REVIEW: Boys That Bite by Mari Mancusi

Title: Boys That Bite (Blood Coven #1)
Author: Mari Mancusi
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April, 2006
Paperback: 262 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Young Adult
Rating: 9/10

Description: My mom is so going to kill me if she finds out I'm turning into a vampire...

Okay, so technically she can't because I'm immortal. Well, not yet. See, due to the worst case of mistaken identity with my dark-side-loving twin sister at a Goth hangout called Club Fang, Magnus, a vampire hottie, went for my innocent neck instead of hers. Now, if I don't reverse it in time, Magnus will be my blood mate forever and I'm doomed to be a blood-gulping, pasty, daylight-hating vampire. Believe me, it seriously bites!

After the unfortunate slaying of the vampire leader, it's up to me, my sister, and Magnus to find the one thing that can solve my problem--the Holy Grail. No joke. I seriously hope I can get out of this on time because, somehow, I scored the hottest prom date in my school, the mouth-watering Jake Wilder. And I do NOT want to be a vampire for the prom--let alone the rest of eternity.

My Thoughts: Very fast read and entertaining first book of a new to me young adult series by an author whose work I’ve only read are time travels. I have noticed I have become more drawn to and intrigued by paranormal young adult stories. Not sure why. Perhaps the characters seem less jaded and cynical to me than in the adult counterparts. Maybe it’s that whole “the future is so bright, I gotta wear shades” mentality that seems to permeate all of the young adult books I have read lately. It’s not a bad thing really; the difference is so intriguing because there’s a sense of adventure and wonder and yes, even innocence in the story that isn’t always present in other series.

This story revolves around identical twins, Sunshine and Rayne McDonald. Ironically, these identical twins couldn’t be more different. Sunshine is a dedicated student who maintains a good grade point average, is on the field hockey team and is currently the understudy to the lead in the school play. She has a major crush (who doesn’t?) on Jake Wilder who doesn’t know she exists and who is also in the school play. Rayne has no interest in school, devoted to maintaining a Goth persona and wants to be a vampire. Rayne all but twists Sunny’s arm into accompanying her to a Goth hangout called Club Fang. Sunny meets Magnus who turns out to be a vampire and who proceeds to bite her, not realizing it was supposed to be Rayne he was to bite. Now Sunny will become a vampire in one week unless she and Magnus can find a way to reverse the change.

This story was a lot of fun. Sunny’s transformation to the undead was quite humorous and I loved her and Magnus together. Initially, Rayne seemed very self absorbed but she grew on me and I ended up liking her a lot too. Some of the things Sunny experiences as she gets closer to becoming a vampire were very entertaining. The smell of food causes her to be physically ill, her initial taste of blood and her surprise at how much she enjoyed it and the unexpected effects of the Vampire Scent having on guys around her. Sunny is adamant she doesn’t want to be a vampire even though she is developing feelings for Magnus and he for her. I enjoyed the conflict. Magnus is willing to do anything to help Sunny get her humanity back in spite of the virtual rejection he is feeling at her reaction to being a vampire.

Along the way, Sunny’s mother is convinced she is on drugs, Sunny is called upon to take over the lead in the play, Sunny and Magnus witness the slaying of the vampire leader and have to travel all the way to England to obtain the cure before prom. Oh, and she still needs to buy a prom dress…

The ending came as a surprise and ends on a big cliffhanger lead in to the next book. I will definitely be looking for the next book in the series so I can find out what happens next. Overall, if you enjoy reading a vampire series featuring young adults and prefer it to be of the lighter variety, I highly recommend this book.

REVIEW: No Mercy by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: No Mercy (Dark-Hunter #19)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Publication Date: September, 2010
Hardcover: 343 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
Rating: 8/10

Description: Live fast, fight hard and, if you have to die, then take as many of your enemies with you as you can. That is the Amazon credo and it was one Samia lived and died by. Now in contemporary New Orleans, the immortal Amazon warrior is about to learn that there’s a worse evil coming to slaughter mankind than she’s ever faced before.

Shapeshifter Dev Peltier has stood guard at the front of Sanctuary for almost two hundred years and in that time, he’s seen it all. Or so he thought. Now their enemies have discovered a new source of power--one that makes a mockery of anything faced to date.

The war is on and Dev and Sam are guarding ground zero. But in order to win, they will have to break the most cardinal of all rules and pray it doesn’t unravel the universe as we know it.

My Thoughts: I have loved this series since the beginning and have loved each book, some more than others and this one is no different, but I sense a change in me as I feel a shift to this series coming. Long time fans of this series already know the history of the characters so I won’t rehash it here. My only gripe with this story and series overall is there was too much focus on the conflict between Ash and Nick. This story is supposed to be about Sam and Dev. I don’t care much for the changes I am seeing in Nick and I’m heartbroken at the relationship now occurring between Nick and Ash. Please stop rubbing my nose in it and resolve it already...

Now with that out of the way, I can focus on this story. I loved the pairing of Sam and Dev. I thought they were perfect for each other, both strong and fierce but both carrying deep pain and scars that make them vulnerable. And as I’ve come to expect from this series, these two have great chemistry in and out of the bedroom. There is refreshing comedic banter and high adrenaline fight scenes.

Sam is not a typical Amazon warrior. Not only was she Queen but she was married, which is the exception to the norm. When she is betrayed and her husband and child are murdered in front of her, she sells her soul to Artemis as she lies dying and becomes an immortal Dark-Hunter. Fast forward 5,000 years to modern day New Orleans and she is now assigned to guard Nick as he is a high commodity now that he’s becoming evil. When she meets Dev Peltier, they feel an instant connection and attraction though Sam thinks he’s just a “horn-dog.” She’s right. He is. But, she’s OK with it (and frankly, so was I). One of Sam’s powers is that she can pick up everything that has happened to someone just by touching something of theirs or something they’ve touched. As a result, she has lived an existence all these years of one filled with pain, agony and heartbreak, reliving the painful events of others. Fortunately for Sam, she does not experience that when she touches Dev.

Dev has carried guilt most of his life as his mother blamed him for the death of his two brothers. Here is a guy who just wants to be accepted and loved, but who was rejected and blamed for something that wasn’t his fault. Experiencing something like this would make the strongest of men very leery of relationships and very distrustful of people in general. Dev is a very easy man to like. His sarcastic wit and humor are great ice-breakers and Sam feels immediately at-ease when she meets him.

