Loretta Chase - Lord of Scoundrels

Series: Scoundrels, Book 3
Genre: Romance
384 pages
Published: 1995
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb:
DETERMINED LADY
Tough-minded Jessica Trent's sole intention is to free her nitwit brother from the destructive influence of Sebastian Ballister, the notorious Marquess of Dain. She never expects to desire the arrogant, amoral cad. And when Dain's reciprocal passion places them in a scandalously compromising, and public, position, Jessica is left with no choice but to seek satisfaction...


LORD OF SCOUNDRELS
Damn the minx for tempting him, kissing him...and then for forcing him to salvage reputation! Lord Dain can't wait to put the infuriating bluestocking in her place -- and in some amorous position. And if this means marriage, so be it -- though Sebastian is less than certain he can continue to remain aloof...and steel his heart to the sensuous, head strong lady's considerable charms.

Review: Wow. I haven't had so much fun reading a romance novel in a long time. I absolutely loved this book.

If you like believable tortured heroes and witty heroines, good dialogue and a storyline that will keep you up till 5 in the morning, like it did me, then this is the book for you

Sebastian Dane had a horrible childhood - his mother left him, his father ignored him at best, and he grew up unloved and believing he was ugly. Classic symptoms for the cold hearted notorious rake he's turned out to be. There are a lot of references where he's called lord Beelzebub - I think that should explain a bit.

Jessica Trent has arrived in Paris to rescue her nitwit of a brother from the influence of Dain. He's ruining himself and the family finances trying to emulate the much richer Marquess. Things don’t turn out quite as Jess imagined them - she's falls in lust with him. Dain never deals with respectable women, he finds no point in wasting his time with them. However, Jess is an entirely different story. Thankfully, their attraction to each other doesn’t stop the witty repartee between the two.

I don’t really want to give much away from this book - there are twists and turns I'd never imagined in a regency novel. I usually find the intelligent independent heroines pretty annoying. Jess, however, is very well written and a joy to read. I loved Dain from the beginning, even when he was a hopeless debauchee. Reading his reluctance to bed Jessica and fight against his feelings for her was a real treat and you'll love his transformation into a caring and loving husband.

This is my first Loretta Chase book, and I'll definitely be reading more. The story flows well and left no loose ends. It’s a bit like reading a mystery novel, where you don’t know what'll happen next. This one is a keeper for me. Now on to starting with the beginning of this series.

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According To Jane - Marilyn Brant

352 pages
Blurb: It begins one day in sophomore English class, just as Ellie Barnett's teacher is assigning Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". From nowhere comes a quiet 'tsk' of displeasure. The target: Sam Blaine, the cute bad boy who's teasing Ellie mercilessly, just as he has since kindergarten. Entirely unbidden, as Jane might say, the author's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie's mind, and seems determined to stay there. Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. Years and boyfriends come and go - sometimes a little too quickly, sometimes not nearly fast enough. But Jane's counsel is constant, and on the subject of Sam, quite insistent. Stay away, Jane demands. He is your Mr. Wickham. Still, everyone has something to learn about love - perhaps even Jane herself. And lately, the voice in Ellie's head is being drowned out by another, urging her to look beyond everything she thought she knew and seek out her very own, very unexpected, happy ending.

Rating: 5++ / 5

You need to read this book, it is absolutely delightful. I'm still a bit stunned and not quite sure where to start with this review.

The Book blurb really says it all perfectly in this one case.

Ellie is handed a copy of Pride and Prejudice in school, and behind her Sam is busy teasing her. And suddenly there's a voice in Ellie's head telling her to stay away from him. He is your Mr. Wickham says the voice of Jane Austen in her head.

And there it begins. Ellie's journey through life with Jane Austen as friend and counsellor for the next 20 odd years of her life - through her trials as a teenager, fitting in with her family, school and the years beyond, her hopes and dreams for the future and more importantly in her interactions with the men in her life.

Its hard to tell you what i felt for the other characters in this book without giving away any spoilers.

Ellie is a typical geek looking for a happy ending with prince charming. Along the way, you learn life lessons through Ellie's experiences and trial and error. And later through looking at past events with the fresh eyes of an adult

In school, Ellie likes Sam. She's attracted to him inspite of all Jane's warnings to pay him no attention - he's her first love. At the same time she hates Sam for his arrogant ways and confidence. And thus begins the boy trouble. And it continues for quite a while with a motley crew of men (who she tries to classify into her 6 categories of men)

Then there's Di - Ellie's elder sister who's a pain in her ass growing up. You want to hate her, and at the same time you want them to be close sisters.

As much as i wanted to hit Ellie on her head when it came to her choices in men specially when some weren't kicked out sooner - the girl is improving when it comes to who she picks. But i still wanted to hit her when it came to Sam. And hit Jane as well. Sam was too hot and too good to be blindsided for being confident.

Sam. I loved him. From the first time he was featured in page two where he called out Ellieeee

Whats bestest in this book is the writing. Its simple. Yet it has many layers. And it gives you that warm cosy feeling.  The characters are all very well written, you identify with Ellie. You want Sam. And you wish you had someone like Jane to lean on during the horrible times.

The only problem i had with this book was the ending wasnt as strong as i would have liked it to be. But it was a happy one and in its own way, a perfect one

A lil snippet of the beautiful writing:
On her failed relationships because of bad choices in men:

Ellie: Humans are complicated Jane. Really complicated. And I've made mistakes because I've repeatedly chosen not to see that.
Jane: It is more likely a result of the philosophy you persist in holding dear. Romanticism encourages an abandonment of restraint and, as you've so often wished to fall in love without regard to rationality, this invites the absurd. Your mistakes in judgement are not due to the complexity in humanity Ellie. They are due to the lens with which you view love
Ellie: You mean, i need to change the fairy take and not the man?
Jane: Precisely

This book is currently available for free at the sony e-book store

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Bitten (Women of the Otherworld, #1) - Kelley Armstrong

453 pages

Rating: 5 + + / 5

This book has the distinction of getting me hooked from the first line itself. I didn’t need to wait a few pages for the story to pick up and get absorbed into it, Bitten did it from the get go.

I have to.
I've been fighting it all night. I'm going to lose.My battle is as futile as a woman feeling the first pangs of labor and deciding it's an inconvenient time to give birth. Nature wins out. It always does.


