Book Binge

Rowena's review of Bound by Your Touch by Meredith Duran

Hero: Viscount Sanburne
Heroine: Lydia Boyce

Silver-tongued Viscount Sanburne is London's favorite scapegrace. Alas, Lydia Boyce has no interest in being charmed. When his latest escapade exposes a plot to ruin her family, she vows to handle it herself, as she always has done. Certainly she requires no help from a too-handsome dilettante whose main achievement is being scandalous. But Sanburne's golden charisma masks a sharper mind and darker history than she realizes. He shocks Lydia by breaking past her prim facade to the woman beneath...and the hidden fire no man has ever recognized. But as she follows him into a world of intrigue, she will learn that the greatest danger lies within — in the shadowy, secret motives of his heart.

This is the first book that I read for the DIK Reading Challenge that the lovely ladies over at the DIK blog is running. I chose this book from Carolyn Jean's list and I have got to say that I really enjoyed this book.

I don't really know what I was expecting when I started this book but I heard a lot of good things about it and wanted to try it out long before now but it kept falling off my radar but boy am I glad that I finally picked it up to read. Duran did a great job of sucking me into the world she created for these characters.

Sanburne is one of those heroes who is off trying to piss his Dad off by being the outrageous rake that he is and he blames his father for his sister being in a mental hospital after she killed her husband. James hates his father and then there's the heroine, Lydia who is the woman who was spurned by the man she thought she loved but really only wanted her for a sister in law. Unlike James, Lydia adores her father and as the story progresses and we see the two of these guys fight to their way to their happy ending was such fun.

James had this devil may care attitude, he came off as irresponsible, he showed up in public drunk and high and yet there was something about him that I found utterly attractive. He made me laugh, he made me sigh and I adored him. He was far from the perfect man and yet still, I heart him. Watching him unable to stay away from Lydia was fun to watch.

Lydia was one of those heroines who thought she was unworthy of love and she had a beast of a sister that made me mad but I enjoyed getting to know Lydia. She was this thoroughly exasperating woman who was thoroughly humiliated and held her head high, everyone in the ton knew about her and George and still she didn't hide herself away, she went on her merry way and lived her life. She was strong and I admired her.

Overall, this story was great. It was a story that I enjoyed quite a bit. I'm so glad that I finally picked it up. Should you read it? Of course! If you haven't read this book, pick it up and read it, you'll enjoy it, I promise!

Grade: 4.25 out of 5

This book is available from Pocket. You can buy it here.

We have ourselves a winner!

The battled waged on for an entire month between two heroes and all of the voting has brought us here to this moment. We have a new winner for this month's last hero standing and the winner is:



Congratulations to all of the Jericho Barrons fans out there for all of their hard work that made their hero come out on top. He must be some kind of amazing to bring out the numbers that he did. Thanks to everyone who came out and supporting the Last Hero Standing Challenge here on Book Binge. It's always a fun way to spend the month, don't you think? Jericho fans out there have gloating privileges for the entire month, woo hoo for you guys!

We'll be back to do it all again starting tomorrow, hope you'll join us again! Have a great rest of the weekend!

Cheers,
Rowena, Casee & Holly

Valentine's Day is almost here and Romance titles are some of our most popular eBooks. So what does that mean? A Valentine's Romance Sale! Save 25% OFF on ALL Romance eBooks along with Fantasy, Erotica and Dark Fantasy titles. Shop Now!

New and Featured eBooks

For all the new eBooks added this week, click here.

Letters to Kelly
by Suzanne Brockmann
[Romance]

So here I sit, writing letters that have no hope of reaching you until I am free to deliver them myself. With luck, that will be soon. For your eighteenth birthday is coming, and I intend to be there, like I promised....For years, a trumped-up charge--and a Central American prison cell--kept Jax Winchester from claiming the girl he loved. Now he was a free man. Or was he?For only the memory of Kelly O'Brien--and the ... Details

Almost Innocent
by Jane Feather
[Romance]

Dear Reader, Almost Innocent is a romance that is particularly dear to me, with a heroine who surprised me with her strength and resourcefulness, and a hero who will always be one of my favorites. Growing up behind the impenetrable walls of an English fortress, young Magdalen does not know that she is the illegitimate daughter of a powerful English prince and his murdered French mistress--or that she has been a pawn in the struggle ... Details
The Choirboys
by Joseph Wambaugh
[Mystery/Crime]

Partners in the Los Angeles Police Department, they're haunted by terrifying dark secrets of the nightwatch--shared predawn drink and sex sessions they call choir practice. Each wears his cynicism like a bulletproof jockstrap--each has his horror story, his bad dream, his night shriek. He is afraid of his friends--he is afraid of himself. Details
Vanishing Acts
by Jodi Picoult
[Mainstream]

New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her ability to tap into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she explores what happens when a young woman's past--a past she didn't even know she had--catches up to her just in time to threaten her future. Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome ... Details
Star Trek Voyager #16: Seven of Nine
by Christie Golden
[Science Fiction]

