Month: July 2013

Review: Redemption by Susannah Sandlin

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
Redemption by Susannah SandlinFormat read: ebook provided by the author
Formats available: ebook, paperback, audiobook
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: The Penton Legacy, #1
Length: 371 pages
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Date Released: June 12, 2012
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Book Depository

The world’s vampire population is on the brink of starvation since the vaccine to treat a global pandemic rendered human blood deadly to them. Their only hope for survival is a handful of rural areas that the vaccine never breached. The tiny town of Penton, Alabama, is one such enclave, where the immortal Aidan Murphy has established a community of vampires and their willingly bonded humans. Together, they live in peace—until Aidan’s estranged brother descends upon the town and begins attacking its humans. Whether the rampage is a result of his centuries-old feud with Aidan or the civil war threatening to erupt in the vampire world matters not. All that matters is the blood. Desperate to save his adopted family, Aidan breaks one of his cardinal rules, kidnapping an unvaccinated human doctor—and unexpectedly falling in love for the first time in nearly four hundred years.

My Review:

The major drawback with eternal life seems to be eternal politics…at least if you’re a vampire. Live and let live does not seem to be part of the personality that survives the change, or at least part of the personality of those that survive changing.

Nor, it seems, do the bonds of family or brotherly love. At least not the family you’re born to. The family you make seems to be something else altogether. Susannah Sandlin’s Penton Legacy series is very much about the bonds a person (or vampire) takes by choice being much stronger than the bonds of blood.

Ahem.

Aiden Murphy is the vampire mayor of Penton, Alabama. Now there’s a strange concept. He’s also a 400-year-old Irish farmer. Of course he’s a vampire. Which doesn’t negate either of the other two things. Aiden has turned away from just a hunter and a killer. Penton really is a town, in every sense of the word. His vampires cooperate with the humans among them. He could enthrall and enslave them, but Aiden believes it’s better to work together, and so does every vampire in his scathe. All 50 of them. And their entire human community are volunteers.

Having a scathe of 50 warriors may make Aiden the most powerful master vampire in North America. His community is a threat to the Vampire Tribunal, or it may be a way for all of them to survive, if they can get their heads out of their aristocratic asses and see the humans as partners instead of prey.

All some of them see is a rare feast after a vampire pandemic. Humans suffered a worldwide epidemic, which they cured with a vaccine. Humans aren’t aware that the vaccine rendered human blood poison to vamps. Very few humans are not vaccinated–think polio. Vampires are starving worldwide.

Except in Penton. All of the human members of Aiden’s little paradise are vaccine-free. They’re protected.

Until the Tribunal sends Aiden’s long-lost (and well-lost) brother Owen to destroy the community and kill Aiden. Killing Aiden will release his protection and provide a fresh banquet for all those starving vamps.

The first casualty of this war between brothers is the town doctor. His replacement: a woman who holds the key to Aiden’s locked-up heart, but only if he breaks all the rules he has come to live by.

And only if she dies first.

Absolution by Susannah SandlinEscape Rating B+: First of all, this book was just plain fun. I not only read it straight through, but immediately started the second book in the series, Absolution, the instant I finished it. So far, the series is absolutely terrific vampire toffee. I’ve bitten into it and I can’t unstick myself.

Dr. Krystal Harris is the kidnapped doctor heroine. The romance between Krys and Aiden contains more than a touch of Stockholm Syndrome! She’s kidnapped and falls in love with her kidnapper. Just because it gets “lampshaded” doesn’t make it not be there. And Krys was abused by her father, which was the explanation for why she had no confidence in herself and no friends. It felt like just one tick too much tragedy in her background. YMMV. And she and Aiden seemed to be set up for the “fated mate” trope into the bargain.

But I enjoyed their story so much that I completely overlooked all of it and went along for the ride. Aiden and Krys are two very wounded people who actually do belong together. They both resisted falling for each other in ways that were hot to watch/read.

And the set up of the community of Penton along with the worldbuilding as a whole were terrific. The idea that if there were vampires, they wouldn’t want us to know (of course) and they would or would not adjust to changes in the world. Aiden’s cooperative model vs. the Tribunal’s coercive operation. I could see why the people who chose to live in Penton would make those choices.