Bitten is about Elena - the only female werewolf in the world. Not by her choice - she was bitten by her lover and forced into this world. That’s one of the reasons she's so determined to live as a normal human away from it all. That’s where this story beings - with Elena and her experience undergoing the Change into a werewolf late night in the streets of Toronto - not an ideal place to change. She's living with Philip, a nice patient human guy and another attempt to integrate into the normal world.

Elena is no ditzy character. She's sarcastic but strong-willed and determined. She tries to be grounded in reality- as much as a bitten werewolf who's rebelling against the werewolf lifestyle can be. I liked her sense of independence - she didn't need someone else to come save her. As much as she rebels, eventually, when they need her help, she returns to the Pack, and to the man who bit her.

I kept looking at the number of pages and gleefully anticipating what would happen next and how the troubles facing the werewolves would eventually end - because what this book is filled with is one action packed situation after another.

What it is also filled with is Clay.
Oh Clay. When Elena kept fighting with him I really wanted to tell her to settle for Phillip and leave Clay for me.
He figures up there with Bones from the Night Huntress world and Adam and Charles from Mercy Thompson world for swoonworthy heroes for me. Must I say any more?
I think I should
I've never liked reading a man calling a woman darling as many times as Clay did in this book. I loved all his conversations with Elena. He has a single minded-determination to get what he wants; and also say what he wants - which is Elena.

"What the hell do you want?" I said.
His smile turned to a grin, white teeth flashing. "You. What else?"
"Where? Right here? On the floor?"
"Nah. Not that. Not yet. Just the same old thing I always want. You. Here. For good...I'm glad you're home, darling. I missed you."

And i won't even begin to talk about all the romping-around-the-jungle sex these two had..they're always ripping each others clothes out and while I don’t usually like reading such 'frenzy' cause the authors never makes it believable, I wished I was Elena many times in this book.

Then there's Jeremy - the Alpha of the pack - with his amazing self control and quiet strength of character. Another character so full of awesomeness. The world building in this book is brilliant. The characters are well-drawn out so you feel like you've know all of them for a long time and you want to be their friends. (well, I did and I'm sure you will too)

This one is definitely up there among my favourite reads. I read it more than thrice already and each time I tried writing a review I'd go back to check some part I liked and end up reading it all over again. What that should translate into for you is to stop reading my rantings here now and go find yourself a copy to keep. Don’t borrow. Buy

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Dark Slayer (Carpathians, #20) - Christine Feehan

416 pages

A rumor has persisted in the vampire world of a dark slayer—a woman—who travels with a wolf pack and any among the vampires who meets her is slain. Mysterious, elusive and seemingly impossible to kill, she is the one hunter who strikes terror into the hearts of the vampires.
Ivory Malinov is that woman, betrayed by her own people, by her family, by everyone she held dear and she hunts during the night with only her pack to sustain her sanity. She has not spoken to or been with any other person for a hundred years other than to feed from or slay. She stumbles across a body on her way back to her lair and discovers—her lifemate.
He is Razvan, branded a hated criminal, detested, feared and loathed by all Carpathians—he is also a dragonseeker of one of the greatest lineages of all Carpathians Held captive nearly his entire life by his grandfather, the Carpathians bitterest enemy, he is seeking the dawn to end his terrible existence.
This is a story of two people, horribly betrayed, wounded in spirit, fighters to the death, who must struggle to unite against a common enemy.
 
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think I've said this for the past 3 Carpathian books I reviewed, but this really is the best Carpathian book so far. Or close to it atleast. Dark Slayer is about Ivory Manilov and Razvan.

Ivory is the sister of the 5 Manilov brothers who purposely turned Vampire because they thought they could rule the world that way. Ivory was tortured and hacked and left for dead by the Mikhail's brother Draven and the vampires under Xavier's direction. However mother earth and the wolves saved her and now she slays the undead along with her wolf pack - with no allegiances to the undead, Xavier or the Carpathian race that left her for dead.

The grandson of the evil mage Xavier, Razvan has been in his grandfather's clutches since he was fourteen and has had his body and mind used for crimes against Xavier's enemies. He's lived only with his honour and endured to save those he loves, but now he's giving up.

Many things are thankfully different in this book. The two meet and don't want to be tied to each other because they're both being hunted, but cant abandon the other nonetheless. Ivory is the warrior in this book, while Razvan is more the calming influence with tremendous inner strength (that just sounds corny now, but you know what I mean)
He had learned long ago that he couldn’t control others or events, only his own reaction to what happened...“I do not control others, Ivory, only myself. I do what I must, no matter the cost.”

I can honestly say these are the strongest characters I've come across in anything I've read so far - both mentally and physically these two have endured and have been honed in the fires of hell. They have a single minded determination to accomplish whatever they set their sights on - be it Xavier or ravishing each other. Despite their strengths, they both have vulnerabilities - and it is lovely how they are there for the other at their times of need. At time I thought there was too much of the inner dialogue - with how they didn't deserve each other and how they had found joy and happiness. But considering both their tortured pasts, the gratitude and joy they found in each other did make sense, and it wasn’t so bad to read.

Razvan's lack of ego is refreshing after all the previous Carpathian men and their i'm-the-best-thing-that-ever-happend-to-you attitude. He's happy following Ivory's lead in areas that are her forte, and they support each other as partners. The part where they Razvan uses his skill at strategy along with Ivory's abilities and tricks the ancient Carpathians had me laughing for quite a while.

A lot of the old characters are back in this book along with some new ones. We catch up with what's been happening in the other lives and how they're fighting the undead, Xavier and they're own extinction with the inability to keep their babies alive. There's also sad re-unions with Razvan meeting his sister Natalya (who I wanted to slap in this book a lot of times) and his daughter Lara and coming to terms with the new knowledge of what Xavier had been using his body for.

Lovely story this. I wondered how the two would meet, how they would reconcile with the Carpathians and whether they would defeat Xavier and where the series will go from this book onwards. Feehan does a almost perfect job on all counts. A lot of things are wrapped up in this book, with enough to keep you waiting for the next book.

