Joey W Hill - Beloved Vampire

Lord Mason has lived in the Sahara desert for 300 years, grieving for a lost love and guarding her tomb. When the tomb is breached, his vampire bloodlust is stirred to raging by the thought of someone disturbing her sanctuary.
What he finds is Jessica, a fugitive from his own world. Forced into service to a cruel vampire master, Jessica was able to kill him when he tried to make her his full servant. Because the third marking was not complete, it left her alive...barely.
Drawn by the historic legend of the tomb, not knowing how it intertwines with the vampire world she is seeking to avoid, Jessica's only desire is to die there, with her hand on the sarcophagus of the woman who had an unyielding faith in love.
Instead, her desire to live is forcibly re-awakened by the vampire who refuses to let her give up. She clings to her hatred, but Mason is determined to help her believe in love again. The only catch is he might have to do the same. But can he offer up his heart to another extraordinary woman if he already gave it away centuries ago?

Comment: I've purchased this book especially for one of my book clubs. I've heard about the author before, although this was my first attempt to read her work. I never paid much attention because I knew she is considered erotica and right now I'm not very interested in reading things like that. I was at a time but nowadays not so much although I do get one here and there once in a while. Anyway, this is the 4th in a series that besides being erotica, also had BDSM, something I've tried reading about and most times hated. I have to be brutally honest and say I liked some books with this but for the love of God, I can't remember a single title, but I know I did.

However, people told me this book wasn't heavy on the BDSM part and I decided to give it a try because of that, otherwise I'd skip this one. I really don't like BDSM, especially if it's the hard core style or if it's about power and humiliation. I confess it's a lifestyle I don't enjoy knowing about and don't think I'd accept it in real life. In fiction it gets on my nerves enough, thank you.

The book is mostly about Jessica and Mason. Jessica has been abused by her master for five years and after all the most despicable things were done to her, in a random chance she was able to kill her master but the past is still with her and she only wants to die. She found a diary once and grabbed it like a lifeline to help go through her days and in that she read about a centuries past love story so strong - despite having ended in tragedy - she desires only to die in the place where the dead narrator of the diary is.

Mason is the lover of that dead woman and he's a master vampire, something Jessica fears and despises the most. However, their lives meet and mason saves Jessica from dying. In that, their journey of healing begins.

I liked the book a lot. Much more than I thought I might. Simply because there are almost no scenes whatsoever of BDSM. And the ones that we see aren't very heavy or detailed or important to the general story.

The book is more centered in hope and healing. Jessica has been through a lot and she needs time to get over the issues and to accept her new life. She becomes Mason's servant (it's right in the beginning of the book, so no spoilers) and with time she has to learn he is very different from her previous master and what she thought was the norm really wasn't. I liked the fact Jessica didn't change her mind just because she felt sexually attracted to Mason. She did take hr time thinking, acting and healing before anything happened between them. She had to learn to have hope and I loved that it took time, she took her time and the story felt better because of that, if she had rushed things I don't think the book would have any purpose.

Mason also had to heal. He seemed over the death of his centuries lost wife, but there were still some things for him to deal with. Again, it took time and I liked how Jessica helped him too. In the end both helped the other and how they accepted each other in the end of the book felt more real and believable.

I think the author has a skill to writ about this subject of healing and hoping. I wish she would focus more on this than on erotica lol. She wrote in a way that made us "see" the time go by and the characters evolve. I liked that.

This book was very good for me, it suited the tone of the story and the difficulty of the theme, because Jessica was abused and no one gets over it in a day or two, it takes time and, I can't stop saying it, he author took time and it suited the book so much.

Now I'm curious to read more, but only her stand-alones about this world. It's still a BDSM themed world but the stand-alone titles don't seem to focus so much on that, something people who read it also say. Perhaps in the future I will try them too.

Christa Wolf - Accident

An East German writer, awaiting a call from the hospital where her brother is undergoing brain surgery, instead receives news of a massive nuclear accident at Chernobyl, one thousand miles away. In the space of a single day, in a potent, lyrical stream of thought, the narrator confronts both mortality and life and above all, the import of each moment lived-open, as Wolf reveals, to infinite analysis.

Comment: I've picked this book for the reading challenge I'm in this year. I had it in my shelf, it was part of a collection of four an uncle gave me but I have to be honest I never paid much attention to it, except I knew it was a short book (only 90 pages) and it suited precisely November's theme for a book less than 200 pages and considering I had to read something, I chose this one, knowing nothing about it. I've read the synopsis in the back cover and I guessed it would be more literature than fiction but I wasn't aware it was about such a decisive moment in current history.

The book is about a female writer, she's doing her daily chores and wondering, thinking about what it meant the Chernobyl disaster to the world, to herself, to the ones close by. It's like she's having a conversation while debating things, all done in a monologue.

This book hasn't got many pages, but they're full of symbolism, of references to the Chernobyl disaster.

This book is narrated in the first person but as the protagonist is having a monologue and she's talking to someone I'd say it's one of the few books done in the second person that I've read so far. It looks complicated but it really isn't.

The protagonist is doing her daily routine, her house chores and she's talking about the impact of the disaster to those around, to her and her family, to those who only hear it in the news. It's a very philosophical approach about what it means and the consequences it will have. The thing that still stuck to my head about it is when she says so many food is going to the garbage because she doesn't know it the fumes didn't reach the place where she lives and how dangerous it would be to just gamble that.

The protagonist talks about many more details and the decisions taken afterwards for those involved. It was an interesting summary of what it meant, socially, politically and morally for sure.

Now, it is interesting to know about it, but I have to confess many times the way things are said seemed a bit boring to me. I get it that it's meant to be philosophical, to make the reader think and imagine the author doing such mundane things while so many miles away many people suffered so much, it's meant to make us ponder the dichotomy of that reality, but I had to stop reading many times to find the will to keep reading. Many passages were very long, graphically, and made the reading boring and tiring at times.

