Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

3.5 Stars

Innkeeper Chronicles - Book One

Fun Read!

The Wolf at the Door by Charlie Adhara

3 Stars

Big Bad Wolf - Book One

It was okay.  I was expecting a little more than just okay, I have to admit, as it was recced to me by a couple of long-time friends, but it just goes to prove that you never know for sure.  :)

Anyway, it's a shifter book and I'm not huge on shifters - except for my avian shifters by Kim Dare.  This is a wolf shifter tale - as if you couldn't tell.  *LOL*  Anyway, there wasn't a whole lot of shifting done but there sure was a lot of sniffing!

One main character, Cooper, is human and the other, Oliver is the wolf shifter. Cooper is also a BSI agent, Bureau of Special Investigations, a sort of secret branch of the FBI.  Oliver is an agent of The Trust, a werewolf governing organization, who is suddenly partnered with Cooper.  I liked the world-building.  It was interesting and I wish we'd had more of it. 

There are missing people, dead and mauled bodies, suspicious folk all in this small town in Maine - I think it's Maine - that reminded me a heckuva lot of the town I see on North Woods Law. There is a alot of investigating that goes on and the case/mystery is engrossing enough, especially for a romance novel.  Cooper and Oliver are thrown into close contact over and over again, of course.  What we see of Oliver that tells us he's a wolf shifter is that he uses his sense of smell a LOT, his eyes glow golden upon occasion, and he's graceful.  Cooper, to me anyway, comes across as a bit of a newbie whose smarts are hidden beneath a layer of dumb. The story is told from Cooper's POV and we spend a lot of time in his head as he asks himself the same questions about the mystery, the relationship, his past, over and over and over again.  Oliver, of course, is hiding something, but what?  I don't know if we ever really find out the extent of his secrets.  It's a series featuring the same couple, so I expect the author is holding stuff in reserve for future books. 

I found myself alternately liking both main characters and being impatient with them - Cooper especially, I guess because it's his POV.  The relationship works for the most part.  Will I continue reading the series?  Probably, but it's not an urgent need.  I think my friends told me it gets better in Book 2, so it's on my radar. 

Silver Moon by Catherine Lundoff

2.5 Stars

I was very much looking forward to reading this book which sounds like a paranormal/shifter f/f romance starring MCs of a 'certain age'.  You see, when some of the women of Wolf's Point begin menopause, they also become werewolves. 

Well, it really wasn't a romance. Yeah, Becca, the main POV character, developed a crush on her across the street neighbour, Erin, but aside from a whole lot of internal whining about was she coming on too strong, was she really attracted to her THAT way, was she reading the signs wrong, there wasn't much that could actually be pointed to as a romance.  There was also a lot of complaining about the inconsiderate/cheating/obnoxious ex-husband which I found rather clichéd. And just about every time Becca felt herself heating up, she wasn't sure if it was embarrassment, being turned on by Erin, or a menopausal hot flash.  It got tiresome after a while.

I liked the premise of the story - mature female werewolves protecting their town and environs from all the baddies - but I don't feel it was ever explored in anything more than a cursory fashion.  Yes, there was the whole plot of the baddies come to town to eradicate the scourge of the werewolf because.... well.... because.

I have to admit that I never warmed up to Becca.  As I said, I found her rather whiny.  About everything.  Her marriage that was more than 2 years over, her job, her menopause, her werewolfiness, her crush on Erin, her interactions with the other mature women  of the town.  OMG, she bitched and moaned about everything and hardly ever came to a firm decision about anything. I honestly could not see what Erin - maybe - found attractive about her. 

I don't know if there are going to be further books about the Wolves of Wolf's Point, but I suppose that if one comes along and the price is right, I might be tempted to pick it up to see if it actually goes someplace but I won't be disappointed if there's not. 

Lost Things by Melissa Scott and Jo Graham

3.5 Stars

The Order of the Air - Book One

I thought this was a cool read.  Set in the early 1930s, a period that I'm quite fond of, it's the tale of a small aviation company run by veterans of the Great War and how they get involved in a dangerous, thrilling occult adventure with its roots back in ancient times. 

