Review: Run For Your Life by Andrea Kane

Title: Run For Your Life
Author: Andrea Kane
Series: Stand-alone
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: Reissue - 1 October 2010


Victoria Kensington is on her morning run through Central Park when her sister, who's supposed to be in Italy, stumbles into her path. Audrey is wearing a medical gown, obviously sick, and warning her sister about danger. When Victoria goes to get help and returns, her sister is gone - without a trace.

Ignoring all threats, determined to find her sister, and unsure whom to trust, Victoria vows to get answers. Then the only man she's ever loved, Zach, shows up in New York, assigned to investigate the worldwide drug syndicate, their missions leading them to the same place. 

Despite their tangled history, Victoria trusts Zach, so they work together against the clock to find Audrey, and break the deadly drug ring. But the truth may just tear Victoria's family apart. 

As they dig deeper, the electric chemistry between them flares to a fever pitch, and the feelings they thought were in the past just won't stay there. Can Zach and Victoria navigate all the deceit surrounding them, and deal with the emotions that are unwilling to die? 

This book is one of my favorites, and I love to go back and re-read it. Mostly because it just makes me happy.

It’s hard not to like Victoria. She’s a strong, smart, independent woman, who loves unconditionally.

Zach is a brilliant surveillance expert who's a driven, caring, gentleman. As Victoria says, "She'd always marveled at how he could treat her as an equal and yet always make her so acutely aware that she was a woman." His actions prove that over and over again. 

One of my favorite things about this book is that the hero and heroine are evenly matched. Both are strong, intelligent, and they can rely not only on themselves, but also on the other. They match wits, even sometimes disagreeing, and neither is afraid to admit when they're wrong...even aloud.

Also, this is a reunion story done right. They were separated for four years, for perfectly understandable reasons. One of my biggest pet peeves in romance is the “Big Misunderstanding” between the main characters. Fortunately, that doesn’t happen here. There's definitely opportunity for it, but confusion is easily avoided because Zach and Victoria actually talk to one another.

This is another thing I love. Not only do Zach and Victoria talk about what happened four years ago, they talk about everything...the intervening years, their fears, desires, hopes and thoughts. There's no misunderstanding about what each wants. They both have eyes wide open, and make themselves, and each other, face the obstacles in their path so they can find happiness. They, understandably, have some concerns about renewing their relationship, but honest thought and discussion lead them to what they both desire. 

Obviously, what I love most is the characters, their development, and the road to happily-ever-after. I suppose I should mention the suspense part of the novel, as it is intricately tied to Victoria and Zach. I keenly felt Victoria's fear for her sister, and her worry that she wouldn't be able to help or protect her, comes through clearly. Finding out how Zach's case and Victoria's sister is linked, makes for an interesting journey, with a few twists thrown in. There are some aspects of the story that are not entirely “real world” accurate, but I honestly didn’t notice them. You are so caught up in the story, that you just keep turning pages wanting to read more.

This is definitely a favorite of mine, with a strong suspense plot weaving around the characters and providing the motivation for their objectives. By far the best thing in this story is Zach and Victoria’s love. This book is a must read!


Grade: A+

Unfortunately it's not currently available in ebook, however I'm hoping that with the re-release coming up it soon will be.
Book Link | Amazon (print) | Kindle | B&N (print) | nook | Borders (print) | kobo| Sony (ebookstore) | Simon & Schuster

September 17 2010 Blog Hop and Follow Friday

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

About the Hop: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This weeks topic is: In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, let's take time this week to honor our favorite book bloggers and why we love them!

There are a lot of blogs that I love. In fact my reader tends to overflow! I'm just going to focus on a few here.

Kat from Wit and Sin was probably the first blog I started reading. She's still my go-to for reading orders of new-to-me authors, and a very good friend.

Nicole from The Betrayed Writer is another favorite. An avid reader, with extremely discriminating tastes, she's a friend that I work hard to find the best of the best to recommend to her. She's also a writer, working towards getting published, with some thoughts on that.

One of my favorite new finds is The Bookish Snob. I love her blog set up and can't wait to read her posts when they come up! I look forward to many more.






Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.

Her question this week is: Favorite YA, or do you stick to the adult reads?

