Cover: The purple eyes are a little creepy…
I’m going to start by saying this was very much a reunion. Laurenston writes about Irene and her friend Jackie and Paul, whose daughter is the main character, Miki, Sarah, Angelina…basically a lot of characters from previous books. Following up where Laurenston left some things hanging, Miki gave birth (obviously she’s not going to be pregnant forever), all of Jackie and Paul’s children (in Irene’s point of view, thousands of kids), Jess and Bobby Ray’s baby girl and so forth. The transition of the writing where she connects everything and everyone was well done as it was very smooth when reading it. I do not know how Laurenston does not get confused. I think it would be better to read all the previous stories in order to get the highest level of enjoyment when reading this novel. In addition to that, she introduces new characters that I’m sure are lead-ins to future novels.
Ricky Lee: wolf, laid-back, casual, somewhat patient, slowly sneaks into your life without you knowing until you are tied to him and do not know when it happened.
Toni: jackal, maternal (especially regarding her siblings), low self-esteem, organized, can handle problematic situations.
Favorite Quotes:
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re brothers, aren’t you?”
“According to my momma, but I still want DNA tests to prove it.”
♥♥♥♥♥
Good God! How fast does Ric text? He was shooting out e-mails, sending texts…it was like he was a twelve-year-old girl!
♥♥♥♥♥
Toni looked over at Livy, but her friend was about to get into a fight with a rude squirrel who kept mocking her from a high branch.
…
Libby had shifted and was now high up in the tree, fistfighting with a squirrel.
♥♥♥♥♥
…”There’s chocolate out here!”
They took off running, quickly followed by the adults of the wild dog Pack.
The three Jean-Louis Parkers huddled together until the danger had passed, then they all let out relieved breaths. “Good Lord,” Jackie said. “It’s just chocolate.”
Just re-read Miss Congeniality by Shelly Laurenston under When He Was Bad to hold me over until they release Wolf with Benefits on March 26. This story between Irene and Van gives me the giggles everytime I read it (and yes, I’ve lost count on how many times I picked this book up). What can I say, it appeals to my inner nerd and combines it with romance, a win-win situation. To highlight some things that are nerd-related, Laurenston talks about Star Wars, gaming and the debate between Macs or Windows that lives on to this day. Plus the witty and sarcastic dialogues that cracks me up.
Favorite Quotes:
He gave a soft laugh. “I see. Are you always this…uh…”
“Brutally honest?”
“I was going to say direct, but brutally honest works as well.”
“Yes. I am. And I know – it’s a character flaw.”
“Not at all. I love honest people.
“Everyone says that…until I say something they don’t like. Then I’m a bitch.”
♥♥♥♥♥
But how dare she look so goddam cute!
♥♥♥♥♥
And he wanted her. So he’d have her – and she better be goddamn glad about it, too.
♥♥♥♥♥
As if she would ever trust human males with anything so dangerous. Oppenheimer never got over what he unleashed on the world, she wouldn’t go down the same road.
“Albert Einstein could apply to be my TA, and if he were perky…I wouldn’t give him the job either…”
♥♥♥♥♥
“Miki Kendrick is not a midget. And he’s with her because she’s brilliant and dangerously unstable.”
“Like you?”
“I am not dangerously unstable. Those tests proved it,” she grouched.
♥♥♥♥♥
“Wolves.” And she gave him that smile no one ever saw but him. “So damn demanding.”
“Geniuses,” he sighed back. “So damn hot.”
What’s next in the line-up of the Psy-Changeling series?
Just finished reading Nalini Singh’s newsletter and for those who are wondering about the mating of Cooper (the Lieutenant who gets ribbed by other Lieutenants about his mate) and Grace (who we have yet to meet in detail but already know is submissive and sweet, you know, what Riley thought he wanted) is coming next year March 5, 2013. Singh is planning to release it as a novella in addition to three other novellas in one anthology call Wild Invitation: A Psy/Changeling Collection. Two we have already read and if you have not read it yet, you need to get on it: Nate and Tamsyn of DarkRiver from way back when Alpha Lucas was a teenager and Zach and Annie also of DarkRiver after Lucas was mated.
In order to entice us even further, she mentions a deeper look into Lara and Walker’s mating for the fourth new novella as many were slightly disappointed that they only had a blip in Kiss of Snow. Ok maybe not a blip but still not enough to satisfy.
As always can’t wait!
Signing out,
Lily
Finally we have a date! G.A. Aiken (aka Shelly Laurenston) has given us Éibhear and Izzy’s journey. The book is titled: How to Drive A Dragon Crazy (which is totally apt for their story).
Back Cover summary (from G.A. Aiken’s website):
Some things never go away, like vile enemies, bad ale, and annoying kin. Honestly, though, I thought I was finished with the one dragon I’d have done anything for: Éibhear the Blue, a big, gorgeous, blue-haired beast who thinks the world belongs to him. The world and, apparently, me.
