TABT–When do you say, “I quit?”
This weekend I discovered that I can say “I quit” about a book even when I’m 3/4 of the way through it. Normally I’ve invested so much time/effort into a book that I’ll slog through it, just in case I’m wrong, or the author is going to amaze me.
Not so in this case. Why? The writing itself was very good. The heroine was interesting, and the urban fantasy world well developed. But the “hero” (maybe, this being an urban fantasy and all, one can never be sure) was a complete and utter asshat. To the point where there was no way in hell the author was going to be able to redeem him. And since the heroine let him walk all over her, with little more than a whimper, even though she’s supposed to be some kick-ass babe, I put the book down.
Then this morning I got up and considered re-reading the chapter that so inflamed me, decided I was still pissed off, and gave it away.
So what and where are the breaking points for you?
TABT–Primal Bonds by Jennifer Ashley
Primal Bonds by Jennifer Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is my first paranormal Jennifer Ashley title (I LOVE her historicals) and I was very impressed. So much so that the first and subsequent stories are now in my shopping cart!
First, the characters: Sean and Andrea were combustible together, and the twists and turns they wound their way through made their eventual HEA so very satisfying. The secondary characters were fabulous, and I can’t wait to see their stories unfold.
Second, the worldbuilding: Exceedingly well-done worldbuilding that wasn’t so convoluted I felt I needed a separate notebook to keep things straight (which makes me NUTS). The second-class citizen theme is innovatively done and kept me riveted.
This one is a definite recommend!
TABT–Deadly Lies, Cynthia Eden
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Loved, loved, loved this third addition to the Deadly series. As other reviewers have recommended, suggest you read Deadly Fear before picking up this one. First, because it’s a freakin’ awesome book, and second, because it adds an additional layer of intrigue and suspense to Deadly Lies.
The characters were exceedingly well drawn, and because of that, it made the sex scenes that much more poignant and real. We “get” why Sam does what she does, and I like the fact Ms. Eden didn’t shy away from a behavior pattern not explored in most traditionally pubbed romantic suspense stories. Max is fabulous, and even when I didn’t understand exactly what made him tick, I trusted Ms. Eden to let me know when the time was right AND respect her characters enough to be honest.
If you haven’t cracked the Deadly series yet, you’re doing yourself a disservice — pick them up!!
TABT–The Last Warrior, Susan Grant
The Last Warrior by Susan Grant
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a great book! Honestly, at first I thought this was a straight up fantasy book, but I was obviously being a smidgen dense about the clues (don’t want to spoil anything for others).
I won’t bother to recap the plot, since there are better synopses out there than I could write, but I will say that this novel has pitch-perfect pacing and characterization. I never once doubted that Elsabeth and Tao were meant for each other, but how they got there was fabulous. And the twist at the end with Xim? Fabulous! I loved the social parallels drawn between our society and the worldbuilding in this book. That might sound “heavy”, but the treatment of social issues is well done and intrinsic to the plot, and it never felt preachy–both sides of the conflict are well represented and the reader (and the characters) see the other’s side.
Both Elsabeth and Tao were well drawn, sympathetic characters–people I’d actually love to meet and interact with. In fact, their story kept me in the tub long after I was pruny, because I just had to see how it ended!
I highly recommend this one–it’s going on my keeper shelf.
TABT–Another Kind of Dead, Kelly Meding
Another Kind of Dead by Kelly Meding
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Absolutely loved the third addition to Meding’s Dreg City series. I often burn out on continuation series about this point (with the exception of Estep’s Gin Blanco books), but Evy and her crew have kept my attention since the first book and I don’t see that interest waning.
Evy and Wyatt honestly make my heart break, because even though they seem destined to be together, fate, the gods, whoever, keep throwing seeminly insurmountable roadblocks in front of them. One of the things I appreciate the most about this series is the fact Evy gets herself into trouble (mostly through her loyalty to friends), and then she gets herself back out of it. Noone needs to rescue her, but when Wyatt and her friends do show up in the nick of time, it adds to the intensity of the story, instead of detracting.
And the last chapter of this one–OMG. Freakin’ fabulous! Can’t wait for the next one!
TABT, Blood Hunt (Sentinel Wars series), Shannon K. Butcher
This is the fifth book in the Sentinel Wars series, and I HIGHLY recommend the previous books be read first to get the full effect/history, since it’s a very complicated urban fantasy world.
I think the main thing that keeps me coming back to this series, Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series and Jessica Anderson’s Nightkeepers books is the fact that while there is an overarching storyline that influences everything, each of the books focus on one romance and follow it to it’s Happily Ever After. I’ve pretty much given up on continuous storylines that feature the same heroine/hero because after about the 4th book I just can keep interest (with the exception of Jennifer Estep’s Gin Blanco series).
