Storm Watch

Title: Storm Watch (Harlequin Blaze)

Author: Jill Shalvis

Genre: Romance (Harlequin Blaze)

Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Jason is home on leave from the National Guard after his partner and best friend Matt was killed in the line of duty. The only thing is, a freak hurricane decided to hit his home the day after he got there - in California. Awakened by his high school crush, Lizzy, asking for help in finding her about-to-pop pregnant sister, they slog through Santa Rey's waterlogged streets to Cece's house and, not finding her, fall into bed with each other. Meanwhile, Cece, trying to get to Lizzy, is now in a Humvee with her next-door neighbor, badass-turned-sweety Hunter - and the baby's coming NOW.

Okay, so it was fluff. But decent fluff. My summary makes it seem much worse than it was, lol. Believe me, I've seen much MUCH worse from Harlequin Blaze, and I actually did enjoy the book. It's staying around on my romance bookshelf.

Seducing a S.E.A.L.

Title: Seducing a S.E.A.L.
Author: Jamie Sobrato
Genre: Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars (almost 4)

So, before the review, a little personal blurb: I must admit, I had some snobbery going on. A year ago, I would not have touched a romance for anything. Obviously, I discovered I was wrong and really do like romances - but I still had a bit of snob left for Harlequins. I decided to do something about that, and it helped that
Smart Bitches, Trashy Books endorsed them - some, at least. Yes, my friends, I like them. Below I shall share with you why.

Following a workplace tragedy, Lieutenant Commander Kylie Thomas finds her rigid world collapsing. Suddenly she is incapable of controlling her thoughts, her emotions - both at and outside of work - and, most worryingly, her impulses and fantasies regarding her subordinate, Ensign Drew MacLeod. They find themselves in bed and then in Hawaii (and in bed) together, forcing Kylie to re-think her position in life - and the Navy.

Alright. So, I went and bought not only a Harlequin, but a Harlequin Blaze. Hey, I like to read steamy romance! I was not disappointed. I used to think Harlequins (especially the intentionally sexy ones) were all about the sex. Yeah, I was wrong. Contained in Seducing a S.E.A.L.'s 215 pages are a story, two fully developed characters, a romance, a tragedy, healing from said tragedy, and a decent amount of hot sex. I really really enjoyed it.

Even though Harlequin's short format leaves me wanting more story, more background, that's okay. I can get that with longer romances - the ones which are 400+ pages long. These are quickies - no pun intended. They're short, quick, fun books to which I can see myself quickly becoming addicted. Heck, I already have a second Blaze waiting for my reading *ahem* pleasure, and have a quickly growing wishlist of soon-to-be-released Harlequins (not to mention the backlist!). Thank God I have a local used bookstore which pretty much specializes in romance!

Derik's Bane

Title: Derik's Bane
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Paranormal, paranormal romance(ish?)
Rating:3.5 stars out of 5

Derik, a werewolf from MaryJanice Davidson's east-coast Pack of Wyndham werewolves, is on a mission: he has been told to "take care of" Dr. Sarah Gunn, the reincarnation of Morgan Le Fay - lest she destroy the world. The only problem? Sarah isn't evil. In fact, she's downright cute, and too lucky for words. When Derik literally cannot kill her, he and Sarah decide to team up to take a cross-country road trip to track down and eliminate the real threat.

The story was cute. I finished it quickly, but I think if I had had to put the book down, I would have been hard-pressed to pick it back up. I didn't care overmuch what happened - I knew that Sarah and Derik would end up together and that the world would be saved. I knew the "twist" almost from the beginning.

The best way for me to describe Davidson's writing is "brain candy." I know it's empty calories, so to speak, but it's addictive in the same way cotton candy is: fluffy, full of air, saccharine-sweet, and you just can't get enough.

Magic Bites

Title: Magic Bites
Author: Ilona Andrews
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

In this, Ilona Andrews' first novel, there is magic in the world, and it does not like technology. Set in Atlanta in the not-too-distant future, Magic Bites tells of a world where magic comes in waves, alternating with "tech" (times when technology works). Because of this influx of magic, there are certain agencies which have been created to deal with new magical problems such as harpies, dragons, and the occasional salamander-wielding arsonist. One such agency is the Order of Knights of Merciful Aid, a highly-structured system which "helps" citizens who cannot afford any other aid. Another magical clean-up agency is the Mercenary Guild, to which Kate Daniels belongs.

When Kate's oldest friend and sometime-protector Greg is murdered, Kate takes on a mission to figure out why and how he died, and to avenge his murder. Kate's investigations bring her to the Order - which she left several years beforehand due to "authority issues". They put her in league with the Pack (shapeshifters who have conquered their beasts and retain their humanity), and have her facing off against the city's Masters of the Dead (necromancers and their vampire drones) in a battle for the city - and her life.

The story contained within Magic Bites is interesting, and I love Andrews' conceptualization of magic colliding with our technology-laden world. However, it all could have used slightly more editing, or more writing, or...well, something. There were a few parts where I was unclear as to how the characters got to a certain conclusion, and the narrator is constantly hinting at things which we are never told. Perhaps these hints will be further explained in forthcoming books, and I hope they are. This is an interesting series: I have already started on the next book, and hope that Andrews publishes more volumes of Kate's story.

Blue Moon

Title: Blue Moon
Author: Lori Handeland
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Jessie McQuade has seen her fair share of things in her years on the Miniwa, Wisconsin police force - but nothing so strange as the wolf attacks plaguing the small town recently. When a wolf hunter shows up and she is assigned to help him, she starts wondering who to trust, and if she can trust the hunky professor Will Cadotte who has been giving her information about local Indian beliefs about the strange werewolf-like creatures that seem to be gathering around Miniwa.

