Month: January 2013

Review: Enchanting the Lady by Kathryne Kennedy

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
Format read: ebook borrowed from the library
Formats available: Mass market paperback, ebook
Genre: Fantasy romance
Series: Relics of Merlin #1
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date Released: August 1, 2012
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Their magic lives within each one of them…
In a Victorian England with a rigid hierarchy of magic, lion shape-shifter Sir Terence Blackwell is at the bottom rung of society. Only Lady Felicity Seymour, who has no magic, no inheritance, and no prospects, may be willing to judge the man strictly on his own merits…

However deeply it may be hidden…
When family pressures push Lady Felicity into a terrible fate, she has only Sir Terence to turn to. As the two outcasts are propelled by curcumstances beyond their control, they are forced to explore the unseen depths beneath society’s facade. And what they discover about each other is more real and more beautiful than they ever could have imagined…

If you enjoy fantasy romance blended well with lots of storybook tropes, you’ll really love Kathryne Kennedy’s Enchanting the Lady.

I counted at least three classics in this mix: Beauty and the Beast, The Ugly Duckling, and a touch of Cinderella. All the situations were created with a ton of magical interference, well, except maybe the rather handsome beast. Throwing in Merlin’s relics as nasty little matchmakers (yes, you read that right) in an alternate England should have been over the top.

Instead, it turned out to be just right.

Terence is literally the beast. He is a were-lion, and the nobility detests him. Shapeshifters are immune to the magic that the nobles prize as their birthright. He can see through the illusions they weave to conceal their weaknesses and their flaws.

Terence is also the chief royal relic-hunter. Relics are evil magic that Merlin embodied in jewels, and they cause nothing but disaster. Soul-stealers, magic-stealers, dream-thieves, will-stealers. The relics and the ones who use them are sickening and disgusting.

Terence’s brother Thomas died hunting the nefarious relics–because the woman he loved was enthralled by a relic-user. Terence now hunts zealously for the scent of relic-magic.

He finds just a whiff of it clinging to Felicity Seymour when she is presented at court. The touch of it is so faint, he is uncertain whether she is the wielder of the relic, or merely if it has been done in her presence. And he must know.

Because Felicity is the most tempting woman he has ever seen. But what puzzles him almost as much as the elusive air of the relic is that no one else notices Felicity. People sit on her. They step on her. And she has inherited no magic, none, in spite of being the daughter of two of the most powerful nobles the court had seen in generations.

But her parents died when she was a child, and her aunt and uncle have raised her in relative obscurity. While her cousin tormented her with sorcerous nightmares.

Terence senses that all is not as it seems. But he can’t figure out whether the problem lies with Felicity herself, or someone around her. All he knows is that he must find the relic at any cost. He convinces himself that the best method for doing so is to court Felicity.

Felicity’s disgrace after proving that she has no magic gives him the perfect excuse to court her, because her family wouldn’t have allowed it otherwise. The difficulty is that his lion-half doesn’t think he needs any excuse whatsoever. And Felicity is genuinely thrilled by his attentions.

The more often Terence spends time with Felicity, the more attention he wants to pay her. And the more often she is attacked–not in the open where it can be seen–but through illusion and dream. There is a relic involved, but he still can’t find it.

How far will he have to go to find the truth? How far will the relic-user go to maintain control of whatever part Felicity plays in the game? Will there be anything left of anyone when all the secrets are told and all the lies are exposed?

Escape Rating B+: Felicity is just a bit dense about her situation, although if she hadn’t been somewhat willfully blind, she’d probably be dead. She does pull a few too many of the obviously stupid heroine moves, like “don’t go into the house of your enemies alone after you know they are your enemies” kind of thing.

The story should fall of its own weight, it really should. But it absolutely doesn’t. Instead, it’s a whole lot of frothy fantasy romantic fun. “The Perils of Felicity” with magic. I couldn’t wait to see how she’d get herself into, and out of, each scrape.

