Year End Wrap Up

Oh, this is not good. I want to start the new year with a clean slate, but I've got a pile of books on my desk that I've read and have yet to review. Yikes!

I need to come up with a word other than "review" for this. I don't feel that I really review books, so much as read them and then share my opinion. Especially when I have a long list of books and I can't go as in depth as I'd like.

I might also point out that these are not the only books I've read since my last entry, these are just the ones I thought to leave out to remind me that I've read them. I'll be going over them in the order in which they're stacked up. I have no clue which I read first.

Comsmic Sex by Karen Kelley
In the summer, my two neices worked in a clearinghouse type book store and this is one of the books I picked up at a discount price. I gotta tell you, I was very pleasantly surprised. It was a fast read, which is not to say it was a short book, just that I couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting. The main character, Kia, was very realistic, which is saying a lot considering she comes from another planet. Kia crash lands on Earth on a mission to find her cousin to take her back home. She's helped on her search by a cop who can't resist a damsel in distress. It was fast paced and witty and yes, steamy too. I'll definitely be on the look out for more of this author's work!

Lucy Blue, Where Are You? by Louise Harwood
Lucy decides to get away from London for New Year's, and decides to go to Scotland to ring in the new year. After a lackluster time, a snow storm hits, cancelling her flight home and she finds herself sharing a car with a handsome stranger. By mutual agreement they decide that what happens on the trip will remain just between them, including their one night stand in a motel along the way. Once they're back in London and have parted ways, Lucy realizes she was more attracted to him than she thought and wonders what might have happened if things had been different. Just as she's ready to put it all behind her, she sees a poster in the train station that says: Lucy Blue, Where Are You? This was a very enjoyable read. I loved the character of Lucy. The story itself was well done, with a really interesting twist at the end that, in itself, makes this book a keeper.

Seducing the Moon by Sherrill Quinn
I'm pretty sure I read this one before NaNo, but the memory of it is still pretty vivid, which speaks volumes about how much I enjoyed it. It's the story of Pelicia Cobb and Declan O'Connell, a couple with a past history of steamy romance and betrayal. Declan left Pelicia broken hearted two years ago, but now he's back to claim her as his own. But first he has to figure out who's trying to kill her, and then he has to find the courage to tell her that now he's a werewolf.

I was hoping to just skip the anthologies I've read, but since there's seven of them I have to give them at least a nod.

Better Naughty Than Nice
A Harlequin Blaze trio of Christmas themed stories by Vicki Lewis Thompson, Jill Shalvis, and Rhonda Nelson. The common thread that connects these stories is the meddling of Santa's brother, Damon Claus, in the lives of three unsuspecting women.

Under the Boardwalk
by Linda Howard, Mariah Stewart, Jillian Hunter, Geralyn Dawson, and Miranda Jarrett. Here we have the story of a sherrif who falls under a witch's spell during a blue moon; a virginal woman returning to the husband she ran away from ten years before; a high-society woman who meets the love of her life in a ship wreck; a pirate out to claim the one treasure he's always regretted leaving behind; and a private investigator and a chef who share a seaside romance.

Out of the Light, Into the Shadows
by Lori Foster, L.L. Foster, and Erin McCarthy. Four tales showing both the light and the dark side of love including: a story of a woman lost in love but afraid she'll lose the love of her life when she realizes she's pregnant; a Russian vampire who must come to terms with the idea that the man she loves didn't betray her years ago; a woman discovers that the man she's been working for and secretly loving, loves her back in his own dark fashion; and a police detective who falls in love with the dark and mysterious prime suspect of a series of grisly murders.

Cowboy Christmas
by Carol Finch, Elizabeth Lane, and Pam Crooks. Another trio of Christmas themed tales from Harlequin, including a woman who convinces the town marshall to come home with her for Christmas and pretend to be her husband; a man released from being imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit to pick up the pieces of the life he left behind; and a society miss who finds more than she'd ever dreamed with one of her former kidnappers.

Real Men Last All Night
by Lora Leigh, Lori Foster, Cheyenne McCray, and Heidi Betts. A man looking out his attic window gets more than an eyeful of his next door neighbor, never dreaming they have a past connection; a woman looking for a summer fling finds what she's looking for right next door; a chance encounter in a park leads to so much more; and a couple are reunited to find their missing daughter and find much more than that.

The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2
edited by Trish Telep. Twenty-five tales of vampires and vampire love. There's something for everyone between these pages - some old twists, some new twists, some unexpected twists. A must have for anyone who enjoys a good vampire story.

