All posts by skyebjenner

Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

Oceans of FireTitle: Oceans of Fire
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #3, Sea Haven #3
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Piatkus
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: It shows up in the form of a handprint every time she flirts.

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Synopsis

Seven sisters…
and a legacy of magical secrets.

The third daughter in a magical bloodline, Abigail Drake was born with a mystical affinity for water and possesses a particularly strong bond with dolphins. She has spent her entire life studying them, learning from them, and swimming among them in the waters off her hometown of Sea Haven.

However, her calm is shattered when she witnesses a cold-blooded murder on shore and finds herself fleeing for her life – right into the arms of Aleksandr Volstov. An Interpol agent on the trail of stolen Russian antiquities, Aleksandr is a relentless man who gets what he goes after – and the man who broke Abigail’s heart. But he isn’t going to let the only woman he ever loved be placed in harm’s way – or allow her to slip away from his embrace a second time.

Thoughts

I’m sad that this is over. And I’m sad that I now have to wait a whole week until I get my hands on Dangerous Tides. I thought that I was feeling obsessive over the Drake Sisters after the first two tales, but this just tipped me over the edge. I loved Abigail and her journey with the Russians. I also loved that she is a marine biologist… it’s a similar field to my terrestrial ecologist field.

As much as I enjoy paranormal romance, sometimes I find it incredibly unrealistic that a couple meets and falls madly in love within mere moments. Alright, it does happen (I feel in lust with my partner when I first met him), but it’s not exactly the most realistic way for people to form a relationship. The fact that Alexsandr and Abigail had a prior relationship showed that Feehan is able to write about both kinds of love. There is a horrible past between the two characters, but they are able to find their future happiness as they run towards safety and try to escape Russian mobsters.

Oceans of Fire also introduces a few key characters that I think are going to pop up and create issues for the Drake Sisters throughout the rest of the Sea Haven series. I’m obsessing over stories like this at the moment because they feature all new people each and every tale that you can be swept away by and fall in love with. Yet, those that I’ve previously fell in love with are still present. I’m actually completely captivated by Ilya, and the first thing I did after finishing this was read the blurbs for the rest of this series’ stories. So now I just have to wait until Turbulent Seas where Ilya will appear again…

 <- The Twilight Before Christmas Review Dangerous Tides Review ->
Image source: Bookdepository

The Twilight Before Christmas by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , , ,

Overview

The Twilight Before ChristmasTitle: The Twilight Before Christmas
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #2, Sea Haven #2
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Pocket Books
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: She was so serious all of a sudden, so distant from him, that he was actually beginning to believe she was on the trail of something evil.

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Synopsis

SEVEN SISTERS…
AND A LEGACY OF MAGICAL SECRETS.

Bestselling novelist Kate Drake is one of seven sisters gifted with amazing powers of witchcraft. Returning home in time for her northern California town’s annual Christmas pageant, Kate catches the spirit of the season and decides to open a bookstore in a charming but run-down historic mill. Decorated former U.S. Army Ranger Matt Granite, now a local contractor, doesn’t mind working in the undeniably eerie house – not if it means getting closer to Kate. There’s something about the quiet, sensual woman that powerfully attracts him.

When an earthquake cracks the mill’s foundation and reveals a burial crypt, Kate senses that a centuries-old evil has been unleashed… and that it’s coming after her. Though Matt vows to guard her from dusk till dawn, Kate knows she will have to summon all of her and her sisters’ powers to battle the darkness threatening to destroy both Christmas and the gift of soul-searing passion her hometown hero wants to keep forever…

Thoughts

The spirit of Christmas is beautiful. It is everything that family and friendship and all those happy, gooey things should be. And generally, completely unrealistic. But, hey, I love the idea of Christmas and the Christmas spirit. Which this story encompasses completely. The feeling of joy, family and love. The idea of putting yourself before others and accepting people, flaws and all.

I thoroughly enjoy romance stories – it’s always nice to imagine that everyone has their perfect partner out there. And that there is somebody for everyone. The idea that Matt would be completely enamoured with Kate since the first moment he laid eyes on her is completely sweet. Yet, kind of creepy. It’s such a recurring theme, the possession and the protectiveness. And when it is something that is returned and also felt, it works out incredibly romantic. But, part of me, while reading this couldn’t help but imagine what would happen if Kate didn’t return the feelings and impulses of her male counterpart. Luckily for my romantic bone, this doesn’t happen and Feehan writes everything so sweetly and romantically that I was completely swept away by their love story.