So, in the end, a thoughtful reading but not very exciting. It makes its point, though. I've never thought about that disaster (I was too young at the time) but the consequences are still devastating.

Interesting book for its theme but not very seductive in terms of writing.

J. K. Beck - When Temptation Burns

Half human, half daemon, Ryan Doyle is a driving force for justice. As an agent for the Preternatural Enforcement Coalition, he’s investigating murders linked to a Los Angeles fringe group bent on exposing the shadow world to humanity. He is a master of self-control, keeping his deepest hungers hidden beneath a veneer of cool professionalism. Until he crosses paths with sinfully sweet Andy Tarrent, a gutsy reporter who makes him crave all the pleasures he’s denied himself for centuries.
Tracking a band of conspiracy theorists eager to spill blood, Andy has uncovered the story of her career. Brooding, mysterious Ryan is an enigma -- but their dance of seduction is hotter than any fantasy. As they race to stop mass murder on the streets, Andy knows that Ryan is holding back, keeping secrets. But getting close to Ryan means opening the door to a world that will challenge her deepest beliefs -- including what it means to truly surrender to love.

Comment: The sixth book in the Shadow Keepers series. This is the story of Ryan Doyle, a paradaemon who's half demon, half human. He's angry most of the time, or at least has been in previous books, since we've know him from the first book.

This book tell us the story of Doyle and Andy. Doyle is a demon working for the Paranormal Office and he has a partner, Tucker. Doyle is a very stubborn person and seems to be angry pretty much all the time although that doesn't stop him from doing his job. 

Andy is a reporter, she writes articles for a magazine and she sees herself in the middle of a strange group of people who want to fight the paranormal, specially because her father is in it. She meets Doyle during a research and when she sees him in a meeting for that group where her father's in, they both feel attracted and get together eventually. However, there are secrets among them to be revealed and until that happen could they find something in common?

This ended up being my favorite book of them all in the series. I think it has a more solid story, more secondary characters interacting and of course, Doyle, a character I've been wanting to see happy since he first show up.

The plot revolves around an ex-military man, Paul, wanting to fight paranormals because he thinks they're a threat to humans, not considering not everyone is what they seem.During the book, we see how Paul and his group try to kill paranormals. Doyle infiltrates the group to see if its a serious threat and in the first meeting he sees Andy there and there's mutual attraction. Like always, I don't think much time passes from the moment the protagonists meet and become intimate. I wish the author would find a way to show this, for instance in showing sexual tension scenes, in order to create the illusion more time has passed. But it didn't happen and although I still liked the romance, it was very fast.

Doyle has always made me eager to see him happy. It was obvious he was so angry for a reason and in this book we know why and also why he and Luke (protagonist book #1) who used to be such good friends stop talking. So, in his book, Doyle finally got over many situations from his past that were making him a not very friendly person, he kind of grew up.

Mostly, that happened because of Andy. She was a nice girl and after meeting Doyle and knowing him, she started to fall in love but when she found out what he was she feared him for a while, but she decided to investigate and she learned what he was and how he survived and learned how to help him too. I liked this, she didn't stay waiting for him to come to her or to be a hero, she went and did some research to know more and to understand him. It was both brave and sweet of her.

I liked how several secondary characters played a part. The book felt very alive and the constant dialogue and interaction made the book seem more full, although it's not the longest in the series.

there were many scenes I liked and I thought that they suited the story a lot, providing the reader with enough feedback towards the character's thoughts and motivations. It was such an easy book to read, not boring at all. I enjoyed it a lot.

I don't know if the author is planning to write more books in the series, but I hope so, there are some more characters who deserve a story too. As foe this one, I totally recommend it.

Song #3

This song is so cute and it can have so many ways to understand it. I like the fact there are two voices all the time.

Alison Sinclair - Lightborn

The Darkborn aristocracy has rejected magic, viewing the pursuit of science as the only worthy goal. But Lady Telmaine Hearne does not have that luxury. She has kept her own powers secret, fearful of being ruined in society...until her husband Balthasar draws her into a conspiracy to protect the archduke and his brother against a magical enemy. But who will protect them from her?

Comment: This is the second book in a fantasy trilogy about a world where people are divided into those who live in darkness and those who live in daylight. The darkborns fear and dismiss magic whereas lightborns practice and encourage magic. Now the two worlds mixed and are about to start a war.

In this second book, we see several character's point of view and what's happening through their eyes, specially things in the lightborn side. Their prince is murdered and a political play starts to develop, ending up in a potential war between the two sides, ans also the threat of an invasion by the shadowborns, people everyone fears and wants to keep at distance.

This is the continuation of the fantasy world started in Darkborn. In this book, the focus is more about Floria White Hand, a lightborn and while she plays her part, we learn more about lightborns and their rules and many things pertinent to their "side", the same way we did with darkborns in the first book. There's a plot in this book to start a war between sides and some of the most powerful people in the darkborn society feel it's their right to do so. However, Telmaine is still around and developing each day her magic. Of course, she can' be found otherwise she would be ostracized. 

One day, something happens and Telmaine is discovered and accused. She has the help of others and that is how the good guys can prepare themselves to what's coming.

This is a very complex world. Many rules exist and some of them hard to follow. I think a sort of glossary or background explanation would be better instead of only the information given in the books. Some things still make me confused. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book and there were several parts where I couldn't wait to see what would happen. All the main characters play a certain role and are meant to be part of something, and  can't help but wonder what they would do in the future. I think the author has created a very special world, and I'd like to have a more concrete idea of how things work.

The best thing about these books is the original society created. It's fun to find out about what suits a lightborn and a darkborn and their differences, even funnier is to see the things that make them close. They divide the city and strange at it seems, the rules are different for each group. 