You will guess who the villain is long before the ending, but you’ll be having too much fun to care.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Immortally Yours by Angie Fox

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
Format read: ebook purchased from Amazon
Formats available: Mass market paperback, ebook
Genre: Fantasy romance, Paranormal romance
Series: Monster M*A*S*H #1
Length: 320 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Date Released: August 28, 2012
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

In the war between the gods…

No one patches up the incoming wounded like Dr. Petra Robichaud. Recruited by the gods for her uncanny medical skills, she’s the best M*A*S*H surgeon in the army. Along with a nosy guard sphinx, vegetarian werewolf, and other paranormal paramedics, she bandages soldiers who are built like Greek gods (literally.) But when one sexy immortal ends up on her operating table—half dead and totally to-die-for—Petra’s afraid she’ll lose her patient and her heart…

Nothing is more dangerous than love

Commander Galen of Delphi is one gorgeous but stubborn demi-god. When his spirit tries to slip out of his fatally wounded body, Dr. Petra has to slip it back in—unwittingly revealing her ability to see ghosts. Now that Galen knows her secret, he’s convinced she’s part of an ancient prophesy. If the oracles are right, Petra could lead Galen’s army to peace. And if he seduces her on the way to hell and back? Heaven knows—all’s fair in love and war…

The story opens with a line straight out of the 4077th M*A*S*H and somehow it manages to go further into hell. Further even than the gallows humor of that movie and TV send up of the Vietnam War disguised as the Korean War could possibly have imagined.

Because this particular unit of “meatball surgeons” is operating next to an honest-to-gods hell vent, behind the lines of a götterdämmerung being fought between the old gods and the new gods.

The old gods and the new gods of seemingly every pantheon ever worshipped. Along with every demi-god they ever spawned. And every mortal with a touch of the uncanny in their veins.

Dr. Petra Robichaud can see the souls of the dead. A forbidden power handed down with the fae blood she inherited from her mother. Otherwise she’s completely mortal. She’ll live out the rest of her life as a MASH doctor in limbo, patching up the wounds of the new gods’ troops.

Immortals can still get injured, and killed, in battle. And there’s plenty of that going around.

What Petra doesn’t know is that the war is going badly for the new gods, and that their doomsday weapon is worse than she’s ever imagined.

But there’s a reason her power to see the souls of the dead is forbidden. There’s a prophecy. (Of course there is!) Someone just like her will bring peace. But a bad guess at the prophecy brings disaster.

Remember Hurricane Katrina? Petra is pretty sure that was her. Since then, she’s kept her head down and her powers bottled up.

Then the next batch of wounded brings her Galen of Delphi. An elite soldier with the power of inspiration, among other things. And Petra decides that she’s just not going to let this one die. So she drags his soul back. And the prophecy is on.

She knows that it’s going to be an even greater hell to bring that prophecy about. And she doesn’t believe, not anymore. But Galen makes her believe in him.

He makes her believe in them. They had both lost all sense of feeling anything, but with that one act of bringing back his soul, Petra has shattered the loneliness that surrounded them both.

It’s too bad that the only way to fulfill the prophecy is to risk everything, to risk her heart, and know that she will lose. In order to win.

Escape Rating B: This is a completely insane idea. A MASH unit in limbo. With a love story.

Once you get past that, it’s a boatload of fun, but like the original M*A*S*H, very much gallows humor. The surgical unit is made up of mostly paranormal-types. Petra’s best friend is a homesick werewolf, and one of their other tent-mates is a vampire. The camp commander is a Spartan. Yes, those Spartans.

Like the original, the doctors and staff are always overworked, overtired, and incredibly homesick. They do over-the-top weird stuff to keep from going completely crazy, and don’t always keep from sliding into depression.

The love story, while it was the core of the story on the one hand, did have more than a hint of insta-love. It’s easy to understand what Petra sees in Galen, but not so easy to see what a demi-god sees in a mortal. That needed a bit more explanation.

On the other hand, the readers understood a lot more of Petra’s trauma than they did Galen’s.

And I’m a sucker for any hero named Galen.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Interview with Jade Kerrion + Giveaway!

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Author Interviews> blog tours> ebook giveaway

Today I’d like to welcome Jade Kerrion to Reading Reality. Jade is the author of the Double Helix series. I’ve already finished the first book in this science fiction series, Perfection Unleashed (review here) and let me tell you, it is a thrill-a-minute ride!

Marlene: Hi Jade! Can you please tell us a bit about yourself?

Jade: In no particular order, I’m an author, a business executive, a wife, and a mother. All those roles demand impossible amounts of time that far exceed twenty four hours in a day, so on any day, I just juggle them, trying to keep all the balls up in the air. For the most part, it works.

Marlene: Describe a typical day of writing? Are you a planner or pantser?

Jade: Prime writing time takes place early in the morning or late at night when the family is asleep. That said, I’ll sneak in whatever time I can find during the day as well. For the most part, I am a planner. I tend to have notes as well as a sense of where the story is going to go. The plots, however, have been occasionally hijacked by uncooperative characters, and oddly, it tends to work out better that way.

Marlene: What made you choose to write science fiction? And why this particular branch of science fiction related to genetic manipulation and people’s reactions to it?

