Review: Strangers in Budapest by Jessica Keener

I'm trying to catch up on reviews, especially on books I received from NetGalley. This is one of them, and I read this months ago, so am not clear on details.

I gave it three stars on goodreads though, so I must have liked it.

I wanted to read the book because I visited Budapest a few years ago, and I only spent a couple of days there, just enough to want to see more. Also, I like reading books set in cities I've visited before.

Definitely held my interest, once I started it, I didn't want to put it down. I remember that some of the characters were a bit annoying. The story is all told from the viewpoint of someone not directly involved in the action - except that she sort of puts herself in the middle of the action. There's quite a bit of family drama involved, and revenge, but you're never quite sure who is telling the truth. Interesting book with some frustrating characters.

I received a copy via NetGalley.

Review: Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

I really wanted to read this book because I've become a Krysten Ritter fan as a result of watching Jessica Jones. Because of that, as I read the book, I may have been sort of picturing Jessica Jones as the main character - which isn't fair, but isn't entirely far off. She's not a superhero, but she's kind of a badass trying to uncover some dark secrets in her hometown after being away for ten years. I liked the characters, they were believable and interesting. This sort of explores the dark side of small town life. Having grown up in a small town, I could very much relate to some of this.

It's been a while since I read the book, and I'm not sure why I never got around to writing a review, but I did enjoy the book. It's a good, engrossing suspenseful mystery. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the Gone Girl or Girl on the Train type books. I do like books like that, so I enjoyed this.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Mine to Protect by Cynthia Eden

I really love Cynthia Eden's Mine series. She writes romantic suspense very well. This book was no exception. Very enjoyable, action packed, sexy, steamy read. Sometimes these books are exactly what you need.

My only issue with this book was that it has been awhile since I read the last book in this series and while reading this, when ever another character was mentioned I was struggling to remember the details of their situation. I've read another similar series by this same author since then, and was afraid I was getting the stories confused. Not a huge deal, and makes me think I may want to re-read those books - but so many other books that I want to read. Maybe a timeline with some brief descriptions would be helpful.  

Anyway, really liked this book. These are my go-tos when I need a quick escape. I know I'll be sucked into the story right away and it won't let up until the book is over. 

Review: The Ones We Trust by Kimberly Belle

This was a good book. It held my interest. I wasn't sure what to expect when I started the story. Takes place in DC, involving a former journalist. I saw one review compare it to an episode of Scandal, which I've never seen, but have some idea as to what it is about.

In the beginning, we're told about a story Abigail wrote - the one that ended her career. After exposing someone, the person committed suicide and Abigail left journalism due to her guilt. Initially, I thought the story would be about this particular case, but it gets mentioned a little bit, and then the focus of the story is on something completely different.

I felt like maybe there were too many "ripped from the headlines" issues happening in this book. Every time something else was mentioned, I thought of an actual news story that was similar.  I think maybe this book would have worked better if there had been more focus on one particular story line.

After receiving a mysterious envelope on her doorstep, Abigail finds herself doing research again and getting involved with the Armstrong family. Gabe Armstrong lost a brother in Afghanistan and he doesn't believe the story being told by the army. Coincidentally, Abigail's dad is the general involved in what appears to be a cover-up.

I guess I expected something more sinister and dramatic. The truth was certainly intense and a pretty big surprise, but not what I thought it was going to be.

Rather than a mystery/suspense story about a journalist uncovering government scandals, which is what I assumed this book was leading up to be, it turned out to be more about families and guilt and forgiveness and most importantly, trust.  There's also a bit of a romance happening in the story, but it's not at all the main point of the story.

I think I wanted more shocking scandal, more journalist in action and less family drama. Overall, it's a good book. I didn't love it but I also didn't dislike it.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Beware of Me by Cynthia Eden

I liked this book a lot. This is the fourth book in Cynthia Eden's Dark Obsession series and it was as entertaining as the other books in the series. As expected from this series, lots of action and danger, plenty of surprise twists in the story that keep you guessing and a very steamy romance.

Ethan Barclay has had a fairly significant role in all the books in this series. He's something of a crime boss - maybe - sort of a shadowy character, involved with a lot of bad people. But there's always been something about him - in each book we got to see a little more of him, always realizing he wasn't quite as bad as he seems.

I was so glad that he got a story of his own in Beware of Me. Ethan's the first to point out that he's a bad guy. But this bad guy would do anything for the woman he loves, the woman he feels he owes his life to. Carly was just a teenager when she saved Ethan's life. Afterwards, he thought the best thing he could do for her was keep her far away from him. But in Carly's eyes, he abandoned her when she needed him the most. Now, years later, he wants back in her life and knowing what he's become, she wants nothing to do with him.

Someone is after Carly though, and it's connected to what happened in their past, and Ethan isn't going to let Carly get hurt.

