Book Synop:

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of “rehabilitation”— the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was….

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a Changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy co-existence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several Changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion—and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities—or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation…

At first I wasn’t sure about this book. I had read all the hype and for some people, hype makes them run out and buy the book/movie/cd etc. but for me, hype just makes me want the object to gather some dust and then when my mind has shed all the gushing accolades, I pick it up and try it out. So, much Like Abby Cooper, this book was bought the first week it came out, but it has set on my TBR shelf for quite a while.

And here is where I have to admit that sometimes you have to believe the hype. One part of me is glad that I waited to read this — so I could immediately start reading Visions of Heat (The Psy-Changeling Series, Book 2) (Berkley Sensation). The other half of me is smacking the back of my head wanting to know why I waited so long to pick out Slave to Sensation (The Psy-Changelings Series, Book 1) (Berkley Sensation).

It always makes my heart happy when someone creates a brand new world for people and creatures (for lack of a better word) that could be part of the same ol, same ol. Nalini Singh has created a very rich world where Psy, Changelings and humans have an uneasy peace — of sorts.

Lucas and Sascha are incredible characters. Their chemistry is white hot and I found myself following Sascha’s path into emotion with avid interest. Lucas was a bit more alpha than I typically like, but it suited his position and his character. I guessed early on the identity of the killer but enjoyed watching the trap to capture him unfold. Sometimes things were a bit repetitive, but all in all I enjoyed learning about this new world and these new people.

As usual I PPH Karen Rose! I’m Watching You was excellent! I love stories that challenge my own perceptions and this one had me doing a bit of thinking at the end. This story is about a vigilante killer who is taking out some of society’s worst offenders. These guys all got off in court by a technicality or by their defense lawyer being total scum and discrediting the Prosecution’s witnesses. Kristen Mayhew tries so hard to put these bastards away as an ASA but she can’t get them all. But someone has decided to help her and he calls himself Your Humble Servant. She gets close to the cop assigned to her case, Abe Reagan but there are issues that both of them are dealing with that keeps them at arms lengths from each other. The book is extremely fast paced and I only put it down to get some sleep. I had to look at whether I thought the killer was actually a killer or if he was doing a society a favor. Very interesting. And since I don’t usually read psychological thrillers a second time, I’m going to leave the book here at the condo for someone else to enjoy.

Next was a book I’ve had since the day it hit the shelves of my bookstore – Your Mouth Drives Me Crazy by HelenKay Dimon was incredible! A lot of times snarky dialogue feels forced to me and pulls me out of a story, but the characters of Kane and Annie were hilarious and believable! The story kept me engaged (and practically had me washed away at high tide because I didn’t want to move from the beach chair!). I can’t wait for more from her. Fantastic! Now if only she will be doing Josh and Derek’s stories. I know something is in the pipelines for another Hawaii story because I went to her website, but I am soooo very impatient!

And last, but by no means least, is the story I just finished this evening. One that Tina has been bugging me to read for quite a while and I was very resistant to trying. When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity, Book 1) is one of the best vampire books I’ve read in a while! I absolutely loved the character of Dante (where can I find myself one!!!) and the byplay between Dante and Abby kept me chuckling all through the book. The world building was subtle, yet weaved so skillfully in it wasn’t like a lesson. These two were HOT! I can’t wait to pick up Embrace The Darkness (Guardians of Eternity, Book 2) in early November. Alexandra Ivy is now on my auto-buy list!

Now what will I pick-up next…..

Synop: (From B&N)
Anita Blake is about to face the challenge of her life. Into her world-a world already overflowing with power-have come creatures so feared that powerful, centuries-old vampires refuse to mention their names. It is forbidden to speak of The Harlequin unless you’ve been contacted. And to be contacted by The Harlequin is to be under sentence of death.

Long-time rivals for Anita’s affections, Jean-Claude, Master Vampire of the City, and Richard, alpha-werewolf, will need to become allies. Shapeshifters Nathaniel and Micah will have to step up their support. And then there’s Edward. In this situation, Anita knows that she needs to call the one man who has always been there for her…

I can’t begin to say how happy I am that the old Anita is (sorta) back in The Harlequin (Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter, Book 15). I’ve missed her. I felt the series jumped the shark with Narcissus in Chains and I haven’t been the same rabid fan girl since then. I still feel there is waaaaay too much personal therapy being worked through from LKH’s personal life in the pages, but it wasn’t quite as annoying this time around. I do miss the period of time usually covered in the books. I do not like that only a day or so goes by. Couldn’t we have a week? Why can’t the Merry Gentry series be all about the sex and whacked out time periods and Anita could be, well what Anita was the first 8 books or so.

There still is not any significant character growth in The Harlequin. Nobody has grown (I’m not counting Anita getting new powers or new sex partners) in the last several books except Nathaniel. I’ve enjoyed watching him come into his own. But all the other characters are mired in stagnancy. Jean Claude is still the (mostly) unperturbed Master of the City. Micah is still perfect in his every move, gesture and breath. Richard is still the same annoying asshole that just can’t get his crap together.