We have the three aviators, Lewis, Alma and Mitch, and the Jerry, the archaeologist.  The First World War, the Great War, left its scars on everyone that fought and these four are no different.  There are the obvious wounds, such as Jerry's missing lower leg, Mitch's abdominal scars, and there are also the mental and emotional wounds that all four suffer from.  I liked all of them and I thought the authors did a good job of introducing and portraying them.  It's the first in a series of books, so I expect to be learning more about them - especially my favourite, Mitch.  I think he was the least fleshed out, but maybe that's because he doesn't seem, right now, to be as complicated as the other three? 

So, the adventure includes an ancient evil from the time of the Emperors Claudius and Nero and possibly even before. We have a demon run amok and our quartet are on the chase.  The only real problem I had with the whole thing was the time we spent reading about the intricacies of the aircraft involved.  I didn't feel I needed to know things in such detail, either about the Terrier plane or the dirigible. The one part where I felt it worked was the big chase scene.

Now, I have to say, the book reminded me of a favourite book of one of my favourite authors - Katherine Kurtz and her Lammas Night. It also reminded me of her Templar series of books, but mostly Lammas Night.  I wonder if the authors were inspired by her? 

Anyway, I enjoyed my read and as it's the first volume of an omnibus, I have the next 2 books in the series to look forward to!  If I was one to binge read, I'd be reading them right away, but I like to space my series out for the most part. 

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews

3.5 Stars

Kate Daniels - Book One

When I was only a few chapters in I felt that the author (or authors because I understand it's a husband and wife team) was trying to be almost paranormal noir?  Is that even a thing? 

Anyway, upon finishing, I still had that feeling and that was okay, Didn't mind it at all.  I liken this book to a bowl of chips with some dip.  Really good snack food.  Nothing overly deep but a lot of fun.

I'm not a paranormal fan usually, but with this first installment of Kate Daniels' adventures I found myself quite enjoying the characters. That's a biggie for me.  That's 3/4s of the author's battle right there.  Kate is a bad-ass.  You are never left in doubt of that. I found it very entertaining and not annoying at all.  It can be, but not in this case, or not yet.  And we don't really know alot about Kate even by the end of this first book.  I feel like I've just scratched the surface and it's a very um... misleading surface. 

One problem I had with the book is that there are no other female characters of import.  A couple of bad guy girlfriends, a couple of receptionist types, one pack leader but I don't even thing she has a line of dialogue.  I hope there are more in the books to come because if not, I'm going to end up losing interest.  The world created can be populated with important women just as it is with important men.

Speaking of the men.  We meet Curran, the Beast Leader, shapechanger extraordinaire and all things sexy.  So alpha that he's the alpha of alphas.  You know he's destined for Kate.  And that's okay, that's how the trope rolls.  Now for a while, I thought we were being set up for another romance angle with a human doctor - made me think of the Stephanie Plum books and I was worried.  But nope, appears not, so I let out a sigh of relief.  I also don't think Kate is going to go the way of Anita Blake, which is a blessing. 

All in all, I think my fave characters were actually Mahon - the Executioner of The Pack and Eddie, young wolf shifter.  I hope we're going to see more of the latter, that's not a given as I read things.  He could fade into the background, but Mahon will be around for a while unless he gets killed off in a coming book which is highly possible.

Anyway, I did enjoy my read and will continue the adventure with Kate and the guys.  I'm told by a few people that the series only gets better as it goes along. 

Borderline by Mishell Baker

3.5 Stars

The Arcadia Project - Book 1

I picked up this book after reading this review by KJ Charles (one of my fave authors).  I don't read everything that KJ recs, because some of it isn't my cup of tea, but many of the books she recommends I eventually pick up and try out.  I've not been disappointed yet!

So I found this book, the first in the The Arcadia Project series, fascinating for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, the main character who narrates the story, Millie, is one of the most intriguing main characters I've read in a long while.  I can't say it better than KJ does in her review (so if you didn't read it, go and click the link and READ IT!).  What I can say, is that I grew to really LIKE her by the end of the book and can't wait to see what she gets up to in the next book. 

Secondly, I liked the way the two worlds/realities were treated.  Sure, we didn't see anything of the fairy realm itself, just some of the creatures and beings that inhabit it and cross over into our world. I have to hope that we see more of it and learn more of it in the next book.