I like that Eden's heroines are always tough and independent. Even when her life is in danger, Carly's determined to not depend entirely on Ethan. She's not stupid, she figures out fairly quickly that she does need his help, but that doesn't mean she's going to let him control her. No matter what, she needs to be in control of her own life. And I loved how Ethan was so careful with Carly, taking into account what she'd been through in the past and making sure she never felt threatened by him, even if it meant having to exhibit some serious willpower. That's my favorite kind of hero - the guy who has all the potential to be bad but he refuses to give into his dark tendencies because that's how much he cares about the woman he's with.  That describes a lot of the guys Eden writes about and that's why I really love reading her books.

The story is very fast paced, which I usually like because I do tend to read these while traveling and like to finish the book before the plane lands - but maybe because I read this one at home, I found myself kind of wishing there was more to the story. That's not a complaint about the story, I just really liked these characters and didn't want their story to end so quickly.

This book is considered a stand alone, but I highly recommend you read the entire series, especially for this book because the other books add so much to who Ethan is. Also the books are good and worth reading.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: The Vampire's Fall by Michele Hauf

The Vampire’s Fall is another excellent paranormal romance from Michele Hauf .  In this book, Blade, a sexy, brooding vampire/fairy falls for a woman, Zen, who has lost her memory and all awareness of who and/or what she is.

That I really liked this book is not a big surprise.  A quick glance through my past book reviews and it’s clear that I’m a big fan of Hauf’s writing.  Love her Beautiful Creatures world, full of paranormal creatures such as vampires and werewolves and fairies.  A couple of weeks ago, I read Her Vampire Husband, about Blu and Creed Saint-Pierre, a werewolf who marries a vampire.  After that I read a few novellas about the couple and their family, and then Ghost Wolf – which is about their granddaughter, Daisy Blu.  (I read Moonlight and Diamonds, about Daisy Blu's brother, Stryke before I read any of the other Saint-Pierre books).  Could not get enough of this family and wanted to do nothing but read while I was engrossed in this world.

I was very much looking forward to reading Blade Saint-Pierre’s story because of the hints about him in the other books.

But in the beginning, I was a little worried because the novel started out slow for me.  Usually I’m involved in the story from the first few pages, and this book didn't feel like that to me.  Maybe that was partially because I simply didn't have time to sit down and read for an extended period of time. 

Even when I wasn't sure I was loving the story, I still loved Blade, who was struggling  with a painful past that made it difficult for him to move forward in life.  But Zen, I didn't like much at all, not at first.  I couldn't understand why Blade wanted her and didn't find their attraction very convincing at first. 

I kept reading though, and once Zen’s memories began to return, she developed a more interesting personality.  Once Blade finally began to open up to her and talk more about his past, I felt the story got much more interesting.

By the time I finished the book, I pretty much loved the story.  This book is heavy on vampires and demons and fairies and angels.  The last few I've read have been mostly werewolf stories, so I enjoyed the change – being that vampires are my favorite. 

What really won me over though was the imagery in this story, especially the description of the wings.  I highlighted several passages in hopes of returning to these when I have my sketchbook in hand to try and capture these visuals on paper.  These are such beautiful and powerful scenes, so vividly described, I could see the black wings facing off against the angel as they battled to the death.  And there is one love scene involving fairy wings which is probably one of the hottest, sexiest scenes I've ever read and completely made up for any perceived slowness in the beginning of the story. 

Overall, I thought this was a great book.  I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys paranormal romances.  These are some of the best.

According to Amazon, this book will be released in paperback on May 15 and as an ebook on June 1.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

And just a general comment about these books because I was reading about the Saint-Pierre's, one right after the other - I have been dealing - rather unsuccessfully - with some health issues that are beginning to adversely affect other areas of my life, and these books have been my salvation.  When nothing else in my life was working, I knew I could dive into these books and find a much needed escape.  Books are important.  Fiction is necessary.  And authors who create worlds like this are, at times, more valuable than doctors.   

Review: Need Me by Cynthia Eden

I very much enjoyed this book, the third in Cynthia Eden's Dark Obsession series.  This was another that I devoured while traveling - this one on the return trip from New York City.  Really the perfect kind of book to keep the mind occupied while waiting in an airport or passing the time on an airplane.  Fast paced, lots of action, danger and suspense, along with plenty of steamy romance.

I liked this one a bit less than the other two in the series, I didn't find the heroine to be as likable.  But I still enjoyed it.  The book is a stand alone, but I really liked how the same characters appear in each book.  I recommend reading all three, and in order.  Because I read them all so close to each other, it sort of formed one big story in my head.  

As in each of the stories, a woman in danger hires a body guard to protect her after she feels her life has been threatened.  In this case, the woman is the beautiful young wife of a man found dead.  She's accused of the murder, but she claims she's innocent - even though she can't remember the details of the night her husband died.  Now she's worried the person who killed her husband is also after her.  There are several suspects, quite a few twists and turns.  And of course, the hot bodyguard falls for the woman he's protecting.  

I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys quick, fun, romantic suspense.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Want Me by Cynthia Eden

I began reading Want Me, the second book in Cynthia Eden's Dark Obsession series, as soon as I finished the first book in the series, Watch Me.

