When I added this book to my Goodreads' "currently reading" shelf, I happened to glance at other reviews mentioning the fact that this book is more mystery than romance, so I was prepared. I think I would have felt let down if I hadn't prepared myself for a mystery. Don't get me wrong, the book is good, and I enjoyed it immensely, but despite what the book itself and the cover might tell you, this is no fun romp of a romance.

I always thought the highest praise you could give an author's characterization is that their characters feel real - and "Love Game" fits that bill. I've known some seriously grumpy old ladies, and I can imagine Ruth fitting right in with them. Heck, I've known a few Spencer and Luandas in my time, for that matter. Each character had their flaws and problems, and I loved them for it. I already want more of the series and more of the characters, but there is no notion of a fourth book in our future.

While mystery is not my top genre, I thought the mystery in "Love Game" was solid, and worked out well. Gladie clearly has a gift for getting into trouble, but she also has a gift for getting them all out of it. She may stumble into the mess, but she's bright and plucky, and she can figure out how to solve whatever problem is looming.

Cover Lovin': I like this cover. I think this would be a great cover... for a different book. This cover implies a fun, contemporary romance. And while Gladie has her share of romantic feelings in this book, "Love Game" is show more essentially a mystery novel with some relationship issues thrown in. The rest of the covers in the series are about the same - more love than mystery.

Recommendation: For fans of Stephanie Plum that want a bit more of a modern take. For mystery lovers that love that small-town dynamic, with a bit of spicy romance included. For readers who understand that love is complicated and sometimes you just can't figure out what you want. show less

This book has some good craft and snack ideas. And while it is great to have a base topic to follow for every week of the year - some of the suggested books are definitely not an option. My library weeds books often, so it is doubtful we would have many of these books from the nineties and early 2000s, except for the classics.

Actual rating: 3.5

While I did enjoy this book, reading it felt a bit like walking through syrup - it was slow going. And while this book is supposed to be a romance, to me, it seemed more like dark contemporary fiction. The romance was there, but felt awkward. What really moved this forward was Dallas' work with Deliverance, and trying to find out who kidnapped him and Jane seventeen years ago. After finishing this book, I quickly started on the next in the series, Hottest Mess - and that one moved a lot faster. I actually had a hard time putting Hottest Mess down, and the cliffhanger is big enough that I cannot wait for the third book. Considering this is book one in a trilogy, it is hard to judge this book by itself - I will probably have a better idea of my true feelings after having read all of them.

I received this book for review, and I was so excited. But I think this book fell far short of my expectations. It did not hold my interest, and I don't have enough free time to force myself to read something I didn't enjoy.

The more I read, the more it felt like a less exciting version of Nalini Singh's angel series. I wanted the hero of this book to be more like Raphael - more like someone I feared, loved, respected, etc.

That said, there were some good things in this novel - I did like the character of Elijah, and there were some good banter moments I enjoyed. But unfortunately, I couldn't stick with it. I hope to revisit this book in the future and try again.

I’m afraid this book was a DNF for me. I just had a hard time getting into the characters and setting. I was hoping my dislike (or at the very least, disinterest) in the story was merely my need for something different, but after several attempts and still being unable to get past a third of the book, I finally had to give up. That said, I am keeping this book in hopes that someday in the future I will be able to finish it. I’ve heard some great things about this author, and I’m hoping that this was just not a good place to start.

I do plan to check out more of Jacquelyn Frank’s books, preferably those in her other series. She had a good writing style, it was just this book itself I seemed to have an issue with.

This is an example of a well done story featuring characters in booth the past and the present. Other books have attempted it, but this is the best one I've seen/read so far.

"A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man" has a cast of truly excellent characters. I actually love all of the main characters. I was originally worried I wouldn't connect with everyone, afraid the characters in one time period would outshine the others and I would be bored with half the story, but there was an amazing balance. And all the main characters were appropriately fleshed out - which is a truly great thing to see. Some novels with more than one or two main characters seem to be lacking in the character development/realness.

It's not often I want to cry at the end of a book (especially when the book has a happy ending!) but I wanted to for this one! This is one of those books I want to immediate thrust into other people's hands and make them read it. In fact, I did. I gave this book to my mother to read, with the caveat that we not discuss the steamy scenes.. well, other than saying they were quite dishy.

