Books Make Me Happy

I loved this book! I've been in a paranormal/urban fantasy bubble for the last couple of years and was ready for a quick side trip back into reality. This hit the spot.The characters were well developed and felt like people you might have in your own life. They were all funny, and genuine, and not perfect. They were flawed in ways that added both depth and entertainment to the book. The history between the Keri and Joe made for a fantastic jumping off place for the story. Forced by her boss to use that history to interview the, somewhat reclusive, author for their magazine puts Keri in a tough spot. They didn't end on good terms all those years ago, and she's not sure what that means for the unexpected meeting he grants her back in their home town.Neither of them has quite gotten over the other. In a spontaneous, off the wall challenge, Joe offers Keri a chance to get the interview that may save her career. All the while hoping to rekindle some of the feelings they'd left behind. Unfortunately for Keri, the challenge includes tents, bugs, 4-wheeler muddin', and Joe's grudge holding sister, along with the rest of his family on their annual camping vacation. You can imagine the hilarity that ensues. The vacation is packed with recognizable camping faux pas, endearing family bonding, and some incredible UST (unresolved sexual tension... and don't worry, they fix that nasty "unresolved" part).One thing that pleasantly surprised me was the amount of developement dedicated to the secondary characters. They weren't just decoration in the story. They had their OWN issues and emotions that created another layer of story to love. I found myself as involved in their struggles and adventures as I was with Keri and Joe.There's a lot to this story. It was much sadder in places than I generally like, but those things were necessary to make the story full and real. And they were balanced quite nicely with moments of marshmallow hair and pool fun.You're going to fall in love with these characters, all of them. I would love to see what happens next for any of them.

Marcella Acosta got herself into a whole underworld of trouble in the first book in this series. By helping her best friend Delaney, a medium, wrestle a soul away from Lucifer, the reluctant demon earned a spot on the big guy's "special place in hell for people like you" list. A self-proclaimed fashionista, Marcella revels not only in the singe of a well thrown fireball, but the rush of a one-day sale at Macy's. Unfortunately, after going up against Lucifer, she finds herself tossed onto a plane-in-limbo. Not a mall or salon in sight, no ability to mosey back and forth between hell and earth, and no way for her get in touch with Delaney. At least she THINKS there's no way, until good ole' Darwin (the ghost of one of Delaney's many dogs) reminds her of the one person she hasn't tried to reach. Someone she mixed with like gasoline and firecrackers, despite her attraction to him. Delaney's brother Kellan.Dakota writes with equal parts snark and sincere emotion and it works so well for the story. These characters are up against some heavy-duty supernatural ugliness, but manage to hold their own for the sake of a young family friend with the "gift of sight". There were also quite a few surprises tossed in, having to do with Marcella's tightly guarded past. Just when you (and when I say you, I mean, I) think you (again, I mean, I) have it all figured out... think again. In the midst of all the craziness, the story of her demonic beginning will tug at your heart and maybe bring a tear to your eye (yeah, that would be me, again). The action between the many minions of hell and Marcella's crew is full of both ass-kicking and snarky comment slinging. Now, back to Kellan. The yummilicious brother of Marcella's best friend, who has "inherited" the ability to see ghosts. In Kiss & Hell, the banter between Kellan and Marcella was fun to read, and the attraction was clear. In this book, it's obviously stepped up on both counts. The push and pull with these two is at the same time comical and endearing. Once they stop fighting and admit they want each other, they're hot enough to give hell a run for it's money.The side characters in this story are just fantastic. Between the ghostly, smarth-mouthing of Darwin, who I absolutely adore, and the tough-but-tender-hearted demon Catalina, there are laughs and action aplenty.My only issues with the book are minor. First, I have no problem with clowns, so what was supposed to be an important fight scene lost some of it's punch. However, if you DO have a problem with clowns (and I know quite a few people with that phobia), it should have it's intended impact. Second, and I'm being picky here, the overuse of the terms "hard planes" and "cupped" got on my nerves. I know, I know, it's a silly thing to even notice, but I did, and it bothered me. I'm guessing most people will be fine with it, but I have an annoying part of my brain that picks up on repetition.Overall, I really, liked the book. I had a feeling I would, and was not disappointed. I love Dakota's storytelling style, I love her humor, and I love her characters. Do yourself a favor, take a day off, grab some snacks and your favorite summertime beverage and read this book (read Kiss & Hell first, if you haven't already). It'll be a day well spent.