So, even though I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy/paranormal, I really did enjoy this one and will be adding the second novel to my list.

Dead Things by Stephen Blackmoore

3.5 Stars

Eric Carter - Book 1

I've said this before, I'm not a huge fan of the paranormal horror novel, but this series came recommended by one of my favourite authors, so I figured, what the hell, give it a try. 

And I enjoyed it!

I liked the main character - the book is written in the first person POV - Eric Carter, who can talk to dead people and can wield some magic. He's what they call a necromancer. His voice is easy to read and he has a sense of humour that hit me in my sweet spot - seasoned with a bit of sarcasm. He's basically a good guy, but he has issues, some of which he actually confronts in this first book of the series.  And he likes to dress for the occasion - suit and tie.  *LOL*

  The setting is contemporary Los Angeles and it abounds in lots of paranormal denizens.  Eric has friends there, friends he hasn't really spoken with in 15 years.  I liked his friends.  He also has enemies.  They are good evil enemies.  Ghosts and monsters and gods. And when you make a deal with the devil, so to speak, ... well, it's a deal. 

Now, there's a lot of blood and gore.  Things, living and dead, exploding and melting and destroying and causing mayhem.  And lots of blood and gore.  Usually it turns me off, but I was willing to go with it this time.

So the book has a paranormal noire detective type feel and noire detective hits a lot of my sweet spots - the paranormal I can take or leave.  But this was good. I enjoyed it and I'll be reading the next one. 

Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts

4 Stars

The Guardians Trilogy - Book 2

After the disappointment of my last read, I needed a sure thing, so I picked up one of my trusty go-to's and that's La Nora.  Nora's always an easy read for me.  I find myself reading just one more little bit, just one more bit.  *LOL*

I discovered that one of the reasons I enjoy Nora's trilogies concerning 3 couples is that there's always a sense of a family coming together.  The guys banter with the girls and the girls banter with the guys and they all banter with each other and I end up chuckling like a crazy person.  :)  Yes, they might seem repetitive from one trilogy to another, but it's a pleasant repetition.  I love the friendships that get formed and I honestly think they mean more to me than the romances.

This book, book 2, is the story of the mermaid and the traveller.  She's so funny and innocent of the ways of the land.  I find her verbal faux pas very amusing.  I also find her freedom and honesty refreshing.  She seems so fragile and while I might be like Sawyer, the traveller, and want to protect her, she's fully capable of taking care of herself.  

The romance is great, as always.  I enjoy the OTTness of the love scenes, something that doesn't carry from one author to another.  but as I said before, it's the friendships that often bring me to tears.  And I usually, probably always, tear up reading a Nora.  *LOL*

So, when the 3rd book Isle of Glass is no longer $13.99, I'll be picking it up.  Even though I'm pretty damned sure I know how the trilogy ends, I'm going to enjoy the way it gets there.  :)

The Blood Gospel - James Rollins and Rebecca Cantrell

2.5 Stars

The Order of the Sanguines Book 1

I wanted to like this book so much!  It sounded like such interesting fun from the blurb and I enjoyed the James Rollins book I read earlier this year, so I was looking forward to another action-filled thriller with some cool religiously supernatural overtones.  Vampire priests!  Woot!

Ugh.

That's not what I got.

First off, the female lead, the heroine, Erin... well, she spent half her time hiding behind the big, strong, blond, soldier protector guy who could make her warm with just a faint touch in the midst of all the danger of the damned world.  Every time something remotely dangerous approached, there was the big dumb hero thrusting her behind him.

Speaking of big dumb hero, his name was Jordan, which is fine.  Jordan is a unisex name.  The only problem with this is that Jordan is a name I have used in my own writing for years as a woman's name.  So that bugged me from beginning to end.  *LOL*  Most people probably won't have this problem though.

Overall, this book had a really sexist vibe to it. Not only was Jordan 'protecting' Erin every chance he got and not only were the both of them getting turned on by the slightest of things in the midst of great danger or focus, the whole plot of the book hinged on sex it seemed.  Now I know that vampires are supposed to be sexy and all, but neither author is very good at writing sexy to prove it for one thing - and for another it all read like the downfall of all the good and holy came at the hands of the woman and her seduction of the defenseless priest.