It's hard for me to pick a favorite of anything, even one specific category. I tend to stick mostly to adult reads, but I've really enjoyed the Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer, the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini, the Bartimaeus Trilogy by Jonathan Stroud and of course Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. I've been out of reading new YA for a while now (as you can probably see), so if you have any fantastic recommendations, let me know!

Waiting on Wednesday: Archangel's Consort

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

Two weeks ago when I put up my first 'Waiting on' Wednesday post, I had to choose between the one I put up and this one. It was a very hard decision to make, so I finally went (democratically I think) with which cover I'd seen first.

I am a major fan of Nalini Singh. I think she's at the top of the game for world-building, and characters that I just want to know. I'd highly recommend either her Psy/Changeling series, or her Guild Hunters Series (find the reading order here.)

***Warning: Spoilers if you haven't read the series to this point***

itle: Archangel's Consort
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter 3
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Berkley
Release date: 25 January 2011

Book Description (from author's website):

Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders.

The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

Review: Amethyst Bound by L. Shannon

Title: Amethyst Bound
Author: L. Shannon
Series: Amethyst Trilogy 1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Release Date: 7 June 2010


Toni Giovanni is in what she calls the 'high-risk-recovery business' - or in other words she's a thief. Her latest job is to retrieve a special box and seems quite easy, that is until Toni puts on an amulet and binds herself to an ancient dragon named Amethyst. Suddenly everything goes crazy, and she's fleeing for her life towing along one sexy archaeologist - Dr. Ben Davis.

And that's just the start of it. Now someone's hunting her, she has to face her employer without his artifact and, oh yeah, there's an ancient prophecy that predicts dragons will end the world in a blaze of fire.

Can Toni and Amethyst learn to trust one another to avert disaster?

I was really excited for this book. Dragons are a special love of mine, and there just aren't that many books out there, especially compared to vampires and werewolves, that focus on them.

Honestly I sit here a couple of days later and I'm finding it hard to remember what I liked about this book. I thought the premise was interesting, but for me it was just lost in Toni's endless musing, thoughts and (surprisingly) conversation.

The book moved at a pretty slow pace, with lots of discussions on what they were going to do, and very little time spent on any action. While I normally love discussion between characters, because it lets me get to know them better, I felt that they were constantly treading over the same stuff - again and again. Despite being inside Toni's head all the time, I never really felt I got to know her. And because we never got Ben's point-of-view I feel even less connected to him.

There were a couple of moments that made me very interested. L. Shannon has obviously put some thought into the world, and I would have liked to see more development here. I do think that things moved along a little too easily in this book. Toni seemed to accept being bonded to a dragon with hardly any qualms. Even Ben didn't seem to be too shocked (even enjoying his first ride as a dragon passenger, moments after his first sight of a dragon).

Also there were a couple of things that came up later in the book that just made me wonder why they were there. Two other supernatural beings show up out of nowhere. And maybe they'll have some further significance later. Or perhaps I was just really looking forward to a book more focused on dragons and didn't want the other stuff.

I was very, very interested in a character that showed up at the end, and I may just pick up the next book in this series to see if more story helps me like it better (and to see Weaver).

I went into this book expecting romance, and while there is some I would more classify this as urban fantasy. I do think that this may have colored my initial expectations and could have had some impact on my final thoughts, but that's not completely it because I usually don't mind whichever one I happen to pick up.

Rating: C-

Book Link | Kindle | nook | kobo | Sony | Carina Press

September 10 2010 Blog Hop and Follow Friday

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

About the Hop: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

This weeks topic is: Post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past three months.

My favorite post from the last three months is for Sins of the Heart (Ohterkin 1) by Eve Silver. This is a great start to a new series. Book 2 in the series was just release September 1st 2010, and book 3 will be released October 1st 2010.




Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.

Her question this week is: eBook or Print?

This is a question that seems to come up in discussions quite a bit lately. I have, and love, my Kindle so I'm constantly reading eBooks on there. It's changed the way I read. It's more convenient for travel, and having on hand a bunch of options to read if something just isn't working out for me. Holding my Kindle is easier than holding a print book most of the time.

On the other hand, I still love print books. I still shop in the bookstore (in fact I was just there this last weekend). I have bookshelves overflowing with to-be-read books. I love the texture and scent of books.