If Éibhear wants to play the caring hero and travel into the most forsaken of Gods forsaken lands to protect the one woman who doesn’t need it—namely me—I’ll let him. Because while I’m trying to fulfill a ridiculous quest for a pushy god, I’m going to draw this overconfident warlord much too close, rekindle his fires, and enjoy every minute of his delicious defeat…
After reading The Dragon Who Loved Me, it seemed as if it would be a long wait for their story. Éibhear was depressed and going back to the Northlands. Izzy did not seem to let anything deter her from her goal to become a General of Annwyl’s army. Seriously thought we would get Ren’s and Meinhard’s story before Izzy’s. After reading the excerpt, I am very curious to see how many years have passed and how Éibhear was able to break his bitterness enough to speak with Izzy or even his kin. When the series started, both Éibhear and Izzy were young and naive. Now they are both grown enough to explore the attraction between them and it would be interesting to see their personality as adults. When Aiken incorporates past characters into current books, she does not forget those characters unique personality. It would be exciting to see how other couples have come along and especially exciting to see the children: Tally, Talan and Rhian!
Paperback is coming out September 1, 2012. So happy that it is a weekend and I can stay up late to read it. E-book is coming out September 4, 2012.
In addition to the Dragon Series, Shelly Laurenston has an anthology coming out August 28, 2012. It will be Darla and Eggie’s story from the Smith Pride and Dee Ann’s parents. The book is titled: Howl For It and Laurenston’s title is Like a Wolf with a Bone.
Back Cover summary (from Shelly Laurenston’s website):
Quiet little Darla Lewis couldn’t be happier when the most-feared member of the South’s rowdiest pack kidnaps her. A girl gets real tired of being overprotected by her own shifter family, and there’s nothing like an oh-so-big bad wolf to start a pack feud, unleash her instincts—and have her surrender however and whenever she wants…
It is always nice to have the background of couples who support the main characters. Eggie is the gruff loner who rarely goes along with people, which makes sense since he is an assassin. Darla appears the take charge type.
It is going to a long summer.
Signing out,
Lily
Cover: The clincher that made me choose this book: the dog perched on the fireman’s helmet. So cutttee!!! He’s on the lookout for them while the main characters are getting it on. He has the “I’ve got you covered” look (or I might just be reading too much into it).
Back cover summary:
Fearless, smoking hot, and single: meet the BACHELOR FIREMEN OF SAN GABRIEL. These firemen might be heroes, but it’s their bad luck in love that makes them legendary.
News producer Melissa McGuire and Fire Captain Harry Brody couldn’t be more different, though they do have one thing in common: they’re both convinced they’re perfectly wrong for each other.
But when Melissa’s matchmaking grandmother wins her a date with Brody at a Bachelor auction…
Sparks fly.
Passion flares.
Heat rises.
(You get the picture.)
Add a curse, a conniving nightly news anchor, a stunningly handsome daredevil fireman, a brave little boy, a couple of exes, and one giant fire to the mix, and Melissa and Brody’s love may not be the only thing that burns.
Hero: Captain Harry Brody (formerly Brod, aka: hairy broad), goes by Brody. A fireman who is divorced, has a set mentality to save anybody who needs saving, still bitter about the divorce and steps in for a buddy, albeit reluctantly, who has a grandmother for a date during the bachelor auction but turns out it’s for the granddaughter.
Heroine: Melissa McGuire, producer, fall from grace in LA and went back to San Gabriel to start over and take care of her grandmother. She has to cater to an anchor not known for her fun-loving ways, an ex-drunk father who is trying to turn his life around for her hoping she will accept the new him, scheming on ways to get the stories she wants told, enlists the help of a little boy to uncover a major crime and on top of that, go head to head with Captain Brody.
Heart tugging moment: My favorite line in the book is right when Brody and Melissa is having the reconciliation moment.
“…he swept her into his arms. She felt so good there, he wanted to stay like that forever…”
By itself it would have been cheesy and overrated but as you read the story and it comes to this point, I can understand why he feels that way and it really gave my a *sigh* moment.
Overview:
Melissa does not inspire people to like her when she allows herself to be distracted from something that could be life threatening. When Melissa ask Rodrigo to help expose the corruption of the child foster system and then forgets about him when her love life takes a hit, it is not something that could be ignored by the readers. It just made her seem very selfish. The storyline with the return of the exes on both sides just seemed to bring out the worst in both characters. For Melissa, it was an excuse for her to forget about how precarious Rodrigo’s position is. For Brody, it shows how easily he can be taken in through his good man personality when his ex-wife comes calling for a place to stay. The ex-wife at this point has left her lover and is pregnant with said lover’s baby. Why was Brody taking this without a single swing? On top of that he doesn’t explain the situation to Melissa but expects her to feel the love. There’s dense and then there’s what were you thinking dense.