Also, the characters of the rest of Aiden’s scathe were worth reading about, and not just the vamps who are the heroes of the next books in the series. 400 years plus gives a person a lot of time to develop some serious quirks.

Susannah Sandlin is the alter-ego of Suzanne Johnson, the author of Royal Street and River Road (reviewed here and here) She’s definitely worth reading whether she’s writing about vampires in Alabama or ghosts and witches in New Orleans!

The Penton Legacy Tour Button no date 300 x 225 (1)

***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 Embraced by Angie Fox

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
Immortally Embraced by Angie FoxFormat read: print book borrowed from the Library
Formats available: ebook, mass market paperback
Genre: Fantasy romance, Paranormal romance
Series: Monster M*A*S*H, #2
Length: 305 pages
Publisher: St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Date Released: February 26, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

Even during a truce, Dr. Petra Robichaud has her hands full as the M*A*S*H surgeon to an army of warring gods—especially when Medusa herself turns up pregnant. Petra has no idea what to expect when a gorgon’s expecting, but she won’t let it turn her to stone. As the healer-hero of an ancient prophesy, it’s Petra’s job to keep the peace. But as the lover to a warrior demi-god, she knows how impossible some jobs can be…

Commander Galen is sexy, strong, and sworn to lead his team to hell and back. But when he announces to Petra that he can no longer risk her life for his love, the doctor is on her own…Until a mysterious new entity—in the form of a hot-blooded male—enters the picture. Can he be trusted? Can he be resisted? Meanwhile, an oracle delivers another prophesy that places Petra back on the frontlines with the man she may be bound to for eternity—in love, or in war…

My Review:

The over-the-top snarky humor is every bit as much in evidence in this second installment of Angie Fox’s Monster M*A*S*H series as it was in the first book, Immortally Yours (reviewed here). But Immortally Embraced is definitely the second book in a trilogy, and as such, is a whole lot darker than book one, in spite of starting during a truce in the centuries-long war between the new gods and the old gods.

Starting out with a pregnant Medusa was screamingly funny. Petra’s deadpan humor at the situation was terrific, particularly in the face of the Medusa’s petulant, but all-too-normal reaction to the news.

Immortally Ever After by Angie FoxBack to our heroine. Petra should be having a great time. There’s a truce on. But the first thing that happens is that her lover, the guy that the ENTIRE FIRST BOOK spends getting her together with, breaks up with her. For no good reason. He gets assigned a secret mission, goes all noble on her, and breaks up with her so that she won’t wonder what happened to him. Bye-bye. (Probably not, there is a book 3 –Immortally Ever After – coming up.)

Just as she starts to wallow in depression (who wouldn’t, the guy was awesome), her first ex comes back from the dead with a secret mission of his own that just so happens to fit in with the brand new prophecy that the oracles have just spewed out.

When I say “comes back from the dead” I don’t mean he’s a zombie, either. I mean he let Petra think he was dead. For ten whole years! Her angst about getting involved with Galen in book one was all about her grief over this guy, Marc. Except he wasn’t dead. That’s right, he pulled the nobility card so she would move on. Except she nearly didn’t.

Now he’s back. And in spite of his denials, he hasn’t gotten over Petra, either. Of course not.

There is a secret mission, behind enemy lines. It has to be behind enemy lines because the idiot got captured and has been practicing the same kind of meatball surgery as Petra on the other side of the war these ten years.

But he needs Petra to do the other thing that she does, her hidden talent. Marc needs her to talk to a dead guy. Their old teacher is a ghost with a really big secret. One that could either extend the peace, or make the previous centuries of war look like a Sunday afternoon picnic.

As long as Petra and Marc don’t get caught on the wrong side of each other’s lines while they figure it out.

Escape Rating B: I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. I pretty much inhaled it in less than a day. But…

Immortally Yours by Angie FoxThe first book set up, not just the relationship between Galen and Petra, but how devastated she was by Marc’s death and how long it took her to open herself up and let anyone in. In the end, Galen gave up his immortality for her. That was huge. Then he runs off on a secret mission and Marc shows up and she seems to have nearly forgotten about Galen. Even with their history, it seemed too sudden. Not the sex, but the emotions. If/when Galen returns, there’s going to be hell to pay.

