Housewife Blues and Chihuahua Stories

A sort of rock and roll contemporary romance that is much more than it seems from the description, not something that totally blew me away but a very nice intro to the boys in the band as well as supporting characters and or love interests.

Book Info
Kindle Edition
Published by JournalStone (first published July 9th 2014)
ISBN 139781940161792
edition language English
other editions (3)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Winner of the Bram Stoker Award® for Superior Achievement in a YA Novel.

It's the summer of 1983 and the suburbs of Houston are reeling from a disastrous hurricane. But the storm brought more than wind and floodwaters.

In the swamps that surround Clear Lake a brutal and possibly supernatural killer is gathering strength, and waiting for the full moon. The focus of his bloodlust is fourteen year old Mark Eckert. Reckless to a fault, with a knack for making spectacularly bad decisions, Mark had planned to spend that last summer before high school wandering the swamps with his friends and his beloved dog Max. But after a chance encounter with the lunatic, Mark's summer becomes a time of terror and tragedy.

With his life on the line, Mark's courage will be tested to his limits and beyond as he struggles to survive the hottest days of summer: the dog days.

My Thoughts

The target demographic of reader may be classified as YA but truthfully unless your reader has a fairly strong stomach some of this may be a little too graphically described, maybe best for those older teens onto adults who enjoy their horror with a bit of teen drama mixed in.

Mark is 14 so it is not far fetched that he makes decisions based more upon emotion than common sense, however in a couple of instances his luck far outweighed his ability to reign in his tendency to act before thinking it through.

I chose to read this book because of the Texas location but after finishing found myself by turns amazed and bemused that the aftermath of a devastating hurricane could be incorporated with this type of suspenseful coming of age story in a way that allowed one to take away the power of courage when fear could have held sway and caused a different outcome altogether.

An interesting look at a boys journey into young adulthood, one that not only Mark will never forget but neither will the reader who engages with this vividly descriptive turning point in time.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]

Book Info
ebook, 224 pages
Expected publication: February 17th 2015 by Dundurn Group
ISBN 1459728203 (ISBN13: 9781459728202)
other editions (2)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Is it possible to outrun your past? Fifteen-year-old Edie Fraser and her mother, Sydney, have been trying to do just that for five years. Now, things have gone from bad to worse. Not only has Edie had to move to another new school she's in a different country.
Sydney promises her that this is their chance at a fresh start, and Edie does her best to adjust to life in London, England, despite being targeted by the school bully. But when Sydney goes out to work the night shift and doesn't come home, Edie is terrified that the past has finally caught up with them.
Alone in a strange country, Edie is afraid to call the police for fear that she’ll be sent back to her abusive father. Determined to find her mother, but with no idea where to start, she must now face the most difficult decision of her life.

My Thoughts

15 year old Edie and her mother Sydney have been one step ahead of the father who abused his wife and child for the last time 5 years prior. Now in London it seems their luck at evading Edie's dad has run its course.

This book hits hard and fast on the topics of abuse, bullying, lives uprooted and torn apart and it never stops driving home the point that standing up for oneself is not the easiest road but it is always worth the trouble.

This was chock full of the pitfalls of being a teenager coupled with the fact that the one person that should have been the family protector instead was in fact what they needed protection from. With themes ranging from addressing abusive behavior to the bullying by fellow students this was a somewhat darker YA than normally choose to read.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

Matt, Jena and Jack sizzle but the plot has a few weak places that keep the story from feeling complete. Suffice to say the heat level makes up for the coldness one feels towards a very "soft" ending as far as the threat factor to Jena is concerned.

This is not a book you can race through, rather it is one to stop now and than to mull over what is happening in the story. The blend of horror with familiar overtones is one that you appreciate even while occasionally getting creeped out, I think that the ending was a good indicator that what Claire has already been through is just the calm before a coming storm that hopefully is either written or in the works.

Not your normal teen read but totally one you might want to finish when it is still light outside!