Really, this isn't an adequate review. It'll make you laugh, it might make you cry. It'll keep you invested in the lives of these two. So go read the book. (But read some of the previous books first so it makes a lot more sense)
See my reviews on some of the previous Carpathian books here

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Fractured (Will Trent, #2) - Karin Slaughter

416 pages
Blurb: The #1 internationally bestselling author returns to the damaged landscape she knows so well in a bold new novel—at once a powder keg of suspense, a gritty portrait of a cop’s life, and a searing exploration of a shocking crime and its aftermath…

With its gracious homes and tree-lined streets, Ansley Park is one of Atlanta’s most desirable neighborhoods. But in one gleaming mansion, in a teenager’s lavish bedroom, a girl has been savagely murdered. And in the hallway, her horrified mother stands amid shattered glass, having killed her daughter’s attacker with her bare hands.
Detective Will Trent of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is here only to do a political favor; the murder site belongs to the Atlanta police. But Trent soon sees something that the cops are missing, something in the trail of blood, in a matrix of forensic evidence, and in the eyes of the shell-shocked mother. Within minutes, Trent is taking over the case—and adding another one to it. He is sure that another teenage girl is missing, and that a killer is on the loose.
Armed with only fleeting clues, teamed with a female cop who has her own personal reasons for hating him, Trent has enemies all around him—and a gnawing feeling that this case, which started in the best of homes, is cutting quick and deep through the ruins of perfect lives broken wide-open: where human demons emerge with a vengeance

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This was a amazing novel. When I say amazing I mean go-pick-up-a-copy-to-read-amazing. Triptych was the first Karin Slaughter book I read last year and I was hooked. I loved Will Trent - the detective with undiagnosed dyslexia who cannot read, is socially awkward, looks at everything with different eyes, is extremely intelligent and makes one hell of a detective.
In Fractured, Slaughter brings Will's past and his disability to the forefront - he excels because of what he is and is held back because of his dyslexia too. But enough about Will.
What this story really is about is Emma and getting her back.

"This time yesterday morning, Kayla and Emma had probably been getting ready for school. Maybe Adam Humphrey had slept in because he had a later class. Abigail Campano had been getting ready for her day of tennis and spa treatments. Paul had been on his way to work. None of them had known how little time they had left before their lives were forever changed or—worse—stolen."

When the Atlanta police are called in to a crime where a mother has just killed her murdered daughter's attacker, they peg it as a murder-and home invasion gone wrong. Only Will sees the clues, and realises there is more than meets the eye (see blurb for more)

Partnered with a female cop who hates him and blames him for her mothers retirement from the Atlanta Police, Will has to piece the clues together to find Emma, his old nemesis' kidnapped daughter, before her time runs out and even the cops on the case give her up for dead.

If you've read any Karin Slaughter, you'll know why you need to pick up this book. Its only my second by her, but I know I'll be reading a whole lot more of her as soon as I can get my hands on em. This book grips you from the get go, makes you feel what each of the characters are going through (and not just the main ones), their hopes and frustrations, it makes you cheer for every breakthrough they make and gets you emotionally invested in saving Emma and praying for hope of a happy ending for all these guys.

Slaughter's depiction of situations is real and at times heartbreaking. See, I don't cry. No matter how emotional the book or movie. But when Will was trying to break their suspect into telling him where Emma was, and he used his own experiences to connect with the suspect and get him to talk and everything that happened thereafter - well, that was pretty heady stuff.
I hope she writes more Will Trent books. Go read this one people.

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Destined for an Early Grave (Night Huntress, #4) - Jeaniene Frost

355 pages

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Stayed up reading this till 5 am and was completely worth it.
Cat and Bones are back – and on holiday. Cat has resigned from her job and Bones has settled all affairs from the vampire war in book 3 - At Grave's End
Cat starts dreaming of another vampire, Gregor – who has connections to her past from before she met Bones, Gregor claims she's his wife and wants her back. Cat keeps Bones, who can now read minds, out of her mind with mental shields – and that leaves Bones wondering what she’s hiding or not telling him. Cat, in typical Cat manner also does some things without thinking in entirely through, thinking she’s helping save the day. Enter Mistrust and a lack of communication that leads to things getting even worse.

Cat and Bones both being head strong individuals do things their own way - thinking they’re protecting the other – and that leads to a huge fight which made for very horrible reading since I love these two, but at the same time I kinda agreed with the things Bones said. Heartbeaking stuff.
Things obviously get worse before they get better. In the end, it was adds up to an awesome read that still has me left with a huge grin on my face.

The old characters are back – specially my two favourite ones - Spade, who was too cute as he kept trying to get the fighting couple back together and Vlad, as the voice of reason proved to be a very good friend to Cat
Mencheres, Rodney, Annette and Justina are back too – things don’t turn out well for some of them. There’s also Fabian – the friendly ghost who helped a lot.

Amid the fighting, splitting, and eventual getting back together, there’s the trademark Frost one-liners that make this series one of my favourites. Midway during reading the book, I realized that everytime Bones had a line, I’d be reading it to myself with an imagined British accent.

Cat, while waiting in line at the loo in Paris:
“He fucks even better than he looks,” I settled on saying. Several heads turned. I didn’t care; I was pissed. “And that beautiful face is going to be clamped between my legs as soon as we get ooome, don’t you worry.”

The fear of that made my reply snappy. “Hey, Walks Like An Egyptian, how about for once you drop the formal stuff and talk like you live in the twenty‐first century?”
“The shit’s gonna splatter, start buggin’, yo,” Mencheres responded instantly.
I stared at him, then burst out laughing, which was highly inappropriate considering the very grave warning he’d just conveyed.

Spade: Lucifer’s bloody balls, is this why you haven’t returned my calls?”
Spade: “Lucifer’s hairy ball sack. You’ve become a Morlock.”

Bones: “Don’t care for her tongue, do you? How strange. I find it’s one of my favorite parts.”

There’s a new book on Spade and Denise coming out Jan 2010 : First Drop of Crimson.. Cant wait for that one. See more here

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Graceling - Kristin Cashore

471 pages

Genre: Fantasy / Young Adult
Awards: Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Children's Literature 2009

Rating: 5/5

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight; she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. She never expects to fall in love with beautiful Prince Po. She never expects to learn the truth behind her Grace--or the terrible secret that lies hidden far away. . .a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

Wow. Just wow.
This book was such a joy to read.

