Introduction:

Hello! My name is Christina and welcome to my blog!  Before getting down to the business of sharing my Top 10 Reads of 2011, I thought I’d give you a bit of back-story about the list.

It started off as a list of 21 books that, to me, were 5-star books. Some had reviews, but most didn’t. After a few days of trying to whittle it down to 10, I gave up. I knew which book I thought should be #1, figuring out the other nine was frustrating. It seemed like it changed every time I sat down to look at it. Then I came across this event. At first, I passed on it, but then I got an idea, based on something I did back in 2008 (see paragraph 3). Naming the “personal demons” Bitsy and Lulu, back then, was unnecessary and spur-of-the moment. My idea for this week was to create a pair of imaginary hosts, personal demons, and have them deal with my inability to come up with a list by using Random.org. Yes, I did run my list through the randomizer (several times, in fact). It turned out to be very helpful. I was able to eliminate several books because they kept showing up in the top 10, displacing books I felt should have been closer to the top. I got the list down to 14 titles. I got all the posts set up as much as possible, ready for the actual lists. By this time, I was running into issues with book boyfriends and the other character-based list (cover art and 2012 lists were easy compared to the other three).

The problem with having imaginary hosts is that you have to write their parts as well as everything else — in other words, I was adding work to a situation that didn’t need the extra head-ache. I spent nearly the entire weekend of the 17th working on Day 1. . .and it still wasn’t done. By Tuesday, no progress was made so I decided to scrap Bitsy and Lulu from the project entirely. Well, almost entirely. The Top 10 remains random — the book in #1 slot isn’t the one I would have chosen. They also remain in two other spots: Lulu didn’t like my picks for cover art so she presented her own and set up a poll for visitors to vote on which they liked best — I had fun with this so I left the cover art and the poll; the second spot is the “musical interlude” (a YouTube video) they picked to amuse visitors while they were off sorting out my book boyfriend problems.

So. On with the list. . .

~~ & ~~

In the interest of full disclosure — I tweaked the list only once after randomizing it for the final time. The book currently sitting in the #10 spot was initially placed in the top 5. I would have made that book #9 or #10 (had I actually picked them) so I just did a one-for-one swap. Since the post was already set up for a countdown, I left it that way.

# 10. . .
Buffalo West Wing by Julie Hyzy.
From my review in January —

This book is my favorite one, so far, in this series. The mystery and the secondary story lines really worked for me. Ollie has matured in her role as the executive chef. She’s gotten better at handling Peter Sargeant, the snobby and pompous sensitivity director, who constantly hopes she gets fired. Added to the mix is Virgil Ballantine, personal chef to the First Family. On several occasions, his actions either make Ollie look bad or puts her in a difficult position. Ollie handles each situation like a mature, reasonable adult. She is dedicated to doing her best, and doesn’t require the press and notoriety the others — people like Sargeant and Virgil — seek out.

Additional Remarks: It’s the fourth in the series and each book includes menus and recipes for dishes mentioned in the books!  The fifth book will be released on 3 January.

#9 . . .
Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin.
From my write-up in July —

“Raine reminded me of Kate Daniels in many was. She’s protective of those she cares about and she won’t sit idly by while others put themselves in danger because of her. Plus, she’s sarcastic.”

Additional Remarks:  It’s the first in the Raine Banares series.  One of the new-to-me series I will be continuing next year.

#8 is. . .
Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
From my write-up in July. . .

“Love it. I liked that we got to see how Kate and Curran are coping with their relationship. I thought the dinner scene, the first few moments of it, had a “first date” vibe to it — shy and awkward. Very sweet. And who knew the Beast Lord was such a romantic.”

Additional Remarks: Still my all-time favorite Urban Fantasy series. The next book set in this world, Gunmetal Magic, is actually told from Andrea’s point of view. The authors stated on their blog that they had the Kate 6 story arc planned out and realized that they needed to resolve Andrea’s issues first before they can move the story forward.  The fact that the publishers went along with this book-detour speaks highly of their faith in this couple.  The next Kate-narrated book isn’t due out until 2013.