Jade: I grew up on science fiction. My first crush ever was on Luke Skywalker—I was only three at that time. In addition to Star Wars, I was a huge fan of the X-Men. The Double Helix series reflects much of that influence and leverages my own interest in the topic; at college I majored in biology and philosophy. Science is quietly making progress on the genetic front while we focus on far more distracting news, like the economy, a budget deficit, and wars. The genetic revolution will be upon us, faster than we know, and I don’t think we, as a country, or humanity as a whole, are prepared to address it.

Marlene: Where did your inspiration for the Double Helix series come from?

Jade: The X-Men, certainly, but I didn’t want the story to be just about mutants with super powers. Discrimination is frequently more subtle, and I think many of us have dealt with discrimination in one form or another. I wanted to write a story where almost everything is wreathed in shades of grey, and it’s really up to the reader to ask the questions, and find their own answers.

Marlene: What can we expect of the Double Helix series?

Jade: Many more roller-coaster twists and turns! The first three books of the series— Perfection Unleashed, Perfect Betrayal, and Perfect Weapon—are now available, as is the YA spin-off, When the Silence Ends. The focus of the story will start to shift from Danyael, the alpha empath and Galahad’s physical template, to Galahad himself as he defines his own humanity.

Marlene: What is your favorite thing about the writing experience and why?

Jade: Michelangelo once described his work as a sculptor as freeing the statue that exists within the block of marble. It’s less about creating than it is revealing the art that already exists. Writing is like that for me. The story exists in my head, and the process of writing isn’t about creating, it about revealing the story and sharing it with others.

Marlene: Tell me something about yourself that I wouldn’t know to ask.

Jade: I’m a dancer! I spent years in ballet class, and then in college, joined the modern dance company and spent 40+ hours dancing in preparation for our annual spring concert. Later in life, I switched to salsa (my husband is an incredible dancer.)

Marlene: What book do you wish you could read again for the first time?

Jade: David Eddings’ Belgariad series. Yes, I know it’s standard high fantasy, loaded with stereotypical characters, but darn, it was so much fun. I fell in love with the series immediately, and it would be amazing to read it again for the first time and recapture the sense of wonder.

Marlene: What words of advice would you give to aspiring authors?

Jade: Be committed to excellence. This is true regardless of whether you’re going down the traditional route or self-publishing route. You want to put out something you’d be proud to stick your name (or pseudonym) on. Writing well takes time. You wouldn’t call someone an expert until he/she has put in thousands of hours of work (the typical range is 10,000 hours towards expertise.) Likewise, just publishing a book doesn’t make you a truly good writer. It takes time, practice, and dedication to the art.

Marlene: What projects do you have planned for the future? What is next on your schedule?

Jade: In February 2013, I’m releasing Earth-Sim. Let me share the blurb with you:

Have you ever wondered who’s really in charge of the world? If there’s a God, He seems accident-prone. How else can you explain the mass extinctions, global floods, and worldwide plagues? Are there days when you want to shout out to the uncaring sky, “Is there an intelligent, well-executed plan behind this mess?

Wonder no more. From Jade Kerrion, author of the award-winning Double Helix series, comes an occasionally whimsical, frequently irreverent romp through the history of Earth, as seen through the eyes of the two students and the android assigned to shape the future of the planet in Earth-Sim.

Seamlessly blending popular culture with history, science, and religion, this crash course in planetary management will charm and entertain as you attempt to decipher just how much is fact and what else is fiction. Either way, you finally have someone to blame for the shape our world is in.

I’m currently working on a new science fiction novel, tentatively titled City of Eternal Night. Yes, it is science fiction. It started out as a paranormal romance in my head, and as the plot expanded, it very clearly became science fiction. I can’t seem to get away from the genre…

Marlene: Now, can you tell us 3 reasons why people should read your books?

Jade: A. My books are compelling and my characters addictive. My goal, as an author, is to wreck other people’s time management skills, and according to my readers, I’ve succeeded fairly well on that front.

B. My books have universal appeal. I’ve had lots of readers tell me, “I didn’t even like science fiction before I read your books, but I love them.” Well, that’s because I don’t write hard science fiction. You won’t have to know how a hyperdrive works. In most cases, you don’t even have to leave Earth behind. It’s about the characters and the challenges they face in defining themselves and defining their world.

C. Conflict and tension, physical and emotional. My books are loaded with them. 🙂

Marlene: Coffee or Tea?

