Tuesday, May 31, 2011

May R.A.K Round-Up

The R.A.K program is brought to us by Book Soulmates.  :)

Another month of R.A.K. - and I can't stress enough how much I love participating in this wonderful book sharing program.  :)


This month I sent out four books:




To Adam @ Roof Beam Reader











To Amy @ Lady Reader's Bookstuff










To Jen @ Not now...I'm Reading










To Anna @ Anna's Book Blog








I am so excited because I received books this month.



From Ariel @ The Librarian's Bookshelf
 








From Anna @ Anna's Book Blog










From Jen @ Not now...I'm Reading








If you haven't signed up for R.A.K yet - I think you should check it out.  :)  It is a great way to share books, find new blogs and just - be nice.  :) 

May Review Re-Cap

Another month has trucked right on by and May was pretty monumental for us.  LOL  Our daughter completed her first year of college, our son completed his last year in middle school - and I turned forty.  :)


I also read some pretty good books.  Here they are:


5 Stars

Treachery in Death - J D Robb
Love You More - Lisa Gardner
The Guardian - Margaret Mallory
The Forest of Hands and Teeth - Carrie Ryan

4 Stars

Virgin - Cheryl Brooks
Absolution - P L Parker
Sandman Slim - Richard Kadrey
Enslave Me Sweetly - Gena Showalter
The Pack - Jason Starr
Blood Wyne - Yasmine Galenorn
Graveminder - Melissa Marr
The Undertakers: Rise of the Corpses - Ty Drago
Infinity - Sherrilyn Kenyon
The Tender Mercy of Roses - Anna Michaels
Numbers - Rachel Ward

2 Stars

Demons Prefer Blondes - Sidney Ayers
Wickedly Charming - Kristine Grayson
The Legend of Michael - Lisa Renee Jones

Review: Demons Prefer Blondes by Sidney Ayers


Demons Prefer Blondes is a Paranormal Romance by Sidney Ayers from SourceBooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

A BAD DAY FOR A DEMON

Rafe Deleon is a senior demon and he resents like hell his assignment to Earth to retrieve the Chest of the Damned before it falls into the wrong hands. But then he meets beautiful, intriguing succubus Lucy Gregory and she's just unleashed a whole load of trouble...

REALLY SUCKS FOR A SUCCUBUS

Lucy's chic suburban beauty salon has suddenly become the Underworld's center of mass chaos and destruction. The only good thing in a day going rapidly down the tubes is the arrival of a gorgeous demon who's adamant that he can help her...

But Lucy has quite a few deeply unpleasant--not to mention deadly and hateful--surprises ahead of her, and surely there's never been a worse time to try out a new boyfriend...

My thoughts:

 
Lucy Gregory is sorta happy with her life.  She owns a beauty salon, has a few good friends and well, that is about it.  She hasn’t had a boyfriend in five years and her mother never fails to point out her daughter’s shortcomings.

She’s just your average single, working gal.

Only she’s not.

When Lucy’s best friend finds an antique trunk covered in Latin, she knows just who to bring it to for translation.  As soon as Lucy reads the inscription, she realizes there is more to that trunk than meets the eye.  And she is very curious to open it.

Rafe Deleon is a demon who has been sent to Earth to retrieve this trunk before it falls into the wrong hands.  But it may already be too late.

Because even though Lucy is not evil - she is not completely human - and she can open that trunk.  And then all hell will literally, break free.

Demon’s Prefer Blondes is the first book I have read by Sidney Ayers and it was an okay read.

I never really connected with Lucy.  She seemed a bit flighty - trying to find humor in the oddest places - and the humor often felt forced rather than funny.

I give Demon’s Prefer Blondes 2 out of 5 stars.


Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (6-1-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402251742
    ISBN-13: 978-1402251740

Monday, May 30, 2011

Review: Virgin by Cheryl Brooks

Virgin is the seventh book in the Cat Star Chronicles series by Cheryl Brooks and a Romance from Sourcebooks Casablanca.

Book Blurb:

He’s never met anyone who made him purr...

