the hair pulling began....

For several chapters I was so afraid that the tough as nails Riley was going to submit to the soul mate bond and become more or less a victim of domestic abuse.

I try not to go into too much detail with my reviews because I do not want to give away important parts of the book - but I have to say that one scene in particular had me putting the book down - shaking my head.

Riley has an encounter with a suspect - against her will, he mojo's her - then in the blink of an eye and without the use of a moist towelette - has an encounter with Kye - again, against the will of her heart - but the wolf soul mate bond urged her on. This disturbed me - I read this a Riley being forced against her will into a pair of sexual situations. At this time I hated the soul mate bond and believed my fears of domestic victim were coming to fruition.

But then - boom! I did not see that coming. Honestly, the ending of this book was awesome and I can't wait to find out how this series is going to end. I hope Riley finds her HEA - because if anyone deserves one - it's her. :)

I give Bound to Shadows 5 out of 5 stars. :)

M

Full Moon RisingKissing SinTempting EvilDangerous Games
Embraced By DarknessThe Darkest KissDeadly DesireBound to Shadows

Mailbox Monday

Good Monday Morning! :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. Here are a couple of books I received from paperbackswap last week.


Book Blurb:

Romance is about to get a little hairy.

Sophie Garou seems to have it all: a great job at a prestigious accounting firm, a closet that rivals a Nordstrom showroom, and a terrific boyfriend who isn't afraid to use the “M” word. There's just one little itty-bitty problem: Sophie is a werewolf - and her time of month has a whole new meaning.

Needless to say, life among yummy flesh-and-blood humans is no piece of steak . . . er, cake!, but regular doses of wolfsbane tea and a mother who runs a magic shop have helped Sophie keep her paranormal pedigree under wraps. Still, when a sexy, golden-eyed werewolf prowls into town, Sophie finds herself struggling to keep her animal impulses in check - not to mention trying to keep things on track with her super hot (and super human) lawyer boyfriend. What's more, someone is threatening to expose Sophie for what she really is. And when her mother is accused of selling a poison-laced potion, Sophie must sniff out a culprit before the fur hits the fan.

And

Book Blurb:

Talk about a bad-hair day!

Sophie Garou is a master at taming her inner beast, which comes in handy since she's a werewolf. With a big promotion at work and a supersexy boyfriend, Heath (whom she recently spotted leaving a jewelry store with a beguiling ring box), she's one happy girl.

But when Heath starts spending long nights at the office with his new associate-a dead-ringer for Career Day Barbie-Sophie smells trouble. And when her professional relationship with her big new client-who also happens to be Texas's brilliantly blue-eyed most eligible bachelor-begins to sizzle, she wonders if her animal instincts are leading her in the wrong direction. Just when it seems that things can't get any more complicated, they do. The Houston werewolf pack has sniffed Sophie out, and their message is chillingly clear: you're either with us or against us. And unless she can prove that she's with them, the next full moon may just be her last.

This is the first time I've had the first and second book arrive on the same day. :) I am looking forward to this series - I've heard a lot of good things about it.

Happy Reading!

M


Friday, November 6, 2009

Review: The Untamed Bride


This is the first book in the new Black Cobra Quartet by Stephanie Laurens.

Book Blurb:

They're battle-hardened, sinfully wealthy, completely unstoppable—and all male:

Four officers of the Crown, fighting against a deadly foe known only as the Black Cobra.

He is a man who has faced peril without flinching, determined to fight for king and country.

She is a bold, beautiful woman with a scandalous past, destined to become an untamed bride.

Together they must vanquish the ruthless enemy, while confronting the dangers of the heart . . .

This is an Avon Historical Romance, and not my usual read - not one vampire, werewolf or critter in sight.

But I enjoyed this book.

When I first began reading I was all about the Historical Romances - I devoured everything I could get my hands on and loved the idea of a White Knight rushing in to save the day. :) Now I'm more about the kick butt woman saving her own ass.....

That being said The Untamed Bride is a great read and it is the first time I have read anything by Stephanie Laurens. I really like Ms. Laurens writing style, she is very descriptive - but not overly so and her characters are very real.

The Untamed Bride reminded me that not all women have to carry a weapon and physically fight in order to be strong - using your brain can oftentimes be the turning point in a situation. Ms. Laurens has given us a very smart character in Miss Deliah - NOT Delilah - Duncannon.

As for Del - Colonel Delborough - he is a career military man - but a gentleman. He acknowledges right away his attraction to Miss Duncannon - but does not wish to place her in danger by involving her in his mission. And then the choice is taken out of his hands....

I am looking forward to the next three books in this quartet - each one about a different Officer on their journey to fulfill the mission to stop the Black Cobra.

I give The Untamed Bride 4 out of 5 stars. :)

M

New Book Cover: Lover Mine





Oooooh, how very lovely. See how nicely this cover goes with my blog? LOL

I am so excited about this story - can't wait to see what happens with JM and Xhex.

Due out April of 2010 - that is sooo long to wait.

M