I was traveling from Dallas to Newark, NJ, on a Saturday, and I found myself looking forward to diving into this book.  This type of story is perfect for travel.  Lots of action and suspense and romance.  After I got on the plane, I was only slightly aware of the delay because I was absorbed into the book immediately.  Of course, then it turned into an hour on the runway, get off the plane, get on another plane and then another hour on the runway.  Flight was delayed again, this time something to do with catering.  Whatever the case, I finished reading this book before we landed and was able to start the third in the series - though I wouldn't get back to it until the return flight.

The stories are fun, not exactly literature or deep or thought provoking.  Beautiful woman in danger, hires sexy guy to protect her.  Their lives are in danger multiple times, lots of fighting with bad guys and gunfire, and along the way the couple falls for each other and has some very hot sex.  But what makes these books stand out, and what I especially like about them is that the women are really tough and badass.  These aren't weak, flailing beauties dependent on a man for their very survival.  They hold their own.  Yes, they hired a professional body guard because they're in danger.  But they aren't curled up a corner watching their bodyguard save them.

In this book, Sophie, a successful attorney, hires Lex for protection, when she suspects she is being stalked.  She's made a lot of enemies and she's got friends with some shady pasts.  This makes for a lot of twists and turns in their attempts to figure out who is stalking her.  Lots of suspense here.  Along the way, as their lives are put in danger numerous times, the intensity of the situation ramps up Sophie and Lex's attraction to each other.

I love these books.  Love this series.  For a moment, after I climbed onto the plane and noticed my excitement at having a few uninterrupted hours to read this book, I thought of how odd it might seem that I like these books so much.  I almost felt a craving for them.  In another review I described the book as "mind candy."  It's danger, action and romance.   All the fun things that don't exist in my real life.  I feel like there's an essay topic there waiting to be explored.  Why an independent, educated woman gets so much satisfaction in stories about big, strong protective men?  Maybe because in the real world, in my experience at least - I have no statistics to back this up - big, strong, hot men don't like strong women.  They'd prefer someone frail, someone who needs them.  But in books, it's okay for a woman to be strong, and in books like this, the men respect that, they think it's sexy.  This may be why I love books like this.  Perfect escape from the real world.

Like I said, essay topic I'll explore further at some point.  For now though, I highly recommend this book - this whole series, really - to anyone who wants an action packed story with plenty of suspense and romance.

The book works as a stand alone, but I'd recommend reading the whole series, because they're really good and the characters reappear in each story, which I think adds to the story.

I received a review copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Watch Me by Cynthia Eden

Late last night, I got the text letting me know work would be closed due to inclement weather.  Not completely a surprise, as there was already a thick layer of sleet on the ground.  For a brief moment this morning, I considered using the unexpected day off to clean house, so I wouldn't have to spend so much time doing that during spring break next week.  But all the World Book Posts I was seeing on social media convinced me reading a book was a better idea.  (Not that I needed a lot of convincing.)

I wanted a book I could finish during the day.  Something quick and fun, something with plenty of danger and romance.  I wanted what I consider to be mind candy. Having read and loved Cynthia Eden's Mine series, I figured Watch Me, the first of her new romantic suspense series, Dark Obsession, would be a safe choice.  Every once in a while, I do make good decisions, and this was one of them.

Fast-paced, plenty of action, suspense and a very steamy romance.  Your typical "boy gets hired by girl's dad to protect her from stalker, and girl and boy end up falling in love as he's protecting her from crazed stalker."  No, actually, there's a bit more to it than that.  Like the body guard had worked for the dad years before, when dad was a big shot government official, and that's when he fell in love with the daughter, but he was too professional to act on those feelings.  The woman he loved took this as a rejection and was very hurt.  Now he's not working for her dad, or at least she doesn't think he's working for her dad.  That gets a little complicated.

One of the things I very much enjoy about this book is that the women - even though they have men who want to save them and take care of them - are perfectly capable and willing to take care of themselves.  From the daughter who doesn't want to be controlled and is willing to fight to save herself and the people she loves to the police officer who makes clear she can get a promotion without having her boyfriend call in any favors - these women are great.  I can never get enough of this in books and I will always return to authors who feature women like this in their stories and recommend their work to others.

This book reminded me quite a bit of the books in the Mine series - the guys have the same type of job and similar backgrounds and the romance has that same type of intensity.  But I loved the Mine series, so I am perfectly okay with the similarities.  I have every intention of continuing to read as many of these books as are released because I enjoy them quite a bit.  As I was reading this I was thinking of how the love story almost has a Heathcliff and Cathy-like quality in that the love borders on unhealthy obsession.  But the characters are willing to acknowledge that they may not exactly in a healthy state of mind, (the series is called Dark Obsession) and while in reality that might be a little distressing, in a book, it makes for a very enjoyable read.  (And to be clear, in case it wasn't apparent, Wuthering Heights is my all time favorite book.)

Glad I read this, made for some delicious mind candy.  I've already started reading the second book in this series, Want Me.  Would recommend this to anyone who wants to read a fun, sexy romantic suspense novel.

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl

I've gotten behind on my book reviews, and I feel like I've done everyone a big disservice by waiting so long to write this review.  Especially with all this cold, snowy, icy weather most of us have been having.  Because this book, Flirting with Disaster by Victoria Dahl, is almost guaranteed to keep you warm.  Perfect for those cold days when you can't leave the house, and want to spend the day curled up with a good book.  You need this book.