I identified with Kate a lot more than I thought I would. I’m not elegant or put together, but I am kind of removed from the world. I would rather read than do and I’m more than happy observing the world around me. I still like to throw myself into my life, but in doing so, I tend to throw myself into more research and books. The fact that this lifestyle makes Kate feel like she’s in the shadows instead of truly living her life was both familiar to me, and a little sad. After all, it takes all kinds, and there’s nothing wrong (I hope) with watching the world whirl by instead of being completely swept away in the hailstorm of your surrounds.

 <- Magic in the Wind Review Oceans of Fire Review ->
Image source: Simon & Schuster

The Ballad of Rosamunde by Claire Delacroix

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: The Ballad of Rosamunde

Author: Claire Delacroix

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Fae, Romance

Pace: Slow

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: Rosamunde felt her heart skip and feared her maidens would hear its tumult.

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Synopsis

Padraig thinks that the love of his life has been taken away from him forever. But, then he finds out that she amongst the fae and that there might be a way to save her after all.

Thoughts

I loved this short story. It took the beauty of an old Irish ballad, and partnered it with a battle against the fae, true love and pirates. Really, you can’t go wrong with such a mix.

I really liked how if you read the ballad that is throughout this, it would form its own beautiful story that you could completely lose yourself in. But, Delacroix takes the stanzas and fleshes them out. She layers emotion onto emotion and takes you on a wild journey that you just can’t escape.

There are almost three storylines interwoven throughout this tale. There is the ballad. There is Padraig’s battle to save Rosamunde. And there is the tale of how Rosamunde found herself in such a dire predicament. Each story is amazingly sweet and heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

 <- The Blue Pebble Review Oracle Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Magic in the Wind by Christine Feehan

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

Magic in the WindTitle: Magic in the Wind
Author: Christine Feehan
Series: Drake Sisters #1, Sea Haven #1
In: Lover Beware (Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, Fiona Brand & Eileen Wilks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: The Coast, Family, Magic, Paranormal romance
Pace: Fast
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: He was thick and hard and throbbing with his own need.

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Synopsis

“Sarah’s coming home.” Ever since Damon Wilder sought refuge in Sea Haven, he’s heard the same breathless rumor pass the lips of nearly every local in the sleepy coastal town. Even the wind seems to whisper her name – a reverie so powerfully suggestive that it carries the curious Damon to Sarah’s clifftop home, and seeks to shelter him there.

But Damon has not arrived alone. Two men have tracked him to Sea Haven, and into the shadows of Drake House, where Sarah hides her own secrets. And danger- as well as a desire more urgent than either has ever known- is just a whisper away…

Thoughts

This novella sent the warm, fuzzy feelings from my fingers to my toes. Yes, it had that sexual component in it, but it wasn’t that – it was the familial and romantic love that permeates ever word of this story. The entire thing is sweet, and open and fun. And the fact that the setting is a gorgeous, coastal town just helped me to fall even more deeply in love with this tale… and now I have to wait about two weeks for the next two books to arrive…

Magic in the Wind sets up the rest of the Drake Sisters series perfectly – there is an ancient prophecy that predicts the arrival of the eldest sisters’ love. Then there is a mention about the rest of this little prophecy… which apparently means that the rest of the seven are soon going to find their own partners for life. I love that this is the very beginning of the series, and as I just mentioned, I can’t wait to receive the next few books.

Damon and Sarah are a great couple – they embody the acceptance that I believe true love is all about, but they add that dreamy, romantic quality that you only find in the pages of a really good book. Sarah is the strong and intense woman, with Damon being the analytical, scientific mind. The balance between the two worlds and personalities collide perfectly as they both race to save Damon’s life from his would-be assassins.

 <- Vengeance Road Review The Twilight Before Christmas Review ->
Image source: Little, Brown Book Group

Blind Spot by Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Must Love HellhoundsTitle: Blind Spot
Author: Meljean Brook
Series: The Guardians #5.5
In: Must Love Hellhounds (Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Demons, Paranormal romance
Pace: Medium
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: But it was the knees that made Maggie want to sink whimpering to the floor and curl into a ball.

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Synopsis

Embark on a perilous search for the kidnapped niece of a powerful vampire alongside her blind – and damn sexy – companion and a hellhound in Blind Spot.

Thoughts

So this didn’t turn out the way I expected. I expected the love interest of course… everything in the Must Love Hellhounds collection has a romantic entanglement of some kind (actually, almost everything you read does). But the guy wasn’t anything like what I expected. The journey they go on didn’t have the usual push and pull – they were both instantly attracted, but rather than having hang ups on getting together, they just couldn’t act on it.

A hellhound, a blind guy and an ex-CIA agent sounds like the beginning of a really, really bad joke. Or a weird, convoluted tale. Luckily, it was neither. This turned into a fun and engaging cast that lured me in from the very first moment. And one that has made me buy the first two books of the series as soon as I got to a good internet connection.

