All posts by skyebjenner

Sleeping with the Spirit by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for love is hell book cover

Title: Sleeping with the Spirit
Author: Laurie Faria Stolarz
In: Love is Hell ( Melissa Marr, Scott Westerfield, Justine Larbalestier, Gabrielle Zevin & Laurie Faria Stolarz)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Contemporary, Easy reading, Ghosts
Dates read: 10th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Harper Teen
Year: 2008
5th sentence, 74th page: “Hello, Brenda.”

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Synopsis

Brenda can’t sleep at night, she’s being haunted by a specter in her dreams. But, when she realises what he actually wants, she decides that sleep might not be the worst thing after all.

Thoughts

I’ve obviously been reading much too much paranormal romance stories of late. Just by reading the title of this novella, I was expecting something far more erotic and a lot less… innocent. And kind of cute. It was a surprise, but it was a nice one.

This story made me really want to pick up tales of necromancy and ghost-speakers. The idea of a young girl seeing ghosts, not only her own sister, but also a boy who had been killed twenty years before hand was just a little too fun and close to other, similar stories on my shelves. But, I digress…

Brenda is a nice female lead, she’s scared by her past, unsure of her future and just generally confused. And, I mean, what teenager isn’t? The fact that she’s being haunted just seems to make it that much worse. Yet, in the end, she finds a way to heal, do the right thing and embrace the new life and reality that she wants in her world.

I was kind of expecting a bit of a murder mystery / thriller to this story. Especially when the fact that Brenda lives in a “blood bath” house was revealed. But it wasn’t even remotely about that. This story was about forgiveness and moving on. Finding hope in love, in whichever and whatever form that takes. Which is why I found it so sweet.

 <- Love is Hell ReviewStupid Perfect World Review ->
Image source: Harper Collins Publishers

Crimson Kisses by Diane Whiteside

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of vampire romance 2 book cover

Title: Crimson Kisses
Author: Diane Whiteside
Series: Texas Vampires #3.25
In: The Mammoth Book of Vampire Romance 2 (Trisha Telep)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Historical romance, Paranormal romance, Vampires
Dates read: 7th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Oh no, no, no.

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Synopsis

She’s found the man that she wants to spend the rest of her life with. But her father has decided he wants to keep her under his thumb for a little bit longer. A daring escape, a failed rescue and a year spent apart has just helped to harden her reserve.

Thoughts

This was a little bit too short for me. It had the feel of a plot that could have extended out for an entire novel. Especially since the hapless couple try to escape, realise they can’t and then plan to rendezvous. Afterwards, they manage to mess that up, but eventually find a way back to each other again, just a little bit later than had been anticipated. All that in less than thirty pages? It made for a great, fast-paced read, but I really wanted much more background information.

With a title like Crimson Kisses, I was kind of expecting a lot more… well, kissing. There wasn’t as much lustful passion in this storyline as I’ve been gaining from some of the paranormal romance stories that I’ve been sticking my little literary nose into. But it did have a great feeling of sweetness and everlasting love. It certainly made me hope that the wonderful leads would be able to have a happily ever after…

 <- Butterfly Kiss ReviewVampsploitation Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

The Memory Book by Maureen McHugh

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for queen victoria's book of spells ellen datlow book cover

Title: The Memory Book
Author: Maureen McHugh
In: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells (Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Gaslamp, Horror
Dates read: 7th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Short story
Publisher: Tor
Year: 2013
5th sentence, 74th page: But a man’s vanity could always be counted on, and even as the Finches frowned, he laughed.

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Synopsis

Laura Anne keeps a little scrapbook in a secret place. Whilst all the other books are just full of nice memories, this one is full of something much darker, and she’s about to use it to get her own way.

Thoughts

This short story seriously sent goose bumps up by back. It was kind of horrible and truly uncomfortable. Not at the very beginning, in the beginning I was more than ready to feel sympathy for and love Laura Anne. But that quickly changed. And now I’m glad that she doesn’t really exist. She was a creepy, evil girl child.

Recently I started getting a little bit more into my crafting… and one of those craft things that I’m thoroughly enjoying is scrapbooking. After reading about how Laura Anne uses her “memory book” / scrapbook to alter the course of peoples’ lives… I’m feeling a little uncomfortable about getting back into that. Although, the current project is all about happiness and love. So maybe I should just concentrate on that…

The open-endedness of this short story’s ending added an extra layer of horror and just nope to this story. You can imagine the havoc that Laura Anne is going to continue wreaking on the people in her life and imagine no way in which it could be stopped.

