Babbling Book Reviews

Kiss of Fury

Author: Deborah Cooke
Copyright: 2008 (Signet); 392 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-22476-7
Series: Dragonfire #2
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Alexandra Madison and Donovan Shea (warrior/Pyr)
Where: Minneapolis, Minnesota

From the Back: Scientist Alexandra Madison was on the verge of unveiling and invention that would change the world. Then her partner was murdered, their lab was burned, and their prototype destroyed. While Alex is in the hospital recovering from burns suffered in the fire, recurring dragon-haunted nightmares threaten to land her in the psychiatric ward, but she knows she has to escape to her lab to rebuild the Green Machine. Handsome, daring, and impulsive, Donovan Shea is more than willing to do his part in the Pyr/Slayer war. Assigned to protect Alex, Donovan is shocked when her presence ignites his firestorm. He has no desire for a destined mate, but Alex’s intelligence and determination inspire him to join the fight to save her invention.

Comments: I thought this one was better than the first book. I liked Donovan from the first moment we meet him in the Prologue of Kiss of Fire. He’s a fun character and I’m glad we got to know more about him so soon. I thought Alex was a good match for him. A scientist, but not absent-minded or clueless about her attraction to Donovan. I liked her a lot.

Despite the Slayers’ attack, Alex isn’t interested in being guarded by the Pyr. Given the fact that she witnessed dragons kill her partner, destroy her lab and her life’s work, it’s easy to understand why she wouldn’t feel comfortable or safe around them. That’s a lot to cope with in such a short time. It’s only natural that Alex would want to bolt. Also, she feels the Green Machine is more important than her own life. Alex can’t hide herself away when there’s still a chance she can have a workable prototype ready in time for the meeting with the investor.

Though Alex is just the sort of woman Donovan finds attractive, he’s not willing to consummate the firestorm. Unlike Quinn, who’s parents remained together and who also lost a woman he loved, Donovan was rejected by his mother and betrayed by a lover. Since the standard operating procedure for the Pyr is to leave their pregnant mates — Quinn’s father was an exception — Donovan is not about to do that to Alex. He’s a loner who’s not looking to settle down, even with a woman he finds to be smart, brave, and fun to be with.

Alex couldn’t agree more, as far as the pregnancy thing goes. The scientist in her isn’t buying “the first time leads to conception” line regarding the firestorm. And what about being a responsible adult and using protection? Alex never contemplated marriage and having a family. She had her work and was content to let others do the family thing. However, as she spends more time with Donovan, she begins to fall for him. The idea of settling down with Donovan begins to appeal to her. If only he wasn’t so dead set against it.

The on-going battle between the Slayer and Pyr continues. Some plot twists are revealed, pertaining to the Slayers. The Pyr are in for some surprises, plus some unexpected allies.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Rafferty. The only Pry the reader knows, for certain, who isn’t going to baulk at consummating his firestorm — and he gets passed over. Again. Poor guy. She better be wonderful, whoever she is, considering the length of time he’s been waiting for her.

Favorite Quotes:
“You seem tense. Your first stolen car?”
“First time someone tried to kidnapped me.”
“If it’s any consolation, this is my first attempted kidnapping. How am I doing?”
– Donovan, Alex

“I have three words for you. Archibald Forrester’s Buick.”
– Donovan

Started: 1 April 2009
Finished: 20 April 2009

Rating:

LOVED IT !!

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Books in the Series:

With my laptop dying on me the last weekend in May, my efforts to get caught up in writing my reviews went on the window. Well, sort of. I wasn’t able to get them typed up, but I did write up rough drafts for three of the four books. My new laptop arrived on the 16th and I’ve been slowly getting things setup. I have a Dell Inspiron, with a pink cover. So far, I love it. I even like the keyboard (I used a wireless keyboard with my Winbook).

As for reading, I re-started Lie to Me. I forced my self to read slowly because I was just beginning to get caught up with the reviews and I didn’t wanted to added more books to the pile. With no computer, I could have read at least three or four during that period. So June is pretty much a repeat of May: I only finished one book.