So, both. Can I choose that? ;)



In the next couple of days I'll have a review of Amethyst Bound by L. Shannon.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

My Shelf of Awesome

A friend of mine (Kat at Wit and Sin) posted about her Shelf of Awesome. Not merely a 'Keeper' Shelf, it's something a bit more. To quote her:

The Shelf of Awesome is a shelf of books that, in brief, inspire me. No, you won’t find any “inspirational” books on The Shelf of Awesome. By inspire I mean these books are the ones that always inspire me to write, to read, to imagine, to do, to love, to smile, and to find happiness. I’ll even let you in on a little secret: not all the books on The Shelf of Awesome are favorites of mine and some of my favorites aren’t on the shelf.

This made me start to think. What books would make up my own Shelf of Awesome. This is what I've come up with. These are all physical books that I own paper or hard copies of. Like Kat, perhaps later I'll add to it with some of the ebooks that make the grade too. Some of these fall into multiple categories, but I put them in the one that makes the most sense to me.

The Classics

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is a classic for a reason. Smart and witty, it's a one that I return to again and again, each time falling for Jane Austen's sharp writing.

The Illiad by Homer

The Odyssey by Homer

These two together started my fascination with Greece. It's never stopped, and I credit these two novels with my continued fascination with all things in ancient (and more recent) history.

Poetry Some of my favorite bits are listed below. This is nowhere near a comprehensive listing of my favorites by each of these authors.

Robert Frost

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay

***

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could

William Butler Yeats

When my arms wrap you round I press
My heart upon the loveliness
That has long faded from the world;
The jewelled crowns that kings have hurled
In shadowy pools, when armies fled;
The love-tales wrought with silken thread
By dreaming ladies upon cloth
That has made fat the murderous moth;
The roses that of old time were
Woven by ladies in their hair,
The dew-cold lilies ladies bore
Through many a sacred corridor
Where such grey clouds of incense rose
That only God's eyes did not close:
For that pale breast and lingering hand
Come from a more dream-heavy land,
A more dream-heavy hour than this;
And when you sigh from kiss to kiss
I hear white Beauty sighing, too,
For hours when all must fade like dew.
But flame on flame, and deep on deep,
Throne over throne where in half sleep,
Their swords upon their iron knees,
Brood her high lonely mysteries.

William Blake

To see a World in a Grain of Sand
And a Heaven in a Wild Flower,
Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand
And Eternity in an hour.

***

Never seek to tell thy love,
Love that never told can be;
For the gentle wind does move
Silently, invisibly.

John Keats

When I have fears that I may cease to be
Before my pen has glean'd my teeming brain,
Before high-piled books, in charactery,
Hold like rich garners the full ripen'd grain;
When I behold, upon the night's starr'd face,
Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
Their shadows, with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
Of unreflecting love;--then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink.

Edgar Allen Poe

In visions of the dark night
I have dreamed of joy departed
But a waking dream of life and light
Hath left me broken-hearted.

***

Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary,
Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore,
While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,
As of some one gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door.

William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee

Favorite From Childhood

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle

Anne Rice - Yes, she deserves her own category.

The Vampire Lestat

Lestat just immediately jumped off the page, demanding to be heard, understood, loved. I couldn't help but give him everything he asked for.

The Queen of the Damned

Fascinating and rich, this novel is filled with the vampires' history - going back to ancient Egypt, one of my favorite times. I loved how it was written from multiple points of view, with Lestat returning 'full flair' at the right moment.

The Mummy, or Ramses the Damned

Ramses the Second waking up in modern day 1914. Cleopatra, his ancient love. Julie, his new love. Intrigue, romance, suspense. A whole new take on 'the mummy.'

Servant of the Bones

Rich with history and mythology this book follows a fascinating djinn that has been forced to do much evil, and is now looking for redemption. I think this is a truly under-appreciated novel by Anne Rice

The Witching Hour

The Mayfair witches are haunted by a mysterious ghost who shows himself to a select few. The intricate, complicated relationships between the ghost, Lasher, and the women of Mayfair bring them untold riches, and untimely deaths. This first novel in the trilogy is by far the best, and the one I re-read the most

First Fantasy

Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

I still re-read this rich, beautiful novel at least once a year. It's just a fantastic novel, a history with it's own history, people, languages and trials.