Starship pilot Dax never encountered a woman he wanted badly enough.  Until he meets Ava Karon...

And he’ll never give his body without giving his heart...

Dax is happy to take Ava back to her home planet, until he finds out she’s returning to an old boyfriend...

As their journey together turns into a quest neither expected, Ava would give herself to Dax in a heartbeat.  Except he doesn’t know the first things about seducing a woman...

My thoughts:

Dax is a Zetithian refugee.  He was a young child when his home world was destroyed by a jealous lover.  Dax grew up aboard a refugee starship and has been taught that he should reproduce as quickly as possible to keep his species from extinction.  But Dax is waiting for Miss Right, not Miss Right Now.

At the age of thirty-three, Dax is completely comfortable with his virgin status - even if it means putting up with the taunts of his friends.

Ava Karon has not had the best of luck.  She left a perfectly normal, if boring, boyfriend - to find adventure and riches with a ‘bad boy’ on Luxaria.  The only problem is that the adventure has grown old - and no riches were ever obtained.

Now Ava wants to leave Luxaria and her boyfriend behind.  She wants to see her Mom - and maybe find her old boyfriend waiting for her.  It’s only been five years.

Right.

When Dax sees Ava he feels an instant attraction.  When he finds out that she has made arrangements to leave Luxaria on his starship - he is thrilled.  He wants her - but he doesn’t know how to go about getting her.

Virgin is an enjoyable read.  For fans of the Cat Star Chronicles it is a must read.  For those of you who are new to this series - keep in mind that this is a very tongue-in-cheek series.  

I love Waroun the Norludian - and think Virgin would not have been half as funny without him. :)

I give Virgin 4 out of 5 stars.



   Product Details

    Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
    Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (6-1-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1402251653
    ISBN-13: 978-1402251658

Saturday, May 28, 2011

In My Mailbox: 05-28-11

In My Mailbox is a feature that was started over at The Story Siren. Each week we share what we bought, borrowed from the library or received in the mail.


Here is my mailbox:
 
 
Night Shade by Andrea Cremer
Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
All You Desire by Kirsten Miller
Thanks to Penguin Group USA

Forgotten by Cat Patrick
Thanks to Hachette Book Group & Little,Brown
 
Trace of Fever by Lori Foster
Thanks to Meryl L Moss Media Relations & HQN

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop :)

The Splash Into Summer Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Page Turners Blog.


This Giveaway Hop will run from Midnight 5-25 through Midnight 5-31.  My giveaway is open to all followers of this blog with a US mailing address. 

Just leave a comment letting me know which prize pack you are interested in and a valid email addy.


Here is what I have up for grabs:


Prize Pack #1



Prize Pack #2

Prize Pack #3


Prize Pack #4

Be sure to stop by the other blogs participating in this Giveaway Hop:





Tuesday, May 24, 2011

Cover & Promo: Lothaire by Kresley Cole

Lothaire is the tenth full length novel in the Immortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole.

Book Blurb:

From the humblest of beginnings a millennia ago, Lothaire the Enemy of Old rose to power, becoming the most feared and evil vampire in the immortal world. Driven by his past, he will not rest until he captures the vampire Horde’s crown for himself. The discovery of his Bride, the female meant only for him, threatens to derail his plot.

Elizabeth Peirce is a mere mortal, a glaring vulnerability for a male with so many blood foes bent on annihilating anything he desires. Yet soon he discovers his Bride’s secret. A magnificent power dwells inside the fragile human, one that will aid his quest. But to possess that power, he will have to destroy her. Will Lothaire succumb to the torments of his past, or seize a future with her?


Release Date:  01-10-11

Monday, May 23, 2011

Review: Absolution by P.L. Parker


Absolution is a Paranormal Romance novel by P.L. Parker from Eternal Press.

Book Blurb:

For years, travelers in the French Vosges Mountains heard the wailing of a woman echo in the hollows. Her cries went unbidden. No one was brave enough to seek out the source. Over time, the screams lessen, then stop. Eventually, even the memories slipped away, forgotten.

Six centuries later, two over-eager research assistants find and release the young half vampire, Chloe-unaware of events they unwittingly unleash with her.

