Review: Hush

Hush by Cherry Adair

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



5 STARS!

WOW Have you ever read a book that you had to just stop and think about it for awhile? Well this one did that to me.

I know I checked paranormal series & there is a tiny bit of that in the book but it is more action-adventure with a capital A. And Cherry Adair doesn't skimp on the hot romance either.

After-all, the first scene starts in Venezuela with the hero, Zackery Starck and heroine, Arcadia Grey asleep spooning naked with Zack waking up with his happy to see you friend pressed against Acadia's bottom. A few seconds later, he realizes they aren't alone because he feels something pressing against him...however it is the cold steel of a gun barrel pressed to his temple. Acadia wakes to the sound of several terrorists yelling in Spanish in her room & knew things were going very, very wrong. They were being kidnapped.

It then fills in the backstory of how they were there. She had recently lost her father, won the lottery and decided to step outside her comfort zone and take a vacation in Venezuela. She'd met Zack & his brother Gideon, wealthy thrill seekers, in the hotel the night before. Acadia decides to have her first venture of a one-night-stand with Zack.

When I read that scene...I thought that she must feel like she's Alice in Wonderland and she's gone down the rabbit hole...or maybe she wanted to.

Ms. Adair kept me on a roller coaster of adventure throughout the book. It got so exciting that I had to put the book down a couple of times to let my heart rest. Have you ever done that?

I also had the mystery of who wanted to kidnap the Stark brothers or Acadia. By the end of the book my emotions were in such a jumble that I didn't know if I wanted to cry, be happy or just say "Whew that was a ride." Because there were things I just didn't figure out...real surprises to me.

Ironically, I only bought this book because I won the next one in the series from Goodreads and I wanted to know what was going on before I read book two. I got my money's worth with Hush. Now I'll be waiting at the mailbox for Afterglow, while hoping that it can live up to Hush.

I believe that any review is a trust/duty between myself, goodreads & the author to review any book with my honest opinion. Honesty will always supercede my gratitude for a free book because this is the goal of goodreads.






















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Review: Jared

Jared by Sarah McCarty

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



4 Stars! for both the author and narrator

If any of you read my review of the first of the Shadow Wrangler's series, Caleb, then you know that I love the idea of a Cowboy Vampire. The first book in the series had some weak points that thankfully were rectified in JARED. She 'fixed' the clothes problem. She told where all the replacement clothes were coming from after "bodice rippers" happened. I don't know why that omission bothered me so much - but it did. Evidently, it bothered other people too!

I love strong characters and Sarah McCarty made some really strong characters in the Johnson Brothers. Jared is the main character in this book. He is a reformed outlaw/Cowboy Vampire. He saves Raisa a female vamp who is very weak even though she is an old vamp. However, he doesn't trust her. She mysteriously escaped from his enemies compound when it shouldn't have been possible. She also has secrets.

I am glad that I stuck with this series because it is going to be one of my favorites even though the first book was a little weak. There is a ton of adventure, some great love scenes and it ends well with a little cliff hanger to keep you going to the next book. I love to see a strong man find his weakness in his woman. The sparks always fly between Jared and Raisa. Raisa has more than one secret and one was a huge secret. The other characters, Johnson family and friends, are so well written that I can't wait to read/hear their story. Vampires & Werewolves join together in a common effort and I can easily see a werewolf series coming out of the secondary characters. HINT HINT. I hope you read this Ms. McCarty.

Again, the narrator, Tavia Gilbert, made it happen in this book. I can't imagine this series without her. Even though Ms. McCarty improved the series tremendously in the 2nd book hearing it in Audio Version enhanced it. Those two together made this book a great experience.







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Review: Crystal Gardens

Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



5 STARS
The first book of The Ladies of Lantern Street Series arrived via UPS the other day. I was fortunate enough to receive an ARC copy of Crystal Gardens via Goodreads. Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick is expected to go on sale 4/24/12. Amanda Quick is one of Jayne Ann Krentz's pseudonyms with the other being Jayne Castle.

