Private Dicks: Undercovers (GLBT)

Private Dicks: Undercovers by Samantha M. Derr
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Temper: ***** One of my favorites, and the reason I took longer to finish this antho.-I went back to reread it. >.< This story was great and a total treat to read. Reese does his PI job, mostly looking for stray pets. He doesn't have it easy with his 'supposed' pack (supposed b/c basically the Alpha is a total P*&CK and the rest are no better). When asked to infiltrate another pack to look into the murder and disappearance of several shifters is when his life becomes a tangle of lies and deception as he tries to discover what is going on. It made me sad how Reese was so used to mistreatment that Deepine's welcoming and warm actions seemed so alien to him, particularly the Alpha's focused and doting attentions. I was totally engrossed in this story. There's action and tension and mystery that when everything was revealed at the end, I was like woah, Reese is one very sweet but sneaky fellow. LOVED IT!!

The PI and the Rock Star: *** This was a good story, but I felt like it was missing something to give it that extra sparkle. Maybe it was b/c I was expecting this major confrontation between the opposing characters...but I still liked Mason and Jade.

Glamour: *** This story for me had a lot of potential, but it felt like a condensed version of a novel.So while I liked the characters and the possibilities it seemed over too quickly and the situation resolved with no particular fanfare.

The Virginia Gentleman: ***This one was actually a great story, but I felt like there was a cop out as like a previous story there is no squaring off with the bad guy, it was very easily tied up in a bow. Still enjoyed it.

The Royal Inquisitor: **** Megan Derr is always a favorite, so it goes w/o saying that I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It's so hard to realize how one simple action can cause such a serious misunderstanding. Esmour trying to prove his love and loyalty to Teigh only leaves himself open to someone else's treachery, and giving Teigh the belief that Esmour has betrayed him. Now under the employ of the crown as one of the top Inquisitors, Esmour wears penance bracelets on his wrists and the pain of Teigh's actions in his heart. Suddenly an assignment tosses them together and Esmour and Teigh finally have the opportunity to set to rights the wrongs committed years before.

Regarding the Detective's Companion: *** Jamie is having a hard time. As a PI he finds it difficult to land any cases since rarely anyone wants to overlook the fact that he's in a wheelchair and when they do, it's only to offer him shady ones. Which is what happens with his next case. Someone is willing to pay a lot of money for Jamie to find anything that will implicate Dr. Hallingsworth of a crime, even murder. Jamie doesn't want to, sensing something more is going on but feels he has no choice at the reality of his situation. He accepts the case but bows to find the truth, discover who really murdered the Dean of Dr. Hallingsworth college, and if Dr. Hallingsworth really is the killer than he has nothing to feel ashamed of. This story was enjoyable, and the relationship between Jamie and Hallingsworth is very innocent. I disliked how people treated Jamie and his handicap, so it was lovely to see how Hallingsworth and his colleagues regarded him. While an intriguing mystery, the end result felt like a let down since it was just swept under the rug. But it was good to see Jamie get a fresh start.

The Demon Bride: ****This story was another favorite. Quinn is a young man who keeps finding dead bodies in the front stoop of his father's business, and he finds it odd that neither his father or the police are willing to investigate the matter further. He is convinced to let it go but finds it difficult to turn the other way when it involves a friend. Between ominous advice from a gypsy, dark riddles and warnings from a mysterious and compelling man-Sebastian, threats from a Hunter-Francis; Quinn has to discover who is leaving him bodies and why. He also has to deal with his attraction to Sebastian when it's Oz (his father's employee) that he loves, and last but not least come to terms with the fact that his not completely human. I wanted more of this story, seriously. Sebastian is a very compelling character, Quinn is very pure and I liked that even though he didn't really know what he was doing, still tried his best to find out the truth. Oz is a very gentle and protective character so the three of them go very well together. Really good read!

Too Dangerous: **** Shi accepts a case that involves locating Elis-his possibly ex lover. Not really knowing where their relationship stands but feeling the need to find him Shi goes ahead. The assignment is way over Shi's head, something Elis will most likely throw in his face-as that was the reason for their fight before the man disappeared but Shi has no other choice. Hmm, this story is good. Not so much mystery but more action driven. Shi and Elis are guys with strong personalities. I think this case proved Elis' point, not because he thought any less of Shi, but because there are some things that Shi is just not trained for. A very exciting story.

Overall this was a great compilation of stories. :D


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Black Dog Blues (Kai Gracen, #1) GLBT

Black Dog Blues by Rhys Ford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

I could've given this a full five star rating because actually this first book in the series really is quite good-then again it's Rhys Ford and what can I say I really enjoy her stories-but, there were minor errors that made this a little of a bumpy ride for me.