#7 is. . .
Red Heat by Nina Bruhns
From my notes –

I wish I could remember which review I read that inspired me to get this book. As soon as it came in, I started reading it — though I had only intended to read chapter one — and couldn’t put it down. One of the things I liked a lot was that I couldn’t figure out who was sabotaging the mission — any member of the crew or scientific team could be the culprit. The author never made anyone seem too secretive or too obvious. I was surprised.

Additional Remarks: This is the first book in the author’s Men in Uniform trilogy. Nikolai’s demotion to captaining an old, barely-holding-itself-together submarine is reminiscent of Kelsey Grammer’s in Down Periscope, a movie that the author calls “one of the best submarine movies ever made.” (scroll down past the excerpt to see her comment and a clip)

#6 is. . .
Unchained by Sharon Ashwood
From my review –

While re-reading parts of the book, to refresh my memory, I really fell in love with the characters. Okay… I fell in love with Reynard. His dilemma, even knowing how it ends, still got to me. I really do like Ashe, now that she isn’t butting heads with Holly, thinking she knows better than her little sis. And Miru-Kai. A character like him just doesn’t just disappear without being heard from again. I wonder when and where we’ll be seeing him again. I hope the author has plans for him.

Additional Remarks: This is the third book from The Dark Forgotten series and won the author a RITA in the Paranormal Romance category. Unfortunately, Frostbound (the fourth book) was also the last. The author has announced a new series she’s contracted for with Harlequin Nocturne.

#5 is. . .
Tiger Eye by Marjorie M. Liu
From my review —

I liked Dela and Hari. They’re both good, decent people. Hari’s been through a lot, but it never destroyed his core ethics. There were a couple of times I agreed with Hari and the others when Dela seemed to be a bit blasé about her safety — but I also agree with her reasoning, that she couldn’t just hide under the bed all the time either.  I really loved this book. One of the things I wanted to learn about was Dirk & Steele itself: how Dela was connected to it, what was its purpose. The game barely touches on it. I also wanted to know more about Roland, too, but like Charlie from “Charlie’s Angels”, he’s only heard from, not seen.

Additional Remarks: This is the first book in the Dirk & Steele series. One of my goals for next year is to get caught up with the series. Within the Flames, the 11th book, was recently released.

#4 is. . .
Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh
From my notes —

If Visions of Heat re-kindled my interest in this series, then Caressed by Ice solidified it. I loved this book. It was different from its two predecessors because the roles were reversed: it featured a male Psy and a female changeling, a SnowDancer wolf this time instead of a DarkRiver cat. Judd is already out of the Net, though he’s still connected to his small family one consisting of his brother Walker, his nieces Sienna and Marlee, and nephew Toby. His problems center around his very deadly abilities and the safeguards in place to protect those around him should he break conditioning. Brenna has come a long way since her rescue in the first book, but she’s still not completely healed. She’s also dealing with two overprotective brothers who are not happy about her growing interest in Judd. Another difference is the fact that Judd and Brenna aren’t complete strangers. Judd has lived with the wolves for some time, and though there may not have been much interaction prior to her abduction, he probably knew who she was at least. I’ve become a fan of this author and I look forward to reading more of her work.

Additional Remarks: Caressed by Ice is the third book in the Psy-Changeling series. My goal this year was to read all the books before the most recent, Kiss of Snow, was published in paperback. I almost reached it. I had only one more to read. Next year, I hope to read her Guild Hunter series.

#3 is. . .
Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch
From my July write-up —

I loved this book! I loved Kitty! And Jeff! And Kitty’s parents! I wish I’d started this series sooner. Thankfully, I have the next two on hand.

Additional Remarks: This is the first book in the Katherine “Kitty” Katt series. And it’s another series I hope to catch up with in 2012.

#2 is. . .
Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison
From my notes —

I might be in the minority, but I liked this book more than Dragon Bound and Serpent’s Kiss. As much as I liked Dragos, I know that Pia’s got an uphill battle on her hands. And Rune and Carling as a couple didn’t work for me. However, I thought Tiago and Niniane had more of a true partnership. Tiago may be a warlord and used to being in charge, but he was also more adaptable. He and Niniane actually talk about things, discuss the future and the problems they are facing.