Blind Spot is beautifully named – there is a blind guy and they have a blind spot in their dealings with each other. The fact that this feeds into a bigger conspiracy against a powerful family, a kidnapping and Maggie’s chance at her own happily-ever-after just makes it all the more enjoyable. Really, I just can’t wait to get the first book in the series. I also can’t seem to get the final scene out of my head, which is… interesting.

 <- Magic Mourns Review Must Love Hellhounds Review ->
Image source: Goodreads

Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

Hot SpellTitle: Falling for Anthony
Author: Meljean Brook
Series: The Guardians #0.5
In: Hot Spell (Lora Leigh, Emma Holly, Shiloh Walker & Meljean Brook)
Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)
My Bookshelves: Angels, Demons, Paranormal romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Year: 2005
5th sentence, 74th page: Mrs. Kremble was not the softest of women, but she had served the family faithfully for years.

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Synopsis

Disillusioned and hurt, Emily Ames-Beaumont makes a decision that she can’t take back. 88 Anthony has grown up with the Ames-Beaumont twins, but he is of a different class. His decision to become a physician in the war and face down a nosferata has unforseen consequences.

Thoughts

This was nothing like what I expected. The first The Guardians story that I read was the novella Blind Spot and I absolutely loved the intersection of angels, vampires, romance and hellhounds. So I decided that this was a series that I just had to have. And I’m so glad that I made that decision. Even though Falling for Anthony wasn’t what I was expecting, more Victorian romance than contemporary as I was expecting, it was still so very, very good.

I’ve always found the notion that a woman’s virginity should be protected – but when you are writing a tale featuring Victorian England and sex is involved, it’s a huge part of the plot. Brook handled this really well, but didn’t make it an overbearing and difficult aspect of the tale. Emily and Anthony’s moment of passion has far reaching consequences and is incredibly serious, but it’s used as a great plot driver.

I always know that a tale is really good when I can’t get scenes and emotions out of my head. And that is the case with Falling for Anthony. There is something haunting about this story, and it introduces the leads in Demon Angel perfectly. Now I just have to find a way to squirrel myself away and read this in peace.

 <- Guardian Demon Review Demon Angel Review ->
Image source: Meljean Brook

Jodie’s Journey by Colin Thiele

Book Review, , ,

Overview

Jodie's JourneyTitle: Jodie’s Journey
Author: Colin Thiele
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Australian authors, Classics, Easy reading
Pace: Fast
Format: Novel
Publisher: Walter McVitty
Year: 1988
5th sentence, 74th page: It wouldn’t be ready until four o’clock so she probably would not be home until five.

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Synopsis

When Jodie Carpenter won the Greenvale Junior Show Jumping Championship there were tears of happiness in her eyes. It was a moment that nothing could ever take away from her. She was not to know that she was about to be cruelly struck down by a crippling disease, and that the hurdles which lay ahead of her would be more challenging than those she had just overcome…

Thoughts

I have been hunting for this book for ages. It was the first tale that through me into the world of novels and that I completely loved. This book is honestly the very reason that I became so obsessed with reading. So the fact that I have finally found a copy to revisit this made me one of the happiest girls in the world. And reading this again, also made me deliriously happy. And it also made me cry.

Colin Thiele is such a great Australian writer and one that I have long admired. The fact that Jodie’s Journey is based near my home just made it all the more thrilling. I can see the places in which he talks about, because I’ve been there. I’ve breathed the air and experienced the terror of bushfires. I remember going to a small school, and the town I live in is even mentioned in the book. It all hits so wonderfully close to home and draws this amazing world that sweeps you along as Jodie fights to overcome her illness.

I wasn’t alive when Ash Wednesday swept across the state, but I have experienced that same overwhelming terror and confusion bought about by the presence of a bushfire. The fact that Jodie is crippled and on a farm makes everything all the more scary, but the powerful message in her strength and journey help you to believe that you can do anything. At least, that’s what it did for me as a kid, and it served as a great reminder now that I’m an adult.

<- More Australian author reviews More Classic reviews ->
Image source: AbeBooks

Hot August Moon by Katherine Sutcliffe

Book Review, , ,

Overview

lover-bewareTitle: Hot August Moon
Author: Katherine Sutcliffe
In: Lover Beware (Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, Fiona Brand & Eileen Wilks)
Rating Out of 5: 3.5 (Liked this)
My Bookshelves: Crime, Romance
Pace: Slow
Format: Novella
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: “Is there a problem?” She pocketed the shield.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

Among women of the night… An FBI profiler can see into the mind of a French Quarter killer targeting prostitutes – but not into the heart of the detective she must trust with her life…

Thoughts

I have very mixed feelings about this novella. It was incredibly difficult to put down. It was really enthralling. But, after I finished reading it… it wasn’t overly memorable. The really amazing stories that have completely gripped me, I remember them, days, weeks after I have closed the last page. But here I am, trying to write a review about Hot August Moon, and the main thing that I remember was that it was enjoyable.