Sam becomes hunted by the Daimons when news of her abilities reaches their leader, Stryker. He’s hell-bent on finding a way to lift the curse of their race and find Apollo’s weakness so he can kill him and will use all means necessary to force her to help him. The Daimons have discovered a way that they can walk in the daylight, which will put the Dark-Hunters at an extreme disadvantage. As evil as Stryker is, I have a grudging respect for him. I don’t know if he will ever be redeemed, but this character intrigues me. Savitar also makes an appearance in this book and, as always, I can’t get enough of him either. I would really love to see him get his own story.

Though there are some unresolved issues between Sam and Dev at the end of the book, I found their story to be very good. I expect they will show up down the road in future books as these characters are prone to do. Overall, I highly recommend this series if you are looking for stories that make you smile, excite you, get your blood boiling and highly entertain you.

REVIEW: Bloodline by Jill Jones

Title: Bloodline
Author: Jill Jones
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Publication Date: June, 2000
Paperback: 336 pages
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 5/10

Description: Victoria Thomas is one of the FBI's finest criminal profilers, a career born of the tragic, unsolved murder of her younger sister. She's also a closet "Sherlockian," involved in a group that follows the famous English detective. This hobby leader her to London, to a symposium on Sherlock Holmes, where she finds unexpected passion...and a chilling murder mystery involving a modern-day Jack the Ripper.

He's murdering women and leaving clever, diabolical messages for Victoria to follow. He's teasing her, taunting her, daring her to find him. For he, too, is following his calling—answering the terrible demons of his bloodline, proving he is every bit as elusive as his infamous ancestor.

In the chilling Bloodline, Jill Jones weaves a spellbinding tale of icy suspense, haunting romance, and lost history, that spans from the time of Jack the Ripper in 1888, to this very day.

My Thoughts: I’ve long been fascinated by the unsolved Jack the Ripper murders in 1888 and have my own personal speculation on who Jack was. For the most part, I enjoyed this story that centers around an FBI profiler who is battling her own personal demons trying to solve the murder of her sister several years before. After an especially grueling case, Victoria is all but ordered to take a vacation. She shanghais childhood friend, Trey, and they depart for London to attend a weekend seminar featuring a speaker from Scotland Yard about the unsolved Ripper murders.

For the most part, I enjoyed the story that mixes the historical facts with the growing romance between Victoria and Jonathan Blake. Throw in a Jack the Ripper copycat killer who is murdering women and has chosen Victoria to receive his dark messages and graphic and disturbing gifts. The identity of the modern day Ripper provided a satisfactory closure as well. My problem with this book was instead of ending the story with the killer being captured and Victoria and Jonathan riding off into the sunset, the story continues and goes off the deep end into a conspiracy theory about the 1888 Jack’s identity and a bunch of cloak and dagger moments and cover-ups.

I may be in the minority here, but though several theories about Jack’s identity make logical sense, I personally feel that there being no resolution is a big part of the appeal of this case. If you can overlook the last chapter, maybe even skip it all together, you may enjoy this story overall.

REVIEW: The Confession by John Grisham

Title: The Confession
Author: John Grisham
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: October, 2010
Hardcover: 432 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 10/10

Description: John Grisham delivers his most extraordinary legal thriller yet. Filled with the intriguing twists and turns that have become Grisham’s trademark, this newest novel will prove once again that no one keeps readers in suspense like America’s favorite storyteller. An innocent man is days from execution. Only a guilty man can save him.

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?

My Thoughts: With 24 published books under his belt, John Grisham’s newest release is by far the most disturbing but riveting story I’ve read in a long time. Grisham is an author who I know will pull out all the stops to deliver a well-told story that draws me in. This story was disturbing to me because the idea that an innocent man is convicted on such flimsy evidence and a forced confession appalls me on so many levels. Worse is that he spends the next nine years living in the most deplorable of conditions on death row in virtual solitary confinement. The perks and benefits of freedom that most of us enjoy and usually take for granted is keenly felt by me knowing Donté lives in conditions worse than that of a caged animal and is facing death. The story held me captivated and riveted to the edge of my seat in tense anticipation of what would happen next. Is Travis Boyette really the killer or another wacko seeking notoriety? Will he get to Texas on time to stop the execution? Even if he gets to Texas, will the authorities listen to him?

I did not like Travis Boyette one bit. I felt like he was messing with people and playing games, especially when he would waffle back and forth with Pastor Schroeder about coming forward and admitting his guilt. Boyette’s interest and inappropriate comments about the Pastor’s wife gave me the creeps and I was on edge thinking he was going to attack her.

I really liked Keith Schroeder, the Kansas Lutheran minister to whom Travis Boyette confides. I could really feel the anxiety he was feeling wanting to do the right thing but not sure what that is. I admired his resolve to personally take Boyette to Texas, though it could mean legal trouble for him down the road as he would be obstructing justice by helping Boyette abscond while on parole.

I liked Donté’s lawyer, Robbie Flak. He is like a pit-bull in his defense of Donté. He goes the extra mile, working tirelessly to stop the execution and though he comes across as a bit fanatic at times, it’s obvious to the reader that he is devoted to his profession and that it’s more than just a job for him.

Whether you support or oppose the death penalty, this story will make you think, it will disturb you, it will give you hope and it will disappoint you. Most of all, it will keep you holding your breath, turning each page to see what happens next.

REVIEW: Good Girls Do by Julie Kenner

Title: Good Ghouls Do (Beth Frasier, #2)
Author: Julie Kenner
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: September, 2007
Paperback: 240 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 4/10

Description: As the vampire population at Waterloo High continues to grow, Beth Frasier realizes that she's on the frontline of saving not only the school, but her hometown. And only one thing is for sure: She's got to find the head vampire and kill him...quickly!

Her only problem? With her classmates quickly turning over to the dark side, Beth doesn't know who to trust or kill.

My Thoughts: The second book in the Beth Frasier series leaves a huge cliffhanger and with only two books currently published, I’m left wondering what will happen next. We find out who Beth’s maker is, but his death does not give Beth or Clayton their humanity back. We are also given a glimpse into a potential triangle between Beth, Clayton and Kevin the vampire hunter.

This book focuses mainly on Beth’s fears that Clayton is trying to kill her so he can regain his humanity after several attempts are made on her life. Beth is also trying to make the formula that will allow vampires to walk in the sun. Though there is some minimal progress and success, it’s not what she or the other vampires were anticipating.

