Review: The Man from Gossamer Ridge by Paula Graves

The Man from Gossamer Ridge by Paula Graves

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I'm not sure exactly what to say about this. It's a category, so the relationship is necessarily abbreviated. It's part of the Cooper Justice: Cold Case Investigation series. I hadn't read the previous book (Hitched and Hunted), and I could follow along just fine, but I was certainly spoiled big time for the ending of Hitched. To me, The Man from Gossamer Ridge came off similar to a procedural television show episode. I enjoy the heck out of procedural shows, but I'd rather watch an episode than read it.

Still, the killer was kept pretty much under wraps until the end of the book, thanks to some authorial sleight of hand. I thought the characters were well-sketched, considering the constrained format. The heroine was probably my favorite character as I appreciated how Graves handled her and kept her from straying into 'too stupid to live' territory.

I pretty much only read categories if they get awesome reviews or have been nominated for something, but I'd be more likely to read them if Harlequin released, like, an e-anthology compiling all the books from a series into one volume. Categories have a short lifespan at my library and I really dislike not starting a series with book one.

Review: Liquid Lies by Hanna Martine

Liquid Lies by Hanna Martine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I don't know how Berkley executive editor Cindy Hwang does it. Does she have a crack team of interns/junior editors who lurk on the internet or rifle through unguarded piles of queries? Does Cindy sit at the head of a long table, hands folded, as nervous agents pitch her their clients' books in wavering voices? Does she have a hidden room containing a sentient supercomputer? Did she get a letter from an owl when she was ten? Did she fall into nuclear waste while clutching an e-reader loaded with romances? Whatever the origin of her superhuman ability, Cindy's name in the acknowledgements of a book is practically a guarantee that I'm gonna like it, and Liquid Lies is no exception.

The book isn't scheduled for release until July 3rd, just in time for that long holiday weekend. This is a debut, though, so I don't think Berkley will be too mad if I tell you a little about it. Basically, in a nutshell, this is the story about a heroine who's trying to make her daddy happy, unwittingly aiding in bad things happening, and the hero who forcibly kidnaps her, delivering her to the people who want to stop those bad things.

Liquid Lies does suffer a bit from first book-its where a lot of time is devoted to educating the reader about the world we have found ourselves in. For this reason, the book really picks up at Chapter 22. By the end, I was salivating for the sequel.

I'm going to refrain from telling you anything about the paranormal aspect because the book's blurb only tells you half the story. I was all, 'la la la, I know what she is-wait, what? Ooooooo.' I will say that while I can think of other books that would fit into this subgenre, it's not one of the more common ones. Also, while I'm not a tattoo person, per say, I kinda want the hero's tattoo for myself. I think it's such a great idea.

Oh! There's one more unique thing about Liquid Lies. As it says right on the cover, it's the "first in a new series," BUT it could have easily ended here. There's no cliffhanger, no real loose ends, nothing. There's an excerpt for the second book (which is why I needs it) and it looks like rather than confining her characters to a few square miles, Martine is going big. It wouldn't surprise me if we don't see the hero & heroine of Liquid Lies in the next book at all. I'm a fan of how Thea Harrison sets up her Elder Races series and I'm keeping my fingers crossed that Martine has a similar format in mind.

Also, that is a perfect cover.

Review: True Colors by Joyce Lamb

True Colors by Joyce Lamb

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I was not particularly fond of True Vision when I read it last year. As a result, I sorta rolled my eyes when I saw books 2 and 3 on the RITA nominee list. However, what kind of ex-Romance Expert would I be if I read whatever I could from the nominee list? So while my expectations and enthusiasm were low, I actually thought this was a decent romantic suspense.

Firstly, True Colors is very dependent on True Vision. There is very little relationship development between Alex and John because most of the 'beginning' stuff happens in True Visions. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it underscores the importance of starting a series at the beginning.

Secondly, like True Visions, the book moves very quickly. I read the entire book in a little over an hour. The plot was tied and the action flowed swiftly. There was a secondary arc with a runaway teen that was interesting, but it had little to do with the overall plot.