The story seemed a bit “filler-ish”. It was fun, but it was dependent on a deus ex-machina ending. Not that there aren’t a lot of gods around to fill the role, but in this case it was particularly chaotic. (Bad pun, no cookie).

A lot of the fun in the first book centered on Petra and her MASH unit dealing with the stress of the surgery and pulling together as a team. Kind of the way the humor worked in the MASH TV series. That teamwork was missing in Immortally Embraced and I really wanted to see more of those guys.

I hope book 3, Immortally Ever After, picks the M*A*S*H and prophecy action back up!

***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: Love, Technically by Lynne Silver

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | 3 Stars> book reviews> Originally published at Book Lovers, Inc.> The Rocket Lover

Love Technically by Lynne SilverFormat Read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Number of Pages: 127 pages
Release Date: July 29, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Formats Available: ebook
Purchasing Info: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Author’s Website | Publisher’s Website | Goodreads

Book Blurb:

Billionaire CEO and computer whiz Noah Frellish is a king among geeks. Women are attracted to his money, but he’d love to meet someone who’s actually interested in him. When he helps the sweet and sexy Michelle Kolson with a printing problem, she confuses him for a help desk technician. Noah knows he should clear up this case of mistaken identity, but would she still like him if she knew he was the boss?

Michelle thinks life in Chicago is perfect, as is the whirlwind romance with her smoking-hot coworker. When she unexpectedly finds her job on the chopping block and the man she fell headfirst into bed with running the company, will she abandon her dreams?

Noah must convince the small-town girl to stay in the big city—and that he really is the man she fell for.

My Thoughts:

I picked Love, Technically because it sounded like it was going to be a geek romance. I love geek romances for reasons that are pretty darn obvious to anyone who knows me.

As per usual, I digress.

But Love, Technically isn’t quite a geek romance. It almost read like an anti-geek romance. It also tripped over my willing-suspension-of-disbelief meter.

Explanation follows…

Michelle seems to be a complete patsy at the beginning. She’s working late because she’s totally clueless about what makes sense in the workplace. She’s scanning and printing timesheets in a not merely leading-edge, but downright bleeding-edge software company because her low-level supervisor is a tinpot dictator. She’s also not tech-savvy enough to know that she should check which printer she’s print to. The whole scenario doesn’t add up.

Mark ZuckerbergThen the uber-famous inventor of the company walks in and rescues her printer problem. She doesn’t recognize him and thinks he’s in tech support. This would be like someone working for Facebook not recognizing Mark Zuckerberg back in the early years (pre 2008ish)

In other words, I had a really hard time believing in the meet cute.

I understand Noah’s dilemma. He started the company because he wanted to do really neat things. Lots of programmers get into it because they want to do cool stuff. He still wants to do cool stuff, not corporate crap. He’d rather be “Sark” the geek in tech support that Michelle thinks he is, than play big business shenanigans.

Except when he starts pulling strings so she can get a better job than the one that gets outsourced out from under her. While he still hasn’t exactly confessed that he owns the company or that he’s stage-managing things so that she has a better shot at a new job.

And they do fall in love. Even though there is this huge misunderstanding hanging in the air. He thinks she knows who he is, and she thinks she knows who he is, but of course, they don’t mean the same thing. He never does talk about the details of his work, he thinks because he doesn’t want to emphasize the gap between them, but it seems contrived. If he thought he’d really explained things, it wouldn’t have mattered, would it? But of course, it does. It really, really does.

Verdict: The meet-cute was both too cute and too unrealistic. Michelle should have figured out who Noah was a whole hell of a lot sooner. There would still have been a story, just a different one. Her continuing not to know, when every single person around her did, made her seem like a fool, and she was no fool in any other way. In some ways, she had her head on straighter than Noah, even though he was more outwardly successful.