Additional Remarks:  This is the second book in the Elder Races series.  Had I actually picked the books, Storm’s Heart would have been in the top five.  It is the book I used to swap out Buffalo West Wing.

#1 is. . .
Branded by Fire by Nalini Singh
From my notes —

I loved the fact that both Mercy and Riley were Changelings, the first book where neither party is Psy (or part-Psy). I loved watching them try to figure out their relationship and how that will affect their standings in their respective packs

I liked Mercy. She’s a Sentinel, but she isn’t adverse to being mated and having children. She’s afraid that her dominant leopard will prevent her from accepting the mating bond. Now that Lucas and all the male Sentinels are mated, Mercy’s hard pressed to find a dominant male in the DarkRiver pack that can take her on. She’ll have to look elsewhere — or given into the temptation that is SnowDancer lieutenant Riley Kincaid.

Riley is the strong, silent type. He’s the calm, level-headed one, which is why Hawke made him the liaison to DarkRiver in the first place. He still suffers guilt for not being able to protect his baby sister Brenna, who he raised from near infancy after the death of their parents. Riley’s first instinct is to protect, something that Mercy baulks at — she’s fully capable of taking care of herself.

There are a lot of other things going on in the book — stuff the deals with the on-going plots concerning the Psy Council, the Human Alliance, and the Ghost. Plus, we get a bit more about Hawke and the situation with Sienna, and Sascha gets two very different surprises.

Additional Remarks: This is the sixth book in the Psy-Changeling series.  I fell in love with this series this year and that probably contributed to my problems choosing books for this list. Though Branded by Fire is NOT the book I would have chosen as #1, I was content to leave it in place when I randomized the list for the final time — same with Caressed by Ice.

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The year’s not over with yet, but with the holidays coming up and a list of things I still want to do (top ten list, challenge wrap-ups, goals for 2012, etc.), I thought I’d post this now and do a follow-up later, if needed. Plus, if I never get around to writing all the reviews, at least I have one post I can refer to.  The books are listed in the order in which they were read.

5 Stars

Buffalo West Wing (Hyzy, Julie) {16 Jan 11}
Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil (Karpyshyn, Drew) {6 Feb 11}
Unchained (Ashwood, Sharon) {26 Feb 11}
Queen of Shadows (Sylvan, Dianne) {14 Mar 11}
Song of Scarabaeus (Creasy, Sara) {23 Mar 11}
The Hunger Games (Collins, Suzanne) {6 Apr 11}
Visions of Heat (Singh, Nalini) {12 May 11}
Magic Lost Trouble Found (Shearin, Lisa) {21 May 11}
Caressed by Ice (Singh, Nalini) {22 May 11}
Mine to Possess (Singh, Nalini) {24 May 11}
Magic Slays (Andrews, Ilona) {1 Jun 11}
Renegade Angel (Castle, Kendra Leigh) {6 Jun 11}
Frostbound (Ashwood, Sharon) {13 Jun 11}
Red Heat (Bruhns, Nina) {22 Jun 11}}
Touched by an Alien (Koch, Gini) {30 Jun 11}
Dragon Bound (Harrison, Thea) {2 Jul 11}
Storm’s Heart (Harrison, Thea) {5 Aug 11}
Branded by Fire (Singh, Nalini) {15 Aug 11}
Tiger Eye (Liu, Marjorie M.) {4 Sep 11}
Blaze of Memory (Singh, Nalina) {18 Sep 11}
Bonds of Justice (Singh, Nalini) {23 Oct 11}

