February Review Re-Cap

Here we are - the end of another month - my how time flies. :) I read some pretty good books this month - and then I had a couple of not so good ones as well. Here is a re-cap.

5 Stars

Tempest Rising - Nicole Peeler
Spellbent - Lucy A. Snyder
Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Kresley Cole
Skin Game - Ava Gray

4 Stars

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs - Molly Harper
Bone Magic - Yasmine Galenorn
Spider's Bite - Jennifer Estep
Tainted - Julie Kenner

3 Stars

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi - Jill Myles
Howling at the Moon - Karen MacInerney

2 Stars

Confessions of a Demon - S L Wright
Original Sin - Allison Brennan
Willow - Julia Hoban

Did Not Finish

and Falling, fly - Skyler White

I hope you had a great reading month. :)

M

Review: Skin Game

This is the first book in the Skin series by Ann Aguirre writing as Ava Gray.

Book Blurb:

A beautiful fugitive - wanted dead or alive.

Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes one thing: her target's strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist - anything she wants...for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns her gift toward avenging her father's murder. With deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano's inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

A hit man who never misses the mark.

Reyes has nothing but his work. Unfortunately for Kyra, he's the best - and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He's been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash - and bring her back to face Serrano's "justice". Dead will do if Reyes can't locate the loot. He's never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce passion and her outlaw heart. So Reyes faces a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

I really enjoyed this book. :)

Skin Game has a very cool take on working a con. With one touch Kyra can take whatever a person is good at - for a short amount of time - just long enough to work a con and get out of dodge. And she has been doing this for as long as she can remember. Moving from place to place - taking just enough to get her to the next town. But when her father is murdered Kyra decides to pull the con of all cons - and she does - but she didn't take in to account this marks ego - he won't stand for the disrespect Kyra has dealt him and sends a hitman after her.

Reyes is a scrupulous hitman - he only takes a job if he thinks the hit is deserved and he tries to limit the amount of collateral damage. What a guy. :) He finds Kyra easily enough - but he has to find the money as well. Reyes decides to gain Kyra's trust - but he doesn't plan on loosing his heart.

Skin Game is fast paced and action packed and Kyra is an awesome character with an extraordinary ability.

I give Skin Game 5 out of 5 stars and I can't wait for the next installment - Skin Tight due out in the summer of 2010.

M

Review: Pleasure of a Dark Prince.

This is the 8th book in the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole and the story of Lucia and Garreth.

Book Blurb:

Can the beast seduce a beauty and make her love him...?

A promise of pleasure ...from a brutal warrior determined to protect her.
Never far from her bow, Lucia the Huntress is as mysterious as she is beautiful. But the secrets she harbors could destroy her-and those she loves-and every day brings more danger. It isn't safe for her to be with Garreth MacRieve, yet whenever she sees the fierce werewolf with his smoldering eyes, she finds herself surrendering to his kiss.

An uncontrollable need ...that can only be sated with her touch. From the shadows, Garreth, prince of the Lykae, has long watched over Lucia, the lovely little Valkyrie who alternately maddens him and inflames his lust. He aches to claim the seductive creature as his own and keep her safe from harm, but first he must convince her to accept him as her guardian. To do that he'll exploit Lucia's greatest weakness-her desire for him.

Pleasure of a Dark Prince rocks!!

This is one of my favorite series and Kresley Cole never disappoints. The world she has created in her Immortals After Dark series is full of vampires, were's, Valkyries, witches, demons, wraiths....it just goes on and on and what I like about the series is how stories seem to be taking place simultaneously with different characters. We may get a reference to another immortal and that may be the being featured in the next book.

In this installment the story revolves around Lucia the Huntress and Garreth MacRieve, Prince of the Lykae.

Lucia has vowed her life to Skathi - and in so doing, has been gifted with the ability to unerringly hit anything she aims at with her bow. She is known predominantly as the Archer. When Lucia made her vow to Skathi - she promised to remain forever chaste - never to know the touch of a man.

Garreth MacRieve has waited years for his chosen mate - he is tired of one night stands and easy pickings from the nymphs - he wants a woman to want him for himself and not because he is Prince of the Lykae. But the Lykae are very sensual creatures - the love nothing more than a great meal, a good fight and a night of passionate sex. Well he's batting 1 for 3 with Lucia...Valkyries don't eat and Lucia won't have sex....