Other Fantasy/Urban Fantasy

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

While it's easy to see where Paolini got his inspiration, this book tells a very interesting story of a young man, his dragon and the fight to save the world. I'm patiently waiting for the final(?) novel

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

This is the third novel in the Mercy Thompson series. Patricia Briggs hooked me with the first book, but Iron Kissed firmly put her in my favorites. It has an extremely interesting storyline that is filled with fantastic characters that she continues to add depth and layers to.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

I read this after The Lord of the Rings and loved every word of additional information I got about the history of Middle Earth. Bilbo's journey will forever hold a special place in my heart

City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams

A book I picked up completely on a whim, and couldn't put down once I started. Tad Williams built a whole new world - in our minds. Travel anywhere, be anyone, do anything - just hook into the 'net in this futuristic novel. Except just like the real world, the rich have more power, and the annonymity of the 'net gives them an almost free reign. I didn't know going into this book that it was the first of a (long) four-book series. I turned the last page and my eyes nearly popped out of my head at the cliff-hanger ending. I was lucky enough that the next two books were already out. This book is very heavy on description and internal thoughts, but I loved every moment spent with each character.

Star of the Morning by Lynn Kurland

A rich fantasy world with magic, shieldmaidens, evil creatures, mages, swords, horses and a lot of interesting characters. For me the characters themselves are what I love most about this (continuing) series. They're so richly drawn that I'd love to know them in real life. They have doubts and loves, fears and ideas, they make mistakes and keep on pushing through, against all odds sometimes. With a strong romance wending its way through each trilogy, I dare you not to fall in love with Morgan and Miach.

First Romance

Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts

My first Nora Roberts. Definitely not my last.

Other Romance

Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

Truthfully, I love this entire series, but I go back to this book time and time again for the sweet love story between Rhage and Mary. I especially love watching Rhage, a male that has a (rightly deserved) reputation as a philanderer, fall in love. You can't go wrong picking up a J.R. Ward Black Dagger Brotherhood novel.

Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward

I have to add this one as well. Zsadist and Bella's story always gets me. It's so emotional, so heart-wrenching, so fulfilling. There are a lot of moments that make me tear up, still, after several dozen re-reads, and I love that I always finish the book not only happy, but content and sure in their love for each other. It's just such a touching story. I can't even begin to do it justice here.

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh

*sigh* The first novel in Nalini's fantastic Psy/Changeling series. I fell in love with the world, the Changelings and even the Psy. Nalini is at the top of the game for world building and characters that feel like they could walk off the pages. Sascha is one of my all-time favorite heroines.

A Kingdom of Dreams by Judith McNaught

By far my favorite by Judith McNaught, this book has an abundance of love, loyalty, betrayel, forgiveness and heart-wrenching moments. With it's hard, yet caring, hero...it's fiery, independent, loving heroine...the beautiful backdrop of medieval England and Scotland...it never fails to make me laugh, make me cry, and make me fall in love all over again.

Run For Your Life by Andrea Kane

A contemporary romantic suspense with a reunited couple that are thrown together in a dangerous search. She searching for her sister, he for the truth. Sparks fly, and love blooms anew. The plot is driven not only by things that happen, but by the thoughts, desires, fears and shared history of Victoria and Zach.

Dreams of Stardust by Lynn Kurland

Another book that I found entirely by chance. On a book-exchange shelf at a previous job I picked it up one day because I needed something to read. I didn't expect much, but I was very pleasantly surprised. Lynn Kurland weaves a sweet, romantic, funny tale with characters that seem very real. I immediately went on a glom of all her backlist, and follow her still. Closed door romances that aren't lacking anything by not having those steamy scenes so common in most romances today.

Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

A plus-sized heroine that doesn't magically become skinny by the end, but learns to love her body, herself, and the hero. Min is smart and someone that I instantly related to. Her sharp tongue, sweet nature, and loving character just make it impossible to not like her. Cal, her hero, is definitely hero worthy, smart himself, strong, sexy and absolutely, irrevocably falling for Min. This is a sigh-worthy romance that I'm always happy to revisit.

Other Young Adult

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

A young boy that's a genius, in the true sense of the word, who's also a criminal mastermind and comes up with a cunning plot to relieve the fairyfolk of their gold. His plan is to capture one of the fairyfolk and hold them for their ransom. But when he gets his hands on Holly things start to take unexpected turns. Artemis Fowl is an anti-hero that you can easily root for!

