All posts by skyebjenner

The Devil’s Due by Lora Leigh

September 25, 2019Book ReviewBreeds, Enthralled, Erotica, Lora Leigh, Paranormal Romance, Shapeshiftersskyebjenner

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Title: The Devil’s Due
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds #19.5
In: Enthralled (Lora Leigh, Alyssa Day, Meljean Brook & Lucy Monroe)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Erotica, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense
Dates read: 28th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: The first stroke of lightning-bright pain gave way to a steadily increasing inferno of pleasure Kate couldn’t fight and had no desire to escape.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Lora Leigh returns to her sensual world of the Breeds…as a spirited female Wolf Breed finally meets her match, and can no longer deny her mate – or the fierce desires of her own heart.

Lora Leigh manages to do it again. Get your heart racing, your pulse jumping and leaves a happy little smile on your lips the moment you turn the last page. Even if you sometimes do feel like you need to smoke a post-coital cigarette when you’ve read some of her more sultry passages…

As with the other novellas I’ve read in this series, reading The Devil’s Due made me want to run straight to my shelves, grab the next Breeds story and sink my nose as far between the pages as physically possible. The romances and the passion that are ignited are thoroughly enjoyable. But it’s the underlying storyline and fight against injustice that really draws me in. The idea that just because someone is different, they must be evil and need to be used or exterminated. It makes you kind of sad, but it also makes you really look at your own action and hopeful that you too will find your happily ever after partner.

I’m not very far through the Breeds series, and this novella is much farther than the storyline that I’m currently immersing myself in. Which made it a bit of an annoying giveaway. One that hints a little too much at the future battles. Especially since it is talking about a next generation. But then, by the time I read the next eighteen books, I probably won’t remember much of what I’ve already read, and be excited by this storyline all over again.

<- Enthralled

The Curse of the Black Swan ->

Image source: Amazon

Bloody Valentine by James Patterson

September 24, 2019Book ReviewCrime, James Patterson, Thrillerskyebjenner

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Title: Bloody Valentine
Author: James Patterson
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Thriller
Dates read: 28th August 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Arrow Books
Year: 2011
5th sentence, 74th page: ‘I’m her sister-in-law,’ Leila protested.

Killing isn’t murder, when it’s necessary.

Mega-rich restaurant owner Jack Barnes and his second wife Zee are very much in love. However, their plans for Valentine’s Day are about to be torn apart by the most violent murder.

Who is the strange figure plotting this sick crime? Who hates Jack that much? There are plenty of suspects living in Jack’s fnacy block of flats. Is it one of them, or could it be the work of an outsider with a twisted mind?

One thing’s for sure, the police have got their work cut out solving this bloody mess.

This gory murder mystery will make you feel weak at the knees.

I read this in almost one sitting. Not just because it was spine-tinglingly creepy, but also because the writing was so unbelievably fantastic that I just couldn’t look away. Luckily for me, it was an incredibly short read. One that I look forward to picking up again and again in the future. Although, maybe a little further into the future since I like to get a decent nights sleep as often as possible…

Whether it’s on the TV or in one of my books, I do really love a strong murder whodunnit. There is just something so much more fun and lively when you spend every moment of enjoying a story also wondering just who the murderer is. And, sometimes even more importantly, why they did it. this was one of those few stories that I didn’t really have much of an idea who the culprit was until the eleventh hour. Normally there’s a red herring, or some character that just seems skeevy and… well, wrong. There really wasn’t one in this story. There were plenty of interpersonal issues and relationships, but none that made me go “nope, you’re a baddy”.

Patterson manages to perfectly walk the line between graphic information and leaving everything up to the imagination. You don’t spend the entire time reading this story feeling icked out by what is done to the victims, but you also don’t feel safe whilst reading it. The horror is there, but many of those moments are filled in by your own imagination. It’s a perfect balance, and one that is incredibly difficult to find.

Bloody Valentine isn’t the book that you want to read before bed time. Or, maybe even before Valentine’s Day. But it is a story which you should pick up. It’s a great introduction to a new author and a quick read if you’re not entirely sure what you actually want to read at the time… definitely one that I suggest and will be picking up again myself.