Once she was Annika Hansen, an innocent child assimilated by the fearsome, all-conquering Borg. Now she is Seven of Nine, a unique mixture of humanbiology and Borg technology. Cut off from the collective that has been her only reality for most of her existence, and forced to join the crew of the Starship Voyager", she must come to grips with her surprising new environment -- and her own lost individuality.Seven of Nine has already captured ... Details
The Fixer Upper
by Judith Arnold
[Romance]

As the admissions director for one of Manhattan's finest private schools, Libby Kimmelman is overworked, underpaid--and totally overwhelmed by flowers, chocolates and other bribes from zealous parents determined to enroll their little Einsteins. The one parent who does intrigue her is Ned Donovan. Vermont-rugged, carpenter-sexy, he shows up in her office trying to explain how his ten-year-old genius son applied to the school without his knowledge.A widower with a lust for her marble fireplace, Ned ... Details
Die for You: A Novel
by Lisa Unger
[Suspense/Thriller]

Isabel Raine thought she had everything--a successful career, a supportive family, and a happy marriage to the man she loved. Then one ordinary morning, her husband, Marcus, picks up his briefcase, kisses her good-bye, and simply vanishes. That day, all her calls to him go straight to voice mail; the messages she leaves at his office go unreturned, too. Panicking after finally receiving a call from his cell phone in which all she can hear ... Details
Doors Open
by Ian Rankin
[Mystery/Crime]

Three friends descend upon an art auction in search of some excitement. Mike Mackenzie-retired software mogul, bachelor and fine art enthusiast-wants something that money can't buy. Fellow art-lover Allan Cruickshank is bored with his banking career and burdened by a painful divorce. And Robert Gissing, an art professor, is frustrated that so many paintings stay hidden in corporate boardrooms, safes and private apartments. After the auction-and a chance encounter with crime boss Chib Calloway-Robert and ... Details
Pursuit of Honor: A Novel
by Vince Flynn
[Suspense/Thriller]

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR VINCE FLYNN RETURNS WITH HIS MOST EXHILARATING POLITICAL THRILLER TO DATE, A PULSE-POUNDING TALE OF ESPIONAGE, COVERT INTELLIGENCE, AND COUNTERTERRORISM. The action begins six days after a series of explosions devastated Washington, D.C., targeting the National Counterterrorism Center and killing 185 people, including public officials and CIA employees. It was a bizarre act of extreme violence that called for extreme measures on the part of elite counterterrorism operative Mitch ... Details
Chasing Brooklyn
by Lisa Schroeder
[Young Adult]

When Lucca died, no one took it harder than his best friend, Gabe. It's exactly one year later, and Gabe has just died of a drug overdose. Tragedy striking yet again. Brooklyn, Lucca's girlfriend, has learned to wear a mask of strength and indifference after losing the boy she loved. But inside, her emotions are in turmoil. Now her dreams are being haunted by a ghost, gray and sinister. She knows it's Gabe chasing after ... Details

Happy eReading

We'd once again like to thank Cindi Myers for guest blogging with us. I thought her post about The Perfect Hero was very enlightening. Without further ado, here are the winners:


Baby It's Cold Outside:

The Father for her Son:



Congrats ladies! Please email us at contests @ thebookbinge . com (no spaces) with your choice of format and mailing address (if applicable). Please put the title of the book you won in the subject line.

Now for our Monthly Reads winners. We keep falling behind on this. Sorry about that. I promise we'll try to do better in the future (I don't, however, promise that we actually will get better).


Must Love Mistletoe:


The Summoning:


Hidden Fire:

I got Susan Andersen's newsletter yesterday and it looks like we're getting our wish: She's been given the go-ahead on Poppy's story. For those of you who aren't familiar (or don't remember) I blogged about this a couple months ago when we did our SA Author Spotlight. Basically HQN decided to pull the plug on the trilogy one book short. As a reader I was outraged, and I'm sure many others were too. So I'm happy to report that we'll be getting Poppy's book after all.

From her newsletter:

This is just a quick note to let you know that Ava's story has finally been given the green light. Yaaaaay! I am soooo pleased to have the opportunity to write her story. It won't be out until 2011, but I hope you'll hang in there with me. So don't toss Cutting Loose and Bending The Rules just yet. You might want to brush up on Jane and Poppy's stories before Ava's hits the shelves.

I apologize to those of you who have written me these past several months inquiring whether there'd been a change of heart on Ava's book. I swear I wasn't ignoring you, simply waiting to have something to report. My apologies as well for letting this newsletter stand for individual replies, but I've got my nose to the grindstone, trying to write the best book I can to justify your support and patience. You guys rock!
~ Susan

I'm sorry we have to wait until 2011, but I'm glad we're getting the book after all. Even if it does mean waiting.

Rowena's review of Lessons from a Scarlet Lady by Emma Wildes.