Jade: Neither. Hot chocolate topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

About Jade

Jade Kerrion, author of the award-winning science-fiction/dystopian series, Double Helix, first developed a loyal reader base with her fan fiction series based on the MMORPG Guild Wars. She was accused of keeping her readers up at night, distracting them from work, housework, homework, and (far worse), from actually playing Guild Wars. And then she wondered why just screw up the time management skills of gamers? Why not aspire to screw everyone else up too? So here she is, writing books that aspire to keep you from doing anything else useful with your time. She lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida with her wonderfully supportive husband and her two young sons, Saint and Angel, (no, those aren’t their real names, but they are like saints and angels, except when they’re not.)Places to find Jade: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Google+

When the Silence Ends

When you choose your friends, you also choose your enemies.

Seventeen-year-old Dee wants nothing more than to help her twin brother, Dum, break free from the trauma in their childhood and speak again, but the only person who can help Dum is the alpha empath, Danyael Sabre, whom the U.S. government considers a terrorist and traitor.

The search for Danyael will lead Dee and Dum from the sheltered protection of the Mutant Affairs Council and into the violent, gang-controlled heart of Anacostia. Ensnared by Danyael’s complicated network of friends and enemies, Dee makes her stand in a political and social war that she is ill equipped to fight. What can one human, armed only with her wits and pepper spray, do against the super-powered mutants who dominate the Genetic Revolution?

America, nevertheless, is ripe for change. Exhausted by decades of belligerence between humans and their genetic derivatives, the clones, in vitros, and mutants, society is on the verge of falling apart or growing up. Which path will it choose, and can a mere human, her sassy attitude and smart mouth notwithstanding, light the way to a better future?

In her quest to help her brother become normal, Dee will learn what it means to be extraordinary. When the silence ends, the celebration of life, love, joy, and hope will inspire feet to dance and hearts to sing.

Review of Perfection Unleashed by Jade Kerrion

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
Format read: ebook provided by the author
Formats available: Paperback, ebook
Genre: Science fiction
Series: Double Helix #1
Length: 212 pages
Publisher: CreateSpace
Date Released: June 11, 2012
Purchasing Info:Author’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Two men, one face. One man seeks to embrace destiny, the other to escape it.

Danyael Sabre spent sixteen years clawing out of the ruins of his childhood and finally has everything he wanted–a career, a home, and a trusted friend. To hold on to them, he keeps his head down and plays by the rules. An alpha empath, he is powerful in a world transformed by the Genetic Revolution, yet his experience has taught him to avoid attention.

When the perfect human being, Galahad, escapes from Pioneer Laboratories, the illusory peace between humans and their derivatives–the in vitros, clones, and mutants–collapses into social upheaval. The abominations, deformed and distorted mirrors of humanity, created unintentionally in Pioneer Lab’s search for perfection, descend upon Washington D.C. The first era of the Genetic Revolution was peaceful. The second is headed for open war.

Although the genetic future of the human race pivots on Galahad, Danyael does not feel compelled to get involved and risk his cover of anonymity, until he finds out that the perfect human being looks just like him.

There were so many threads to this story! I’m not surprised that they weren’t resolved by the end. This story is too big to get everything wrapped up in a nice neat package in one book. The story continues in Perfect Betrayal, and finishes in Perfect Weapon. It’s a good thing they’re both available. Waiting would be torture!

Genetic manipulation is one of the great themes in science fiction. How will human beings react when we learn to control what we are? Are we as a species wise enough to make those kinds of decisions? How will the “have nots” feel about the “haves”? And vice-versa?

The genetic lottery is not fair in the first place. Pretty people have an easier lot in life than ugly people. Smart people have better chances than less intelligent people, unless they are statistical outliers. Adolesence is always miserable for people outside social norms.

What if you (or your parents) could rig the game? How would society treat the results?

Just think of the X-Men. The superior beings, the mutants, do not get treated well by regular humans.

In Perfection Unleashed, there is a parallel situation. Scientists have created a so-called “perfect” human, certainly a genetically superior human, and he is considered a lab specimen with no rights.

Mutants exist, but they are strictly controlled by law and monitored. Clones are also looked down upon. Even “normal” humans born via in-vitro fertilization experience some pretty nasty prejudice.

Yet the story is not so much about science run amok as it is about humans going crazy. A scientist lost his young son and his wife. He became much, much too involved in an unethical experiment. Because he spent all his energy on his work, his remaining son came to hate him, and the “perfect human” that his work created.

But it really started with the scientist’s over-involvement in his work. And doesn’t that happen now?

Galahad is the experiment. His rescue begins a chain reaction that drags in the alpha empath mutant Danyael, who turns out to be Galahad’s double. But only in looks. They have entirely different sets of powers.