Pleasure of a Dark Prince is awesome - I give it 5 out of 5 stars. :)

M

Immortals After Dark
1. The Warlord Wants Forever (2006) (in Playing Easy to Get)
2. A Hunger Like No Other (2006)
3. No Rest for the Wicked (2006)
4. Wicked Deeds on a Winter's Night (2007)
5. Dark Needs at Night's Edge (2008)
6. Dark Desires After Dusk (2008)
7. Kiss of a Demon King (2009)
10. Pleasure of a Dark Prince (2010)
11. Demon from the Dark (2010)

Review: Tainted

This is the first book in the Blood Lily Chronicles by Julie Kenner.

Book Blurb:

Lily Carlyle has never been a good girl. She's lied, cheated, and stolen, but she did it all to protect her younger sister. To keep food on the table after their mother died. She'd made a promise, after all. A promise to take care of her sister. To keep the family together. And that's a promise she's determined to keep.

When her sister is brutally attacked, a vengeful Lily resolves to exact her own justice from the monster responsible. She succeeds - at the cost of her own life. As she lies dying, she is given a second chance: Though what she has done is evil, she can earn her way into paradise by fighting for the forces of good.

Lily agrees....and wakes in the body of Alice Purdue - a Boston barmaid who has more than a little familiarity with the battle raging between the light and the darkness. Each side is mustering its forces for all - out war - and Lily is going to become an assassin for the light.

It's a job she believes she can really get into - but she doesn't realize that she may not be able to get out...

I enjoyed this book. :)

Tainted introduces us to Lily - a young woman who has not had the easiest life. Her mother dies and her step father is unable to take care of her and her younger sister - so the responsibility falls to Lily - who does the best she can with what resources are available to her. The only thing that Lily cares about is taking care of her sister - and then the unthinkable happens and Lily takes matters into her own hands.

Once Lily awakens in the body of Alice Purdue she is thrown for a loop - did she make a deal to work for the good guys? Her 'guide' says that is the case. His name is Clarence and he convinces Lily that she is the only one who can save the world.

That is a pretty huge responsibility - but Lily is determined to do what she can to make the world safe - for her sister - and if it wipes her own slate clean in the process - well, that's all the better.

But things don't go the way they are supposed to and Lily realizes that the people she has trusted do not deserve her trust - and the one person she distrusted the most may prove to be her only ally.

I give Tainted 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to the rest in this series. :)

M

Blood Lily Chronicles
1. Tainted (2009)
2. Torn (2009)
3. Turned (2009)

Winner of Willow by Julia Hoban!!

Thank you to everyone who stopped by and participated in this book giveaway. :) For those of you not familiar with how I choose the winner - here is a rundown.

First I use Random dot org and list all the entrants and shuffle a couple of times to mix the names well. Second I use the number randomizer to pick the winner. :) So here we go:

There were 14 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. tetewa
2. elaing8
3. Amy
4. Dana
5. Kelly
6. etirv
7. Heather
8. I Heart Book Gossip
9. throuthehaze
10. Martha Lawson
11. Amy J
12. Mitzi H
13. Sarah
14. justpeachy36

And the winning number is #6 - etirv. Please send your mailing address to me at kweenmg at yahoo dot com and I will forward it to Ms. Hausman.

Happy Reading!!

M

Mailbox Monday

Good Monday morning everyone. :) I hope you had a great weekend. Here is a book I received from pbs.

Book Blurb:

She is a mercenary trained in the ways of war and the blade - nothing more. A woman known only as Red Gloves has come to the land of Palins in search of work. What she finds, however, is the torched fields and razed farms of a land defiled.

If you see her without the gloves, run...This is all Josiah knows about the mysterious woman - until he catches a glimpse of the dagger-star birthmark, a sign that she is destined to free his people from a ruthless usurper's reign of terror.

But she is more dangerous when following her heart...Red doesn't believe in gods. Nevertheless, she finds herself drawn into the rebellion - not by the prophecy or the chance to win the throne, but by the pain of untold loss in Josiah's eyes...