I posted one review — Wanted: White Wedding by Natasha Oakley. I read this book back in March, but it also counted toward the Contemporary Romance and the Year of the Category challenges for June.

Over the next couple of days, I’m going to decided whether or not to drop some of the other challenges. I haven’t started several of them and others I know I won’t meet the full requirements by their end dates. (A to Z, for examples). I had planned to do this during June so that I would start July focusing on the remaining challenges I think I can finish with relative ease. Since May and June were slow months, I decided to move the “fresh start” date to 1 August.

The Breakdown:

• Lie to Me – New Author

All books count toward the Year of the Reader Challenge

2008-2009 Challenges
Countdown: 23/45
Series Challenge Season 3: 0/??

2009 Challenges
1st in Series: 3/12
2nds Challenge: 5/12
A-Z Challenge (Authors): 14/26
Anne Stuart Read-a-Fest: 1/??
A Year of Readers: $44.00 (22 books)
Contemporary Romance: 2/12
Chunkster: 2/??
Harlequin/Silhouette Romance: 3/5
New Author Challenge: 9/12
Pub 2009: 5/9
Romance Reading: 4/5
Summer Vacation: 0/6
Themed Reading: 2/4
Third Times A Charm: 0/3
Victorian: 1/4 — INCOMPLETE 30 Jun
What’s in a Name 2: 3/6
Year of the Category:  4/12

Perpetual Challenges
Georgette Heyer: 1

Total (Month): 1
Grand Total (Year): 22

What: Victorian Challenge
When: 1 January – 30 June 2009
Who: Alex
Rules: Choose one of four levels, based on the number of books you think you can read in six months. Books can be (a) written by Victorian writers; (b) set during Victorian times — any fiction genre; or (c) books about the time or biographies of Victorians (non-fiction). The site has suggestions listed for each.

I will be doing the “Walk in Hyde Park”:

My books will be:

• Silent on the Moor (Deanna Raybourn) {19 Mar 09} (REVIEW)
• And Only to Deceive (Natasha Alexander)
• Death at Whitechapel (Robin Paige)  – DNF
• Murder on Washington Square (Victoria Thompson)

I only managed to finish one book for this challenge. Death at Whitechapel was a DNF for me. I tried, twice, to read it but I’m not into the Jack the Ripper legend. Also, I’ve seemed to have lost interest in the series. Had I not had trouble with my computer and forced myself to slow down my reading, I probably would have read Murder on Washington Square this month.

Am I disappointed with myself? No. I knew that I probably wouldn’t have read all four books, based on the number of challenges I signed up for this year. I had the option of reading fewer books for this challenge. In hindsight, I should have gone with the just reading two.  (Three was the least I could read to meet the challenge requirements.)

Would I join again? Maybe. I’m moving next year and that will have a serious impact on my reading.

What I liked? I like the option of choosing the required number of books to fulfill the challenge. It was one of the reasons I joined in the first place.

Wanted: White Wedding

Author: Natasha Oakley
Copyright: 2008 (Harlequin); 182 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-373-17515-4
Series: Harlequin Romance #4025
Sensuality: Kisses

Who: Freya Anthony and Daniel Ramsey
Where: England

Twelve years ago, Freya Anthony dropped out of school and ran away from home. She made a success of her life in London and has returned to Fellingham to help her grandmother Margaret. Margaret is in the process of moving to a smaller place and she has plans hire a local auctioneer to sell the items she won’t be taking with her to her new place. Freya is concerned that the business might not be very reputable and her grandmother will get cheated. But Margaret speaks of Daniel Ramsey,the owner, as if he was the most wonderful man on the planet.