It was supposed to be an easy spell. Just give the crying girl in the bathroom her dream date for the prom. It ended up causing chaos at the dance, and Sophie packed off to her twentieth school.This time around, though, young witch Sophia (Sophie) Mercer has been ordered to Hecate (aka Hex) Hall. It’s basically juvie for Prodigium, or supernatural beings (witches, faeries, shifters, vamps) that live in secret among humans. Here, she’s surrounded by other teens with histories of wreckless behavior. All brought together and sentenced to remain at the boarding school until their 18th birthday.Sophie’s experiences before being sent to Hex Hall are both funny and sad. She’s a witch (something that came as a bit of a shock to her) being raised by her human mother, estranged from her warlock father. Her efforts to test her powers tend to come out on the wrong side of success. Something always happens, to be sure, but it usually ends in another move, another school, and more disappointment. As you can imagine, life at Hex Hall is NOT full of sunshine and roses. Within the first few days of attendence, Sophie learns some disturbing things about her family history, and the terrifying dangers the supernatural communites face outside the “safehaven” of the school. Unfortunately for Sophie, the safehaven doesn’t stay safe for long.I really, really liked the way this story was presented. I have to admit, I saw “magic kid goes to magic school” and thought “here we go again”. However, Rachel uses a familiar formula to create a fun, interesting story with twists and turns along the way. The conflicts are both superficial (as superficial as you can get considering they all have a history of causing magical mayhem) and downright life-threatening. Students are under attack, being hurt and killed, and all fingers are pointed towards the resident vamps. Sophie has her hands full defending her friend, training with an unconventional and possibly dangerous tutor, and trying to keep herself from falling head over heels for the very hot, but very taken school hunk.The balance between the typical teen drama, and the much more intense danger was just right. Both were represented, with healthy doses of snark and sarcasm to fill in the spaces. I would have liked a little more development with some of the characters, but I’m hoping that we’ll get to dive into a few more of them in the next two books. I really loved that I found myself rooting for some characters and against others, then by the end I was all upside down and wondering how I missed the clues along the way! Some things I had figured out, other things, not so much. And the tears… at the window… nearly broke my heart! (read it, you’ll understand, I promise)Sophie’s got a lot of information to process, and a lot of choices to make at the end of this book. I’m intrigued by some of the characters that came into the spotlight towards the end (I’m full of theories), and completely baffled by some of the events that were left to be dealt with in Demonglass (book #2, due next spring). This was a pretty quick read, and made for some fun book club discussions. One thing is for sure, I can’t wait for March!

Take a bit of magic, a bit of folklore, a bit of darkness, a bit of humor, and quite a few bits of naughty and shake them all up. That’s what you get with Alison’s Wonderland. It caught my eye because I had just finished talking about how much I tend to like recreated fairy tales in the paranormal genre. This is my first “erotica” novel, but it’s not really a novel. It’s a collection of (very) short stories inspired by myths and fairy tales.Now, I’ve read my fair share of romance novels (mostly paranormal, but not all) that include sex. Some authors, obviously, do it better than others. I discovered two things while reading this book. First, I’m much pickier about fairy tale retellings than I realized. I tended to like the stories that stayed closer to the original. Second, I need more time (generally speaking) with characters before I can really appreciate the sex scenes. Some just seemed too rushed and didn’t have nearly enough story to create a believable connection. Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t like some of the more creative stories, or that I didn’t enjoy the hanky panky in some of the offerings. There are, of course, exceptions for just about everything.Some of my favorites in the collection were: •Fool’s Gold by Shanna Germain – A surprisingly intense story about desire and trust. Very well written. •The Midas F*ck by Erica DeQuaya - I admit I almost wrote this one off at the title, but I would have missed out on a remarkably sweet story. •An Uphill Battle by Benjamin Eliot – One of the funniest stories in the book, also one of the longest. I loved Zeke’s inner monologue during his many treks up flights of stairs. The ending was fairly predictable, but enjoyable, none-the-less. •The Broken Fiddle by Andrea Dale – The Irish in me got all happy while Finn was playing his fiddle and spinning tales by the lake. I would really loved for this to be retold as a full length novel. •Wolff’s Tavern by Bella Dean - This is the stuff that makes my paranormal romance heart go pitter patter. •Rings On My Fingers by Alison Tyler – Another of the longer stories in the group. I’m not sure what fairy tale this represented, but the character and chemistry building was fantastic.There were others I liked, but didn’t love, in the book. And quite a few I didn’t care for at all. Some that seemed to just toss characters together whether they were ready for it or not. Again, that could all be chalked up to my apparent preference for more build-up before characters get all frisky. I’d rather think that than the alternative. That some of the authors were more interested in the wham-bam-thank-ya-ma’am than what got the characters to that point.I’ve decided that I will probably not read any other erotic anthologies like this in the future. Not because I dislike erotica (I plan on checking out a few of the authors’ other works), but because I just couldn’t sit and read one encounter after another without story in between. It seemed too forced and too shallow to me. It took me almost a week to read this book, and that’s very rare for me. Again, it’s (mostly) not the book’s fault. It’s not you, Alison’s Wonderland, it’s me. Really. Maybe.