We see more of Beth’s father in this story and are given the news that Beth will be moving in with her father while her mother is in Paris, France for several months working.

Overall, this was an OK story that has some potential to be a really interesting series. I’m still curious to see where it will take me next so I will be looking for the next book when it is published.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In April

Do they count as new additions if I've already read them? :o)

The Confession by John Grisham

Description: John Grisham delivers his most extraordinary legal thriller yet. Filled with the intriguing twists and turns that have become Grisham’s trademark, this newest novel will prove once again that no one keeps readers in suspense like America’s favorite storyteller. An innocent man is days from execution. Only a guilty man can save him.

For every innocent man sent to prison, there is a guilty one left on the outside. He doesn’t understand how the police and prosecutors got the wrong man, and he certainly doesn’t care. He just can’t believe his good luck. Time passes and he realizes that the mistake will not be corrected: the authorities believe in their case and are determined to get a conviction. He may even watch the trial of the person wrongly accused of his crime. He is relieved when the verdict is guilty. He laughs when the police and prosecutors congratulate themselves. He is content to allow an innocent person to go to prison, to serve hard time, even to be executed.

Travis Boyette is such a man. In 1998, in the small East Texas city of Sloan, he abducted, raped, and strangled a popular high school cheerleader. He buried her body so that it would never be found, then watched in amazement as police and prosecutors arrested and convicted Donté Drumm, a local football star, and marched him off to death row.

Now nine years have passed. Travis has just been paroled in Kansas for a different crime; Donté is four days away from his execution. Travis suffers from an inoperable brain tumor. For the first time in his miserable life, he decides to do what’s right and confess.

But how can a guilty man convince lawyers, judges, and politicians that they’re about to execute an innocent man?

Knock 'Em Dead by Rhonda Pollero

Description: Finley knows it can't be good news when she's awakened at 5:40 a.m. by someone knocking on her door. Her hunch proves correct. Finley's pal Jane is hysterical and clad only in a negligee. It all started when Jane went out on a blind date the previous night with a hunk named Paolo --- and ended when she woke up next to his corpse. Finley knows Jane wouldn't hurt a fly, especially one with a zipper. Too bad the police don't agree...

Having survived her own ordeal of questioning and criminally bad coffee at the local cop shop, Finley's got to post bail and hire an attorney for Jane. But with most of her cash tied up in credit card debt, she knows she has to do the unthinkable: hit her mother up for money. As if attempting to thaw out the Ice Queen isn't hard enough, there's the unthinkable, part II: resisting McGarrity. Yes, dangerously sexy P.I. Liam McGarrity has offered his services ... for a discounted rate. To prove her theory that Jane and Paolo were drugged by the real killer, Finley will have to buckle down and work with Liam. She'll just have to remind herself that she already has the perfect boyfriend in her FedEx pilot Patrick.

But this case is booby-trapped with more serious pitfalls than wicked temptation. For starters, there's the fact that two knives were used to kill Paolo. Then there's a suspicious string of robberies. And when someone tries to run Finley's car off the road, she's got to act quick to find a killer who wants to see her underground...

Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Description: At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk

Description: Scandal, celebrity and secrets on the sunset strip...

Angela Clark can't believe her luck ... she's living in New York with a dream job and a sexy boyfriend...

Sent to Hollywood to interview hot actor and fellow Brit James Jacobs, she's in at the deep end amid the thin and beautiful of Rodeo Drive. The only person who seems genuine is James, despite his ladykiller reputation. But then the paparazzi catch them together at Chateau Marmont, and Angela finds herself in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons...

Can she convince her boss, her best friend and --- most importantly --- her boyfriend not to believe all they read in the papers? And will Hollywood ever win Angela's heart?

Betrayed by P.C. Cast

Description: Fledgling vampyre Zoey Redbird has managed to settle in at the House of Night. She’s come to terms with the vast powers the vampyre goddess, Nyx, has given her, and is getting a handle on being the new Leader of the Dark Daughters. Best of all, Zoey finally feels like she belongs--like she really fits in. She actually has a boyfriend…or two. Then the unthinkable happens: Human teenagers are being killed, and all the evidence points to the House of Night. While danger stalks the humans from Zoey’s old life, she begins to realize that the very powers that make her so unique might also threaten those she loves. Then, when she needs her new friends the most, death strikes the House of Night, and Zoey must find the courage to face a betrayal that could break her heart, her soul, and jeopardize the very fabric of her world.

REVIEW: Nothing To Fear by Karen Rose

Title: Nothing to Fear
Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Warner
Publication Date: August, 2005
Paperback: 515 pages
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 10/10

Description: NOTHING TO SEE

As director of an inner-city women's shelter, Dana Dupinsky safeguards many secrets. Some are new identities; some are new addresses; and some are even hidden truths about herself. Passionately dedicated to Hanover House and the women she protects, Dana has always been reluctant to look for love. But now, just as a case puts her and a child in mortal danger, it seems that love has come looking for her.

NOTHING TO HEAR

Security expert Ethan Buchanan learned to stalk men in the Afghan desert. Now he vows to track down the ruthless woman who kidnapped his godson --- and falling for Dana is not in the plan. Yet her very presence seems to chase away the ghosts that haunt him, and her skillful evasion of personal questions raises his hunting instincts. For there's a deadly new secret at Hanover House. A brutal killer is weaving a web of revenge with a stolen boy at its center. And Dana is the next victim on the list...

My Thoughts: This is my fourth Karen Rose romantic suspense novel and by far, this one is my favorite. With this story, the author delivers characters that come alive within the pages. Several scenes in the story even brought me to tears in addition to the heart racing adrenaline. The author has created a villain so vile and evil that wishing her dead doesn’t begin to describe the level of emotion I felt while reading this book. Maybe because one of her victims is a deaf and mute child and the cruelty she demonstrates in her quest of personal revenge goes beyond appalling.

As with so many other series, characters from the previous books make an appearance and it was great to see them again and to catch up with what has been happening in their lives since I read their stories.

I loved Dana. Besides being compassionate and caring, which is so important if you are going to shelter battered women, Dana is hiding secrets about herself. She isn’t perfect, she isn’t an angel. She’s had her own trail of misdeeds and continues to take risks to help the residents of Hanover House begin new lives.

I loved Ethan. He carries tremendous amounts of guilt over the death of his best friend, Richard when they were stationed in Afghanistan. Because of the injuries he received in combat, he suffers debilitating migraines and having to depend on others isn’t something that is easy for him.