And speaking of steamy scenes, this book is choc full of them! I didn't feel that the scenes were over the top, after all.. she's going through training to be a Courtesan. This was not smut for smut's sake, it was erotic, beautiful, and enough to make me want to fan myself. That said, if sex scenes aren't your thing, this book may not be for you. If you don't mind scenes that will fog up your show more mirror, go get your copy ASAP!

Cover Lovin': Not the best cover in the world, but it does alright, I'd say.

Recommendation: Excellent novel, for fans of both (or either) Contemporary and Historical Romance. Due to some of the more graphic love scenes, not suggested for readers under 18.

Final Rating: FIVE out of FIVE (5/5). This is one of those books I immediately started passing out to people, telling them they just HAD to read it because it was something I wanted to discuss. Excellent! show less

Lawson has decided to take a break. Work as a Fixer can wear on ones soul, so some time off, away from normal life seems to be the way to go. However, even when on vacation, things don't go well. He's not in Japan for more than an hour before he's in an altercation. While Lawson is incredibly excited to see his girlfriend, she brings along another problem. Will Lawson ever be able to take a break? And more importantly, will he be able to survive the mysterious and feared Kensei?

"The Kensei" is several novels into the Lawson Vampire series, and despite this fact, I had absolutely no trouble getting into the story. Lawson, his relationship, and his job were extremely well explained so there was no confusion. But beware, after finishing The Kensei you will definitely want to read the rest of the series if you haven't already. I also quite enjoyed the vampire mythos and the origins of the vampires and humans. This book didn't go into great detail, but I look forward to learning a little more when I read the previous novels, since I know Lawson had to explain vampirism to his girlfriend.

Lawson is a very loveable, plucky character. I absolutely loved his interactions with everyone, the bad guys especially. He always has a snarky comment to make, and it amused me to no end. I also enjoyed seeing the darker side of Japan through Lawson's eyes. The author is clearly knowledgeable about the country, and it definitely shows through in his work. And speaking of what the author show more knows, the weapons and action/fight seens were amazingly well done. Jon Merz wrote some amazing battle scenes in The Kensei, all excellently descriptive. But then again, considering the author and his background, that isn't too surprising.

Definitely recommended for fans of Urban Fantasy. Lawson is a great hero and I loved reading about him. I know I definitely plan to pick up the rest of the series - you should too!

FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). A truly great, thrilling read. Lawson added just the right amount of humor and fun to the story. show less

Persephone, aka Pippa, is on her way to England to begin her total Fashion World Domination plan. A wealthy Englishman is interested in helping her with her design business, and her sister Tess has set up a meeting for the two. But like always, Pippa's oldest sister Cindi comes in to ruin the day, trying to keep Pippa from reaching her dream with a series of "mishaps" - one of which is "accidentally" shoving Pippa... right through a gate in time, and back to the 1200s. Lucky for her, the owner of the ramshackle castle, Montgomery, is there to catch her as she falls. Filled with evil sisters, amusing banter, battles between Montgomery and the castle's former owners, and a love that literally spans the ages, "One Enchanted Evening" is not a book you want to miss!

This is my first book by Lynn Kurland. But if this book is anything to go by, I will be needing to read the rest of this series, featuring more of Montgomery's amazing family. I should mention there there are indeed other books, and for the most part, "One Enchanted Evening" seems to be able to stand alone. Near the end, when Montgomery meets more of his family in both time zones, things can definitely get a little confusing. In the beginning, I found this book to be a little dry, but once Pippa lands in England, it's one thrill ride after the next. And beware, it's addicting.

Pippa and Montgomery are amazing characters. Pippa is resiliant, bright, and willing to work hard for her family and for her dreams. She's an show more excellent seamstress, and she has worked and planned for years to finally get the chance that Stephen, the Englishman, is offering her. Unfortunately, things get a little sidetracked when she gets thrown back into the past. Even more unfortunately, Cindi falls back in time too. While Pippa is such a shining character, Cindi is the evil wench. Cindi is the character readers will love to hate, and eagerly want to throttle. You have to hand it to the author, she wrote an excellent evil character, even if said character can get on your nerves. Montgomery had moments of modern-ness to him, but that can be explained by the odd-ness of his family and their history (and future). Montgomery was by far my favorite - witty, wise, and brave. Despite the turmoil occuring in his own home, he put Pippa, and even Cindi's life above his own.