As they unravel the riddle of how these two men came to be each other’s twin, they and their unintentional allies uncover a scientific and government conspiracy to create a supersoldier that results in abominations tearing through the Washington D.C. suburbs.

Escape Rating B+: I want to know where the mutants come from, or how they evolved. This future doesn’t seem that far from now, but there’s a link missing somewhere, and I really need to know. Cloning technology has seriously improved in this future, too.

The story moves along at an absolutely breakneck speed. I didn’t stop turning pages except to sleep, and I hated getting off the bus. Stops were not convenient!

This is a sci-fi action thriller. The chills never stop tingling down your spine. I wish that the human behavior in the book wasn’t so easy to imagine, but that’s what made the story so compelling.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Review: Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
Format read: ebook purchased from Amazon
Formats available: Mass Market Paperback, ebook, audiobook
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Series: Sinners on Tour #1
Length: 378 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date Released: October 1, 2010
Purchasing Info:Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

Five stunning guys, one hot woman, and a feverish romance…

For him, life is all music and no play…

When Brian Sinclair, lead songwriter and guitarist of the hottest metal band on the scene, loses his creative spark, it will take nights of downright sinful passion to release his pent-up genius…

She’s the one to call the tune…

When sexy psychologist Myrna Evans goes on tour with the Sinners, every boy in the band tries to seduce her. But Brian is the only one she wants to get her hands on…

Then the two lovers’ wildly shocking behavior sparks the whole band to new heights of glory… and sin…

Sex research clearly isn’t as much fun as actual sex. And boring academics are the same everywhere, no matter what the focus of their research.

In fact, Hell probably consists of sitting in an endless conference, listening to people read their Power Point presentations. (I am NOT kidding about this)

Myrna Evan’s topic is male sexuality, and her examples are rock stars. (Anyone who does not think a guitar is a phallic symbol, just take a look at this picture of Bruce Springsteen)

Her favorite example is Brian “Master” Sinclair, lead singer and guitarist for the hard rock band, The Sinners. When she finds the entire band seemingly slumming in the bar of the same hotel as her terminally boring conference, she takes her courage in both hands and brazenly goes to their table and introduces herself.

The guys are all astonished, respectful, and turned on as hell. Especially Brian, who falls into instant something. Maybe it’s love. It’s certainly lust. However, Brian has a habit of falling hard, and often, for every woman who catches his eye.

Myrna, who has some serious issues about love and commitment thanks to one of the skeeviest ex-husbands ever, gets caught up in Brian’s spell. And definitely vice-versa.

And in spite of suffering a seriously long case of writer’s block, sex with Myrna unblocks Brian’s song-writing talent in a major way. He wants to keep her around as his muse. And more.

Myrna is scared of commitment, but she’s got an idea for a fantastic research project. One that might get her academic contract renewed for another year. She can research the promiscuous behavior of band groupies!

It gives her the perfect excuse to tour with the Sinners all summer. Thinking up the project has nothing to do with how much she wants to be with Brian. Not at all.

Can Brian convince Myrna that they have something real? Or will her commitment-phobia ruin the best thing they’ve both ever had?

And where are the flowers coming from?

Escape Rating B: Backstage Pass is steamy, sexy and absolutely screamingly fun. Brian and Myrna’s love story, and it is definitely a love story, has just enough romance to keep you reading to find out how Brian is going to convince Myrna to give the whole thing a chance, but she is skittish for a good reason.

She is being stalked by her ex. That side-plot was obvious, but seeing him finally get his just desserts was absolutely worth it.

I also liked it that Myrna was a bit older than Brian and the band. She’s going to be taking charge of a lot, so it made sense in the story. It was great how Brian handled it, that he loved her and didn’t care a bit. But Myrna’s taking on a lot with Brian, the band, the groupies, and her own career. It worked for her to have some history.

Read Backstage Pass if you’re looking for something absolutely smoking hot to pass a chilly winter’s night.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand? 1-6-13

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | cats> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand

It’s the first Sunday Post of 2013. And away we go!

During this week’s unpacking, we unearthed the box of stuffed animals. I found my Hedgie. Hedgie is a hedgehog. Isn’t she adorable? I got her on a trip to Vancouver a few years ago. She’s been quietly resting a box, along with a bunch of her friends, for several years. Now she’s back on my desk where she belongs.

But the cats didn’t rest much last night. We bought some new inserts for this type of cat scratcher. Basically they’re corrugated cardboard, but, well, anything that saves the furniture is all good. The humans didn’t open the package. The cats went wild during the night. There was a tiny package of catnip wedged between the two scratcher refills. Score!