Dana and Ethan are two souls who need each other but don’t want to, who come together in their mutual desire to protect an innocent helpless child. Their individual human weaknesses make them stronger people when they are together than when they are apart.

Romance fans who enjoy their books with suspense and high octane action and adrenaline charged scenes will enjoy Karen Rose’s novels.

REVIEW: Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Infinity (Chronicles of Nick #1)
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Publication Date: May, 2010
Hardcover: 448 pages
Genre: Young Adult
Rating: 10/10

Description: At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends ... until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough ... now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?

My Thoughts: I have been a fan of the Dark-Hunters ever since I met Kyrian Hunter so many years ago. I’ve always liked Nick and even though I only knew him as Kyrian’s Squire, there was potential there for him to be so much more and I wasn’t disappointed. With this series, we now get to meet Nick when he was just a kid before he got involved with the Dark-Hunters, before he even knew vampires, demons and shape shifters existed. Sherrilyn Kenyon has created a fantastic reality with the Dark-Hunters that draws the reader into this world wide eyed with astonishment but also keeps the reader entertained with the range of different types of characters and their personalities. Nick is sarcastic and smart-mouthed, but has a softer vulnerable side. Even though he gets dragged into some messy situations, he has good intentions. Even knowing what happens to him, (you have to read the Dark-Hunter series to understand some of this book) I can’t help but think that this series is going to play a pivotal role in Nick’s fate.

Fans of the Dark-Hunter series will be pleased to see the appearance of some of their favorite characters such as Kyrian, Acheron, Simi and Tabitha Devereaux. This series has introduced some new characters too, my favorite is Bubba. He kills zombies and owns a gun store and plays a major role in this story helping Nick figure out why his fellow classmates are turning into zombies. He’s hilarious and provides some fantastic redneck comic relief.

I highly recommend this series for all the Dark-Hunter fans who want to know more about Nick’s background. If you haven’t read the Dark-Hunter books yet, I recommend you start with them first as this series may be a little confusing otherwise.

REVIEW: What's A Ghoul To Do? by Victoria Laurie

Title: What’s A Ghoul To Do? (Ghost Hunters Mystery #1)
Author: Victoria Laurie
Publisher: Signet
Publication Date: April, 2007
Paperback: 281 pages
Genre: Cozy Mystery
Rating: 5/10

Description: M.J. Holliday's a medium with a message --- her business is helping lost souls cross over to the other side. But what if ghosts want to stay put?

M.J. Holliday has two rules. One, she and her partner, Gilley Gillespie, work alone; and two, she doesn't date clients. But when handsome Dr. Steven Sable needs her help, the specter-spotting sleuth is ready to break both of her rules.

It seems the hot doc's grandfather jumped from the roof of the family lodge in an apparent suicide. But Dr. Sable knows in his bones it was foul play, and strange things keep happening at the lodge. He'll hire M.J. and Gilley ---but only if he can come along. Hey, the duo needs the money --- and looking at eye candy all weekend doesn't sound too bad, either.....

But once they reach the lodge, the three realize they're dealing with more ghosts than just Grandpa Sable's. And the spooks keep playing nasty tricks on their human visitors. To the untrained eye, it would appear that ghouls just want to have fun. But M.J. knows they're communicating their distress --- and it's up to her to figure out why....

My Thoughts: I am going to start this review by stating that I prefer this author’s Psychic Eye series. Having said that, don’t let that sway you from checking out this series. I enjoyed meeting M.J. and her partner Gilley. I also liked that M.J. has a parrot she named “Doc” after her infamous ancestor, Doc Holliday. The bird is quite the character. He talks and sometimes says some very inappropriate things, such as singing Y.M.C.A. or some cute things like calling M.J.’s client Dr. Delicious. Steven Sable is M.J.’s love interest and client and has his plate full just trying to make himself understood. He didn’t grow up in America, so his vocabulary is a little different. When he and M.J. share a drink one night, he refers to it as a “nightgown” instead of a night cap.

Though I found the story to be interesting, I felt like there were a lot of details that didn’t seem to fit and made it a little bit hard to follow. First of all, Steven’s grandfather has died under mysterious circumstances so he hired M.J. to look into it to determine if it was really suicide. During this time, Gilley has a nasty encounter with an angry ghost who pushes him down the stairs. Obviously, I am led to think that Steven’s grandfather was pushed to his death by the same ghost. The story veers off into a sub-plot involving Steven’s birthright, the father who has never acknowledged his existence, paternity tests and shady land deals. When I got to the end, I am left still wondering if Steven’s father is really his father and what his intentions were throughout the story.

I’m hoping some of these details get clarified in the next book as it appears that Steven will be a regular part of M.J.’s life. Overall, though there are a lot of confusing details that left me with more questions than answers, I am curious enough about the series to find out where it will lead me to next.

REVIEW: Bitten & Smitten by Michelle Rowen

Title: Bitten & Smitten (Immortality Bites #1)
Author: Michelle Rowen
Publisher: Warner Forever
Publication Date: January, 2006
Paperback: 369 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 7/10

Description: THERE's A NEW VAMP IN TOWN...

Dear Mom,

I might be a wee bit late for Cousin Missy's wedding. It's been a tough week. Turns out, my blind date from hell was literally from hell. Guy bit me. Next thing I know, I'm being chased all over the city by vampire hunters. And did I mention that I got fired, too?

Bright side -- I met a man. Thierry de Bennicoeur. How great is that name? Anyway, he's sexy, six-hundred years old, and a tad suicidal, but no one's perfect, right? And we have a deal -- he's gonna show me the ropes of the vampire world, and I'm supposed to help him end his existence. Or maybe I'll just try to convince him life is worth living -- no small challenge with the mostly immortal, let me tell you. I'll admit it's a complicated relationship. But with any luck, I just might have a date for that wedding after all....

Hugs and Kisses,
Sarah

My Thoughts: Dating in the modern world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be as our heroine, Sarah Dearly finds out when her blind date turns out not only to be a vampire, but bites her and turns her into one of the undead. Then to make matters worse, Sarah’s sire is murdered by vampire hunters just mere minutes after she’s turned and she has no idea what to do next. Luckily, self-preservation kicks in and Sarah does what any self-respecting woman, undead or alive, would do when faced with imminent violence…she hauls ass out of there. When she comes across 600+ year old vampire Thierry de Bennicoeur preparing to commit suicide, Sarah takes a leap of faith (literally) in the hope that she can convince Thierry that life is worth living and herself that she can continue to live her own life before this minor derailment into the vampire community. Along the way, Sarah meets other vampires, some nice and some she would probably like to stake herself and a vampire hunter who is intent on killing her despite her numerous protests that she isn’t evil.

