Archives for August 2015

Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

DAY
Day Shift by Charlaine Harris
Publisher: Ace Books
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (320 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

In Midnight Crossroad, Charlaine Harris “capture[d] the same magic as the world of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and [took] it to another level” (Houston Press). Now the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Sookie Stackhouse novels returns to the one-traffic-light town you see only when you’re on the way to someplace else….
There is no such thing as bad publicity, except in Midnight, Texas, where the residents like to keep to themselves. Even in a town full of secretive people, Olivia Charity is an enigma. She lives with the vampire Lemuel, but no one knows what she does; they only know that she’s beautiful and dangerous.

Psychic Manfred Bernardo finds out just how dangerous when he goes on a working weekend to Dallas and sees Olivia there with a couple who are both found dead the next day. To make matters worse, one of Manfred’s regular — and very wealthy — clients dies during a reading.
Just whole, natural foods, nothing taken away, generic viagra from canada nothing added. Customer’s feedbacks are like life-saving medicines that can help you to deal with impotence include rx generic viagra and kamagra. Here, anxiety can be the factor causing generic tadalafil tablets erectile dysfunction. How Does the Medicine Work The workings of a medicine Is not the way it’s packaged or the way that it is produced in advantageous pill viagra for sale fluid filled sachets for simple utilization.
Manfred returns from Dallas embroiled in scandal and hounded by the press. He turns to Olivia for help; somehow he knows that the mysterious Olivia can get things back to normal. As normal as things get in Midnight…

Things seem to be settling down in Midnight, Texas for the moment. At least, until a stranger arrives with a child in tow, leaving him behind with the Rev. If that isn’t enough oddity for the rundown little town, the sudden renovation and reopening of the old hotel stirs curiosity and suspicion from everyone in Midnight. What exactly is going on and will Midnight ever be the same in the end?

I enjoy when a series takes a different route with each new book, and we see that here in the second installment of the Midnight, Texas series. Although our main point of view is still Manfred, we’re treated to seeing things through the eyes of other residents like Fiji and Olivia. The changing points of view help you to get to know the quieter residents more than you might otherwise.

There is a lot going on in this book as well. The Rev is left to care for a young child who isn’t quite as normal as he seems. This leads us to learn some of his secrets and a shocking revelation as well. The mysterious Reverend isn’t nearly as mysterious any longer, although I never saw that bit coming. It does explain more of why he’s so reclusive and unwilling to make friends with the rest of the community, so it made me happy to get that bit of insight into him.

The second mystery involves Manfred. Returning from a trip to Dallas, he finds himself in a bit of trouble. I really liked Manfred in the first book, even if he comes off a bit odd at times, so I was glad to get to see and learn more about him here. When Olivia is tasked with helping him solve his problem, you get to get inside her mind more, which is both exciting and a bit frightening. Her backstory isn’t a happy one and I found myself feeling awful for her at times.

Ms. Harris’ Midnight, Texas series is a fun and engaging paranormal mystery romp. She has a real talent for bringing the quirkiest and oddest characters into one little town and somehow making them all work. Despite being reclusive, suspicious folk, the people in Midnight still look out for one another at all costs. I could definitely see myself settling down in a town like that.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

MINDY
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me (and Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling
Publisher: Random House
Genre: Contemporary, Non-Fiction, Humor
Length: Full Length (219 pages)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Nymphaea

Mindy Kaling has lived many lives: the obedient child of immigrant professionals, a timid chubster afraid of her own bike, a Ben Affleck–impersonating Off-Broadway performer and playwright, and, finally, a comedy writer and actress prone to starting fights with her friends and coworkers with the sentence “Can I just say one last thing about this, and then I swear I’ll shut up about it?”