Sounds good. :)

M

Book Giveaway : Willow by Julia Hoban

Thanks to Sarah Hausman and Meryl L. Moss Media Relations I have one (1) copy of Willow by Julia Hoban up for grabs. This giveaway is open to residents of the US and Canada and the book will be mailed directly from Ms Hausman.


Book Blurb:

Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow's parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy - one sensitive, soulful boy - discovers Willow's secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the 'safe' world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl's struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy's refusal to give up on her.

To enter please leave a comment with an email address so I can contact you. This contest will run through 2-22 and I will announce the winner on 2-23-10.

Willow by Julia Hoban is available at amazon dot com -
http://www.amazon.com/Willow-Julia-Hoban/dp/0142416665/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1266594637&sr=1-1

Good Luck!!

M

Review: Howling at the Moon

This is the first book in the Tales of the Urban Werewolf series by Karen MacInerney.

Book Blurb:

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.

Howling at the Moon is a cute read. :)

Sophie is funny - she carries a razor in her purse so she can shave at a moments notice, drinks wolfsbane tea to keep herself from changing into a wolf at inconvenient times - and still tries to make time for a romantic dinner with her boyfriend. Some days are better than others.

Sophie's Mother has been accused of murder and Sophie and her best friend Lindsey are trying to to find the real culprit before Sophie's mother goes on trial.

A new wolf is in town - and up until now Sophie thought she was the only wolf in Austin - and she was okay with that.

Try to find a murderer, close the new deal at work, avoid the new wolf in town and remember the anniversary dinner with the boyfriend - all before the new moon makes all of it impossible.

I give Howling at the Moon 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Tales of an Urban Werewolf
1. Howling At the Moon (2008)
2. On the Prowl (2008)
3. Leader of the Pack (2009)

Review: Confessions of a Demon

This is a ROC Fantasy by S.L. Wright.

Book Blurb:

After accidentally stealing the life force of a dying demon, Allay became the only human-demon hybrid in existence. Demons feed on human emotions, so Allay decided the safest way to satisfy this need - and still retain some semblance of her humanity - was to open a bar. Here she can drink from, and ease, her patrons' pain, which has helped her to stay under the demon radar.until now.

When Allay is attacked and nearly killed by another demon, a human comes to her rescue. Theo Ram is tall, handsome, and mortal - and Allay feels a connection to him she didn't think she'd ever know. But that bond is tested when the demon community in New York begins to rise up, and two opposing clans fight for power. Now Allay is caught in the middle, and she must decide where her loyalties lie.

This was not the best book I've read and I was really looking forward to it. :)

Confessions of a Demon has a cool premise: demons live among us siphoning energy from our feelings - any feeling - good, bad or indifferent. They have names like Savor, Shock, Dread, Vex, Petrify.....you get the drift. Their name signifies what type of energy they feed off of.

And I enjoyed the first few chapters well enough - but then it bogged. Allay was just running here, there and yonder. About half way through the book I started skimming - a sure sign that I have lost interest.

Allay wants to hold on to her humanity - but that is a hard thing to do when surrounded by demons who would love nothing more than to consume you for your power.

So I have to give Confessions of a Demon 2 out of 5 stars.

M

Review: Spider's Bite

This is the first book in the Elemental Assassin series by Jennifer Estep.

Book Blurb:


My name is Gin, and I kill people.

They call me the Spider. I'm the most feared assassin in the South -- when I'm not busy at the Pork Pit cooking up the best barbecue in Ashland. As a Stone elemental, I can hear everything from the whispers of the gravel beneath my feet to the vibrations of the soaring Appalachian Mountains above me. My Ice magic also comes in handy for making the occasional knife. But I don't use my powers on the job unless I absolutely have to. Call it professional pride.

Now that a ruthless Air elemental has double-crossed me and killed my handler, I'm out for revenge. And I'll exterminate anyone who gets in my way -- good or bad. I may look hot, but I'm still one of the bad guys. Which is why I'm in trouble, since irresistibly rugged Detective Donovan Caine has agreed to help me. The last thing this coldhearted killer needs when I'm battling a magic more powerful than my own is a sexy distraction...especially when Donovan wants me dead just as much as the enemy.