As mentioned, the ending can get a little confusing, once different relations start showing up - it's just too many people at once. But don't let that stop you, the ending is worth it. I hope to see this series continued, and Pippa's sisters, or at least the good ones - Peaches and Tess, get their own happily ever afters. I would definitely recommend this book to lovers of historical romance, and definitely time travel romance. I would probably recommend the whole series, despite not reading it - though now it's all added to my Wish list. Lynn Kurland knows how to weave a fantastic tale of adventure in both the past and present, and I cannot wait to see more from her.

I'm going to give "One Enchanted Evening" by Lynn Kurland a FOUR POINT FIVE out of FIVE (4.5/5). Loved it, can't wait to read more, and I want a Montgomery of my very own.. actually, if I could get a time gate of my own, that would be great. And a castle. This would be a perfect 5 out of 5 except for the confusion at the end, which would probably be avoided by reading the rest of the series first. But as I said, this can, and does pretty well, stand alone.

See this review and more at my blog glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com show less

I thought "Massively Multiplayer" was very reminiscent of "Neuromancer" by William Gibson. I found plenty of similarities between the stories, such as the fact that the reader is just thrown into the story, and said reader is just supposed to know certain things about the world. But I found "Massively Multiplayer" a little easier to understand, since it does explain things, eventually. This book takes place some time in the future, where people conduct every-day business in a virtual reality, through a computer set up called a Virlo. While Andrew Hunter's parents use this set up for work, Andrew uses his for his online games. For anyone that has ever played a Roleplaying game.. as much as you get into your character, it's still just a figure on a screen- but not in Andrew's world. Andrew can hook himself up to his computer, and actually become his character - Druin. We actually see most of Andrew's part of the story from Druin's perspective in the game.

I'll admit to being confused for the first almost half of the book. I wasn't sure how these two extremely different people - a young man playing a character in a game, and the programmer dealing with some strange computer issues, were related. So even though the book was good right from the beginning, my confusion kept me from being unable to put it down. But once I reached about the half-way point, I was hooked. It was literally like a switch was flipped. This book went from good-but not great, to something I couldn't put show more down.

Andrew/Druin set upon a strange quest in his game, a quest that has real-life consequences. All of Druin's quest-mates have something to hide, and Druin was brought in to keep the group together. All the while, Wolfgang is trying to deal with whomever is hacking into his system, and why. But in order to get the results Wolfgang needs, he has to make sure Andrew, and his character, keeps going. I don't think I could pick which character was my favorite - I loved Andrew/Druin, who was so good-hearted, and he so wanted to do good but seemed to keep falling short of his parents expectations, and then there's Wolfgang, who you just can't help but love. You even get to witness a seemingly rare moment, when Wolfgang appears in the game itself.. and I loved seeing that side of this character, even if it was just a virtual representation of himself. And Malcolm... who could forget him? A side character, Malcolm is a "noobie"... more commonly called a "llama." But one can't help but be amused by his ever formal medieval-esque speech. Forsooth.

This story is incredibly complex. The reader finally thinks every secret has been revealed, and we're getting close to the climax.. and then BAM, another element is added to the system. A lot of thought went into this book, and I was pleased with the result. Yes, the book did take it's time leading up to the story, but once you really hit that spot, you can't stop. If you enjoy science fiction/virtual reality stories, this is definitely something you'd want to pick up.

I'm going to give "Massively Multiplayer" by P. Aaron Potter a FOUR out of FIVE (4/5). I really, really enjoyed this book, but the initial confusion I felt made me knock it down a point. However, that doesn't mean it isn't one for the keeper shelf! Well.. the virtual keeper shelf, that is.. since "Massively Multiplayer" is currently only available in ebook format. Which, considering the content... it probably fitting!

Find this review and more at my blog - www.glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com show less

Well, wow, the back of the book really doesn't do this series justice. It makes the whole story sound flippant and childish, even. But really, I found this book to be far more powerful than the blurb. Yes, we do follow a young girl, she's 15 through most of the book), and yes, she does travel through time, but these aren't easy things Meagan is dealing with. And despite the young age of the main character, I'm not sure I would give this book to a fifteen year old.. unless he or she was very mature. There are definitely some harsh moments in "Eclipsed by Shadow." Not to give too much away, but death, rape, slavery, beatings, etc, are all issues Meagan has to see and live in fear of. All this lends to a very powerful and thrilling tale, definitely, but this book should definitely not be taken lightly.