Gracelings are children gifted with special abilities and distinguished by their different coloured eyes. . Graceling is about Katsa, a girl ‘graced’ with the ability to kill. Extremely well. She’s her uncle, the king’s, enforcer – not something she enjoys at all. He makes her feel like a thug and a brute, and Katsa sometimes imagines herself to be the savage everyone thinks she is. But Katsa also sees the injustice of the kings and takes it upon herself to use her abilities to help where she can. On one such mission she meets Po. Prince Po. Prince of one of the other seven kingdoms, and also a Graceling who is a good fighter.

Both Gracelings understand how the other feels, with the uncomfortable stares and fear they arouse in people, and form a bond. Po and Katsa become sparring partners and then fast friends. When Po asks her why she doesn’t refuse being under her uncles’ control, Katsa begins thinking and making changes, which lead her to some hard decisions. ( "When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? Did it become something else?") Their trail leads them to Po aunt’s kingdom and what follows is a secret that has the power to ruin all the 7 kingdoms.

This is a lovely story of fragile friendship with its own ups and downs and the strength of character that shines through from these two. You cannot help but love Po. (Despite his name) Katsa is someone who finds it hard to let people in, but cares for those she’s close to. It is heartbreaking when Katsa and Po finally discover their feelings for each other and share them. She has this weird thing about never getting married, which didn’t make sense seeing as she loved Po and agreed to be his lover but not his wife. Katsa has control issues.

There were no frivolous descriptions or filler in this book. Everything written worked towards giving the reader a sense of the characters frame of mind or what was happening around them. Cashore can make you picture a situation and the surroundings with a few short words, and get you completely involved in whats happening. There's whole cast of characters that you connect with. I loved Raffin, Oll, Bitterblue and even Giddon.

This book didn't have the typical ending with everything just falling in place, there was more left to do and still problems to overcome, and i was glad for that. Read this book. There's a reason this won a award people. There's 2 more books coming soon:

Fire, Graceling's prequel, is out in Ocotber 2009 and Bitterblue has no release date yet. Find out more here

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Playing With Fire (Silver Dragons, #1) - Katie MacAlister

331 pages
Rating: 5/5

Gabriel Tauhou, wyvern of the silver dragons, has found the one woman who can withstand his fire. Too bad May Northcott is already bound to a demon lord. But when the demon orders May to steal one of Gabriel's treasures, an immensely important relic of all dragonkin, Gabriel has to decide which to protect: his love or his dragons.

I've been waiting a while to get my hands on this book. May Northcott is a doppelganger (a being created from her twin); she's bound to a demon lord Magoth, who she works as a thief for; she has a twin Cyrene who gave up her common sense when creating May; she's in a lotta trouble for stealing from the chief archimage of the Otherworld; is being blackmailed, and now finds out she's also a wyvern's mate. Gabriel's mate to be more exact.

Gabriel Tahou, the wyvern of the Silver Dragons, was first introduced in Fire Me Up - the second Aisling Grey book where he healed Aisling's wound after the amulet was stolen. I loved Gabriel then, and he's just as great now.
This books starts off where Book 4 of Aisling Grey left off.

The Silver Dragons broke off from the black dragons and were cursed with no mates born to them. Hence Gabriel is mate-less unless he steals someone else's. Enter May. Who isn't born but created from her twin, or in Jim's words:

" May’s a virgin lesbian doppelganger wyvern’s mate"

I was laughing my ass off at the part where Cyrene tries to tell Gabriel and everyone else how Mayling cannot be his mate because she isn't into men or sex. Read it to know more. I love Cyrene. She's just to stupid you have to love her.

This book was typical MacAlister funny. Even the sex scenes between Gabriel and May were funny. Gabriel cannot seem to control himself around May, which while weird, made more quite a few laughs:

Gabriel: ‘‘Only because I am determined to prove to you that I value you more than anything else in my life. I would greatly appreciate it if you didn’t explore any more of my stomach, because that too will send me over the edge. In fact, I’d be eternally grateful if you would arouse yourself, and tell me when you are ready.’’

Magoth made for one interesting Demon Lord. I also enjoyed Savian character - the thief taker who was chasing May for the Otherworld reward. And there's more of Kotya, with his constant "The black dragon sept will regain what we once held but was taken from us" tirade.

Nice book this. It ended on a sad note, but intriguing enough to make sure you pick up the next book.

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Blood Bound (Mercedes Thompson, #2) - Patricia Briggs

292 pages

Rating 4.5/5

Under the rule of science, there are no witch burnings allowed, no water trials or public lynchings. In return, the average law-abiding, solid citizen has little to worry about from the things that go bump in the night. Sometimes I wish I was an average citizen...

Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places - and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind.

But this new vampire is hardly ordinary - and neither is the demon inside of him...

In typical Briggs style, the book gets you involved in it from the get go.
There's more of the vampires in this book. Stephan asks Mercy for help when going to check out a new vamp in town who turns out to be more than just a typical young vampire. The wolves get involved to help stop the killings, and its up to Mercy to save them all.

This book had some lovely scary scenes (i like scary scenes, hence the 'lovely'), like when Stephan and Mercy first meet Cory Littleton the vampire or when he scratches Mercy's trailer.

I like the vamp characters in this book. There's more of Stephan, and like i mentioned during book 1, anyone driving the Mystery Machine is awesome in my books. The vamps aren't your typical bloodsucking-but-good-guys types. They're more concerned bout themselves and have no value for human life (They call the humans they feed off 'Sheep') or anyone not vampire - something i found refreshing. Except for Stefan. Who seems to have a heart. I hope there's more of Stefan in the books to come. Also more of Wolfe, i liked the idea of a wizard vampire, and he has a interesting character.

Mercy is still torn between Samuel and Adam. Sam is now living with her ("So how are you going to explain to your neighbors that there is a strange man sleeping on your front porch?" when Mercy refuses to let him stay) and Adam and her are finally getting somewhere. I can see her with Adam, but i do hope Briggs has something good in store for Samuel.

The part where he talks about his life in Texas and asks her "I wonder if she knew that I had money, would she still have killed my baby?... Was it my fault?" broke my heart.

Once again i didn't see the end coming. I'm usually good at guessing the whodunnit. Mercy had the balls to fight the good fight knowing there would be consequences, and i think that is one reason I'm still reading these books and will continue to.