This book is the continuation of a detailed plot. It's real not good to read it alone because many things wouldn't make sense. I felt lost in some moments and I did read the first one. I think it could use a bit more "lightness", I mean, more funny and easy moments between characters, perhaps a bit more romance, because despite being a fantasy it doesn't have to be all about politics and business. I think it could use a bit more balance between the different subjects being dealt int he story.

The characters have strengths and weakness, not only personal traits but things about whether thy are lightborn and darkborn. It's interesting to look for them and to think about each person that way, I think in this the author has done a good job.

Anyway, I liked the book and I'm eager to read the third and see what will happen about some things, but I hope it will go a certain path, otherwise I think it might too...businesslike and that could make the whole trilogy more serious than what it needs.

Ken Follett - The Hammer of Eden

The FBI doesn't believe it. The Governor wants the problem to disappear. But agent Judy Maddox knows the threat is real: An extreme group of eco-terrorists has the means and the know-how to set off a massive earthquake of epic proportions. For California, time is running out.
Now Maddox is scrambling to hunt down a petty criminal turned cult leader turned homicidal mastermind. Because Judy knows that the dying has already begun. And soon, the earth will violently shift, bolt, and shake down to its very core....

Comment: I've had this book to read for more than five years. I remember I bought it on sale, it was quite cheap (I have it translated) but the blurb caught my eye and at that time I had read two books by the author and I remember enjoying them, so when I saw this one on sale I got it right away...but like most times I didn't get to it soon and it's been in my TBR list for...well, obviously a long time. I finally decided to pick it up because I had the idea of trying to go through many loose titles I have in my shelves and, in a way, start tidying things up a bit.

The book is a fictional story about the possibility of someone starting a earthquake somehow. When the governor of California signs the papers allowing the construction of a dam, many people who live in the place chosen will have to leave. There's a cult living in the valley that doesn't have the papers in order and they see it as their only way of survival, they have found happiness there. So, they come up with the idea of faking a threat by claiming they can start an earthquake if the plans to build the dam don't stop. To achieve this, their leader, Priest, will do anything to ensure they can keep their land, because although they don't pay taxes, they have legal papers and a business there, the source of their income.

However, the threat is considered real after they successfully start a minor earthquake and provoke panic among the government...

This book is, basically, the story of a group of people fighting for their things in the worst way and how a FBI agent is the person who solves the case.

I don't know if I enjoyed the book. I have to be honest and say it's not the most amazing thing I've read but I also can't say it's that bad because it did make me think.

The characters serve a purpose, of course, they're there to play a role. The big bad companies removing obstacles in their way to power and money and the law trying to catch the people who put at risk the lives of innocents. In the end the good guys win, etc.

The cult has some members who see things in a more radical way and those are the ones who stop at nothing to see their wishes accomplished. The worst part of the book was to see how badly they decided to pursue that. They had a good reason, illegal right to the land, because although they had a person who owned the propriety, they didn't pay taxes and they couldn't get compensation for it. They also claimed that place was unique for their wine production, their source of income. They also stated rich people couldn't just take what they wanted in order to make other rich people happy not seeing how it would affect those not so wealthy.

I have to say this impressed me. I considered their motifs strong and valid. How many groups and real villages have to bend their rights for the power of stronger and richer people? 

Like I said, they don't fight the best way. There are people who get killed because of this, they commit crimes and that is awful, but their work would be lost and circumstances put them aside from society, in part by their choice, but despite the fact they acted wrong and were rightfully condemned, I still think their reasons were good and it saddens me to think of so many people out there struggling and for money they can't have their things, their dreams...I think this is the strongest point in the book. Not how they fight or how they are caught, but why they do it.

The story flows easily, we see many things from both perspectives, the cult's and the FBI's. It's an interesting story for its theme but I think I made my point about what I felt was the best thing in it.

I'm not saying people should do what they want, without any rule or social backup. But sometimes the world is too hard with those in need, something even more obvious now, with the way economy is.

Anyway, the book presents a strong story I think. the end made me sad because the cult's leader was bad, he did awful things, he committed awful crimes but still I felt pity about the way the book ended. Was this the author's goal? Was it just my personal reaction?

I can't say, but the story itself wasn't, certainly, what I'll remember the most about this book.

Meljean Brook - Riveted

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland's inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magical--and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom.
Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on an airship, searching for her sister and longing to return home. But that home is threatened when scientific expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard, looking to expose Annika's secrets. Then disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, with their very survival depending on keeping the heat rising between them--and generating lots of steam... 

Comment: The third book in the Iron Seas series, it's the story of Annika, a young woman looking for her sister, and David, a man who wants to find out where his mother lived before marrying his father so he can pay homage to her by leaving a memento in the place she came from and which she loved. This book is the following one in the successful steampunk series by this author.

The book tells the story of Annika, a woman working in airships because it allows her to travel from place to place and she tries to look for her sister everywhere, because she made it her mission. She feels guilty over the reason her sister left their home and wants to find her and tell her she can return. Annika has a secret though. Her family isn't conventional and live in a place of myths, somewhere she would do anything to keep safe.

David is a man who survived many losses, specially his parents and some parts of his body. He now has a grafted eye, legs and one hand and he can't seem to find any happiness and no one would look at him without pity or repulse. His mother saved hid life and died and she requested him one last thing before dying and he wants to honor that by going to the place where she lived before marrying his father, somewhere she loved and considered her home. With Annika, they will travel there together, they will see themselves in the middle of a madman's mission and will find that they never thought they would....love.

David is the kind of hero we love in books. He's got the perfect dosage of strength, courage, determination, shyness, insecurity and personality that appeal the most to the reader. I loved David. I loved what he was and what he thought and what he felt he was. I think the author has created one of the most amazingly perfect heroes in fiction, even with all his physical differences. How can he be so wonderful I don't even know how to explain but he is. I wanted him to be happy, I cried when he told Annika about how his mother died saving him and how others were repulsed by him and I just wanted him to be real so I could defend him too! I loved how he started falling for Annika and how she would see him for what he was, for his inner beauty. Seriously, the romance in this book is great and Annika is a great protagonist, but David is....perfection.