Speaking of Richard. I want him to die a horrible, painful death. I’ll take my chances with him killing the triumvirate. Really. He is the whiniest most unappealing male ever. Every book Anita and him have the same fights and every time Richard gets his feelers hurt and he must run off and lick his wounds. ENOUGH ALREADY! It boggles the mind that this pansy is King of the Wolves. Or whatever his title is. Kill him, kill him, kill him.

Okay, now that I got most of my gripes out of the way, this was an interesting story. I liked reading about these assassins sent to take care of business with Malcolm’s church. I enjoyed reading more about Marme Noire (I probably spelled that wrong). I liked that the story has a definite beginning, middle and end. And best of all, I liked that Anita no longer has to have sex every fifteen minutes. There’s actually room for *gasp* a story! Now you may be wondering why I gave it a B+. Well, I’m comparing them against the last few books and comparatively speaking, The Harlequin is gold. Compared to other authors, stories, styles and other things typical literature is “graded” on, I’d give it a C.

I wish that I could steer clear of this series. but I liken it to the train wreck that you can’t help but rubber neck at as you go by. Finally, I didn’t feel as though The Harlequin was a total waste of money. I’m actually looking forward to the next one to see if it’s still heading in the right direction or if The Harlequin was a fluke.

Book Synop: In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there’s a deadly turf war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing more than Wrath, the leader of The Black Dagger Brotherhood.

The only purebred vampire left on earth, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But, when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-leaving his half-breed daughter unaware of his existence or her fate-Wrath must usher her into the world of the undead-a world of sensuality beyond her wildest dreams.

I’ve had this book in my TBR pile for a while and I finally pulled it out with nagging gentle nudging from my friend, Tina. It took me a while to really get into this book. I struggled a little with learning the world Ward had created. I think I was a little apprehensive when the first thing I saw in the book was a glossary of terms. I guess by the 5th chapter I was ready to settle down and really read the story. Visualizing Wrath was difficult and somewhat detracted from the story for me. I think it was also hard for me to reconcile that here was a vampire that couldn’t see well vs. the vampires that have perfect senses.

After the initial hiccups, I really enjoyed the story. Beth was a character that I liked immediately and while it took a little bit for Wrath to grow on me, I really liked the other Brothers from the word go. I’m not sure I bought Wrath’s sudden need to make Beth his shellan, but I glossed over that. I also glossed over the budding relationship between Butch and Marissa. That was a bit harder to swallow and seemed somewhat out of place even though their relationship was pivotal to some of the actions of others toward the end of the story.

Over all, I enjoyed it and I’m definitely going to go out and buy Lover Eternal (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 2). I think this series can only get stronger and I’m glad I pulled Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, Book 1)out of the TBR pile.

When it comes to my enemies, the men who fear the goddess grails, I’m more than happy to encourage their change of leadership! But since I’m Magdalene Sanger, Grailkeeper, my first goal is still rescuing lost goddess chalices.

I can’t pass up the chance to join an archeologist friend (who may be more of a friend) in exploring the underwater palace of Cleopatra in Alexandria, Egypt. Before I can say “Isis Grail,” I’m being endangered by sabotage of the expedition, threatened by local crime lords, and involved in an international custody dispute.

All that and romantic troubles too? Even in Egypt, the power of the goddess carries intense consequences…

Maggi has quite a lot happen to her in this particular hunt and the reader gets a resolution on the whole Lex, Maggi, Rhys triangle. We also become a bit more informed on the Comitatus and their inner workings. Again the characters are wonderful and the search is fun and intense. I also finished this book in one sitting — right before I got the flu. If you go to EV’s site you can read the first chapter. I highly recommend it, because as I said before, this book is a heck of a lot harder to get your hands on than A.K.A. Goddess.

Orginally posted on The Dramedy of Life.

I am talking about Evelyn Vaughn’s Goddess Grail series, brought to us by Silhouette’s Bombshell line. I loved EV’s The Circle series for the Shadows line back in the mid-90’s and then they were re-released in 2002 as a Dreamscapes. I loved the characterization and the way the story flowed. I still have those on my keeper shelf today. Well, I may have more Vaughn books to join them if the Grail series keeps up the momentum.

I’m not a huge category romance reader. Sometimes, I just feel they are missing something. I enjoy the occassional Intimate Moments and Blaze so when Bombshell made it’s debut I immediately went out and bought the first 4 released. And wasn’t really wowed. I like strong heroines, but some of the women were off the charts and just didn’t appeal to me. So, when I read somewhere on the internet that A.K.A. Goddess was a good read to pick up, I did, but left it to gather dust in the pile.

