The Liar

Title: The Liar

Author: Nora Roberts

Genre: Romance, Mystery

Published: April 14, 2015

After her husband died in a boating accident Shelby was left in an incredible amount of debt. After selling everything she could she took her daughter to her home town in Tennessee where she decided to build a new life.

Yes it was completely predictable, but I think that is what I was needing. Just some fluff with some fun characters thrown in. The romantic interest was the type of guy every girl should have in her life. I especially loved their first meeting and the conversation they had. I also loved her grandmother, she was a feisty woman who knew how to get what she wanted. If I didn’t already have one Shelby’s family would be a pleasure to join and from what we saw in the book they would be accepting with open arms.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Title: Deception Cove (Rainshadow #3, Harmony #10)

Author: Jayne Castle

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Published: August 27, 2013

This series is about an island with a secret preserve which had begun to heat up. Alice had been to the island before on her honeymoon when her husband had tired to kill her. Drake sought her out so she could help him save the island.

The beginning of the book was all about getting to the island. Drake made a big push saying how important it was to get there as quickly as possible. Once there nothing happened. They met the townsfolk, ate meals and talked a lot. I kept wondering where all the urgency had gone. The climax did speed things up a bit.

My favorite character was Houdini, Alice's dust bunny. He had the look of a really large ball of lint, he liked pizza and having as much attention heaped on him as he could get.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Title: The Lost Night (Harmony #9, Rainshadow #1)

Author: Jayne Castle

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Published: September 4, 2012

Rachel could read auras and Harry needed help finding out what was happening in his family owned woods.

I enjoy Ms. Castle's unique world building. She doesn't go into as much detail as her earlier stories in the series about how the humans ended up on Harmony or the reasons why everyone is able to do things which could be described as paranormal. It is probably expected if you are going to read the ninth in a series you would or at least should read some of the proceeding ones.

She did have a couple of side stories going in this book and not all of them were actually resolved. I guess she was setting things up for the next story. The motivations of the bad guys were never really defined. The addition of creatures other than the established dust bunnies was interesting. I think it would be interesting if we found out some of the mystery concerning the aliens who used to live on the planet.

Overall I gave this book 3 stars out of 5.

Title: Dark Witch (The Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy #1)

Author: Nora Roberts

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Published: October 29, 2013

The story took forever to get started. The author took over thirty pages having the audience get acquainted with people who were just background. It was setting up the rest of the story, but we met six people half of them are not mentioned again. Once we moved from the past to the present the book picked up and became easier to read.

There was one character who had a conflict with another character. I understand the author was building that part of the plot for a portion of the conflict in the third book, but the third time the two characters butt heads I was thinking, just get over it already. If the audience has to deal with that for the next two books it will really get old.

I really liked the character's relationships with the animals. There were horses, falcons and dogs. Each of the characters connected with the different animals. I especially liked the relationship Iona, the main character, had with her horse Alastar.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Review: Air Bound

Title: Air Bound (Sisters of the Hear #3)

Author: Christine Feehan

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Published: May 27, 2014

Airiana was kidnapped because of her abilities with math and work she had done as a child. Maxim was sent to help her.

I really liked this book, but I can't tell if it was partially a knee jerk reaction to the disappointment I felt from book number 2. There was a plot which really excited me. The characters had real problems and the solutions were more thought through. I didn't feel like I was reading a 300 page sex scene. I am pretty sure my overly positive reaction was mostly because this story was much better than the last one.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Review: The Collector

 


Title: The Collector

Author: Nora Roberts

Genre: Mystery, Romance

Published: April 15, 2014

This book is Nora Robert's version of Rear Window. Lila Emerson saw a woman being pushed out a window. The woman's boyfriend had been shot. His brother Ashton Archer recruited Lila to find out what really happened.

I really like her work. It is always a fast read. Doesn't matter how many pages I manage to finish it within a few days. I want to say she just gets better and better as an other, but I haven't read everything, so I'm not sure I am qualified to judge.

I had one major problem with the story. I honestly don't think a killer would leave things in the hands of luck as much as this one does. There are moments where things should have been planned more thoroughly.

I thought the characters were fantastic. Even the people I disliked I could see where their personalities fit in the story. I would have appreciated a family tree for Ash though. He talked about having made one and really I think it would have helped to be able to see. There was also a couple of times I would have liked to see a picture of what she was talking about, but I did enjoy the story.