As mentioned, Meagan does travel through time, in this book alone visiting several periods through History, and I'm sure even more in the sequels. As a bit of a History nerd, I was in love with the accurate details during each time period. A lot of research went into the writing of this trilogy, and I think the author should definitely be commended for it. The language was well done - Meagan didn't just understand everyone she met. In fact, her first several stops on the way, no one spot English, and she had to find some way to get by without knowing the language. The settings seemed perfectly done, and even the people and their actions fit each time period perfectly.

You show more could also tell this book was written by a horse lover, knowledge of the breeds, rituals, and the connection one feels to horses is obvious throughout. I rode myself for several years (missing it almost every day), and I was amazed at the details that were mentioned. Even something as simple (or so most people would believe) as grooming is mentioned in perfect detail, with each type of brush and the order. It may seem a little information-heavy, but I think it helps to show how attached and connected Meagan feels to the great beasts.

I'll be honest, when the "Legend of the Great Horse" was told to Meagan in the beginning, I thought it was a little cheesy. In fact, several of the beginning chapters weren't really all that amazing. The prose and descriptions were well done, but it wasn't horribly interesting... I actually thought I'd get aggravated with Meagan quickly. But once Meagan's real journey began, I was positively enthralled. Meagan definitely showed her true colors, her spirit and her willingness to fight for herself and those she cared about.

I'm going to give "Eclipsed By Shadow" a FIVE out of FIVE. I truly think this book deserves such a good rating - the History was accurating done, even down the smallest detail, the journey is amazing, and Meagan really rose to each occasion she was thrown into. I do hope to find the rest of this series and continue reading them, and I hope everyone checks out "Eclipsed by Shadow" by John Royce. show less

I'll start off with the one issue I came accross while reading this book - it did take a little while for me to get hooked. Getting the ebook version, I wasn't completely sure what I was reading (since I didn't have a synopsis on the back to go on. My first thought was that this was just a coming of age tale.. but it's so much more, because it's not just about Selene. It's about her brother, her servant, the local leader of the church, the local leader of government, Selene's father, her friend, the lady philosopher... ahh! I loved them all. Well, not all of them. Cyril, to me at least, was definitely the big bad guy, and boy was he good at it!

At the back of the book, there are some notes and historical facts, about which characters are not just characters, but recorded historical figures. Some of what occured in this book actually happened during this time, and I think that makes the events you read about even more powerful. Frankly, there were times while reading I couldn't make out the words... and it turns out, I couldn't do so because my hand was shaking so much I was so nervous. I was afraid for the characters, I was afraid of the characters.. They were real to me. The author, of course, used her creative license with looks, and, I'm sure, some motives as well, but she did an amazing job. Everything was entirely believable, and in some cases, relatable.

At a certain point in this book, I'm going to guess it was about a third of the way into it, I couldn't put it show more down. Or if I did, it was under extreme protest. I took my reader with me everywhere, pulling it out to read a few more sentences even when I knew I would only have a few spare moments. I needed to know what happened. And there were a few times in the book I teared up because I was so into the story.

I hope to see more from this author, whether it be more historical fiction.. or anything, really. I'm quite the history nerd, so of course I was a little in love with this book already, but I honestly think this book will appeal to anyone and everyone.

As for the rating, I would give this book a six out of five if I thought that might not be a little overly dramatic on my part... so I guess it'll have to be a perfect FIVE out of FIVE. Please, I hope you all get a chance to check this book out.

Find this and more reviews at my blog: www.glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com show less

I'd first like to say that I often page through a book before reading it.. sometimes to fully experience that "New Book Smell," sometimes just to see if there is anything eye-catching in the pages. So I almost immediately found the Reader's Guide questions at the end of the book, and I loved it. I think it's wonderful to include something like that in a book, of course I didn't understand them all when I first saw them. But it was certainly nice to re-think about parts of the book after knowing the end result, to see the little clues that popped up during the course of the story, etc.