I liked this book so very much.  Actually, I loved this book.  It's early in the year, so if I say one of the best books I've read all year, the compliment doesn't have the kind of weight it deserves so let me add that I feel certain when the year nears its end, I'll still be able to say it's one of the best books I've read this year.  Easily going on my list of favorite romance novels.  This book is so good.

The book immediately caught my interest in its description of the heroine.  Thirty something artist, Isabelle, living in a cabin on her own, with a decent distance between her and the next person.  She's happy with her life, content to be on her own.  And I thought yes, this is someone to which I can relate.  Someone who isn't pining away for a husband and babies.  Someone who is happy with her work and her solitude.  And she's an artist.  As an artist, I was impressed by how well Dahl captured the life and mind of an artist.  Sometimes I read books in which a character in an artist and I find myself thinking, painters don't really think like that, weirdo.  But this character resonated with me.

There are some great characters in this story, besides the main couple.  My favorite secondary character was probably Isabelle's neighbor who was always cooking for everyone.  I usually don't like small town contemporary romances, but I love this Jackson: Girls Night Out series and the people in these books.  I have read the other books in the series, Looking for Trouble and a novella, Fanning the Flames, and enjoyed them, but it isn't necessary to read them before this one.  This stands alone just fine.

Everything is going well in Isabelle's life, when Tom, a U.S. Marshall shows up at her door, claiming he's there to protect a judge whose life is in danger.  But Isabelle panics, certain he's figured out her secret.  She isn't who she claims to be.  She's in hiding because of crimes her father committed and she's afraid she's been caught.  Eventually she realizes Tom was telling the truth - the story about the judge is all over the news, but her behavior has now made him suspicious, and he's attracted to her and wants to know more about her - as you can guess, he does figure out her secret.  So there's a bit of crime drama/mystery to this story, along with a very steamy romance.

So steamy.  This book has some of the best sex scenes I've ever read.  Ever.  I'm trying to think of some educated, mature way to write about this and all I can come up with is, "This book is so hot!"  Because it is.  I mean, the story is great, the characters are interesting, and yes, the sex is so very hot.

I loved that the characters are intelligent and independent and they know what they want.  This is romance for grown-ups.  These are real people, living real lives, working on creating a real relationship.

I'd recommend this book to anyone.  Grab it before all the snow melts, and pretend like you've got your own little cabin in the snowy woods and enjoy!

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Mine to Have by Cynthia Eden

Not sure why I've taken so long to finish this review.  I know I started to write the review right after I finished the book, but it was a couple of weeks before the book was going to be released, so I thought, no rush.  Now weeks later... I blame work. Work always interferes with the fun stuff.

Mine to Have is the fifth book in Cynthia Eden's Mine series.  I like this series so much.  On Saturday morning, when I got the email saying I'd been approved for a review copy of this, I set aside any other plans I might have so I could do nothing but read this book.  And it was completely worth avoiding the rest of the world for a few hours.

This is supposed to be Saxon's last job, he's spent too much of his life working undercover, living pretend lives.  But he rescues Elizabeth and there's something about her.  I enjoyed the development of their relationship.  Elizabeth is a strong heroine.  She doesn't understand why people are after her.  She doesn't think she's done anything to cause a person to want to harm her.  As Saxon tries to keep her alive, they begin to unravel the mystery of why someone wants Elizabeth dead.

My only issue, and it was a very minor issue, is that I would have liked to have seen some more of the characters from the past books in the series.  On the other hand,
someone who hasn't read the other books in the series wouldn't have any problem at all starting with this book.  But you really should read the other books in the series, because they're really good.

This book delivered exactly what I've come to expect from the other books in this series.  Lots of action, danger, lots of twists and surprises, mystery and some very hot sex.  Makes for the perfect weekend escape when you can't actually escape for the weekend.

I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley. 

Review: Season of Storms by Susanna Kearsley

I liked this book quite a bit, which isn't that much of a surprise, being that I've liked everything I've read by Susanna Kearsley.  It did take me a while to get through this book, which was a bit frustrating.  I think part of the reason it took me so long to read was because I started it right before school started up again, so I was busy finishing up my summer errands and getting ready to return to the classroom.  Also, I felt like not a whole lot happened until about halfway through the book.  I felt like I was still being introduced to the characters and setting and realized I was almost at 50%, according to my kindle.

However, I did still enjoy the book, not everything needs to be a fast paced, can't-finish-quick-enough, thriller.

As is often the case with Kearsley's books, the setting is described beautifully. This book takes place at a villa in Italy with a lot of history and ghosts lingering on the villa's grounds.  There are quite a few interesting characters inhabiting these grounds.

Alex, the owner of the villa has decided to stage a play - one written by his grandfather many years earlier.  The play was never performed because the woman for which it was written - his grandfather's lover - died before the play opened.

Celia Sands, a young actress from London, has been offered the starring role, and just so happens to have the same name - though no relation - to the original actress cast for the part, many years earlier.