Book Info
ebook
Published January 1st 2011 by Del Rey Books
original title Hounded
ISBN 1299080154 (ISBN13: 9781299080157)
series The Iron Druid Chronicles #1
characters Atticus O'Sullivan, Oberon, Granuaile, The Morrigan
setting Tempe, Arizona (United States)
literary awardsGoodreads Choice Nominee for Best Paranormal Fantasy (2011)
other editions (33)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

BONUS: This special eBook edition includes two bonus short stories set in the world of the Iron Druid Chronicles: "Clan Rathskeller," and the eBook exclusive "Kaibab Unbound."
"HOUNDED"
Atticus O'Sullivan, last of the Druids, lives peacefully in Arizona, running an occult bookshop and shape-shifting in his spare time to hunt with his Irish wolfhound. His neighbors and customers think that this handsome, tattooed Irish dude is about twenty-one years old--when in actuality, he's twenty-one "centuries" old. Not to mention: He draws his power from the earth, possesses a sharp wit, and wields an even sharper magical sword known as Fragarach, the Answerer.
Unfortunately, a very angry Celtic god wants that sword, and he's hounded Atticus for centuries. Now the determined deity has tracked him down, and Atticus will need all his power--plus the help of a seductive goddess of death, his vampire and werewolf team of attorneys, a sexy bartender possessed by a Hindu witch, and some good old-fashioned luck of the Irish--to kick some Celtic arse and deliver himself from evil.

My Thoughts

Having read much of the hype that accompanied the 2011 release of the The Iron Druid Chronicles series kept myself from jumping into buying the books for all this time.

Now having borrowed the digital copy from my library am hooked and since we have the 7th book releasing at end of March in Mass Market Paperback it it time for me to go ahead and join the rest of the fans of Atticus O’Sullivan whose charm, wit and sarcastic humor blend well with the magical elements as well as the action sequences that are brillianty choreographed whether it be he and Oberon together exploring hunting as hounds are fighting their enemies. Hopefully Paperback Swap will have used copies become available if within a reasonable amount of time cannot get to the used book store to see if can get my hands on the series. No hurry my book shelves are as usual overflowing with reading material!

Truly a pleasure to read from start to finish. The character of Atticus combined the biting humor, sarcastic wit and an intelligence that was fresh as well as entertaining in this Urban Fantasy genre.

I look forward to someday reading more in the series someday.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]

Did not love it nor did I hate this story, however the thing is am in agreement up to a point with other readers who have asked why this is taking us in pretty much the same direction that has already been resolved with previous trilogy. My particular distaste was the cliffhanger ending that is a trademark that personally could do without .

It took a while for me to really get into the rhythm of the story, for some reason what normally works for me with each book in this series kept me from connecting easily this time around. However we have truly made some significant leaps and bounds that were exciting as well as long awaited for fans of both the PSY and the Changeling characters we have grown close to over the past 12 books.

Ivy and Vasic were a great match and it was nice to have scenes here and there with other key couples also.

Looking forward to seeing what happens next.

Book Info
ebook, 320 pages
Published January 1st 2012 by Kensington Publishing Corporation (first published January 1st 2004)
original title Bad Boys In Black Tie (Includes: Watson Brothers, #3)
ISBN 0758277571 (ISBN13: 9780758277572)
edition language English
series Watson Brothers #3, FBI Agents
characters Pete Watson, Cassidy McClannahan, CJ White, Wyatt Maddock, Tess Braeden
setting United States
other editions (6)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Some men you can't take anywhere. . .except the bedroom.Good With His Hands

By "New York Times" bestselling author Lori Foster As next-door neighbors and best friends, Pete Watson and Cassidy McClannahan have a "no sex" relationship. Until Pete decides he's ready to transform himself into the perfect "black tie" guy he thinks she wants. And once she's in his arms, he'll show her just what else that black tie can do. . .