I pretty much devoured this book. I loved the writing style, the prose, half the time I honestly felt like I was in the time period mentioned. And the descriptions of the castle and the town around it - ahhh, I want to go! It made me feel almost homesick for a place I've never been, and definitely never lived. The setting was described a few times as like from a fairytale, and I can just about picture it. As much as I loved the writing, it was also the only place I could find any fault or issue, and what a small one it is. I noticed a few phrases used maybe a few too many times. For example, the author used "stomach turned to water" several times, and maybe it was just me, but it kept making me pause after the first few times it was used. The phrase wasn't used out of place, it just took me out of the story when it was used. But frankly, that's such a small thing, it wasn't nearly enough to show more make me dislike the book in the slightest.

And I loved the mystery element to the story. Was it really a vampire? Were all the myths circulating the area just that - myths? Or true stories passed down so people didn't forget what had happened, and could happen again. Or maybe it wasn't a vampire. Maybe it was just some twisted person. These points were foremost on Theodora's mind for a good portion of her vacation. And I loved that we got the same amount of information as Theodora did, so we could try to figure out the big mystery for ourselves.

I'm going to give "The Dead Travel Fast" by Deanna Raybourn a FOUR out of FIVE. I really did love this book. I hope to check out more by this author sometime soon. Especially if more of her novels have such an interesting supernatural spin on things. show less

Originally I was a little upset with the netgalley site where I was to get my e-copy of the book to read and review, since I would only be allowed to keep the book for sixty days. And I'll admit, that made me a little hesitant to read it. Putting me on that sort of deadline, as well as telling me the book will just be taken away made me a little unhappy, to say the least. But I was determined to read it, and I'm glad I did. Even more so when I was informed today that I won another e-copy - this one I can actually keep! A big thanks to the author Michele Hauf for offering the giveaway, and the folks at Suburban Vampire for hosting her!

And on to the review... I'll admit it, I didn't like Blu at first. She got on my nerves, and seemed a little too.. punky for my tastes. But she really grew on me, especially once I learned that she had a motive for everything she did. And considering her past, which is discussed several times in the novel, I can definitely imagine her throwing up the sorts of walls she does. And I really loved the fact that she wore a lot of wigs, changing them depending on her outfit. I'm not talking regular wigs here, I'm talking about the flashy colored kind. The colors I remember mentioned - Blue, violet, white, peach, etc - I'd love to actually see them on her, I think it would be fascinating. And I enjoyed reading Creed's reaction to her ever changing colors, as well as sympathized when he was curious about her read hair color.

And speaking of Creed, I show more want to give some brownie points to the author in regards to him. Not just because he's sexy, but because she gave him a real human moment, well.. for a vampire. Sometimes just little things that other authors would ignore can really make a character seem real. I have one specific example in mind - when Blu and Creed are in a room together, the author writes that Creed is reclining in a chair, with one leg stretched out, propped up on the chair infront of him. I know that is something so small, but sometimes it's the little things that really make the character relatable. I'm sure this is something a lot of people glanced over, but it gave me pause. I'm sure there have been things like this in plenty of other books I've read, and I just happened to notice it this time, but I'm glad I did. As I said, it's a small thing, but the little things can be important too. And another thing about Creed, you can really follow the change in him, and see how Blu has affected him. He seemed so stiff and formal, but with Blu in his life, there are, at first, subtle changes, words he starts using, how his speech goes from old world-y to a little more modern. Along those lines, however, he does begin to feel a little too modern at times, and unlike a centuries old vampire. I lost that feeling at the climax near the end - he went back to that ancient vampire I knew he was, and yet, still changed enough.

That said, I will say this - sometimes Blu and Creed's talk was a little too sickeningly sweet for me. While I'm all for some lovey-dovey talk, sometimes I had a really hard time imagining an older vampire like Creed saying some of the things he did to Blu. Which is why there were a few moments where he just felt too.. modern day.

I also enjoyed her version of the paranormal creatures. This is the first book I've read by this author, but I enjoyed it enough that I will have to check out more, especially if they deal with this world. I liked her version of werewolves - with female weres being very uncommon, the weres being able to partially shift, as well as the pack dynamics. And I certainly liked the scene from Blu's first full moon with Creed. Quite an interesting one, I can only imagine going through that for the rest of their lives together.