I also felt that some of the ideas were really good and could have been expounded upon more but the authors maybe didn't have the facility to go deeper?  I dunno... I felt they missed the mark on a lot of the historical stuff.  And there was A LOT of historical stuff in this book - maybe too much.  Masada, Christ's Life, Saint Peter, Hitler, Rasputin, the siege of St. Petersburg, medieval Hungary.... just so so so much and alot of it just glossed over.

But of course we have the improbable love story of Erin and Jordan - oh, did I mention that I think the story takes place over 2 days - 3 max?   Yeah, well, the number of times that we were treated to adolescent reactions from both of these characters was really over the top.

I could go on because so much of this book left me unsatisfied.  And in the end... well... we don't really get much closure at all.  Oh... Erin and Jordan like each other.  *RME*  I don't know that I'll pick up the second book in this series.  Maybe, but I doubt it.  I think I'll probably stick to Rollins' Sigma Force novels instead for ridiculous, crazy action thrillers.

Fish and Ghosts by Rhys Ford

3.5 Stars

Hellsinger Series - Book 1

I can always count on Rhys to give me a good read and this time was no different.  This is one of her earlier books and it shows some in the writing.  To me it's fascinating to watch an author's progress at improving their craft, but I have to admit that I'm thrilled that Rhys has gotten over the need to use epithets in her writing.  If I had read the words "the blond" one more time, I think I might have screamed!  *LOL*  We know... we KNOW that Travis has blond hair, for heaven's sake!  And you know, most readers are smart enough to discern the differences between the two 'he's' in the story.  So, being as that's a pet peeve of mine, it did kind of impede me enjoyment of the story.

For my money, I could have done with sexytimes scenes being of shorter length (I mean.. almost 2 chapters long at one point?  And long chapters?) and a bit more meat to the paranormal aspects of the story.  I found that I wanted to know more about the personalities and characters of Travis and Wolf other than that they set each other on fire.  :)

It's an interesting world that Rhys has set up and I'm looking forward to reading more about it in the second book which I also have in the TBR.  I hope we get to learn more about Wolf's family and childhood and then more about Tristan's childhood as well.  Oh! And I really like the new covers on these books.  Far better than the generic men people that tend to populate a lot of the m/m book covers.

Spectred Isle by KJ Charles

4.5 Stars

Green Men Book 1

This book hits so many of my sweet spots.  KJ Charles - one of my favourite authors, the time period of the early 1920's, the setting of England and all its history, legends and folklore, magic tied to the land - practically perfect!

I love how KJ writes.  There's one scene, about 1/3 of the way through the book, where it gets really spooky and otherworldly and it was so amazing - it was in the humid mid-eighties temperture-wise and I swear, I was shivering as I read it!

The two main characters of Saul and Randolph are lovely.  Okay, so Randolph can be a bit of a trial at times, but I love his British upper-class snark and his crankiness and being difficult just endears him to me because he really does have a mushy centre when he allows it to be seen.  And Saul, the everyman who has seen such horrors and been through such an awful time through no real fault of his own, the fact that he's still a functioning human being is amazing, and when he finds something to grab on to (Randolph) well, he is so stalwart and brave and human.  I loved him.

This is the first book of a trilogy and as KJ likes to do with her trilogies, there is an over-arcing plot for all three books, the beginning of which we read about here.  And old evil, the historical figure of Geoffrey de Mandeville (Man-Devil, see?), the aftermath of the War Beneath (what we didn't see in WW1) versus the group of Green Men (there are women too) who are there to protect England - that's the big picture against which the love story of Saul and Randolph plays out.  For my taste, there was a really good balance between the love story and sexytimes and the paranormal mystical stuff.

So yes, Spectred Isle is one of the best books I've read this year, proving once again, that KJ Charles never lets me down.

Oh, and I have to say a word about the cover of the book, created by Lexiconic Design.  IT'S GORGEOUS!

The Sumage Solution by G. L. Carriger

3.5 Stars

San Andreas Shifters - Book 1

Make no mistake about this book, it's a romance, a sexy, sex-filled romance pure and simple.  Yeah, there are a lot of paranormal/shifter elements, but it's basically the story of a werewolf and a mage who fall for each other and can't keep their hands (and all other body parts) off each other.