review coming soon :-)

“I started writing from Bree’s perspective about those final days, and what it was like to be a newborn,” (Stephenie Meyer, on her website). This short story covers the days leading up Victoria’s newborn army attack on the Cullens in Eclipse. It chronicles one girl’s journey from troubled teen to unwitting pawn, and gives some glimpses into the scheming of the Volturi.I have to admit, I wasn’t looking forward to the blood-crazed, mindless chaos that we were told to expect form newborns, but was willing to deal with it to get to the rest of the story. I was pleasantly surprised to find Stephenie started with Bree’s third month, and just had her describe herself being turned, rather than having us experience it with her. Some people will problably be disappointed there wasn’t more gruesome detail, but I was thrilled.Bree’s story is actually much different than I expected. (Probably because I expected her to be a lunatic.) Stephenie creates a much different picture of the newborns than I got from reading about their approach and attack in Eclipse. They weren’t mindless drones, at least not all of the time. Yes, they did go out and “terrorize” Seattle. They killed for their food in a way that the Cullens would have never allowed. But they also had friendships and rivalries amongst themselves like any other group. There was even a hint of romance here and there.The story clearly shows that Victoria was a masterful strategist. She managed to manipulate and string everyone along just the way she wanted them. And anyone who got too smart, or too bold, was dealt with.I was surprised (although, I probably should have guessed) what interest the Volturi had in the whole thing. Just enough to make their presence known, but not enough to dirty their hands. Just the thing to make you hate and respect them all the more.Another part I was not looking forward to was the end of the story, because well, we all know how it ends. Again, I was pleasantly surprised. I fully expected at least a few tissues to be necessary. The way Stephenie ended the book, however, provides a much calmer, more peaceful finish to Bree’s story. A peace that was well deserved.I really, really enjoyed the book. Much more than I thought I would, to be honest. I pre-ordered it the day it was announced and now I’m even happier that it will sit on my bookshelf with the rest of the series.For those of you not sure if you want to spend the money to buy the novella, (rememeber, $1 of every sale goes to the American Red Cross) you can read it for free on BreeTanner.com from June 7-July 5.