I really enjoyed this book.

Spider's Bite has a bit of a different take on magic - elementals: people who can control the elements - fire, air, stone and the like - some can even manipulate metal and electricity. These elementals live out among the regular folks - some working honest jobs and never using their abilities, others running cons - still others running the city.

How can you really police a group of people who have these extraordinary talents? How can you stop someone who has the ability to manipulate the very air around you? Especially when it appears that half of the police force is on the take.

Gin has been trained as an assassin. The very best assassin - if you can afford her fee - she can take out anyone - quickly and quietly, no muss - no fuss. She gets the job done.

But now it is personal. And Gin won't let anything or anyone stand in the way of her brand of justice.

I give Spider's Bite 4 out of 5 stars.

M

Mailbox Monday

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a great Valentine's Day. These books are my present from my Hubby. :)

Book Blurb:

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows - her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield - and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness - and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.

He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human - even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .

Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

And

Book Blurb:

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find herself changed - an angel with wings the colors of midnight and dawn - but her fragile body needs time to heal before she can take flight. Her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, is used to being in control - especially when it comes to the woman he considers his own. But Elena has never done well with authority...

They've barely begun to understand each other when Raphael receives an invitation to a ball from the archangel Lijuan. To refuse would be a sign of fatal weakness, so Raphael must ready Elena for the flight to Beijing - and to the nightmare that awaits them there. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan holds a power that lies with the dead. And she has organized the most vicious of welcomes for Elena...

My Hubby knows the way to my heart....:)

M

Review: Spellbent

This is the first book in the Spellbent series by Lucy A. Snyder.

Book Blurb:

In the heart of Ohio, Jessie Shimmer is caught up in hot, magic-drenched passion with her roguish lover, Cooper Marron, who is teaching her how to tap her supernatural powers. When they try to break a drought by calling down a rainstorm, a hellish portal opens and Cooper is ripped from this world, leaving Jessie fighting for her life against a vicious demon that's been unleashed.

In the aftermath, Jessie, who knows so little about her own true nature, is branded an outlaw. She must survive by her wits and with the help of her familiar, a ferret named Palimpsest. Stalked by malevolent enemies, Jessie is determined to find out what happened to Cooper. But when she moves heaven and earth to find her man, she'll be shocked by what she discovers - and by what she must ultimately do to save them all.

Spellbent is a fantabulous read!! I was blown away by this book. :)

Jessie Shimmer is learning the art of ubiquemancy: the belief that magic is in everything- from her boyfriend Cooper Marron. Most non-believers dismiss this type of magic and call its practitioners Babblers.

When a spell goes wrong Jessie is thrown into a situation she is ill prepared for - but she mans up real quick. Jessie is one tough chick and she is determined to find Cooper and bring him back no matter what the cost.

With the help of Coopers brother and her familiar ferret Palimpsest (Pal) Jessie gears up for the battle of her life - but no battle is won without sacrifice - and this one is no exception.

Spellbent is fast paced and action packed. I had a blast with this book and did not want to put it down. I cant wait for the next installment - The Devil in Miss Shimmer - due out in October 2010.

I give Spellbent 5 out of 5 stars. :)

M

Review: Bone Magic

This is the 7th book in the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn.

Book Blurb:

We're the D'Artigo sisters: savvy--and sexy--operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. But being half-human, half-Fae short-circuits our talents at all the wrong times. My sister Delilah is a two-faced Were who turns into a golden tabby when she's stressed. And Menolly's a vampire who's still trying to get the hang of being undead. As for me? I'm Camille D'Artigo, a wicked-good witch who's learning death magic with my youkai-kitsune husband. Until now, the Moon Mother's pretty much ignored me, but she's about to take me on the Hunt of my life...

Another equinox is here, and life's getting more dangerous for all of us. The past is catching up to our friends, Iris and Chase.

Smoky--the dragon of my dreams--is forced to choose between his family and me. To top it off, there's a new demon general in town and we can't locate her.

And when the Moon Mother and the Black Beast summon me to Otherworld. I think I'm just going to reunite with my long lost soulmate. But once there, I'm forced to undergo a drastic ritual that will forever change my life, and the lives of those around me.