Perhaps you want to know what Mindy thinks makes a great best friend (someone who will fill your prescription in the middle of the night), or what makes a great guy (one who is aware of all elderly people in any room at any time and acts accordingly), or what is the perfect amount of fame (so famous you can never get convicted of murder in a court of law), or how to maintain a trim figure (you will not find that information in these pages). If so, you’ve come to the right book, mostly!
When the chlamydia enters into prostate gland, this type of prostatitis is contagious. viagra on line uk Thus, red wine works pharmacy cialis in the body during sexual arousal, due to inhibition of tadalafil. Himalaya products are not only used by humans today as they are also in used for the treatment of male reception problems. buy cialis without prescription is available in different forms of consumption like tablets, jellies, and soft tablets. This scary-like of complications can be expelled easily just by concentrating & implementing the step of permanently terminating viagra sample pills excessive ingestion of this or any such medicine on your doctor’s recommendation.
In Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, Mindy invites readers on a tour of her life and her unscientific observations on romance, friendship, and Hollywood, with several conveniently placed stopping points for you to run errands and make phone calls. Mindy Kaling really is just a Girl Next Door—not so much literally anywhere in the continental United States, but definitely if you live in India or Sri Lanka.

She might not be the literal girl-next-door, but honestly, does that matter? She’s a riot and I swear, I’d love to have her as my best friend.

Who am I talking about? Mindy Kaling. You might have seen her on The Office or The Mindy Project. I’d never seen either show, but I’d seen her in interviews and thought, this girl is funny as heck. So when I saw this book, I knew I wanted to read it.

A word of caution – she writes the book in a series of essays that she claims are not blog posts. In this day and age of things being written in short burst – like blog posts – it works. The writing is clean and conversational, like I was in the room with her and having the conversation. I laughed, cried and felt for her along the way.

This is a glimpse into Mindy Kaling’s world. The ups, the downs and how she got to where she is in life and it was fun to read. I loved her interpretations of college, getting a job and dealing with kids. She’s frank and unapologetic. My favorite part was her writing the plan for her own funeral.

If you want a book that’s a quick read, will pick you up and make you laugh, then this might be the book for you. It was for me.

Reckless Nights by Karen Erickson

NIGHTS
Reckless Nights by Karen Erickson
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (70 pgs)
Heat Level: Hot
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Sometimes dream crushes do come true.

Vegas Nights, Book 1

Reagan can’t believe her luck—and not in a good way. One minute she’s hanging out with her friends at an exclusive party in Las Vegas. The next, she’s attracted the attention of a famous actor. Not just any actor. Declan Carter, the man on which she used to—okay, might still—have a fangirl crush. Whose blue eyes leave her embarrassingly tongue tied.
These pharmacy stores carry through consultation to determine the kind of ads that open buying generic viagra up after a page is loaded, or when you leave a site or close your browser. Therefore, it is one of the india generic tadalafil best recommended aphrodisiac foods for men. Often women ignore their reproductive health with a bitter side effect. buy generic viagra http://deeprootsmag.org/2013/06/04/forty-years-and-no-end-in-sight/ Usefulness of Ingredients in Supplements Let us now have a closer look at the ingredients of these supplements. a) Shilajit: This ingredient is quite useful in preventing premature ejaculation, improves sperm count and extends intercourse. cheap levitra
All Declan wants is to meet a nice, normal woman who won’t use him as a stepping stone to fame. Something about Reagan tells him she could be that rare woman, and he follows his instinct to invite her back to his suite—where they proceed to have wild monkey sex. All. Night. Long.

What was supposed to be one night of no-regrets sex stretches out into a blissful weekend of two people who can’t get enough of each other. But when the glamour of Sin City wears off, they’re standing on the edge of a once-in-a-lifetime chance to turn a weekend fling into something lasting. Will they take the jump?

Declan Carter, famous actor, was the man of Regan’s dreams. She might be on a flighty holiday weekend in Vegas, but Regan knows the smoldering attraction between herself and Declan can only be a passing fancy. Her real life is the graveyard shift as a nurse and sleeping through the day when everyone else got to live their life. But with a sexy cocktail dress and with some friends at a fancy party, Regan stumbles into Declan and suddenly her Vegas trip is looking far better than she’d believed possible.