Miss Extreme Congeniality

By "New York Times" bestselling author Erin McCarthy CJ White knows there has to be a catch when Wyatt Maddock--her despised FBI partner--offers to transfer out of Chicago and far, far away from her: she has to spend one sexy night with the untamed playboy, wearing the outfit of his choice. . .

Last Call by Morgan Leigh

Tess Braeden is new in Justice, North Carolina, but there's no justice when she learns that her inherited home is about to be foreclosed on. Thank goodness for the sensual, mysterious Fletcher Graham. But will Mr. Right become Mr. Wrong once Tess discovers his day job?

My Thoughts

Starting out with a ”friends to lovers” story, seconded by a couple whose work relationship started them off on the ”wrong foot” and ending with a teasing tale of “mistaken identity” that turns into a once in a lifetime relationship each of these stories have their own type of charm.

My biggest complaint is the fact that ”I Love You” and want you in my life ”forever” came too quickly for the second and third couple, can see how the building to falling in each others arms worked for Pete and Cassidy as they were friends first but CJ and Wyatt and Tess and Fletcher were a little harder for me to wrap my mind around an HEA for.

Entertains but not really anything to get too excited over, however have to say all three romances while over the top in their race to an HEA did have ultimately satisfying build ups for the couples.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]

Engaging dialogue, feisty as well as canny female lead character, smoldering darkly handsome leading male and a supporting cast of characters that all help to round out a tale that brings to mind why fantasy was once one of my favorite genres. The sword fighting scenes were intense, the secrets from Kaia's past that were revealed helped make her more accessible for readers to relate to and her somewhat at times uneasy relationships with others really gave her depth as well.

All in all it is too bad that a particularly unpleasant set of circumstances forced the author to abandon continuing what could have been a delightful series with the planned books that were to follow.

I love mystery crime thrillers but am sorry to say struggled with reading this story until finally hooked about 3 chapters from the end. Not to say it was a hard story to follow just not one that captured me totally from beginning to end.

Book Info
ebook, 0 pages
Published March 1st 2011 by Signet Book
original title Live Wire
ISBN 1101476168 (ISBN13: 9781101476161)
edition language English
series Myron Bolitar #10
characters Myron Bolitar, Terese Collins, Esperanza Diaz, Windsor "Win" Horne Lockwood, III, Mickey Bolitar
other editions (56)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

When Myron Bolitar gets involved in the family drama of his former tennis star client and her rock star husband, he discovers secrets about his own family, specifically his brother, who abandoned the Bolitars long ago. As Myron races to locate his missing brother while their father clings to life, he must face the lies that led to their estrangement-including the ones told by Myron himself.

My Thoughts

I found myself in a bit of a quandary having read [b:Shelter|11198650|Shelter (Micky Bolitar, #1)|Harlan Coben|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1376593172s/11198650.jpg|14729522], which follows Myron's nephew Mickey as the main character, before reading [b:Live Wire|8437667|Live Wire (Myron Bolitar, #10)|Harlan Coben|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395350143s/8437667.jpg|14598314] where we are first introduced to Mickey.

I thought that this was indeed a turning point for Myron in many ways, it really cemented that his longtime estrangement from his younger brother Brad had eaten into his conscience for the entire 16 years they had spent apart and it also made it clear that no matter what we do with the best of intentions sometimes things just work out wrong.

This was a masterfully executed family drama incorporating all of the elements of danger, mystery, suspense and sarcastic wit that has come to be expected from Myron's adventures. There was also a few twists not least of which of course was all the effort spent setting up how it came about that every event tied together by the end in a way that seemed believable as well as reasonable and setting up the beginning for the spin off series with nephew Mickey which I think will appeal to more than it's target audience.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]

Book Info
ebook, 336 pages
Published June 1st 1998 by Berkley Books (first published 1998)
original title Holiday in Death
ISBN 1101203692 (ISBN13: 9781101203699)
series In Death #7
characters Eve Dallas, Roarke, Delia Peabody, Ryan Feeney, Dr. Charlotte Mira
setting New York City, New York , 2058 (United States)
literary awardsAll About Romance (AAR) Annual Reader Poll for Favorite Couple (1999), Romantic Times Reviewers' Choice Award (RT Award) for Futuristic Romance (1998), Romance Readers Anonymous (RRA) Award for Best Alternative Realities or Time Travel Romance (1998)
other editions (52)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Futuristic cop Eve Dallas is back on the job. This time it's Christmas in New York, and all the lonely hearts are easy pickings for a serial killer spreading death through a dating service.