David wants to know where his mother came from. He knows it's somewhere in Iceland, a place full of myths and volcanoes, and as he's a volcanist, he knows he won't have a better chance to finally perform his task when he gets a contract to go there do some research. During the travel, he meets Annika and she looks appealing to him but for a while there neither admitted they thought of the other romantically. When that was discussed they both started to fall in love, they talked and eventually they became a couple. I can't forget some scenes with them, specially near the end when things look bad for them but their love drives them through it.

The story has many elements that are interesting, the volcanoes, the scientific research one can do and what it means, how sexuality is seen in the world created, what one would do for love, why should someone honor a promise, if it's better to have a different family than no family whatsoever, many interesting subjects to think about and that enrich the storyline. I think even without the romance, this book would be worth the reading, the author has a real talent to imagine the story and to put it together.

I loved the book. I don't know what I can say about it to make you want to read it. But it's a wonderful story, very well written, and David....he's worth it all. I loved their HEA and how happy and in love they were. The happy ending everyone in the world should get.

This is the kind of book that we keep with us, even after the last page is read. I can't barely wait for the next book in this series. I recommend it without any doubts.

Christina Dodd - Storm of Shadows

When the world was young, twins were born. One brought light to a dark world; the other, darkness and danger. They gathered others around them, men and women destined to use their powerful gifts for good or evil. Today, their descendants walk the earth as the Chosen, and the ultimate battle has begun.
Brilliant but proper and predictable, Rosamund Hill has lived her life buried in universities and libraries, discounting the legend of the Chosen as a myth. Until Aaron Eagle shows up at her door. Aaron both unsettles and enthralls her. But she can't resist his offers of clandestine visits to private museums, the hunt for a mysterious prophecy. or a makeover that unleashes her untamed soul. With the promise of a love that will defy fate itself, Rosamund is forced to confront the truth about the Chosen...and the dangerous man who sweeps her into a world of dark secrets.
  

Comment: Tis was the last book by this author I had yet to read. It's the second book in the series Chosen Ones, about a group pf people with special abilities trying to defeat an enemy.

This is the story of Aaron and Rosamund, they join forces to look for a prophecy related to the Chosen Ones and their destiny and that will take them to several places around the world.

Aaron is a Chosen One and he prefers to be alone. When he meets Rosamund he only sees a distracted researcher but after spending more and more time with her he starts seeing her for who she is and underneath a plain face is a stunning person.

Rosamund isn't the most outgoing woman, she prefers her research, her work and she doesn't know how appealing she looks to others, but Aaron is different and she wants him to see her as a woman and not only someone who can help him.

I've read the fist book in this series a long time ago, I don't even remember when. I also didn't remember much about the first book or the concept of the series. But once I started reading some things came to mind, although there was more I didn't remember than what I did.

This second book gives some clues about what happened which can be a good thing for random readers like me. I didn't feel the information given was too much or badly done, so in that alone the book could be a winner.

The story developed well, in my opinion. There was a slow pace that suited the things happening and nothing happened in a confusing or  stupid way, it made the sense how each step was taken and how the characters would go from one point to the other.

I liked the main characters and how they reacted to each other. I felt this book was successful in creating the right amount of sexual tension before they had sex, which makes the story feel bigger, like more time has passed since the couple first met until they become intimate.

Aaron was brooding but I liked his personality, he is clearly an alpha type but he had a good relationship with the other male members of the team and he wasn't overbearing although his tendency to be possessive appeared when he realized he cared for Rosamund. But this was to be expected. 

Rosamund was my favorite character. She is shy, distracted and doesn't pay much attention to herself or to the beauty of others, she is more focused on things, objects and papers. She starts feeling attracted to Aaron but she doesn't think he might reciprocate so she doesn't act silly or in a way opposite her personality. And this was my favorite thing ever in this book. She likes the guy, she knows he might not feel the same and she deals with it like any sane woman would, and doesn't attack him or falls like a moron to his feet in a puddle of need but shows she likes him too when the chance arises for them to act. What I mean is, she thinks, she acts more like a normal person instead of a stupid needy, woman. I loved to read a book where the heroine is shy, not the most beautiful person in the world and she doesn't change her way of being just because a handsome guy is around. Yay.

This said, it's obvious I enjoyed the book. The story ended in a positive way, they got their HEA and plans to keep their work as a team. the secondary characters played an important role and I liked how they all participated in the book.

I don't know if I'll read the rest of the series. I don't have the following books and I have other priorities right now. Perhaps one day I'll get back to it. At this point I don't think so, but this book was, indeed, an enjoyable one and well developed for me.

Jet Mykles - Indigo Knights 2: Champion

Danny Champion is ready to be a rockstar. He’s been preparing for this most of his life. He’ll finally make it with the Knights. He knows it.
It’s a horrible time to fall in love.
But then there’s Cash, Danny’s roommate. A quiet computer nerd without a clue about the music business, Cash can barely understand the world Danny’s so eager to live in. 
He certainly doesn’t want to share it.
Even though he knows he shouldn’t, Danny’s unable to resist introducing Cash to the wonders of sex. He didn’t expect to get addicted to Cash’s charms.

Comment: This is the second book in the Indigo Knights series by Jet Mykles. It's a series about a band, similar to Heaven Sent, but obviously with different characters.

Danny is ready to be a rock star and together with his band mates, they will start playing in clubs and give concerts to launch their career. Danny has been living with his roommate Cash and has developed a strong attraction for him. 

Cash is very focused on his computers and to finish his studies before starting a job waiting for him. He never thought about Danny as a potential boyfriend but after a kiss, he can't stop thinking about it and when things heat up between them, choices have to be made...