All that said, I really did enjoy "Her Vampire Husband" by Michele Hauf, and I hope to check out further books by this author in the future. As for a rating, I'm going to give it a FOUR POINT FIVE out of FIVE. There were some aspects I really loved, and I enjoyed the plotline as a whole.

Find this review and more at my blog: www.glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com show less

I thoroughly enjoyed "Truly, madly".. in fact, I practically inhaled it. I loved the character of Lucy Valentine, she was extremely believable. And the delicious private eye? Yum. I believed, and am now a huge fan of, all the characters, and I really can't wait for the second book ( "Deeply, Desperately" ) which is supposedly set to be released in August of 2010. The plot was intriguing, kept adding little twists and turns, all without confusing the reader, which is a definite plus. In fact, as for the big mystery, it had me guessing until the end! And what a good ending it was. It's books like these that make me want to go out and do something like be a private investigator, or, in Lucy's case, be involved in matchmaking that leads to private investigating and solving a murder.

For fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series, this is a great book to pick up. It has more of a supernatural edge (being that Lucy is a psychic), but I did see some similarities. But while the Stephanie Plum series is starting to have it's moments of complete stale-ness, Lucy Valentine is something new and fresh, and a character I don't see myself getting tired of.

I'm going to rate this book a solid FIVE out of FIVE. I loved it, I can't wait for the next one, and I will definitely recommend it to.. pretty much everyone. I think there is something for most, if not all, readers to enjoy in "Truly, Madly" by Heather Webber.

I would like to first start by saying, overall, I enjoyed "Love is a Battlefield" by Annalisa Daughety. As a History buff, I like that it was set in a National Park, and the setting felt real. A quick google search tells me that there is a real Shiloh National Military Park, and I firmly believe the author did some research, or maybe even volunteered or worked at that park or another at some point, because the list of duties, etc, seemed extremely accurate. As far as the characters, I thought both Ace and Kristy seemed natural and real, and even the side characters were all quite believable, and I didn't find any of them overly annoying. Sometimes lesser characters that are only there to drive the plot along can seem unnatural and irritating, but I found very little instances of that in "Love is a Battlefield."

Just a few little nit-picky points, there was a slight over-emphasis on the mysteries in the book. Kristy is suffering from some instances of vandalism, which is an interesting part of the plot, but I would at least like to see some subtlety with the mystery, instead of her wondering some form of "Who could do this?" every time something happened. We can assume Kristy wants to know who's doing this, and the audience wants to know too, the author does not need to keep saying "Kristy wanted to know who was doing this." or "Who could have done this?" [Not exact quotes], etc.

But I'll say it again. I enjoyed reading this book, and I liked both Kristy and Ace. And show more actually, "Love is a Battlefield" made me want to go out and visit some National Parks (you all should go to! Support the National Park system!), and heck, maybe I could get a seasonal job at one too!

I'd give this book a THREE POINT FIVE out of FIVE. The prayer and Christian-y themes were a little too much for me to get over, but it was still a good book. show less

I received this book as part of the Early Reviewers program.

So... I will be the first person to admit I don't read Christian literature. But I received this book and told myself to give it a fair chance. However, some issues, at least issues to me, arose while reading. I really don't have a problem with God appearing in books, not popping up in the story, I mean, but being present or being a part of the story. I understand some characters have religious ties, I'm okay with that. But this book seems to take it a little too far. I thought this would be a love story, but instead I found myself being preached to, with a little bit of a love story on the side, shoved to the backburner. I think the biggest problem I had with this story was that while the main male - Nathaniel Mason, loved the heroine - Hope Wescott, he wouldn't admit his love to himself or her until she "gave herself to God." He wouldn't even allow himself to picture a future with her until she became religious. Before she "turned to God," he did nothing but judge her, and himself for liking her. Heck, even after she had this miraculous change, he kept judging her. I'm all for issues between characters that they have to overcome to be together, that's part of a good love story, but this seems a little extreme.

All that said, I'm giving this book a TWO out of FIVE. I would give it a ONE out of FIVE, since I thought the story itself was awful. But M. L. Tyndall had a very good, descriptive, flowing writing style, show more and for that alone, I brought the grade up a point. I really don't suggest this book unless it's your sort of thing. I know there are people out there that liked to be preached to, and by all means, check out "The Blue Enchantress." show less

I quite enjoyed this book. But it's not the first book in the series, and if I hadn't been busy with school work, I would have gotten the others from the library and read those first. But despite it not being the first in the series, it was very easy to get into, and things were explained enough that I got it all fairly quickly. As for the book itself, Carey is very descriptive, and in fact, has problem the best description of a knee to a man's happy place I've ever read. "... I sidestepped it and kicked him in the crotch. He folded in on his pain, his universe shrinking to a few cubic inches of intimate agony" (73). As morbid as it may be, I couldn't help but snicker a little at that line.