Michelle walks away when she realizes that she’s been made a fool out of. Her whole story has been to figure out what her real dream is, and she finally figures out that it isn’t an administrative assistant’s job in Chicago. Her dream is to finally go to college. So she starts.

It takes Michelle kicking him to the curb for Noah to realize that the company he’s ended up with isn’t his dream. Programming neat stuff is his dream, so he walks away from the company he created and took public to start something new. But that’s not his only dream. The other part of that dream is building something new with Michelle, if he can get her back. She makes him grovel this time.

The ending worked for me. It was the beginning that didn’t quite.

3-stars

I give Love, Technically by Lynne Silver 3 micro-chipped stars.

 

***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: Stoker’s Manuscript by Royce Prouty

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> book reviews
Stoker's Manuscript by Royce ProutyFormat read: print book borrowed from the Library
Formats available: ebook, hardcover, paperback, audiobook
Genre: Horror
Length: 352 pages
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Date Released: June 13, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

When rare-manuscript expert Joseph Barkeley is hired to authenticate and purchase the original draft and notes for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, little does he know that the reclusive buyer is a member of the oldest family in Transylvania.

After delivering the manuscript to the legendary Bran Castle in Romania, Barkeley—a Romanian orphan himself—realizes to his horror that he’s become a prisoner to the son of Vlad Dracul. To earn his freedom, Barkeley must decipher cryptic messages hidden in the text of the original Dracula that reveal the burial sites of certain Dracul family members. Barkeley’s only hope is to ensure that he does not exhaust his usefulness to his captor until he’s able to escape. Soon he discovers secrets about his own lineage that suggest his selection for the task was more than coincidence. In this knowledge may lie Barkeley’s salvation—or his doom. For now he must choose between a coward’s flight and a mortal conflict against an ancient foe.

Building on actual international events surrounding the publication of Bram Stoker’s original novel, Royce Prouty has written a spellbinding debut novel that ranges from 1890s Chicago, London, and Transylvania to the perilous present.

My Review:

This is eerie. It has that tingle of chill up your spine subtle horror, combined with a search for identity and a bit of a scavenger hunt. Very cryptic and cool.

Then there’s the mix of contemporary horror thrown in; 21st century Romania still bears very real scars from the regime of the tyrant Nicolae Ceauşescu.

The story of Stoker’s Manuscript borrows its fascination from our endless enthrallment to Bram Stoker’s original story; but the question raised by this novel is whether that story was Stoker’s original story? What if, instead of merely borrowing from obscure folk legends, Stoker actually had a source with first-hand knowledge of real vampires?

Which begs the question that has led to so much horror and paranormal fiction, what if there really are vampires?

Joseph Barkeley is hired not just to authenticate Stoker’s original manuscript and notes from the Rosenbach Museum, but to also purchase them (if authentic) for a mysterious (and, of course wealthy) personage in Romania.

Joseph finds the commission too good to refuse, although he knows that he should. It will require him to return to Romania, the country of his birth. The country where his father murdered his mother and committed suicide. There is a mystery in their deaths, and in the equally mysterious rescue of himself and his brother from an orphanage.

He hopes for answers to his questions.

Instead, he finds an even greater mystery. His friends and his brother warn him away, saying that the truth is too dangerous to be revealed.

Dracula by Bram StokerWe know, of course we do. Stoker’s manuscript for Dracula uncovers a secret. There really are vampires. The questions that Joseph needs to ask are about the history of that manuscript. Why do the vampires want it now? What secret does it hold?

Can Joseph save anything from this debacle? Can he unravel the puzzle before it is too late?

Escape Rating B: There are puzzles within puzzles within puzzles. At the very beginning of the story, Joseph lives such an isolated life that it took me a few pages to realize that the start of the story was contemporary. The writing has a historical feel to it, a bit as if one is reading the original story.

Because of Joseph’s initial isolation, he’s a difficult person to get to know; he doesn’t even let himself inside his own head. He is dispassionate, but fascinated with solving problems. Over the course of the story, he lets more people get closer to him, but this is not a relationship story. It’s a scavenger hunt.

The analogy works on multiple levels, as the vampires are scavengers of another kind. They are not romanticized in any way. They are amoral bloodsucking villains with no redeeming characteristics, and neither were they in Stoker’s original tale.