I liked this book a lot. Usually all the books by this author are great reads. Like in the majority of her books, this one also has the gay-for-you theme. Cash never thought about himself as being gay or any other label, but after a kiss and considering the time he has known Danny, he starts thinking there's no harm in trying and they end up enjoying each other and feelings start to show up too. I think the author does this quite well, because although it can be a little bit doubtful a hetero man could suddenly be ok with changing his mind about his sexuality I always see a bit more of bisexuality in the heroes in her novels and it doesn't disturb me. I always look for the romance side of things and in that aspect I always enjoy the storyline. So Cash has all the right to do what he wants, like any real person.

Danny is ready to have a solid career with his band mates but falling in love could be tricky because a new career means to travel most times and to be away from home and he feels that if he started a relationship now it would be troublesome both ways, it could put a stress on his feelings and be hard on his career to be focused on something else. His troubles seemed real and I liked how the author has inserted a certain serious tone in this. Both main characters are well portrayed and both his doubts play a strong part in the book and are well explored too.

Of course, love conquers all and the lesson they learned is that it's best to be together and deal with it than apart and miserable. I liked the romance and how they looked so cute together.

We see many beloved characters, which is amazing and we also have a tidbit about the couple in Lance's book, which I don't know when will be out of if it will be next. Anyway, I'll be eagerly waiting for it, as it is.

I recommend this one to anyone. It's tender, sweet, serious and fun.

Louise Cooper - The Outcast

Tarod alone knew the nature of the supernatural force locked within his soul--and he knew that it must be thwarted, no matter what the sacrifice. Denounced by his fellow adepts as a demon, betrayed even by those he loved, he had unleashed a power that twisted the fabric of time, to put himself beyond the reach of that monstrous force and avert the pandemonium that threatened the world. He thought that nothing could break through the barrier he had created. He was wrong...

Comment: This is the second book in the Time Master trilogy by the author.

It's the continuation of the first book, almost immediately. In this book, the story focuses more on Cyllan's point of view and what happens it's more described from her eyes.

In the second book Cyllan and Drachea, an important young man from Shu Province are carried in a Wasp to the Star Peninsula. Neither knows how and why they ended up there but when they arrive, they somehow manage to cross the barrier Tarod created when he stopped time in the end of book #1. After they enter the castle, Tarod finds them and is perplexed by the fact Cyllan could enter through his shield. After some misunderstandings, Drachea and Cyllan finally get why things seem frozen there and why Tarod is alone. Each one makes their own minds and while Cyllan sides with Tarod and understands him, Drachea only wants to punish him and revive the rest of the people in the castle. But if that happens, what it would mean to Tarod's destiny?

Well, this second book felt a bit more descriptive than the first. I can't explain but I liked the first one better, perhaps because it was the introduction and it had many things to be explained and presented and people to show up, etc. In this one the reader obviously knows what is going on so I felt a bit disappointed by so many pages in the middle about the hows of going through barriers, an d by the technical side of everything, I mean, Cyllan helped Tarod but there were many pages dedicated to the hows of things and it was rather boring to me.

At the same time, I enjoyed the book, mostly because the majority of the book is seen through Cyllan's eyes and I liked that. I liked knowing what she was doing, what she was thinking and how her feelings changed once she understood some things.

The story evolved interestingly. Cyllan helped Tarod and even played a surprising part in the Chaos' plans, which kind of shocked me, but I got it in a way. Drachea was, of course, the enemy there and because of him Tarod was forced to make a decision and change things because he had to save Cyllan. 

I still hate Keridil a bit. How such a friendship as his and Tarod's was condemned because Tarod wasn't the person Keridil thought and he put aside all the good things...it still makes me mad.

This second book ended up with another huge thing to think about for the last book, namely Cyllan's fate. I hope the two of them can find a solution to everything. Speaking of them, I liked how they seem to develop strong and real feelings for the other. I hope they end up together.

So, overall, a good story, a bit boring in some parts, but there were shocks and surprises to flavor things up too. I hope the final book can present the best end for this and I have my hopes...

Just a quick note about the covers...I don't remember if I mentioned this in the post about The Initiate but...I respect those who do the computerized work and those who like it, but unfortunately I'm not one of them. I find this type of covers too simple and not always up to the author's talent. I wish they would stick to more conventional covers, I don't mean nude male models but something about the story, like the original covers, simple but to the point. The computerized images seem more...artificial, therefore, less appealing to me. I know many people like them, but I'm afraid I can't agree and would prefer to see different covers in the books I read...

Casey Claybourne - A Thing of Beauty

Belinda Croft had never been accepted into high society--having sacrificed fashion and frivolity for science and education. When Sissy, her birdbrained cousin, appears before the first big ball of the season with a blemish, Belinda applies a simple remedy. Sissy's debut is a success--and word of her bluestocking cousin's new face cream spreads like wildfire.
As London's upper crust seeks out her secret recipe, Belinda becomes a valuable commodity--sought after by the mysterious and handsome Marcus Barrow, arbiter of taste to the haute monde. She melts in rapture under his hot gaze--a gaze that sees beneath Belinda's plain wrapping to the dazzling woman inside. But when Sissy questions Marcus's true motive, Belinda must discover whether their love is more than just skin deep... .

Comment: Another book that has been in my TBR list for a long time, since may last year, actually. I got this book because I've read somewhere the heroine didn't think she was pretty or interesting. I like these kind of plots simply because I like people understanding their value even if it's for just one person (usually the person they love). I'm a romantic that way.

Anyway, I wrote down the title, got it later and this month it was finally time to get to it.

This book tells the story of Belinda, a young lady that doesn't care much about society or about looking good. She cares more about her father and her scientific research. When her cousin finds a pimple in her face the day she is to make her debut to polite society, she fears her fate is sealed but Belinda tells her of a potion that might help and by mistake picks the boot polish. The miracle cream however, is a success and ladies want to have a bit of the cream for themselves too.

At the same time, a game of politics sets in motion Marcus's trying to find if the cream is real or not. As the heir to an earldom, Marcus must prove the cream a deceit in order to gain his lands, but after meeting strange Belinda he starts falling in love...