Hero: Colton Northfield, Duke of Rolthven
Heroine: Lady Brianna Northfield

The Duke of Rolthven's new wife, Brianna, is the perfect aristocratic bride. So what would society say if they saw her with a copy of Lady Rothburg's Advice--a courtesan's lessons for the boudoir? When his innocent wife suddenly becomes a vixen in the bedroom, the proper Duke is truly astounded by her seductive powers. Following a courtesan's advice might lead to trouble-but will it lead to Brianna's ultimate desire: winning her husband's love?

I've never read anything by Emma Wildes before but this book intrigued me. The blurb stood out to me and made me want to read this book and boy am I glad that I did. This book was a delightfully romantic story that had me gripped right from the very beginning.

In this story, the hero and the heroine are already married but the young heroine wants to keep the hero all to herself but knows that because of the times, the hero might take a mistress as do countless other husbands of the ton. In an effort to keep that from happening, she purchases a book that was banned because a scarlet lady (a courtesan) writes one of those self help books where she tells you how to keep and satisfy your man. She buys and reads the book against her best friend's wishes and she begins an adventure in trying to woo her husband.

And it works.

Brianna was one of those strong heroines who you can't help but want to befriend. She's one of those heroines who sees how things could be and does whatever it takes to make it happen. She's a genuinely good person and wanted the kind of marriage her sister had and went about making it happen. She was a woman in love with her husband and wanted to make him see that he could love her in return, she just had to show him how.

Colton was a man of gigantic responsibilities. He was the head of his family and he was a well respected Duke who took his responsibilities very seriously. He was the kind of hero who came off kind of stuffy but you could tell that there was a soft teddy bear underneath all of the respectability. I thought that Colton was a fantastic character who I wanted to get to know. You could see him struggling with the feelings his young wife was bringing out in him and you knew that he wasn't a complete stuff since his relationship with his brothers were so normal. I loved him.

Colton and Brianna together was a delight. In every scene that they were together in, their chemistry leaped off the pages and I wanted to read more. Wildes did a great job of making me want more. Even when Colton and Brianna were fighting, I loved them because even though they weren't the most perfect of characters, they weren't the kind of characters that you didn't like.

The secondary love story (which like Michelle says in her review, felt more like a second story instead of a secondary story because they got a lot of page time which I absolutely adored) between Colton's younger brother, Robert and Brianna's close friend, Rebecca was another fabulous addition to an already great story. Theirs was a story of the secret crush and when Rebecca finally makes it onto Robert's radar, I cheered. I felt what Rebecca felt, I yearned right along with her and then there was Robert. He's intrigued and he's charmed and yet he can't court her because of the reputation that he's earned being a total womanizer. He's stuck in a hard place and when he finally gets his in with Rebecca with the help of his brothers, I grinned like an idiot for the remainder of the book.

It's a testament to my enjoyment of this book and the talent that Emma Wildes has that I'm having a hard time choosing which of the Northfield brothers is my favorite. I love them all for their differences. I loved watching Colton unwind and enjoy himself, I loved Robert's charming personality and I adored...Damien. I really hope that he's going to get his own book and I eagerly await it. Damien was a great character and an outstanding brother.

The relationships between each brother was a high point in the book for me. I loved watching them tease each other, laugh at each other and ultimately have each other's back. From Colton going to Robert for advice in his love life to Damien laughing at Robert at every turn with his infatuation with Rebecca, it all made for an entertaining roller coaster of a ride and I was extremely pleased with this book. I think Elizabeth Boyle said it best on the cover of the book when she said, "This wickedly exciting romance will draw you in and take hold of your heart." It did that for me and I'm thinking it will do the same for many other readers out there.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good historical romance to read. This has it all.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

This book is available from Signet Eclipse. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

I was one of the people that read Dark Lover by JRW right when it came out. Read: before the BDB got as wildly cult-like popular as it is today. It was before JRW had a message board. It was before she stopped returning her reader's emails. When she announced that there was going to be a message board at her site, it was great. I'm a spoiler whore for one series and that is the BDB. I quickly learned that she had insulated herself by selecting moderators (God only knows how) that would stay between her and the peons readers. There were rules. Not the average message board rules such as "be considerate" or "no bad words". No, these were very specific rules. This is how I read them.

1. No saying anything bad about JRW's books or you'll be banned from the message boards.
2. No asking the same questions over and over again or you'll get a smack down from the mods. (My question: WHEN IS TOHR'S BOOK COMING OUT?)
3. Don't ask a question in the wrong part of the message board or you'll get a smack down from the mods.
4. If you find [insert BDB title] before it's street date, don't announce it or you'll get a smack down from the mods and maybe even banned.
5. Kiss my ass.

Long before blogs became popular, Rowena, Holly, and I met on the JGBB. The one that was run by Simon & Schuster. The JGBB was fun place where we talked about the books, the heroes, and the heroines. Everyone there was so laid back that there were never any problems. I have also been a longtime member of the JMBB (first run by S&S now hosted by Random House). The rules were a little more strict there, but they weren't extreme. Put a warning in if there are spoilers in your post, no personal attacks, and it was silently agreed that politics and religion were no-no's.