I enjoyed this book.

Bone Magic is told from the POV of Camille.

Not much progress is made in the fight against Shadow Wing - or the retrieval of the seals needed to contain the rift between worlds. But new information comes to light in regard to the demon general Stacia Bonecrusher.

Also Camille learns that her role in the war has shifted and she needs to place her trust very loosely in the hands of someone she does not trust.

Trillian is returned home - and this means that all three of Camille's men are in her life - and bed. Bone Magic was a little more risque than previous books.

Smokey has some family issues to deal with - this results in a possible threat to his future - as well as Camille's.

I love Iris. She has become one of my favorite characters and I wish she could have a book of her own. :) We learn a little more about the very private and close lipped talon-haltija. She has a past that haunts her and hopes to set it to right in order to have the future she holds so dear.

I give Bone Magic 4 out of 5 stars and look forward to the next installment Harvest Hunting - Delilah's book - due out in October 2010.

M

Otherworld
1. Witchling (2006)
2. Changeling (2007)
3. Darkling (2007)
4. Dragon Wytch (2008)
5. Night Huntress (2009)
6. Demon Mistress (2009)
7. The Shadow of Mist (2009) (in Never After)
8. Bone Magic (2010)
9. Etched in Silver (2010) (in Inked)

Review: Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs

This is the first book in the Jane Jameson series by Molly Harper.

Book Blurb:

Unemployment Sucks

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

I enjoyed this book very much. :)

To me Nice Girl's Don't Have Fangs is a cross between MJD's Queen Betsy and CH's Sookie Stackhouse.

Jane Jameson is an unappreciated librarian - but she loves her job and is happiest when surrounded by books - when she is fired her whole life is turned upside down - in more ways than one.

Set in the south, NGDHF is filled with biting hospitality (pun intended) and the small town rumor mill - and I must admit to several episodes of laughing out loud.

I love Jane's sense of humor and quick wit and find the supporting characters to be just as fun and quirky.

I give Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs 4 out of 5 stars and can't wait for the next installments (which are on the tbr shelf).

M

Jane Jameson
1. Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs (2009)
2. Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men (2009)
3. Nice Girls Don't Live Forever (2009)

Review: Original Sin

This is the first book in the Seven Deadly Sins series by Allison Brennan.

Book Blurb:

Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O'Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira's global search has led her to a small California town that's about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can't explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira's dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity's last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

This book was submitted for review and I retain my copy.

Original Sin is the first book I have read by Allison Brennan and I have to be honest and say I did not enjoy it very much.

I like the concept of Original Sin and feel that the characters have great potential. The problem I ran in to is a weird one - both too much and not enough information in the book. We get information via flash backs - and I don't really groove on the flashbacks - for me it messes with the flow of the story.

It feels like Original Sin should have been the second book in the series - with the first book giving us background on Fiona and Moira and the rest of the players. I honestly felt like I was dropped into an ongoing story.

Original Sin jumps in with both feet and takes off running - but it seems to have bypassed a great deal of the story in the process.

I give Original Sin 2 out of 5 stars.

M

Mailbox Monday

Another Monday. :) I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend - if you are a football fan, I hope your team won. :) I'm not so much in to the sports - but I am looking forward to the upcoming Olympics - we always enjoy those.

Here is a book I received from pbs. :)


Book Blurb:

For three hundred years, the Fyne women have called their cottage on the mountain home. The villagers stay away from the Fyne sisters, fearing their witchery. But Isadora, Juliet, and Sophie use their sorcery for good - most of the time....

A curse put on their family long ago makes true love unattainable for the Fyne women. Sophie's two elder sister, both skilled witches, have accepted this and have vowed a lifetime of chastity. But young Sophie has yet to find her own power. With more luscious curves than her sisters, Sophie wonders if the fire coursing through her body might be an indication of her true strength. She dreams of a green-eyed stranger, and when she finally does meet the man of her dreams, Sophie knows her power: Nature has gifted her with fertility.

Although groggy from war wounds, Kane could have sworn that an angel came to him, healed him, and made love to him. Now, after a year of searching for the girl who may or may not have been a dream, Kane is stunned to find Sophie - with his child at her breast. But when a scorned suitor captures their infant daughter, they must call on all their strengths, both earthly and supernatural, to fight the curse that promises to end their happiness.