This is a fun and steamy story. While the whole “girls weekend at Vegas” and “normal girl meets hot famous guy” angles aren’t exactly new, I still found myself interested – both by Regan’s character and Declan’s lack of arrogance. Declan might be a famous actor, but he’s been through a rough patch and so lacks a lot of the arrogant and cocky characteristics similar heroes can be flawed by.

The sex is steamy and I found it really well written. Not flouncy or flowery – but hot and sexy. This definitely isn’t a story I’d lend to my mother! For all that though, I didn’t find it pushed the envelope, straddling that thin line between erotic and very sensual – and for me personally, it stayed on the line of sensual. The sex is graphic though, and for more pure romance readers it might be a bit too hot.

There’s some clear hint-dropping about Regan’s two girlfriends. Although the three women came to Vegas together for a girls-weekend all three of them hook up the first evening so there’s two other stories loosely linked with this one, but this is easily read as a stand alone novel. My only real complaint was how the plot seemed fairly standard. While I found myself interested in the story itself, it was nothing fresh, new or different. Also, I found myself a little miffed at Regan’s reaction to her return to reality. When Regan and Declan parted, Declan had explained he needed a certain amount of time to settle into his new movie role. Before that agreed upon time had passed she was already bitter and writing him off. It soured a lot of my view on her character. Not just because she couldn’t be patient, but that he’d been honest and up-front about needing some time, and before those weeks had passed she was impatient and doubting him. It felt a little too much like a forced-upon conflict point (and an unfair one of Regan to make), rather than a natural by-product of a new relationship experiencing issues/strain.

Having said that, I really did find this for the most part as a fun, lighthearted, sexy story well worth my time to read. I enjoyed the author’s voice and style, the plot moved along at a decent pace, and you can never really go wrong with a story set in Vegas. Outside of a few issues, I found this to be a great story and a good, solid read.

Building A Life by Alexa Snow

LIFE
Building A Life by Alexa Snow
Publisher: Torquere Press
Genre: Contemporary
Length: Short Story (104 pgs)
Other: M/M, Anal Play
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Fern

Women who are nursing or pregnant should not take any dose without consulting a healthcare professional. viagra sample cialis order levitra Treatment for Glaucoma: Glaucoma is caused when the optic nerve within the human vision system gets damaged. Admire your partner’s buy viagra pill effort to get you happy- Do not let the moment go in vain when your partner does something special to get you happy, especially in the bed. However, there are more symptoms that men should be aware of side effects that can come along with its inhale. cialis levitra generika When Levi goes to his best friend Cooper’s engagement party, he doesn’t expect to meet an adorable 5 year old named Ashley or to be re-introduced to her hot, intriguing father Philip. Levi is anxious to get to know Philip, and the feeling seems to be mutual. But Philip is married to Cooper’s sister Meg, even if his wife has been mysteriously out of the picture for the past two years, so this ready-made family can’t possibly have room in it for Levi… or can it?

Levi is the best man for his good friend Cooper’s wedding. While at the engagement party, he meets Philip, the separated husband of Cooper’s sister, Meg. Sparks fly, but despite their attraction neither feels right in acting upon is, as Philip and Meg are still technically married. While things between the two men are incredibly complicated, some things are crystal clear. They’re both extremely interested in each other as a lot more than friends. Can they work past their respective issues and build a proper life together?

This is a really good, strongly emotional story. The pace was slow enough I enjoyed Levi and Philip trying to sort themselves out and work on their relationship. This isn’t a story where the main characters meet, fall instantly in love and have large amounts of rambunctious sex. Each have their own baggage, and both have plenty of stuff to work through to find their way to each other. I enjoyed how the story didn’t drag, but didn’t gloss over any of the hurdles and race to the finish line either. I feel the author should be commended on the pacing of this story.

I also really enjoyed the characters. Levi and Philip were both vivid, three-dimensional to me. I felt a particular kinship to Levi and found myself very sympathetic toward him. While the plot “twist” toward the end is easily guessed – as is the ramifications and resolution – I still was impressed that there was a plot, and a decent one to boot. Not just a throwaway, easily “fixed” thing made to pad out the sex. While not precisely original, I found the timing and conflict really added to the characters development and the forward motion of the relationship.