I was rather disappointed with this book. I thought it might be a wonderful love story but it's all so meh, I mean, things happen but I wasn't immediately captivated by the main character's relationship of by their developing feelings. I don't think it's a bad story, I just think it could have been told differently. So, in the end, I think it's a matter of the author's way of writing, which is grammatically correct but not very addictive.

The plot is curious and some things intrigued me, but once again, I wasn't surprised or eager to read more. I did because I wanted to finish the book but it's not a very catching writing. Good plot, but not the best way to treat it.

Belinda and Marcus seemed to do things in a believable way, some scenes had the potential to be funny or more arresting, but I can't say I was mesmerized bu them. I think a more captivating way of telling the story could have brought another flavor to the plot, a more interesting one.

In the end of the book Marcus is facing a choice and he made the loving one, which is great but things ended up with an epilogue where the couple's happiness is complete but I wasn't convinced of the way Belinda got that final piece of happiness. It's what I wanted but not the way I think should have happened. Oh well.

I don't think I'll read more things by the author, after having read so many books it's inevitable to compare writing skills and to me, there are plenty of authors who've convinced me more of their talent.

Tami Hoag - Cry Wolf

All attorney Laurel Chandler wanted was a place to hide, to escape the painful memories of a case that had destroyed her career, her marriage, and nearly her life. But coming home to the peaceful treelined streets of her old hometown won't give Laurel the serenity she craves. For in the sultry heat of a Louisiana summer, she'll find herself pursued by a gorgeous stranger whose carefree smile hides a private torment...and by a murderer who enjoys the hunt as much as the kill.
With his sexy Southern drawl and brazen bedroom eyes, bestselling horror writer Jack Boudreaux has seduced half the women in Bayou Breaux without even trying. And now the notorious bad boy has turned his easy Cajun charm on Laurel. But even as she responds to Jack's reckless passion, a serial killer who's terrorizing this sultry Southern town commits a fourth brutal murder...and suddenly Laurel knows that in the face of temptation, she must keep her head to track down the ruthless killer who may have already won her heart.

Comment: This is the second I read by this author. After reading the first one I was curious over the fact there might be a sequel and I wondered if it was with a protagonist somehow related to one or both the main characters in Lucky's Lady.

Cry Wolf is the story of attorney Laurel, she's attempted to give justice to some children who were abused but she failed to gather the necessary evidence to conviction and her image and career have been crushed. She's returned home, to Louisiana and tries to keep the end of her reputation out of her mind, however she soon gets herself in a tangle and her career is her most wanted asset.

Jack Boudreaux is a horror writer and uses the swamp as his inspiration. He also has a past in law but got away from it after his wife died. When he meets Laurel, he thinks she's just a pretty girl who's after him because of the dog he claims not owning, but troubles begin and they don't seem to be able to stay away from each other.

I enjoyed this book a lot. I think it was a very good story and perfect to spend some time with. I pictured myself already sitting by a window (like the three brothers in the end of that Minority Report movie) reading this book without a care about the world outside. I think the author was quite successful with the way she build up the environment in the story, the descriptions of the swamps, the bayou, the people, the bar, the simplicity of some scenes was quite the catching tidbit.

The plot was interesting although I have to say at some point we can't help but be suspicious of the guilty one. It's not obvious but many clues start pointing at that character and foe me it wasn't a surprise its identity. I was more surprised over the reasons behind everything. They seemed too easy you know.

There's a romance in the story too. Both main characters had things to deal with from their pasts in order to admit their feelings. I think we were told enough about it for the getting over to be believable. There's plenty of sexual tension, which makes the romance more alive and real. It's such an effective way to make the couple more into each other, to make the relationship more credible, I don't know why more authors don't use it, I guess it's a matter of taste and talent in the end.

The story was great, I think. I wanted to know more things the more I read and I wanted to see the ones I cared about happy. Some things were a surprise not because they happened but the way it happened; in this the author was very intelligent.

The book ended up with a HEA, and I'm so glad to have seen it. It's said this book is related to Lucky's Lady, like I said before but the only connection it's a short mention of the previous couple and future in this book and I don't think it was such a link that needed to be said it's past of a series...I expected to know more or to see the previous couple making an appearance and that didn't happen.

In the end, this was a good book, one I loved reading and now I got more curious about the rest of the author's work. I'll do some research and one day I might read more.

Nora Roberts - The Next Always

Meet the Montgomery brothers - Beckett, Ryder, and Owen - as they bring an intimate Bed-and-Breakfast to life, in their hometown.
The historic hotel in Boonsboro, Maryland, has endured war and peace, the changing of hands, and even rumored hauntings. Now it’s getting a major face lift from the Montgomery brothers and their eccentric mother.
As the architect of the family, Beckett's social life consists mostly of talking shop over pizza and beer. But there's another project he's got his eye on: the girl he's been waiting to kiss since he was sixteen...
After losing her husband and returning to her hometown, Clare Brewster soon settles into her life as the mother of three young sons while running the town's bookstore. Though busy and with little time for romance, Clare is drawn across the street by Beckett's transformation of the old inn, wanting to take a closer look ... at both the building and the man behind it.
With the grand opening inching closer, Beckett is happy to give Clare a private tour -- one room at a time, in between blueprint meetings and kindergarten pickups. It's no first date, but these stolen moments are the beginning of something that could arouse the secret yearning that resides in Clare's independent heart -- and open the door to the extraordinary adventure of what comes next ...

Comment: Like I've said before, I'm a big fan of this author. She wrote many romances I've loved reading and are still comfort reads for me. So, it's natural I try to read anything she writes and when it comes to her trilogies or series I prefer to wait and to have them all so I can read in following months. I still remember the year it took me to read so many other of her trilogies only to read them as a bigger book.

Anyway, this is the first book in her most recent trilogy and now that the third book is almost here, I've picked the book and got on with it.

