anthology
Four paranormal romance stories, all very enjoyable.
First we have The Yearning, by Hannah Howell, about a man and woman who are both affected by different aspects of the same curse. The setting is ancient Scotland, and Sophie Hay must find a way to break the curse before it changes Alpin MacCordy into a monster, for both their sakes.
Next is A Hell of a Time, by Jackie Kessler. This was spicy, humourous, full of action - I loved it. All former succubus Jesse wants is a romantic weekend with her boyfriend Paul. Of course that's not what she gets when they go to a cabin in the woods and the woods start trying to kill her.
Then we have City of Demons, by Richelle Mead. This is another story about a succubus and her boyfriend, although Georgina is still a "working" succubus which means she and her boyfriend, Seth, can't have sex. They travel to L.A. when Georgina is called to jury duty for a most unusual trial.
Finally, we have Bitten, by Lynsay Sands. I gather this is one of her early works, before her creation of the Arganeau Vampires. This vampire tale is a little different than her ususal fare, but is still enjoyable nontheless. I think Keeran's fate is sealed the moment he rescuses Emily from a sinking ship, but Emily has her work cut out for her to convince him of it.
I'm always amazed by the sheer variety and quality of paranormal romance out there. This is another book for my keeper collection, I just need to figure out where I'm going to put it. Dare I say I need yet another bookcase?
Monday, September 28, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Dark Passions
edited by Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett
The blurb on the back promises "sizzling, suspenseful tales by today's most sinister writers of erotic horror." I found the book to be suspenseful (in places) and more horror than anything else, but there was very little either sizzling or erotic about it.
That's not to say there was nothing sizzling about it, Mood Elevator was very sizzling, and there were a couple of good revenge stories as well. But by and large even the horror fell short in this anthology.
It really surprised me to discover that this is volume XIII in a series called Hot Blood. I would have expected more out of a series with that title.
The blurb on the back promises "sizzling, suspenseful tales by today's most sinister writers of erotic horror." I found the book to be suspenseful (in places) and more horror than anything else, but there was very little either sizzling or erotic about it.
That's not to say there was nothing sizzling about it, Mood Elevator was very sizzling, and there were a couple of good revenge stories as well. But by and large even the horror fell short in this anthology.
It really surprised me to discover that this is volume XIII in a series called Hot Blood. I would have expected more out of a series with that title.
Friday, September 11, 2009
July/August
This should completely catch me up on the books I read over the summer. I have got to start getting better at reviewing as I read. :-)
Speaking of reading . . . I was reading a blogging buddy’s blog (HA! Try saying that five times fast) and she mentioned that her goal was to read 101 books in 2010. My first thought was, “That doesn’t sound like a lot,” but then I realized that that’s about 2 a week, which more than I do sometimes, although I can read five or six in a week and then nothing for a couple of weeks. Anyway, it got me thinking that I should keep track to see how many books I read in a month.
Again, these are in no particular order, mainly ‘cause I can’t remember what order I read them in!
Sword & Sorceress, Volumes IX through XIV
edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
This is a series of anthologies created by Marion Zimmer Bradley to showcase strong women characters in the fantasy genre. For anyone looking for quality swords and sorcery fantasy, I highly recommend this series. That is not to say all these stories are about swords women or sorceress’ for that matter, but they are all good fantasy with strong female characters.
Captivated
by Nora Roberts
This is book one in the Donovan Legacy, originally published in 1992. It’s the story of Nash Kirkland, a screen play writer, and Morgana Donovan, a witch, and the magic they create between them. Morgana has led a somewhat charmed life, especially when compared to Nash’s upbringing. When she falls hard for Nash her only hope is that he can learn to trust his feelings so they can share a life together. This book is utterly “captivating” with just the right mix of passion and magic.
Forbidden FantasiesEllora’s Cave Presents
This is an anthology of eight steamy stories, ranging from Regency England to another planet, with shapeshifters, vampires and secret labs in between. Did I say steamy? This book is downright sizzling! Just the thing to warm you up on a chilly autumn night.
Fast Women
by Jennifer Cruise
I actually read this during the summer and it ended up in a pile waiting for shelf space in my permanent collection. I really loved the main character in this, Nell Dysart. She’s a down on her luck divorcee whose brother-in-law gets her a temporary job working for a private detective named Gabe McKenna. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot because this book has a bit of everything: adventure, mystery, action, and above all, romance. But the best part is watching Nell come into her own.