Review for book 1 - Moon Called

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Moon Called (Mercedes Thompson, #1) - Patricia Briggs

292 pages

Rating: 5/5
Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.
She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.
But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

I was pretty reluctant to start reading this series considering all the hype - i figured this would be another series i wouldn't like despite the good reviews (flashack to Twilight and sparkly Vampires)

Boy was i wrong

Mercedes Thompson is a coyote (or walker) who grew up with a werewolf pack. After leaving one werewolf love behind, she moved to the tri-states and is now an established VW mechanic who lives next to the local Alpha werewolf.
The book started off pretty boring for me, but as the pages went by, i was hooked.

Life takes a rollercoaster turn when a lone new wolf turns up at her garage. What follows is werewolf killings, the kidnapping of the Alpha's daughter, return to her original werewolf pack for help, Samuel - her first love and a plot that i didn't figure out until i actually read the actual who-dunnit.

Too many people have reviewed this book a lot better, so I'm not giving away any plot. However, i will say that for once i loved ALL the characters in a book.

I liked Mercy - she is well grounded, knows her limits, and is comfortable in her abilities - human and otherwise. She has a brain in her head. She wasn't out to prove anything, and new when it made sense to give in and when to go for it.

Adam as the local Alpha werewolf is hot. The attraction between Adam and Mercy is subtle and fun to see. They both care for each other, and they're just beginning to show it to each other. You can tell it'll be a good romance in the next book. You cannot help but like Samuel, the love Mercy ran away from at sixteen. Despite their problems in the past, they still have feelings for each other. Bran, as the Marrok - the alpha of all alpha's, had just the right amount of complications to make him a mysterious character. Warren and Kyle were fun as a gay couple. I liked Kyle trying to hit on Samuel. A vampire who drives around in the mystery machine will always be thumbs up in my book.

This book really has it all - werewolves, vampires, fae. You can tell that despite Mercy's smart mouth, she's surrounded by friends she cares about and who are loyal to her.

I loved Briggs description of werewolf politics and rules and culture.

The beauty of this book was that it got me completely involved in the lives of Mercy, Adam, Samuel and everyone else. Each of the characters was well rounded and made a connection. That's what makes it a great book.

Aaah well. Just go read it if you haven't already.

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Dead and Gone (Sookie Stackhouse, #9) - Charlaine Harris

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5

Except for Sookie Stackhouse, folks in Bon Temps, Louisiana, know little about vamps—and nothing about weres.
Until now. The weres and shifters have finally decided to reveal their existence to the ordinary world. At first all goes well. Then the mutilated body of a were-panther is found near the bar where Sookie works—and she feels compelled to discover who, human or otherwise, did it.
But there’s a far greater danger threatening Bon Temps. A race of unhuman beings—older, more powerful, and more secretive than vampires or werewolves—is preparing for war. And Sookie finds herself an all-too human pawn in their battle

Sookie Sookie Sookie . How long I’ve waited to read this. Where to begin?

Well, before i forget - Ms. Harris, I like how all the books have their own unique style of jacket covers and all, but really!!! Can you make them look a wee bit better maybe. You’re killing the hot image of Eric that I’ve created in my head with that cape clad buffoon on the cover. And Bill just looks like he’s completely doped out.
Thank heavens for Alexander Skarsgård in True Blood for keeping my hopes for Eric alive.

Now considering how long I’ve waited for this book, I absolutely loved it. Didn’t have much of a choice here. Harris has added quite a few sub plots here that you have to appreciate that finally here’s a book where thing tie up at the end (not all, but at least a little. Am I still making sense? I’m still on a giddy high after having read this at a stretch with only a break for some orange juice and lots of chocolate in between. I was thinking maybe I should write the review tomorrow when i'm back to my relatively more saner self. But its amazing how the ideas whoosh by and how fast you can type on a one-too-many-bars-of-chocolate high. Really)

No, no. That didn't make sense at all. I'll have another go at this:

A lot of things are happening in this book, every chapter has some incident nor another. The Weres make their big reveal. A lot of people end up dead by the time the book is done - some of them characters i really liked. Harris didn't really address the emotional fallout from these deaths. They just were. With everything else happening, Sookie doesn't get any time to process what these deaths mean. I do hope she gets to this in the next book.

A lot of stuff from the previous books get answered - Eric tells her about the curse and why he would up near Sookie's place in Dead to the World.
Arlene and the Fellowship Of The Sun try their tricks - and i liked that Sookie finally told Arlene off and gave up on her. Been pending for a long time i think.

Quinn is back, if only for a short encounter - which actually left me a bit spooked and also supporting Quinn in his statement that Sookie is harder on him that anyone else. Although i didn't buy his reasoning for it. Never thought I'd be siding with Quinn - something about him calling her Babe all the time that just ruins it. Like he can't be bothered to remember her name. My Boyfriend used to do that. Call everyone 'darling' regardless of gender or whether he met you 10 minutes ago, so he didn't have to remember names. He knows better now. But i digress.

The main event of the book is the Fairy war with Niall and the pro-human fairies on one side and his nephew Breandan and the 'no-contact-with-Humans' fairies on the other side. And obviously Sookie in the middle - with disastrous and torturous consequences for her and her friends. That part was really horrible. Harris really has a way with writing dark stuff. Her Lily Bard Series is a good example.

I found this book had a more mature and subdued Sookie (and Jason too, for that matter). One who faces a lot of revelations. You can see the effects of it in her interaction with those around her. Specially with Eric. She's confused about her feelings and the blood bond. Their relationship changes in that Sookie seems more detached when it comes to Eric now while Eric seems to want to get closer to her. Almost like her needs her.

Then there was also the conversation after Sookie is rescued and she asks Eric why he wasn't the one who came after her and she had hoped he would, and he says “You’re killing me” Plus at the end Pam makes some comment about how Eric will live on in Sookie. So many cryptic things in this book. VERY VERY FRUSTRATING.

And BILL IS BACK!!! Who would have thought that. I mean the man really managed to redeemed himself, almost dying for her and all. Whew!!

Can i now complain about the extremely abrupt ending. After page after page of a rollercoaster ride of events, it felt like Harris got tired of writing and just left it hanging. Like i mentioned before. Frustrating.

But all in all, i still loved it.

Is now a good time to bring up how this book was only 336 pages? Its like going to wait a long awaited movie only to be shown the trailer and then asked to leave at the end of it with no movie in sight.

Well, maybe not exactly like that. But still.