Declan is a lord, forced by tragedy into leadership. Alexia is a princess about to ascend to her throne. They become "Romeo and Juliet" in a centuries old war. Only this Romeo has scaled wings, and his Juliet has fangs. With both their races clashing in a deadly battle to posess a crystal foretold to grant the owner power to rule all, Declan and Alexia have more than just their undeniable passion for each other to contend with.This book starts off with a bang and the action just doesn't let up the whole way through! Dragons take the place of werewolves in the traditional archenemy role for vampires in this story, and let me just tell you, it works fantastically! (Who needs fur when you can have WINGS?)I love that both of these main characters are in a transition in their respective societies. Both put in a position they are resigned to, but neither is really ready for. Throughout the story we get to see them both become the leaders they're intended to be. The descriptions of both the vampire horde and the dragon flock were so important to understanding the evolution of the characters. Not only what they lived with every day, but what they strived to create. I really liked that we learned more than just the names of many secondary characters. Too often characters that aren't the "main focus" of the story get shortchanged in the depth department. Including many points of view can sometimes be confusing, but it was done very well and brought some much needed clarity to parts of the story. I loved being able to get into the head of Catija and and Tallon especially. (Would have LOVED to get into Griffin's head a little, so I'm hoping that'll be a point of view for another book, oh... and Yuri, too... yummmeeeee.)Declan and Alexia together were just incredible. They started out hot and just got hotter as the story went on. I loved that they didn't do the "does he really like me" "does she really like me" think that some couples do. The felt the attraction and were honest about it from the beginning. (A little early in the overall story, but I'll chat about that in a minute.) They knew they wanted each other, and fought through, literally, the heavens and the earth to be together.Now, for my only two criticisms. I do understand that Declan and Alexia were attracted to each other from the start, that they felt a connection, or rightness with each other. That's fine, but it was a little hard for me to understand how they let down their guard for, at the time, an enemy, so soon in the story. I'm also not a big fan of extended bad-things-happening-to-good-people in a story. There were a few too many passages full of silver gunshot wounds and references to horrible acts perpetrated by Lotharus (or Lotharass, as I started calling him) for my taste. I know, things like that create drama and ways for a character to "overcome" in the story. I've been told that by authors time and time again. But I still don't like too much of it.Overall, I really, really liked this book. I liked the action (most of it, lol) and loved the relationships, both the romantic ones, and the familial bonds. I honestly can't wait for the next book to come out. Luckily for all of us, there are a few plotlines screaming "please write about me" at the end of Shadow Of The Vampire. And I just realized that there will be a semi-prequel story available in July as well, Dragon Warrior, so we won't have long to wait!

I read only the Gena Showalter short, Darkest Angel, from this anthology. I really, REALLY loved it. It was actually the first one of her books/short stories that made me cry, but I laughed too, so she's forgiven.

review coming soon

Richelle Mead certainly knows how to end a book with a bang! Wowza! I absolutely love the way Georgina and Seth find to “work around” their intimacy limitations! However, I’m getting ahead of myself, lol.While trying to make a relationship work was an important part of Succubus On Top, it wasn’t the only thing going on. I liked seeing other side characters being the center of some of the attention in this story. Doug and his band jumped right up in front for this one. I thought the storyline itself – band looking to make it big, trusts the wrong people and makes some bad choices along the way – was an interesting one. I really loved how mythology was, yet again, brought into the storyline. Having those old tales figure into the somewhat contemporary story in these books is really fun. My only issue is that Georgina took soooooo looooong to figure it out. She’s a smart woman. She’s been around the perverbial block a time or two and should have been able to guess something was really wrong long before she did. I had two theories before she even registered that there was a problem. Her cluelessness bothered me a bit, but I guess I can chalk it up to her being distracted by her work, her old friend, and her new boyfriend. Poor Ms. Kincaid worked her succu-butt off in this book.Speaking of old friends… HELLO BASTIAN!! And when I say old, I mean hundreds of years of history as friends and partners in the seduction of mere mortals. When a gorgeous incubus shows up at your door, what do you do?? You agree to help him corrupt the self-appointed reformer of too-liberal, morally-deficient suburbanites, of course. Georgina and Bastian working together is a comedy of errors in the best possible way. There’s a scene involving stolen “herbs” and the possibility of cookies that had me laughing out loud, for real. Again, the only problem I had with this storyline was the characters’ complete obliviousness to what appeared to be a fairly obvious “snag” in their gameplan. It was fantastic when they finally figured it out, but getting there was a little frustrating to me.Now, back to my opening statements. The chemistry between Georgina and Seth is so incredible, it’s almost tangible. It’s heartbreaking what they have to go through in order to be close to each other. I don’t agree with Bastian’s “problem solving” actions, but I do completely understand the longing that spurred Georgina on. I much prefer the solution that Georgina came up with herself by the end of the book. Between her “gift” to Seth, and what was going on at the end of the book… I think they just might have a chance. That makes my heart happy.There wasn’t as much Carter/Jerome banter in this one, but when they did show up, it was brilliant. All in all, this was a really fun follow up to Succubus Blues. I like the series and the characters and I’m looking forward to the next book, Succubus Dreams. I love the way Richelle tells the story, and the personality of the characters, I just hope the next one keeps me guessing a little longer.