Rupert, the man who raised her is directing the play, and looking forward to spending time with Celia and directing her in her first starring role.  However, he seems a bit annoyed with the choice of stage manager, which is confusing to Celia as she tries to figure out what kind of history the two men have.

Then there's Madeline, an older actress, with whom Celia has a vague connection, clouded with her own guilt over what she feels was her role in breaking up Madeline's marriage.

Those are just a few of the characters.  There are plenty of others to round out the story, but no need give it all away in this review.  The mix of these people all in one place, working together to put on this "impossible" play makes for a very engaging story.  Maybe I took so long to read the book because I liked being around the characters and felt no rush to get away from them.

I was also pleasantly surprised that I was wrong in thinking I already knew what one of the big secrets was.  At one point, it seemed obvious to me, only later to discover that wasn't the case at all. I like it when the mysteries are not obvious.

Anyway, I enjoyed this book.  I'd recommend it to anyone who likes Kearsley's other books, enjoys a well written story with a bit of history, a touch of supernatural elements and some romance.

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: The Spendour Falls by Susanna Kearsley

This summer, after reading a couple of her books, Susanna Kearsley became one of my favorite writers, so I’m eager to read anything from her.  The Splendour Falls is the fifth book of hers I’ve read since this summer.

I loved this book.  It is the perfect combination of all my favorite things:  France, castles, art, mystery. 

Emily’s cousin Harry talks her into taking some time off work and visiting Chinon, France, where he’s doing some historical research involving hidden treasure, secret tunnels and a castle.  But when Emily gets to France, her cousin isn’t waiting for her, nor is he at the hotel.  Instead she meets a very interesting group of people staying at her hotel, along with their local friends:  A couple of young men from Canada, an unhappily married couple from America, an English musician who now lives in Austria, a German artist and a French woman who’s ex-husband has mysteriously died.

I found the details and interactions between this odd assortment of characters to be so interesting and entertaining.  Though, I’m also rather jealous.  I travel all the time, have stayed in plenty of little hotels in Europe, and never have I met a group like this.  (I suppose that's good and bad in some ways.)

The best thing about this book is how all the connections between the characters and the castle and the past begin to unfold.  One surprise after another.  While it may appear to be a fairy tale like setting, there are some villains hidden behind the castle walls, or more aptly within the castle tunnels, maybe.  So many secrets and connections to the past.

I couldn’t put this book down.  I was completely immersed in this story.  Picturesque setting, well-developed characters, intriguing story, lots of surprise twists, and even a bit of romance. 

After I read this, all I could think about the rest of the day was how much I want to go to France to visit castles.  Someday.  Maybe in a few months.  After reading this, I made a few decisions about where I’ll be visiting this summer.  Not Chinon, but  hoping to include a few castles in France.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley.

Review: Mine to Crave by Cynthia Eden

I really like Cynthia Eden's Mine series.  Reading this series reminded me of how much I used to love good mystery/suspense novels.  I was so happy to get this fourth book in the series, I set aside everything I was doing or was supposed to do, and read the entire book beginning to end in one sitting on a Saturday morning.  Suffice it to say, time well spent, loved this book.

This series focuses on a group of men who share a very dark, dangerous past.  They were involved in the military, went on some top secret missions and did things they don't like to talk about or think about now.  They've moved on, each successful in their own business - security, hotels, and in this case, casinos.  They bonded over the shared events in their past and are always there to watch out for each other.

Mine to Crave is Drake's story.  In the earlier books in the series, we've seen his friends succumb to obsession, or in other words, fall in love and get married.  He thinks he's above all that "falling in love" stuff, thinks his friends are fools for falling as hard as they've fallen.  Then one night he notices Jasmine sitting at the bar as a casino he owns in Vegas.  Some time with Jasmine has him thinking all kinds of things he's never thought before.

I especially like the heroine in this book.  Jasmine is tough and knows what she wants and what she has to do to get it.  There are so many layers to her character. Nothing weak about this woman at all.  She's the perfect match for Drake. 

I enjoyed reading about how their attraction develops.  While it may be instant lust, it's their time together than turns that into something more.  (One of my big complaints about some romance novels is the lack of buildup before the characters decide they're "in love".)  This book handled that well, had me thoroughly convinced of their feelings for each other.

As always with this series, the suspense and danger is there.  Lots of bad guys, mystery, secrets from their pasts, cool Vegas and New Orleans settings, explosions and trips on private jets.  So good.  And did I mention how hot Drake and Jasmine are together?        

If you are a fan of romantic suspense - the kind with all sorts of action, twists and turns and no clue who the bad guy is until the very end, and lots of hot, hot sex - this series is for you.  Anxiously awaiting the next in the series.  

I received a copy of this via NetGalley.

Review: Mine to Hold by Cynthia Eden

Mine to Hold is the third book in Cynthia Eden’s Mine series.  This book is about a different couple, Claire and Noah, who met in the second book, Mine to Keep.  I started reading this right after I finished Mine to Keep because I really enjoyed that book a lot.