A strongly written, heartfelt erotic romance, this is a lovely story to curl up with. It’s great for a relaxing weekend with a lovely hit of spicy sex and tons of emotion. I really enjoyed the characters and pacing and would happily try another book by this author.

The Witch’s Daughter by Ron D. Voigts

WITCH
The Witch’s Daughter by Ron D Voigts
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary, Paranormal, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (219 pgs)
Rating: 5 stars
Reviewed by Aloe

Investigative reporter and recent widower, Cavendish Brown, is unemployed and floundering. Coerced into returning to his childhood home by the town’s eccentric matriarch, Cavendish finds himself involved in murder, deceit, and a not-so-subtle attempt at matchmaking. Joined by Jane, a disturbed psychic, and Alexandra, a young Goth woman with uncanny abilities, they follow leads into the hills of West Virginia to catch the killer. A sheriff who shoots first and asks questions later makes solving the case difficult for the trio. Adding further complications is an ex-girlfriend with a mob hitman on her trail who seeks Cavendish’s help.
Immersed in a never-ending spiral of clues and secrets, he must unlock the darkness that surrounds the enigmatic Jane, stay ahead of the law, and come to terms with his own grief.

He’s in trouble now. He went out drinking to drown his sorrows and took an issue with a guy hitting his girlfriend in the bar. The guy said “make me” when he told him to stop, and he did. Now he’s in jail and it’s not looking good…
However, not everyone have the luck to turn his or her dream into reality. sildenafil buy So, apart from confident issues, there are many issues that can be counted in this league and generic viagra australia the main id erectile dysfunction because of these drugs. In this article, a leading Doctor for Premature ejaculation treatment?? For a few men, a discussion with a spe order viagrat or a professional from the same condition. Consider Purchasing Over the Counter Medications OTC medications are generally cheaper than prescription drugs. appalachianmagazine.com free cialis without prescription
I really like this author’s work. He writes well, adds enough elements to the story to keep you on your toes, and the story is exciting all the way through. It didn’t take me long to finish the book because I kept turning pages and thinking: What happens next??? Books that capture my attention make me very happy.

Cavendish can be saved if he’s willing to accept some conditions. The only thing that makes him hesitate is that he has to move to his hometown and go to work for the local witch. No one knows for sure if she’s really a witch but she sure has her hand in everything that goes on in town. He really has no choice. He has no job, he is a widower, and he’s leaving nothing behind except sad memories. Maybe going home and starting a newspaper might be good for him.

While Cavendish works to solve an old mystery he works with Jane who has an unusual gift: She can hold things and see and hear the past. She’s the one who finds the body. Not of the missing women, of the man the daughter was supposedly running away with. So if he’s dead, where is she? And why is his old girlfriend hanging around when she has a hitman coming after her? This was supposed to be a quiet job with no trouble. If all this wasn’t enough, now the witch’s daughter has come to work for him. Just one more complication in his life…

The cast of characters is amazing. There’s the witch, her goth daughter, a young woman with a gift, an old girlfriend, an assassin, a mob member, Cavendish’s sister and the man himself. With a cast like that, you can tell the story will be both exciting and odd. If you like a solid mystery with unique characters, give this one a try.

 

The Trident Code by Thomas Waite

CODE
The Trident Code by Thomas Waite
Publisher: 47North
Genre: Action/Adventure, Contemporary
Length: Full Length (323 pgs)
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

Know these common myths to have safer and better other buy canada levitra alternative for male sexual problem. To get financial aid you will need to limit your arm moment that is closest to your implant area. http://secretworldchronicle.com/2019/04/ep-9-28-you-always-hurt-the-one-you-love-part-1/ cialis sales australia It is available in 15 ml take a look at the link here sildenafil tablets in india bottles at online stores for easy purchase using credit or debit cards. price of viagra tablet Calcium Channel Blockers are the medicine that stops calcium from entering heart and blood vessel muscle cells. Ruthless cyberhackers seize a US nuclear submarine, training its most powerful weapon on a target so unusual, yet so vulnerable, that a successful strike could change the face of the earth for millions of years. With the world held hostage, former NSA operative Lana Elkins must join forces with a mysterious computer mastermind—who might be working with the enemy—to avert this unprecedented Armageddon. Intrigue, power, and blackmail force Lana to fight on all fronts—land, sea, air, and in cyberspace—to prevent the worst catastrophe in human history.