My Thoughts

Facing her worst nightmares as she closes in on a sexual predator whose vicious murders of 4 victims cause Eve and her fellow officers to race against the clock before he kills the 5th.

This was a really hard case to read about and for Eve's character an even harder case to deal with as it hit so many buttons for her on so many levels.

I have to admit that it was a joy to see how not only Eve handled herself despite her personal feelings but how Peabody and McNabb start to find their way to each other.

Another excellent read in the series, this one of course is an earlier work so much of what occurs was not exactly new to me but it freshened up the series by allowing me to go back to when Eve and Roarke were still newlyweds and before Peabody and McNabb were a couple.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]

Book Info
Kindle Edition, 374 pages
Published January 3rd 2012 by HarperCollins
original title Under the Never Sky
ASIN B005HFNWJO
edition language English
series Under the Never Sky #1
characters Aria, Peregrine "Perry", Roar, Cinder
setting Reverie
literary awardsGoodreads Choice Nominee for Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2012)
other editions (45)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY

The first book in a captivating trilogy, Veronica Rossi’s enthralling debut sweeps you into an unforgettable adventure.

My Thoughts

For a few years have read rave reviews of this first in a trilogy by an author never read by me, finally was able to borrow a digital copy from my library and see what everyone else was so enamored of.

As a fan of all things dystopian the premise drew me in, even while at times the different factions get confusing to keep up with you never lose sight of the main theme of the story nor do you get bogged down with information overload which is always a worry when starting a book that sets up a brand new world and it’s characters.

You never know what kind of conveniences in your life truly make it comfortable until they no longer exist, for Aria her eyes are opened quickly when confronted with the reality of being outside the pod that she had grown up in.

Perry has never known a day that did not involve struggling for his existence, when he an Aria find themselves as unlikely allies he can no more understand her former life than she understands his. All that becomes secondary as they learn to work together, facing danger together they forge a bond that takes them both by surprise. A bond that changes everything the two were taught as well as changes the future to come for those they both care for.

This was certainly one to ponder, especially in the world we live in today with all the technological devices we depend on in our daily lives.

My interest is peaked now if only the library had book 2 available at the moment would read it next to see what befalls Aria and Perry and the rest.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]

Book Info
Mass Market Paperback, 352 pages
Expected publication: January 6th 2015 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
ISBN 1492608475 (ISBN13: 9781492608479)
edition language English
series SWAT #1
other editions (1)
Source:Netgalley EARC

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BOOK SYNOPSIS

INTRODUCING SWAT: SPECIAL WOLF ALPHA TEAM
They're tight
They're on target
They're as alpha as men can get.

The Dallas SWAT team is hiding one helluva secret . . . they're a pack of wolf shifters.

The team of elite sharpshooters is ultra-secretive—and also the darlings of Dallas. This doesn't sit well with investigative journalist Mackenzie Stone. They must be hiding something . . . and she's determined to find out what.

Keeping Mac at a distance proves impossible for SWAT team commander Gage Dixon. She's smart, sexy, and makes him feel alive for the first time in years. But she's getting dangerously close to the truth—and perilously close to his heart...

My Thoughts

As someone who is a huge fan of alpha werewolves this premise intrigued me, the execution of the actual idea was a bit rougher than would have liked but the resulting romantic suspense story was engaging and easy to read.