<- Black Friday Review

The Chef Review ->

Image source: Goodreads

The Widow’s Auction by Sabrina Jeffries

September 23, 2019Book ReviewFantasy (Short story collection), Historical romance, Romance, Sabrina Jeffriesskyebjenner

Title: The Widow’s Auction
Author: Sabrina Jeffries
In: Fantasy (Christine Feehan, Sabrina Jeffries, Emma Holly & Elda Minger)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Romance
Dates read: 28th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Jove
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: They’d made love on the floor before the fireplace, writhing on the fur rug like cats in heat.

Though Isobel Lamberton, the widowed Lady Kingsley, is confounded by her dealings with the obstinate Justin Antony, Lord Warbrooke, his commanding presence sparks something deep within her. But such romantic thoughts are for naught. For Justin’s political aspirations always come first. And Isobel’s own secret past could damage both of them permanently.

So when Isobel’s friend talks her into participating in a scandalous auction of masked widows at a gentleman’s club, she reluctantly agrees…and soon begins to relish being an object of desire. But none desire her more than Justin, who recognizes the outspoken Isobel in disguise and sets out to teach her a lesson worth far more than money…

This was not really the story that I was expecting. The name made it sound a little more raunchy. And, since it is found in a book that is more of the paranormal romance kilter – I was expecting a werewolf or vampire thrown in there. I did not expect to read a story about a widow and her philanthropic choices in life. Her slightly unorthodox upbringing. Or even about the man that she eventually falls for. None of the aspects of this story were as expected, even when I read the blurb. And I certainly didn’t regret picking this up in the slightest. It was a lot of fun, and incredibly cute.

We all have different faces that we show to the world. It doesn’t matter if that’s just our own personal face and a more professional one that we show at work, or something more. Everyone does it. Which made it kind of fun to read a novella which played with this idea and built a beautiful romance around it. I especially loved the fact that even when the truth about who she is is revealed, she is still loved and cherished. Showing that sometimes our first instincts and assumptions just aren’t correct, and we can find love in the most unexpected of places.

The Widow’s Auction is a great start to the Fantasy collection of novellas. It is sweet and lustful. Fun and filled with hope for a happily ever after. The entire story, you are guaranteed to be gunning for the heroine and wanting her to find a way to thrive in a world that is more skewed towards men. Luckily for my love of happily ever afters, that’s exactly what you get. This novella is one that is guaranteed to leave a smile on your tired, world-worn face.

<- Fantasy Review

Luisa’s Desire Review ->

Image source: Christine Feehan

Her Furry Face by Leigh Kennedy

September 20, 2019Book ReviewAlien Sex, Lust, Twisted Romanceskyebjenner

Title: Her Furry Face
Author: Leigh Kennedy
In: Alien Sex (Ellen Datlow)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Lust, Twisted romance
Dates read: 27th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: ROC
Year: 1990
5th sentence, 74th page: Annie clung to Douglas’s legs, whimpering.

Douglas isn’t sure how he feels, but he knows that Annie is special. How special is yet to be seen. This is a short story that will make you incredibly uncomfortable.

There is a warning at the beginning of this story that says it will make you uncomfortable. An acknowledgement that it’s not quite what it should be. And it’s a warning worth listening to. The only reason that I gave this a good star rating was because the writing was so brilliant and enjoyable that I really didn’t realise how disturbed I felt until I had turned the final pages of this story. Actually, it took about half an hour to sink in how uncomfortable this story made me. And then I just sat there in stunned silence…

Some people truly don’t understand how to love what they have. In most circumstances this always comes across as refusing to settle and accept that there is love in their lives. In the circumstances under which this story was produced – it’s not such a trifling inability to accept the world. It is something far more disturbed and insidious. Which kind of highlights the horribleness of never accepting and embracing the love that you do have.

I recommend this story to almost anyone. Okay, it’s seriously disturbing and I really don’t know how I felt after I finished it. But the strength of the message and the talent in the writing is intense. It is beautiful and kind of makes you feel less horrible about what you’re reading. It’s definitely a story that you should pick up. Just one that you need to read with a warning…

<- Alien Sex Review

War Bride Review ->

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Nigsu Ga Tesgu by Jeff Somers

September 19, 2019Book ReviewDark Fantasy, Horror, Jeff Somers, Urban Enemies, Urban Fantasyskyebjenner

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Title: Nigsu Ga Tesgu
Author: Jeff Somers
Series: The Ustari Cycle #4.5
In: Urban Enemies (Joseph Nassise)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Horror, Urban fantasy
Dates read: 26th August 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Gallery Books
Year: 2017
5th sentence, 74th page: His spell, his curse, it should have consumed me long ago.