Driving along, the excitement of a new beginning for Ryder and Kai definitely revved me up; they're push/pull relationship added that spark to this exciting tale, that's not counting the other characters who seem to be so attracted to Kai.

Then the scenery changes; like driving through open fields at night, the terrifying monster that's at the center of all of Kai's nightmares is out there just waiting to devour him whole. But this road is not a total dead end, and if there's something Kai knows, it's just how to handle treacherous roads.

Gritty, action packed, and dark at times this story kept me engaged the whole way. Kai's fear is a palpable thing and almost crippling, so I admired his strength and his personal stand against the people that hurt (and this seems like such a trivial word) him. Definitely an awesome ride and I'm looking forward to another trip.

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Cloak & Silence (The League, #6)

Cloak & Silence by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I'll admit that I've never read anything else by this author, but I have GR friends who do and so I found out about this book. I was hesitant to buy this because being the 6th book in an ongoing series I thought I would be totally lost, but I caved. I was amazed, this author did a wonderful and tasteful job with this character's story and now I find myself wanting to read more of this series and the rest of her books-though this story was written in a way that I didn't feel like I was missing anything.

Maris' and Ture just break my heart; and I wonder how all these guys just didn't go insane. No one should go through even half of what this men have survived, so their resilience and strength is just amazing to witness. Really an extraordinary cast of characters, who I hope I'll be able to get to know better (I'm getting my hands on the prior books in the series).

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Tsuki to Yabanjin (Yaoi)

Tsuki to Yabanjin by Séra
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Prince Uriel known as the 'cursed prince' lives in exile with only the servants and his personal assistant Alvie, whose been his only companion since he was born. Because of the people's superstitions, and to cover the real events that happened regarding his parent's deaths, his only living sibling and current King had to send him away in order to protect him.

Several years later he heads to North Africa, to the Umu Ral desert in search of the city of Rowadis-a favorite legend he read about. It's here where he falls into the clutches of Aldgradurl Al Dura Seldira, the 'Umu Ral King', and the leader of the Seldira Clan after the members of his expedition break the agreement they had made in regards to any findings.

He heeds Alvie's warning and hides his true identity but still finds himself falling for Ald as they travel towards Ald's home. Yet he knows that no matter what his feelings are, he still has to return home or else Alvie's life might be at risk for taking him to Umu Ral in the first place.

I thoroughly love it when all the elements of a story come together and give me a moment of complete and utter enjoyment. Of course I could be biased in regards to this b/c I'm a sucker for a story in a desert setting. Whether it's a sheik, a bandit, or a nomad who takes captive his object of interest just makes me swoon. The plot had me hooked, and the detail and wonderful illustrations were just beautiful and enhanced this read for me. :D




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An Intrepid Trip to Love (A Little Bite of Love, #1) GLBT

An Intrepid Trip to Love by Charlie Cochet
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The photo was just LAUGH OUT LOUD FUNNY, and the prompt definitely piqued my interest (awesome Nikyta!), then I found out it was by Charlie Cochet...I had to read this immediately.

Lately, men with children and family themed stories are at the forefront of my reading picks, and there are many of which I have fallen in love with. This story-which is going to be the start of a series (YAY!)-is at the top of the list.

Romance and comedy are the highlight of the story for me, the strong love between Trip and Robbie and the rest of their little family is so heartfelt. I admire that though it feels that Trip and Boone might not get their happy ever after, they try to make the best of the situation. But that when the reasons and motivations that drive the council are revealed he and Robbie (such a strong little man) make a stand, no longer willing to bow to his father and the clan.

A great start to what I know will be a wonderful series, and I for one am seriously looking forward for more of these lovely character's antics. Now about those fugly spiders...





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Priceless-Rylee Adamson #1 (Urban Fantasy)

Priceless by Shannon Mayer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5

It's been awhile since I've actually been able to get into an urban fantasy novel-I keep on buying the continuing volumes on the series I still find of interest but yet can't get around to reading them. It was kind of normal for me that when I got this in my rec. queue in amazon-at a great price of .99¢-I went ahead and bought it; can't seem to rid myself of the habit even if I just KNOW that it'll stay unread on my ever growing list of books. Color me surprised when I gave it a try and actually managed to stay interested enough in the story and the characters (my favorite is Alex-the werewolf w/the personality of a golden retriever-no Alpha here folks, yet I loved him for that same reason. And then there's Doran the daywalker, definitely want to know more about him.)

Because of her sister's strange disappearance and subsequent death, Rylee, a Tracker and an Immune, now uses her abilities to seek out and save any missing child no matter where they are whether in this world or the one hidden beyond the Veil. Armed with her blades, a loyal werewolf, and a stalking FBI agent intent on putting her in jail for murder, Rylee has her work cut out for her. That is if the Harpies, Alex's pack, or her attraction to said FBI agent don't do her in first. I'm glad I took the chance w/this, definitely had a good time reading it.