Far away, other forces are aware of her awakening. Zaccarius, greatest of all the Slayers, is sent by the Council of Nine to seek out Chloe, determine her worth and render justice. Enticed by her purity and innocence, he becomes her protector. However, Jochad, the Dark Master and his army of evil vampires are eager to claim Chloe.

In the battle that ensues, Zaccarius falls beneath Jochad's army. To save her lover, Chloe must make a choice. Ancient and dying, Jochad needs her blood to reanimate. His ultimatum-her blood or Zaccarius' life.

My thoughts:

Born in the fourteenth century, Lady Clothilde de Grenet, was the sheltered daughter of Lord Alric the Good and the late Lady Isabet de Arreio.  Born the night her mother died, Chloe spent her first five years with the house staff while her father went off to war in the hopes of overcoming his grief for his lost wife.

Years later Chloe developed a ‘sickness’ that her father told her was the same ‘sickness’ that took her mother.  
 

But it was not a sickness.  It was a condition.

In the hopes of keeping his daughter from suffering the same fate as his wife, Lord Alric and his most trusted man Gavin, devised a plan that would keep Chloe alive - and innocent to what she had become.

Centuries later Chloe is being hunted by the evil being responsible for her mother’s death.  But there is another - one who would help her in this new life - and Chloe is determined to live.

Absolution is a unique read and I enjoyed it very much.  

I think the time period of fourteenth century is what makes Absolution plausible.  Chloe was sheltered and naive, trusting her father and those around her - she never questioned her condition, or when she did, she easily accepted the explanations given.

I give Absolution 4 out of 5 stars.

   
Product Details

    Paperback: 276 pages
    Publisher: Eternal Press (3-8-11)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 161572317X
    ISBN-13: 978-1615723171


P.L. Parker Website

Friday, May 20, 2011

Review: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey


Sandman Slim is the first book in the Sandman Slim series by Richard Kadrey and an EOS Fiction.

Book Blurb:

When he was 19, James Stark was considered to be one of the greatest natural magicians, a reputation that got him demon-snatched and sent downtown - to Hell - where he survived as a gladiator, a sideshow freak entertaining Satan's fallen angels. That was 11 years ago. Now, the hitman who goes only by Stark has escaped and is back in L.A. Armed with a fortune-telling coin, a black bone knife, and an infernal key, Stark is determined to destroy the magic circle - led by the conniving and powerful Mason Faim - that stole his life.

Though nearly everything has changed, one constant remains: his friend Vidocq, a 200-year-old Frenchman who has been keeping vigil for the young magician's return. But when Stark's first stop saddles him with an abusive talking head that belongs to the first of the circle, a sleazy video store owner named Kasabian, Stark discovers that the road to absolution and revenge is much longer than he counted on, and both Heaven and Hell have their own ideas for his future. . .

My thoughts:

From a very early age, James Stark could perform magic.  Not the magic of Vegas - but real magic - and it came easy to him.  Often feeling misunderstood, James was overwhelmed when he fell in love with Alice - and finding out that she returned that love was more than he’d ever dreamed possible.

James also found like minded people - magicians - and they formed a circle, and worked on growing their magic.  But again, the magic came easy to James.  And people were jealous, people James trusted.  Then the night came when they betrayed him.

For the next eleven years James lived Downtown - where he was forced in the ring to fight whoever - or whatever, was thrown his way.  And fight he did.  Win he did.  And James earned a reputation.

Now he has escaped Downtown and he is back in LA - back with a vengeance and an agenda.  

Cause payback is hell.

Sandman Slim is a bit on the snarky side - especially when it comes to religion.  Some may find it offensive.

I give Sandman Slim 4 out of 5 stars and I am looking forward to the next installment.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Review: Treachery in Death by J D Robb



Treachery In Death is the thirty-second full length novel in the In Death series by J D Robb from Putnam.

Book Blurb:

Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a brutal, senseless crime.  And for the first time, Peabody is primary detective on the case, which means she has to get used to a new level of authority and responsibility.  Good thing she learned the ropes from a master like Eve.