Delightful. Magical. Fantastical. Bewitching. Heartwarming. Charming.To be a Waverley in Bascom, NC is a special thing. Some would call that special thing strange, some would call it natural. Some would embrace it and some would run as far and and as fast as they could from it. Accept it or not, appreciate it or not, the Waverleys are special.Claire and Sydney Waverley are sisters who had dramatically different childhoods. One seemed to inherit the talent to use the edible flowers in their family garden to create enchanted dishes. Apples from their moody apple tree are said to show the greatest event in your life. Ladies served biscuits with lilac jelly & lavendar tea cookies to encourage their guests to keep their secrets. Parents gave their children angelica candy and cupcakes with crystalized pansy leaves to make their children more thoughtful. The whole town took sips of honeysuckle wine on the 4th of July so they could see in the dark. All secrets that were passed down from Grandma Waverley to an eager Claire.Sydney, however, took after their mother. She distanced herself from the label of the Waverley name and escaped from Bascom as soon as she graduated high school. Now, years later, Sydney is trying to escape from something else. She comes home with her daughter, into Claire’s very isolated world. Both sisters struggle to overcome misunderstandings from their childhood, and choices they’ve made as adults. They learn to trust each other, and eventually themselves. Once their carefully constructed walls of doubt start to crumble, they discover the true magic of old family ties and new love.I can’t tell you how much I loved this book. I’ve been reading so many urban fantasies and darker paranormal romances lately that I just really wanted something light and fun. The story is told in such a magical, almost sing-song kind of way. I love that it’s not told by just one character, as well. We get to go inside the head of the storyteller for each of the different aspects of the tale. So many things going on, but all blending and weaving together. It’s comforting, and despite the very obvious supernatural aspects of the story, completely makes you believe. This book is full of funny, quirky side characters that just move into your heart and stay there. Evenelle, who will show up at any time of the day or night to give you something that she just KNOWS you’re going to need (and you do, always, end up needing it), is one of my favorites. Not everyone has a happy tale to share, but the friendships that get them through are just inspiring.I’m starting Sarah’s second book later tonight (The Sugar Queen), and her third book (The Girl Who Chased The Moon) will be out the end of this month. I hope you all take some time to wrap yourself up in the charm that is Garden Spells. I promise you won’t need any rose geranium wine to remember how good it was!

One thing a burgurlar should NEVER do is break into a cop’s house. Another thing they should NEVER, EVER do is break in while she’s summoning a demon in her basement. Mark of the Demon has one of the best opening chapters I’ve read in a very long time.Kara Gillian has just been promoted to detective and she takes her job very seriously. She’s done the footwork, and the deskwork, and is ready to prove herself. It’s incredible the amount of insight into procedure we get due to Diana’s own background in law enforcement. It’s detailed enough to enhance the story but not so much that it takes over the other aspects. Kara is also a Demon Summoner, an inherited gift from her grandmother (and, I hope, not something that was written from the author’s personal experience, lol). Little did she know these two parts of her life would come together in her first homicide case.“The Symbol Man Murders” baffled the Beaulac, LA Police Department three years ago, and now it appears they’ve started up again. Kara felt arcane signatures on the victim then, and feels them on the newest victim, so she knows she’s the right one to find and stop the killer. However, after her latest summoning went dramatically wrong, she’s having a hard time trusting herself.Between the gruesome murders, the terrifying but beautiful demon lord, Rhyzkahl, who ended up in her basement (and continues to make delicious appearances in her dreams), and her new FBI partner, Agent Kristoff, Kara has her hands full. Throughout the story, aide from some expected, and some not so expected sources help pull the pieces of the case together.I have to admit, I thought I had the killer all figured out, but I didn’t see the end coming AT ALL. There was one clue that I didn’t catch until the reveal. The story was told using equal parts nitty-gritty police investigation and powerful supernatural intuition. The side characters were absolutely perfect. Each one had an important place in the telling of the story and added to the overall feel of the book. They also helped Kara infuse some much needed comic relief. I loved that Kara was strong, and even though she had doubts about what went wrong with her summoning, she moved past that and used her other strengths instead of wallowing. The “romantic” aspects of the story were non-traditional, but completely fit. The hot was REALLY hot… and the UST (unresolved sexual tension) was written in such a natural progression that I totally believed it.I am so excited to get my hands on the second book in the series, Blood of the Demon. I’m not sure where the story’s going from here, but I’m totally ready to find out!P.S.- Rhyzkahl is pronouced by the author to sound like “please call”… although after pronouncing like “rise call” for the entire book, I’ve been assured he would still come if I called him. *claps hands and looks for a way to put a basement under this Florida duplex*

review coming soon