The story itself has a very interesting premise - in the not-too-distant past, ghosts started rising in numbers people would never have guessed, and people with the exorcist gene, such as Castor, have their work cut out for them. As I said, Felix Castor is a very Harry Dresden-esque character, and he's someone you can connect with. And if not.. well, you want to know what trouble he gets into, and how he manages to get himself out of it, if he does. I loved the beginning hook, definitely caught my attention! "I don't do funerals all that often, and when I do, I prefer to be either falling-down drunk or dosed up on some herbal fuzz-bomb..." (1).

As for an official raiting, I would give this a FOUR out of FIVE. I liked it, I do recommend it, and I plan to find the other books in the series show more and give them a read as well.

For more on this book, and reviews of others, visit my blog
www.glowsnoveladdiction.blogspot.com show less

Ladies and Gentlemen, I will give you my honest reaction to this book - AHH!! I loved it. I've never read anything like it, this would be one of those books I would call "epic."

This book is so.. amazingly wonderful, and I'm still so giddy after finishing it, that I don't think I could write a proper book blurb plot thing. Instead? I'll give you what it says on the back of the book.

" Deborah Smith is the New York Times best-selling author of A PLACE TO CALL HOME, SWEET HUSH, A GENTLE RAIN and others. Now, writing as Leigh Bridger, she enters the sinister alternate reality of both good and evil, battling for their own wills as well as the will of mankind. From the gothic eccentricity of Asheville, North Carolina to the terrifying recesses of the Appalachian wilderness, from modern demonology to the ancient Cherokee mythology, SOUL CATCHER follows the tormented journey of many lives by a sadistic and vengeful demon. Livia and her loved ones, including her frontier-era soul-mate and husband, Ian, have never beaten the demon before. Now, in this life, he's found them again. "

As I mentioned, this book does seem rather epic, and I'm so thankful that I got the chance to read and review this book. The idea that the soul is eternal, that once you die, you just get reincarnated, and even more so - there is one soul mate for you, one person that you will meet again life after life. And the battle between good and evil, the spirits that help, and those that hurt. This is one of those show more books that really make you look at life differently, look at people differently. And the characters, gosh. I don't think I could get over Livia and Ian. Even the side characters, the boons, pogs, and spirits that help them, they were all excellently done. But Livia and Ian's lives, their love, how even through time, different lives, and a demon out to kill them, they find each other, and fight for each other.

If I had one complaint, which I could not care less about by the middle of the book, was that the author seemed to over describe some things, while under describing others. Now, I may not necessarily want to know the details of Livia being raped (I promise, no spoilers there, happens in the first few pages), I think a little more detail of that whole scene would have helped, instead of telling me that she was hurt and in bed for a month healing from the ordeal. And really, this is the only big instance of this issue that I found in the entire book. From that point on, things are described clearly enough, not too much, not too little.

So on to the rating.. would anyone really be surprised that I'm giving it a FIVE OUT OF FIVE STARS? I know this is something I will recommend to absolutely everyone, I know I will re-read it, and when the sequel comes out (it's supposedly the beginning of a trilogy), I will buy it day one, if not pre-order it. show less

I received this as an ARC with the promise to review it. So here goes!

Sabine Goddard's reputation was ruined several years ago, incorrectly so, by a former friend of Edward, the Marquess of Foye, hereafter referred to as Foye. Now Foye is travelling, and comes upon Sabine and her uncle, who have left England to get away from the rumors. Neither are described as traditionally handsome or beautiful, but they are almost instantly attracted to one another. Just as they profess their love for each other, Sabine's uncle decides it is time for them to continue on their travel, to the palace of a rich, popular, rather unlawful local - Nazim Pasha. Foye knows Nazim Pasha has set his sights on Sabine, and she may be in danger. So he follows them, and lucky for them both that he did, otherwise Sabine may have ended up sold into slavery, or gifted to a friend of Nazim Pasha. Foye manages to rescue her, but that's just the beginning, they still must make it out of Turkey before Pasha finds them, and steals Sabine back. And they are constantly hit with hard times along the run.

