Mini-Comments

Two more stories I felt were very average and don't inspire that much thought from my part. Both were easier to read than I imagined  - I imagined both would be more boring than what they ended up being - but it still wasn't as great as it could be.

The government knows that Daphne Urban is a vampire, and they have an ultimatum: spy for them, or be killed. The choice is easy. She can speak 13 languages, has a genius IQ, and has escaped detection for nearly five hundred years-making her perfect for Team Darkwing. Her first mission is to get close to Bonaventure, a shady arms dealer with an unexpected gift for seduction. But when Darius, a darkly sexy vampire slayer, begins chasing her, Darius is torn between desire and duty. For his lithe, young prey is also his ultimate temptation.

Beyond the Pale is a story about a vampire woman who seems to lead a very boring, vain existence but who is asked to be a spy for the government in order to avoid being killed. She then joins a team to find terrorist and help with national security but she can't help being involved with another agent that apparently is working alone and sees herself involved in many complicated situations.

I had this book to read for a long time. I was not impressed by books published more than a decade ago I've read recently in this genre (PNR or UF) but this one surprised me because it was easy to read and the plot moved along quite nicely. However, the characters weren't that fascinating and I don't feel like reading more about them. Plus, this was a first person narrator and I've come to think not all authors can accomplish this well. The protagonist was not too annoying but still...

Grade: 5/10

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Trevor Shay has a successful career straddling the two sports he loves-football and baseball. He puts

it all on the line for old friend Haven Briscoe though, when she has a tough time getting her professional career together after the death of her father. Despite her misgivings, Haven accepts the assignment of doing a feature bio on Trevor, but he's an attractive force of nature and there's a lot more to him than meets the eye. Secrets are revealed and chemistry is added to the mix as they help each other through some tough times

Straddling the Line is the 8th installment in the Play by Play series by Jaci Burton, which follows the lives of athletes who are somehow connected. I'm glad this is the last story in this series I had to read because it seems the stories are more and more alike and too focused on superficial things. 

This is a pity because the camaraderie between characters is interesting and their family connections sweet. However, the themes are never really explored and everything feels so under done. I can understand having the same story over and over can feel tiring but the focus is on things that hardly matter to the plot or the personal development...and even when these things are addressed, it lacks depth, I'd say. 

The protagonists Trevor and Haven have a believable connection but to be honest, their romance wasn't romantic nor captivating to me and considering they start as professionals working together...nope, not acceptable. All in all, for fans I'm sure it works but for me, it was just more of the same and I can't really miss reading more.

Grade: 5/10