By the way, Nelly, Melissa’s grandmother, was totally Melissa’s wingwoman. Way to go.
Overall, it was a light fast read and it appears to be a series in the making.
Ryan, who ditched the date last minute, is the main star of the next book, Hot for Fireman, which is releasing May 29, 2012. This could be a lighthearted one as Ryan was a total flirt in The Fireman Who Loved Me.
Signing out,
Lily
Spotlight: Nalini Singh
Posted on: May 14, 2012
Spotlight: Nalini Singh
Can i just say, her imagination is out of this world. My go to series: Psy-Changeling.
I inhale Ms. Singh’s books like…cookies n’ cream ice cream (sometimes in milkshake) hmmmmmm. I check for new books, release dates, any excerpts that she might throw out there and haunt review sites hating on those who received a copy before the release date. Once I have my hands on a copy of the book (on the same day it is released), I will read it on the train to work, during lunch break, on the train back home and etc. until I finish reading. I always finish before the day ends, that’s how good it is for me.
Overview of the Psy-Changeling series:
In this world there are three groups living together, the Psy (cerebral), Changelings (animal) and Humans (us – boring). The Psy has the ability to use their mind as their power such as M-Psy can heal by looking at specific damage area and healing or F-Psy who can predict the future. However Psys are programmed to remain emotionless and has no feelings (gives a whole new meaning to Poker Face). Changelings can change to an animal form, which for this series the main ones are leopards and wolves (yes, there is a cat and dog dynamic we all know). And last we have the Humans, who does not have mind powers or animals powers but have heavy duty manpower (weapons, technology, etc.) that makes up for lacking. However Humans are still considered low on the food chain. Each of these are groups are trying to one up another and in the process become intermingled with one another through romance *wink wink*. It’s funny because they try to dominate the world but at the same time they have other groups within, except for Psy because they have no feelings and are part of the mind network that does not connect to outsiders.
Favorite book everrrrr:
My favorite book in the series would have to be Caressed by Ice – Judd and Brenna’s story. Judd is TK-Psy (Telekinesis) and Brenna is wolf-changeling who was also a victim of another Psy who mind-rape and killed changelings as of a form of “experiment”. Their story is especially touching for me because of Judd’s hard work at forming a relationship with Brenna even though he has been programmed to reject it without thought. For Brenna, her struggles to become normal after being through such horrors shows her grit in sticking it out. The mental picture that Ms. Singh invokes in my mind of Judd — one word: awesome. Just gets a girl going at top speed.
Dying for:
The next book to join the series is Tangle of Need – Riaz and Adria’s story, coming out May 29, 2012. I am dying here. I need this book right now. I read a review that mentions Hawke and Sienna will be featured in this book a lot which is good because I always felt their book (Kiss of Snow) was incomplete (maybe I needed to see the mating ceremony). The countdown begins….
Signing out,
Lily
The Beginning!
Posted on: December 21, 2011
I think it is apt that my first blog should be about how romance novels came to be an addiction for me. I was a wee girl of 10 and stuck on fairy tale books when I had to go to the library for research (wasn’t a fan of reading then). Whether it was Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, the fairy tales had a happy ending. No matter how tough it was, how hopeless it was, the bad guy/gal always loses and the hero gets the girl. As time passed, I realized how foolish it must look to see a teenager checking out an adaptation of the Cinderella but I wanted that fantasy world where everything fell into place. I braved the snickers from the checkout ladies in the libraries and continued to feed the thirst my mind had for fantasies until I found a used paperback for sale in the library for $1 (which I have to say seemed like a lot of money, good times when books were not so expensive).
My very first romance novel (although at the time I didn’t know what that would entail) and I was drawn in by the theme of Christmas. The book was called The Knights of Christmas by a trio of authors, Suzanne Barclay, Margaret Moore and Deborah Simmons (I still have the book even though it has been through a lot of tear and wear and have misplaced the cover). It seems appropriate that it is near Christmas and my first experience is about the holidays.
The Knights of Christmas
“OMG! What am I reading here?!?!”
First reaction when I crack open the book. Although I have to say the romantic scenes were much more sedate than some of the singe worthy scenes nowadays. However, from a teenager’s point of view, TMI and thanks for that picture. But…wait, it was so romantic how the knight came back to his love who believed he had left to marry his duty bound promised betrothed and we all know the hero never breaks a promise. Now I crave a good romantic setting because it propels the story. That was the beginning of my downfall (as my mother would call my obsession with romance novels) or as I like to call it my escape from reality.
Now if you will excuse me, I have the sudden urge to reread The Knights of Christmas.
Signing out,
Lily
RomanceOverReality 