I have also noticed the same thing in some Yahoo Groups. The power just seems to go to the head of these people. A scuffle happened in the Robyn Carr yahoo group where religion was apparently brought up. Hello? FORBIDDEN FALLS IS ABOUT A FREAKING PREACHER. A notice went out that basically said "No religion talk or else". It's completely ridiculous.

It seems obvious that the power of being a message board mod has gone to their heads. Or am I wrong? And where are the authors?

Casee's review of Sleep No More by Susan Crandall.

The night was always Abby Whitman's enemy. As a young girl she walked in her sleep, and one night, she started a fire that scarred her sister for life and left Abby with unbearable guilt . . . and a loneliness that echoes within her. Now Abby has begun blacking out again-with apparently fatal results. A car accident has killed the son of a prominent family. Even though the evidence seems to exonerate her, Abby is plagued by doubts-and soon by mysterious threats. Psychiatrist Dr. Jason Coble is intrigued by Abby and offers to help her explore the dark recesses of her mind. Through this terrifying journey, Jason's interest turns to passion, and he yearns to give her the love she craves. But first, Abby must trust him-and shed light on secrets that will rock this Southern town and reveal a danger that threatens them both.

Susan Crandall has been hit and miss for me. Pitch Black was so-so, but I really enjoyed Seeing Red. So it was a 50/50 chance that I would like Sleep No More. This one is going to be put under the column “It was okay but not great and I didn’t really like the heroine”.

When Abby was a young girl, she had a problem with sleepwalking. One night, she set the house on fire which almost killed her younger sister. Abby has lived with that guilt and vows that she will never put someone in danger again. The night of the fire was the last night that Abby sleepwalked. Until now. She wakes up and finds her muddy foot prints leading from her yard up into her bedroom. She is seriously disturbed, but unsure of what (if anything) should be done.

The meeting between Abby and Jason was just weird. First of all, it was at a funeral. Imagine telling your children “When our eyes met over the casket, we knew it was true love.”. That night Abby wakes up in her car, which has been in an accident she doesn’t remember. Even worse, there was another person involved that is dead. When Jason sees her at the hospital, Abby confides in him.

There were just too many things going on at once. Jason had an alcoholic ex-wife that may or may not have fallen off the wagon. Jason’s step-son (that he raised) thinks his mom might have been involved in the accident, but he’s not sure. He’s also trying to get his parents back together and sees Abby as the obstacle. There’s a priest and his niece with down syndrome that play into it. Then there’s Abby’s dad who may be showing signs of early Alzheimer’s. If that’s not enough on Abby’s plate, add into it her sister, Courtney. Just hearing Courtney’s voice makes Abby feel guilty b/c it reminds her that she’s to blame for the way her sister is.

Abby needs help to figure out what happened the night of the accident. While she’s at it, she might as well figure out why she started sleep walking again. Oh and someone is trying to kill her.

2.75 out of 5.

This book is available from Forever Publishing. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Kris emailed me the other day asking if I knew any Florida bloggers. She and Jill D. are organizing a get together and wanted to invite as many Florida bloggers as possible (I think they're jealous of our So. Cal Blogger meet ups :D ). Since I'm drawing a blank about how many of you are from Florida, I said I'd spread the word.

Check it out...

This is shout out to any FL book bloggers. Jill D. from Romance Rookie and Kris from The Reading Spot are organizing a Central FL book blogger get together. On February 13th, they will be meeting in Orlando for lunch and then heading out book shopping. Please email Kris at froggykm at gmail dot com if you are interested in joining them. They plan on doing this regularly, so be sure to send her an email if you are interested, even if the 13th doesn't work for you. They want to make sure you are on the list for next time. Details will go out via email as soon as everything is nailed down.

I can tell you from experience, blogger meet ups are amazingly fun. You should definitely think about joining Kris and Jill D.!

Rowena's review of The Elusive Bride by Stephanie Laurens.

A second battle-hardened, completely unstoppable, all-male hero, an ex-officer of the Crown, confronts the deadly enemy known only as the Black Cobra.

He's focused on his mission, then sees a lady he never dreamed he'd see again—with an assassin on her heels.

She secretly followed him, unaware her path is deadly—or that she'll join him to battle a treacherous foe.

Through ever-present peril, through passion, desire, and ecstasy, they race to reach England—and their destiny.

This is the second book in the Black Cobra Quartet and the excitement kept right on rollin'. This book follows Major Gareth Hamilton as he makes his way back to England and encounters cultist after cultist. On the way to England, he comes cross the pretty young thang who delivered the evidence that they needed to bring the Black Cobra down and because she did this, she's in danger as well.

So off they travel together with Gareth guarding Emily with his life (literally). Gareth sets off back to England with his scroll containing the "evidence" that he must bring back home and Emily is chasing Gareth because she thinks he might be her "one". Emily comes from a pretty big family and she wants to have the kind of marriage that her sisters have, one filled with love. It's the main reason why she's 26 and still single. She has been waiting to feel that zing and she finally felt it when she met Major Gareth Hamilton way down in India.