4 Stars

Black Wings (Henry, Christina) {4 Jan 11}
Blood Spells (Andersen, Jessica) {20 Feb 11}
Whisper Kiss (Cooke, Deborah {28 Feb 11}
Paying the Virgin’s Price (Merrill, Christine) {12 Mar 11}
Kitty and the Midnight Hour (Vaughn, Carrie) {19 Mar 11}
A Taste of Magic (Madison, Tracy) {31 Mar 11}
Bound by Shadow (Windsor, Anna) {11 Apr 11}
Darkness Dawns (Duvall, Dianne) {17 Apr 11}
Visions of Magic (Hastings, Regan) {24 Apr 11}
Beyond the Night (Ware, Joss) {29 Apr 11}
Secret Society Girl (Peterfreund, Diana) {1 May 11}
Halfway to the Grave (Frost, Jeaniene) {9 May 11}
Just the Sexiest Man Alive (James, Julie) {2 Jun 11}
Master of None (Bateman, Sonya) {5 Jun 11}
Stormwalker (James, Allyson) {11 June 11}
Cold as Ice (Stuart, Anne) {4 Jul 11}
Sylvester (Heyer, Georgette) {10 Jul 11}
Kiss of Midnight (Adrian, Lara) {25 Jul 11}
Marked (Naughton, Elisabeth) {31 Jul 11}
Hostage to Pleasure (Singh, Nalini) {8 Aug 11}
Blood Bound (Briggs, Patricia) {13 Aug 11}
Heiress in Love (Brooke, Christina) {20 Aug 11}
A Regimental Murder (Gardner, Ashley) {27 Aug 11}
Kindling the Moon (Bennett, Jenn) {2 Sep 11}
Kiss of Crimson (Adrian, Lara) {8 Sep 11}
His Majesty’s Dragon (Novik, Naomi) {17 Sep 11}
Murder with Puffins (Andrews, Donna) {20 Sep 11}
Sins of the Angels (Poitevin, Linda) {30 Sep 11}
The Brain and the Beauty (Eliot, Betsy) {6 Oct 11}
Shadow Kin (Scott, M. J.) {8 Oct 11}
Flying Blind (Cooke, Deborah) {11 Oct 11}
Black Night (Henry, Christina) {29 Oct 11}

3 Stars

The Painted Lady (Metzger, Barbara) {10 Jan 11}
Not Without Her Family (Andrews, Beth) {24 Jan 11}
The Lord and Wayward Lady (Allen, Louise) {30 Jan 11}
Persecuted (Childs, Lisa) {27 Mar 11}
Hot Mama (Estep, Jennifer) {15 Apr 11}
Darkfire Kiss (Cooke, Deborah) {29 May 11}
Jedi Twilight (Reaves, Michael) {17 Jul 11}
Pride Mates (Ashley, Jennifer) {24 Aug 11}
Passions of a Wicked Earl (Heath, Lorraine) {24 Sep 11}
Viper Moon (Roland, Lee) {29 Sep 11}
Serpent’s Kiss (Harrison, Thea) {6 Nov 11}

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The list isn’t in any particular ranking order. I’ve tried to keep it in the order I read the books. A few even have reviews.

January

I started the year out with a new author and series to follow. . .

Black Wings (Christina Henry) (Madeline Black #1) – A quote from my review: “The story is nearly non-stop action. I found it hard to put down at times because I was caught up in what was going on and I wanted to know what would happen next. I will definitely be reading the next book.”

And the next book in a favorite series.

Buffalo West Wing (Julie Hyzy) (White House Chef #4) – A quote from my review:  “This book is my favorite one, so far, in this series. The mystery and the secondary story lines really worked for me. Ollie has matured in her role as the executive chef.”

February

The love of power. . .

Darth Bane: Dynasty of Evil (Drew Karpyshyn) (Darth Bane #3) – A quote from my review: “I loved this book. It was so much better than Rule of Two. I’ve enjoyed reading the Darth Bane trilogy, having a Sith as the main character and rooting for someone who would ordinarily be considered the villain.”

and the power of love.

Unchained (Sharon Ashwood) (The Dark Forgotten #3) – A quote from my review:  “I fell in love with Reynard. His dilemma, even knowing how it ends, still got to me. I really do like Ashe, now that she isn’t butting heads with Holly, thinking she knows better than her little sis.”

March

The official start of  my reading roll.  It was also the month the bookshelf bingo game began.

From Austin, Texas. . .

Queen of Shadows (Dianne Sylvan) (Shadow World #1) – A quote from the game:  “The characters really made this book for me. Miranda was a strong character and I liked her a lot.”

To outer-space.

Song of Scarabaeus (Sara Creasy) (Scarabaeus #1) – A quote from the game:  “I loved it.”  Science Fiction, with romantic elements.  Edie’s valuable because of her abilities and Finn is considered expandable because he’s a slave.  Both want to be free.