I began reading it a couple of weeks ago and was blown away by the characters and the story. It’s the best feeling in the world to sit down and read a book and suddenly remember why you want to become a writer…because you want someone to read your book and have this feeling. I literally devoured the book in an hour and half and during that time the only thing that existed for me was Maggi Sanger, Lex Stuart and the search for Melusine’s grail.

There is something magical about the way EV writes. She includes research in a way that never feels like you are slogging through a history book, but just enough that it tantalizes you into wondering ‘is it real or all fiction,’ so of course I had to do a little research of my own while I was waiting for Her Kind of Trouble to arrive. I wanted to be Maggi Sanger. She’s a strong character, who knows what she needs to do, has a wonderful sense of right and wrong and while she doesn’t need a guy to rescue her, she’s not opposed to possibly sharing her life with a guy. And she has options. I loved the fact that EV was able to make me root for both men!!! Usually you pick a ‘hero’ and then want to shoo away anyone who’s getting in the way of the Hero/Heroine progress. Not this time.

Here’s the blurb from EV’s site:

Magdalene Sanger comes from a long line of strong women dating beyond the Dark Ages, and her legacy–to protect hidden goddess grails–takes woman power to whole new levels. When she encounters a mysterious society out to destroy the legendary chalices, Maggi must cross Europe to uncover the Melusine Grail before they do…even if that means drinking of the ultimate betrayal.

This wasn’t in my job description…

Reporting a break-in, avoiding my overprotective ex-lover, dodging dangerous men out to kill me… not exactly a typical day for a comparative mythology professor. So how did I, Magdalene Sanger, get mixed up in all this?

It started with a family legend that connects me to a goddess and charges me with recovering the grail she hid away ages ago. Apparently, some powerful people heard the story and are bent on destroying the grail at any cost—including my life! Now I have to find it before the enemy closes in….

This book is a great adventure and I felt a little desperate and sad when I finished the book and knew I would have to wait until I could track down a used copy of Her Kind of Trouble before I could find out what was happening next with Maggi. If you can get your hands on a copy of A.K.A. Goddess, do so now and if you feel compelled to get Her Kind of Trouble, good luck because it’s hard to find — even on eBay.

Georgia and Harry are after the same dossier, but Georgia has double the reason for wanting to find it — most immediately, her brother’s life depends on it and second, it could shed light on her father’s involvement with TotalSky, which sent him to prison. Harry needs it because the intel could be valuable to SG-5’s operations. Harry teams up with Georgia to find the information but she has no idea he’s undercover for SG-5.

The story just zipped along. I made the mistake of starting it before bed and before I knew it, I had turned the last page and it was 3 am. The dialogue in the story was excellent. Kent really knows how to have believable, zippy conversations that aren’t filler. Nothing worse than the characters yapping away just to fill some page space. The chemistry between Harry and Georgia was hot! I really liked the fact that Harry didn’t fight the attraction all the way through the book. He recognized it, embraced it and went for it. I really enjoyed the heroine, Georgia McLain because she gave as good as she got and there’s nothing worse than the simpering, useless female! Kent also has a way of bringing her secondary characters to life as well (think characterization like Suz Brockmann), so I’m hoping that she’ll have a story for Georgia’s brother, Finn, at some point because I enjoyed his development throughout the story.

Deep Breath is part of Alison Kent’s SG-5 series, but really, you don’t have to read them in order, to enjoy them. The series does start with The Bane Affair, if you are anal like me and like to read a series from start to finish.

Here’s the back cover blurb:

When a guy stops at a roadside diner, he expects bad chili, not a hostage situation. But that’s where SG-5 operative Harry van Zandt finds himself when an armed cartel blows through the door. They’re not after him but the woman in the next booth, and their message is clear: she’s got seventy-two hours to locate and deliver a valuable historical document or her brother dies. And if Harry wants to live, he’d better go with her.

Harry has his own undercover mission to finish, but with a trigger-happy band on their tails, it’ll have to wait. Not that he minds helping Georgia McLain. The tough treasure hunter is as smart as she is sexy. She’s also desperate. That artifact could finally clear her late father’s name. She needs Harry if she’s going to double-cross these thugs and keep it for herself, and her gratitude is the kind that could turn a guy’s head. Too bad that document is also of vital importance to the Smithson Group, and Harry’s top-secret mission is to get it before it falls into the wrong hands. Now, the beautiful, infuriating woman he’s starting to fall for could lead him right to what he needs—and what she so desperately wants.

Out on the open road with a price on their heads, two unlikely lovers are caught in a game of secrets, lies, betrayals, and desire, where trust is risky and love is no time to catch your breath…

So, if you are looking for an excellent read, go over to the sidebar and click on the link that will take you to Amazon. I think once you read one, you’ll want to read them all! Plus, she has an excellent website and blog, so at least go check that out!

Originally published on The Dramedy of Life.]]> http://bewitchedbybooks.com/2007/01/02/book-review-deep-breath-by-alison-kent/feed/ 0