Friday's New and Notables

1. First, this amused me. Then, it intrigued me. Mmmm cowboys.
2. I've been hearing a lot about the movie. I need to get the book.
3. Library spam? 
4. "I miss them already." Me too, buddy. Me too. 
5. Brilliant! 
6. G-Spot news.  
7. I may have to break my "no spending money on books in 2012" rule for this one.

Review: A Demon Does it Better by Linda Wisdom

A Demon Does it Better by: Linda Wisdom
Source: NetGalley
(Sourcebooks Casablanca 2012, 352 pages)

Blurb:
After more than a century, Doctor Lili Carter, witch healer extraordinaire, has returned to San Francisco and taken a job at Crying Souls Hospital and Asylum, where something peculiar and wicked his happening. Patients are disappearing, and Lil wants to know why.
AND DOUBLY DANGEROUS FOR A DEMON...
Lili finds herself undeniably attracted to perhaps the most mysterious patient of all-a demented but seriously sexy demon named Jared. What's behind the gorgeous chameleon demon's late-night escapades?
Before long, Lili and Jared are investigating each other-and creating a whole new kind of magic.

Review:
This being the sixth book in the series, but the first that I have read by this particular author, I am going to give a lot of leeway in this review. The background information that would have been recognized and appreciated in a book that had been read from the beginning of a series was lost on me. I may eventually pick up the first one to see if I appreciate the story more after learning about the world from the start. 
That being said, the author did do a good job of catching the reader up on the ins and outs of how this world works. I enjoyed the story overall between Lili and Jared and thought that it was a sweet romance that happened within the circumstances. 
My main problem with this book is the believability of those circumstances. Yes, yes it's paranormal romance and not believable to begin with. However, I couldn't help thinking through most of the story that the characters didn't really do as much as they could have with the situation. I felt that Lili could have explored other avenues on ways to help Jarod and the other patients but she seemed to be content to go about her job and moan a little on the side about what she was missing and what he may be suffering. I felt like I was more involved with the situation than perhaps she was. 
If you are looking for a light-hearted romance with a world you can pick up on pretty quickly then this is a good one for you. It would probably be something good to read on a plane.

Sexual Content: m/f


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: 

Review: The Demon Lover by Juliet Dark

The Demon Lover by: Juliet Dark
Source: NetGalley
(Ballantine Books 2011, 448 pages)

Blurb:
Since accepting a teaching position at remote Fairwick College in upstate New York, Callie McFay has experienced the same disturbingly erotic dream every night: A mist enters her bedroom, then takes the shape of a virile, seductive stranger who proceeds to ravish her in the most toe-curling, wholly satisfying ways possible. Perhaps these dreams are the result of her having written the bestselling book The Sex Lives of Demon Lovers. Callie’s lifelong passion is the intersection of lurid fairy tales and Gothic literature—which is why she’s found herself at Fairwick’s renowned folklore department, living in a once-stately Victorian house that, at first sight, seemed to call her name.
But Callie soon realizes that her dreams are alarmingly real. She has a demon lover—an incubus—and he will seduce her, pleasure her, and eventually suck the very life from her. Then Callie makes another startling discovery: Her incubus is not the only mythical creature in Fairwick. As the tenured witches of the college and the resident fairies in the surrounding woods prepare to cast out the demon, Callie must accomplish something infinitely more difficult—banishing this supernatural lover from her heart.
Review:
It has taken a while for me to write this review because I have a lot of mixed feelings about the book. When I picked the book I was under the mistaken impression that it was a young adult book. It seems that a lot of readers have had a similar impression. The cover was probably a bad choice since it really does not go along with the flavor of the book at all and gives the impression of an innocent story despite the title of the book. This book is more along the line of an urban fantasy / paranormal romance with some erotica thrown in. Some of the scenes are very sexually graphic but I think they balance out with the story eventually.
The world Juliet Dark was able to build was very imaginative. I liked how she wasn't afraid of letting her characters become scary or unlikable even if they seemed to be something else early on. One of the main problems I had with this book though was how Callie seemed to take all of the discoveries she made with such an amazingly calm attitude. Despite learning about a whole new world that she had seemingly wished for all her life with her obsession about Myths and fairy tales, she never showed any excitement or amazement or fear or any O-M-G-IS-THIS-REALLY-HAPPENING moments. She took it all in stride. As if to say, "Oh yeah. I knew that would happen.Can we move on now?"
The romance was sweet and my urge to throw my nook across the room when I finished the book was probably just a side effect of wanting to find out how their story ends and not necessarily a reflection on the book as a whole. Needless to say, I'll be keeping my eye out for the next in the series.  