Aaah well. I always seem to complain about this series. Because i love it so much.

See.
Told you.
Chocolate rush = too much writing.

------------------------------------
Click here for reviews of books 1-8

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Angels' Blood (Guild Hunter, Book 1) - Nalini Singh

368 pages
Rating: 4/5

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux is hired by the dangerously beautiful Archangel Raphael. But this time, it’s not a wayward vamp she has to track. It’s an archangel gone bad.The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor’s edge of passion. Even if the hunt doesn’t destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just may. For when archangels play, mortals break


Since i usually swap books with my sister and we discuss them for hours on end, i tried telling her why Angels' Blood was a good read and why she should give it a go.

It went something like this:

This book has Vampires, Archangels and Vampire-Hunters.

The Vampires are created by Archangels and have to sign on for 100 years of servitude's to said Archangel before they can be free by themselves (The book had a very interesting explanation for how and why this happens too). Archangels who, btw, have divided the world into territories they control and 'rule over'.

So when the Vamps escape before year 100 is up, in come the vampire-hunters, who capture them and return them to their masters.

Elena is one such Vampire-Hunter. She was born for this job. Something about having a nose for smelling the vampies. The VHs, by the way, are completely organised - like government-agency organised types and are called Guild-Hunters. She gets called for breakfast and a chat by the Archangel of New York - Raphael. Yes, ladies and gentlemen - Archangel Raphael. (See, this is where Vanessa burst out laughing and gave me that incredulous 'you're reading stuff like this and recommending it to me, Have you lost your mind' look)

What followed was half an hour of Vanessa seriously doubting the quality of books i have left in my huge hoard, if I've taken to reading about the Archangel Raphael and his New York exploits and me explaining that it is a good book, outlandish as my explanation sounded.

Back to my explanation.

Obviously there are sparks between the Vampire Hunter and said Archangel. But wait, there's more. (Not sure if this warrants a drum-roll, but what the heck. Drum roll please...)

Raphael, the angel that he is, obviously wants something from his breakfast date.

He wants Elena to track someone for him.

Another Archangel.

An Archangel gone Rogue. !!!!

Yikes!!

I really did like the book, but i guess Vanessa found my description hilarious. She's sticking to Sookie Stackhouse for now, which i also convinced her to read after much similar story telling.

I liked Elena, she's good at her job and sure and confident as a character, if a bit confused on how she feels about the archangels. Raphael is one of the elite cadre of Archangels, and rules his 'domain' with an iron fist. The attraction between the two is sizzling. I mean C'mon. Where else are you going to read about Archangel sex?? I liked the other characters as well - Sara and Ransom - Elena's fellow Guild-Hunters. And Dmitri and Illium - 2 of the Seven who guard Raphael.

Go read this book. Despite my stupido explanations, it is a really good one.

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Dark Curse (Carpathians, #19) - Christine Feehan

400 pages

Rating: 5/5

Lara Calladine is haunted by childhood memories of being held prisoner in an ice cave and kept sane by the whispered stories told to her by her imprisoned aunts. They instilled mage and Carpathian magic deep within her and then helped her escape. She has spent years searching for the cave in hopes of finding the answers to the riddle of her past as well as finding her aunts who may have given their lives saving her.


Nicolas De La Cruz has returned to the Carpathian Mountains--his homeland--on orders from his eldest brother, Zacarias, to bring news of a conspiracy to the prince of their people. He is weary of his long existence and plans to end it away from his brothers where they will be unable to stop him once he has fulfilled his duty.

Lara and Nicolas paths collide in an explosive adventure that rocks the Carpathian world

I know when i reviewed Dark Secret i said i probably wouldn't like any of the South American Carpathian men because Rafael was just so obnoxious to me, but i think Nicolas more or less redeems all the brothers in this one. Eventually.

The prologue itself got me completely involved in the book and with Lara. I've been looking forward to reading more on Razvan, Xavier and the past between the mages and the Carpathians, and this book added a lot to that story.

Nicolas is here to tell Mikhail about an old conspiracy against the Carpathians which they believe is now being carried out. But before that can happen, he sees Lara. The whole scenario of how Lara and Nicolas meet was absolutely ridiculous and seemed completely out of some cheesy movie

He sees her and bites her. She stabs him with her knife. He uses the Carpathian binding words and gives her the knife back so she can kill him if she wants to:

"It is not my choice. Life or death is the choice of my lifemate. If you reject my claim, then you are condemning me and I willingly die by your hand."

All this in the half a page since he's met her.

And Lara's words more of less sum the whole situation up :

"You might be the hottest man in the village, but your brain is about the size of a pea"

Lara was the small girl who Natalya had seen through Xavier's knife in Dark Demon. She's Razvan's daughter and here to rescue her aunts. And there's more of her horrible childhood with Razvan and Xavier in this book.

In the beginning, Nicolas thinks he knows whats best for Lara and makes decisions for the both of them without any regard to her needs. What ended up was a very very bad trip down memory lane for Lara and a huge awakening for Nicolas. I liked Nicolas after that.

Lara finally helps with the answers for why the Carpathians aren't having kids - a solution which means she cannot be converted to a full Carpathian until the problem is solved.

Dark Curse also brings back Vikirnoff and Natalya, who is Lara's aunt - my favourite couple. They do a suspense filled double date back to Xavier's cave to rescue Lara's aunts - the same ones who were in dragon form in Dark Demon.

This book didn't end in the typical Feehan manner. Dark Curse went from a woman who was ready to do anything it took to get away from the man who had bound him to her to a couple who needed each other for their very breath. It added more characters and more promising stories in the books to come.

The only part i didn't like was the constant reference to spiders in all of Lara's spells. But i figured that wasn't reason enough to keep this great book from a 5 stars.

I like the latter part of the series where the stories are more varied and more captivating compared to the ones at the beginning. Although they all were good in their own manner. The only thing i can say now is Write Faster Woman!! I know Feehan has quite a few series running, but i cannot wait to find out what happens next in Razvan and Ivory Malinov (Dark Slayer, releasing September 1st 2009)

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Dark Demon (Carpathians, #16) by Christine Feehan

531 pages

Rating 5/5

For as long as she can remember, Natalya has been fighting demons: first in the form of childhood nightmares, then later, immortal creatures that kill and prey on the innocent--including her own twin brother. Whether Carpathian or vampire, she slays those who murder by night, and as no equal--until she is seduced by the very thing she considers her enemy...

