Melanie Jackson (1) (1975–)

���Reading this book was like watching Once Upon a Time in Mexico. The beginning is fabulous, and half-way through everything changes, leaving you to puzzle out whether the second half of the story was written/directed by the same person responsible for the first part. In the case of DIVINE MADNESS, I absolutely adored Ninon's story. But as soon as the focus changed from Ninon to Miguel, I was bored out of my skull. There were other problems, too, like the fact that the book has no show more ending. No resolution is given, nothing even remotely satisfying in terms of a final battle against some pretty evil bad guys. A word of warning for those with weak stomachs: this is a horror novel, first and foremost. The romance is very much a background element here, while the gore and guts take top billing. I probably would have gotten more out of the characterization if I'd known who Ninon de Lanclos was as a historical figure, but since I'm not much of a history buff, my lack of familiarity with her can probably be excused. Still, I'm giving this book fairly high marks simply because the first half is of the novel is utterly enthralling. (B) show less

The heroine has never felt like she belonged anywhere. Her parents were distant strangers who died when she was young and she's just recently broken up with her boyfriend after a miscarriage. She'd spent her entire life running away from her problems and her most recent loss has brought her to a remote tropical island for an improve vacation. There she meets the hero. He introduces himself as a famous author who died over 130 years ago. She thinks he crazy but he's charming and interesting show more and he's a balm to her wounded ego. They spend some time together and hit it off well until everything erupts into madness. Zombies start showing up on the island in search of the hero whom not only is the famous author who is now immortal but a werewolf as well. The heroine, who spent her entire life drifting without purpose finds the courage to stick by her new found love in the fight for survival. My goddess, I loved this book. Every single thing about this made me all happy inside. First I absolutely adored both the heroine and hero in equal measure. The heroine is extremely witty, very funny and always has a clear thing to say or a pop culture reference to make. Her life up until that point had made her insecure but over the course of the book she slowly begins to find herself. The hero is stoic and a rock of secure through the entire ordeal despite the fact that he's a viscous werewolf. He's open, kind and honestly like a superhero. He was calm under pressure and you really felt like with him by your side, you were invincible.The poor hero, in an attempt to kill himself, intentionally gets bitten by a werewolf but it only ends up making his a beast and a cursed immortal. The book is, however, rather graphic and at times a little frightening. The description of the zombies was amazing and, as a fan of the walking dead, I personally loved them. There were disturbing parts and though it was a horror novel, the romance and the deep bond between the hero and heroine made it a completely developed love story. The tension between the characters was not always sexual but rather it was a true connection. They told each other everything and as they are the only two characters in the book for most of the story, you really get to delve deep into who they are and why they are the way they are. I was enraptured with how they spoke to one another was the ease in which they interacted with each other. Again, not always sexually. In fact they don't sleep together until almost the last chapter but you feel the love between them in the way the talk to one another. Amazing book. I really really liked it. show less

Chloe Boston wants to be a police detective. Instead, she's a meter maid.

She's very smart, very capable, and very tiny. At 98 pounds, she will never meet the police physical requirement of being able to lift 100 pounds. But she's the daughter of the former chief of police in her town of Hope Falls, and initially at least, that was a little bit of an advantage and she managed to land the meter maid job.

But Daddy wasn't a very good cop, and especially not a good chief of police, and he's been show more forced out. Chloe was mocked for her tiny frame and her connection to the chief while her father was in office; now it's worse.

And now her best friend on the force, Jeffrey Little, her fellow parking enforcement officer, has disappeared, and no one is taking it seriously. Chloe decides to launch her own investigation.

Initially, at least, this is a frustrating book. Chloe isn't just small and smart and determined; she's also a bit awkward in interpersonal skills, and capable of a certain degree of obliviousness to whether or not her very clear logic is altogether reasonable. It makes her, initially, a little hard to like.

But she also goes to great lengths to bring her rescue Rottie, Blue, with her everywhere--including in the electric vehicle in which she patrols the town giving out parking tickets. She reads. She's loyal to her friends. She's kind. She's very certain of her intelligence and logic, but aware of her failings and insecure in quite recognizable ways.

Did I mention loyal to her friends?

Chloe grew on me a lot, over the course of the book.

Recommended if you enjoy cozies.

I received a free copy of this book from the author. show less

Widowed after the death of her drunk husband and outcast from her family for marrying him in the first place, the heroine finds herself living in the small cottage of her step-uncle in a small secluded Scottish village. The village is shrouded in mystery and folk-lore with a large amount of ancient customs and superstitions. Then, one night a strange comes to her door and she's dragged into a secret battle between the selkie and the finman. This whole book was written as if in a dream. show more Everything is so marvelously out there with all the fey creatures she learned about but the heroine readily accepts that this world exists. Partly because it's in her blood and partly because it's quite obvious the hero isn't human. He was human features and emotions but he doesn't act like a human. There's was a very odd but endearing relationship. It's not a sweep romance with deep love but a subtle courtship. The hero never tells the heroine what he's thinking or what he plans to do and tends to bite her in order for her to become drugged and complacent. The finman seriously scared me. She doesn't actually see him until well into the book but she know he's always there. From the ominous scratching at her door to being chased by vicious storms he was constantly a subtle threat and I loved it. Then to be see him as she describes gave me the chills. This was a nice book, but very odd. show less