April

April was the month I finally got around to starting The Hunger Games.

The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins) (The Hunger Games #1) – A quote from the game:  “I liked Katniss right away.  Her having to shoulder so much responsibility at such a young age, not one to trust others easily, or get too close to them emotionally.  I saw and understood how all that colored her thinking.”

A book with a different take on vampires. . .

Darkness Dawns (Dianne Duvall) (Immortal Guardians #1) – A quote from my review:  “Though [Sarah] wouldn’t last long going up against a vampire alone, she’s no helpless damsel-in-distress either. She save Roland’s life. She strong enough not to fall to pieces at the first sign of danger. She’s pretty good with a gun, having learned to use one while she was living in Texas, and she can definitely fight back — she stabs someone in the butt.”

May

In May, I read three books in Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series:

Visions of Heat (Bk #2), Caressed by Ice (Bk #3), Mine to Possess (Bk #4) – Though I had a lukewarm opinion of the first book in this series, I had intended to give the series another chance. I finally got around to reading the second book and was hooked! I literally scarfed up the next two as well. I plan to get caught up with this series, so when Hawke’s book comes out in paperback, I can just jump right in.

Also — a fantasy that read almost like an urban fantasy:

Magic Lost, Trouble Found (Lisa Shearin) (Raine Benares #1) – A quote from the game: “Raine reminded me of Kate Daniels in many was.  She’s protective of those she cares about and she won’t sit idly by while others put themselves in danger because of her.  Plus, she’s sarcastic.”

June

June was all about love!

Magic Slays (Ilona Andrews) (Kate Daniels #5) – From my comment on Goodreads: ” Love it. I liked that we got to see how Kate and Curran are coping with their relationship.  I thought the dinner scene, the first few moments of it, had a “first date” vibe to it — shy and awkward.  Very sweet.  And who knew the Beast Lord was such a romantic.”

Renegade Angel (Kendra Leigh Castle) – From my comment on Goodreads:  “I loved it. I felt it could have been a feature length book and I wonder if the author plans to write more set in this world. There were plenty of secondary characters that I would have liked to know more about.”

Frostbound (Sharon Ashwood) (The Dark Forgotten #4) – I’ve loved this series from the first.  Like the others, there is a strong family theme.  Lore and Talia are perfect for each other.

Red Heat (Nina Bruhns) (Men in Uniform #1) – As I stated in the June update, this was an unexpected read for me.  I got hooked from the first page.

Touched by an Alien (Gini Koch) (Katherine “Kitty” Katt #1) – I loved this book!  I loved Kitty!  And Jeff!  And Kitty’s parents! I wish I’d stated this series sooner.  Thankfully, I have the next two on hand.

And that’s it!

Unchained (Sharon Ashwood)

Title: Unchained
Author: Sharon Ashwood
Copyright: 2010 (Signet); 359 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-23073-7
Series: The Dark Forgotten #3
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Possible spoilers for the first two books!

Previously, in Fairview…Ashe Carver — Holly’s older sister — came to town intent on staking her vampire brother-in-law, convinced he had Holly in his thrall. Instead, she ended up joining forces with Alessandro and Mac to save the Castle from destruction. Holly gives Alessandro some very unexpected news.

Six months later…

Madame Librarian: Ashe has officially retired from the monster slaying biz. She’s got her daughter Eden with her now, and she wants to prove that she can be a good mother. To that end, she works at the library, located in the local mall. Now the only battles she routinely engages in are ones with the bookstore clerks, consisting of pranks and practical jokes. But Holly and Alessandro have a new baby in the house, so Ashe is willing to pick up her weapons, on their behalf, to keep Fairview safe for all law-abiding beings. She ends up partnered with Captain Reynard, chasing an invisible and deadly creature through the botanical gardens. And that’s just the beginning of their problems.

Captain of the Guard:  Reynard is everything you’d expect in a hero from a historical romance novel, as if he had stepped from the pages of one. The second son of British nobility, destined for the army. Unrequited love for a woman who chose another. The rakish good looks and behavior. But life as a Castle guardsman has changed him — over 250 years in the prison has made him more disciplined, honed his skills and his sense of duty, and smothered all the feelings and desires from life outside the Castle. Leaving the Castle to hunt the creature is dangerous — the longer he stays in the world, the harder it will be for him to return to the nothingness of his existence in the prison.