This is Gail Carriger, author of The Parasol Protectorate among other things, writing as G.L. Carriger, and it wasn't quite what I was expecting.  I was expecting more paranormal/shifter story and less hot and sexytimes in the sheets.

I liked the paranormal/shifter premise of the story and I loved the pack and it's history and I would have loved more of this and a little less of the sexytimes.  It was sex all the time.  All. The. Time.  Okay, maybe not all, but a really good portion.  There was a plot in that both MCs had to get their shit together and figure out how to work together as they are 'fated' to be.  I will admit to being a little disappointed by that.

There were also times that I found the constant sexual bantering to be a bit much.  A  bit too frat-boy.  Carriger's style is easy to read, but be warned there are a lot of italics.  Lot's of inner snide comments.  *LOL*

In the end, I enjoyed my read even though I was a bit disappointed when it didn't match up with my expectations.  I'll continue with the series, but it won't be an auto-buy for me.

The Immortals by Jordanna Max Brodsky

3.5 Stars

Olympus Bound - Book One

A paranormal mystery/thriller with a dollop of romance, The Immortals was a fun read and a good introduction to the series, I think.  Since I was a little girl, elementary school little, I've been fascinated with Greek mythology, so this author and her books were a cool find for me.

So...

We follow the heroine, Selene DaSilva who is, in fact, Artemis, goddess of the hunt, forests, hills, the moon, archery and a ton of other things.  It's modern day and the gods of Greek mythology have gone through The Diaspora and are now living as part of human society.  Artemis, in her latest guise as Selene, with her faithful hound Hippolyta at her side, is a protector of women, sort of a hit person for abused women.

There's a particularly gruesome murder that Selene stumbles across to start the excitement and that brings her to meet Theo, the professor of mythology who is particularly knowledgeable about his chosen subject.

I enjoyed the book.  I enjoyed the chase and how Selene came to understand a lot of things about herself and her family.  I really liked how Theo grew into the hero of the story and I especially liked hi sense of humour and wry observations.  I liked the members of Selene's 'family' that we got to meet - well, most of them.  And I liked their present-day premise.  I loved Hippo, Selene's wonderful hound (I pictured a huge Irish Wolfhound in my reader's eye) and I loved Theo's friend Gabriella.

Were there things that I could have liked more?  Maybe.  I'm not a huge paranormal fan though, so the fact that I'm pleased I got Book 2 on sale a couple of weeks ago is HUGE!  *LOL*  I think The Immortals is a good summer read.  :)

Shadows & Dreams by Alexis Hall

3 Stars

Kate Kane: Paranormal Investigator - Book 2

A fun read, just like the first one.  Kate Kane is a tough cookie, very noir-like in inception and her adventures with the vampires, werewolves, faeries, and all sorts of different supernatural creatures are certainly filled with action.

The plot is twisty turny and non-stop.  We meet a ton of characters (old and new) and I find myself wondering if maybe there weren't a tad too many?   And not only were there many, Kate has probably slept with the majority of the ladies!  *LOL*  She likes her pleasures.  :)

So yes, a fun read and I have no idea why it took me so long to get through it.  There's a note in the back of the book about a #3 in the series coming, but I have the feeling that Alexis has moved on to other things.  I'd have read it though.

Stars of Fortune by Nora Roberts

3.5 STARS

The Guardians Trilogy - Book 1

This is the first book of Nora Roberts' latest paranormal trilogy, The Guardians Trilogy, and it has all the tropes. There are six characters, 3 women, 3 men, to fight for the light against the darkness. They all have powers. Some of them are not quite of this world.

It's a Nora Paranormal Trilogy. An NPT.

It's my favourite trope, I think. *LOL* I love them!

So yes, I quite enjoyed it.

Prudence by Gail Carriger

4 STARS

The Custard Protocol - Book 1

Another rollicking romp though an alternate Victorian world full of fun and adventure and wonderfully clever banter. :)

In this book, the first volume of The Custard Protocol, we meet Prudence, the all-grown-up daughter of Alexia and Lord Maccon and the other grown-up little ones from the Parasol Protectorate series. We have the twins, Primrose and Percy as well as the cocky Quesnel. Off they go adventuring in Rue's airship, the Spotted Custard, headed towards India in search of tea.