Their story takes off when Gareth and his little entourage take off on their leg of the journey to bring the Black Cobra down. Emily chases him down because she needs to be near him so that she could find out for sure if he's her "one" or not. So she departs India sooner than she thought and she catches up with Gareth and his folks and is unwittingly thrown into the nasty mix that is the Black Cobra's web. Her life is just as much in danger as Gareth's is and Gareth takes her under his care and takes over the protection of her and her people.

As their journey progresses Gareth and Emily grow closer and closer. Emily keeps a journal that we're privy to while she goes about her mission to land Gareth as her husband. Reading Emily's thoughts on everything from Gareth to the Black Cobra and the cultists was at times funny, thoughtful but always a welcome delight from the actual story being told. I thought her journal entries were a great addition to the story.

Gareth was one fine hero and I wasn't disappointed in his development. His backstory was kind of breezed over but I didn't come away from the story, not knowing who Gareth was. I enjoyed getting to know Gareth and I came to love him quite a bit. More than I thought I would, considering I was only mildly interested in him in the first book.

Emily was a ball of joy. Her determination to find out all there was to know about Gareth so that she could figure her future out was admirable. Her desire to prove herself to him that despite not being trained in fighting, she was capable of taking on the cultists however, was not admirable. It was damned irritating. This is the second heroine in this same series who feels the need to show just how strong she is by fighting alongside her man. Sometimes, it's the man's job to protect to the woman. I wish they'd get over themselves and let the men go to work.

But as irritated as I was at Emily, I never once hated her. Being irritated with her was like being irritated with one of your sisters, they make you roll your eyes down the street but you still love the heck out of them. The chemistry between Gareth and Emily was undeniable and it made the story come alive even more. The two of them together wasn't boring and I enjoyed every scene that they were together in. They just felt right together. I loved these two!

The series is starting to feel bombarded with characters from other series. I haven't read all of the Cynster's books nor did I read all of the Bastion Club (though I was really excited to see glimpses of Christian in this book, woo hoo!) so all of these men who are totally welcome to be part of this story since they're helping Gareth and his friend's carry out this very important mission but as excited as I am to see them in the story, I'm finding it hard to figure out why the wives need to have parts in the story. Maybe, it's because I don't know them but meh, whatever.

The story is told in true Stephanie Laurens fashion. It's very wordy but still mighty intriguing. You won't be able to put this one down, at least I wasn't. It was a fun reading adventure and one that has me anxious for more. I cannot wait until The Brazen Bride comes out, I'm eager to learn more about the next soldier, Logan Monteith. I'm still mighty intrigued with Rafe, especially since we've heard not one word from him over the course of the books so far and that makes me salivate for his story all the more.

Overall, I enjoyed this book more than I enjoyed the first and it's done nothing to sate my hunger for more. If anything, I need the next story ...now! Kind folks of Avon, please make that happen! If you've read the first book and enjoyed it then I'm sure you'll enjoy this one as well. This is a series that I'd definitely recommend to historical lovers and Stephanie Lauren fans the world over.

Grade: 4.75 out of 5

This book is available from Avon. You can buy it here.

We're nearing the end of this month's last hero standing challenge and all month long, the last two heroes have been battling it out. It's pretty funny how I'm used to fighting it out with the Drustan fans out there, not the Jericho fans but there are many Jericho fans out there I most definitely need to finish out that series to see what makes him so swoonworthy. I have no doubt that he is but I just need to see for myself.

The last two heroes that will be battling it out for the top spot this month are:

You guys have until January 30th at 11:59pm to get your votes in. Make sure you do all you can to help your hero win, email your friends and family, have them come and vote for you. The matter of who the last hero standing is in your hands.

Good luck to both heroes and the winner will be announced on January 31st.

Casee's review of Original Sin (The Seven Deadly Sins, Book 1) by Allison Brennan.

Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

Why fix it if it's not broken? That's the question I wanted to ask Allison Brennan when I read the blurb for this book. She writes great romantic suspense, so why mess with a good thing, right? Then I read her acknowledgments that mentioned Buffy, Supernatural, and Veronica Mars all in the same sentence. With that one sentence, my faith was restored and I finished this book in one day.

I didn't read the What You Can't See anthology with has the prequel to the series. I didn't really feel that I missed anything. What made this book so good was the heroine. Moira O'Donnell is a witch. She hasn't used magic since her mother possessed her and forced her to kill her lover. Since that day, Moira has made it her mission to stop her mother. Fiona is a witch of powerful dark magic. Stopping Fiona without magic will take every ounce of strength and courage that she has.

In a ritual that will give Fiona control of the seven deadly sins, she is interrupted by Raphael Cooper. This is the only time I thought reading the prequel would be helpful. There's obviously a back story with Rafe, but I think that Brennan did a good job of filling in the gaps. Rafe stops the ritual and saves a young girl's life. Fiona loses control of the seven deadly sins and they are now free to roam the world.