Hell With the Ladies
by Julie Kenner, Kathleen O'Reilly, and Dee Davis. As much as I love anthologies, I really love the ones that have a connecting thread. In this volume we have Satan, who's tired of running Hell and is looking to pass the reins to one of three his illegitimate sons. One by one he sets them each a task. It's up to you to decide whether they fail, or succeed.

Moon Kissed

by Michele Hauf

I'm a little pickier when it comes to buying Silhouette Nocturnes than I was with the Silhouette Shadows series, but this was money well spent.

Belladonna Reynolds' life is turned upsidedown when she's out for her nightly run and suddenly finds herself the target of a group of vampires. She runs straight, literally, into the arms of a werewolf, who saves her but then begins to stalk her as well.

Severo has good reason to hate vampires, and claims he's not stalking her, but trying to protect her, especially from the vampiress who's turned Bella's best friend into a vampire.

Severo believes that Belladonna could be his mate, and it doesn't take him long to convince Bella of this as well. And then one tragic night Bella is bitten by a vampire and turned. Though Severo still loves her, he fears what the wolf in him will do to her the next full moon.

This book was very hard to put down once I started it. I loved the characters of Bella and Severo - Bella went through so much in such a short time, and yet she comes out on top. And Severo's struggle with his past is heart-breaking to watch, yet you can't stop.

My only complaint was that the book had to end.

Hot for the Holidays

Jove paranormal, anthology

Okay, I confess, I bought this book because of the hot guy on the cover with the candy cane sticking out of his pants. :-)

Let me tell you, the cover lives up to its promise. These stories (all Christmas themed) were hot enough to melt the polar icecaps.

First we had the Vampire's Ball, by Angela Knight. This story is set in her Mageverse, but you don't have to be familiar with it to make sense of the interaction between Kat Danilo (Lancelot du Lac's illegitimate daughter) and Ridge Champion.

Next we have A Little Night Magic, by Allyson James. After a two-year absence from Naomi's life, Jamison Kee returns, bringing secrets and trouble in his wake. Try as she might, Naomi finds him hard to resist, even when it puts their lives in danger.

Then we have Sweet Enchantment, by Anya Bast, a Yuletide tale of the Sidhe court centering around Bella and Ronan, and their fight for survival, freedom, and happiness.

Finally, we have A Christmas Kiss, by Lora Leigh. This tale is set in her "Breed" universe, and again, you don't have to be familiar with it to make sense of the story. Hawke is one of the genetically enhanced Breeds, who believes that Jessica is destined to be his mate. First he has to clear her name, then he has to convince her before he can claim her.

The Count of Monte Cristo

by Alexandre Dumas

In a bit of a departure for me, this review is part of a blog chain for Absolute Write. “Each participant reviews in detail a book that either they love, or the one that touched them, and made an impression upon them.”

For me that book would have to be The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. I read this book in High School and I freely admit that I chose it from the library because of its length (1300+ pages). I was an even faster reader back then so long books were very appealing.

The story centers around the character of Edmond Dantes, a merchant sailor. Life is pretty good for Edmond when the story opens – he’s just come back from a successful voyage and is about to marry his fiancé, the beautiful Mercedes. Unfortunately, Mercedes has another suitor, her cousin Fernand who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. This includes framing Edmond for a crime he didn’t commit. Edmond is sentenced, without trial, to life imprisonment in the island prison of the Chateau d’If.

Edmond’s life changes once again when he’s visited by the priest, Abbe Faria, a fellow inmate who’s trying to escape and tunnels into Edmond’s cell by mistake. Not only does the priest educate Edmond in all manner of subjects, he also confides to him the location of a treasure hoard on the island of Monte Cristo. When the priest dies, Edmond makes his escape, and so begins his plans for revenge.

The subtlety by which Edmond achieves his goals is matched only by the twists and turns of the plot. This is a gripping story, not only of revenge, but of hope, justice, and forgiveness as well. Edmond assumes many identities, not just that of the Count of Monte Cristo, and each one plays an important part in his plans. Yes, he is at last reunited with Mercedes, but not in the way one might think (or hope for).

If you, too, would like to be as enthralled with this book as I was, you can read a copy on-line for free Right Here


There has been an interesting mix of books reviewed for this chain and I’d advise everyone to check them out. My fellow links are:

Lost Wanderer
Forbidden Snowflake
Coryleslie
Razibahmed
DavidZahir
Veinglory
Aimeelaine
Claire Crossdale
And the next person in the chain is Edielin

Eternal Lover

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?

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.

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.