One of the ways this story draws the reader in is that it is built on the historic possibilities. Stoker’s actual manuscript is in the Rosenbach Museum. It was lost and discovered recently. Fabricating a horror novel around the creation of a horror novel this way is particularly chilling.

The Historian by Elizabeth KostovaThe way this story takes the original Dracula book, mixes in Romanian history and creates a new horror legend made me think of Elizabeth Kostova’s The Historian. Similar elements going in different chilling directions, that suck you right in…to the story.

***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.

Guest Post from Author Mary Ann Rivers on Why I Love Libraries and Librarians + Giveaway

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

Today I’d like to extend a very warm welcome Mary Ann Rivers, who recently published her terrific first book, The Story Guy (reviewed here). Her guest post topic is particularly near and dear to my heart, so let’s get right to it, shall we?

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Why I Love Libraries and Librarians by Mary Ann Rivers

Libraries are the very best effort of society. The very best. Humans are very good at falling in love and at making libraries and precious little else. Everything else we do, is basically the business of filling libraries—with stories, with information about the human project. The very tiniest towns have some kind of library, and big cities have libraries that are glorious expressions of architecture and media.

I had a difficult childhood, and libraries saved me. I could be just exactly who I was in a library, or I could be someone else entirely. Physically, libraries are beautiful and safe; inside the mind they’re dangerous and illicit. As a child, the combination of that, of being safe with a free mind, was completely irresistible. Is still irresistible. I go every week, sometimes every day—even though I borrow most of my library books as digital media on my ereader (I love digital borrowing—it means the library is open 24 hours a day).

Librarians dedicate their work to the service of the very best of what it is we do as humans. It’s difficult schooling, and so librarians are obviously gorgeously smart; but also librarians have to negotiate the whole world and their community at the same time. Digital engagement is huge, but what if you serve poor rural or urban patrons? How do ereaders get in your community’s hands? If you’re serving in a world class library, you have the challenge of trying to represent your patrons, AND all other librarians.

Librarians help us ask questions, not just find the answer. They look at their community and try to fill the holes in it. They read to our kids, sometimes when no one else does. They figure out how and why we read so that the most perfect book is right in front of us when we explore the stacks. Carrie asks Brian if he has a librarian fetish. His answer is the same as mine, “who doesn’t?”

Mary Ann RiversAbout Mary Ann RiversMary Ann Rivers was an English and music major and went on to earn her MFA in creative writing, publishing poetry in journals and leading creative-writing workshops for at-risk youth. While training for her day job as a nurse practitioner, she rediscovered romance on the bedside tables of her favorite patients. Now she writes smart and emotional contemporary romance, imagining stories featuring the heroes and heroines just ahead of her in the coffee line. Mary Ann Rivers lives in the Midwest with her handsome professor husband and their imaginative school-aged son.