Fiona is livid, especially when she realizes that Moira is in town. They have the battle to end all battles, yet they both live to fight another day. Original Sin is the start to what promises to be an amazing paranormal series. I like how the world was created that clearly showed similarities to Supernatural, but not too many similarities.

I'm pretty sure that Moira will be on my list of top five heroines of 2010. She's the good. She knows her weakness and doesn't lie to herself or anyone else. She takes blame that is hers instead of making excuses. She's strong and independent, but will admit when she needs help.

The romance between Moira and Rafe just barely developed in this book. The potential is definitely there. So far, this is the best book I've read in 2010.

4.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Ballantine. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

I was reading Keishon's blog and came across this article. Apparently readers are up-in-arms over Game Change: Obama and the Clintons, McCain and Palin, and the Race of a Lifetime (Hardcover) not being available in Kindle format. The publisher decided to delay the digital release 30 days, which frustrates Kindle owners. Which I can understand.

Last year I blogged about my frustrations with Little Brown and Co delaying the e-book release of Stephanie Meyer's Breaking Dawn. It's annoying when you want a book and it isn't available in the format you want to buy it in. Especially since so many publishers are taking such a strange stance on e-books lately. I don't really understand the mentality. Are they really trying to force us to buy in hardcover by delaying the e-book release? Because that's just asinine.

But even more asinine? Posting a 1 star review on Amazon of a book you haven't even read, just because you're annoyed that it isn't available in Kindle format. That's what readers are now doing in protest. Readers who haven't actually read the book. Let me say that one more time, just so we're clear: Readers are posting 1 star reviews on Amazon for a book they haven't read, in protest of it not being available in Kindle format.

I'm sorry, but I just can't wrap my brain around that. What, exactly, is posting a 1 star review going to accomplish? Writing a letter to the publisher asking them to make the book available sooner? Writing a blog post or article elsewhere on the internet? Clicking the "make this available in Kindle" button on Amazon? Absolutely, all of those make sense. But writing a 1 star review for a book you haven't read? Not so much.

The thing is, and if I'm totally off the mark then please let me know, the author has nothing to do with when the book is released, in digital format or otherwise (unless they miss a deadline, but that's a separate issue). The publisher sets that up. Leaving 1 star reviews on Amazon isn't hurting the publisher near as much as it's hurting the author. Is the author to blame because the publisher decided to hold back the digital release? I hardly see how.

*photo credit: laptopmag.com

Holly's review of Coming Undone (Brown Siblings, Book 2) by Lauren Dane

Brody Brown has always been responsible for others. After his parents’ death, he gave up a promising artistic career to care for his younger brother and sister. Now, with his siblings grown, Brody owns his own business, has a nice house, makes a nice living, and for the first time in years he’s on his own.

Elise Sorenson has come to Seattle with her young daughter to find peace. After years as a world-famous ballerina—(and just as many years in a marriage-gone-bad)—she’s looking for neither love nor attention. But she finds both in the handsome, honest man who befriends her with no strings attached. More than friends, Brody and Elise discover in each other what they need—wild, physical passion without commitment. But it’ll take a shadow from Elise’s past to make them look beyond what they need—to what they truly desire.

This is not a paranormal. I just wanted to put that out there again, since I really thought - until Ames corrected me - that this series was PNR.

Brody gave up most of his dreams to raise his younger brother and sister after his parents died. Now that they're grown and settled into their lives, he's finally content. He has a great house, a solid business and the love of close friends and family. He isn't in the market for a relationship, but a fling with his gorgeous next door neighbor might be the only thing missing from his life.

Elise is just getting settled in to Seattle. After escaping an abusive marriage the last thing she wants is to start another romance. She just wants to focus on building her business and raising her daughter. When Brody approaches her about a fling, she's all for it. As long as they both understand it won't go any farther, things will be just fine. Right?

I really loved the progression of this novel. The timelime spans more than a year, which gives Brody and Elise plenty of time to get to know one another. Their relationship starts out casual, but slowly moves into deeper territory for both of them.

I really loved Brody. He was a solid guy, content with his life and totally sure of himself. He'd been hurt in the past, but he wasn't suffering from any major hangups. I think the sheer normalness of him is what worked so well. He could be any man, or all men. He wasn't dark and brooding, but nor was he shallow. He was just a guy who loved his family and was settled in his life.

Elise showed major strength and growth throughout the novel. She isn't broken the way Erin was in Laid Bare, but she had scars from her past she had to deal with nonetheless. I liked that she faced them head on and didn't try to stick her head in the sand about her lingering baggage. I also really liked that she was comfortable with her sexuality.

I really love how family centric these books are. Too often I think kids are shown as little more than window dressing in novels, but that wasn't the case here. Not only was she a fully fleshed out character on her own, but Elise's daughter, Rennie, was really integrated into the story. The way she and Brody interacted was lovely and sweet. I love that he fell in love with both of them. It was wonderful the way Brody's friends and family accepted Elise and welcomed her into their fold. Not because she was dating Brody, but because they genuinely liked her.

