Review: Blood Of The Rose by Kate Pearce

Series:  Tudor Vampire Chronicles, Book #2

Genre:   Paranormal Romance, Historical Romance

Release Date:  February 2011

Publisher:  Signet Eclipse

Author Website:  http://www.katepearce.com/

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  307

Source:  Purchased

Reading Challenge:  Historical Romance Reading Challenge, Kick Ass Heroine Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

When Rosalind Llewellyn had to join forces with her enemy, Christopher Ellis to defeat a rogue Vampire threatening Henry VIII, their alliance led to a surprising passion. Reunited after a years separation, they face a new threat that could destroy their last chance at happiness.

Christopher is delighted by the spectacular rise at court of his friends George and Anne Boleyn. But Rosalind suspects Lady Anne is up to no good-she may even be a Vampire who’s bewitched the king. Now Rosalind must fight to keep Christopher from falling under the woman’s mysterious spell. It isn’t until Anne reveals a dark secret that Christopher awakens to where the true danger lies-and he begins to play a desperate game in order to save the woman he loves…

Awesomeness:

Somewhere in his mind, fear lingered.  She might desert him like a malicious fey from a fairy story, leave him forever bereft and unable to exist without her.  He returned to the bed and grasped one of her wrists.  "Must I tie you to the bed, my lady, so that I can take my pleasure without fear of being stabbed, or bitten, or scratched?"

My Thoughts

I was very excited to pick up the second book in this series.  Blood Of The Rose is full of romance, suspense and Tudor scandal.  Kate Pearce does a good job of mixing historical fiction with paranormal romance. 

The story picks up a year later with the Druids continuing to protect King Henry VIII from the threat of vampires.  Rosalind and Rhys have returned to court.  Once again they must call a truce with enemies Christopher and Elias in order to keep the infamous Anne Boleyn from turning the king into a vampire and taking over England.

The first book left Rosalind and Christopher’s relationship up in the air.  I was happy that their romance continued despite the dangers of being on opposite sides. The harder they tried to stay away from each other, the more their feelings seemed to pull them together.   The relationship remained rocky thorough the story, but I was very pleased with the way the ending was handled.

The introduction of the Boleyn family kept me in suspense.  From history, I knew what would happen, but I was anxious to see how the story would twist to include them.   Anne was always thought to be very ambitious and into dark magic, so making her a vampire was a stroke of genius. 

I love this series and can’t wait to see what happens in the next book.

Rating

Four flowers of love.  I really liked this book and would recommend reading the series.

Other Books In This Series:

Kiss Of The Rose, Book #1 (August 2010)

Mark Of The Rose, Book #3 (will release August 2011)

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ARC Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Series: Angelfire, Book #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Released: Date: February 2011

Publisher:  Katherine Tegen Books

Author Website: http://www.courtneyallisonmoulton.com/

Format I Read: ARC ebook

Pages: 464

Source: Net Galley

Reading Challenge: Debut Author Reading Challenge, Kick Ass Heroine Reading Challenge

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb
When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.


A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.


While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

My Thoughts
I am always interested in reading different takes on the origins of angels so when I read the summary for Angelfire, I knew I would love it. The cover was also an attention getter.

I thought the story was interesting and full of plot twists. It was slow one minute and fast paced the next. The romance was predictable but still had me speed reading to see how their relationship would play out.

Ellie and Will are my new Buffy and Angel. She’s a kick ass slayer when she’s in her zone and he’s the tortured soul trying hard not to succumb to his own personal darkness. I could tell from the first moment Will popped on the scene that there was more between them than their mission. Of course he was in love with her but their relationship was beyond complicated. And for me, complicated love is the best to read about because the characters go through so much just to prove that they belong together. Will and Ellie had centuries to figure it out, but the greater good always came first.

The only thing I didn’t like about the story was the father and his attitude. I think I know what’s going on with him and hopefully it will be discussed later. I am anxiously awaiting the second book to confirm my suspicions. Overall, this was a very good debut from Courtney Allison Moulton and I am counting the days until I can get my hands on the next in this awesome new series.