She is the most powerful of her kind. Her apprentice thinks that he’s finally found a way to usurp her. But there’s a reason that she’s survived for so long… a reason why she understands the words better than anyone else.

I absolutely adored the creepiness and spine-tingling evilness of this story. This might be in a collection of Urban Fantasy Villains stories, but there was something extra creepy about a girl chewing her own tongue to kill her father. A whole other level of darkness that hasn’t so far been portrayed in this collection – most villains use the sacrifice and blood of others. This woman starts off sacrificing parts of herself willingly.

I love that the woman in this is the most powerful in the world, but she is also incredibly feeble. This fantastic juxtaposition between physical and mental strength is incredibly fascinating and drives home the point that sometimes the most powerful aren’t the most physically able. The entire looks can be deceiving, and don’t judge a book by its cover ideal is heavy handedly highlighted in this story. But in a way that doesn’t feel clunky and irritating, just slightly humorous.

Nigsu ga Tesgu introduced me to a world that is entirely shades of grey. There is nothing black and white, good and evil in the world. There are just choices that aren’t good and aren’t necessarily evil. They’re just about survival and finding a way to move forwards further in your life. Normally the stories I read have a clear villain and hero (even if the hero is more than a little damaged), but this didn’t feel like that kind of story. I know that the woman was supposed to be the big Cahoona in the villains’ world, but it just felt like an old woman struggling to survive in a horrible world… in a incredibly horrible manner.

<- Hounded Review

Sixty-Six Seconds Review ->

Image source: Simon & Schuster

Cave Canem by Susan Sizemore

September 18, 2019Book ReviewFirst Blood, Laws of the Blood, Paranormal Romance, Susan Sizemore, Urban Fantasy, Vampiresskyebjenner

Title: Cave Canem
Author: Susan Sizemore
Series: Laws of the Blood #5.5
In: First Blood (Susan Sizemore, Erin McCarthy, Chris Marie Green & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Vampires
Dates read: 26th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: Of course, she hadn’t been aware of him since the companion connection had been severed between them several years before.

When hellhound pups are stolen from under Dan Conover’s nose, an unlikely alliance is made. Vampire enforcer Dan is bound by a promise to guard the hellhounds. Werewolf Tess Sirella is charged with making sure no hellhound is trained to tap into its evil, murderous potential. Vampires and werewolves aren’t supposed to be attracted to one another… but for every rule, there’s an exception.

This was a fun, engaging and enjoyable paranormal romance. The involvement of demons, hellhounds, vampires and werewolves drew me in from the very beginning. As did the jump in timeline from the prologue to the main story. The only thing I didn’t love was the fact that the man had been involved with her many times great-grandmother. It felt a little creepy that he’d been intimate with a woman, and then falls for her descendant. There’s even a moment when he notices the similarities between the two of them…

There’s not much I love more in this world than my dogs. So I understood the drive of the hellhounds owners. After all, once that bond is formed, it’s almost impossible to break. Or at least, that’s what I’ve found so far. I really enjoyed the search for the missing puppies, the need to ensure their safety and the drive to indicate their innocence. I can’t imagine a day without my dogs, and the two men in this story obviously feel the same.

I haven’t yet read any of the Laws of the Blood series so I don’t exactly understand how this fits into the bigger world. Yet, Sizemore manages to give you enough information that you don’t feel completely confused by her world. But not enough that you don’t want to read the rest of the series. It’s a great little tease to draw you in, or let you revisit a world you’ve already seen before.

<- First Blood Review

Russian Roulette Review ->

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Eragon by Christopher Paolini

September 17, 2019Book ReviewChristopher Paolini, Dragons, Medieval fantasyskyebjenner

Title: Eragon
Author: Christopher Paolini
Series: The Inheritance Cycle #1
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dragons, Medieval fantasy
Dates read: 20th – 26th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Knopf
Year: 2002
5th sentence, 74th page: He pulled his arms inside his coat and tied the empty sleeves around his neck.