I've always held her books up to a different standard than other books. I've expected them to be better...much better. Not fair, I admit, but true and she hasn't let me down yet. The thing that frustrated me most of all is when I received the book I was too sick to read it for 2 very long days.

Although this book isn't connected with the Arcane Society(to my knowledge), it has a similar flavor as the characters all have psychical abilities.

Evangeline Ames, a want-to-be writer with the psychical talent of detection/finding things has rented a cottage in Little Dixby outside of London. She is there to rest, write, and recuperate from a terrifying attack. Late one night she was disturbed by an intruder intent on murder. As he comes at her with a knife, he identifies himself as Sharpy Hobson. She escapes into the Crystal Gardens, an overgrown garden with bizarre energy and paranormal elements located on her landlord Lucas Sebastian's estate. As Sharpy pursues her, Lucas steps out of the Crystal Gardens surprising them both. Something about the gardens or Lucas give Sharpy an errie feeling and he flees deeper into the gardens. The next thing heard is an unearthly cry from the gardens....

I won't give up anymore of the plot but will say that the story-line held me enthralled as if they had used their psychical talents on me. I was totally hooked by the 9th page and surprised at how descriptively detailed those first 9 pages were. Ms. Krentz/Quick definitely knows her stuff.

Evie & Lucas had sparks flying off the pages and the secondary characters kept up their part enhancing the story-line. This book offers romance, adventure, a murder mystery and enough paranormal excitement to keep the reader off kilter and begging for more.

I think that Jayne Ann Krentz is the one with the psychical ability to write novels that keep you enthralled to the last page, while waiting impatiently for the next book no matter what pseudonym she uses.


I believe that any review is a trust/duty between myself, goodreads & the author to review any book with my honest opinion. Honesty will always supercede my gratitude for a free book because this is the goal of goodreads. (less) [edit]










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Review: Caleb

Caleb by Sarah McCarty

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



3 STARS for the Author & 4 STARS for the Narrator (Tavia Gilbert)

Audiobook listening time: 12 hours
Main Characters: Cade: A Cowboy Vampire of approx 249 years & Cassie: a pastry chef (the most recent of her many career changes)

My first thought prior to listening to the book was: " What a great premise, I don't think Cowboy Vampires have been done before." Since I wasn't familiar with Sarah McCarty, I decided to jump in there and give it a try. Even though westerns aren't really my thing I'm always up to trying something new.

The beginning starts off action packed with an attack, a rescue & then wrongly being locked up. After that, mild disappointment starts to seep in for me as the book becomes staid. There was tons of dialogue but no real communication. I think the author was attempting to portray the insecurities we all feel when we first fall in love but somehow it fell flat. The feathers scene could have been hilarious but didn't quite make it.

Allie started out being strong, stubborn but scared underneath it all. I loved her seduction attempt with the push-up bra. However, in the center of the book, I felt like her character failed. I can't put my finger on exactly what was wrong but by then I had become invested in the book and wanted to "fix it". The story line was great and it has so much potential.

One of the things that bothered me was all the clothes being ripped off Allie & later Caleb. It would have been nice to have a scene showing him or someone replacing the clothes...after all she hasn't left the "all male ranch" since the rescue and I wanted to know how all these clothes are showing up and being ripped off. Go to her house for gods sake and pick up her clothes. I hate loose ends and this one really bothered me. If there is ever a revision...please fix this! Was it cut out in a revision? I REALLY HATE LOOSE ENDS.

Caleb's character was in line with what I'd believe an 1800's cowboy would be. He kept his basic western cowboy persona with just a touch of adaption to the modern world.

Thankfully the end of the book picks up and resembles the beginning, being fast paced and action packed. If the book had continued as the middle was written it would have been a lost cause for me.

Ms. McCarty had the love scenes perfect. They were believable & hot and steamy. Perfect!