I was bothered by Elise's martyr complex. She assumed a lot of guilt and blamed herself for a lot of the things in her past that she had no control over. I'm all for taking responsibility for your actions, but Elise felt she was responsible for every bad decision ever made by anyone close to her. Which was ridiculous. I did like that Brody called her on it, though.

Brody's relationship and feelings toward his ex, Raven, also bothered me. Not because he was still in love with her, but he indulged her way too much. I didn't understand why he was so dense when it came to her. It was obvious to everyone but him that she was trying to cause trouble, and still he defended her or brushed it off. She wasn't a crazy ex, but someone the whole family was close to, so I know that made it harder. But in the end I just kept thinking, "Are you really that dumb?" I did like that Elise tried to understand their relationship, though. That showed growth and maturity on her part.

This beautifully written, character driven novel is a must read.

4.5 out of 5

The Series:



Coming November 2010:

Inside Out


This book is available from Berkley. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

Allison Chase has a book coming out in March that I've got my eye on. It's the first in a new series and I for one cannot wait to read it. I really like the cover, check it out:

The first book, Most Eagerly Yours promises to be a great read, here's the blurb:

Raised on their uncle's country estate, the four orphaned Sutherland sisters formed a close friendship with the young Princess Victoria. Shortly before her coronation as queen, Victoria asks the sisters to serves her in matters requiring the utmost discretion.

They are to become her secret servants. The first to serve is Laurel- who poses as a widow to uncover a traitor, and discovers instead an irresistible rogue conducting his own undercover investigation.

Four orphaned daughters who are best friends with a princess? Undercover servants? A mysterious rogue? Yeah, I'm totally in. This book comes out March 2, 2010 so mark your calendar because it promises to be a great introduction to brand spankin new series and I can't wait!

This book is available from Signet. You can pre-order it here.

A few weeks ago I picked up a new YA series for my teenage daughter on a whim at Walmart. The books were marked down to $7 (for trade paperbacks) and I thought they sounded like something she would enjoy. I tend to be a rather strict parent, however, and I wanted to make sure there wasn't anything inappropriate in this book for a 13 year old. I started reading the first book a few days ago, and finished it last night (it was hard to get into at first).

During the course of the book, the main character - a girl of 15 - starts falling in love with a boy a few years older. This is a paranormal book and I could understand why she was feeling that way about him. They shared a kiss or two, but nothing too steamy, though they were both filled with angsty feelings for one another.

But at the end of book 1 - where here had been kissing and such - they find out they are really brother and sister. Naturally they are both very disturbed by this (as was I). I figured this would be explored further in the next book, because it was a major plot point. But I didn't expect that they would still be intimate with each other. Yes, more kissing. And not of the brotherly kind.

She felt the brush of his lips, light at first, and her own opened automatically beneath the pressure. Almost against her will she felt herself go fluid and pliant, stretching upward to twine her arms around his neck the way that a sunflower twists toward light. His arms slid around her, his hands knotting in her hair, and the kiss stopped being gentle and became fierce, all in a single moment like tinder flaring into a blaze.

Yes, that's a kiss being shared by brother and sister. Who know they're brother and sister. Afterward they are both bothered by their actions, but later they talk, wondering why they can't really be together.

Although I'm not quite to the end of this book and can't say for certain, I believe it will be proved they aren't actually siblings. But as for right now, the moment they're kissing and touching each other, they believe they are. And still they kiss.

While I'm sure this will all be explained later, I can't help but be freaked out about the idea of a young girl reading this and thinking its alright to be physical in that way with your brother. In the end will it all be explained away, and the actions glossed over?

I'm feeling shades of Flowers in the Attic here. It isn't a good feeling.

Casee's review of Shades of Midnight (Midnight Breed Series, Book 7) by Lara Adrian.

In a frozen wilderness steeped in darkness, the lines between good and evil, lover and enemy, are never black or white but drawn in Shades of Midnight.

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of otherness she has long felt within herself but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces–a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the courageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.

I didn't really like Ashes of Midnight. It split the series off from the core of the series which is the Order. Even though I didn't like Ashes of Midnight, I really enjoy this series. I like where she's taken the series and look forward to seeing how it end. And there is an end in sight. I really hope that Lara Adrian doesn't go the whole "this series is open ended" route. That would be really disappointing.

Alex is speshal, but she doesn't know it. She's a Breedmate, a woman that is revered by the Breeds and protected at all costs. Breedmates have unique psychic gifts that can easily be explained away if the woman in question doesn't know what she is. That's the case in Alex's situation. She has always been able to detect when people are lying. It's an uncanny ability that she has just accepted about herself.

When Alex goes to deliver goods to the settlements in the Alaskan bush, she walks into a nightmare from her past. A family of six that she has know for years have been brutally murdered. By something that's not human. Alex recognizes it right away, but doesn't know where to turn.