I found this book to be a cute and entertaining story to a series that looks to be very entertaining. I liked Sarah quite a bit. She reminds me of Betsy Taylor from the Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson. If you like that series, you will enjoy this one. Sarah has a lot of attitude and isn’t shy about expressing herself. I thought she had a lot of spunk. Even after being fired from her job and no financial windfalls looming on the horizon, Sarah manages to take charge of the situation and plows forward instead of wallowing in self-pity.

I didn’t warm up to Thierry, unfortunately. He seemed too stuffy and stuck-up for me. Even though it was quite obvious to me that he was attracted to Sarah, I didn’t like that he went out of his way to push her away and wasn’t very nice about it. The fact that she stuck around and had his back says more about her and her integrity and compassion, however. I liked Michael Quinn, the vampire hunter who is after Sarah. I was glad to see he turned out to be one of the major characters. I found his personality very likeable. Sarah befriends one of the vampires at Thierry’s nightclub named George who I found to be very likeable and funny.

Though the jury is still out on whether I want to see Sarah and Thierry end up together, I am looking forward to reading the second book to find out what happens next.

REVIEW: Girls Who Gossip by Theresa Alan

Title: Girls Who Gossip
Author: Theresa Alan
Publisher: Strapless Kensington
Publication Date: April, 2006
Paperback: 311 pages
Genre: Chick-Lit
Rating: 5/10

Description: It's not mean if it's true...

Yes the rumors are true...

I'm actually coming home to Colorado for the summer. Maybe it won't be so bad. After all, I've got cocktails, shopping, and gab sessions with my girlfriends to look forward to. Plus time with my dysfunctional family. Yippee. I'm Helaina, by the way. Helaina Denner if you've known me since junior high, like Hannah and Marni. Helaina Merrill if you know me from film school at NYU. See, I lead a bit of a double life: "starving" student when in Manhattan, daughter of privilege when in Denver

And it gets even better...

...depending on your definition of "better." First off, I've picked this time to try and reconnect with my father. Which would be easier if we'd ever had anything resembling a relationship to begin with. I guess this is one of the pitfalls of having a parent as rich as Bill Gates and as accessible as the Pope...

Seriously, some of this stuff you cannot repeat...

like what I'll tell you about Owen, the adorable journalist I just met. He's sweet, sincere, sexy...real soul mate material. But something's keeping me from letting him get too close. What's my problem, anyway? No need to answer: that's what friends are for. Now, amid high-altitude parties in Aspen, bikini waxes gone mad, and caught-on-tape blackmail fodder, I'm about to find out exactly what one heiress's problems amount to in this crazy world. Just remember, whatever I discover is off the record - for the moment, at least...

My Thoughts: I found the title and book cover very misleading as the story turned out to be something else than what I was expecting. I was expecting a light, fun chick-lit read about, well, girls who gossip. I wouldn’t classify this book as a chick-lit, though that’s what it is marketed as. Don’t get me wrong; I still enjoyed the book once I got over the initial surprise at the punch this book packs. Instead of gossip, this story is actually more about death, the grieving process, dysfunctional families, and revenge. Add in some friends, an internship at a magazine and a budding relationship and you get this book.

The main character is Helaina Denner and she is returning home to Denver for the summer. Her mother recently died under mysterious circumstances a few months back and Helaina is still reeling from the shock and having a difficult time coping with the grieving process. For the most part, she is happy to be back at home and reconnecting with her best friends, Hannah and Marni. She is hoping to reconnect with her father but that proves next to impossible. Helaina discovers that her mother’s sister, Claudia, has moved in and is most likely having an affair with Helaina’s father. I know…ewwwww, right?

Helaina is offered an intern position at a local magazine by a friend of the family and meets Owen who is her boss’ stepson and, it turns out, is also working at the magazine. Helaina thinks the experience gained will be beneficial to her budding filmmaker career.

Things get interesting when Helaina decides to do a little investigating and locates her mother’s journal hidden away in a secret compartment of her mother’s desk. Upon reading the journal, Helaina is given a front-row seat into the despair her mother was feeling, knowing her husband has been unfaithful for most of their marriage, but to also learn that her husband is having an affair with her own sister. The sister she has allowed to move into her home, who she has given money to over the years. Sadly, Helaina’s mother is the victim of gossip as everyone seems to know about her marriage problems, even her hairdresser. Helaina decides she wants revenge on her father and aunt for their part in destroying her mother’s happiness which she believes is the reason behind her death, though the issue of whether Helaina’s mother committed suicide or died because she lost control of her car in a tragic accident is never clarified.

I liked Helaina and felt a lot of sympathy for her. I found her behavior very understandable under the circumstances and hated the way her father treated her. I thought he was a very selfish man who didn’t deserve one smidgen of success or happiness. The outcome of the story leads me to believe that her father and aunt get their comeuppance but there were still a lot of unresolved issues. Fortunately, Helaina makes a major breakthrough when she realizes that we don’t get to choose our family and that working through her grief brings her closer to her mother.

So, chick-lit fans, this is not a light, funny, typical chick-lit read, but it’s a good story that’s worth a look.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In March

March has turned out to be quite a productive month for me on the reading front, so I deserve a treat...here's what I rewarded myself with. :o)

The Postcard Killers by James Patterson

Description: Paris is stunning in the summer

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him--he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each cafe through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

The killing is simply marvelous

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

Wish you were here

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter, Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm--and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet.

The Dark-Hunter Companion by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Description: Consider this handbook your education. Hunter 101. And don't go thinking you got off easy just because there's not a pop quiz at the end. This is the good stuff. The real deal. In here you'll find out all there is to know about being a Dark-Hunter.

Now for the disclaimer: This book is mutable. It goes with the wind. It changes more often than the mind of a sixteen-year-old Gemini with a closet full of clothes and a date in an hour. Don't be surprised if you open it up for the thirty-five thousandth time and find something old, something new, something borrowed or. . .well you get the point.

Curl up in a comfy chair with some millennium-old scotch and feast upon the informative banquet I have prepared for your enjoyment.

Welcome to your new life.