That doesn’t reassure Freya at all, and she is determined to find out for herself whether or not Mr. Ramsey is trustworthy. After seeing the cluttered, disorganized, and empty office — no receptionist to answer the ringing phone or deal with the unexpected visitor — Freya’s opinion of the man and his business isn’t very high. Then Freya meets him and finds that Daniel Ramsey isn’t anything like she imagined him to be. She is surprised by her instant attraction to him, but notices his wedding ring and is immediately on her guard. No matter how attractive she finds him, Freya doesn’t dangle after married men. Before she can properly introduce herself, Daniel is already under the assumption that Freya is his new receptionist. He is easy-going and friendly to her, explaining what the job entails. However, Freya knows that will change once he knows her name. Though he’s not a native to Fellingham, Freya is certain Daniel has heard the gossip about her that has been buzzing around the village since the day she arrived.

Daniel Ramsey is, truthfully, as nice as Margaret makes him out to be. However, he has his hands full running his own business and being a single father coping with a rebellious teenage daughter. He’s not taking care of some aspects of his business — particularly finding a qualified office manager — and he is at his wit’s end dealing with his daughter Mia. He even goes off on Freya, when Mia skipped out of school, and ends up having to apologize to her. Daniel is doing the best he can for his daughter, but he doesn’t know how to relate to her.

Freya can’t help but get drawn into their lives. She has excellent business skills and assists Daniel while they get Margaret’s things ready for sale. But more importantly, she knows what it’s like to be a confused teenage girl who feels adrift. Though Freya had both parents, they were self-centered and their marriage was sham. She felt unloved by them. She can relate to Mia, get her to trust her, but that can be disastrous, too. Freya has no long-term plans for stay in Fellingham, and Daniel continues to wear his wedding ring, apparently not over his dead wife.

This is the third book I’ve read by this author and I really liked it. Freya and Daniel were likable and their romance was realistic. Mia was also realistic without being bratty. It was a nice change of pace to see the heroine being the successful, only-in-town-to-help-my-relative character and the hero being the struggling single parent.

Started: 23 March 2009
Finished: 26 March 2009

Rating:

Enjoyed it!

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Merrimon Book Reviews

I’ll have my new laptop.

It feels like a million years away.

As far as reading went, May is a bust. I did a lot of “behind the scenes” type stuff this month. I “moved” to Bluehost and started tweaking my blog (still have a few more things to sort out, but things are going smoothly). I was off from work for a week and I purged books (most went to Share the Love, but I also had a stack of books that were on wishlists at Paperbackswap.com). I posted four reviews. I was making progress on the back log – expecting to have two more done this weekend — until the Friday night disaster.

My laptop. It died. Or maybe just the power pack, I wasn’t sure at the time. Since my techincal guru was away this weekend, I had to wait until Sunday morning for his verdict. He thinks it’s the laptop battery. Even unplugged from the power pack, it will not power up.

So, here I am, on my mother’s laptop.

Anyway, I did actually read this month. I finished one book.

The Breakdown:

• Countdown – New Author, Themed

All books count toward the Year of the Reader Challenge

2008-2009 Challenges
Countdown: 23/45
Series Challenge Season 3: 0/??

2009 Challenges
1st in Series: 3/12
2nds Challenge: 5/12
A-Z Challenge (Authors): 14/26
Anne Stuart Read-a-Fest: 1/??
A Year of Readers: $42.00 (21 books)
Contemporary Romance: 1/12
Chunkster: 2/??
Harlequin/Silhouette Romance: 3/5
New Author Challenge: 8/12
Pub 2009: 5/9
Romance Reading: 4/5
Summer Vacation: 0/6
Themed Reading: 2/4
Third Times A Charm: 0/3
Victorian: 1/4
What’s in a Name 2: 3/6
Year of the Category: 3/12

Perpetual Challenges
Georgette Heyer: 1

Total (Month): 1
Grand Total (Year): 21

Countdown

Author: Michelle Maddox
Copyright: 2008 (Shomi); 293 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-505-52755-4
Series: N/A
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Kira Jordan and Rogan Ellis

From the Back: Kira Jordan wakes up in a pitch-black room handcuffed to a metal wall. She has 60 seconds to escape. Thus begins a vicious game where to lose is to die. The man she’s been partnered with — her only ally in this nightmare — is a convicted mass murderer. But if he’s so violent, why does he protect her? And stranger still, what is it behind those haunted sea-green eyes that makes her want to protect him?