One boy…
One dragon…
A world of adventure.

When Eragon finds a polished blue stone in the forest, he thinks it is the lucky discovery of a poor farm boy; perhaps it will buy his family meat for the winter. But when the stones brings a dragon hatchling, Eragon soon realizes he has stumbled upon a legacy nearly as old as the Empire himself.

Overnight his simple life is shattered, and he is thrust into a perilous new world of destiny, magic, and power. With only an ancient sword and the advice of an old storyteller for guidance, Eragon and the fledgling dragon must navigate the dangerous terrain and dark enemies of an Empire ruled by a king whose evil knows no bounds.

Can Eragon take up the mantle of the legendary Dragon Riders? The fate of the Empire may rest in his hands.

It’s been a long time since I first picked up this book. So long, that at the time, only the first two books in this series were actually published. And I can’t believe that I hadn’t picked it up again… the fact that it was boxed away while I moved houses over a few years probably contributed quite strongly to the delay too. But, I digress… this is one of those amazing stories that you constantly remember and wish didn’t quite have to end. Whilst rushing towards the end, because you just have to find out how everything happens.

One of my favourite tropes in fantasy is the taking of an ordinary person and turning them into something amazing. The use of their strength and personal traits, their ability to overcome all bought into the limelight because one little, fantastical accident of fate. It’s probably one of the most repetitive tropes I’ve read, but it’s one that genuinely works. After all, we all feel like nobodies at times and wish that we could get swept away into an adventure. Eragon is the perfect example of this. A young, lonely, illiterate farm boy who stumbles upon an egg and is swept up in an adventure of mayhem and good vs evil.

This is one of those stories that is a little difficult to place within a fantasy shelf. It’s not quite epic, it’s not quite young adult. It’s this great version in between. It suits a range of tastes and reading levels. And, as I discovered with this reread years later, lets you grasp a different aspect of the storyline and pick up on different hints and tales whenever you sink your nose into the tale.

This is a story of dragons and swords. Mysteries and battles. A story in which you don’t really know if Eragon is making the right decisions. Whether or not he’s fallen into a political cesspool or actually found sanctuary. It’s this great tale that completely sweeps you up and makes you want to pick up Eldest from the very moment you close the final pages. After all, one battle has been one, but the war is just beginning…

<- Eragon’s Guide to Alagaesia

Eldest ->

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James and Other Apes by James Mollison

September 16, 2019Book Reviewconservation, James Mollisonskyebjenner

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Title: James and Other Apes
Author: James Mollison
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Conservation, Photography
Dates read: 26th August 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Coffee Table Book
Publisher: Boot
Year: 2004
5th sentence, 74th page: Kudel

Fifty great apes – chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutans and bonobos, our closest biological relatives – are featured in these portraits by James Mollison. Photographed over four years in ape sanctuaries in four continents, each ape is revealed as a unique character. With case note biographies, and introduced with a powerful and moving essay by Jane Goodall, this book celebrates the great apes – at a moment in time their survival is threatened.

This was such a beautiful book. Graphically speaking. The photographs were stunning. The intensity of the gazes as they starred out of the pages, unforgettable. It is one of those books that I won’t forget, and I’m so glad that I’ve now added this to my shelf. It was irreplaceably beautiful and spine tinglingly aware.

I knew from the blurb and Jane Goodall’s introduction that this was a book that was supposed to highlight our differences to apes and make us realise that our similarities are undeniable. To almost humanise the plight of the big apes so that people will be less callous about their treatment of the environment and their homes. What I didn’t expect was the spine-tingling feeling I got as I flipped through the pages. I found that I was just sitting, there, starring entranced into the eyes of each of the individuals. Learning their names as I picked up their different nuances and personalities…

This is the sort of coffee table book that I’m going to annoy my friends with. The simplicity and beauty of the pictures and the brief biographies about each ape in the back make it accessible to everyone. And it is a great way to highlight how important it is to conserve and nurture our environment. Instead of using it for our own means.