To learn more about Mary Ann, visit her website or follow her on Twitter and Facebook.

~~~~~~TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

Mary Ann is giving away a NetGalley review copy of The Story Guy to ten lucky winners! To enter, use the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | A Reviews> blog tours> book reviews
The Story Guy by Mary Ann RiversFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook
Genre: Contemporary romance
Length: 131 pages
Publisher: Loveswept
Date Released: July 8, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo

I will meet you on Wednesdays at noon in Celebration Park. Kissing only.

Carrie West is happy with her life . . . isn’t she? But when she sees this provocative online ad, the thirtysomething librarian can’t help but be tempted. After all, the photo of the anonymous poster is far too attractive to ignore. And when Wednesday finally arrives, it brings a first kiss that’s hotter than any she’s ever imagined. Brian Newburgh is an attorney, but there’s more to his life … that he won’t share with Carrie. Determined to have more than just Wednesdays, Carrie embarks on a quest to learn Brian’s story, certain that he will be worth the cost. But is she ready to gamble her heart on a man who just might be The One … even though she has no idea how their love story will end?

My Review:

I had no idea what this would be from the title. Although I have to admit, she had me when I learned that the heroine was a librarian. Of course we all deserve to be the heroines of our own love stories!

But Carrie West could represent a number of, not just librarians, but other professional women. She’s thirty-something, and she’s happy with her profession and her professional life. She has a good circle of friends that she can call on, and she values her “alone time” as well. She’s an only child, and she’s lucky enough to have an excellent relationship with parents who are still healthy.

One part of her professional life that resonates is the economics. Her library is facing budget cuts, and her position is partially grant-funded. When bad budget news hits the library, it sounds like some of the librarians will have to become part-time, whether they want to or not, and whether that is a good service plan or not.

This rings entirely too true, particularly considering that Carrie’s library is described as serving a rust-belt community in difficult economic circumstances, and how critical the job-skill programs are for helping people get back to work. (Recession, anyone?)

About the romance…Carrie is restless. While she likes her life, sometimes she has played it safe. She likes to really know a man before she gets involved, but there’s no spark. One insomnia-driven night, she checks the personal ads and finds Brian. Who just wants to find a woman to kiss for an hour once a week in the park.

That sounds either desperate or creepy when written, but compelling in the personal ad. And it seems oddly safe to Carrie. The park is public, but has some semi-secluded spots. It’s outré, but not too much. She’ll be able to check the guy out before she commits to even the kissing. And his picture is hot.

The question is: why is that all he wants? And only once a week?

Digging for the answers at first frustrates Carrie no end, because Brian is not creepy at all. He’s incredibly sexy and totally defensive, but vulnerable at the same time. She wants more, and can’t figure out why they can’t try for more, especially after they admit that neither of them is in any other relationship.

Brian’s story is a story of love and self-sacrifice. Carrie has to put her heart out there again and again in order for him to believe that they might have a chance. She never knows whether all she will have in the end is just this incredible story of what might have been.

She decides he’s worth it, even when he doesn’t.

Big Boy by Ruthie KnoxEscape Rating A-: The premise reminded me a lot of Ruthie Knox’s Big Boy (reviewed here), and that’s high praise. The concepts are similar, someone who is self-sacrificing trying to carve out a tiny bit of time for themselves for a sexual escape and being too scared to reach for more.

I also love the idea of the “story guy”: someone who will, if not become a forever love, at least become a person worth telling fantastic stories about, once the pain has died down a bit. Or maybe a lot. We all have someone in our lives who brings a secret smile, as we remember when.

Brian and Carrie are the heart of this story, especially Brian, even though the story is told from Carrie’s point of view. And it’s fitting that it works that way, because Brian no longer feels that he has the right to a point of view, or anything else for himself. He’s sacrificed everything, and he doesn’t know how to stop. Loving Carrie makes him see that he has to, because doing the right thing for himself might finally be the best thing for everyone.

***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.

Brazen Bash

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Promo Post

brazenoneyear