Overall I gave this book 5 stars out of 5.

Title: Fired Up (Dreamlight Trilogy #1, The Arcane Society #7)

Author: Jayne Ann Krentz

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Published: December 29, 2009

Jack Winters was a descendant of a man who had altered his genetics. In order to deal with the consequences he need the help of a Dreamlight reader, Chloe Harper and the lamp passed down through the generations. Over the years the lamp had gone missing. It turned out they were not the only people looking for it.

I like how she manages to combine the romance and paranormal throughout the series using her three author names. I like Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle more than Jayne Ann Krentz, but I enjoy the Arcane books despite which name she uses, because they are so interwoven.

I did want to find out immediately what was going to happen between Fallon Jones and his new assistant. Their potential relationship was hinted at off and on throughout the story. That of course is going to be revealed in an up coming book. It did make me a little impatient to get a copy of In Too Deep.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

Title: Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #3)

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Published: September 5, 2013

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfFO4ispfnc

This story picked up two months after book two ended. Tessa and Jem were planning their wedding. Mortmain was still out there somewhere making plans to get Tessa and destroy the Shadowhunters.

This is the first love triangle I can remember encountering within literature where I am okay with all the characters and the situations they end up in. At one point Tessa said she felt she couldn't have loved Will without loving Jem and she couldn't have loved Jem without loving Will. Each character just wanted what was best for the other characters. It was very well done.

I found myself wishing the book would keep going even if it was just to watch the every day lives the characters had after the book was finished. I love the world Ms. Clare has constructed. I am sad to see this particular story end.

Overall I gave this book 5 stars out of 5.

Title: The First Prophet (Bishop Files #1)

Author: Kay Hooper

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Published: November 27, 2012

After an accident Sarah became psychic and someone began coming after her. With the help of a novelist, Tucker, she went on the run to try and stay safe.

The characters had little depth. The bad guys were vague shadows. The good guys were names given as if we should have already known who they were. When something happened to one of them all the other characters reacted and were upset. As the reader I had just met them with very little background. My emotional connection was not there for those people.

The suspense and chase were exciting, which made the book fun to read. They asked a lot of questions and the motivations behind the shadows were never explained. Even the motivations behind the people who helped Sarah and Tucker were not really considered. There were possibilities hinted at, but none actually given.

Overall I gave this book 3 stars out of 5.

Title: From This Day Forward: Dragon Shifters of Derkesthai Academy

Author: Mackenzie Lucas

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Published: January 16, 2014

I received this book from from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Noah was in the special forces when he was captured by The Fox. He realized he not only needed to escape, but he also needed to figure out how to protect his family.

I had the same problem with this story I have had with most of the novellas I have read. I always seem to want more background information. I would have liked to know more about The Consortium and why they have a say on what dragons are allowed to do.

My biggest hang-up came from a conflict between the two main characters Noah and April. Emotions flared easily and the characters refused to listen to each other despite ten years of marriage. Latter the conflict just went away in the space of one sentence. It was a little over the top and hard to believe.

Overall I gave this story 3 stars out of 5.

Title: Midnight Crystal (Dreamlight Trilogy # 3)

Author: Jayne Castle

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Mystery

Published: August 31, 2010

This is the next book in her Harmony and Arcane series. Adam Winters and Marlowe Jones must use the burning lamp to save Harmony from an unknown fate.

Castle has created a world with its own jargon. In this one she didn't really explain the rules she had set up in previous books. I was fine with that because I have read them, but I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order.

The big problem was a little vague and she never fully explains what would actually happen if the main characters didn't succeed. There was speculation, but it wasn't definitive.

I did enjoy the story and it was a fast read. I liked Gibson and his love of energy bars. I liked Marlowe and her growing in her job. I liked how Castle brought the Jones and Winters stories together.

Overall I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.

 

Title: Dark Light (Harmony #5)

Author: Jayne Castle

Type of book: Paranormal Romance

I like the way this series has evolved. I like the complexity of the world the author has made. She does a good job telling the reader who had not read the previous books or as a recap, about the world she has created.

This was a fast and fun read. I have enjoyed the entire series so far.

I gave this book 4 stars out of 5.