Comments: One of the great discoveries for me, last year, was the Shomi line from Dorchester. This is the third book by them I’ve read and I haven’t been disappointed yet.

Countdown is set in the near future. Technology had been advancing steadily and a new, life-sustaining world had been discovered. Then a great plague struck, killing millions, and society never fully recovered. Those who could afford the price of transportation left Earth for the new colony. Those still on Earth trudged on, many dreaming of one day leaving it behind, too.

One of the pastimes, for those who can afford a subscription, is “watching” The Countdown, a win-or-die type reality game show. The patrons — subscribers — have computer implants in their skulls, allowing them to view the contest wherever they might be. Since the game is illegal and secretive, the show runners can afford to drop their unsuspecting contestants into public places knowing that nobody would believe them if they tried to get help. The game is divided into six levels. Contestants are given very little information to work with, and even that isn’t always reliable. They are normally criminals, with life sentences, recruited with the promise of freedom if they play the game and win. Rogan Ellis, with his 500-year prison sentence, was given a choice. Kira Jordan was not.

Seven years ago, Kira’s parents and sister were murdered. The killer was never caught. Since then, Kira’s been on her own and on the streets, surviving the only way she knows how. She’s a petty thief, not a hardened criminal, who had stolen a pair of sneakers just prior to waking up handcuffed to the wall. Kira has a talent she calls “flexing” — she’s a psi. She has to be touching the person she’s trying to read and it’s usually very painful to do, so she doesn’t do it very often. Sometimes, she can just sense a person is bad and she uses that to decide whether or not to pick an individual’s pocket — she doesn’t feel right stealing from decent people.

Though Kira initially believes Rogan is guilty of the crimes he was sent to prison for, he doesn’t have that bad guy vibe she usually senses from the criminal set. Since the disembodied show announcer is telling the viewers things that aren’t completely true about her, she begins to wonder how much truth is behind the things said about Rogan and she slowly begins to believe his innocence. Rogan has his secrets and things he’s guilty of, but not mass murder. Four years ago, he was set up and sent to prison. Nobody doubted his guilt, nobody questioned the evidence. They believed what they were told. Four years of life in prison has left him haunted and in despair. Kira is the first person to ever believe he is innocent.

To say much more would give away plot twists. The book is fast paced and easy to follow, and I really liked it. I thought Kira and Rogan were likable characters. Kira is fully capable of taking care of herself, but because of the situation, she must work as a team with Rogan. Her acceptance of Rogan’s innocent was well-paced — not too soon, nor was it dragged out once she got a good read on him.

Started: 3 May 2009
Finished: 11 May 2009

Rating:

Liked A Lot

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Karma Girl

Author: Jennifer Estep
Copyright: 2007 (Berkley); pgs. 360
ISBN: 978-0-425-22282-9
Series: 1st in the Bigtime series
Sensuality: Warm

I don’t remember which blog I first saw a review for one of Ms. Estep’s books (and I can’t remember which book it was either, how sad is that?). Nevertheless, I’m glad I picked up this book.

The story is about a small-town reporter, Carmen Cole, who makes it her mission in life to expose super-heroes and uber-villains after she discovers – on her wedding day – her fiancé and her best friend in bed together. As it turns out, they are Beginnings, Tennessee’s resident super-hero and uber-villain respectively. Angry and betrayed, she snaps a few pictures and heads back to her office to write up an exposé. The story is successful and is the first step of her journey from small-town reporter to the golden girl of one of Bigtime’s major newspapers.

Bigtime is Ms. Estep’s Gotham City or Metropolis. The city has the usual assortment of criminals besides the uber-villains. Naturally, that means there is enough criminal activity to support a larger number, and variety, of super-heroes. The most famous group of crime-fighters is the Fearless Five, which is comprised of Striker, Tornado, Fiera, Mr. Sage, and Hermit. When the world-renown heroes aren’t putting away drug dealers and bank robbers, they are battling their arch-nemesis, the Terrible Triad (Malefica, Frost, and Scorpion).