If you want a more bookish score, there are still a few brief hours left to get in on the New Year’s Blog Hop. The prize here at Reading Reality is a $10 Amazon Gift Card. It might make a dent in your wish list.

What happened last week on the blog? Funny you should ask…

13 for 2013: A Baker’s Dozen of My Most Anticipated Reads
New Year’s Blog Hop
A- Review: The Second Rule of Ten by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay
B+ Review: Devil in the Making Illustrated Edition by Victoria Vane
B+ Review: Skybound by Aleksandr Voinov, Guest Review by Chryselle
Stacking the Shelves (29)

Now let’s look ahead to this week!

On Tuesday, Jade Kerrion will be here to talk about Double Helix, her science fiction romance series. I’ve already finished book one in the series, Perfection Unleashed, and it’s an absolute thrill ride. So yep, I’ll have a review. And there’s a giveaway as part of the tour.

Rounding out the week I’ll have reviews of Olivia Cunning’s Sinners on Tour series, Angie Fox’s first Monster M*A*S*H, Immortally Yours, and one touch of pure fantasy romance from Kathryne Kennedy’s Enchanting the Lady.

There are two tours on the horizon for the week of January 14: Blair McDowell’s Sonata and Tiffany Allee’s Heels & Heroes. And we’ll end that week with the oh-so-appropriately named Happy Endings Blog Hop.

Stay Tuned!

Stacking the Shelves (29)

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Stacking the Shelves

Looking at this list, it’s easy to see that the New Year has started with a bang, at least as far as Stacking the Shelves is concerned.

I always find way too many temptations on NetGalley when Carina Press puts up their next month’s list. They’re kind of like Lay’s Potato Chips for me, reading-wise, I can’t read just one.

And then there’s that delight of working in a big library again. Galen and I have started watching Midsomer Murders so he wanted to read them. Caroline Graham’s first four Inspector Barnaby books are not available in ebook in the U.S. (They are in Australia!) But my library has them. I love a good mystery, and he’s enjoyed them so much that now I want to read them too.

For Review: (all ebooks)
Dark Secrets (Arcane #2) by Shona Husk
Heels & Heroes by Tiffany Allee
How Beauty Saved the Beast (Tales of the Underlight #2) by Jax Garren
Immortal Craving (Dark Dynasties #4) by Kendra Leigh Castle
Lady in Deed by Ann Montclair
Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau
Savage Angel (Earth Angels #2) by Stacy Gail
Vacant Graves (Magnocracy #2) by Christopher Beats

Purchased: (all ebooks)
Immortally Yours (Monster M*A*S*H*) by Angie Fox
King of Darkness (Chronicles of Yavn #1) by Elisabeth Staab

Borrowed from the Library: (all print)
Death in Disguise (Chief Inspector Barnaby #3) by Caroline Graham
Death of a Hollow Man (Chief Inspector Barnaby #2) by Caroline Graham
The Killings at Badger’s Drift (Chief Inspector Barnaby #1) by Caroline Graham
Monster Hunter International (MHI #1) by Larry Correia
What Happens at Christmas (Millworth Manor #1) by Victoria Alexander
Written in Blood (Chief Inspector Barnaby #4) by Caroline Graham

Guest Review: Skybound by Aleksandr Voinov

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews> Guest Review
Format read: ebook provided by the publisher
Formats available: Paperback, ebook
Genre: M/M Romance, Historical Romance
Length: 44 pages
Publisher: Riptide Publishing
Date Released: August 20, 2012
Purchasing Info:Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance

Germany, 1945. The Third Reich is on its knees as Allied forces bomb Berlin to break the last resistance. Yet on an airfield near Berlin, the battle is far from over for a young mechanic, Felix, who’s attached to a squadron of fighter pilots. He’s especially attached to fighter ace Baldur Vogt, a man he admires and secretly loves. But there’s no room for love at the end of the world, never mind in Nazi Germany.

When Baldur narrowly cheats death, Felix pulls him from his plane, and the pilot makes his riskiest move yet. He takes a few days’ leave to recover, and he takes Felix with him. Away from the pressures of the airfield, their bond deepens, and Baldur shows Felix the kind of brotherhood he’d only ever dreamed of before.

But there’s no escaping the war, and when they return, Baldur joins the fray again in the skies over Berlin. As the Allies close in on the airfield where Felix waits for his lover, Baldur must face the truth that he is no longer the only one in mortal danger.

Guest Review by Cryselle

The viewpoint and setting of Skybound is truly startling: the losing side of a desperate war is bleak ground for a love story, yet here it is.