But after rounding up the perps, Peabody stumbles upon a much trickier situation.  Determined to start working out as hard as she grills suspects, she chooses to do it at the old, rarely used gym at Central.  After a grueling workout, she squeezes into one of the narrow shower stalls, happy to have the place to herself.

Just after she shuts the water off, the gym door clatters open - and while she cringes inside the stall, trying not to make a sound, Peabody overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing.

References are made to delivering product, and a house in the islands, and someone named Keener who’s supposed to look like an OD.  It doesn’t take long for Peabody to realize that both officers are crooked - guilty not just of corruption but of murder as well.

Eve Dallas may have trained Peabody well - but this is too dangerous for one person to take on alone.   Now Peabody, Eve, and her husband Roarke, must try to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down.

My thoughts:

Treachery in Death finds Peabody taking another step towards independence - she is given the lead on a case - and does herself, and Eve proud.  Gaining more confidence in her abilities everyday, Peabody takes everything Eve suggests to heart.  And this time Eve tells her she needs to work on her hand to hand.

Talk about a case of wrong place, right time.  Peabody overhears two fellow cops arguing - and this is not your average argument.  From what she hears, Peabody determines these cops are crooked - and dangerous.  She knows that if they find her - they will kill her.

When it’s all clear Peabody tags McNab for a ride and tells the tale.  As soon as possible, Peabody and McNab head to Eve’s and fill her and Roarke in on the conversation Peabody overheard.

A plan is made and Eve knows that it will take every man she has to see it through to the end - and end it will - because Eve will not stand for crooked cops.

The In Death series is one of my all time favorites - and Treachery In Death is another great installment.

I give Treachery In Death 5 out of 5 stars.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

WoW: The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.
 
Book Blurb:

The morning that the world ends, Katie is getting ready for court and housewife Jenni is taking care of her family. Less than two hours later, they are fleeing for their lives from a zombie horde.

Thrown together by circumstance, Jenni and Katie become a powerful zombie-killing partnership, mowing down zombies as they rescue Jenni’s stepson, Jason, from an infected campground.

They find sanctuary in a tiny, roughly fortified Texas town.  There Jenni and Katie find they are both attracted to Travis, leader of the survivors; and the refugees must slaughter people they know, who have returned in zombie form.  


Release July 5, 2011

Ya'll know how I love me some zombies.  :) 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Review: Enslave Me Sweetly by Gena Showalter

Enslave Me Sweetly is the second book in the Alien Huntress series by Gena Showalter and a novel of Fiction from DownTown Press.

Book Blurb:

Cold-Blooded Assassin
Hot-Blooded Passion...
Eden Black Always Gets Her Man.


Eden Black walks among humans, protecting them from the murderous evil of other-worlders who abduct and enslave. And though she appears to be human herself, Eden is an alien, a Raka, distinguished by her golden hair and skin, and gifted with the ominous ability to kill without remorse -- and with total accuracy. That is, until the fateful night she has one shot to eliminate her target, a human slaver -- and misses.

"Failure" is not in Eden's vocabulary. Neither is "partner" -- but that's what she is forcibly assigned after recovering from her disastrous mission. A sexy, steely-nerved human agent, Lucius Adaire enjoys nothing more than sparking the fury -- and rousing the desire -- of the fiery female assassin too proud to admit defeat. Locked in an assignment they cannot afford to lose, Lucius and Eden find themselves bound in two high-stakes, heart-pounding games: the sensual web of kill or be killed, and the erotic dance of seduction.

My thoughts:

Eden Black was left an orphan the night her parents were murdered.  Adopted by Michael Black - Eden never lacked for anything - and she became a spoiled princess.  

Though her father loved her without measure - Eden realized that he genuinely respected the men that worked for and with him - Eden yearned for that respect for herself.

Now Eden is a trained assassin - it is her job to stop other-worlders who would harm humans.  Her current assignment is to kill an other-worlder who is abducting and selling humans off-world.  But the mission goes awry.