 <- From the Catalogue of the Pavilion of the Uncanny and Marvellous, Scheduled for Premiere at the Great Exhibition (Before the Fire) ReviewLa Reine d’Enfer Review ->
Image source: Amazon

Deal or No Deal by Erin McCarthy

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for out of the light, into the shadows book cover

Title: Deal or No Deal
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Vegas Vampires #6
In: Out of the Light, Into the Shadows (Lori Foster & Erin McCarthy)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Romance, Vampires
Dates read: 28th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: Sergei’s face was impassive, and Rasputin grinned.

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Synopsis

Katie has been wondering what happened on the night her family was killed for over 90 years. Michael has been looking for the woman that he loves since that same night. Will they find the answers that they need together, or will they be doomed to spend eternity without love?

Thoughts

There is something fun and kind of beautiful about Erin McCarthy’s stories. And it really doesn’t seem to matter what they’re about, where they’re set or what genre they fit into. This is yet another example. Although this is a novella set in the Vegas Vampires world, it had a bit more of an old-world feel to it. Or, maybe that’s just what I picked up on by having a character called Rasputin and a Russian princess who was almost killed.

For most of this story, all I could think about was Anastasia and Rasputin. The Disney-fied version with all of the songs. It really wasn’t a bad thing to think about while I was reading this story to be fair. I love that movie. I love the songs and I loved this novella. There was just something fun and engaging about it. Something about Katie (or Maria) and Michael that made you hope they got their happily ever after. And most definitely got their revenge…

There is nothing I love more in stories than when the bad guy dies. Not necessarily through the hands of the people they’ve wronged, but as an inadvertent consequence of their own actions. McCarthy is incredibly good at this slightly surprising form of poetic justice. There is always a fantastic consequence that makes me immensely glad, but it’s never quite in the form that I expect. And what happens to Rasputin is no different. It’s a bit surprising, and it left me with a huge smile on my face as I closed the final pages of the story.

 <- Russian Roulette ReviewUndead Man’s Hand Review ->
Image source: Penguin Random House

Bled Dry by Erin McCarthy

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for bled dry erin mccarthy book cover

Title: Bled Dry
Author: Erin McCarthy
Series: Vegas Vampires #3
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal romance, Romance, Vampires
Dates read: 16th May – 7th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2007
5th sentence, 74th page: But we will be discreet until the election is over.

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Synopsis

Only in Vegas can a one-night stand with a vampire beat the odds – from the USA Today bestselling author of Sucker Bet and Bit the Jackpot…

Hooking up with a vampire has its risks – but getting pregnant usually isn’t one of them. Tell that to Brittany Baldizzi, who finds herself in the family way with no father in sight. After their one night of passion, vampire Corbin Jean Michel Atelier disappeared off the face of the earth – or at least off the Vegas Strip…

Corbin is a vampire with a cause – he is secretly trying to find a cure for his condition. But when he finds out Brittany is pregnant with his child, Corbin can’t keep his parental instincts from trumping his bloodsucking ones. Even when showing his hand could cost him the woman he can’t help but love…

Thoughts

It took me a lot longer to read Bled Dry than any of the other novels in this series so far. Mostly because Corbin kind of pissed me off. He might have been attempting to do right by Brittany throughout… but mostly he was just being a bit of a ham-fisted moron. And Brittany should have smacked him around the head far more times than she did… but, once I got over my smack-Corbin feeling, I actually thoroughly enjoyed this tale.

There are almost no romance stories in my shelves that feature a pregnant woman. There are many that mention a previous couple becoming pregnant, but none that actually have this as a central plot point. It was a nice change. Babies might not be my thing, and I’m unsure about motherhood, but I think it’s an integral aspect of our lives (for so many obvious reasons). The fact that it was the central point of the storyline and the reason for all of the complications (both positive and negative) was incredibly fun. It didn’t take away from the romance or the passion, but it did provide an entirely new standpoint that I just lapped up.

I’ve never read a story in which the vampire wanted to reverse the act of vampirism. Most of the tales end like High Stakes and Sucker Bet where the mortal significant other is turned to run off into the sunset living happily ever after. This didn’t quite end like that… and the fact that Corbin wanted to grow old with Brittany instead of living forever, well, I kind of liked that ending far more. It was about those finite, happy moments you have together and raising a family in a lifetime, not staying together for ever and having no reason to live every day like it’s your last…

Although the first two thirds of this story involved me mostly being pissed off because Corbin was being an idiot, once I got past that. And he got past his own stupidity, I actually really loved this story. It had that same cutesy, sweet feeling that I’m getting used to in McCarthy’s stories. And left me with the typical, nostalgic, happy smile that her works always leave me with.

 <- Bit the Jackpot ReviewSucker Bet Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh

Book Review, , , , ,
Overview
Hot Spell

Title: The Breed Next Door
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds #5.5
In: Hot Spell (Lora Leigh, Emma Holly, Shiloh Walker & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Erotica, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense
Dates read: 7th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: He had been a man tormented with thoughts of losing the daughter he so obviously adored.