This is the story of Beckett and Clare. They've known each other for years and Beckett has had a crush on her for that same time. But Clare has lived her life, became a mother and a widow and now it's back with her business and her children. Beckett is the youngest of three brothers, redoing a building to open an inn and hopefully to create a strong business. At the same time they slowly try to discover each other more intimately and perhaps to even start a relationship.

I liked the book. I think it's very difficult for the author to maintain the same tone of her older novels and I couldn't help but feeling a certain feel of perfection here, it's like nothing and no one was meant for imperfection...what I mean is, the story felt good but too good. Everything fit a place and there wasn't almost anything to look for because all the pieces were already put in place and the reader just had to glimpse things, not wait to discover them, you know?

Now, like I said, I liked the book because it's a romance and it has a beautiful couple, three cute kids and a promising love story in third book (I hope it won't be a disappointment) but I wasn't completely dazzled.

I've read many people say they didn't like the huge amount of story dedicated to the construction of the inn and its related stuff. Yes, I agree, we have many details explained and inserted but I have to confess, personally, I felt this was much more obvious in her Bride Quartet. In this new trilogy it was there, the technical side of things, but in the Quartet it was much more. I think, to me, after comparing the two I have to appreciate this trilogy more because of that.

The story was very simple. A bit unusual way to think of a romance, and I think it would have been better if the main couple were to have shown a little more of doubt before embarking in a relationship...ok, many people want forthrightness but I'm a romantic and it felt like they have a subject to deal with and after they did, where was the magic? Having Beckett take flowers to Clare wasn't enough, no sir.

Of course, the best part were the secondary characters, especially Clare's kids and Ryder and Hope. I can't wait for their story, at least we're having sparks already and by the time they'll have their story it's like more time has gone and their falling in love will be more believable.

About this one, it's very simple, enjoyable like all books by the author are, but I feel like the magic of previous books by hr is slowly breaking up to give space to practicality...and thus making the stories feel more robotic. I hope this doesn't happen all the time...

JL Langley - My Regelence Rake

With his days occupied with duties as Captain of the Guard, and nights consumed with upholding his reputation as a rake, Lord Sebastian Hastings’s schedule is filled. There’s no extra time to be anyone’s bodyguard, but the royal family’s safety is a task he sees to personally.
Prince Colton Townsend has loved Sebastian for as long as he can remember, but he’s done pining for a man who has vowed never to remarry. So he consoles himself with the second love of his life—horses. Stable building and horse racing consume his every thought, at least until he’s stuck with Sebastian dogging his every step.
While looking over the prospects at an auction, Colton is trying to ignore his sexy, pesky bodyguard when he feels compelled to take on a bully to protect an abused horse. Sebastian is dragged into the fray, and their good deed sparks a string of nasty rumors.
There’s only one way to quell the political storm: marry. But instead of solving everything, Colton realizes his new husband is a bundle of secrets, none of which he’ll give up easily. Unless Colton makes one, last-ditch effort that could break his heart for good.

Comment: This is the third book int he Regelence series by the author. It's about a planet in the very distant future, following the rules of Victorian society with a set of futuristic details. In this world it's the young men who are protected and homosexuality is not only accepted but the norm in the planet.

This book is all about Colton, another of the princes we've been knowing since book #1. Colton has been in love with Sebastien Wentworth forever and keeps giving hints of that but one day sees his beloved with someone else and makes the decision of giving up and tries to focus on breeding horses, something he knows he's good at.

Sebastien has some secrets he doesn't want to see revealed. He works as royal guard and he's proud of his achievements. He never thought about Colton in terms of love but when matchmaking, breeding horses and dance balls plot to put him with Colton it's like he sees the light.

I enjoyed the story a lot. I'm a big fan of the author's writing and I loved most of the stories I've read by her. This wasn't the exception and I got a great story, many adventures but also interesting takes on how to act when you think you feel something.

The strongest pints in the series, thus this book, is how well structured the world is. Although on an alternate view of what a world could be, there are many things appealing to the reader. The whole idea of a world where gay people can have rights and be the dominant force is something to think about. I think the author has a great imagination and she supports her ideas with a clear and strong writing.

I liked the romance between the main couple. It was funny and I really wanted them to make it. I was also suspicious about Sebastien huge secret but still part of it surprised me.

Another great thing is the familiar feel of the story, so many characters are in the books, not only family members but mostly, the reader feels so connected to all of them, it's a wonderful thing in the books, for sure. the reader also gets to picture future pairings ans considering the air time of some of the remaining characters we get the idea they might have a stronger presence in incoming books. I like this feeling a lot.

It's always such a pleasure to read a book by this author...I wished she could write faster.

I think this book is more about entertainment than other thing, I think it meets its goal and presents a good proof of the author's writing skills. It's a simple story but with so many details that make the reader eager to read more. It has many little details and some scenes with other characters other than the main couple, that somehow give an element of fullness, of strength that is very likable.

I can't barely wait for the next book, whether in this series or any of the others the writer has...and I recommend this one to all readers of m/m.

JR Ward - Rapture

Mels Carmichael, reporter for the Caldwell Courier Journal, gets the shock of her life when a man stumbles in front of her car outside the local cemetery. After the accident, his amnesia is just the kind of mystery she likes to solve, but she soon discovers they’re in over their heads with his past. Over their heads with passion, too...
As shadows walk the line between reality and another realm, and her lover’s memory begins to come back, the two of them learn that nothing is truly dead and buried. Especially when you’re trapped in a no holds barred war between angels and demons. With a soul on the line, and Mels’s heart at risk, what in Heaven -- or in Hell -- will it take to save them both?

Comment: Finally I could jump into this book, after having it for some time now.

This is the story of Matthias and Mels. Matthias was one of the enemies defeated in previous books. Due to plot needs, he's now back and his character will be key in the game good vs evil. Although losing his soul still counts for the bad guys, he's again part of the game and this time will be his second chance to prove himself. He returns with amnesia but slowly starts remembering everything, including his time in Hell.