—-From the Dark-Hunter Companion

Murder Your Darlings by J.J. Murphy

Description: I like to have a martini,
Two at the very most.
After three I'm under the table,
After four I'm under my host.
- Dorothy Parker


On this particular morning, legendary wit Dorothy Parker is not the one under Manhattan's famed Algonquin Round Table. Someone else is --- and he's not dead drunk, just dead.

When a charming aspiring writer from Mississippi named Billy Faulkner becomes a suspect in the murder, Dorothy decides to dabble in a little detective work, enlisting the help of tablemates Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Robert Sherwood, and other famous and fabulous literary cohorts.

With a marvelous Manhattan mystery on their hands, it's up to the Algonquins to outwit the true culprit --- preferably before cocktail hour --- and before the clever killer turns the tables on them...

I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

Description: Angela Clark is in love—with the most fabulous city in the world!
When Angela catches her boyfriend with another woman at her best friend's wedding, she's heartbroken and desperate to run away. With little more than a crumpled bridesmaid dress, a pair of Louboutins, and her passport in hand, Angela decides to jump on a plane for . . . NYC!

Settling into a cute hotel and quickly bonding with benevolent concierge Jenny—a chatterbox Oprah wannabe with room for a new best friend—Angela heads out for a New York makeover, some serious retail therapy, and a whirlwind tour of the city. Before she knows it, she's dating two sexy guys and blogging about her Big Apple escapades for a real fashion magazine. But while it's one thing telling readers about your romantic dilemmas, it's another working them out for yourself. Angela has fallen head over heels for the city that never sleeps, but does she heart New York more than home?

REVIEW: Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Title: Marked (House of Night #1)
Author: P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
Publisher: St. Martin’s
Publication Date: May, 2007
Paperback: 306 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal Romance
Rating: 6/10

Description: The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

My Thoughts: As a fan of vampyre and paranormal romance, it seemed that everytime I was in a bookstore or in Wal-Mart, this series would stand out on the shelf and draw me near with curiosity. I cannot pinpoint what was so compelling about the series or this book in particular, but everytime I saw it and I had to pick it up and hold the book, running my hand down the cover and then turning it over to read the back, even though I read it every other time I encountered this book. Even now, writing this review, I find myself moved to pick the book up again and run my hands across the cover.

As stories go, there are others that held my attention so profoundly I found it hard to do anything else while reading. The House of Night series didn’t draw me in the way I was anticipating, but I found myself immediately curious about the characters so when I thought this story was just OK, I was surprised at how much I was enjoying it after all. Immediately upon starting the book, my attention was grabbed when Zoey is marked by a Tracker. A Tracker is a vampyre (can’t get over the spelling) who marks select humans to become vampyres. In this series, once a human is marked, a mark literally appears on their forehead, probably so all the humans around them can freak out and go ballistic, like Zoey’s mother and step-father (whom she refers to as the Step-Loser) do. The marked individual is now a fledgling and they have to go to the House of Night, which is nothing more than a private school to learn the vampyre culture and prepare for their change. Unfortunately, not all fledglings are successful in becoming vampyres. If their bodies reject the change, they appear to die a very sudden and painful death. I’m hoping there will be more about that in future books as it is a little confusing still for me.

I found the characters to be interesting starting with Zoey and her grandmother to the Goddess Nyx and Zoey’s mentor, Neferet, a High Priestess. Zoey quickly makes friends with four other students that I liked too and there’s a romance blooming between her and Erik Night, another student. And even in vampyre stories involving young adults, there has to be a clique of mean girls and this one delivers.

Overall, this is not a bad beginning to another young adult vampyre series. There are currently eight published installments and two more looming on the horizon. I cannot honestly say I will stay with the series, but for the moment I am intrigued and have ordered the second book.

REVIEW: The Good Ghoul's Guide To Getting Even by Julie Kenner

Title: The Good Ghoul’s Guide To Getting Even (Beth Frasier #1)
Author: Julie Kenner
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April, 2007
Paperback: 256 pages
Genre: Young Adult - Paranormal Romance
Rating: 6/10

Description: Elizabeth Frasier's ticked off. Her junior year of high school was going just fine. But thanks to a bunch of jerkwad vampire jocks, she ended up undead, and with a thirst that a thousand Diet Cokes couldn't quench. Now she's out for blood-and revenge. And she knows exactly what to do...Elizabeth's read Salem's Lot. Separate the good vamps from the bad and wipe out the crowd that did her in. On top of that, she's got to figure out how to be mortal again-unless universities start accepting dead girls.

My Thoughts: This was a very fast read told from Beth’s point of view. The ending left me hanging which didn’t come as a surprise as I knew there is a second book. Unfortunately, I can’t help but think that this story could have been done in one entire book instead of being separated. At any rate, as I said before, this was a very fast read and entertaining for the most part. Beth doesn’t waste a lot of time in “setting the scene” of what happens to her. My first impression of Beth is that she is your typical overachiever teenager (do they even exist?) who is pretty obsessed about what college she wants to attend and has made up her mind that staying in Austin, Texas is not an option. One of the things I found strange for me was she didn’t seem to mourn the fact that being undead meant her life had ended. She needs blood to survive and there are vampire hunters out there with only one agenda, which is killing her. She didn’t seem to be affected by what her parents would say or do. Nope. She probably isn’t going to tell them. No, instead, she seems more put out and pissed off that her plans for college seem to have been derailed. Even, as a vampire, she remains more concerned about remaining Valedictorian. That having been said, it didn’t put me off of the story. I liked that Beth continued to want to live a normal life or as normal as she could without fully turning undead and becoming evil. I liked that her best friend stuck by her once she got over the initial freaking out moment. And I liked that Beth manages to find a little romance along the way.

I prefer this author’s demon-hunting soccer mom series, but if you are looking for a light vampire themed romance that isn’t bogged down in details and isn’t too heavy on angst and turmoil, give this one a try.

REVIEW: You Had Me At Halo by Amanda Ashby

Title: You Had Me At Halo
Author: Amanda Ashby
Publisher: NAL Trade
Publication Date: August, 2007
Paperback: 288 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 7/10

Description: Heaven can wait, but not for long.

She’s halfway to heaven…and she’s just been pulled over.

Holly Evans has just seen her own body laid to rest, and if it had been up to her, she wouldn’t have chosen that particular polyester dress for the event. Still, she could live with that (so to speak), if it guaranteed a quick jump to Level 3 of the afterlife, which she hopes will feature both reruns of Friends and reunions with long-lost loved ones.