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

The first book in His Dark Materials trilogy. Enter a world much like the not-too-distant past of ours, but it's a place where magic, religion and science are all closely enter-twined. Lyra Belacqua is an orphan, growing up at Oxford University, with her daemon - the manifestation of her soul in animal form. Lyra isn't concerned with much but entertaining herself with her close friend Roger. Her precociousness leads her to learn of dust, a thing that those in power would do a lot to hide, and she's suddenly thrust upon an epic journey. Searching for her kidnapped friend takes Lyra north where she meets friends and enemies alike, including gyptians, witches, an armor-clad polar bear, and a nefarious plot involving many more missing children. This book is rich with emotion and adventure.

The Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathan Stroud

A young boy as a magician-in-training, Nathaniel, is visciously betrayed and vows revenge. Devouring texts he finally amasses enough power to summon a djinn, Bartimaeus, to steal the powerful Amulet of Samarkand and prevent his nemesis from his own designs. The story switches between third-person narration of Nathaniel, and first person narration (complete with footnotes that I loved immensely) by Bartimaeus. Bartimaeus is full of a wry wit that kept me grinning almost constantly when he was 'on-screen.' He alone is reason enough to read this, though it's filled with much, much more.

The One Two I Can't Figure Out Where To Put

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

I read this book when it first came out, and absolutely loved the rich historical detail that Diana Gabaldon wove through the story. Sometimes a bit wordy, but that doesn't mean that every word isn't worth reading. Definitely an interesting look at the history, and people, of Scotland and England. I loved this book so much, and even though it's a true tome, I still pick it up to re-read. Side note - I didn't read, or even know, there were sequels to this book until the fifth book was out, so I definitely didn't feel like it was a cliffhanger ending. I have since picked up the following books, but am still working my way through them, as each of them is just as richly detailed as Outlander is.

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

The first book I ever read by Jodi Picoult and I was absolutely amazed by her ability to make me truly think about where I fall on certain values and thoughts that I have. It's something that she does in every book I've read of hers. She'll easily show two sides to every story, and makes me think about both sides. I always walk away from her books with a new view on something.

The I-Can't-Pick-Just-One-Of-This-Series

Fever Series by Karen Marie Moning

I started reading Darkfever, the first book in this series, when it first came out in 2006 and have loved every minute of speculating since. The final book is coming out in January of 2011 and I'm so looking forward to the conclusion of this wonderfully complicated, intricate, fascinating series. It's mostly set in Dublin, Ireland and follow Mac's journey to find her sister's killer and she's suddenly thrust into a richly built world she knew nothing about, filled with fae, that are nothing like the fairies from our childhood tales, ambiguous characters and plots that Mac has to work through just to survive.

Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

A deftly written series in a magical world set just on the fringes of our world. If you haven't read these, or don't know about them, I highly recommend that you start now (the movies just don’t do them enough justice, though I enjoy them too). Following Harry Potter on his coming of age journey with fantastic characters that I love totally.

So, there you have it. My very own Shelf of Awesome (and yes I can fit all these on one shelf, if I really have to. ;) I hope you find something new here to pick and enjoy, if you do, please let me know! I'd love to hear what you think about any of these books.


And I'd LOVE to hear what makes your Shelf of Awesome!

Amazon Free eBooks 8

I decided to break these up by "genre" - Sometimes I know what genre it is, sometimes I'm going by what reviews/Amazon states. But at least it helps to separate a little bit more...

Romance:
Lessons From a Younger Lover by Zuri Day
The Pearl at the Gate by Anya Delvay
The Other Side of the Page by Terry Odell



Mysteries/Thrillers:
Billy Boyle: A World War II Mystery by James R. Benn
Hostile Intent by Michael Walsh
Bake Sale Murder by Leslie Meier
Hour of the Hunter by J.A. Jance



Science Fiction:
The Dangerous Dimension by L. Ron Hubbard

Review: Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver

Dagan Krayl is a soul reaper and the eldest son of the underworld's most powerful god - Suketh. When his youngest brother is murdered, he's focused on one thing, finding and resurrecting him. But there's a careful balance to be maintained, not only between the mortal world and the underworld, but within the underworld itself. God's are constantly vying for power and as information is power, Dagan's search for the truth of what happened puts several opposing factions of the underworld in his path. Dagan must maneuver carefully and avoid added complications. Then an unexpected development leads him to her. The one person he never expected to see again. Eleven years since he'd left her to a better life, and now she was his sworn enemy...