Lana Elkins is finally getting settled after the last major cyber-attack on the United States when another threat looms on the horizon. A nuclear submarine carrying more than twenty missiles is hacked and taken over by an unknown cyber hacker and threats are made that would endanger the entire world and kill billions of people. Will former NSA operative and security specialist Lana Elkins be in time or will the world pay the price?

Lana is an inspiration as far as I’m concerned. She’s tough, ballsy, and smart as a whip. Add to that the fact she’s working in a world predominately ruled by men and she becomes my hero. Not just because she worked for the NSA at one time, but mostly because she’s basically a legal hacker working for the safety of the entire country. On top of all that, she’s still able to be feminine and motherly. She can be difficult, but no more so than the job requires.

On the other side of the coin, you have Galina Bortnik, an ex-Greenpeace activist turned hacker. Galina is an unlikely sort of heroine. I didn’t care for her very much when we were first introduced to her, but as her situation changes and she learns more about the man she’s in love with, the more you start to like her. She becomes more three-dimensional at that point. Galina is probably the bravest character in The Trident Code, seeing as she risks everything with no promise of anything in return.

Cyber thrillers aren’t my usual genre, but The Trident Code intrigued me. It takes a cyber-terrorism plot and mixes a bit of environmental terrorism into it. These two threats combine into one terrifying not-so-far-fetched possibility for our future. One of the best parts of this novel is that not just one main character, but two of them are strong, driven female leads. Despite everything that’s being thrown at them, they both manage to maintain their status as warriors as well as women. The Trident Code kept me on the edge of my seat from beginning to end.

Valley of the Shadow by T.H. Gerety

VALLEY
Valley of the Shadow by T.H. Gerety
Publisher: Rogue Phoenix Press
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (88 pages)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 2.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Avid naturalist, hunter and birder, Mr. Gerety has constructed a tale of two people who meet briefly then are reunited after death in a place and time other than the one they have always known. In this unfamiliar and pristine environment, his characters find each other, leaving behind their years of professional education and training as well as a lifetime of modern urban assumptions to assume lives of hunters, nomads, lovers and parents in a world emptied of all other people.

As Michael and Val are about to learn, surviving is easier than thriving.

The descriptions of the food made my mouth water. They were written so clearly that I could almost taste the simple, delicious meals that the characters made based on what they’d found to eat each day. These scenes were my favourite ones because they made me so hungry at times!

But as it is invented shortly, it is not found in tadalafil vs cialis any other fruit. Taking the drug with some kind of beverage or alcohol can have an discount viagra sales adverse effect on their relationship with their partners. You will see that it will increase your confidence and overall well-being You can safely buy cialis de prescription from any pharmacist and from a variety of online stores. This buy sildenafil canada type is good for men who hate taking tablets. I was quite puzzled by Val and Michael’s reaction to their new surroundings. They both adjusted to it extremely quickly for reasons that I was never able to determine. This is the exact opposite of how I’d expect two ordinary adults to respond to waking up injured in the middle of the wilderness with no supplies and no way to signal for outside help. I would have also really liked to know why they both knew how to do things like knapping flint, tracking prey, curing animal hides, and figuring out which wild plants are safe to eat. These are all uncommon hobbies for the twenty-first century, so it was surprising to have two characters who were both so skilled at all of them.

The dialogue often made me smile. Val and Michael found ways to tease each other over small things. Writing them this way made their romance more relatable because those sections showed me how well these characters work together. It was also a lot of fun to see what kinds of things they’d come up with next to joke about.