This was a great addition to the Sentinel Wars mythos, this time exploring the blood-drinking Sanguinar Logan and introducing us to Hope, a woman with out a past who touches Logan in a way no one ever has…but is forbidden to him. As I read this, I have to admit, I didn’t see any way they could get their HEA, but was I ever happily surprised! Both characters are wonderfully tortured, but not so much that I, as a reader, couldn’t identify with them. Additionally, the storyline is continued, maybe through more ancillary characters’ POV than I’d prefer, but it was well done.
This one is well worth picking up, and I can’t wait until the next one comes out!!!
TABT–Tangled Threads (Elemental Assassin Book 4), Jennifer Estep
Yet another great installment to Estep’s continuing series. While this could be read as a standalone, I highly recommend picking up the previous books, because they’re all fabulous in their own right, and you’d be missing out on something special by starting with this book.
Throughout this series we’ve watched Gin grow from The Spider, an assassin motivated purely by money and by her handler’s instructions, to a rounded woman who, while on a purely selfish mission to exact revenge, still manages to retain her humanity by being who she really is–a woman who cares. Her Robin Hood motivations even out what could have been a too-harsh character.
Secondary characters are well drawn as well, but not as prevalent as they have been in past books. This is certainly Gin’s book, and I got more than a little misty as the last few pages unfolded. The overarching storyline continues on at a brisk pace, and I can’t wait to see where the next book goes!!
TABT…Song of Scarabeus
Finished this one over the weekend and really, really liked it! Creasy has created a descriptive, vivid universe that pits the huge, unscrupulous Crib against the hardscrabble Fringers and those caught in between. This book deals mostly with Edie, a child who’s been brought up utilize her special skills to ‘talk’ to both the bio and tech sides of terraforming and Finn, a slave forced to act as her bodyguard. The story centers around Edie’s kidnapping by pirates, and their “mission” to recover very expensive hardware from the very first planet she helped terraform (note…this is hugely, dramatically oversimplified).
Creasey has done a fabulous job not only in universe building, but in giving us real, three-dimensional characters that we can really get behind. From Edie and Finn’s developing relationship to the secondary characters on board the Hoi Polloi and from her past, this is an exceedingly well-drawn sci-fi story, very light on the romance (so don’t go in expecting that).
All in all, a great read, and I can’t wait to see where the next book takes us!
TABT…Deadly Fear, Cynthia Eden
A very, very strong entry into the romantic suspense field, and believe you me, I’m picky as hell. To the point I put an entire series in the outgoing pile after not being able to connect to the first book. But not this book, thank goodness!
Monica Davenport and Luke Dante have a past…and now they’re teaming up to hunt down a serial killer. Little do they know it’s about to get VERY personal, both on the killing front and in the bedroom! I really, really liked Monica’s character. She earned her nickname of “Ice” but wasn’t overly proud of it, which made her a really sympathetic character. Luke was also fabulous as an agent who can get inside the head of the victim, while Monica does the opposite, and hones in on the killer. It makes for a perfect partnership that’s almost destroyed when the killer gets too close.
As a series, it’s reminiscent of Kylie Brant’s Mindhunter books, but has enough distinctiveness of its own to make me pick up the second book in the series! Well done, Ms. Eden!
The Sweetest Thing, Jill Shalvis
I was having a really crappy week last week, and when I looked at the TBR pile for a Calgon moment, I saw Jill’s book calling to me. And as always, she made me laugh, she made me hot, and dammit, she made me cry at the end. As with all of her books, she inserts heroes and heroines we can identify with and root for, even if we could never imagine being in their shoes ourselves.
In this installment of the Lucky Harbor series, we get to figure out exactly what’s up with Tara and Ford. I mean, c’mon! We knew, from Simply Irresistible, that they had a past, and pretty much figured out most of it, but oh honey, getting to see it all hashed out in The Sweetest Thing was a TON of fun! I won’t recap the plotline, you can see that anywhere on Amazon or Goodreads. Instead, I’ll tell you what worked for me. In a word, the hero and heroine. I LOVED the fact that Tara was trying to find herself, and neither Ford nor Logan are going to sway her from that goal. Tho they tried like hell. And as for Ford… wow. Just wow. What a fabulous hero. He knows he’s not a “keeper” but dammit if deep down he doesn’t want to be, but only for Tara.
So my recommendation? If you want a keeper shelf book that’ll make you giggle, blush like a schoolgirl and then bawl like one as well, then pick this bad boy up! Can’t WAIT for Head Over Heels in November!