Thirdly, I liked how Lamb handled the Big Bad. Via Alex's empathic gift, she humanizes the Big Bad and gives him a horrible back-story. The reader is forced to wonder if the Big Bad's childhood had been different, maybe they wouldn't have grown up to be a serial killer.

Fourthly, most of the stuff I didn't like about True Vision wasn't present in this book. However, my suspicion about Alex being wishy-washy proved valid and I didn't particularly like the way the book ended. While I liked John in True Vision, I felt like he wasn't a strong presence in True Colors. His existence in the book revolved completely around Alex and I wanted him to feel more like his own man.

Lastly, I think I gave this three stars because it didn't wow me and I'm not a huge fan of romantic suspense to begin with. A bigger fan would probably think this is four stars.

Warning! There is graphically discussed child sexual abuse and scenes of child physical abuse. In addition, there is implied animal abuse/torture. Since the reader spends some time in the Big Bad's head, there are also some creepy scenes about sexual sadism and violence towards women.

Review: Donovan's Child (Bravo Family Ties) by Christine Rimmer

Donovan's Child (Bravo Family Ties) by Christine Rimmer

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I picked this one up because it's a RITA nominee I was able to find in the bottomless abyss that is my public library's uncatalogued book racks.

Ready for this? I was actually really enjoying this book up until the part where the hero and heroine got together. Trippy, right? Talk about a mindfuck. It was like the heroine lost all her spunk and became a limpet. Here's an example. Dude's in a wheelchair, right? So he rents a handicapable van that's going to meet him at the airport. His plan is to get into the van and drive to meet the heroine at the house he's going to be staying at. So she wants to meet him at the airport and he says, "No. I'll have the van waiting. There's no point." Totally logical and full of common sense, right? And then she thinks to herself, "[O]f course there was a point. To see him. To be with him as soon as she possibly could." She talks herself out of saying anything "[j]ust because she loved him didn't mean she had to turn into some wimpy clingy vine" (pg 176). It says all the right things, but I felt the implication was, oh, she's being noble and he's being a jackass.

In the beginning of the book, when the hero was being a jackass, she was a charming smart-ass who didn't let him get away with shit. Now she's in love with him and the smart-assery went 'poof!' It's just not healthy. If the heroine was my friend, I'd be getting ready for a 'Have you thought this through?' talk. It all works out, of course, because they break up for like three weeks, the hero goes away, apparently has some kind of off-screen epiphany, and then comes back to grovel. The groveling was well done and, to her credit, she didn't take him back as soon as he showed up. Still, I would have like to seen the hero's revelation because it felt like it was very convenient and out of nowhere.

More tidbits about Nalini Singh's 'Tangle of Need'

My answers to questions asked on the comment thread of my review over at GoodReads:

On Adria being Indigo's Aunt

"As far as Adria and Riaz go, Nalini does address the aunt thing almost right away and reminds the reader that Indigo & Adria are more like sisters than aunt & niece. A bigger roadblock is the situation that Riaz tells Indigo about in Play of Passion."

"I get where you're coming from on the potential ick factor. I had that in my head when I started reading, but Nalini does a great job of kinda laying it out and you're, like, okay, that makes sense. It's not exactly spelled out in Play of Passion, but Indigo and Riaz seem to have had more of a friends with benefits situation going on rather than a boyfriend/girlfriend relationship and, again, it's not clear, but I think anything between them ended before he left which was a 'couple of years ago.'

"Nalini continually underscores how important touch is to the changelings and casual short-term relationships seem to be an offshoot of that. In addition, Indigo is clearly happy with Drew so it's not like there's any residual feelings on either of their parts. The thing to keep in mind is that they're not human and, in the changeling culture, these situations appear to crop up all the time."



Sienna and Hawke

"Sienna and Hawke are very present in the book. They make excellent use of the gift the Pack gave them in Kiss of Snow. I also fell a little in love with Hawke after his reaction to a present Sienna gives him."

Lulu: I'm so excited there is lots of Hawke and Sienna! Do we learn more about their relationship and how they are managing with Hawke being alpha and Sienna just a soldier? - Yes.


The book's last line

"It's not exactly a quote, but the very last line of the book is going to send most people into a frenzy. I tried desperately to find out who the next couple is going to be and I got totally shut down. Resist the urge to skip ahead, though! It'll have more impact if you read Tangle of Need properly (and this is another reason why you should try to read it on the 29th)."