Blue Moon is an interesting read. I never figured out who was good and who was bad until told and yet I know that if I went back and re-read it I would see all the clues, which is something I appreciate in a novel. Just for that I would give it at least 4 stars. But I'm forced to bring my rating down a notch when I consider the multiple times I saw words misused in the novel. Words where, if the author didn't know the correct word to use, the editor surely should have. For example, at one point a character should have said "descendant" but instead says "ancestor." Big difference there. It happens several times throughout the novel.

I'm interested to see more of the series, but I won't expect it to be anything more than preternatural fluff with good sex.

Undead and Unreturnable

Title: Undead and Unreturnable
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick lit
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

It's Christmastime for Queen Betsy and the gang, and she's in for yet another rough week. She's trying to plan a wedding (which her fiance may or may not want to go through with), figure out how to tell her beloved she can hear his thoughts during sex, get to know her half-sister (who happens to be the daughter of the devil), and baby-sit her half-brother (while not killing his mother). Oh, and figure out another streak of murders plaguing the St. Paul area.

The series is still a fun piece of fluff, but this book didn't quite have the pizazz of the previous installments. Maybe it was Sinclair being all mopey (when he wasn't screwing Betsy's brains out), or maybe it was the ever-annoying Jon. I don't know. I'll still keep reading the series (heck, I've blown through the first four books in 48 hours), and have my eye on one of Davidson's other series, The Alaskan Royal Family.

Undead and Unwed

Title: Undead and Unwed
Author: MaryJanice Davidson
Genre: Horror/Chick Lit
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Betsy is having a crappy day: she lost her job, had to cancel her birthday party, and on top of all that, she gets hit - thanks to her cat - and dies. And as if that isn't bad enough, when she wakes in the morgue, she's in her bitch of a stepmother's ugly pink suit and cheap knockoff shoes.

And now she has two groups of vampires - one led by a raging madman, the other led by an incredibly good-looking, but pushy, hunk of man (nay, vampire) - fighting over her, trying to teach her the ways of vampires (half of which don't seem to apply to her), and all she wants to do is figure out how to live without relying on the charity of her superrich best friend.

I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, Betsy (who happens to be the narrator) annoys the crap out of me: she's shallow, vain, and lives for nothing but designer shoes (although I love her don't-fuck-with-me attitude; it reminds me of my best friend in so many good ways). On the other, the story intrigued me (and so did the male MC, Sinclair - what a hottie!). So I'll read the book, and I'll read the next one, and possibly the third.

The Journal of Curious Letters

Title: The Journal of Curious Letters
Author: James Dashner
Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi
Source: Library Thing's Early Reviewers
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Tick is a nearly normal 13-year old. He's a bit nerdy and loves solving puzzles, and never takes off the scarf which covers his birthmark (even in the summer).

Then one day he receives a mysterious letter in the mail which changes his life forever.

"The Journal of Curious Letter" is amusing, and I think I will be reading the rest of the series as it is released in paperback, but I did have some issues with it.

I know that my copy was an unproofed ARC, but there were several typos and/or omitted words. The author also tries too hard in places to be funny, and has an unnatural obsession (it seems) with the number 3.

The Shop on Blossom Street

Title: The Shop on Blossom Street
Author: Debbie Macomber
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5

Two-time cancer survivor Lydia decides that she is going to live life to the fullest (well, we'll see about that) and open up a yarn & knitting shop in Seattle. Through her shop & the beginning knitting class she offers she makes friends & we see the lives of four very different women - who aren't really all that different in the end.

My initial thoughts while reading it were as follows:

(around page 114) - This book as quite a few thoroughly unlikeable characters, but I feel myself drawn to read on. Maybe I'm hoping they will realize the error of their ways and repent by the end of the novel?

(around page 247) - I don't really like the way the narratorial voice switches from first-person POV for Lydia's chapters to third-person POV for the other three main characters. Also, Lydia doesn't quite like to stay speaking in the past tense. It bothers me, and makes me think Ms. Macomber's editor could have done a better job.

My thoughts now that I've finished it:

Yes, it has some trite moments, and the writing style bothers me at points, but I'll be reading the next book in the series, and I think I'll give her Cedar Cove series a try, as well. Perhaps even her romances. Knowing that Debbie Macomber is a romance writer, I knew that there were going to be happy endings pretty much all 'round - and I wasn't disappointed. Everyone (except one character) ends up happy. The one thing that bothered me was Alix's transformation from semi-punk girl to "pretty" girl in order to be happy. Yes, the young man she ends up with liked her before the transformation, but it bothered me that Macomber felt the need to physically transform Alix before giving her the happy ending. What's wrong with a punk/goth girl being happy?

Overall, this book is a feel-good read for knitters and non-knitters alike. Knitters will understand the friendship that knitting provides, and non-knitters will still like the story following the four women. If you don't mind semi-predictable happy endings, go for this book - I mean it!

Mary, Queen of France

Title: Mary, Queen of France
Author: Jean Plaidy
Source: Border's
Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5


Mary is the younger sister of Henry VIII, and he dotes on her. This book covers much her life - her betrothals to princes of Europe, her miserable marriage to the King of France, her love affair with Charles Brandon (the king's best friend), and finally her marriage to Brandon against her brother's wishes - a very dangerous game to play against Henry VIII.

The book's pacing was not even. At times the story raced and I flew through the pages; at other times it dragged on and seemed much longer than its 290 pages. Overall I liked the book, and I'm planning on eventually collecting all of the re-published books by Jean Plaidy.