Synopsis

Lyra’s neighbor can’t be for real. A man who makes her hormones stand up and scream every time she sees him. And he’s breaking through her reserve to invade her dreams at night.

But Tarek Jordan is even more than he seems. A Breed Enforcer with a plan. First, find the Council Trainer he’s tracked to Fayetteville, Arkansas, and second, claim the woman next door as his own. She’s fated to be his and his alone. He can feel it in his blood. Until the danger that has shadowed his life suddenly casts a darkness over Lyra’s as well. Now Tarek knows that he can’t wait any longer to claim the woman his heart and soul burns for. He has to tell her who he is, what he is, and what he wants. And Lyra will have to accept him as he is, on his terms, and now. Her life depends on it.

Thoughts

We’ve all heard of the boy next door, but I’ve never read a story about the “breed” next door. Or really any kind of romance with a neighbour quite like this. Which of course meant that I loved it and didn’t want to put it down. Actually, I loved this novella so much that I went straight to my shelf to grab Tempting the Beast, the first in the series…

I seem to run the gambit of paranormal romance stories. Some which fill my shelves are sweet, innocent and more than a little cute. Some are a little darker, and then you find novellas like The Breed Next Door which are not so much dark as very erotic and intense. They’re definitely not the kind of stories that I would happily bring out in public. They’re the perfect way to spend the night in though, curled up under a blanket with a rom com playing in the background…

Some days I feel really domestic and reading a story which features a woman who is more that way inclined was really nice. Lyra bakes bread in exchange for her brothers’ help and is more than happy to start cooking for her new lover when she realises that he just can’t do it himself. This different form of showing love made me incredibly happy and I am really quite disappointed that her story was only a short novella, not a full blown novel.

<- Soul DeepMegan’s Mark ->

Image source: Meljean Brook

Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Image result for tempting the beast book cover

Title: Tempting the Beast
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breeds #1
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Erotica, Paranormal romance, Romantic suspense
Dates read: 9th July 2019
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: Breathing hard, her fingers stilled on her flesh.

Synopsis

Callan Lyons is a genetic experiment. One of six fighting for freedom and the survival of their Pride. Merinus Tyler is the reporter who will tempt him, draw him, until the fury of the “mating frenzy” locks them into a battle of sexual heat there is no escape from.

Deception, blood, and the evil Genetics Council are hot on their trail. Callan will use his strength to try and save them both… and do all in his power to keep his woman in the process.

Thoughts

I’ve been meaning to get to this story for a few months now. It just seems to be one that I pick up, look at, and then put right back down again. Until now. When I read the whole book, cover to cover in one day. It was just the right level of intrigue and danger with passion and lust. Although, the passion and eroticism of the book definitely mean that this is a book to read at home… I can’t imagine how awkward it would be to have someone reading this over my shoulder on the bus…

Most of the shapeshifter / paranormal romance type stories that I read feature peoples’ who are just genetically different and a little more… evolved than the average human. The “Breeds” in this series instead are a government, genetic experiment. Talk about creepy conspiracy theories. It’s this that makes me seriously want to sink my teeth into more of the series. I love anything that has a more animalistic spin on humanity and passions, but the idea that there is a shadow government that is the horror of the series, there is just something uncomfortably intriguing about this story.

I love stories about love. But the idea of one in which you don’t actually have a choice or control over your passions and the person you end up tied to… well. That kind of scares me. And I love that it scares Merinus too. Although she felt tied to Callan before she even meets him, her inability to escape him and physical withdrawals terrify her. Into running. Again and again. This willingness to fight against something showed a level of characterisation that I found far more believable and relatable. After all, I wouldn’t want to just succumb to a man because there was a lustful attraction there…

I really enjoy reading about dominating and domineering men. But there is a line. Sometimes they go a little too far with their control issues. Callan flirted with this line, crossed it, but then luckily withdrew just enough that I didn’t find him overbearingly horrible. Even his issues of control and power were explained in a way that I found more pleasing and less want-to-throw-my-book-annoying. Which, again is why I read the whole book in one day…

<- More Lora LeighThe Man Within ->

Image source: Goodreads

A Small Band of Dedicated Men by Andrew Lane

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the mammoth book of jack the ripper stories book cover

Title: A Small Band of Dedicated Men
Author: Andrew Lane
In: The Mammoth Book of Jack the Ripper Stories (Maxim Jakubowski)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Historical fiction
Dates read: 7th July 2019
Pace: Slow
Format: Short story
Publisher: Robinson
Year: 2015
5th sentence, 74th page: I really don’t think that will replace “Leather Apron” in the minds of the public.

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Synopsis

Druitt has called together all of the men accused of being Jack the Ripper. Their patrols might stop one killer, but are there more hiding amongst them?