Carmen learns Tornado’s true identity.  After the story runs, Tornado apparently commits suicide. Overcome with guilt for her part in the death of the beloved super-hero, Carmen abandons her quest. Blinded as she was by her betrayal, Carmen lost focus of the fact that heroes are still human beings and that they do more good than just battle villains. Between her guilt and the public backlash, Carmen is now persona non grata, and the newspaper reassigns her to the society desk. For six months, Carmen’s life is just one dull society event after another, writing fluff pieces for the paper, and going home. Until Malefica has her kidnapped.

Malefica wants Carmen to unmask the rest of the Fearless Five, or she’ll do something horrible to Carmen. She gives Carmen a deadline of one month to learn their identities. But Carmen is having none of that. She decides that the only way to beat Malefica at her own game is to learn the identity of Striker and use that information to lead her to Malefica’s true identity. Carmen’s experience has shown her that villains are always, somehow, connected to the heroes.

Despite her actions, Carmen is a great heroine. She never tries to deny her part in Tornado’s death. Nor does she sit around waiting to be rescued. She sees a way to beat Malefica and comes up with a plan. Carmen is very much into karma – and her quest to unmask all supers had put her dangerously close to being a villain. Super-heroes are heroes because they will do the right thing, no matter if the person needing assistance is actively engaging in trying to unmask them. Every person who has a super power has the potential of being a hero. What separates the heroes from the villains is whether or not the individual is seeking personal gain or trying to make the world a better place. Carmen comes to understand this after she gets involved with Striker.

Though Striker is initially hurt and angry, it doesn’t stop him from watching over Carmen after her run-in with Malefica. Striker feels his own sense of guilt, that he didn’t know his own best friend well enough to know he’d react badly to being unmasked. He’s a great guy, and I have to say he has three identities — Striker, his true identity’s public persona, and what he’s like in private with Carmen and among the other members of his team. The reader doesn’t get to see much of him, sadly, until Carmen  has to hide out at the Fearless Five’s base of operations.

This was a fun, tongue-in-cheek book, packed full of super-hero clichés. I didn’t have any problems, for the most part, figuring out the identities of the supers. I believe the author did that purposely, as a homage to all those comic book heroes whose true identities are hidden by nothing more than eye wear (Superman, Wonderwoman). The only member of the Fearless Five I couldn’t figure out right away was Mr. Sage.

Started: 25 April 2009
Finished: 27 April 2009

Rating:

Liked A Lot

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All About Romance
Dear Author

What: The Naming Conventions Challenge
When: 1 September 2008 – 30 May 2009
Who: Maria (Reading My Way Through Life)
Rules: Visit her site for details.

The books can be read in any order and the list changed at any time during the challenge.

RED books are on multiple reading challenges.

I’m going with book titles only:

C – Cousin Kate (Georgette Heyer) {2 Feb 09} (REVIEW)
H – Hail to the Chef (Julie Hyzy) {1 Jan 09} (REVIEW)
R – Ravenous (Sharon Ashwood) {18 Feb 09} (REVIEW)
I – Into the Fire (Anne Stuart) {25 Apr 09} (REVIEW)
S – Silent in the Sanctuary (Deanna Raybourn) {11 Nov} (REVIEW)
T – Twist (Colby Hodge) {2 Sep 08} (REVIEW)
I – Innocence Unveiled (Blythe Gifford) {6 Jan 09} (REVIEW)
N – Nightkeepers (Jessica Andersen) {12 Oct 08} (REVIEW)
A – Ace is Wild (Penny McCall) {27 Feb 09} (REVIEW)

Another challenge completed, one  that carried over from 2008.  Looking over the titles, I noticed that I have a nice variety.  Though most are classified as romances, they are not all the same type:

C – Regency Romance
H – Contemporary Cozy Mystery
R – Paranormal Romance (vampire, witches, etc.)
I – Contemporary Romantic Suspense (dark)
S – Victorian Mystery
T – Paranormal/Futuristic/Time-travel Romance
I – Medieval Romance
N – Paranormal Romance (Mayan Doomsday)
A – Contemporary Romantic Suspense (light)

Finding books to fit the requirements wasn’t that difficult.  I did run into a problem with books that start with “I” only because, after reading Innocence Unveiled, I had a hard time finding a second book that wasn’t a sequel to something I hadn’t read or that would hold my interest after the first 50 pages.