Brazen Books, who brought us Wrong Bed Right Guy, Officer Off Limits, Seducing Cinderella (Seducing Cinderella is a personal fave, see review here), and Tempting the Player – to name just a few – is turning 1 this month, and they’re celebrating in a big way. They’ve got a ton of great things going on this week, including Twitter parties, FB events, and even a huge sale!  Full deets below:

The Sunday Post AKA What’s On My (Mostly Virtual) Nightstand 7-21-13

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | Giveaways> The Sunday Post> Virtual Nightstand> Winner announcement

Sunday Post

If it’s meltingly hot where you are, you still have a few hours to enter the Hot Summer Romance Hop. You still have a few hours even if it’s not meltingly hot where you are.

It’s sunny and in the low 70s in Seattle. Even the feline overlords are happy.

Speaking of current giveaways…

Hot Summer Romance Blog HopCurrent Giveaways:

Hot Summer Romance Blog Hop (ends tonight)
The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian Stone tourwide giveaway

Winner Announcements:

BlogTour-Bella-Andre-2Bella Andre Giveaway: Jo C. and Natasha D. are the winners of the two prizes. The first place winner gets her choice of the Bella Andre beach bag which a whole bunch of fascinating stuff, including a copy of the first book in the Sullivans series, The Look of Love or just a copy of the second Sullivans book, From This Moment On. Jo is still deciding, so Natasha will get the other prize.
The Newcomer by Robyn Carr: the paperback copy goes to Erin F.
The Apocalypse Blog Hop winner of the $10 Amazon Gift Card is Janhvi.

The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian StoneBlog Recap:

B Review: From This Moment On by Bella Andre + Giveaway
B Review: Big Girl Panties by Stephanie Evanovich
C+ Review: Taking Shots by Toni Aleo
Hot Summer Romance Blog Hop
B+ Review: The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian Stone + Giveaway
Stacking the Shelves (51)

The Story Guy by Mary Ann RiversComing Next Week:

Brazen Bash
The Story Guy by Mary Ann Rivers (blog tour review)
Guest post by Mary Ann Rivers (blog tour + giveaway)
Stoker’s Manuscript by Royce Prouty (review)
Immortally Embraced by Angie Fox (review)
Redemption by Susannah Sandlin (blog tour review + guest post)
A Lesson in Chemistry with Inspector Bruce by Jillian Stone (review)

 

If the dog days of summer have come to wherever you are, keep cool and read!

Stacking the Shelves (51)

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

Stacking the Shelves

My iPad is filled with two weeks of irresistible books, most of which are coming out in the fall. But…Rex Regis by L.E. Modesitt Jr. has the dubious distinction of being my book with the latest release date. Next year. And I’ve already read it and written the review. I’m so invested in the series that I couldn’t wait more than a day to dive back in!

Chicago Bear Teddy BearSpeaking of dubious distinctions and irresistibility, I picked one book up from Edelweiss that’s normally totally outside my review range, but it’s about some monsters that I remember. I was a very happy Chicago resident when the 1985 Chicago Bears won Super Bowl XX. I still have a commemorative Chicago Bear teddy bear from that glorious year. I hope the book does justice to just how much fun that season was. We’ll see.

Has anyone else noticed that there aren’t a lot of new books coming out in the next few weeks and then BAM! August 27?

Stacking the Shelves at Reading Reality July 20 2013

For Review:
Baring It All by Megan Frampton
The Christmas He Loved Her (Bad Boys of Crystal Lake #2) by Juliana Stone
The Crown Tower (Riyria Chronicles #1) by Michael J. Sullivan
Dangerous Women edited by George R.R. Martin and Gardner Dozois
The Heiress Effect (Brothers Sinister #2) by Courtney Milan
His Lordship Possessed (Disenchanted & Co. #2) by Lynn Viehl
Jaran (Jaran #1) by Kate Elliott
Love, Technically by Lynne Silver
Monsters: The 1985 Chicago Bears and the Wild Heart of Football by Rich Cohen
My Lady Quicksilver (London Steampunk #3) by Bec McMaster
The Mysterious Case of Mr. Strangeway (St. Croix Chronicles #0.5) by Karina Cooper
On The Scent by Angela Campbell
Parasite (Parasitology #1) by Mira Grant
Playing the Part by Robin Covington (review at Book Lovers Inc)
Rex Regis (Imager Portfolio #8) by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
The Rose and the Thorn (Riyria Chronicles #2) by Michael J. Sullivan
The Strangled Queen (Accursed Kings #2) by Maurice Druon
To the 5th Power (Powers Trilogy #1) by Shirin Dubbin

Purchased:
Forged in Blood II (Emperor’s Edge #7) by Lindsay Buroker
Knight in Black Leather by Gail Dayton
Starliner by David Drake
Storm Force (Omega Force #1) by Susannah Sandlin

Checked Out from the Library:
The Ashford Affair by Lauren Willig
The Mystery Woman (Ladies of Lantern Street #2) by Amanda Quick
Touchstone (Harris Stuyvesant #1) by Laurie R. King

Review: The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian Stone + Giveaway

Posted on by Marlene Harris | Author : | B Reviews> blog tours> Book Giveaway> book reviews> Giveaways
