Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, #2) by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is an adult paranormal romance/urban fantasy novel.

Book Summary

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?

Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the summer: Second Grave On The Left.

My Review

This second installment proves to be as good as the first. Charley continues with her snarkiness keeping the book witty at times to lighten the heavier aspects. Still a sexy story we aren’t deprived of our hunky hero/villain. Left heartbroken at end, I had to push on to the next.

Charley is still Charley. And now that we know who and what Reyes is we are left trying to understand his true purpose besides keeping Charley safe. Cookie is really brought into this one and they make a really good team.

The storyline has a main plot with mini stories that surround to keep you from getting bored. But I highly doubt you can get bored with this series.

Would I recommend this book? I highly recommend.

My book boyfriend is Reyes.






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Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

Celebrity in Death by J.D. Robb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is an adult mystery thriller suspense novel/police procedural

Book Summary

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a reasonably good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating The Icove Agenda, a film based on one of her famous cases. It’s a little spooky seeing the actress playing her, who looks almost like her long-lost twin. Not as unsettling, though, as seeing the actress who plays Peabody—drowned in the lap pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.
Talented but rude, and widely disliked, K. T. Harris had made
an embarrassing scene during dinner. Now she’s at the center of a crime scene—and Eve is more than ready to get out of her high heels and strap on her holster, to step into the role she was born to play: cop.

My Review

I’ve enjoyed this series from the very beginning. Not every book is a home run but every book has been above average really good. This story for me felt more like an average day in Eve’s life. ******spoiler*****Although Roarke was there I think unpredictably he wasn’t as involved in the case as he has in the past. I think maybe the J.D. Robb (ask Nora Roberts) wanted to show life for Eve with the big guy there one hundred percent of the time. But all you Roarke lovers, he was in the book enough, don’t get me wrong. Also, Eve seemed to depend on Peabody a bit more. I felt like the Nora either wanted Peabody to appear capable enough to be Eve’s partner or this is a transition to where Eve finally gets her promotion.*****end of spoiler*****

Nora knows how to write a story. This is a given with all her success. She also has a way that I haven’t found with any other writer to give a well delivered story in third person but still letting you in the heads of all the characters. She has a gift.

The storyline was different for Eve. A lot of things happen and don’t happen that are clearly observed by the characters, so it is clear that this departure in storyline was planned. Based on something that happens in the story that is briefly mentioned, I have a feeling that we will be back to what we’ve come to expect from this series in the next installment.

Will I recommend this series? Yes, absolutely.

My book boyfriend is Julien. I love Roarke, so once you read you will understand why I chose Julien.



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Pandemonium (Delirium, #2) - Lauren Oliver

Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars



This is a young adult dystopian novel. (Rating PG for mild violence)

Book Summary

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare,
pushing aside thoughts of Alex,
pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school,
push,
push,
push,
like Raven taught me to do.
The old life is dead.
But the old Lena is dead too.
I buried her.
I left her beyond a fence,
behind a wall of smoke and flame.

My Review

This story was like a good slow cooked stew. It couldn’t be rushed. It had to simmer to be great. I have to admit I had high hopes for this sequel. I wouldn’t say it missed the mark, but it wasn’t a knock you out of the ball park story. This is because like Cremer did in her second installment of the Nightshade series, we find ourselves in a new world with new characters that have to be built from scratch. And in this case, that took time. There were a few characters that things happened to that should have affected me more than it did. But the pacing and development didn’t allow me too.

But by the mid point the story started to take off for me. I’m Team Alex, so it was a bit hard for me to get into another character. But ultimately, I fell prey to his charms. I’m leaving out the name on purpose because you’ll have to read to see who I am referring to.

Therefore I can’t say much about the characters without giving the story away. But I will say that Oliver does a good job of developing her character albeit that it takes some time. Lena grows a lot in the story and there are many lessons to learn. But Oliver is very good at sending important life lessons through her writing.

This is a world building book. So it reads almost like a first in the series. It is good yet it is on a path of slow and steady. The author took a past and present approach to the story that switched things up a bit but didn’t add to the pacing of the story. Oliver however is an amazing writer and she filled the pages with words that let you see the story unfolding. So I was content to read, watch and wait.

I wasn’t shocked by either of the revelations in the story which was kind of disappointing. I like surprises. I knew exactly who prisoner 5996 when they met. Also the bit at the end, I saw a mile away. Although I was a bit shocked by the words that were said and the tone that implied what they meant. Anyway, another year’s wait.

Do I recommend? Yes. But Oliver has left us again dangling on the edge of insanity waiting for the next book. Marketing ploy? Sure, but I still can’t wait to read. So for you all that can wait to read this one or the series, you might want to because twelve months is a long time.

AUDIO REVIEW
Sarah Drew is the narrator again for this book. She didn’t disappoint. She did a good job of throwing her voice to distinguish the characters so I didn’t have trouble following. I thought she was a good choice for this series.

My book boyfriend is Julien.






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Obsidian (Lux, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars



This is a young adult sci-fi type thriller/romance.

Book Summary

Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.And then he opened his mouth.Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. The hot alien living next door marks me.You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. If I don't kill him first, that is.

My Review

Let me start this review by saying I picked this book up at around 1pm and I was finished by 8pm. I hardly put it down, so that is saying a lot.

Quick Review –

Too many other works of fiction came to mind as I was reading. The plot was somewhat predicable. Yet, I found myself unable to tear myself from reading it. I guess you can equate it to a car wreck, the relationship disaster yet you can help but watch.

Full Review -

As a lover of X-Files, Roswell, Dawson’s Creek, Stars Wars when I was a kid – what was not to like about this book.

But here is the thing, as I was reading I kept being reminded of different books I’ve read, tv shows, and movies. Not only did the author herself bring them up, certain phrases and situations also reminded me of popular books. I really don’t want to think about other stories while I’m reading. Also, there were several times while reading I thought I missed something and I had to go back and re-read passages. There were a couple of plot holes too especially with the last battle. So even though this book deserves more than four stars, I couldn’t give it five either.

Characters. I couldn’t help but like Katy. She was an avid reader and book blogger. She could knew the quote from my favorite sci-fi show. What wasn’t there to like? I’ll tell you who, Daemon. Even though he reminded me somewhat of Max from Roswell, Max wasn’t a douche. Sorry girls but I’m not into jerks. Maybe a part of me couldn’t empathize with him because I knew what he was. This book was at a slight disadvantage because of the hype. I’m not a reader of book summaries because I like to be surprised. But enough people talked about the book, what he was I knew before going in. If I had not, I might have swooned in the revelation. But I didn’t. I will say the bonus POV scenes at the end of him, did help some. And Dee was just great. However, I didn’t feel like I really got to know the characters all that well. Hopefully, we will in book two.

The storyline was interesting obviously. It’s hard to give more information without spoilers. So I will say that I can’t say it overly original. Certain aspects were but it felt like it began as a base model of a lot of popular books with a lot of great author’s flourishes and fascinating tweaks to take it where it went. Again, don’t get me wrong, it’s not often I read a book in one setting. Life gets in the way of that. So, I can’t really be that critical because I did really enjoy reading it.

So let me not say more. I would highly recommend for young adult fiction lovers. It was a good book and I look forward to reading more from this author.

And for this book my reluctant book boyfriend is Daemon.








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Rapture (Rapture Trilogy #1) by Phillip W. Simpson

Rapture by Phillip W. Simpson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is a young adult dystopian/urban fantasy novel.

Book Summary

The Rapture has occurred, just as the Bible predicted. The faithful have risen up to Heaven. Those left behind are in a living hell.

Earth burns, hell-like in its oppressive heat. Every volcano in the world has erupted, and tsunamis and earthquakes continue to devastate the planet. Clouds continually rain ash onto the scorched landscape, sparking fires all around. Plants and animals are dying. Food is scarce. The night sky is devoid of stars, and the moon - when it can be seen - is the colour of blood.

The remnants of humanity fight for survival. Most have fled the cities and now hide in caves deep in the mountains. By night, demons stalk the Earth, capturing the remaining humans and killing them - if they're lucky. The less fortunate are converted to worship of the Devil, and ushered into endless hell.

Eighteen year old, Sam (short for Samael) was raised in the town of Jacob's Ladder, Utah. It is appropriately enough near to a place of natural scenic beauty called Devil's garden. He finds himself alone, unable to rise up with his family because he is half demon. His mother, a devout Christian, was seduced by Satan and conceived his child. She smuggled the boy to an old friend Hikari, a Japanese sword master and demon expert. Since then, Hikari and his daughter, Aimi, have been all the family Sam has known.

Now they're gone, and Sam must set out on the mission Hikari charged him with long ago: to help all the humans left behind. Armed only with his beloved Japanese swords and his wits, Sam wanders the post-apocalyptic world alone, separated forever from everyone he loves. Cursed by his demonic heritage, he must now embark on a quest that will take him across the US to the City of Angels.

There he will confront his destiny. There he must fight to save a friend ... and the souls of the living.

My Review

This story stems from the Christian foretelling of the rapture. Although religious in nature, ultimately the story is about good vs. bad / nature vs. nurture. For those not religious, look at it from the aforementioned and take a leap like you would any other fictional story you would read such as stories with werewolves and vampires. I didn’t get the feeling of being preached to while reading.

Sam, the main character, a half human, half demon, is a well thought out character. Both sides of his nature show themselves throughout the story and we feel his struggle. Although the rest of the characters were not totally flushed out as the main character, Sam is a loner and this is his story. So I would expect to feel passionately about any of the others. Don’t get me wrong, there is substance to the supporting cast, but that is just it. They are supporting.

The storyline as mentioned above is that from a dystopian perspective. Something has happened and the world is forever changed. How will the characters survive in this new land. So for those skittish about the religious aspects should consider reading it from this perspective. With the added supernatural presence, this book dives into the urban fantasy realm. I found this book to be very interesting as I have with all the dystopian novels I’ve read.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, it is a good read.

My book boyfriend is Sam. Once you read the story you will so understand why I chose this picture.






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Fifty Shades Freed (Fifty Shades, #3) by E.L. James

Fifty Shades Freed by E L James

This is an adult romance/erotica type novel. Rated NC-17 for the sexiness of it all.

5 out of 5 stars

Book Summary

When unworldly student Ana Steele first encountered the driven, damaged young entrepreneur Christian Grey it sparked a sensual affair that changed both their lives irrevocably. Shocked, intrigued, and ultimately repelled by Christian’s singular sexual tastes, Ana demanded a deeper commitment; determined to keep her, Christian agreed.

Now, together, they have more – love, passion, intimacy, and a world of infinite possibilities. But Ana always knew that loving her Fifty Shades would not be easy, and being together poses challenges neither of them ever anticipated. Ana must somehow learn to share Christian’s opulent lifestyle without sacrificing her own integrity, identity or independence; Christian must somehow overcome his compulsion to control, and lay to rest the horrors that blighted his past and haunt his present.

Just when it seems that together their love can conquer any obstacle, misfortune, malice and fate combine to make Ana’s worst nightmares come true. Alone and desperate, she must face down the poisoned legacy of Christian’s past.

Seductive, shocking, sad and funny, Fifty Shades Freed is the compelling final volume in the Fifty Shades trilogy.

My Review

The final book in this love trilogy may have started somewhat slow, there was more to savor. I love how the characters have grown and are still growing. The worst part of the story was that it all had to come to an end. I for one will read again.

This series is way more than the BDSM that is prevalent in the story. This book is about a physically abuse boy who was taken under the wing of a sexual predator in his adolescence. Absence the skills to understand who to deal with his emotions, he uses the only skills he was taught when it came to male and female sexual relationships.

In comes Ana, an innocent by all accounts. She however is given the choice and is never coerced to do anything that she doesn’t want to. This book isn’t about pain which some suggest. The pain part is not a form of pleasure but that as punishment willed only by a hand on a bottom seldom in the story. This is the only thing that Christian knows before meeting Ana. Even still the “pain” isn’t really much in the story as some try to make it out to be.

This is a journey about trust and learning how to love when both parties earlier life was fracture in some respects. To overcome ones nature or nurture and find unconditional love. This story is heart warming and I will forever be grateful to E.L. James for writing it.

My book husband is Christian. Matt Bomer (see previous review) will forever be my Christian. Henry Cavill who was brought to my attention by Jessica from http://bookpassionforlife.blogspot.com .

But I will leave with a montage using Henry Cavill.

Christian and Charlie Tango

You Tube video from Dunhill that just fits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKqFMxdN3Pc



Christian and Ana
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s3Y1NA29tA












If I were doing a movie for fifty, I would so use this footage from Dunhill.


Christian and Charlie Tango

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKqFMxdN3...

Christian and Ana in London

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5s3Y1NA29...



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Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper

Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is an adult paranormal romance novel. This book is rated NC-17 for mild sexual content.

Book Summary

Just as Jane Jameson’s unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of all things marital, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend Gabriel are coming along smoothly. But the road to wedded bliss gets bumpy when a teenage acquaintance is fatally wounded in front of Jane’s shop and she turns him to save his life. The Council pronounces Jane responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst.

Jane’s kitchen at River Oaks barely holds enough Faux Type O to satiate the cute teen’s appetite and maintain Gabriel’s jealous streak at a slow simmer. As if keeping her hyperactive childe from sucking the blood out of the entire neighborhood isn’t enough to deal with, the persnickety ghost of Jane’s newly deceased Grandma Ruthie has declared a war on the fanged residents of River Oaks. Suddenly,
choosing monogrammed cocktail napkins and a cake that she can’t eat seems downright relaxing in comparison.

Tensions inside the house are growing…and outside, a sinister force is aiming a stake straight for the center of Gabriel’s heart. Most brides just have to worry about choosing the right dress, but Jane fears that at this rate, she’ll never make it down the aisle for the wedding all nice girls dream of…

My Review

This was a very good read as I expected from this author. This story isn’t rocket science and it is meant to be light. There isn’t a hard nose mystery to solve or danger lurking around the corner to make you say boo. But what it is, is a well delivery, well crafted and well executed witty story.

I love Jane Jameson. She is a no nonsense kind of girl who gets to the point with her well timed quips. Her leading man Gabriel who was a bit of a bad boy has been somewhat tamed in this story. Thankfully, Jaime is brought in to fill in those shoes to a point. Molly Harper knows how to craft character and make them jump out of the page with fresh life.

The storyline was interesting as we watch Jane go through another transition in her life which is always funny to read. If you haven’t read this series, it’s a must for those needing a break from the heavy stuff. There is laughter and a bit of sexiness, nothing over the top.

Will I recommend this book? Yes, heck yes. I will proudly suggest people read this is. It is pretty bloody fantastic.

My book boyfriend is Jamie.



Since I never posted Gabriel, consider this a double treat.



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