The real winner in this book is the narrator, Tavia Gilbert. Her rendition of the characters and the excitement she breaths into them rescued this book where it needed to be rescued and enhanced those scenes that were already on spot. She is the narrator that I'd like to hear in some of my paranormal and historical romance audiobooks. I have a handful that I love to hear and she goes on that list. She is right up there with my female narrators: Davina Porter, Xe Sands & Ann Flosnik. This is the first time I've had a book she narrated and hopefully it won't be the last.

With the negative things that I said about the book you'd think I wouldn't read the next one in the series. You would be wrong. Somehow Sarah McCarty made me invested in the series...She has sold me on the Johnson brothers. Did I say I love the story line. I hope her next book in the series is better. This one had the potential of being a powerhouse book but just fell short in the center. So it is safe to say...read/listen to the book and don't put it down...the end is in sight.



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Review: Wolf at the Door

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



3.5 Stars! I know it's marked 4 stars but I really had a hard time getting into the book...I hope it doesn't last as I ran across the entire series in a used book store & that's lots of money to invest into a series of books. Of course, it's not as much as if I had to pay full price for the disks.

There were many things that drew me to "The Others Series". First, I love a good werewolf book. Then I saw that Kate Redding was the narrator. That makes it a good book immediately. She is one of the top narrators in my book. The third thing that made me go out on a limb and get the series was that I've never read a Christine Warren book and had heard so many good things about the author.

The book opens with Quinn Sullivan being sent from Ireland on a diplomatic mission to the United States to feel out "the others" in America about coming out to the humans. He is the Irish were-pack's historian/bard/storyteller. That designation is so important in the were community that it places him as 2nd in command to the leader. While discussing with his colleagues (representatives from The Others European community) the initial way to approach the American delegates, he smells honeysuckle and loses his mind and reason for being to the scent of honeysuckle. He is so fixated on the smell that he can't think of anything but finding the owner of the scent....
The story continues.

There are some very good scenes in the book but nothing that makes me scream...this is wonderful. Of course, I will be the first to admit that I have very high standards and maybe my expectations were too high. Don't misunderstand, it is a good book and worth buying but not the 5 star book I had anticipated.

I really wish this were a 10 star system...it would be easier to rate a book. I almost feel like I'm doing a disservice to the author with a 3.5. However, 3 means I liked it and the .5 is for Kate Reading. She brings any book up at least a half point and sometimes more. This book is worth the read and I feel the others will just get better. Or I hope so.

I see I've already made a mistake in my reading order. Oh well, I'll try to correct myself...it might make a big difference to me. After listing the author's chronological order...I have grave doubts about my initial review of the book...I thought this was book #1 and I also thought I had the series...WRONG...I WAS WRONG. I will try to find the other books and start from the chronological beginning...and if I need to change or update this review I will.

Series order in author’s note for her readers in FAQ on her website)
Going by the chronology of the events in the books, the order is:

1.   One Bite With A Stranger (The Others #6)(aka Fantasy Fix)
2.   Big Bad Wolf (The Others, #8) (aka Fur Factor)
3.   Prince Charming Doesn't Live Here (The Others #10)(aka Faer Fetched)
4.   Black Magic Woman (The Others, #11)
5.   Not Your Ordinary Faerie Tale (The Others, #12)(aka Fighting Faer)
6.   On the Prowl
7.   Fur For All (Fixed, #5) (to be rewritten/retitled)
8.   Fur Play (Fixed, #6)(aka Hungry Like a Wolf)
9.   Wolf at the Door (The Others, #1)
10. She's No Faerie Princess (The Others, #2)
11. The Demon You Know (The Others, #3)
12. No Rest for the Witches (Nightcreature, #7.5) (Magic, #3.5) (The Others, 3.5)
13. Howl at the Moon (The Others, #4)
14. Walk on the Wild Side (The Others, #5)
15. You're So Vein (The Others, #7)
16. Born To Be Wild (The Others, #9)



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Review: Forged in Fire

Forged in Fire by Trish McCallan

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



3.5 - 4 STARS
Trish McCallan's book FORGED IN FIRE is like reading a combination of Suzanne Brockmann & Larissa Ione. Trish McCallan is an author we will all want to keep an eye on. She is definitely on her way to the top.