Roxy Tam escaped death once, but was forever changed...in a fundamental way. Confused and wanting to belong she runs straight into the arms of the Daughters of Aset - when she was specifically warned to stay away from them. Now an Otherkin, it's her job to protect mankind. And when rumors of a soul reaper's death reach her, and seeing a potential link to it in her current assignment, she knows the vengeance of a god could have huge implications on the mortal world. She's working to prevent just that when the man that's haunted her waking dreams shows up with a different agenda.

Can Roxy and Dagan set aside their conflicting causes in order to get to the truth? Will they survive having their loyalties tested when the flames of desire flare hot between them, threatening to consume them completely?

The world in Sins of the Heart was something that immediately caught my attention. Long in love with Egyptian mythology I've often wondered why more people didn't tap this rich history. Eve Silver not only delved into the gods and goddesses of Egypt but made the complicated underworld and topworld in her story rich and diverse. She obviously spent a lot of time crafting the atmosphere. There's such rich detail in each scene that I could clearly see wherever the story took me, whether it be to Suketh's chambers, the lines of souls waiting for passage or an audience, Roxy's house, or the house of a serial killer. Places jumped off the pages just as clearly as the characters.

Roxy is a tangle of fascinating contradictions. Rarely alone, but always lonely. Strong, but vulnerable. Aloof, but caring. All of these combine to make her a great character that I could really love. She wanted connections but was afraid to open herself up to them because of past abandonment. She kicked ass in her job, had a smart mouth and yet still knew her limitations. It was never in-your-face or overdone, which can sometimes get on my nerves. And she was loyal to those she cared about, which in this book meant that she was constantly at odds with herself over helping and protecting Dagan or her Otherkin sisters. I definitely sympathized with her conflicting desires and her attempts to make them work.

Dagan's a strong, intelligent, dedicated male that did what needed to be done to get the outcome that was needed. He was direct, both in action and words, making his motives abundantly clear. After growing up in the underworld, surrounded by souls but alone, Dagan knows how to observe. I liked that he not only participated in scenes and action, but observed and thought about others' motives. He always seemed willing to re-evaluate and revise his own thoughts. I also really loved the connection between him and his brothers. It was clear that they cared a great deal for each other and always had each others' backs.

Dagan and Roxy have a ton of chemistry from the beginning. I couldn't wait to see how these two characters came together. With such big issues that were in their way, conflicting goals and ideals, I loved that a lot of the resolution came not only through dialogue between the characters, but actions. A scene near the end made me laugh with tears in my eyes. The only thing I could have asked is to see more of them, but that's just me being greedy.

Ms. Silver has created a fantastically rich, detailed world that kept me reading well into the night. Sins of the Heart was fast paced, with a tight, interesting plot and strong, passionate characters that simply felt real. As soon as I put it down I couldn't wait to start the second book in the trilogy, Sins of the Soul, and see where she took me next!

Grade: B+


Book Link | Amazon (print) | Kindle | B&N (print) | nook | Borders (print) | kobo | Sony | Book Depository | Harlequin

August 27 2010 Blog Hop and Follow Friday

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-For-Books.

About the Hop: In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!

She asks: Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

I actually don't use a rating system because I just haven't found/made one that works for me. I try to offer reviews that are as spoiler free as possible so that anyone can read them and get an idea of what worked and what didn't for me. At the end I offer up a couple of lines giving my overall impression of it. I have recently been thinking about adding a rating system though, so I've been trying different ones out personally prior to using it here.









Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.

Her question this week is: What is the first book that you remember reading?

Not sure if it was my first book, but I do remember it was my first favorite book when I was quite young. More Spaghetti, I Say! by Rita Golden Gelman.




This is my first week finding Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday, so I'm looking forward to finding a lot of great new book blogs!

Coming up in the next couple of days, I should have a review posted of Eve Silver's Sins of the Heart as well as updating my reading order/release date lists.

Have a great weekend everyone!!

Waiting on Wednesday: This Side of the Grave

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine which spotlights eagerly anticipated upcoming releases!

For my very first edition check out this gorgeous cover and stepback!!

Title: This Side of the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress 5
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Avon
Release date: 22 February 2011

Book Description (from author's website) ***Warning: Spoilers if you haven't read the series to this point***

Danger waits on both sides of the grave

Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they’ve triumphed over the latest battle, Cat’s new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance…
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous “ally”—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war…to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.