Eden is now partnered with a human - Lucius Adaire - and she is not happy.  But her father - who also happens to be her boss - says it’s a partner or Eden is fired.

Frustrated beyond belief, Eden agrees to partner with Lucius - or as she calls him, Agent Luscious.  Now if only she could get her mind out of the gutter long enough to complete her assignment.

I completely enjoy Ms. Showalter’s writing - no matter the series I’m reading. :)

Enslave Me Sweetly has plenty of action, a great deal of sexual tension and that HEA we all love. :)

I give Enslave Me Sweetly 4 out of 5 stars.

Monday, May 16, 2011

ARC Review: The Pack by Jason Starr


The Pack is a Novel of Fiction by Jason Starr from ACE.

Book Blurb:

Simon Burns is not the only man this has happened to.  Fired from his job without warning, he takes on the role of stay-at-home dad for his three-year-old son, but his obvious reluctance pushes his already-strained marriage to the limit.  And while making his way through the shady streets and nestled playgrounds of the Upper West Side, Simon harbors a simmering rage at his boss’s betrayal.

Things take a turn when he meets a tight-knit trio of other dads at the playground: Michael. Charlie, and Ramon.  They are different from the other men Simon has met - stronger and more confident, more at ease with the darker side of life - and soon he is lured into their mix.  But after a guys’ night out gets frighteningly out of hand, Simon feels himself sliding into a new, nightmarish reality.

As he experiences disturbing changes in his body and perceptions, Simon starts to suspect that when Michael welcomed him to ‘the pack’, he was talking about much more than male bonding...

My thoughts:

Simon Burns has been climbing the ladder for seven years, hoping to finally get the promotion that would allow him to have a little wiggle room with the finances - maybe take his little family on a well deserved vacation.  Imagine his surprise when out of the blue - he’s fired.

Feeling angry and betrayed, Simon is then thrown completely out of his element when his wife suggests that he take his time finding a new job - and become a stay at home dad to their three year old son.

Spending the day in the park is nice - but a little monotonous until Simon meets a group of guys that are in a similar boat.  They all have sons close in age and they play well together - Simon is excited to be including in their group.

When a ‘guys night out’ is mentioned, Simon is at first reluctant to join in - but when his wife encourages him to go - he agrees to meet the guys.

The next morning Simon wakes and can’t remember what happened - but he is sure whatever it was - wasn’t good.

The Pack is the first book I have read by Jason Starr and I enjoyed it very much.  Combining the paranormal element with a little suspense makes The Pack a very interesting read.

I give The Pack 4 out of 5 stars.

 
   Product Details

    * Hardcover: 352 pages
    * Publisher: Ace Hardcover (06-07-11)
    * Language: English
    * ISBN-10: 0441020089
    * ISBN-13: 978-0441020089

Saturday, May 14, 2011

In My Mailbox: 05-14-11




In My Mailbox is a feature that was started over at The Story Siren. Each week we share what we bought, borrowed from the library or received in the mail.


Here is my mailbox:
 
Bought:

Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield
Hellforged by Nancy Holzner
Crossed by J F Lewis
Dead Streets by Tim Waggoner
Apocalypse of the Dead by Joe McKinney
Chosen By Blood by Virna DePaul


For Review:


the Tender Mercy of Roses by Anna Michaels
Absolution by P L Parker
Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance


Thanks to Gallery Books, P L Parker & Penguin
 

Friday, May 13, 2011

Winner: Deadly Promises, Anthology






Thank you to everyone who participated in the Deadly Promises giveaway.  It is time to choose a winner using Random dot Org.


There were 16 items in your list. Here they are in random order:
  1. Estella
  2. Ricki
  3. LadyVampire2u
  4. Jane
  5. June M
  6. Meggerfly
  7. Cheryl C
  8. Cheryl F
  9. skKorman
  10. Mariee
  11. Martha Lawson
  12. Amy J
  13. Madison
  14. throuthehaze
  15. Meredith
  16. WckdKtty
And the winning number is #9 - Sk Korman.  Congrats, an email is on the way.

Happy Reading! 