Kade was sent to Alaska by the Order to check out the murder of the family and see if it's Breed related business. Being from Alaska, he's the obvious choice to send. When Kade meets Alex, he knows she's different in some way, but he can't figure out how. It doesn't take much investigating for Kade to know that it's more than a Rogue on the loose in the bush. Now he needs Alex's help. Then he'll scrub her memory. Yeah, I didn't like that very much.

Kade finally figures out (d'oh) that Alex is a Breedmate. He wants to do the right thing and leave her alone, but he just can't. He thinks he's cursed b/c of his gift and that he would hurt anyone that was stupid enough to love him. He'll just stay with Alex for a little while.

The story was good, but it wasn't captivating. I thought Alex fell for Kade too fast, but then isn't that usually the case?

3.25 out of 5.

This book is available from Dell. You can buy it here or here in e-format.

The series:

Rowena's review of Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast.

What if the hottest guy in the world was hiding a nameless evil and all he wanted was you?

At the start of this heart-pounding new installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey's friends have her back again and Stevie Rae and the red fledglings aren't Neferet's secrets any longer. But an unexpected danger has emerged. Neferet guards her powerful new consort, Kalona, and no one at the House of Night seems to understand the threat he poses. Kalona looks gorgeous, and he has the House of Night under his spell. A past life holds the key to breaking his rapidly spreading influence, but what if this past life shows Zoey secrets she doesn't want to hear and truths she can't face?

On the run and holed up in Tulsa's Prohibition-era tunnels, Zoey and her gang must discover a way to deal with something that might bring them all down. Meanwhile, Zoey has a few other little problems. The red fledglings have cleaned up well--they've even managed to make the dark, creepy tunnels feel more like home--but are they really as friendly as they seem? On the boyfriend front, Zoey has a chance to make things right with super-hot ex-, Eric, but she can't stop thinking about Stark, the archer who died in her arms after one unforgettable night, and she is driven to try to save him from Neferet's sinister influence at all costs. Will anyone believe the power evil has to hide among us?

Book 5, I should be tired of reading these books but for some reason, I cannot stop reading them. We're still following Hoey Zoey around as she continues to fight evil in the form of that whore bag of a High Priestess Neferet and the evil King that she made rise from the earth, Kalona. Kalona is like older than dirt (hehe) and yet when he appears to Zoey in her dreams, he's no older than about 19. Ewww.

Anyway, Zoey and her band of merry fledglings are hiding out in Stevie Rae's tunnels and Zoey's trying to figure out how the hell she's going to take Kalona and Neferet down. She's got a Son of Erebus warrior, Darius who is trying to help her out plus a human in Aphrodite, a handful of red fledglings that are like dead undeads and then a handful of blue fledglings and her ex-boyfriend, Erik in the tunnels with her. Then her human boyfriend comes running to make sure that Zoey's okay so add another human to the mix and things are just about as crazy as they can be. Her grandmother is safely tucked away with the nuns from the cat charity and so Zoey at least doesn't have to worry about them even though she still does.

Neferet has turned into something that is more evil and more powerful than anything they know of and Kalona has an army of Raven Mockers who are like half human, half bird things and they're deadly creatures. Things are definitely heating up in the tunnels as Zoey gets back with Erik and then we find out that Stevie Rae might have a little boyfriend of her own and not to mention Darius and Aphrodite. But then Zoey is hurt and the only way she'll be able to make a full recovery is to go back to the House of Night. She goes back over there and finds that Kalona has everyone under his control and it's just not home to her anymore. She also comes across Stark again and the pull she thought she was developing in the hour or so that she spent with Stark before he died is heating back up again leaving Zoey torn all over again because her two boyfriends back in the tunnels are frickin' going at it like it's the coolest things to do and now she's got another boyfriend....again.

This thing that Zoey has for having too many boyfriends at one time is getting old. It's stupid and she needs to hurry up and make up her damn mind and choose one to be her boyfriend. I mean she likes to think all these bad thoughts about Aphrodite and she lets everyone call Aphrodite the hoe cake when in actuality the only one whoring around is...ZOEY!

Another thing that is driving me bat shit crazy in this series right now are the Twins. The way that those two call each other Twin each and every single time they speak to each other. It makes me want to cut their throats so that they can't talk at all.

Erik's jealousy isn't even that bad, I don't think but I can tell that I'm not going to like him for very much longer. I just have this sixth sense that he's going to turn all Jacob Black whiny baby and that's going to suck because I liked him but hell, I liked Loren too so what do I know? Haha. In this book, we see the battle between good and evil go down and friendships are tested and things are just all over the place but I could not read fast enough to suit me. Like I've said time and time again, these books are addicting and I can't stop reading them. I have one more book before I have to wait until April so I'm savoring that book. This was another good addition to the series but it still didn't take Chosen's place as my favorite of the bunch.

Grade: 3.75 out of 5

Reading Order:



This book is available from St. Martin's Griffin. You can buy it here.