I loved the suspense and mystery in this story.  Like the other books in this series, the reader is kept guessing the entire time.  By now I’ve learned to stop assuming I know who is guilty because things will change.  I didn’t want to put this book down.  Reading this series reminded me of how much I love a good mystery/crime/suspense story.  With regard to books, mysteries were my first love. That used to be all I read.  In the past few years, I’ve made an effort to read a wider variety of books, and have moved away from exclusively reading mysteries.  But these books brought back the thrill I used to get from reading a suspenseful book.

Also, the book was pretty steamy, so that along with the suspense made for a fun read. 

However, I didn’t find the romance to be all that compelling.  The first meeting between Claire and Noah in New York City – when she goes to him to interview for a job, he informs her that he wants her in his bed.  Yes, they met in Chicago, under some extreme circumstances, but they hardly had a chance to get to know each other.  Maybe he was drawn to her because she was a victim and had been through a lot of horrible things – but that isn’t very romantic.  I usually like more of a build up, a chance to see why the two people fell in love with each other.  With the previous couple – Skye and Trace – they’d known each other for years, so their obsession with each other made sense.  But Noah just sort of decided he wanted Claire.  Maybe I would have been more convinced if he’d fallen for her after he’d gone to bed with her, but for him to be so certain she was the one without knowing her at all seemed odd.  There was never any explanation as to why he wanted her, what it was about her that made her so special to him. 

But as I said in the beginning, I enjoyed the suspense in this story enough that I wasn’t all that bothered by what I considered to be an unconvincing romance.   I still really liked the book and will continue reading any books in this series.  I definitely plan to read more by this author. 

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

Review: Mine to Keep by Cynthia Eden

Mine to Keep is the continuation of Trace and Sky’s story, which began in Mine to Take.  (I recommend reading Mine to Take first, it's a shorter book, but very good.)  In Mine to Take, the couple was reunited after being apart for ten years, when Skye goes to her Trace, the owner of a big security company, asking for help when she felt she was being stalked.

The two met in a foster home as teenagers, but went their separate ways when Skye moved to New York to pursue a career in dance and Trace joined the military.  Now, Sky’s back in Chicago to open a dance studio, her career as a dancer over after a car accident, and Trace is a wealthy business owner, having used his military experience and connections to create a successful security company. 

The first book was about the two of them reuniting, and then hunting down who was after Skye.  Now, they’re finally together again, engaged and ready to spend their life together, but Trace’s past has returned to haunt them both. 

People from Trace’s past keep dying, brutal murders, and whoever is doing it is trying to frame Trace.  And a man like Trace has made a lot of enemies and has a lot of secrets.  As if trying to discover the identity of a murderer roaming the streets of Chicago isn’t enough, Trace is also trying to salvage his relationship with Skye.  Skye is tired of his secrets and wants Trace to be completely honest with her, but Trace is afraid he’ll lose her if she knows the whole truth.

Much like Mine to Take, this book kept me guessing.  As soon as I thought I knew who was guilty, something else would happen to change my mind.  That’s what I really enjoy about these books.  The mystery kept me hooked.  I wanted to set this book down last night because I could feel my cold medicine kicking in, but I couldn’t stop reading.  I think it was almost 4 a.m. when I finally finished the book.

I like this couple so much.  They have scorching hot chemistry and are so completely in love with each other.  I felt like Skye’s emotional conflict regarding Trace’s secrets was handled well, her desire to just ignore it all or force him to be honest with her. 

This book has everything I want for an enjoyable escape read – danger, suspense, emotional angst and lots of hot sex.  I liked it quite a bit and will continue reading more by this author.  In fact, I’ve already started reading the third book in this series, Mine to Hold, which is about a different couple who met during this book.

 

I received a review copy of this book via NetGalley.

Review: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

Because Diane Setterfield’s Thirteenth Tale is one of my favorite books, I was looking forward to reading Bellman & Black. 

However, Bellman & Black is very different from Thirteenth Tale.

While Thirteenth Tale evoked the ghosts of the Bronte sisters, Bellman & Black seems to pay tribute to Edgar Allan Poe, with its mysterious black birds (rooks) and a protagonist who becomes his own worst enemy as he’s consumed with guilt for an act he committed in his youth.

I expected this story would be scary or creepy or suspenseful.  I even saw some people call it a ghost story, but after reading this, I wasn’t convinced there was an actual ghost.  Mostly, I found this book to be very sad, too sad even. 

Bellman is an interesting character, and I felt he had a lot of potential.  In the beginning, we learn all about his complicated childhood, and his connection to the Bellman family.  I assumed more would be made of this, that family secrets would eventually come back to haunt him.  In fact I kept waiting for that to happen, but never did.

We’re told that Bellman does something when he’s young.  He’s showing off for his friends, but he had no malicious intent, and in my opinion, the act was pretty minor.  I can see how a child might view this as something major, but I can’t accept that the act itself would have such horrible repercussions.  I try not to give away important information in my reviews – I hate spoilers – but the horrible thing he did was kill a bird.  A bird.  And for the rest of his life, he’s punished because he accidentally killed a bird?  I used to work in an office building in Dallas, the walls were mostly windows, and birds flew into the glass and died on an almost daily basis.  Birds are not that important.  I can’t accept the idea that ending a bird’s life should result in Bellman’s life being ruined, forever.