Vi: Please tell me if the last line will leave us hanging. Or is it more like the last line in Kiss of Snow?- I finally got a chance to dig out my copy of Kiss of Snow. I'd categorize the last line of Kiss like a pleasant surprise, like finding forgotten money. The last line of Tangle of Need is more of a anticipatory, perhaps shocking, surprise, like the week before Christmas when you know you got presents, but you don't know what they are yet. Except Christmas in our case would be about a year away. 

About Riaz's mating situation

Lulu: Can you tell us anything about the woman Riaz thought was his mate? Was she? Is there more than 1 possible mate out there for a changeling? - 1) Yes, but I won't, due to the aforementioned specter of death, 2) What Riaz told us in Play of Passion about her is completely true, and 3) That's a question for Dalton.

 

The Lauren Family

"Of the members of the Lauren family (excluding any SnowDancers), one is never mentioned, one is mentioned and also seen, one is mentioned but never speaks, two spend time in a kitchen, one gives forehead kisses, and one gives chocolate."

Walker and Lara

"They're in Tangle, but more as background characters. There's a little positive news about their relationship, but they don't have any real scenes. I wouldn't be surprised if Nalini eventually releases a deleted scene with them."

         

Review: Stranded with Her Ex by Jill Sorenson

Stranded with Her Ex by Jill Sorenson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I don't know what to rate this. I'll be honest, I decided to read this book for two reasons: 1) It was nominated for a RITA and 2) My March count is really low and I knew I could knock out series titles right quick.

I think the main problem I'm having is that I feel like the suspense part was kinda shoe-horned in. In fact, I thought one of the characters was making a logical progression towards being the Big Bad, but then, all of a sudden, somebody else had, like, a psychotic break and started going 'All work and no play' on the other characters. So suspense-wise, I'd give this two stars.

However, I was impressed by how Sorenson handled the emotional problems between the hero and heroine. There was a natural progression between, albeit slightly compressed, and there was no magical solution. They were both mature adults and acted like it. I also liked the unusual setting and the animal aspect of the story. Based on these factors, I can see why it was nominated and I'd give it four stars.

Averaging it out, I guess I'll just go with three.

Review: Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston

Bear Meets Girl by Shelly Laurenston

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Okay, so my best friend (a former Borders merchandising/inventory supervisor) is now a receiver at Barnes & Noble. And you know what Barnes & Noble does different from Borders? Fewer strict on sale dates. And that is why I got this book in my hot little paws eight days before I thought it was coming out.

I'm still riding on the book high (will probably re-read it before bed), but I really, really enjoyed Bear Meets Girl. Even though I am a staunch Laurenston fangirl, I admit to being less than thrilled with Big Bad Beast. Dee-Ann isn't exactly my favorite heroine. But, God, I was kinda sad when this book ended. I'm a Long Island girl so it was a hoot to read about familiar places. Hell, I drive past Hofstra everyday on my way to work. The idea that there are shifters running amok on the Island is simultaneously cool and unnerving.

This is Laurenston's tenth shifter book and when you get to Book 10, there's that danger of getting stale. With Big Bad, I was a little afraid we were reaching that point, but I feel like Laurenston just put her foot on the accelerator and revved up her pen. It felt fresh to me. I mean, this is not a book for someone who's not familiar with the world Laurenston has created (I stand by my position that you need to start with Pack Challenge), but Bear Meets Girl is like downloading a new expansion pack.

The world feels bigger now. There's the entire Malone clan and the Callahan family and a closer look into KGV. Things change for the Carnivores, a Big Bad lurks on the horizon, and the second generation gets a bigger push towards the spotlight. Novikov makes a friend! I have to say, I think that's what tickled me the most, that Crush is such a full-on hockey geek. All of the previous heroes have been these big burly alpha types and here's Crush, this big guy, who just turns into a little girl around his sport idols. It was adorable.

As I said on Twitter, if I am ever forced to choose between Laurenston and Nalini Singh, my soul will die. Yup, I'm going to have to read Bear Meets Girl again tonight. And maybe sleep with it under my pillow. So good.