I enjoy stories that have multiple points of view. It’s not something that I find easy to write (which expands on my fascination with this talent. It also provides a great alternate insight into what is happening, regardless of the other point of view. The fact that Hot August Moon has the point of view of the serial killer. Watching the main character, planning what he could do with her… well, it manages to make this a little bit creepier and more full on.

One of the reasons I find this story a little more difficult to recall is that it felt unfinished. The story built up tension, and then just kind of… finished. No conclusion was reached. There was a huge, gapping hole left in the relationship… it just felt… incomplete.

 <- Magic in the Wind Review After Midnight Review ->
Image source: Fantastic Fiction

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Frankenstein

Title: Frankenstein
Author: Mary Shelley
Series: Word Cloud Classics
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Classics, Easy reading, Gothic
Pace: Slow
Format: Novel
Publisher: Word Cloud Classics
Year: 1818
5th sentence, 74th page: Yet my heart overflowed with kindness and the love of virtue.

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Synopsis

Horror. Romance. Science. A classic tale that would be a fright to miss!

The idea for the story came to the author, Mary Shelley, in a dream she had about a scientist who had created life and was horrified by what he had made. This Gothic-style romance is among the first of true science fiction novels, if not the first. A young scientist named Victor Frankenstein, after going through his own near-death experience, decides to play God and create life in the form of a grotesque creature, which turns into a nightmare. Through his experience, he learns that the gift of life is precious, not disposable. His journey and personal transformation has deeply affected readers.

Thoughts

I’ve never read Frankenstein. I’ve not really spoken to anyone who has. And it was one that I’ve wanted to read for curiosities sake but wasn’t completely desperate to read like some others. All that changed when I started on the first page of this book. I can completely understand why this has stood the test of time and captured so many readers’ imaginations and fascinations.

I really enjoyed how this tale started off with a series of letters that helped to foreshadow what was to come. It highlighted the dark nature of the tale, and the sense of total and utter devastation of Frankenstein as his story unfolded. Even though I knew that this wasn’t going to be a sunshine and roses kind of tale, it still broke my heart a little as the tale unfolded. Not just for Frankenstein, but there was a few moments when I felt genuine sorry for his monster too. Although, not enough to accept the horrors of his actions.

The foreshadowing that is layered throughout this story is brilliantly done. It gives this horrifying sense of dread and an uncomfortable feeling that sits in the pit of your stomach. The commentary on social injustice and assumptions that cause his monster to completely lose his mind just add to that feeling of uncomfortableness. But it’s a good uncomfortable, it acts as a way to open your eyes, even in this modern day that makes you question all of the assumptions that you make about others. And to remind you that sometimes the worst monster in the world is the one of your own creation.

<- Shakespeare’s Sonnets and Other PoemsStrange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde & Other Stories ->

Image source: Amazon

The Blue Pebble by Shirley Kennedy

Book Review, , , , ,

Overview

The Mammoth Book of Irish RomanceTitle: The Blue Pebble

Author: Shirley Kennedy

In: The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance (Trisha Telep)

Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect)

My Bookshelves: Celtic, Easy reading, Magic, Romance

Pace: Slow

Format: Short story

Publisher: Running Press

Year: 2010

5th sentence, 74th page: He gazed around the tiny room and frowned.

Buy The Book Now at The Book Depository, Free Delivery World Wide

Synopsis

A young, Irish woman granted with a gift moves to England and finds deceit, passion and a whole new life.

Thoughts

This was such a sweet short story. I knew from the very beginning who would end up with who, but there was a moment that still made me doubt it. Which of course made me read through the tale even quicker than I was before.

My family is English, and Irish, and Welsh… and every time I read a story that uses any of these three countries and groups, I feel myself getting swept away. I have never been, and I may never get the chance, but there is something about these settings that seems to speak to me. Or maybe it’s just my obsession with where my family originally came from. Regardless, the setting for The Blue Pebble completely swept me away. It was picturesque, sweet and everything that I wanted in a before-bedtime story.

I enjoyed how this story highlighted the injustices and cruelty of class systems and the judgements that people make. Poor Evleen was forced to contend with this, alongside her growing emotions and insecurities. This is such a sweet tale and one that I will probably pick up every time I feel low and alone.

 <- The Mammoth Book of Irish Romance Review The Ballad of Rosamunde Review ->
Image source: Goodreads