This is why I think maybe the punishment existed only in Bellman’s mind.  Maybe he didn’t feel he deserved to be happy.  Maybe he associated all the bad things in his life with that one act.  But the author kept adding these bits at the end of each chapter, about the birds, as if to convince the readers that the birds were some important, powerful creatures who were out to get revenge.  If we were really supposed to believe the birds were so powerful though, I needed more than a few paragraphs about myths and powers associated with rooks.

The general story though is Bellman works very hard for everything he has.  He gets married, has a few children, and loves his family very much.  He tries to take care of everyone, while also running the family business – which he earned through hard work, more than family connections.  But he seems to be cursed because he killed a bird as a young boy.  By the end of the book, I guess we’re also supposed to think he worked too hard?  In his worst moment, he’s being told to remember, as if he’d somehow forgotten all he had and lost.  But I never got that impression, I never felt that he didn’t appreciate all he had.  I felt he did appreciate what he had and that’s why he worked so had to keep it and always improve upon what he had.  I couldn’t get past the idea that he was unfairly punished.  I felt that even when he was fully committed to his work, he still always showed he loved his family and cared about the well being of the people who depended on him. 

I cared about Bellman, so in that aspect the author succeeded.  There were moments that especially broke my heart, like when he’s looking through old books, and finds notes from his daughter where she’s added “Kiss Dora” to his to-do list.  Or when he’s not allowed near his sick baby, so he climbs the ladder so he can look through the window.  At one point, I set the book aside thinking I needed to stop reading because it was much too sad. 

Despite my anger at what happened in the books, I will concede that it is well written.  I didn’t want to put it down.  Though mostly I kept reading in hopes there would be some big revelation to explain why all of this was happening.  I suppose any book that makes me feel something so strongly, happy or sad, must have some merit. 

In the end, I felt cheated.  I’m not saying I needed a happy ending, but I wanted a reason or explanation of some sort for Bellman’s suffering.  Maybe I missed something or didn’t fully understand what I was reading, but I can’t accept that so much bad should happen to one person because he killed a bird – I don’t care what kind of bird it was. 

I received a review copy via NetGalley.

 

Read October 6, 2013.

Review: City of Dark Magic by Magnus Flyte

I got a copy of this book from Netgalley a while back, and had been so excited about reading it, because it took place in Prague, and I was in the process of planning a trip to Prague.  But for some reason, I didn’t read it.  There may have been other books I had already committed to reviewing or maybe things got busy at work.

Anyway, the book kept getting set aside.  And the reviews I saw on Goodreads were pretty harsh, so I was hesitant to read this.  But it remained on my list.

Well, I got to Prague.  I wandered around the Old Town area my first afternoon there, and I couldn’t get a feel for the place.  I was bothered by the huge crowds of tourists, everyone gathering around watching a guy in the middle of the square cracking a whip.  I go to these cities hoping for culture and history, and in Prague especially, I was in search of something dark and mysterious.  A sweaty guy in a torn tank top cracking a whip was not producing any magic or mystery.  I got some ice cream and went back to my hotel room.

That’s when I decided to start reading City of Dark Magic, hoping it could provide some hint of what to look for in this city.  The story pulled me in immediately.  Very fast paced story.

The next morning, as the rain poured down, I spent a few extra hours in bed reading.  (I had to be somewhere that afternoon and night, and I still had a few more days to explore the city, so no worries, I did not spend my entire time in Prague in my hotel room reading.)

But I am so glad I had this book to read while I was in Prague, waiting out the rain. 

The story is about a group of students -  academics, experts in their field - who have been hired to put together the Lobkowicz Palace’s Museum.  The family’s belongings have recently been returned to them – following WWII and then communism.  It’s a very strange group of people – as should be expected from a group such as this.  (Two trips through grad school, I know a little bit about these academic types.) 

I especially liked the main character, Sarah.  She’s smart and knowledgeable in her field – she’s hired to catalogue Beethoven’s manuscripts – and seems to have her act together.  Nice to read about a heroine who is comfortable in her sexuality, has no real hang-ups about enjoying herself.  (Oddly enough, a lot of the negative reviews complained about the sex in this book – so I was bracing myself for something dreadful – but didn’t see anything at all wrong with it.)  Now as far as romance, I thought more could have been done in that area.  I was surprised when all of a sudden she’s claiming she’s in love with Max, because I didn’t see much leading to love, other than them having great sex.  Maybe that’s enough, I don’t know.  I felt there was more to it, I think Max had been in love with her since fourth grade, and that’s hinted at, but not elaborated, and I felt it could have been.  But that’s a minor complaint.  I liked both of these characters and feel like they have a lot of potential.

 I very much enjoyed the mystery and the action in the story.  I think reading this while I was in Prague enhanced my visit to the city and added the magic for which I had been searching.  When I was about 60% through the book, I visited Prague castle and the Lobkowicz Palace.  I thought it was so cool to walk through the museum, having read the book.  I know it was fiction, but the authors did an excellent job with their research.  As I walked through each room, I felt like I was looking at the work put together by the characters in the book because it matched the descriptions in the book so accurately. 