But Holly has some mortal baggage to unload first, starting with the matter of how she died. Yes, she drowned in her bathtub under suspicious circumstances, but she did not kill herself. Holly had too much to live for, from her recent promotion to taking the next big step in her relationship. OK, her life had a few loose ends, but whose doesn’t? Holly’s heavenly shrink isn’t buying it. He says she has to return to Earth to straighten things out. The problem is, she’ll need to borrow someone’s body to do so, and the body in question belongs to none other than computer geek Vince Murphy. Oh, and although Vince was supposed to have vacated the premises, he apparently never got the memo.

Now Holly has forty-eight hours to resolve her issues while sharing arms, legs, and … other things with a guy she barely noticed while she was alive. But the real surprise is what life has to offer when you have only two days to live it.

My Thoughts: First time reading this author and liked the premise of the life after death / reincarnation theme. Holly is a likeable character who at first comes across as a little self-centered and shallow. I had to forgive her, however, because how is one supposed to act when they are viewing their own funeral and finding out that everyone thinks they committed suicide? Holly doesn’t seem to adjust to Heaven very well and has brought all of her “earthly” baggage with her. One of the things that I liked about her was that even during the bleakest of times, she manages to weather it with determination to continue forward. She doesn’t let all of the rules of Heaven drag her down and sets her mind to doing what she has to do so she can advance out of Level 1 and catch up to her parents. In order to do that, she has to return to Earth and occupy the body of a living human and resolve all of the issues she is holding on to. She doesn’t count on being put into Vince Murphy’s body and that she would have to share his body with him. Apparently, he was supposed to die and she was going to take his place. I really enjoyed how they try to adjust to one another and though Vince’s acceptance of the situation seemed to be a little fast (I don’t think I would accept it so easily), they become a good team working together.

Vince was a great character. The saying “don’t judge a book by its cover” came to mind many times while reading. On the outside, he appears to be a computer geek and maybe a little anti-social. Before Holly died, she barely noticed his existence and even turned him down when he asked her out a while back. I enjoyed getting to know Vince and discovering more to his personality with each turn of the page. Once Holly gets past the fact that he works with computers and works with other geeks, she begins to see Vince for his true nature and it doesn’t take long before Holly realizes what a great guy he truly is. There were several humorous scenes. One of my favorites is Holly in Vince’s body trying to talk to her best friend, Gemma, but Gemma doesn’t realize it’s really Holly and she freaks out a little thinking he’s stalking her.

Overall, this story was entertaining and enjoyable with a few surprises thrown in. If you like lighthearted romance with a paranormal theme, give this one a try.

REVIEW: I'm Watching You by Karen Rose

Title: I’m Watching You
Author: Karen Rose
Publisher: Warner
Publication Date: October, 2004
Paperback: 474 pages
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Rating: 8/10

Description: I KNOW THEIR CRIMES

Star prosecutor Kristen Mayhew has a dangerous secret admirer. He seems to knows her every thought, her every move. He sends her letters. And he kills the criminals she herself is powerless to stop.

I HUNT DOWN THE GUILTY

This avenger even knows Kristen’s deepest secret—the one that has kept her from surrendering her heart to Abe Reagan, the police detective sworn to protect her. Like Kristen, Reagan is haunted by the loss of something precious that he can never regain. But in the shadow of a calculating serial killer, the two turn to each other and dare to rediscover passion...even as the messages and vicious murders continue. Even as the killer’s thirst for retribution makes Kristen a target for murder.

My Thoughts: Very enjoyable story filled with intense and, at times quite disturbing scenes of violence and retribution. At the center of this story is prosecutor Kristen Mayhew who begins receiving letters and photos from someone who is seeking vengeance against the criminals who have escaped the wheels of justice. Police Detective Abe Reagan is assigned to protect her when she begins receiving threats from the family of one of the vigilante’s victims.

I really loved Kristin and Abe. They are both damaged emotionally and carrying very painful pasts. I enjoyed how they were able to work through the painful baggage they are carrying and begin to build a relationship built on trust. This story also has a lot of interesting secondary characters, including Abe’s entire family, Abe’s coworkers and even the vigilante, whom I found myself feeling a lot of sympathy for.

I recommend this author if you are looking for character driven stories that keep your interest trying to work out who the villain is while delivering romance and suspense.

REVIEW: The Postcard Killers by James Patterson

Title: The Postcard Killers
Author: James Patterson
Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Publication Date: August, 2010
Hardcover: 400 pages
Genre: Mystery / Thriller
Rating: 8/10

Description: PARIS IS STUNNING IN THE SUMMER

NYPD detective Jacob Kanon is on a tour of Europe's most gorgeous cities. But the sights aren't what draw him—he sees each museum, each cathedral, and each café through the eyes of his daughter's killer.

THE KILLING IS SIMPLY MARVELOUS

Kanon's daughter, Kimmy, and her boyfriend were murdered while on vacation in Rome. Since then, young couples in Paris, Copenhagen, Frankfurt, and Stockholm have been found dead. Little connects the murders, other than a postcard to the local newspaper that precedes each new victim.

WISH YOU WERE HERE

Now Kanon teams up with the Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson, who has just received a postcard in Stockholm—and they think they know where the next victims will be. With relentless logic and unstoppable action, The Postcard Killers may be James Patterson's most vivid and compelling thriller yet.

My Thoughts: Patterson gets major points from me for delivering another story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat with each page. Just when you think he has pulled out all the stops and can’t shock you anymore than he already has, BAM! There he goes again! As shocking and intense as the story was, it wasn’t one of my favorites. I didn’t feel much of a connection to the characters though I was intrigued by them and curious to see what Jacob was going to do once his daughter’s killers were brought to justice. I have felt a much stronger connection to other Patterson characters like Lindsey Boxer and Michael Bennett. Those characters I am practically in love with. But, even so, I gave this story high marks for the “in your face” rollercoaster ride of a story.

Jacob Kanon is a damaged character. He has seen horrible things in his life and experienced his share of heartbreak so when his daughter and her boyfriend are brutally murdered while on vacation in Rome a year before, he becomes a man obsessed. He shows up in Stockholm and makes contact with, almost to the point of stalking, Swedish reporter Dessie Larsson. He places himself into the investigation, almost to the point of interfering and obstructing it. He comes across as brash and abrasive and though his behavior is completely understandable given the circumstances, I was surprised that he didn’t end up in jail or getting himself killed. Dessie is a complex character. In love, she has batted for both sides of the team and has been unsuccessful with both. Her family history is slightly shady but she appears to be straight forward and committed to solving these murders. The attraction between Jacob and Dessie is made known fairly early on in the story so the romance twist between them doesn’t come as a surprise and doesn’t enhance or take away from the core story.