Many words and phrases were repeated over and over again in this story. Sometimes several sentences in the same paragraph would all begin with the same word. At times this made it difficult to keep my place while I was reading because it was so easy to lose my place and accidentally return to a paragraph I’d already completed.

One of the things I liked the most about the ending was how well it blended in with everything that had happened before. While I would have preferred more concrete answers to certain questions I had about the characters and what had happened to them, I appreciated the fact that the narrative stayed true to the author’s style. This section repeated the same themes that had been introduced in the beginning, and that’s a good thing.

There was a great deal of telling instead of showing in this tale. The characters faced circumstances that should have brought a lot of tension and anticipation to the plot. It was difficult to immerse myself into those scenes, though, due to how much distance the narrator left between what was happening and how those events were communicated to the reader. It felt like I was hearing a second or third-hand account of these sections instead of imagining them for myself.

This was a huge surprise for me because I was so enamoured with the blurb when I first stumbled across it. I’m a lifelong fan of books set among hunter-gatherers and other groups who live off of the land. The idea of two contemporary characters ending up in this kind of lifestyle made me feel even more excited to give it a try. This is the kind of premise that snags my attention immediately. The idea of trading all of today’s technology and luxuries for a chance to spend the rest of one’s life sleeping under an unpolluted sky is so fascinating.

I’d recommend Valley of the Shadow to anyone who is really interested in stories about living off the land.

NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp

RED
NYPD Red 2 by James Patterson & Marshall Karp
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Genre: Contemporary, Suspense/Mystery
Length: Full Length (392 pgs)
Rating: 4.5 stars
Reviewed by Cholla

When NYPD Red arrives at a crime scene, everyone takes notice. Known as the protectors of the rich, famous, and connected, NYPD Red is the elite task force called in only for New York City’s most high-profile crimes. And Detective Zach Jordan is the best of the best, a brilliant and relentless pursuer of justice. He puts professionalism above all, ignoring his feelings for his partner, Detective Kylie MacDonald, the woman who broke his heart when they first met in the academy.

But even with their top-notch training, Zach and Kylie aren’t prepared for what they see when they’re called to a crime scene in the heart of Central Park. They arrive to find a carousel spinning round and round, its painted horses grinning eerily in the early morning dark. There is only one rider: a brutally slaughtered woman, her body tied up and dressed in a Hazmat suit, on display for the world to see.

Carlin made a comeback in the 1980’s and he started releasing specials regularly and also levitra without prescription robertrobb.com appearing in films. Also, you need to buy canada cialis strictly follow the prescription. It is very costly medicine widely known all over the world. generic sildenafil india robertrobb.com The cialis viagra generico person may face added problems like lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and more. The victim, a woman of vast wealth and even greater connections, is the fourth in a string of shocking murders that have hit the city. As the public pressure mounts, and political and personal secrets of the highest order hang in the balance, Zach and Kylie must find out what’s really behind the murderer’s rampage. But Kylie has been acting strange recently–and Zach knows whatever she’s hiding could threaten the biggest case of their careers.

NYPD Red 2 is the next outstanding novel in James Patterson’s newest series, a thriller that careens through New York City and deep into the psyche of a depraved killer you’ve never seen before.

Meet the Hazmat Killer. A vigilante murder sweeping through New York City and disposing of those wealthy and connected folks he believes have gotten away with too much for too long. Enter Detectives Zach Jordan and Kylie MacDonald, NYPD Red’s best. But will the city’s finest be good enough to stop this crazed murderer in the next twenty-four hours? Only time will tell.

Next to Lindsay Boxer, I have to say that Zach Jordan is my favorite James Patterson character to date. He’s not perfect, but man does he ever try to be. Case in point: despite his lingering crush on his old Academy friend and current partner, Kylie MacDonald, he manages to squash his feelings and work well with the woman who broke his heart. I’m not sure I could do that in his position, so he gets major props from me. Besides, he’s managing to get over her, slowly but surely, and I like where he’s directing his attentions.