Review: Blood Wyne by Yasmine Galenorn


Blood Wyne is the ninth book in the Otherworld series by Yasmine Galenorn and a Paranormal Romance from Berkley.

Book Blurb:

We’re the D’Artigo sisters: half-human, half-Fae.  We’re sexy, we’re savvy, and we just turned in our badges to the Otherworld Intelligence Agency.  My sister Camille is a wicked good witch.  Delilah’s a werecat and blossoming Death Maiden.  And as for me?  I’m Menolly, acrobat extra ordinaire turned vampire.  But being a vamp isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially when the godfather of all vampires decides to play Prince Charming...

It’s the holiday season and a vampire serial killer is on the loose.  Hungry ghosts are tearing up the town and people are running scared.  

I strike a deal with Ivana Krask - one of the Elder Fae - and, too late, discover strings are attached.  But when I turn to Roman, one of the oldest, most powerful vampires around, for help, he offers me more than I ever bargained for...

My thoughts:

Blood Wyne is told from Menolly’s POV - and I always enjoy her POV the best.  This installment finds everyone a little busy - actually doing their own thing for once.  Of course the threat of Shadow Wing is still there - but Blood Wyne does not focus on that fight.  

Instead a serial vamp is on the loose and Menolly is helping Chase track him down - because it most definitely is a ‘he’.  He is leaving his victims violated in a most heinous way before draining them to death.     

In the course of the investigation Morio is severely injured - resulting in a drastic measure to save his life - which results in an unexpected consequence.

During that same fight Camille and Vanzir have an unexpected encounter of their own.

Smokey and Rozurial are off to help Smokey’s Mom with an SOS - so they aren’t around.

Delilah is out of commission - recuperating from the broken ribs she suffered while fighting Stacia Bonecrusher - but her demon lover Shade is ready and willing to help any way he can.

Add to that, Menolly hires a new bartender, confronts and old and well loved friend about her unacceptable behavior, relocates her ‘daughter’ Erin and meets the son of Blood Wyne - who wants her - period.    

On a happier note: Menolly and her girlfriend, Nerissa, decide to take their relationship to the next level. :)

I really enjoy this series and look forward to each installment.

I give Blood Wyne 4 out of 5 stars.

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

WoW: Blood of the Wicked by Karina Cooper

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly post started by Breaking the Spine to showcase books we are patiently awaiting.
 

Book Blurb:

When the world went straight to hell, humanity needed a scapegoat to judge, to blame . . . to burn. 

As an independent witch living off the grid, Jessie Leigh has spent her life running, trying to blend in among the faceless drudges in the rebuilt city. She thought she was finally safe, but now she's been found in a New Seattle strip club—by a hard-eyed man on a mission to destroy her kind. 

A soldier of the Holy Order, Silas Smith believes in the cause: trawling the fringes of society for the murderous witches who threaten what's left of the world. Forced into a twisting web of half-truths and lies, he has to stay close to the most sensuous and electrifying woman he has ever seen and manipulate her into leading him to the witch he has to kill: her brother. Silas doesn't know that Jessie's his enemy, only that he wants her, needs her, even as he lies to her . . . and must protect her until his final breath. 

Release Date:  05-31-11
 

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Cover Finds: Shaede's of Gray & Devil's Kiss


Synopsis:

Take equal parts bad-ass, weapon-wielding, tough girl and add a splash of gorgeous, uber-protective, leading man. Stir in generous helpings of the supernatural, action, danger, and romance. Let it simmer for a few hundred pages, and what you’ll get is SHAEDES OF GRAY. The story of Darian, an assassin hiding in the shadows who’s lived too long to have a conscience–until the loves of her past and present collide, destroying everything she once believed about herself and her place in the Shaede Nation. SHAEDES OF GRAY, the first novel of Darian’s many adventures will be released on December 6th, 2011 by NAL/Penguin.


The Hellraisers trilogy is a Paranormal Historical trilogy that begins with Devil's Kiss, which will be released 12-6-11 from Zebra.

Blurb Forthcoming.

As always, thanks to Wicked Scribes for the finds.