Soul Mates:  Someone has stolen the jar that contains Reynard’s soul and removed it from the Castle. He can exist, for a time, separated from it. However, the longer he remains outside the Castle, the more alive he feels and the magic that binds him to the prison weakens. Eventually, he will die. He asks Ashe for help. Reynard hasn’t forgotten that he nearly died in her arms during the battle to save the Castle and he feels a connection. But Ashe has her hands full with her own problems. Eden’s paternal grandparents have hired lawyers and are looking to get custody of the girl. Plus, there’s a powerful vampire in town who wants what Alessandro has and he thinks Ashe — because she’s Holly’s sister — can give it to him. The fact that it has nothing to do with genetics alone and everything to do with the love Alessandro and Holly have for one another is completely lost on the fellow. Add “creepy stalker” to Ashe’s list of troubles.

All in the Family: Once again, there is a strong family theme. Ashe is trying to be a good mother and get to know her daughter. She still harbors guilt over her own parents’ deaths. Reynard’s love for his own family is the reason he ended up in the Castle in the first place. Then there’s Ashe’s vampire stalker — he wants an heir. Even Miru-Kai was motivated by his desire to save someone he cared for like family.

Going Out for a Book Can Be Dangerous in Fairview: As they are heading for the big showdown, Holly notices the newest release of a real author and Alessandro tells her he’ll get it for her if they save the day before close of business. But the scariest part — some of the most destructive scenes take place in places you can find books — the local bookstore, the public library, and a used bookstore. All those poor books! The horror!

The Romance:  Reynard doesn’t want to die or fade away, but he’s not sure he could return the empty life now that he’s fallen for Ashe. He isn’t the least intimidated or put off by Ashe’s strong personality — even though he’s from a time when women were more genteel, he likes the fact she can stand toe-to-toe with him. For her part, Ashe has already been widowed once, and she’s not sure she can cope with falling in love with someone who’s doomed. Reynard doesn’t treat her like she’s a delicate damsel; she’s a warrior and he respects that — not once does he tell her it’s too dangerous for her and he should handle things. How can she not fall for a man who understands her so well; a man who would risk his life to save her daughter?

The Bottom Line: While re-reading parts of the book, to refresh my memory, I really fell in love with the characters. Okay… I fell in love with Reynard. His dilemma, even knowing how it ends, still got to me. I really do like Ashe, now that she isn’t butting heads with Holly, thinking she knows better than her little sis. And Miru-Kai. A character like him just doesn’t just disappear without being heard from again. I wonder when and where we’ll be seeing him again. I hope the author has plans for him.

Started: 21 February 2011
Finished: 26 February 2011

Rating:

Loved It!

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Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

Scorched

Title: Scorched
Author: Sharon Ashwood
Copyright: 2009 (Signet); 366 pgs.
ISBN: 978-0-451-22864-2
Series: The Dark Forgotten #2
Sensuality: Warm
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Spoilers for the 1st Book!

Previously — Holly Carver, along with her vampire business partner-turned lover Alessandro Caravelli, prevented the demon Geneva from wrecking havoc in Fairview, and in the process unveiled the entrance to the Castle. The Castle is a supernatural prison, existing on another dimensional plane.

One year later. . .

The Cop and His Innocent Vampire Milkmaid (or, The Two Unluckiest Irish Persons Ever) –  Conall “Mac” MacMillian got involved with the wrong woman — Geneva, got a reprieve of sorts via Holly, and has tried to maintained his humanity and calling in life as a cop. However, a certain vampire champion isn’t so sure he’s all cured. Alessandro spares his life, but tosses him into the Castle where he meets . . .