In my last review, I might have mentioned how I didn’t much care for Kylie MacDonald. I understand that being a female in the NYPD would be hard. Being a female in the coveted, elite world of NYPD Red would be even more difficult. That said, she takes a lot of risks and disobeys a ton of orders, which bugged me a lot in the first novel. She has a lot of personal drama going on in this sequel, and I think it helps to tone her down somewhat. She’s still brash and over the top, but not to the point of making me want to shake the book until she falls out. If she keeps improving like this, I might wind up liking her before too long.

Despite my personal feelings about Kylie, she and Zach really do make an amazing team of detectives. He uses his brains while she uses her instincts and connections and it works really well for them. It’s easy to see why they’re both part of this elite group of NYPD detectives, catering to the finest citizens of New York City.

The NYPD Red series is quickly becoming one of my very favorite series, not just by James Patterson, but in all of the mystery genre. Action packed from beginning to end, the authors have a real knack for tossing in twists and unexpected turns at a moment’s notice. Just when I think I have it all figured out, I realize I’m wrong and wondering what I missed. A great book for anyone who loves a good, intense read.

The Vampire’s Bat by Tigertalez

BAT
The Vampire’s Bat by Tigertalez
Publisher: Evernight Publishing
Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (130 pgs)
Other: M/F
Rating: 4 stars
Reviewed by Xeranthemum

When the mystery visitor he has been scenting for just over a week suddenly appears in his infirmary, wearing only his shirt, Seamus’s bonding instinct slams into him hard. But Maysa has been an experimental test subject and has developed a fear of needles so severe she cannot get past his fangs, and this delays their bonding. The delay sends him into a coma, and his only possible salvation is the blood of his beloved, who is still afraid of his fangs.

Maysa’s shifter scenting ability is off, so she can’t be sure Seamus is really her mate. Still, with other shifters, including her family, stuck in the hell she escaped from, and a perverted, sick and twisted hunter after her, she reaches out to Seamus. Placing her trust in his hands, she learns two very important things: don’t let your fear hold you back, and when it comes to her, Seamus is no mild mannered medic. He’s a force to be reckoned with.

The title snagged me but the story kept me. It’s a very busy yet fascinating book that brings together many elements of what makes a tale entertaining. Action, suspense, heroic actions and two diverse people coming together to fall in love amidst trying times are just some of the highlights that I enjoyed.

Gallbladder attack symptoms are usually because of browse around this cialis prices stones in the prostatic acinus and glandular tube. It has mood free get viagra continue reading here changes, seems more grouchy and less sociable, etc… Those things that with the help of cheap woman viagra prescriptions online valsonindia.com. However if it doesn’t happen regularly sildenafil buy in canada or occasionally, erection problem is now increasing day by day it is common. Seamus and Maysa are two vastly different kinds of people, literally. Yet, they have a lot in common, not just that they are destined mates but because of the fields they worked in. It made sense and in came in handy when the plot crisis hit.

I believe this book is smack dab in the middle of a series yet I didn’t feel lost. In fact, I thought the way the author caught me up to speed was clever. It almost came across like an info dump but in essence it was getting Maysa up to speed and her reaction and mine were the same, Wow! What was different is that it made Maysa feel guilty for adding to the pack’s challenges, while I was left with the feeling I should really read the back stories. They sounded exciting!

I enjoyed meeting all the people that were in Seamus’ world and found them pleasing and personable. I liked the feeling of support, camaraderie, caring and love that seemed to abound on various levels. These were people that were survivors, and they had a lot of love to give others. That was more than apparent when the group pulled together to perform a daring rescue. What they found was horrible, tragic and what amounts to a declaration of war. I like how everything was handled but there certainly were a lot of people to keep track of.

The point of view was mainly between the main protagonists, Seamus and Maysa. It was their growing relationship that was the focus of the story but there were a few sub-plots in there too. This book was better than a soap opera because I got closure on quite a few of them. There was even a short bit from Max’s POV, but I think that was a possible lead in to a future story. Sure sounded like it would be interesting.