A Carpathian who has seen nearly everything in his endless existence, Vikirnoff doesn't think he can be surprised anymore--until he faces a woman who rivals him as a vampire hunter. A formidable and gifted warrior in her own right, Natalya has a nature that is strangely familiar--yet alien--to his own. Who is this mysterious female who fears no one--not even him? Natalya could be the key to the survival of the Carpathians, but all Vikirnoff is certain of is that she is the key to his heart and soul...

This has got to be my favourite book ever. I know i know i've said that for quite a few of the Carpathian Series, but if Feehan can actually top this one, then hats off to you lady.

Dark Demon had equal quantities of everything - romance, mystery, great characters, great situations, amazing conversations.. you know everything you want in a good book.

Natalya is part mage, part Carpathain and all woman. She's a movie addict with hilarious results - like calling the vampire Freddie Boy. She has grit and determination. She featured for half a page in Dark Secret (book 15). She's a woman on the run. The Vampires are searching for her as she can see the past of an object when she touches it, and they want her to find something for them.

She goes against everything she has been taught (basically being that the Carpathians will kill her if they find her) and still saves Vikirnoff's life and helps him heal as well after the two of them face a couple of vamps.

Vikirnoff, who i loved in Dark Destiny, has been in search of Natalya since and now finds her in the Carpathian mountains fighting off Vampires with no fear. Always assuming his lifemate would be someone who loved home and hearth and not a fiesty smartmouth with a will and mind of her own, he's not sure what to make of her, but is captivated none the less.

I loved these lines in the book which summarised it best:
"He was beginning to realize having a lifemate was difficult. Living with her wasn't about what he wanted, or even needed. Being a lifemate was about supporting Natalya even when everything in him wanted something else. Her personality required a certain amount of freedom and it didn't always matter what he deemed best."

While learning to trust each other, they have their own adventurous time fighting off vampires, entering the cave of the dark mage Xavier and learn of family ties, betrayal and manipulation in Natalya's life. Throughout Vikirnoff is with her. I can't really add more without giving away more of the story - but this book does bring new characters and a larger plot against the Carpathians to life.

This book had a lot more happening in it than the other ones, and the ending was absolutely amazing - not the normal, she converted, small vampire fight and they lived happily ever after - a lot more here.

The attraction between these 2 is sizzling...and at the same time actually believable in a beyond the fairy tale way (am i still making sense?) I loved the part where Vikirnoff completely loses it during Natalya's conversion into a full Carpathian. This is the first book i think where Feehan actually showed the man showing fear and this much of concern - making me like Vikirnoff all the more.


And then there were lines like these that made Natalya and Vikirnoff my favourite couple:

I love when Vikirnoff first meets her in the forest and he orders her to leave the fight expecting her to obey:
Vikirnoff: "Get out of here. I will take care of this while you make your escape."
Natalya: "You've got to be kidding me!..You couldn't fight your way out of a paper bag right now."

Vikirnoff: "You will not address your lifemate with such disrespect. Do as I say at once and leave this place. The battle has only begun and you must remain safe. He will not die if you do not incinerate his heart"

Natalya: "Keep your orders for someone who wants to be hunter's mouse. And these things should come with an instruction manual on killing them."

Vikirnoff : "I do not want to embarrass you and force your obedience."

Natalya: "Are you out of your tiny little mind? Do your women actually obey when you say jump? And don't think for one moment that you could force my obedience. You don't want to start a war with me."

Vikirnoff : "The vampire is going for as much blood loss as possible to weaken me. If I try to
protect you, which I must do, I will divide my strength."
Natalya: "Well, try not to let it happen. I've got enough to take care of without worrying about protecting an amateur. I'm a little busy here if you don't mind. Silence would be appreciated."

Natalya: "Die already! Sheesh, the least you could do is put yourself out of your misery and get it over...If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a whiney vampire."

"You're like the little engine that could, except you can't."

"This is just great news. My intended is the undead waiting to happen. Do I have a neon
sign stamped on my forehead? If you're a bloodsucking evil monster, willing to murder and wreak havoc, please apply."

Will definitely be reading this one again...

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Dark Destiny (Carpathians, #13) - Christine Feehan

383 pages
Rating: 5/5

Her childhood had been a nightmare of violence and pain until she heard his voice calling out to her. Golden and seductive. The voice of an angel. He had shown her how to survive, taught her to use her unique gifts, trained her in the ancient art of hunting the vampire. Yet he could not bend her to his will. He could not summon her to him, no matter how great his power. As she battled centuries-old evil in a glittering labyrinth of caverns and crystals, he whispered in her mind, forging an unbreakable bond of trust and need. Only with him can she find the courage to embrace the seductive promise of her...Dark Destiny

Dark Destiny is different from the other books in the Carpathian Series in that Destiny is a Vampire Hunter - making her the first woman Carpathian in this role.
Nicolae is the voice she turned to when as a psychic human child she was ensnared by a vampire who then killed her parents and brutalized her. With no other way to save her, Nicolae teaches her to become a hunter and kill the vampire…and he’s there for her every step of the way after that.
The dynamic between these 2 is interesting in that they've known each other almost all of Destiny's life. So even though she fights the attraction between them, she realises she needs him for her very sanity. Destiny was infected with Vampire blood by the vampire who captured her when she was younger and the infected vampire blood burns her because of which she cannot exchange blood with Nicolae.
Nicolae's solution and his attention and care for Destiny makes him one of my favourite Carpathians. This is one great story, that you have to read.

I like both Von Shrieder brothers, and i love Vikirinoff's sense of humor and his conversations with Nicolae.

That's another thing you'll love about this book - the quirky conversations between Destiny, Nicolae, Vikirnoff and even Mary Ann. And then there are the ones that fit in the 'words of wisdom' category:

Destiny: "Have you forgotten that you had to warn us I was tainted?"
Vikirnoff: "Your blood is not who or what you are. It merely runs in your veins. If a human has cancer growing in his body, does that make him a tainted being? Do not allow this vampire to run your life any longer. He does not own you. He is long gone from this world. Let him stay dead."