Review: Graveminder by Melissa Marr


Graveminder is a novel of Fiction by Melissa Marr from William Marrow.

Book Blurb:

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn't a funeral that Maylene didn't attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words  Sleep well, and stay where I put you.

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place--and the man--she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D--a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk.

Suddenly Rebekkah is struggling with more than just her grief - she’s forced to deal with a centuries-old bargain, dark secrets, a complicated romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility: to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

My thoughts:

Rebekka Barrow is a young woman trying to find herself - trying to find where she fits in the world.  Never feeling comfortable anywhere but with her adoptive grandmother Maylene, Rebekka is devastated when she learns of Maylene’s death.

Returning home to the small town of Claysville - Rebekkah is both elated and wary to find that one time boyfriend Byron Montgomery has returned home to help his father run the town mortuary.

Little does Rebekkah know how her destiny and Byron’s have been forever entwined.  Upon the death of her grandmother, Rebekkah has become the Graveminder - the person who ensures that the dead stay in their place, and if they wander -  takes them across to Mister D - as in Death.

Byron’s family have been Undertaker’s for years.  They are helper to the Graveminder - able to lead the Graveminder to and from Mister D.

 
Together the two keep Claysville safe from the Dead.

Graveminder is an interesting read and I enjoyed it very much.

I give Graveminder 4 out of 5 stars.

 

Product Details

    * Hardcover: 336 pages
    * Publisher: William Morrow (05-17-11)
    * Language: English
    * ISBN-10: 0061826871
    * ISBN-13: 978-0061826870

Monday, May 9, 2011

Review: Love You More by Lisa Gardner

Love You More is the fifth book in the D D Warren series by Lisa Gardner and a Thriller from Bantam.

Book Blurb:

WHO DO YOU LOVE?

One question, a split-second decision, and Brian Darby lies dead on the kitchen floor. His wife, state police trooper Tessa Leoni, claims to have shot him in self-defense, and bears the bruises to back up her tale. For veteran detective D. D. Warren it should be an open-and-shut case. But where is their six-year-old daughter?

AND HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO . . .

As the homicide investigation ratchets into a frantic statewide search for a missing child, D. D. Warren must partner with former lover Bobby Dodge to break through the blue wall of police brotherhood, seeking to understand the inner workings of a trooper's mind while also unearthing family secrets. Would a trained police officer truly shoot her own husband? And would a mother harm her own child?

. . . TO SAVE HER?

For Tessa Leoni, the worst has not yet happened. She is walking a tightrope, with nowhere to turn, no one to trust, as the clock ticks down to a terrifying deadline. She has one goal in sight, and she will use every ounce of her training, every trick at her disposal, to do what must be done. No sacrifice is too great, no action unthinkable. A mother knows who she loves. And all others will be made to pay.

My thoughts:

Tessa Leoni did not have the most stable childhood.  Her mother suffered with depression, her father was a work alcoholic as well as an alcoholic.  Tessa was left to fend for herself.

When an accident at the age of sixteen forces her from her home - Tessa begins to spiral out of control.  When she finds out she is pregnant - that changes everything.

Determined to make something of her life - and provide a better life for her child - Tessa decides to become a state police trooper.  And she has never looked back.

Tessa has been a state trooper for four years now, her daughter is six years old and they have made a life with Brian Darby - who, despite his shortcomings - loves Tessa and her daughter very much.

Tessa spent twenty-five weeks training to become a state trooper - and she will need to use every bit of that training to overcome the hardest challenge of her life: finding her daughter - before it’s too late.

Love You More is the first book I have read in the D. D. Warren series and I absolutely loved it.  

Fast paced and exciting, Love You More kept me turning the pages for more.

I really enjoyed the character Tessa Leoni and I can see a spin off series focusing on her.  She is tough, smart and no-nonsense, very capable of handling herself - I would love to read more about her.

I give Love You More 5 out of 5 stars.


Product Details

    * Hardcover: 368 pages
    * Publisher: Bantam; First Edition edition (3-8-11)
    * Language: English
    * ISBN-10: 9780553807257
    * ISBN-13: 978-0553807257