All posts by skyebjenner

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.

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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.

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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

Must Love Hellhounds by Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook

Book Review, , , , , , ,
Overview
Must Love Hellhounds

Title: Must Love Hellhounds
Author: Charlaine Harris, Nalini Singh, Ilona Andrews & Meljean Brook
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: Easy reading, Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections
Pace: Fast
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2009
5th sentence, 74th page: She might control his cock, but nothing else.

Synopsis

Follow paranormal bodyguards Clovache and Batanya into Lucifer’s realm, where they encounter his fearsome four-legged pets in The Britlingens Go to Hell.

Seek out a traitor in the midst of a guild of nonlethal vampire trackers, one intent on eradicating members of the species of bloodsuckers, in Angels’ Judgment.

Find out why the giant three-headed dog that guards the gates of Hades has left the underworld for the real world – and whose scent he’s following – in Magic Mourns.

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

I feel so much love for this collection. Not only does it feature two of my already loved series, but it has introduced me to two more that I just have to get my hands on. The fact that all four novellas also feature a hellhound of some description… well, it just made me all the happier. And giddier. And just in general thoroughly enjoying this collection.

Although there was a great common thread throughout these four novellas, the styles and tales were completely different. I liked that they might all be paranormal fantasy, and they all had something to do with hell and demons, but they didn’t actually have all that much else in common with each other. I both loved and hated the fact that each of these tales is also part of a greater series – loved it because I have more books to fill my shelves now. Hated it because I can’t really afford to be purchasing said books.

 <- The Britlingens Go to HellBlind Spot ->

Image source: Goodreads

Lover Beware by Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, Fiona Brand & Eileen Wilks

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

lover-bewareTitle: Lover Beware
Author: Christine Feehan, Katherine Sutcliffe, Fiona Brand & Eileen Wilks
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: Paranormal romance, Romance, Short story collections
Pace: Slow
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2003
5th sentence, 74th page: He was thick and hard and throbbing with his own need.

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Synopsis

BE WARNED – four of today’s most popular authors push passion and intrigue to the limit in four thrilling original stories…

In a sleepy coastal town… Early retirement turns deadly for a defense expert – until a beautiful woman steps between him and his assassins…

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…

Between two strangers… Sometimes one glance is all it takes. And sometimes all it takes is one man to tear apart what fate – and desire – have brought together…

Under the light of the moon… Investigating a series of grisly murders, a San Diego detective is caught off guard by the enigmatic man helping her find the killer…

Thoughts

I bought this collection because I thought that it was a prequel to Tempting Danger. It turns out that the Eileen Wilks tale in this collection was just an original version of the much better novel. Although that tale kind of fell flat for me (as I said, the novel was much better), I loved the collection. It introduced me to three new writers I had never before experienced and took me away to a number of entirely new worlds filled with romance and love.

The paranormal spin on the romances in this collection is a little less potent than what I’m used to. Most of the paranormal romance tales that I read have a heavy emphasis on the paranormal, and the romance (and often lust) occurs as a secondary plot line. With Lover Beware, the romance was first and foremost. It was fun and interesting. It made me believe in true love again and also gave me a great, romantic lustful story, or four to think about.

 <- Only Human Review Magic in the Wind Review ->
Image source: Fantastic Fiction

Inked by Karen Chance, Marjorie Liu, Yasmine Galenorn & Eileen Wilks

Book Review, , , , , , ,

Overview

InkedTitle: Inked
Author: Karen Chance, Marjorie Liu, Yasmine Galenorn & Eileen Wilks
In: Inked (Karen Chance, Marjorie Liu, Yasmine Galenorn & Eileen Wilks)
Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again)
My Bookshelves: Dark fantasy, Paranormal fantasy, Short story collections
Pace: Medium
Format: Anthology
Publisher: Berkley Books
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: Right now, I need some –

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

Synopsis

Four tales of paranormal romance and urban fantasy explore body art that is more than it seems – in a world of magic and mayhem that always leaves its mark…

New York Times bestselling author Karen Chance’s “Skin Deep” tells the tale ofa war mage in Las Vegas who stumbles across an ominous magical ward that appears as a dragon on her skin – and has a mind of its own…

When New York Times bestselling author Marjorie M. Liu’s demon hunter Maxine Kiss investigates a grisly murder, she finds herself involved in a conspiracy dating back to World War II – and a secret mission that her grandmother may have carried out for the U.S. government, one that involes the mysterious “Armor of Roses.”

In New York Times bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn’s “Etched in Silver”, a supernatural agent is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer when an unexpected – and dangerously seductive – ally comes to her aid, setting in motion a magical ritual that may end up binding them together, body and soul.

When the magically tattooed body of a man is found in a Northern California town, FBI Agent Lily Yu is drawn into the case. Trouble is, the victim wasn’t human – and the killer isn’t finished in USA Today bestselling author Eileen Wilks’s “Human Nature”.

Thoughts

I love tattoos. I have two, I’m going to get more. I love stories that feature tattoos. I loved this collection which was basically all about tattoos. Actually, the most disappointing thing about this was how quickly it ended. After all, there were only four novellas in this collection, and I would have happily enjoyed far more.

I’ve held off on reading this collection until I was up to the right stage in the World of the Lupi series, after all, that was why I bought this. But, then I got a little bit too excited about the idea of tattoo riddled paranormal fantasy tales written by some very captivating authors. And I started reading this. And boy, was I not disappointed. Every single one of these tales drew me in and made me immensely happy. It also caused me to buy quite a few more books that I really didn’t need…

Even if you don’t really like tattoos (yes, I can’t quite believe that people like that exist either), this is a great collection of tales. It features strong women, chaos and magic in a turbulent mass that completely draws you in.

 <- Human Nature Review Skin Deep Review ->
Image source: Penguin Random House

God’s Creatures by Carrie Vaughn

Book Review, , , ,
Overview
Dark and Stormy Knights

Title: God’s Creatures
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Series: Kitty Norville #0.8
In: Dark and Stormy Knights (P.N. Elrod) & Kitty’s Greatest Hits (Carrie Vaughn)
Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!)
My Bookshelves: Paranormal fantasy, Urban fantasy
Pace: Medium
Format: Short story
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Year: 2010
5th sentence, 74th page: When the body turned up, Harrison wouldn’t turn him in.

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Synopsis

Cormac has to hunt down the thing that’s killing Harrison’s cattle. But what he ends up having to face is nothing like what he expected.

Thoughts

Werewolf stories are always interesting. For such a well known mythological creature, it’s interesting to see how many different ways people can take such a common story and twist it. Even when they follow the generalised pattern, there is always something a little different and fun. Which is where this short story fits in. It was a fairly expected tale of a werewolf hunter finding, hunting and eventually killing a werewolf. It was the werewolf and where it was found that was a bit more of a shock.

The journey of the hunt normally makes a very good story, the trail that you take that leads up to the final moments. I absolutely loved this – the fact that the trail leads to a reform, Catholic school. The fact that there is a confusing and somewhat hidden past to Cormac helps to draw you in incredibly quickly. Actually, aside from the fact that I originally thought that this was a gangster story, you are thrust straight into the drama.

And now I have added yet another series to my To Be Read List and What I Want To Buy…

 <- Wild Ride ReviewWinnowing the Herd Review ->
Image source: Goodreads