There is the beginnings of romance, some rambunctious adventures concerning shape-shifters of a different sort, meetings with old friends (that are never long enough - Lyall is still my fave of fave characters, but I have to admit, young Spoo has quite endeared herself to me already), and of course manners and etiquette all over the place.

My only problem was that I kept getting muddled up between Rue and Prim! *LOL* I guess Prudence is too close to Primrose in my old brain. But honestly, that was the only wee complaint I had and it's entirely my own problem.

Another series I'm going to have to collect! :)

Hexbreaker by Jordan L. Hawk

4.5 STARS

Hexworld - Book 1

Oooh, this was YUMMY! Hexbreaker more than fulfills the promise made by The 13th Hex. I loved it. :)

We had met one of the two main characters in the short story, Cicero (who kept manifesting in my mind's eye as Prince) the unbonded feline familiar, and now we meet his destined-to- be-bonded-to witch, Tom. This is definitely the case of opposites attracting. And it works very very well. I enjoyed the way both men learned to look past their first (unfavourable) impressions of the other and even when there was backsliding done, it never lasted for long.

I like this new world of Jordan Hawk's. I'm very intrigued by the idea of the Witch Police and it's very interesting how it works with its hexes, familiars, witch powers and bonded vs unbonded pairs. And it works both in tandem, but mostly in competition with the regular police force. There's an long game being played here. Yes, the book is complete on its own and the 'mystery' has been taken care of... locally and for the moment, but there is far more to come it seems. And that makes me a happy reader!

To sum up, Hexbreaker is the beginning of a brand new series that I look forward to getting totally addicted to. :)

Oh, and you know what? Usually one can tell who the next book is going to be about, but in this case, I wasn't sure. And that makes me really happy! :)

The 13th Hex by Jordan L. Hawk

4 STARS

A Hexworld Story

New world. New magic system. New family of characters.

LOVE IT!!

This is the story that starts it all.

Timeless by Gail Carriger

5 STARS

The Parasol Protectorate - Book 5

It's over??? The series is over?!? *weeps*

But oh, it went out with a huge bang! The Parasol Protectorate series just kept getting better and better with each book and in this final installment, everyone was back, which made me so happy. :)

Alexia and Conall are delightful, whether they are arguing or loving or parenting or just doing whatever they're doing. I will admit, this book, they actually made me tear up a time or two. How they deal with their little daughter is so much fun. The scene near the beginning of the book where Prudence 'escapes' the house, her father in pursuit was absolutely perfect in my opinion. The word delightful comes to mind once again. :)

The main secondary characters (if that makes some kind of sense) of Lyall, Biffy, Lord Akeldama, Genevieve, the Tunstalls and Foote have all returned, doing what they do best and I'll tell you, without giving anything away, the way their stories played out worked A-OK as far as I'm concerned. Especially my two faves, Lyall and Biffy. I suspected some of what was to happen after the previous book, but still, there were a couple of surprises to be had.

We moved out of London and its environs for much of the book, the main part of the action taking place in Egypt, and I kind of missed that, but only because I'd come to be so comfortable in that location, I think. It was by no means a drawback, and in fact, many might find it a plus. :)

The 'mystery' of Alexia's father is wrapped up... I think. *LOL* One can never be sure, you know.

I have really enjoyed this series. I'm glad the adventures will continue with Alexia and Conall's... and Akeldama's daughter, Prudence, because I'm not quite ready to let them all go. :)

Heartless by Gail Carriger

4 STARS

The Parasol Protectorate - Book 4

#4 in the Parasol Protectorate series, I think this one is my favourite so far. So much upheaval!

I have fallen quite hard for a couple of secondary characters, to be honest. Professor Lyall is one - and we find out big chunk of his backstory, which I was so very pleased about. And Biffy - oh, I do love that young fellow!

The dialogue, is, as always, witty and clever and fun and set me to laughing aloud on more than one occasion. A heavily pregnant Alexia is a wonder to read. Her internal dialogue is even more fun than usual.

I have one more volume to go and I'm saving it. :)