I liked this book a lot and was very happy to learn there’s a sequel that is going to take place in Vienna – a city I visited a few summers ago and liked very much. 

Review: Magic of the Loch by Karen Michelle Nutt

This is the perfect blend of murder mystery, magic and romance. 

This book makes me want to visit Scotland and search for my soulmate.

My full review can be found here:  http://brazenreads.com/review-magic-of-the-loch-by-karen-michelle-nutt/

Review: Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness

I loved Deborah Harkness' Discovery of Witches so much, so very, very much.  When I was reading it, I couldn't stop thinking about it, had to talk about it to anyone who would listen - and a few who probably weren't listening.  I was broken hearted when the book ended because I hated the idea of being away from these characters.

This summer I visited Oxford with the specific purpose of visiting the locations mentioned in the book. 

I was anxiously awaiting the release of the sequel - Shadow of Night.  I even re-read Discovery of Witches right before getting my copy of Shadow of Night. 

Maybe my expectations were too high.  I'm not sure how any book could live up to my love of Discovery of Witches.

I will admit to having a few concerns about the sequel, a few things happened toward the end of Discovery of Witches that worried me, as you can see from the review I wrote last October.  I'm not a fan of time travel and I'm not a fan of stories that involve babies -- and it was those two things that bothered me the most about Shadow of Night.

In this book, Diana and Matthew travel back in time so that Diana can find a master witch to teach her how to use her powers.  I assumed they would travel back to work with one of Diana's ancestors.  But no, instead, Matthew decides they should go back to Elizabethan England.  He had a well established life in England during this time period, a group of close friends, a home in London, and connections with some very important people.  

Harkness, a historian as well as was a novelist, is an expert on this time period, so trust that the details are accurate.  The setting is rich in details.  But I have trouble with time travel stories, this is a problem I often have.  Can't get my head around the idea.  The way this one was set up didn't help at all.  The Matthew in the past disappears with the arrival of Matthew of the future.  What?  Where did "past Matthew" go?  And he's just going to show up again after "present Matthew" leaves the past?  Oh, my head hurts just thinking about it. 

Then there is the baby thing.  In the first book, I felt as if Diana was a character to which I could relate on some levels.  She's single, she's focused on her career, she's independent and intelligent and a little hesitant about falling in love.  In many ways, she is exactly the person I wish I could be.  (And I don't mean a witch in love with a vampire, though...)  But in Shadow of Night, she suddenly becomes fixated on having babies and there she kind of lost me.  The desire to reproduce is not something I understand at all, and for that reason, I tend to avoid traditional romances because too often they end with a marriage and/or pregnancy, signifying that life is now "perfect."  But to me, that seems to signify that their life is over.  So in this book, I felt this disconnect with Diana, and that made me sad.  Why couldn't she and Matthew have had some time together, to get to know each other - I mean, what was the rush, he's immortal?  They'd known each other, for what, maybe a month?  I was okay with love at first sight, but this intense desire to start making babies immediately -- while you're still in the 1600s?  I don't know, maybe wait until you're in a safer, more hygienic environment, where your husband -- who happens to be a doctor in the 21st century -- has access to modern technology.  Whatever.  This probably bothered me more than it should have.  I'm sure that this was the sort of thing the more mainstream, target-audience loved.  Again, that made me sad, realizing this is becoming a story for the more traditional female reader, not for a wanna-be academic weirdo like me.

Another minor complaint -- I grew a bit tired of all the extra family members. Brothers, sisters, nephews, parents. Enough already! I wanted to read about Diana and Matthew.  Again, this is based on my own life experience, in which I have no strong family ties of any sort, making it difficult to relate to stories of people who do.

But in spite of the above complaints, I thought this was a well written story and I still enjoyed reading it.  The book sucked me in immediately, I did nothing but read it for two days.  The characters are people that I care about deeply.  That sounds absurd because, well, they're fictional, but to me they're more real than most people I encounter in my so-called real life.  I want only good things for Diana and Matthew.  I don't think I've ever loved two characters more than I do these two.  But I wasn't entirely happy with the way their behavior was affected by their surroundings.  This didn't lessen my love for these two characters, but made me anxious for them to hurry up and return to their present day surroundings.  Enough with playing house in the past, let's get back to living in present times. 

Maybe my biggest problem is that I have become entirely too attached to these characters and this story.  I'm unable to simply read about them, I feel too much toward them.  I think the ability to elicit this much emotion is the sign of a great book.  So even if I wasn't entirely happy about what was happening, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with the book.  I hate for it to seem like I'm giving this book a bad review.  I still think people should read the book.

When I finished the book, I found myself suffering from something of a "book hangover" -- I saw that phrase used on facebook, and it fits perfectly for this situation.  The real world seemed so dull compared to the world created by Harkness.  I'm looking forward to the third book, but I suspect I'll be re-reading the first two a few times before it's released.

In fact, I have the weekend before Halloween reserved for a re-reading of Discovery of Witches.  If I have time, I suspect I will continue with a second reading of Shadow of Night.