The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter by Jillian StoneFormat read: ebook provided by NetGalley
Formats available: ebook, paperback
Genre: Paranormal romance
Series: Phaeton Black, Paranormal Investigator #3
Length: 289 pages
Publisher: Kensington Books
Date Released: June 25, 2013
Purchasing Info: Author’s Website, Publisher’s Website, Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Book Depository

From steam-powered bunkers to steamy boudoirs, paranormal detective Phaeton Black knows his way around Victorian London. But sometimes, when you slip down a rabbit hole, there’s no turning back. . .

If The Portal’s A-Rockin’

Phaeton Black is missing. Sucked into an alternative universe–courtesy of Professor Lovecraft’s Trans-Dimensional Injection Portal–the illustrious investigator is nowhere to be found. Even the bewitching Miss America Jones, who’s pregnant with Phaeton’s child, has no clue to his whereabouts. But when a spy fly’s microphone picks up Phaeton’s voice in the parlors of Paris, she enlists his dearest friends to track him down–before his deadliest enemies find him first. . .

Don’t Come A-Knockin’

Accompanied by the dashing Dr. Exeter, his delightful ward Mia, and a trusty duo of Nightshades, it’s off to the City of Lights for the determined Miss Jones. Unfortunately, there is something about Paris in the fall that brings out the devil in Dr. Exeter–and the beast in mild-mannered Mia, whose animal urges transform her into a gorgeous panther. With physical reality unraveling on both sides of the cosmic rift, the good doctor must extract Phaeton Black from the clutches of a diabolical techno-wizard–or both could lose the women they love to love. . .forever.

My Review:

Any romance reader who loves the “when I kissed the teacher” trope, known slightly more formally as the “lessons in seduction” story, is going to adore The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter. This story, set in the paranormal, steampunkish, alternative universe invented by Jillian Stone of her Phaeton Black series, is firmly (pun definitely intended) of that vein.

Dr. Exeter being the teacher who both educates and gets seduced by his student, Mia.

Mia is legally an adult, but she has been Exeter’s ward for the past ten years. He’s seen her grow from child to woman and he’s having a difficult time changing how he thinks about her. Mia, on the other hand, has no problem whatsoever seeing him as the only man she’ll ever love.

Exeter wants a normal life for Mia. It’s not going to happen. Mia is a shapeshifter, and her other form is a deadly panther. The only way that Exeter, a powerful sorcerer in his own right, has discovered that she might be able to control her form shifting, is through sexual release. Not only can neither Exeter nor Mia bear the thought of another man initiating her sexually, but who else can either of them trust with the secret of her other identity?

Meanwhile, Mia must gain control of her cat. Their friend Phaeton Black is still in the hands of the alternate world wizard Propero, and his lover America Jones is very near her delivery date with their child. The child will have special powers, and needs the protection of everyone in Phaeton’s circle. The baby needs her father back, but the number of nefarious powers at work seems to be growing.

In the middle of these plots and counter-plots, Exeter is increasingly distracted by the depth of his new-found feelings for Mia. He starts out with the intention of helping her control her power, but discovers that in addition to Mia’s sexual awakening, he experiences an emotional awakening that shakes him.

It’s amazing how many times he has to let her go before he can be convinced that he belongs with her. Being a powerful wizard does not make a man any more knowledgeable about the matters of his own heart.

Escape Rating B+: The Miss Education of Dr. Exeter is a very erotic variation on the lessons in seduction story. The need to control Mia’s panther shifting provides a fantastic excuse for those lessons and for Exeter to put down the barriers between guardian and ward that he has maintained for ten years. This was foreshadowed in the previous book in the series, The Moonstone and Miss Jones (reviewed here). so I’ve been looking forward to this story.

The worldbuilding of this alternate version of London (and Paris) is definitely a continuation of the Phaeton Black series. To understand about the Moonstone and who they are rescuing, you’ll need to have read the whole series, starting with The Seduction of Phaeton Black (reviewed here). For anyone who likes steamy steampunk, this is not exactly a hardship. The series is tremendously good dirty fun.

I would love to see more in this world. While the dangling issues from Moonstone were resolved in this story in addition to Mia and Exeter’s love story, there were a whole bunch of things from this alternate world that I would like to see explored. Could we go back? Please?

~~~~~~TOURWIDE GIVEAWAY~~~~~~

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