Constance Moore. Thanks to a newbie vampire, Constance’s Turning was incomplete. She was hauled off by the Guards before taking human blood. She has long been the servant to the once-powerful sorcerer Atreus. In the meantime, she has raised a foundling incubus,Sylvius, as if he were her own son and adopts stray shifters as pets. Her unlife could almost be described as ordinary. But Atreus is going insane and he didn’t stop Captain Reynard of the Guards from imprisoning Sylvius. Constance is distraught. Without the strength of a full vampire, she is not strong enough to fight the Guards. Constance is tired of being helpless and having others fight her battles for her. She is determined to find a human to bite, so that she can become a full vampire and save Sylvius herself.

It’s A Mystery, too! — Ever the cop, Mac can’t pass up helping a mother looking for her missing boy. His mission to rescue Sylvius is hampered by his own worries about what’s happening to him. His demon side is manifesting and he’s worried that he’ll lose the part of himself that makes him a cop. The good news is that he’s not a soul-eater anymore, but still — why is it happening now? Does it have something to do with the Castle? Mac learns that parts of the Castle are disappearing — is the magic breaking down? What will happen to the “residents” if it fails completely? Is Sylvius’s imprisonment a clue to the mystery or just a coincidence?

Catching Up With Caravelli and Carver — Though Mac and Constance are the main characters, Holly and Alessandro are still major players. Holly is the only witch with the power to close the portal to the Castle — meaning she’s more or less responsible for keeping an eye on it. Holly is busy with classes — exams!! — so Alessandro and the hellhounds are keeping tabs on it for her. Holly and Alessandro are genuinely happy with their life. However, Holly’s sister, Ashe, comes to Fairview with sharpened stake in hand to dust Alessandro. As much as she loves her sister, Holly is distressed by Ashe’s attitude and behavior.

Family, Family, Family — One of the themes of this book is family, whether it’s the one you are born into or the one you make. There are a couple of spoilerific ones that I won’t touch on, but many of the major players have family issues:

** Constance — came from a large family. She makes her own little family in the Castle. She falls in love with Mac, and everything would be perfect if Sylvius wasn’t a prisoner and the Castle wasn’t disappearing in chunks.

** Mac — Neither family nor friend wants anything to do with a recovering demon. Though he doesn’t want to be a demon, he eventually reconciles himself to his fate, gains  family and a new purpose in life.

** Holly — The sister she loves is back in town. Unfortunately, big sis thinks she knows best and tries to dust Alessandro. Holly has chosen to be with Alessandro of her own free will, knowing the pros and cons of their union, and she’s not afraid of telling big sis off.

** Alessandro — Holly has given him something beyond price and there isn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her. Ashe’s comments, however, cast doubts on his decision to be with her. He eventually takes Constance under his wing and has the beginning of Clan Caravelli — and it remains to be seen if he’ll mentor more vampires.

** Ashe Carver — Ashe has many issues, not the least of which is the guilt she bears for her parents’ death. She cares about her sister, but sincerely believes that she’s protecting Holly.

** Lore — His actions in the book are motivated by the needs of his family, his hellhound pack.

Ah, Romance — I liked the fact that Mac and Constance’s romance didn’t have major plot-related obstacles that would prevent them from being together. Meaning, with everything else that’s going on, they had a relatively smooth “path” to a relationship: being part demon allows Mac to be with her without all the angst about the vampire venom and talk of another “Chosen”. There’s no big misunderstanding or miscommunication.

What I Liked: I continue to like the author’s writing style and world-building. I also loved that, even though he wasn’t the main hero of the story, we still got to see how Alessandro is adjusting to domestic bliss. Then there’s Holly’ doodling at the emergency council meeting (“Blah, Blah, Blah”) and Mac turning Constance into an avid reader.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing really stands out.

Recommend to: People who enjoyed the first book. I would recommend reading the first book to get the whole story about Mac, Holly, Alessandro, and Ashe.

Started: 1 December 2009
Finished: 9 January 2010

Liked A Lot

Disclaimer: I purchased this book.

By having that gap between finishing the book and when I actually sit down to put my thoughts on paper, I have a better take on which books stay with me.  Since I have to refresh my memory on some points, I usually have to do a little re-reading.  If I really love the book, I tend to keep reading after I found whatever it was that prompted me to refer to the book.  That’s a bit annoying, since I should be writing, not reading.  The harder it is for me to put aside the book, the more likely the book is going to be a 5-star book, flaws and all.