Mels is a reporter and she comes across Matthias and helps him to the hospital. They click and there's chemistry between them. Things start slow for them, but soon they are immersed in trouble and the need to find happiness.

I've been a fan of ms ward work since I've discovered the Black Dagger Brotherhood back in 2008. Her books seemed so fresh and full of novelties I was immediately addicted to them. When she published the 1st book in this Fallen Angels series I was curious to see what she would do and I have to admit, mostly because I knew the story would be somehow related to the BDB world.

Things weren't exactly like that and I kept reading this series more due to a sort of fidelity, because this series doesn't grab me as much. Still, I keep hoping for special scenes and even references to the other one (which this book has) and so I keep going. Still, I can't say it's as amazing, as special or as addictive to me as BDB is and will ever be. 

I guess my (personal) biggest issue with this series is how we have to "suffer" through the villain's scenes and air time. I'm one of those people who don't read horror novels, doesn't see horror movies and in crime books I always try to get those with romance, to balance the bad stuff. I mean, this isn't horror, what the villain does is bad but it's not over the top, it's mostly annoying and tiring to read about.

In this Fallen Angels series, the bad guy- well, girl as a matter of fact - keeps doing and saying and plotting and starting bad things. Fine, it's her "job". What I don't like is how we have to watch it all the time and how little control we as readers, have over that, because let's face it, when the author doesn't show that many details about the villain's it's almost as we have the power to put aside the bad things, like they don't have as much importance as that, and in this case I feel like dreading the next page because it might have the bad girl doing things or starting to and we can't help it. It's a personal hate, I get why it is the way it is, but I think it's too much.

About the book...apart from my personal dislikes, the book is easily read. It has strong scenes, interesting moments and of course, a HEA.

I don't think it's the best things ever, but it's very enjoyable. The romance happened very fast, but in paranormal almost all of them do, and I liked seeing them think about their lives, about the problems they have to face. Its more believable like this. I think the protagonists' scenes were to the point, most pages, if not all, were filled with important information instead of only filling space.

The other heroes, Jim and Adrian, have a key role too, of course. I liked Adrian. I hope this series ends up being "nice" to him and to the angels overall. He did something in this book that will surely make the reader see him through different eyes. It was a good thing, fear not.

Jim, on the other hand, doesn't seem to be learning the lesson here and he does things I don't think were needed to make the plot move forward, much less to enrich the storyline. He even makes a choice that although I understand and see where the author is probably going with, annoyed the h*** out of em and makes me want to scream. Why, for God's sake, why must authors complicate?? things were starting to shape up, she could have done things in a way, and now it seems it's getting complicated...how annoying, really. I just hope the 7 books mark still stands because if she gets to write more books I'll go crazy.

I'd prefer her to focus her attention on BDB, that's for sure.

Anyway, an entertaining book, a couple of things I'd definitely change, but I can't say it's as bad as it looks, it's just it has some annoying things for me, personally.

Can't wait for the next BDB book, Qhuinn and Blay, "at last" lol

Kristen Callihan - Moonglow

Once the seeds of desire are sown . . . 
Finally free of her suffocating marriage, widow Daisy Ellis Craigmore is ready to embrace the pleasures of life that have long been denied her. Yet her new-found freedom is short lived. A string of unexplained murders has brought danger to Daisy's door, forcing her to turn to the most unlikely of saviors . . . 
Their growing passion knows no bounds . . . 
Ian Ranulf, the Marquis of Northrup, has spent lifetimes hiding his primal nature from London society. But now a vicious killer threatens to expose his secrets. Ian must step out of the shadows and protect the beautiful, fearless Daisy, who awakens in him desires he thought long dead. As their quest to unmask the villain draws them closer together, Daisy has no choice but to reveal her own startling secret, and Ian must face the undeniable truth: Losing his heart to Daisy may be the only way to save his soul.

Comment: Some months later, here I was, reading the sequel to Firelight, a book I enjoyed a lot.

In this second book we have Daisy's story, she's one of Miranda's sisters and she has been in a loveless marriage. Then her husband died and for the past year she's been presenting an appearance of mourning, although she couldn't be happier about being a widow. Daisy thinks she's finally free to have the life she wanted, full of adventures and carefree meetings.

Ian is a shapeshifter refusing to acknowledge his heritage. He wants to be as normal as possible because being a lycan in the past has cost him his family and happiness. However, things happen and he is somehow forced to accept his past and has to deal with it, not only because it's his duty but also because it means protection to people he's come close to.

We've met these two characters in the first book. Neither has provided a very agreeable side, at least I didn't care for them at all. Ian seemed someone who'd do what he pleased no matter the consequences and daisy looked selfish and superficial.

In this book we are presented with a different side of both of them. We learn about their pasts and how they become shaped by it and, of course, why they act the way they do. After getting to realize this, I understood they deserved happiness and I was curious to see how the author would change their behavior.

I was actually quite surprised to see how Daisy really was and what her life was to make her look so vain in the first book. I think it was quite the lesson on waiting to know all facts before having an opinion on something.

The author has done a good job with both protagonists and I ended up wanting to see them overcoming the obstacles and getting their HEA. I just have to say this, I didn't like the end that much. I mean, it's happy, it's for life, it's full of promise and eternity but I didn't like the way it was made possible. I think it was a disappointment...oh well.

The author has inserted many new themes in this book. The first one seemed to show a certain environment about the paranormal world created, but in this second book we are given many more clues about how things really happen. Many are interesting and imaginative and made me think, especially the clues about the three sisters and other species around in the world. Other things, just one here and there weren't as interesting, but I guess it will depend on how they might be used in future books.

I ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I imagined. the characters were good, well done and their motivations rather strong and plausible. Apart form the end, it was a good book to read and I hope the third one, coming out next year will be as well.