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Romance de Toreros (Spanish Edition)

Romance de Toreros by José Luis Rodriguez Del Corral
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's been a long while since I've watched a Toreada. The sight of those animals bleeding and hurt wasn't something that I could stomach enough to watch one through the end, but I vividly remember the toreros. I focused on them, and to me they were as majestic as those animals to see. The movements were as beautiful and graceful as a dance-a deadly tango, for either of the partners involved.

This story is about a torero at the peak of his career, who wears the testament of his victories on his body. Curro can face the fiercest of bulls, but can't find the strength to step out of the closet. He hides this feeling of cowardice by stepping into the arena to gain a sense of redemption and courage.

Then a friendly challenge is issued by an up and coming young Torero who greatly admires him. The opposite of him in many ways, it is Juan who finally who gives Curro the strength to be himself.

Albeit a very short story, it was beautifully written and conveyed Curro's tumultuous emotions very well.

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Swansong

Swansong by Rose Christo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5

This might be the first of Christo's novels that's a little hard for me to rate/review. Did I enjoy it? Yes. But there was a lot of info. that just made this story drag a little for me. What I had to keep in mind at all times was that Wendy's mind is damaged, so the story being from her POV might seem not to make any kind of sense-which was part of the point, I think. It made me grasp that fear and confusion that Wendy had to live with daily. It felt like being in an elevator and not knowing whether you're going up or down or even sideways and each time you step out you get this alternate universes where the characters are the same, just maybe not having the same roles to play. Just for a few seconds I felt like I'd grasped the real one only to lose it just as quickly. Azel and Wendy were very sweet together, he made me feel a sense of safety; he was an old soul, full of kindness and great wisdom. This novel is very much about philosophy, astronomy, physics, biology (neuroscience), a lot of it. But what it boiled down to for me was a 16 yr. old girl trying to make sense of her great loss, trying to cope with the dramatic changes she went through after her accident. It was about her reconnecting with the world, trying to find her place and will to live in it.

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Snowblind (GLBT)

Snowblind by Rose Christo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5

How to begin this, I'm still reeling, my thoughts and emotions feel tumultuous regarding this story. Hmm, if any of you are familiar with Rose Christo's blog and her posts, you know that she never really mentioned her books. It was all about her interests but particularly it was about getting the word out there about indigenous issues-touching primarily on the the loss of their children. That is the premise of this novel.

Shawn Wapaw is a 22yr. old who lost his sight as a young boy at the hands of his foster parent. He has spent the last few years in self imposed isolation. Having the financial means to do so, he has lived a hollow and frozen existence until a cheeky brazen 9 yr. old stumbles into his life with the gentility of a sledgehammer. Although reticent at first-actually he tries to buy them out of their home-Shawn slowly builds a friendship with Melanie. Being Innu he feels a sort of kinship with her as she is also a fostered child from the Chippewa tribe. On one of his internet ventures he discovers that a member in the forum plans to commit suicide; seeking help doesn't work so he takes steps to stop it, even if he has to make the trip himself. Circumstances leave him with no choice but to accept Melanie's and her father Kenneth's help and the 3 of them set out together. For Shawn the trip turns into a journey of self discovery, leaving him no choice but to face his worst fears.

Melanie is an outgoing and outspoken child for her age and she takes to Shawn, quickly learning that his prickly and acerbic attitude is just superficial. Although she misses her real family she loves her Pops and is happy with him.

Kenneth is a man with his own physical scars, product of an automobile accident. Extremely kind, he is a gentle man who is just trying to be a good father and make his daughter happy. His relationship with Shawn begins on shaky ground but the trip brings them together in an unexpected way. Shawn said it best. 'Only a blind man could look at him without seeing those scars. My blindness, in turn, made me horribly selfish. And only a selfless man could look at me and see someone worth knowing.'

The idea that people would not only actually push a person to go ahead with suicide but to actually tell them to do it live is sickening, but it's also tragic that a person can feel so alone and lost that they think it's the only way to escape. Shawn made it a little hard to like him at first, but as you gradually get to know him it's easier to understand him and his ways. Melanie is just a wonderful girl, her Pops lets her get away with a lot; it's a good thing Daddio (Shawn) helps out.

I've come to realize that with Christo's stories I can expect a warmth in my heart, but that's after she's made it bleed. This one rings a little harder than her previous works because there where certain times while I read that I felt it wasn't really Shawn but her talking at me. It felt like her pain, loss, and helplessness was imbued in the pages. Another winning story for me.


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