<- Planet Elephant Review

Elephant Memories Review ->

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Breath of Magic by Cheyenne McCray

September 13, 2019Book ReviewCheyenne McCray, Magic, Magic series, No Rest for the Witches, Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Witchesskyebjenner

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Title: Breath of Magic
Author: Cheyenne McCray
Series: Magic #3.5
In: No Rest for the Witches (Mary Janice Davidson, Lori Handeland, Cheyenne McCray & Christine Warren)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Magic, Paranormal romance, Urban fantasy, Witches
Dates read: 25th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: The Underworld god’s muscles bunched and flexed as he strode toward them.

San Francisco’s witches are in an epic battle. But even if Sydney can use her sultry ways and ancient Druid powers to save the world, can she risk losing her heart to handsome warrior Conlan?

This was a great partnering off, battle the evil, and, whilst not winning the war, winning the battle kind of story. I immediately fell in love with the characters, and wanted to find out more about this amazing world that Cheyenne McCray has created. You kind of knew that the two leads would end up together at the close of the book, but that didn’t make the journey any less exciting or intriguing. Rather, I couldn’t wait to see just how they would overcome their obstacles, and it was more than a little surprising when the conclusion was finally reached.

It was really nice to have a slightly different heroine in the lead of this story. Most of the tales I read feature a woman who is completely put together and beautiful, if not more than a little manic and insane. Instead, this features a woman who has glasses and makes some incredibly silly mistakes. Ones that are performed out of pure stubbornness, but still a good place. And more than a little stupid when she looks back at them in hindsight.

Breath of Magic is one of those fun novellas that I’ll read again and again. Not just because I love the simplicity of a good romance story, but also because there is so much more going on. There is a fantastic plot that actually takes centre stage over the romance and makes you hold your breath throughout – after all, you want the good guys to win, and it’s really not a certain thing. It is one of those tales that will make you want to dive right into McCray’s writing and sink into her worlds. Or at least, that’s how I felt… and now I have to go out and buy Forbidden Magic to get my next fix…

<- Voodoo Moon Review

Any Witch Way She Can Review ->

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The Governess by Elizabeth Bear

September 12, 2019Book ReviewElizabeth Bear, Family, Fantasy, Gaslamp, Queen Victoria's Book of Spellsskyebjenner

Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: The Governess
Author: Elizabeth Bear
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Family, Fantasy, Gaslamp
Dates read: 25th August 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: But she does, and there it is, and somehow she gets her mouth around it.

Anabelle is the governess of three beautiful children. But not all is right in the manor, and it might take the strength of a woman to make it right again.

Not sure why, but at the beginning of this story, I was kind of expecting a much more cheerful and happier outlook in this story. Maybe a bit of a rags to riches story. I was so incredibly wrong. This is a little bit dark, a little bit uncomfortable and a really enjoyable read.

The Governess is a story that highlights the plight of women. Not only through Anabelle’s trials, but those of the mistress of the manor. Both are trapped by a man who is more than a little evil, and both are filled with their own hidden strength. The ending really drives home that although both women were brutalised and subject to horrors, they find a way to rise above and focus on a new future. The grasping of their own freedom and focus on what makes them strong, rather than what made them victims was the only really uplifting moment in an otherwise dark story.

This wasn’t a heavy fantasy story, it almost read a little like a historical fiction. But with just that hint of a fantastical element towards the very ending. Actually, it kind of made me want to watch Downton Abbey because it felt kind of like that era. Yet, the beauty of the fantastical hint at the end made me want to clutch this book to my chest, and find yet more stories written by Elizabeth Bear. A great introduction to a new author.

<- For the Briar Rose Review

Smithfield Review ->

Earth and Skye

The ramblings of a bibliophile.

All posts by skyebjenner

The Devil’s Due by Lora Leigh

Bloody Valentine by James Patterson

Image source: Goodreads

The Widow’s Auction by Sabrina Jeffries

Image source: Christine Feehan

Her Furry Face by Leigh Kennedy

Image source: Amazon

Nigsu Ga Tesgu by Jeff Somers

Image source: Simon & Schuster

Cave Canem by Susan Sizemore

Image source: Amazon

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

James and Other Apes by James Mollison

Image source: Bookdepository

Breath of Magic by Cheyenne McCray

Image source: Goodreads

The Governess by Elizabeth Bear

Image source: Amazon