Lost Garden
by Helen Humphreys
This is not just another book about World War II. This is a though provoking account of the war as seen through the eyes of a woman trying to do her part for the war effort. Gwen Davis travels to the Devonshire countryside where she is to take charge of a group of girls for the Land Army. Their task is to cultivate potatoes on a large country estate, a task made more difficult by the girls’ initial resentment of Gwen. The story of how this unlikely group learn to work together, and how Gwen brings a secret garden back to life, is told in a compelling and lyrical style.
The Night Tourist
by Katherine Marsh
Jack Perdu is a loner who usually has his nose in a book, which leads him to a near fatal accident when he crosses a road while reading. After his recovery, his father sends him to a doctor in New York for an examination. On his way home from this appointment, Jack is side-tracked by a mysterious girl named Euri, who leads him to the underworld of New York in search of his dead mother. I picked this book up because it reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s Neverworld, but the Night Tourist is a unique blend of myth and mystery, adventure and action.
Lords of Desire
anthology
This is an anthology of four steamy historical romances. As you know, I’m not a huge fan of historicals, but these four stories were all very different, very well written, and did I mention steamy? We have the story of a Victorian miss who’s swept back in time to a more decadent era; a house party where a lord and his lady who have been living apart for ten years are forced to share a room; an new bride who thinks she’s going mad because of the way she feels about her husband; and a man and woman who have been at odds with one another for years and are brought together by a game of hide and seek.
Speaking of reading . . . I was reading a blogging buddy’s blog (HA! Try saying that five times fast) and she mentioned that her goal was to read 101 books in 2010. My first thought was, “That doesn’t sound like a lot,” but then I realized that that’s about 2 a week, which more than I do sometimes, although I can read five or six in a week and then nothing for a couple of weeks. Anyway, it got me thinking that I should keep track to see how many books I read in a month.
Again, these are in no particular order, mainly ‘cause I can’t remember what order I read them in!
Sword & Sorceress, Volumes IX through XIV
edited by Marion Zimmer Bradley
This is a series of anthologies created by Marion Zimmer Bradley to showcase strong women characters in the fantasy genre. For anyone looking for quality swords and sorcery fantasy, I highly recommend this series. That is not to say all these stories are about swords women or sorceress’ for that matter, but they are all good fantasy with strong female characters.
Captivated
by Nora Roberts
This is book one in the Donovan Legacy, originally published in 1992. It’s the story of Nash Kirkland, a screen play writer, and Morgana Donovan, a witch, and the magic they create between them. Morgana has led a somewhat charmed life, especially when compared to Nash’s upbringing. When she falls hard for Nash her only hope is that he can learn to trust his feelings so they can share a life together. This book is utterly “captivating” with just the right mix of passion and magic.
Forbidden FantasiesEllora’s Cave Presents
This is an anthology of eight steamy stories, ranging from Regency England to another planet, with shapeshifters, vampires and secret labs in between. Did I say steamy? This book is downright sizzling! Just the thing to warm you up on a chilly autumn night.
Fast Women
by Jennifer Cruise
I actually read this during the summer and it ended up in a pile waiting for shelf space in my permanent collection. I really loved the main character in this, Nell Dysart. She’s a down on her luck divorcee whose brother-in-law gets her a temporary job working for a private detective named Gabe McKenna. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot because this book has a bit of everything: adventure, mystery, action, and above all, romance. But the best part is watching Nell come into her own.
Lost Garden
by Helen Humphreys
This is not just another book about World War II. This is a though provoking account of the war as seen through the eyes of a woman trying to do her part for the war effort. Gwen Davis travels to the Devonshire countryside where she is to take charge of a group of girls for the Land Army. Their task is to cultivate potatoes on a large country estate, a task made more difficult by the girls’ initial resentment of Gwen. The story of how this unlikely group learn to work together, and how Gwen brings a secret garden back to life, is told in a compelling and lyrical style.
The Night Tourist
by Katherine Marsh
Jack Perdu is a loner who usually has his nose in a book, which leads him to a near fatal accident when he crosses a road while reading. After his recovery, his father sends him to a doctor in New York for an examination. On his way home from this appointment, Jack is side-tracked by a mysterious girl named Euri, who leads him to the underworld of New York in search of his dead mother. I picked this book up because it reminded me of Neil Gaiman’s Neverworld, but the Night Tourist is a unique blend of myth and mystery, adventure and action.
Lords of Desire
anthology
This is an anthology of four steamy historical romances. As you know, I’m not a huge fan of historicals, but these four stories were all very different, very well written, and did I mention steamy? We have the story of a Victorian miss who’s swept back in time to a more decadent era; a house party where a lord and his lady who have been living apart for ten years are forced to share a room; an new bride who thinks she’s going mad because of the way she feels about her husband; and a man and woman who have been at odds with one another for years and are brought together by a game of hide and seek.
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