With that in mind, I’m going to go ahead and give ratings to the books I’ve already posted.  I’ll eventually update the individual review posts.  Reminder: anything I give a 3-Star or above is a guarantee that I will try other books from the author.

Five Stars:  LOVED!

• Dawnkeepers (Jessica Andersen)
• Bedded for Diamonds (a.k.a. Priceless) (Kelly Hunter)
• Ravenous (Sharon Ashwood)
• Dark Crusade (Lori Devoti)

Four Stars: Liked a lot!

• Driven (Eve Kenin)
• An Unladylike Offer (Christine Merrill)
• Ace is Wild (Penny McCall)

Three Stars: Enjoyable Read

• Slave to Sensation (Nalini Singh)
• Cousin Kate (Georgette Heyer)
• Shadow Game (Christine Feehan)

Ravenous

Author: Sharon Ashwood
Copyright: 2009 (Signet); pgs. 334
ISBN: 978-0-451-22617-4
Series: 1st in the Dark Forgotten
Sensuality: Warm

From the Back: Holly Carver is a small-time witch who busts ghosts for tuition money, but she ends up wrangling a demon when a haunted house job goes bad. Her Undead business associate, Alessandro Caravelli, suspects the demon is somebody’s not-so-secret weapon. The supernatural community is at war, and Holly’s unpredictable magic holds the key to the doorway to the demon realms. Soon Holly is on everyone’s must-have list, and not in a good way…

Comments: I first discovered this book when Kmont featured it on her blog. I’m glad that I picked it up. I’ve discovered another new series to follow.  The author created a world that has several potential story lines to follow.

In Holly’s world, supernatural beings have come out of the shadows and joined society. They own businesses. The attend college. They even teach. However, like anything else where human prejudices are involved, integration hasn’t been smooth and there are many who are not open-minded. For the most part, Holly lives a normal life. She’s about to start taking college courses, encouraged by her boyfriend, Ben Elliot — an economics professor at the local community college. But Holly’s also a witch — descended from a long line of witches.  A childhood accident has handicapped her powers, so she sticks to the “little m” magics — ghost busting — to pay the bills.  Anything major — “big M” Magic — leaves her in agonizing pain.

One aspect of Holly’s life that’s far from normal — even for a practicing witch — is her business partner. When Alessandro was human, in Florence, the Medicis were still an up-and-coming banking family. Though he has his own business and works with Holly, Alessandro’s official vampire role is the queen’s champion — enforcing vampire law and carrying out any necessary executions. He’s very protective of Holly — in fact, he loves her. For the most part, this — coupled with the presence of Ben in her life — has kept his feelings unrequited. Being with Holly would endanger her. Vampires are predators and it would only be a matter of time before Alessandro would lose control and take Holly’s blood. He’d rather leave her than risk hurting her. Complicating the situation is the queen, Omara. She’s in town and her presence puts Alessardro’s loyalty to the test. Omara needs Holly’s help; however, she’s not too concerned with Holly’s safety. Omara is manipulative and uses Alessandro’s feelings for Holly to get what she wants.

There is secondary story line concerning Detective Conall Macmillan, who unwittingly gets tangled up with some pretty nasty supernatural things. From the sneak peak provided at the end of the book, it looks as if the second book will focus on him.

I really loved this book. I liked the author’s style and I loved the characters. Holly is just your average girl next door (almost) — the woman on the cover can’t possibly be her. Alessandro is strong, but not over-the-top alpha. I’m looking forward to the next book.

Favorite Quotes:
“Interrogation is my job.  I know how to do it properly.”
“You always get to question the prisoners.”
“Apparently I’m better at it.”
“Boys, I’m glad you’re both in touch with your respective inner children, but skip the tantrums.”
– Alessandro and Pierce (another vampire); Omara

“You boys come up with all the fun activities, don’t you?”
– Holly, to Alessandro, regarding his and Mac’s plan to visit the cemetery

“Will you people stop trying to eat me? It’s pissing me off! I can’t take one more goddess-damned thing trying to chew on me!”
– Holly, yelling at the demon leader

Started: 12 February 2009
Finished: 18 February 2009

Rating:

LOVED IT !!