So! To put it simply, I enjoyed this book. The writing was good, the characters were interesting, and I really liked the fact that Foye wasn't classically handsome, and Sabine wasn't a mindless twit, but a truly smart woman. At the beginning of most of the chapters, the reader is given the date and their current location, as well as some other little tidbits before the actual chapter begins. At first this show more confused me, it seemed much like the stage directions for a play, but when I really got into the story, they didn't phase me at all, in fact they were downright helpful at times. I think the only real complaint I had was that it seemed to move a little too quickly. I wanted more time with the characters, but that's when you know a book is good, when you fall so in love with the hero and heroine that you don't want them to go when the book ends. show less

So, I just finished "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost, and all I can say is.. Oh my gosh! I wish I had more friends who read this series so I would have someone to talk to about this book. Man.. just.. whoa! When I finished the last page, I squeaked. I kid you not, it's that kind of story. This would have to be the best book I've read all year, but then Jeaniene Frost hasn't disappointed me yet!

So! In this book - Cat, Bones, and the crew are back, and this time the bad guy is stronger than they could have imagined, with a claim that has Cat and Bones worried. The vampire Gregor, called the Dreamsnatcher, is claiming to be married to Cat under vampire law, since she was sixteen. Mencheres arrives to explain to Cat that the memories of her month spent with Gregor have been blocked, and only if she agrees to go to Gregor and have him bring her memories back will she know the truth of their supposed marriage. Cat and Bones aren't taking the situation well, and tempers are rising. Are Cat and Gregor really married? And if she gets her memories back, will she choose Bones or Gregor?

As I said, I loved this book. Cat is such a great heroine, stubborn but strong. And Bones.. whew, I'd take him any day! And of course I love their friends- Mencheres, Spade, Rodney, Vlad, and the new addition - Fabian. In the beginning, part of me wanted Gregor to be somewhat of a good guy, maybe to make the decision just a little harder, give him some redeeming qualities, maybe. But as show more the book wore on, no more. I wanted Cat and Bones, and all their people, to survive. I wish I could get into the ending, the amazing twists, the heart wrenching moves.. Oh, dear. All I can do is suggest that everyone read this, and of course the books before it. Frost already has a few books planned out, Cat and Bones will have at least three more, and Spade and Mencheres will each have their own book. I can't wait!

I give this book a five out of five. I couldn't put it down, and I know I will keep going back to it over and over. It has everything I wanted and needed, romance, drama, emotional ties to amazing characters, and the thrill of seeing the characters fight for their lives, and their love. Make sure you all check out "Destined for an Early Grave" by Jeaniene Frost! show less

I read this book as part of the Early Reviewers program, so I wasn't originally aware it was part of a series. But I promised a review, so I read it anyways. Only a few pages into the book, I felt sorry for not reading the previous novels first, but by the end, I was glad I kept with it. The characters are lovable, the story is exciting, and the world is extremely interesting. I've been looking for a new world, a new series to get into, and I have to say, I think this is it! You know a series is good when you immediately want to go out and get the previous novels. Luckily, this book comes with a glossary infront to explain some terms that may be confusing for readers, as well as an encyclopedia of demons in the world, and a brief history of the Underworld General hospital, which does help a lot. I'm a fan of series such as those written by Laurell K. Hamilton and Sherrilyn Kenyon, and I enjoyed this, so anyone with similar tastes should definitely look up "Passion Unleashed!"

First off, I wanted to say I found this book fascinating. However, it seems the book tries too hard to get its message accross, and the plot is secondary, if really important at all. The characters don't seem to be too developed, and I can't say they are extremely memorable.
The book is an excellent reference for Gnostic information for anyone interesting in the topic, and it really opened my eyes in regards to many Christian teachings.
At times this book reminded be of Angels and Demons, and The Da Vinci Code, with the way Robert Langdon explains how certain icons or modern teachings have origins in the distant past. Unfortunately, that's where the similarities end, as this novel lacks the plot and drive of the more popular novels.
Still an interesting read, and I would suggest it to anyone interested in the origins of Christianity or the study of religion.