I enjoy this type of challenge and would certainly join a similiar one in the future.

Into the Fire

Author: Anne Stuart
Copyright: 2003 (Mira); 378 pgs.
ISBN: 1-55166-694-4
Series: N/A
Sensuality: Warm

Who: Jamie Kincaid and Dillon Gaynor
Where: Wisconsin

Anne Stuart is known for her dark heroes, men that are hard to like, never mind trying to imagine how their heroines fell in love with them. Dillon Gaynor is no exception. He’s gruff, rude, cynical, and angry — among other things. He behaves in an underhanded way toward Jamie, alternately trying to scare her away with his behavior one moment and then in the next, sabotaging his own efforts in order to keep her with him a little longer. He’s a man who’s been in love with the same woman for half his life, yet won’t even admit that to himself let alone say it her. Throughout the book, the author gives the readers clues as to how much Jamie means to Dillon. She also shows us that the otherwise hard man is also capable of being gentle, tender even.

Into the Fire is not a light, romantic love story. I liked the book a lot despite this, primarily because of Dillon. He’s very realistic. He’s trying to get on with his life, atoning for his self-destructive youth. He has his business and his good friend, Mouser. He chose to turn his life around, long before Jamie came back into it, which is a nice touch — a departure from all the other bad boy heroes tamed by the heroine.

Twelve years ago, Dillon was the gorgeous bad boy of Marshfield, Rhode Island, the one every school girl fantasized about, including honor student and all-around good girl Jamie. It didn’t matter that he smoked, drank, and was usually up to something illegal. It didn’t matter that he seemed to be oblivious of her presence. It didn’t matter that the Kincaid’s were wealthy and that her mother hated Dillon. None of it stopped Jamie from secretly wishing he was her boyfriend. Her beloved cousin Nate knew about her crush on his best friend and that made it easier for him to convince her to come with them to one of their parties. Before the night was over, Jamie was raped and Dillon was hauled off to jail for nearly beating a man to death with his bare hands.

In the present, Jamie drives to Wisconsin to learn the truth behind Nate’s death. The one person who can provide answers is Dillon, possibly the last person to see Nate alive. He is also the last person in the world that Jamie wants to see again. But Isobel Kincaid, Jamie’s mother, loved Nate like a son and she wants answers. Showing up unannounced, Jamie hopes he won’t remember the last time they saw each other. She is hoping that he was too drunk and too high to remember the details of that night. Much to Jamie’s annoyance, Dillon remembers all too well, particularly what happened between them before she was raped. It also seems she hasn’t lost her fascination with him. Even in the midst of her protestations to the contrary, she’s attracted to him. It’s Dillon she wants, and probably always will.

But Jamie still clings to the belief that Dillon lead Nate astray and that Nate would never have let anything bad happen to her. In truth, Dillon is positively saintly when compared to Nate, yet Jamie doesn’t trust Dillon. Dillon knows just how twisted Nate was — but there’s no way he can convince Jamie of this. Jamie has been sheltered from the truth all her life. That last bit makes Jamie come across as a weak character. Truthfully, to me, it made her seem more realistic. Jamie has been misled by her family, people she should have been able to trust.

Other reviewers have stated that they did not like the ending. Considering all that Jamie and Dillon have been through, the ending felt right. For the first time in their lives, they are truly free from manipulative influences and have the opportunity to find out if they can make it work and have a truly lasting, loving relationship. To me, the ending seemed hopeful, and I was actually moved by it.

Started: 21 April 2009
Finished: 25 April 2009

Rating:

Liked A Lot

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I Just Finished Reading. . .