This is certainly a different read for me - but it sounds very tempting. :)

M

February Book Winner!!!

Another month - another book giveaway. :) For those of you not familiar with the way my book giveaways work - here is a rundown. First - you must be a follower of my blog. Second - I use random dot org to list the names of all entrants and I shuffle the names several times to mix them up really well. Third I use the number randomizer to pick the winning number. :)

So here we go:

There were 20 items in your list. Here they are in random order:

1. Justpeachy
2. elaing8
3. jemscout 425
4. ninefly
5. Amy J
6. Daelith
7. Crystal GB
8. Roxanne Rhoads
9. pixie13
10. tetewa
11. Martha Lawson
12. Nickolay
13. Stacy Stew
14. inthehammockblog
15. throuthehaze
16. Shooting Stars Mag
17. Anna heart
    
18. ddurance
19. I Heart Book Gossip
    
20. Dana

And the winning number is - 8, Roxanne Rhoads. Please send your mailing address to me at kweenmg at yahoo dot com and I'll get your book in the mail. :)

Thank you all for participating and Happy Reading!!

M

Review: Gentlemen Prefer Succubi

This is the first book in the Succubus Diaries series by Jill Myles.

Book Blurb:

Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?

Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch.

With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fierce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her.

How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?

Gentlemen Prefer Sucubi was a cute read - if implausible. LOL Implausible is a funny word to choose when talking about a book full of vampires, succubi and other things that go bump in the night. :)

So I guess my issue is with the plot. Jackie was turned into a succubus - and Noah takes her under his wing and promises to help her along. That would be all well and good - but somehow in this scenario - key pieces of information are left out - and before we know it Jackie is mixing with folks she would be better off leaving alone.

I felt like the plot was too pat - too easy - and I don't like for my main character to be stupid - and this is what happened with Jackie. She is a very educated woman - sensible and level headed - so to let her make stupid mistakes based on not enough info is doing her a great disservice.

That being said - I did enjoy Gentlemen Prefer Succubi. Because lets be honest - I read for entertainment - not enlightenment - and this book was entertaining, enough so that I have the next one in the series on my tbr shelf. :)

I give Gentlemen Prefer Succubi 3 out of 5 stars.

M

Review: Tempest Rising

This is the first book in the Jane True series by Nicole Peeler.

Book Blurb:

Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society.

During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human.

Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures that are terrifying, beautiful, and deadly - all of which perfectly describe her new "friend", Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire.

It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick, spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never - ever - rub the genie's lamp.

I absolutely loved this book. :)

Jane True has not had the easiest of times growing up in a small town with small minded people - but she has tried to make the best of what she has - a very loving father, a decent job, a couple of very supportive friends - and the ocean.

Jane loves the ocean and allows her night time swims to soothe her frazzled nerves - that is until the night Jane finds something during her swim that changes her life forever.

I thoroughly enjoyed Tempest Rising and find the character Jane True to be funny and quirky. I am eagerly awaiting the next installment - Tracking the Tempest, due out in July 2010.

I have to say - without giving anything away - that I am very curious about the dog in this story - Anyan. I want to know more about the dog....:)

I give Tempest Rising 5 out of 5 stars.

M

February Book Giveaway!!

It is February and that means Valentines Day. So this month I have an anthology that takes a humorous look at the world of dating. :)

Book Blurb:

Four women are about to dig up the truth....

Tired of boyfriends who drain you dry? Sick of guys who stay out all night howling at the moon? You can do better. Some men want you not only for your body, but your brains. Especially your brains.

It's true! There are men out there who care - early-rising, down-to-earth, indefatigable men who'll follow you for miles. They'll take the time to surprise you, over and over. One sniff of that perfume, and you'll have to use a shotgun to fight them off. And then, once you get together, all they want is to share a nice meal. And another. And another.

Romeo and Juliet, eat your hearts out.


Hope you like this one. :) Giveaway open to followers of my blog living in the US and Canada. Just leave a comment with an email addy.

Winner will be chosen Friday February 5th.

Good Luck!

M