As stated by a few other readers this is not something that you should expect to be more than what it is, a paranormal romantic suspense with very likable characters whose stories you will wish to investigate further as each one is released to read. There is quite a bit of predictability throughout the book that is true, however it is also true that there are surprises in store as things progress for Mac and Gage. Most of those surprises center around past events that help shed more understanding for the reader as to how the team came into being and just how much is at stake if they are exposed to the public.

A new werewolf series with a unique twist of explaining triggering of the initial transformation which lies in the persons DNA rather than being a born or bitten shifter.

Beginning with the Packs leader and SWAT commander Gage Dixon's story this sets us up perfectly with characters as charismatic as they are fearsome.

Looking forward to where we are taken next when the second book becomes available.

[EArc from Netgalley in exchange for honest review]

Book Info
ebook
Published June 3rd 2014 by Transworld Digital
original title A Shiver of Light
ISBN 1473508681 (ISBN13: 9781473508682)
edition language English
series Merry Gentry #9
other editions (11)
Source:Kindle version borrowed from Public Library

Book Buy Links
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BOOK SYNOPSIS

I am Princess Meredith NicEssus. Legal name Meredith Gentry, because Princess looks so pretentious on a driver's license. I was the first faerie princess born on American soil, but I wouldn't be the only one for much longer…


Merry Gentry, ex-private detective, now full-time princess, knew she was descended from fertility goddesses, but when she learned she was about to have triplets, she began to understand what that might mean. Infertility has plagued the high ranks of faerie for centuries. Now nobles of the both courts of faerie are coming to woo Merry and her men at their home in exile in the Western Lands of Los Angeles, because they will do anything to have babies of their own.


Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, is a more dangerous problem. He tried to seduce Merry, and failing that, raped her. He's using the human courts to sue for visitation rights, claiming that one of the children is his. And though Merry knows she was already pregnant when he took her, she can't prove it.


To save herself and her babies from Taranis Merry will use the most dangerous powers in all of faerie: a god of death, a warrior known as the Darkness, The Killing Frost, and a king of nightmares. They are her lovers, and her dearest loves, and they will face down the might of the high courts of faerie - while trying to contain the war, to keep it from spreading to those innocent humans who are in very real danger of becoming collateral damage..

My Thoughts

Merry Gentry is finally back, now having given birth to triplets instead of the twins she had been told to expect, her life has become even more complete and even more stressful thanks to the efforts of her sadistic uncle trying to claim one of the children as his offspring from the rape he forced on her when she was already pregnant.

Waiting for the DNA results is not the only stress Merry and company must face, there are real issues that have not been resolved yet concerning the support and upkeep for those who have chosen to join Merry and her lovers as well as the fact that Queen Andais is still a possible threat who could choose to target the newborn babies with very little chance of preventing her.

Merry finds herself having to face a repugnant choice once again of using her Hands Of Power as defense, this time to stop Taranis from a repeat of his previous attack as he keeps trying to use illusion in her dreams to tie her to him forever.

What actions will she take when push comes to shove and what about the concerns she faces in the future when it is finally made known just how powerful her newborns are, these questions and more are addressed and it is best to let the book answer them for us rather than spoiling things for other readers.

The trademark repetition is still prevalent throughout the story, that and the ever present turning every encounter between Merry and her men into one boiling over with sexual tension do not in any way prevent me from enjoying this long awaited 9th installment in the series as am accustomed to the style that Laurell K Hamilton employs within everything she writes. I actually only notice it when it becomes something that distracts me completely from the action in a scene but that only rarely is the case this time.

Not knowing if there will be more to come for Merry is not really bothering me at this point as she has finally lived up to her potential, she has finally learned just how much more useful love and kindness can be than the violence and fear she had grown up experiencing at the hands of the members of the Sidhe court and most of all Merry Gentry has accepted that she can embrace her humanity proudly as part of her heritage without being made lesser by it. The last one took all 9 books to get to and it was the most important breakthrough that needed to come to make Merry truly happy and at peace with herself.

[Kindle version borrowed from Public Library]