The characters I actually found the most riveting and was the most focused on were the suspected killers, Sylvia and Malcolm Rudolph. Upon first meeting them, I assumed they were a married American couple vacationing in Europe. These characters are what gives the story the “in your face” rollercoaster ride. With each page, more is revealed about this couple making them more complex and drawing the reader into their web. Some of the things that are revealed are quite shocking but instead of turning the reader off of the story, it draws them in even further. Are they innocent or guilty? Are they the monsters that Jacob Kanon believes them to be or are they innocent tourists who have been wronged by the Swedish justice system? You are going to have read the book to find out so climb aboard, buckle up and hang on for one hell of a ride!

Starbucks I Love You

On my way to the chiropractor this morning, I stopped into Starbucks to get a caffeine boost. While I was waiting for my white mocha, I spied this awesome cup. Had to have it. Feels like ceramic when holding it and it's insulated so my hot beverage will stay hot, but I just love the look of it!

It looks bigger in the picture. I'm told it will hold a "tall" beverage perfectly, which will be perfect since I need to cut back on my caffeine intake anyway. And, even better, when I bring in my cup, they will put my drink into this cup and knock 10 cents off the price and I'm helping the environment...

I can justify the $11 I paid for this cup until the cows come home...but at least now I have a look alike cup for the hot as well as the cold beverages while I am waiting for those cows...

REVIEW: At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost

Title: At Grave’s End (Night Huntress #3)
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Publisher: Avon
Publication Date: December, 2008
Paperback: 342 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 10/10

Description: It should be the best time of half-vampire Cat Crawfield's life. With her undead lover Bones at her side, she's successfully protected mortals from the rogue undead. But though Cat's worn disguise after disguise to keep her true identity a secret from the brazen bloodsuckers, her cover has finally been blown, placing her in terrible danger.

As if that wasn't enough, a woman from Bones's past is determined to bury him once and for all. Caught in the crosshairs of a vengeful vamp, yet determined to help Bones stop a lethal magic from being unleashed, Cat's about to learn the true meaning of bad blood. And the tricks she's learned as a special agent won't help her. She will need to fully embrace her vampire instincts in order to save herself—and Bones—from a fate worse than the grave.

My Thoughts: So often, a series begins to get stale and redundant by the third book. Happily, that doesn’t seem to be the case with this series and if this book is any indicator, it won’t. My failure to read this book sooner is why there was so much confusion when I read “First Drop of Crimson” in January. Now that I have rectified that situation, I can happily report that this At Grave’s End was well worth the wait! I cannot gush enough about how much I love Cat and Bones. As a couple and individually, these two characters sure know how to get the job done.

This story really opens up more of the Night Huntress world that I wasn’t aware of. We get to see more about Cat’s father, Max and what a truly deviated and pitiful excuse of a former human he truly was. We get to see more of Cat’s mom and there are some interesting twists and surprises with Justina that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. We see one of Cat’s men, Tate, getting more of a storyline and so far, I am enjoying the triangle his character is trying to create with Cat and Bones. I definitely see potential there for Tate to get his own book.

I know if I decided to leave my current career path and become a vampire slayer, then Cat is the one I would want to mentor and train me. This series and in particular, this book, delivers everything I look for and want in my reading selections. In addition to the intense action and fighting scenes, there’s humor and even some very heart wrenching sad moments.

I can’t think of one thing in this book that didn’t work for me so instead I will say if you haven’t yet read this series, get off your tush and get started. You’ll be glad you did.

New Additions To The TBR Pile In February

Even though February wasn't a productive month reading wise, I did manage to acquire some interesting titles...

The Survivor by Sean Slater

Description: Columbine. Dunblane. Virginia Tech. Winnenden. But Saint Patrick's High?

In his first hour back from a six-month leave of absence, Detective Jacob Striker's day quickly turns into a nightmare. He is barely on scene five minutes at his daughter's high school when he encounters an Active Shooter situation. Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red - have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately.

Striker takes immediate action. Within minutes, two of the gunmen are dead and Striker is close to ending the violence.

But the last gunman, Red Mask, does something unexpected. He runs up to his fallen comrade, racks the shotgun, and unloads five rounds into the man, obliterating his face and hands. Before Striker can react, Red Mask flees - and escapes.

Against the clock, Striker investigates the killings for which there is no known motive and no known suspect. Soon his investigation takes him to darker places, and he realizes that everything at Saint Patrick's High is not as it appears. The closer he gets to the truth, the more dangerous his world becomes. Until Striker himself is in the line of fire.

And the violence follows him home.

Tainted by Julie Kenner

Description: Lily Carlyle has never been a good girl. She's lied, cheated, and stolen, but she did it all to protect her younger sister. To keep food on the table after their mother died. She made a promise, after all. A promise to take care of her sister. To keep the family together. And that's a promise she's determined to keep.

EVEN TO THE DEATH...

When her sister is brutally attacked, a vengeful Lily resolves to exact her own justice from the monster responsible. She succeeds --- at the cost of her own life. As she lies dying, she is given a second chance: Though what she has done is evil, she can earn her way into paradise by fighting for the forces of good.

LILY AGREES...

...and wakes up in the body of Alice Purdue --- a Boston barmaid who has more than a little familiarity with the battle raging between the light and the darkness. Each side is mustering its forces for all-out-war --- and Lily is going to become an assassin for the light.

It's a job she believes she can really get into --- but she doesn't realize that she may not be able to get out...

Torn by Julie Kenner

Description: Lily Carlyle had always lived on the edge. But after she died while avenging her younger sister, she came back to life as someone else --- and was recruited as an assassin for the light.

AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT SHE THOUGHT...

Lily is in trouble of the deepest kind. Having been tricked the forces of evil, she killed what she believed were "demons" at will. Now she knows better, and with a little help from half angel, half demon Deacon Camphire, she must try to take down the bad guys from within as a double agent.

Far easier said than done. The dark ones neither trust nor need Lily anymore. So to prove her loyalty, she'll have to lie, betray, and maybe even continue to kill the innocent. She thinks she can do all that --- but when she's asked to work with the one demon she most despises, she may be willing to lose her soul to end his existence...