Baldur, a pilot of such skill as to make him royalty to his fellows, takes chances in the sky and on the ground. He’s an ace among aces, and Felix might love him or merely have a bad case of hero-worship.  Baldur is the one bright spot for Felix in this war—he rebuilds tattered planes enough to fly again, but the growing despair of the war is sapping him badly.

One air battle proves nearly fatal for Baldur and Felix is the one to rescue him. Felix would walk through fire for Baldur, and is overcome to be chosen as companion for the few days the war effort can spare the pilot to recover. Both anxious and hopeful, Felix isn’t sure what the few days of solitude will bring, and even when they return to the airfield, it isn’t entirely clear how deeply Baldur is invested. Sentiments like “I love you” have no place in this war, but the chances Baldur runs to be with Felix   speak loudly.

The clues to what happiness they might find in the end are scattered cleverly though the text, but it is a mixed happiness, the best they could hope for.  The tone of the story recalls parts of All Quiet on the Western Front, where ending the day with all arms and legs had to be accounted a triumph. Desperation drives Felix, both for the war and for Baldur.

The author has gone to great lengths to provide solid research and a vivid sense of time and place, not only at the airfield and in battle but in the village where they take their leave.  Knowing how this war ends provides a special poignancy to the small comforts they can take. Even the characters’ names add to the atmosphere: Baldur, named for a god whose death presaged Ragnarok, and Felix, the one small bit of happiness.

With all this care taken, it was a  jolt to repeatedly encounter a term translated literally from the German that means something entirely different and unrelated in English, and which wasn’t explained until nearly the end.  The reorienting needed to get back into the story after each use took away from the total submersion of reading. Even so, I would give this short, unusual tale a B+.

Cryselle can regularly be found blogging and reviewing at Cryselle’s Bookshelf.

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

ARC Review: How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 4 Stars> book reviews> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover

how to misbehaveFormat Read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Number of Pages: 96 pages
Release Date: January 28, 2013
Publisher: Random House Loveswept
Series: Camelot #1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

What woman can resist a hot man in a hard hat? Beloved author Ruthie Knox kicks off her new Camelot series with this deliciously sexy original novella, in which a good girl learns how to misbehave . . . with all her heart.

As program director for the Camelot Community Center, Amber Clark knows how to keep her cool. That is, until a sudden tornado warning forces her to take shelter in a darkened basement with a hunk of man whose sex appeal green lights her every fantasy. With a voice that would melt chocolate, he asks her if she is okay. Now she’s hot all over and wondering: How does a girl make a move?

Building contractor Tony Mazzara was just looking to escape nature’s fury. Instead, he finds himself all tangled up with lovely Amber. Sweet and sexy, she’s ready to unleash her wild side. Their mutual desire reaches a fever pitch and creates a storm of its own—unexpected, powerful, and unforgettable. But is it bigger than Tony can handle? Can he let go of painful memories and let the force of this remarkable woman show him a future he never dreamed existed?

My Thoughts:

How to Misbehave is not just the introductory novella in Ruthie Knox’ Camelot series, it’s also a short, sweet and sexy example of the kind of contemporary romance that Knox has made her own.

It’s the love story between two adults, one who did something wrong in his or her past and has been forgiven by everyone except themselves, and one who has spent their whole lives being good, to the point where they’ve lost track of what they really want. All they know is what everyone else wants isn’t satisfying them, and they aren’t even pleasing whoever it was they set out to place in the first place.

Someone who needs redemption, and someone whose life is on so tight that it’s starting to chafe. But who acts so “good” that they seem almost angelic to the other person. A former bad girl and a much-too-good boy.

Or vice-versa.

Tony Mazzara is the former bad boy in . He used to be really bad. Really irresponsible. But one incident made him change his ways, except that it was too late for a lot of things. Except regrets.

Still, Tony is now the responsible manager of his family’s construction business. He takes care of his parents and his brother. He’s the boss at the construction sites. He’s an adult and not the screw-up he used to be.

All he sees is the man who made one horrific mistake.

Amber Clark, the manager of the Camelot Sports Center, sees the most gorgeous man she’s ever laid eyes on. But men like Tony never look at women like her. All they see is a mousy little goodie-two-shoes who fades into the background.

But even though Amber went to Bible College, she’s not really that kind of girl. She wants to break out of her shell. With hot Tony, even though everyone says he’s trouble.

But after spending her whole life in a shell, she doesn’t know how to step out of it. Out of people’s expectations. Just as Tony doesn’t know how to step away from his guilt.