Destiny: "You know, MaryAnn, I'm beginning to think you make it up as you go along, you and Father Mulligan."
MaryAnn's eyebrow shot up. "Are we supposed to have the answers? You don't have the
answers—how would we? You can only keep moving ahead, Destiny. You keep your eyes open and with luck you see the pitfalls before you step into them, but you embrace life and live it as best you can."

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Dark Legend (Carpathians, #8) by Christine Feehan

382 pages
Rating: 5/5

Gabriel

He woke deep within the ground, and the first sensation he felt was hunger. An overwhelming hunger for blood that demanded satisfaction. But as he hunted the dark streets of Paris for prey, a voiced called to him, soothing, calming, giving him the strength to control his craving. Francesca Del Ponce was a healer, a woman who radiated goodness as powerfully as the sun did light. But surely his obsession with her would turn him as his twin brother had turned, leaving the world with two monsters instead of one.

Though he knew she would be like hot silk in his arms, though he knew the taste of her would be addictive, he feared for her life and his soul if he took her. Then with one mind-shattering vow she gave herself--"I offer freely, without reservation, I offer my life for yours as is my right"--and with a firestorm of long-forgotten feelings, he glimpsed salvation


I loved this book the most so far. Its very different from the other books - a much more developed storyline with an amazing ending.

I've been waiting for Gabriel and Lucien's stories for a while now, and it does not disappoint.
Francesca isn't your typical female lifemate - she's made a life of her own and the book doesn't have much of the arrogant male references that the other books seem to have. One thing I've noticed is that the older the Carpathian male, the lesser "male amusement" Feehan adds in the book. Also, Gabriel makes an effort to give her space and court her as such. They have a much more believable and natural relationship that the other couples have had. The fact that there was a wider plot and more characters than just the typical blood and sex and rebelling-but-eventually-giving-in-female is what makes this a good book.

Gabriel's relationship with Lucien is awesome (I'm running out of proper adjectives to use i think, but the sentiment is the same) The fact that they're so close that Gabriel cannot but help connect with him even when he thinks Lucien is a Vampire and Lucien, despite the games he's playing, cannot help coming to his brother's aid is what makes this my best book of this series.

I kept wondering throughout the book but the ending, despite hoping (anticipating) it still was a welcome surprise.

**Considering that i'm bout 25 books behind in my reviews, i'm just publishing what i have regardless of the order of the series. The books i liked, like this one i wrote up automatically, the others i've kinda forgotten already. Sigh

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Deadly Desire - Riley Jenson Guardian Series 07 - Keri Arthur

368 Pages
Rating: 5/5
Seduction that kills. Pleasure to die for.
She just can’t resist . . .
Guardian Riley Jenson always seems to face the worst villains. And this time’s no different. For it’s no ordinary sorceress who can raise the dead to do her killing. But that’s exactly what Riley expects to find at the end of a trail of female corpses used—and discarded—in a bizarre ritual of evil. With pressure mounting to catch one fiend, another series of brutal slayings shocks the vampire world of her lover, Quinn. So the last thing Riley needs is the heat of the upcoming full moon bringing her werewolf hormones to a boil—or the reappearance of a sexy bounty hunter, the rogue wolf Kye Murphy.

Riley has threatened Murphy with arrest if he doesn’t back off the investigation, but it’s Riley who feels handcuffed by Kye’s lupine charm. Torn between her vamp and wolf natures, between her love for Quinn and her hots for Kye, Riley knows she’s courting danger and indulging the deadliest desires. For her hunt through the supernatural underworld will bring her face-to-face with what lurks in a darkness where even monsters fear to tread

Aaah how I've looked forward to reading this book.
And it did not disappoint for the most part.

There's someone brutally killing vampires and another set of murders where young women are being killed. Both have suggestions of dark magic and the second set of murders is what brings Riley in contact with Kye Murphy. Again.

Kye, in this book, is a killer for hire chasing the same murderer and while Riley tries unsuccessfully to get him to walk away from the case, they both cannot seem to control the strange physical attraction they have for each other, despite both not wanting it.Which you know can only mean one thing...but i wont mention that here :O)

Kye also has a unique ability and that had me thinking of Peter from Heroes and wondering whether that's where Arthur got the idea from. Or it could have been because Heroes was on yesterday when i was reading this.

The last three chapters were absolute magic to read. For once, Arthur goes against her earlier trend and does a bit of a happy ending. For which i will say - Thank you. And it finally tackles the whole can a person with two different souls have only one soul mate question. Which i have been waiting for forever.

Part of me isn't happy that this was such a short book- considering that i finished it in one day and keeping in mind how much i was looking forward to it - damn! it should have been longer. There's only that many times you can keep re-reading the book to make yourself forget that it didn't take longer than 8 hours to read. All that waiting and over so soon.

Also i'm not sure if i remember correctly but i don't think Quinn had ever met Kye in any of the previous books, so when Riley mentions that he did, i guess that makes this a mistake in the book?

Oh and Miss Arthur, its a lil irritating reading about the kaleidoscope of sensations and the shuddering and the shattering during sex. C'mon change things up a bit. This is book 7. I don't even need to read those paragraphs when Riley's having sex with someone anymore. They've been the same from book 1 onwards. Hell, i could probably recite it word for word without actually reading any from this book and i know I'd be right every time. There's only so many times you can read the same thing over and over. If this was exam material I'd be getting top marks for memory right now.

That being said, this along with book 6 is the best of the series. Mostly because I'm a sucker for Quinn and Riley being together. But also because the characters are stronger and their relationships with each other on a more mature level. This is also the first book where Riley is relatively happy. And not brutally bashed up every few pages.

Here's looking forward to a very interesting book 8 which annoyingly doesn't even have a blurb out yet.

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Jeaniene Frost - Night Huntress 01 Halfway to the Grave

384 pages
Rating 4/5

I absolutely loved this book. The humour and sarcasm are awesome, and Bones and Cat make a lovely pair. These are two strong characters with control issues who are both out to kill vampires. Cat is a half breed who wants to kill every vampire she meets until she meets Bones who along with teaching her how to fight better also helps her re-examine herself and who she is. Bones is a vampire bounty hunter (among other things) whose attitude i completely love. I can really imagine the accent while reading his stuff.


What i like in this book is the ending and the fact that Frost didn't go for the typical fairy tale ending but did enough to make sure you pick up the next book to see what happens to both of these outrageous people.


Ooh and is that a really sexy jacket cover or what

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