Thoughts

This took a turn that I really wasn’t expecting. I thought that maybe this would be a story of innocents who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. And I mostly kept thinking this until the very end. Which quickly made me not so happy and more than a little uncomfortable. And incredibly glad that these men are dead, it was just a little too easy to believe this story.

Of all the Ripperologist theories I’ve recently been exposed to, the one that features Druitt is always what I feel closest to. Not necessarily because the evidence against him is the strongest, but more so because of the fact that this theory features in a Science Fiction series that I love (Sanctuary on SyFy). Which means that his central place in this storyline made me sink my nose right into the story and refuses to pay attention to anything around me.

Stories about teams of serial killers and mad men are starting to become a bit more frequent in my reading roster. Which is both terrifying, and kind of fun. There’s a totally different, unsettling feeling to these types of tales and I, for one, can’t wait to read more like this Small Band of Dedicated Men.

<- The Roebuck Cabal ReviewDear Boss Review ->
Image source: Amazon

The Twits by Roald Dahl

Book Review, ,
Overview
Image result for the twits roald dahl book cover

Title: The Twits
Author: Roald Dahl
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Comedy, Easy reading
Dates read: 16th June – 5th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Puffin
Year: 1980
5th sentence, 74th page: He was out of breath and so tired he could hardly flap his wings.

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Synopsis

How do you outwit a Twit? Mr. and Mrs. Twit are the smelliest, ugliest people in the world. They hate everything — except playing mean jokes on each other, catching innocent birds to put in their Bird Pies, and making their caged monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, stand on their heads all day. But the Muggle-Wumps have had enough. They don’t just want out, they want revenge.

Thoughts

Growing up, my best friend and I decided that we were the “Twin Twits”. And I couldn’t for the life of me remember why and where this came from. Until I bought a box set of Roald Dahl books. And realised exactly why we used the word Twits. As an adult, I’m not entirely sure why we thought that was “cool”, but it meant that rereading this was a great, nostalgic journey down memory lane.

This is one of those fun, easy things that, as an adult you can read in under half an hour. It only took me a few days because I kept getting distracted by being… well, an adult. It’s funny and full of these quirky, lively illustrations. The storyline isn’t a difficult one, and actually really only comes into play about halfway through the novel. Mostly because the first half is just a series of funny little anecdotes about how horrible Mr and Mrs Twit are.

I can imagine keeping this book for years and reading it to my future nieces, nephews and maybe children. Teaching them all about the silliness of the Twits and the karma that followed their horrible actions. Sharing the fun pictures and laughing at the randomness of the activities.

<- Switch BitchTwo Fables ->

Image source: Amazon

Persuasion by Jane Austen

Book Review, , ,
Overview
Image result for persuasion word cloud classic book cover

Title: Persuasion
Author: Jane Austen
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Romance
Dates read: 2nd – 5th July 2019
Pace: Medium
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1817
5th sentence, 74th page: They did not like each other, and no renewal of acquaintance now could do any good; and were Lady Russell to see them together, she might think that he had too much self-possession, and she too little.

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Synopsis

Published in 1818, Persuasion was Jane Austen’s last completed novel. In this compelling love story, Anne Elliott is unhappy and unmarried twenty-seven. At the urging of her family, she broke her engagement to the man she loved eight years before because he was poor and didn’t have good family connections. When they meet again, he is wealthy, a captain in the navy, and looking for a wife, but he has not forgiven Anne for her rejection and resolves not to fall in love with her again. With a heat-burnished cover, foil stamping, and designed endpapers, the Word Cloud Classics edition of Persuasion is the perfect addition to any bookshelf!

Thoughts

I always forget how much I love Jane Austen until I pick up one of her books and start sinking my teeth into it again. The fact that there’s still a few that I haven’t read yet makes me think that I need to finish reading the books on my shelves. Especially since this was the first time I’ve ever read Persuasion, and I seriously couldn’t put it down once I got about a third of the way in. after all of the introductory, family history nonsense.

My heart broke a little as Anne’s plight and treatment by her family was fully revealed. There was something so sweet and kind about her from the very first introduction, and the fact that she was completely ignored and abandoned by her family was just… well, heart wrenching. But it also made this story all the more romantic and endearing. There is one man that truly understood her worth and he waited around for her for years and years.

We’ve all been persuaded to do something that we’re not really sure is right, or away from something that we know we really want and need in our lives. Although this story was written in the 1800’s, that is a theme that still occurs repeatedly today. Yet, I love that Anne has a chance to make things right and fix her mistake of being persuaded away from true happiness. Persuaded to go against her heart and work with her head and the sensibilities of others.

This is one of those novels that is going to the top of my favourites list. One that I’m going to read again and again. Whenever I’m feeling low, in a reading slump or just in need of a good story that will provide me with a little hope that the world isn’t actually that bad.

<- Northanger AbbeyPride and Prejudice ->

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