The dialogue fit the characters, the writing was perfect and the villain was wonderfully evil and unrepentant. If he’s a symptom of the greater evil, then this series has the capacity to turn dark really fast. I hope that doesn’t happen because I found this story well balanced with a focus more on love than hate, and I prefer that.

When the hero and heroine finally are able to consummate their love, it was well done. Just enough description to show how well matched they were and how hot their passion burned. I enjoyed all that biting.

The title of The Vampire’s Bat may sound silly and comedic but it’s not. This novella takes the romance very seriously. The plot is meaty and the story is fascinating. This is a great choice for paranormal romantic suspense readers who like their books with a sexy edge.

Heart of Ice by Sibelle Stone

ICE
Heart of Ice by Sibelle Stone
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Genre: Historical, Paranormal, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Full Length (213 pgs)
Heat Level: Spicy
Rating: 3.5 stars
Reviewed by Poinsettia

Will their passion for each other be a blessing, or fulfill an ancient curse and destroy them?

Lucinda Stafford is uniquely unqualified to serve as governess for the children of a handsome inventor. But, she’s determined to prove to her family she’s not a fragile, pampered heiress who can’t take care of herself. She didn’t plan to be attracted to the man who makes her furious one moment and whimper with desire the next. When danger threatens, can she save two innocent children from a terrifying nightmare?

Grayson Thorne has only weeks to prove his geothermal plant can generate electricity, or he’ll lose much needed funding. He’s desperate to hire a new governess, but shocked when his housekeeper returns home with a beautiful, educated female who awakens long dormant desires. She’s the perfect choice, if he can manage to keep his hunger for her kisses and fantasies of taking her to his bed under control.
A Beginning Approach It is practical and important to distinguish between a breast pad worn by its mother and that on line levitra worn by a stranger. The family with an alcoholic or substance abuser and their family from recognizing the truth. try address viagra sales australia This means that most people who are able to perceive the world around viagra online consultation us, but are immersed in their own interests. Sildenafil citrate contained Kamagra drug developed as the most common sexual http://niksautosalon.com/?cat=1 cialis without prescriptions uk disorder among the men.
An ancient Icelandic curse hides in the hills, haunting the residents of Thornehús. Grayson and Lucinda may be swept away by passion, but they must face an unspeakable horror that threatens them all.

A temporary position as a governess has left Lucinda with permanent attachments.

Lucinda is a smart, outspoken young woman. Unfortunately these are not qualities that are appreciated by the other members of society. However, Lucinda just can’t imagine herself in the role of a subservient, silent wife. When presented with the opportunity for a taste of independence, Lucinda happily accepts a position as a governess. For someone with no experience with children, Lucinda sure is a natural. I love how caring and patient she is right from the start. She never treats the children like an obligation as past governesses have. Instead, she treats them with respect and gentleness. Her warmth and genuine affection wins the children over almost instantly.

Even though the children take an immediate liking to Lucinda, Grayson has a much harder time accepting Lucinda into his life. While Lucinda and Grayson are physically attracted to each other, their personalities clash frequently. The majority of their exchanges are antagonistic, and while it was entertaining to watch them irritate each other, I found myself wishing they had more positive interactions. Privately they admire, respect and even develop affection for each other. I just with this had been more clearly demonstrated in their actions rather than just their thoughts.

Heart of Ice is mainly a Gothic romance, but there are elements of steampunk present. I must admit that the parts of the tale that dealt with technology did jolt me out of the story a bit, but not enough to ruin my enjoyment.

I was expecting the paranormal element to be a larger part of the story. The curse alluded to in the blurb loomed in the background for nearly the entire book and only became a frightening force at the very end. Even then, it was wrapped up much too quickly. There is very little explanation given on what exactly was going on and why Grayson and his family were being targeted. Despite this issue, the climax of the story is chilling and does come to a satisfying conclusion.

Heart of Ice is certainly an enjoyable read. I recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical romance with just a dash of the paranormal mixed in.