If you love Navy SEALS, then this book is for you. It is action packed throughout the entire book. Beth & Zane meet at an airport, have a psychic connection [which she doesn't believe in] and the excitement and suspense are constant throughout the book.

I don't want to give anything away but this is one book you will want to read. Actually, I wasn't expecting it to be this good because I checked the author out prior to reading and she had only written 1 book [that I could find] before this one...so I just wasn't expecting much. To say she exceeded my expectations is an understatement. The story-line was very detailed & I felt like I was there with each of the characters throughout the book. Two things surprised me: everything that happened in the book took place in one day & how well the characters were developed. It felt very realistic. The author told the story from several viewpoints without sounding repetitive so I was inside their head and engaged with each character.

On the negative side, the book wasn't complete [at least in my mind]. It could have easily been a 5 star novel if the story-line had been completed and not waiting on another book in the series. It didn't do the book justice. I was left hanging. Maybe she meant it that way. I realize that Forged in Ice is coming out in mid 2012 but that should be an entirely different part of the story-line with either Mac or one of the other characters as the main one. I STILL HAVE TOO MANY UNANSWERED QUESTIONS ABOUT THE ENDING OF THIS BOOK. Hopefully, Forged in Ice will answer some of the questions but it just didn't feel like the end...when the book stopped. Maybe it would have been better if it had covered 2 or 3 days or again maybe she meant it that way. I'm definitely not in the authors mind.



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How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper My rating: 4 of 5 stars 4 STARS Audiobook For those of you that have dealt with overbearing, manipulative mothers and need to laugh about it you'll love this book. To add to Mo's misery, mom raised her in a commune and is just a tad wacky! I laughed throughout each conversation with mom. Poor "Mo" had to move to Alaska to get away from her mother. It sounds like she might have made the right decision because there were the fringe benefits of Alaska's sexy hunks. How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf , is lighthearted, funny & quirky but still has some dark sides with a murder mystery thrown in to boot. To add to the excitement, there are some great love scenes. I can't wait to listen to the next book in the series. The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #2) View all my reviews

Review: To Wed a Wild Lord

To Wed a Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



4.5 STARS!!!

To Wed a Wild Lord is the 4th of the Hellions of Halstead Hall series and they keep getting better & better. This is one series that I hope never ends.

Lord Gabriel Sharpe aka "The Angel of Death" has felt guilty since his best friend died in a race against him 7 years ago. When he is challenged by his deceased friend's little sister, Virginia Waverly, to "thread the needle" [race] her at the same location, he is stunned. She is determined. They dance around each other like two cats in heat.

Sabrina Jeffries knows exactly how to play the characters against each other so that the pages are steaming up your glasses [if you wear them]. The dialogue is witty & exciting.

I can't wait for the next book in the series.



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Review: The Book of Lost Fragrances

The Book of Lost Fragrances by M.J. Rose

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This is a Good Reads ARC book.

 THE BEST BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR 5 STARS!

M.J. Rose shows a talent for intricately weaving a journey through the centuries into a life altering mystery of love and loss.

An ancient bottle of perfume took me on a suspenseful journey through history, politics, family problems, religion, mysticism, & reincarnation.  I traveled [via her book] from the high rises of New York to the tombs of Egypt and ended up in the catacombs of Paris.

The story was well developed, researched & historically factual where needed.
I felt close to the story because I lost my favorite perfume, Opium through changes in laws.  Yes, the company was required to change the formula for environmental reasons and it doesn't smell the same.  Each perfume is unique to an individual's body chemistry and I lost a favorite friend in that perfume.

This book should bring more excitement than The Da Vinci Code.
For those of you that love Audiobook format (as I do).  I contacted the author and she says it is available in that format & has an excellent narrator.











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