Sexual Content: m/f


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face (kind of)

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: 

Review: Bone Crossed by Patricia Briggs

Bone Crossed by: Patricia Briggs
 Source: Ebook - Library
 (Ace 2010, 304 pages)


Blurb:
Marsilia, the local vampire queen, has learned that Mercy crossed her by slaying a member of her clan. Now, she's out for blood. But since Mercy is protected from direct reprisal by the werewolf pack-and her relationship with its sexy Alpha-it's not Mercy's blood Marsilia is after...
Review:
I am really enjoying this series. Urban fantasy isn't my usual go-to genre but this has just enough romance to get the heart pumping. The action is, as always, fantastic and the story has remained consistent with the rules that govern the world Patricia Briggs has created. A great read but if you start the series I definitely recommend starting at the beginning with Moon Called.


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: 

Review: The Last Honest Woman by Nora Roberts

The Last Honest Woman by: Nora Roberts
 Source: Audio Book - Library
 (Mills & Boon 2011)



Blurb:
Never tell the whole truth, nobody wants to hear it. As the widow of an infamous racing car champion, Abby O'Hurley shunned publicity. Now a single mum, struggling to keep her family and farm afloat, Abby has invited charming, disarming and ruthlessly cynical biographer Dylan Crosby to tell her story. Abby's doing it for the sake of her sons, but she needs to keep Dylan from uncovering her darkest secrets. She'll tell him just enough to close that chapter of her life, even if Dylan wants more than she's willing to give...

Review:
I can usually count on a Nora Roberts book to be a decent read but honestly, the only reason I was able to finish this book was because I really wanted to give the whole series a try. From the start I wasn't able to connect with Abby. I had a hard time with parts of her character that seemed so incongruous I felt like there were two characters instead of one. One minute she was strong, the next she was a weak helpless female that needed a man desperately to help her with everything. She was brave, and scared. She was a mystery but she was the most open and honest woman ever invented. She made my head hurt.
Dylan was overbearing, pushy, and opinionated. At least his characteristics were consistent but geez, it certainly didn't endear me to him and I would have kicked him out of the house for his unprofessional behavior.
Not one of my favorite Nora Roberts books.
   
Sexual Content: m/f


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: 

 

Friday's News and Notables

1. Bookish business cards.  
2. 10 Vampire Stories That Are More Romantic Than Twilight.
3. The making of a romance novel cover. 
4. A blog about gift ideas for book lovers.
5. Wearing the book.

Review: Sins of the Highlander by Connie Mason

Sins of the Highlander by: Connie Mason
 Source: NetGalley
 (Sourcebooks Casablanca 2012 ,352 pages)



Blurb:
ABDUCTION
Never had Elspeth Stewart imagined her wedding would be interrupted by a dark-haired stranger charging in on a black stallion, scooping her into his arms, and carrying her off across the wild Scottish highlands. Pressed against his hard chest and nestled between his strong thighs, she ought to have feared for her life. But her captor silenced all protests with a soul-searing kiss, giving Elspeth a glimpse of the pain behind his passion—a pain only she could ease.
OBSESSION
"Mad Rob" MacLaren thought stealing his rival's bride-to-be was the perfect revenge. But Rob never reckoned that this beautiful, innocent lass would awaken the part of him he thought dead and buried with his wife. Against all reason, he longed to introduce the luscious Elspeth to the pleasures of the flesh, to make her his, and only his, forever.
With two clans against them burning for battle, they must find a way to join together—body, breath, and soul. Or both will be made to pay for the...
SINS OF THE HIGHLANDER

Review:
I really enjoyed this book. It had a bit of everything I enjoy in a romance novel. A little bit of the paranormal, a little bit of the helpless female, a little bit of the alpha male who needs a woman to help him heal. Yes, it's been done before. It's nothing new. But when it's done well, oh boy! It becomes one of those stories that lurks in the back of your mind and reminds you of that gushy feeling you get when you finish a good romance. Definitely worth the read.
   
Sexual Content: m/f


At A Glance:
1= Could not finish the book

2= A struggle to read to the finish

3=Meh. Average with all the elements I like in a book but nothing notable

4= I ended it with a smile on my face

5=Excellent. I want to read everything this author has ever written and when I
finish all the books on my wishlist I will reread it.

Challenges: