chez_jae

Nightlife by Rob Thurman

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I brought my office book home last night to finish it. The book was Nightlife by Rob Thurman, and it's the first in the "Cal Leandros" urban fantasy series. The story is told in first-person pov by Cal...for the most part. Foreshadowing, dun dun dun!

Monsters live among us, and Cal would know. He is one. His mother was human, but his father was the stuff of nightmares. For the past four years, Cal and his older brother, Niko, have been on the run, trying to stay a step ahead of the monsters who will stop at nothing to reclaim Cal. Unfortunately, they can only run for so long, and Cal's past catches up to him in New York, where he learns he alone holds the key for an ancient, demonic race to take over the world. Cal has no intention of assisting them, but the choice is wrested from him when he is possessed by a male banshee, called the Darkling, who is working in conjunction with the Auphe to unleash hell on earth. Niko, however, will stop at nothing to get Cal back.

This book has been languishing on my shelf for about 15 years. There were times I almost purged it along with other books to be donated, but for some reason I hung onto it. Wow, am I glad I kept it! Reading it was a bit of a departure for me. I love urban fantasy, but I typically read about female protagonists. While it took me awhile to get into this (not helping that I only had about 20 minutes during my lunch hours to read it at all), once the story reeled me in, it had me utterly hooked. It wasn't enjoyable in the sense that a fun read is, but it was so compelling that I had to force myself not to drag it home sooner to finish.

Cal is a typical surly, lazy teenager who enjoys pestering Niko and twanging Nik's last nerve. Cal may have been the main character, but Niko could have starred as the hero in any other story. Although they are only half-brothers, he has been taking care of Cal most of his life. Niko is a warrior, proficient at martial arts and an accomplished swordsman. He's sacrificed everything for Cal and seems to think nothing of it. I would have loved to have read some of this in his point of view. The only allies the brothers have is a pretty young psychic (whom Cal admires), a lovely vampire (whom Niko admires), and Robin Goodfellow, the pan or puck of legend that Cal and Niko meet while shopping for a used car. He turned out to be the most staunch ally they had.

The lone low-point for me was ( Spoiler! )

Favorite lines:
♦ Niko was such a Boy Scout, albeit one with a lethal turn and a Merit Badge in deadly weapons.
♦ "You know all good little ninjas should be in bed, visions of homicidal sugarplums dancing in their heads."
♦ I didn't comment on the large knife he slid under his pillow. We all have our security blankets in this world. Some are just sharper than others.
( More under the cut )

The story was fast-paced, heart-stopping, violent and glorious. I regret that I didn't read it sooner, and you can bet I'll be snapping up the other books in the series. Five stars!

( Ship-middling under the cut; don't bother if you're not into shipping )


Banner found on Pinterest; will credit artist if I find out who it is

Past Redemption by Savannah Russe

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I had nearly finished the book I had at the office; therefore, I brought it home and finished it this morning. It was Past Redemption by Savannah Russe, and it's the second book in the "Darkwing Chronicles" urban fantasy series. The main character is Daphne Urban, a 500 year-old vampire who works with an elite team of other vampires--the Darkwings.

Daphne's team is tasked with finding the source of a new drug on the street, called Susto. Too many people have been dying horrifically after taking the drug, but it's a hot seller. Daphne and her team must immerse themselves in New York's nightlife as they try to learn more about the drug's origins. It's at a club that Daphne meets the intriguing St Julien Fitzmaurice (Fitz), and it's also there that she discovers that Darius, the bad boy vampire hunter whom she turned to save his life, is performing with his band. The band is playing up the vampire angle, which Daphne thinks will only lead to disaster. Already she's had more run-ins with hunters than is typical. It soon becomes apparent that both Darius and Fitz are keeping secrets--the kind that can get any or all of them killed.

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. The characters were wonderfully represented, the plot was intriguing, fast-paced, and flowed smoothly, and the fight scenes were exciting and appropriately violent. However, I just cannot with Daphne. She is a vampire. She is FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OLD, yet she acts and reacts like a jealous, petty, hormonal teenager. I have nothing against hormonal teens; I was one once, too, but I am well past that stage, which begs the question: why is a centuries old vampire behaving in such a fashion?! It was annoying and distracting, and I was literally rolling my eyes at times while reading this. If I wanted to read about vampires and teenage drama, I'd read Twilight. Enough said. And, don't even get me going on Daphne's mother, Mar-Mar, who is a thousand years old and acts like an aged hippie and still meddles in her five hundred year-old daughter's life. Guh.

Favorite lines:
♦ Irish men drink when they're happy and drink even more when they're sad.
♦ "I wish my family would have the decency to keep the skeletons secret. But no, we line 'em all up at the dinner table and pass them the mashed potatoes."
♦ Lives were at stake, the whole U.S. government might be hanging in the balance, and I was moping around and obsessing about my "relationship".
At least she recognizes what an immature twat she is.
♦ "I was already as jumpy as spit on a hot skillet."
♦ "I swear to God you'd go ahead and charge hell with a bucket of ice water."
Benny (Benjamina) had the best lines! I'd love to read this series from her pov; she's less than a century old and already seems more mature than Daphy.
♦ As the old joke goes, "What's the insensitive bit at the base of a penis called? A man."
Hah! I've never heard that one, but it made me laugh!

There you have it. The story was very good, but the main character is beyond vapid. Also, (SPOILER ALERT) the author killed off an important character right at the end of the book for no discernible reason. It added absolutely nothing to the plot, and it was distressing to read. You suck, Savannah Russe.

This earns no more than an average score. Points have been deducted for an insipid main character and a meaningless character death.

Hanging by a Thread by Monica Ferris

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I finished my work book at lunch today. It was Hanging by a Thread by Monica Ferris. This is the 6th part of the "Needlecraft" mystery series, featuring needlecraft shop owner Betsy Devonshire.

When Betsy hires contractor Foster Johns to fix the roof of her store/apartment, she didn't realize she'd be courting scandal. Her friends and customers waste no time in telling Betsy that Foster Johns got away with murder five years ago when not enough evidence could be found to implicate him in the double murder of the woman he was seeing and her husband.

Soon after, Foster asks Betsy to look into the crime. He claims he's innocent, and the dark cloud hanging over his head has affected his business. Betsy has had some luck in solving crimes, and she delves into the investigation. What she learns is that Paul Schmitt was an abusive, controlling husband. It seems far more likely that he murdered his wife, but if that was the case, then who killed Paul? He had an alibi for the night Angie was killed, but so did Foster. The weapon in both crimes was the same, although it was never found. It's up to Betsy to unravel one man's alibi and find the murder weapon, which will solve this cold case once and for all.

I found this story to be quite bland. The premise of a cold case was at least interesting and unusual for a cozy. However, I never got much of a feel for any of the characters, including Betsy. There was far more needlework minutiae than was necessary (in my opinion), which I found distracting. The clues and information Betsy stumbled upon were unrealistically serendipitous, but at least the ending was satisfactory.

Favorite lines:
♦ "There's nothing quite as friendly as a cat with cold feet."
♦ "Down, boy. I'm heterosexual."
♦ "If I want to enjoy a cartoon, I have to wait for the Bugs and Daffy Hour."

I have one more book in this series, which I will eventually read, but I won't be seeking out any more. Average book, average score.

Ripped From the Pages by Kate Carlisle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Finished my 'work' book today...at work! It was Ripped From the Pages by Kate Carlisle, which is the ninth book in the "Bibliophile" mystery series. This is the first I've read in the series, but I didn't feel like I was floundering. The main character is book restoration specialist, Brooklyn Wainwright.

During renovation of their loft, Brooklyn and her boyfriend, Derek, take up residence near her parents in the spiritual commune of Dharma where vineyards are the main business. The community is excited to create a new tasting room in the caves beneath the vineyard, but everyone is mystified when excavation reveals a mummified body hidden in a cavern filled with precious jewels, artwork, and artifacts. Among the treasures are valuable books, including a first edition of Journey to the Center of the Earth. When Brooklyn examines the book, she finds a map that leads to further treasures in another, hidden chamber of the cavern.

Soon members of the media and art appraisers are flocking to Dharma to see the wonders that have been revealed. With so much interest in the cavern and its contents, extra security becomes a necessity. However, even with the added security, another murder takes place much closer to home for Brooklyn. She and Derek become embroiled in the investigation in an effort to find the rightful owners of the treasures and to solve the murders, both old and new.

Quite an enjoyable story. Characters were fully realized, the plot progressed in sensible fashion, and there was enough "lag" time to see Brooklyn interacting with family and friends as well as plying her trade with books.

Favorite line: It wasn't as if they met weekly at the local Cranky People's Club, right?

Very good, and I will certainly look for more in this series--four stars.

Wolf Moon by Patricia Rosemoor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Finished my work book at lunch today. It was Wolf Moon by Patricia Rosemoor. The book is part of her "McKenna Legacy" series in the Harlequin Intrigue line. The main character is Aileen McKenna.

Aileen has come to Wolf Creek to study wolves in the wild as part of her thesis. Once there, she learns that a man was killed, and the locals believe it was a wolf that did it. Aileen thinks otherwise, and she enlists the aid of handsome, aloof Rhys Lindgren to take her into the wilderness to observe wolves in the wild. Aileen can't help but be nervous around Rhys. She feels an odd connection to him that she can't shake, and being in Wolf Creek has caused long-buried memories from a traumatic childhood incident to surface. When another man is killed, Aileen is determined to prove it wasn't due to a marauding timber wolf. However, when she begins to hear whispers of werewolf, she can't help but wonder just what is really going on in Wolf Creek.

The premise was interesting. The action took place over the course of about a week, which always makes the inevitable 'true love' a bit incredible, but whatever. What bothered me the most were the number of killings. I mean, we can't just have a murder or two? It has to be about half a dozen people by the time it's all said and done? The culprit was easy enough to guess, but I never did figure out ( Spoiler )

Aileen was a three-dimensional character, but I didn't get as much insight into Rhys' character. The plot moved at a frantic pace, but it was a short book so that's understandable.

Favorite lines:
♣ An angry McKenna stood her ground.
♣ "...I'll drink to all women finding their strength, whatever that might be."

Average read, average score

Eggs Benedict Arnold by Laura Childs

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I actually managed to finish my "work" book at work today. Woo! It was Eggs Benedict Arnold, which is the second part of Laura Childs' "Cackleberry Club" mystery series. Story is told in third person pov, but it's primarily from the viewpoint of widowed Suzanne Dietz.

Suzanne and her two friends, Petra and Toni, have opened their own diner, called the Cackleberry Club, and business is booming. When Suzanne delivers a pie to local funeral director, Ozzie Driesden, she finds him dead on the embalming table. Before she can react, she is knocked out with chloroform. Sheriff Doogie now has a murder on his hands, but when his prime suspect also winds up dead, he's at a dead end. In the meantime, another of Suzanne's friends, Missy, begs her to look into the case, because Doogie is eyeballing her and her significant other. Suzanne reluctantly agrees, but her snooping may be her undoing.

I enjoyed this story, but...( Spoilers )

At least we got to see Suzanne at work and even socializing; the entirety of the story wasn't taken up with her investigation. Characters were portrayed well, and the narrative was light and fun, for the most part.

Favorite lines:
♦ He was getting older, his muzzle going white, but he hadn't lost his spunk for shagging rodents. I beg your pardon?
♦ Who were all these little women? What planet did they come from? Did they disembark from a space ship or the death star Anorexia?
♦ "Lady, you just found a ray of sunshine in the middle of a shit storm."

Once again, I'd dearly love to award 3 1/2 stars. I did enjoy the story, and I would likely read more in the series. However, it annoys me when authors don't do their research and put incorrect information in their books. For that reason, this one is getting downgraded to a three instead of upgraded to a four.

Murder by the Slice by Livia J. Washburn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I only had two chapters left in my book at work; therefore, I brought it home yesterday and finished reading it. The book was Murder by the Slice by Livia J Washburn. It's the second part of her "Fresh-Baked" mystery series. Narrative is in third person, but it primarily follows retired school teacher Phyllis Newsom.

Phyllis gets roped in to helping a local PTO with a fund-raising carnival when her friend and housemate, fellow retired teacher Carolyn, convinces Phyllis to join her. One of the first things Phyllis realizes is that the president of the PTO, Shannon Dunstan, is a witch with a capital B. Nevertheless, she and Carolyn agreed to help, and they stick to their guns. They are tasked with the bake sale portion of the fund raiser. While Phyllis and Carolyn are manning the booth, Shannon is murdered in a school hallway. It's determined the murder weapon was one the women had been using to slice cakes and other baked goods. When the police, including Phyllis' son Mike, seem to focus on the wrong person, Phyllis can't help but do some sleuthing on her own.

I picked this book up at a second-hand store, and I'm glad I didn't pay more than $2.00 for it. First of all, Phyllis owns a large house, and she rents rooms to three other retired teachers: Carolyn, Eve, and Sam. It's kinda-sorta like the Golden Girls, except Sam is a guy. Throughout the book, however, I found myself wondering if this was a household of mature adults or a junior high cheer camp. Eve has the hots for Sam (who does nothing to encourage her behavior), and she became an outright shrew whenever she discovered that Phyllis and Sam had the audacity to be alone somewhere, even in the kitchen. Good grief. On top of that, Carolyn and Phyllis were uber-competitive when it came to their baked goods, to the point that I felt like knocking their heads together and sending them to their rooms. Second, when Phyllis was baking, the author felt it necessary to provide in-depth play by play of every step of the process. All I need to know is that she mixed the batter and put the cake in the oven; I don't need to read about how she measured out each ingredient and mixed them together and prepared her pans and blah blah blah. Third, when Phyllis suspected that Shannon was having an affair with the husband of one of the other PTO moms, she took it upon herself to question him about it. OMG, it is not your job! Tell the police and butt out. Fourth, even when writing in third person pov, the narrative should follow one character. In this book, however, a few chapters (just a few, mind you!) were from Mike's pov. Just no. Finally, the blurb on the back of the book strongly indicated that Phyllis would need to clear her name, since she'd touched the murder weapon, but she was never once under suspicion. Way to be misleading about the plot! Oh, one more thing: there was a cat on the cover of the book, but no cat was found between the covers of the book. Misleading!

Favorite line: "When it comes to death, women bring food and men carry the coffin."

I won't be reading any other books in this series. The writing was fine, but I did not find Phyllis a likable character, and I won't waste any more time reading about her brand of sleuthing.

Three stars

Charmed & Dangerous by Candace Havens

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I just now finished reading Charmed & Dangerous by Candace Havens. This is the first book in the author's "Bronwyn the Witch" series. I'm not sure if I'd categorize it as paranormal romance or urban fantasy. The narrative is told via Bronwyn's journal entries.

Bronwyn is a high witch, one of the most powerful in the world, and she has a great job traveling all over the world as she works to keep the British PM safe from harm. When not globetrotting, Bronwyn calls Sweet, Texas home. It's a safe haven for magical folk, guarded by the local coven, and benefitting from Bronwyn's presence.

Although Bronwyn is an accomplished witch, she's never been successful in the romance department. Men seem to find her intimidating. Therefore, it comes as a surprise to Bronwyn when she has not one, but two men vying for her affections: doctor and warlock Sam, and sexy sheik Azir. Her problematic love-life has to take a backseat, however, when Bronwyn learns that a powerful warlock is out for blood. Hers.

First of all, this story 'opened at the close', which I truly detest. I cannot fathom why an author will do that. I suspect it's meant to whet the appetite, but I find it gives too much away. That being said, I did enjoy the epistolary aspect of the story. Bronwyn is wry and witty, loyal and loving, brave and fierce. Since it wasn't clear at first who wanted her dead, I found myself suspecting several of her friends and confidants. The suspense was killing me! I was able to get a good sense of the other main 'characters' through Bronwyn's writing, and the action moved along at a good pace, with enough down time for her (and the reader) to relax and recharge.

Favorite lines:
♦ There's no sign here that says "No Demons Allowed" but you get the feeling that people here like to keep things on an even keel.
♦ It's so friggin' cold my tits actually hurt from pointing hard.
♦ Not everything in pants is something at an amusement park for you to ride.

Fun and sexy, four stars

Vampires are Forever by Lynsay Sands

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Yesterday, at lunch, I finished the book I'd taken to work. It was Vampires are Forever by Lynsay Sands, and it's the 8th part of her "Argeneau Vampires" series of paranormal romances. Main characters in this one were vampire Thomas Argeneau and mortal woman Inez Urso.

When Thomas' Aunt Marguerite goes missing, his cousin Bastien sends him to London--Marguerite's last known location. There, Thomas is to meet up with Inez, one of Bastien's employees. Once Thomas discovers he can neither read Inez's thoughts nor control her, he realizes she is his destined lifemate. The only problem now is to convince her that vampires are real and that they are meant to be together.

Inez never believed in vampires, but she is soon forced to admit that Thomas is one. She's not as turned off by the idea of having a lifemate as she thinks she probably should be. It helps that Thomas is handsome and attentive to her. However, they still need to track down Marguerite--a task made more difficult when another, unknown vampire begins wiping Inez's mind and taking control of her. Now Thomas must not only rescue his aunt, but also the love of his life.

There was a lot going on in this story. Not only is it a romance, but there was also the mystery and excitement surrounding Marguerite's disappearance. Many characters from other books in the series put in an appearance. I would have enjoyed that more if it weren't for the fact that I seem to be reading these out of order. My bad. I was a bit put off by Inez's easy acceptance of a lifemate and somewhat creeped out by how blasé the vampires all are about blithely using mind control on mortals. Of course, it wasn't quite so nifty when someone used it on Inez. I also missed the author's trademark humor. That's sort of the reason I used to snap up Sands' books and why I've kept so many to read, even though I don't typically go for paranormal romance any longer.

Favorite line: "Get your soulless butt back on the other side of the seat."

I wasn't enthralled with the story, but it was well-written. Giving it a four.

The Ultimate Bite by Crystal Green

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Finished my work book at lunch today. It was a Harlequin "Extreme" Blaze called The Ultimate Bite by Crystal Green.

A year ago, Kimberly Wright was bitten by a vampire. The experience was a defining moment in her life, and she has been seeking out her vampire ever since. Kim wants nothing more than to be bitten again.

Vampire Stephen is suffering from ennui. The only excitement in his life is that he's been tasked by his maker to hunt down a rogue vampire who has been draining women in Las Vegas. He doesn't dare get attached to a mortal, not unless he wants to risk having his heart broken again.

When Kim encounters Stephen again, she entices him into biting her once more. However, this time, Kim has no intention of letting him get away.

I'll be honest. I'm not sure I'd classify this as a "romance". Kim didn't want Stephen so much as what he could give her, and for his part, Stephen didn't even remember Kim. Not the most auspicious start to a relationship. Frankly, Kim came across as a selfish slag through most of the book, while Stephen struck me as being stand-offish and detached. Of course, by the end they were declaring their true love forever and ever amen. Yawn.

The plot was okay, especially when the mysterious rogue was thrown into the mix. Characterizations were very 'meh' in my opinion.

Favorite line: "...I know you're probably a really ancient vampire and everything, but an oldfangled He-Man attitude doesn't go far with me."

Average read, average score