Until the tornado traps them alone together in the basement of the sports center during a power outage. In the dark, they reveal their fears to each other. In the dark, they show who they really are.

And they each discover that without sight, they can see more, and be more, than they could in the light. But what they risked in the dark, they also have to risk when all the lights are on.

It turns out that the dark was a lot less frightening.

along came troubleVerdict: I wish there had been a bit more story. This is too short! It’s a terrific introduction to the Camelot series (I’ve already started book 2, Along Came Trouble) but there definitely could have been more misbehavior.

How did Amber get to be so fixated on being “good”? Considering her relationship with her mother in this story, there’s some background here I’d love to have. We see more of Tony’s backstory, but I want to know about Amber.

How to Misbehave is a great example of a sex into love story. If that’s one of the flavors of your cup of tea, you won’t be disappointed.

Even though it was too short for complete satisfaction, this introductory novella for Camelot was great. I do wish I knew where in Ohio Camelot is. The town sounds so terrific, I want to visit.

4-Stars

I give How to Misbehave 4 short stars. They would be taller stars, and there would be more of them, if the misbehavior (and the story) had gone on a bit longer!

***FTC Disclaimer: Most books reviewed on this site have been provided free of charge by the publisher, author or publicist. Some books we have purchased with our own money and will be noted as such. Any links to places to purchase books are provided as a convenience, and do not serve as an endorsement by this blog. All reviews are the true and honest opinion of the blogger reviewing the book. The method of acquiring the book does not have a bearing on the content of the review.

Bookish Rants or Raves: What happened with my 2012 anticipated books?

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Bookish Rant or Raves> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover

gmail_scrshot_smLists are fun. Unless they are lists of housekeeping chores, and then, well, never mind. (Move along, nothing to see here)

Book lists are fun. How many “best books of 2012” lists have you checked out? If you haven’t gotten your fill yet, Largehearted Boy is collecting every “best of 2012” book list he can get his virtual hands on. The list is positively ginormous, and guaranteed to do major damage to your wish list and/or TBR pile.

As I created my own “best of 2012” list at Reading Reality, I did a couple of other things. The natural thing is to create the accompanying list of “most anticipated books for 2013”, which yes, I also did.

Then I had this horribly guilty flash. How many of 2012’s most anticipated books did I actually read? Oops. I didn’t do very well. Actually, I sucked.

220px-Quartz_crystalI’m not saying the books sucked. I’m saying that I don’t know. What I did a truly lousy job at was predicting what I’d actually get around to reading this year.

Of course, I also originally predicted I’d read 400 books in my Goodreads challenge, and I had to knock that down to 250. My crystal ball is seriously cracked.

But about those anticipated titles. The ones I actually read were J.D. Robb’s Celebrity in Death, John Scalzi’s Redshirts, Jean Johnson’s An Officer’s Duty, and Nalini Singh’s Tangle of Need.  (I still detest the U.S. cover of Tangle of Need. I’m also really annoyed about the game-playing about the next book in the series. Yes, I know, I’m on a digression. Again.)

redshirtsI was right about all of them. They were definitely at least good. Some were better than good. But except for the copy of Redshirts, which I got by begging at the Tor booth at ALA Annual, these are books I had to buy. As a blogger, the sheer number of review books that are available to me, especially from NetGalley, seems to be pushing the books that I just plain want to read out down to the bottom of my TBR pile.

Even when that pile is virtual.

I say that because I did actually buy some of the other books on that anticipated list. When Maidens Mourn by C.S. Harris, and Dana Stabenow’s Restless in the Grave both popped up on my radar because the next book in both those series is coming out this winter, and I didn’t get around to last year’s. The reviews were awesome, so it’s not that I skipped something awful. I ran out of time.

At least with Simon R. Green’s The Bride Wore Black Leather, I think I pushed that one down the TBR pile because the reviews did turn out to be kind of “meh”.

I somehow managed to miss two of Jayne Ann Krentz/Amanda Quick’s Arcane Society titles last year; the contemporary Copper Beach and the Victorian Crystal Gardens. And now there are sequels to both.

Layout 1I bought all of these. They are waiting for me on my iPad. I just never got around to them.  Or Lee and Miller’s Dragon Ship, or Alex Grecian’s The Yard (no excuse for this one, I have a print ARC) or Lindsey Davis’ Master & God.

When I looked at this list in early December, I thought about trying to finish it before the end of the year, and just went ARRGGHHH!

How do you feel about anticipated book lists? Do you do them? Do you get the books on them read? Or do other books, newer books, more tempting books, push them out of the way?