Rating

Four flowers of love-really liked it and would recommend it

Other Books In This Series:

Wings Of The Wicked, Book #2 (Coming in 2012)

Hymn To The Fallen, Book #3 (Coming in 2013)

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Review: A Taste Of Desire by Beverley Kendall

Series:  Elusive Lords, Book #2

Genre:   Historical Romance

Release Date:  January 4, 2011

Publisher:  Kensington Publishing

Author Website:  http://www.beverleykendall.com/

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  340

Source:  Author

Reading Challenge:  2011 Historical Romance Challenge

                                   

Read Excerpt Book Blurb Lady Amelia Bertram may have a reputation as the lost brazen beauty of the ton, but she shocks even lost brazen beauty of the ton, but she shocks even herself when she accidently—and loudly—derides one of society’s most eligible bachelors in the middle of a crowded ballroom. The timing of her faux pas couldn’t be worse, for her father is seeking someone to take her off his hands that very night… But when Thomas Armstrong overhears the so-called “Lady” Amelia slandering his sexual prowess in public, he cannot help but accept the dare implicit in her words. To her father’s great delight, he offers to take her to his secluded country estate—properly chaperoned, of course—to teach the girl a lesson in ladylike behavior…

Awesomeness:

The viscount gave a hearty laugh and gestured down to the front of his trousers.  “You mean this?”

Shocked, Amelia blindly averted her gaze but could do little to halt another flood of heat from blistering her cheeks.

“I would hardly call this the barometer of good taste.  Didn’t you know, these things have minds of their own?  Sometimes it requires merely a comely face and a shapely figure.  Discriminating these are not.”

My Thoughts

This is another historical romance that I really enjoyed reading.  A Taste Of Desire is full of humor and romance.  The story is very easy to follow and the characters are scandalous and funny.  Beverley Kendall did a great job pairing Thomas and Amelia.  I love a good battle of insults, so I enjoyed each and every moment they spent hating each other because they ended up loving each other.

Amelia is one of those heroines that you wished you could lay hands on.  Her own insecurities made her angry and bitter.   She took pride in saying and doing what she wanted regardless of who she hurt so she was in desperate need of someone strong enough to check her.   

Thomas is a gentleman and a longtime friend of Amelia’s father.  He has never been fond of her even though her father declares him the number one prospect for a husband.  Thomas would rather stab his own eyes out before he calls her Wife, so when Amelia tries to publicly assume he has no bedroom skills, he decides to throw her off her self imposed pedestal.

Each time Thomas got the best of Amelia I cheered.  Their love/hate relationship kept me turning pages anxious to find out what shenanigans they would pull next.  I loved the way Thomas dealt with her.  He meant to give her a dose of her own medicine but as he got to know her, he found himself falling for her instead.  And all Amelia needed was love to melt the ice around her heart.  So sweet.  Sigh.

Overall, this was a very good romance.  Frustrating at times because of the love/hate relationship, but it ended in a very sweet HEA. 

Rating

4 flowers of love. Very good read, would recommend this one

Other Books In This Series:

Sinful Surrender, Book #1

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Review: Justice Rules by Thomas White

Series:  None

Genre:  Crime Drama, Mystery, Suspense

Release Date:  March 2010

Publisher: CreateSpace

Author Website:  http://www.justice-rules.com

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  298

Source:  Pump Up Your Book Tours

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

FBI Special Agent Brian Wylie investigates the murder of an ex-con in Eastern Washington. This single murder leads to a vigilante coalition that wreaks its own brand of justice. Wylie's investigation unravels an intricate and complex plot that involves a victims help group, a best friend's treachery and his teenaged daughter's well-being. 

Awesomeness:

“You leave them out of this.  They had nothing to do with it,” she snapped.

Brian had hit a nerve.  “Care to tell me how you helped them?  If not, I can always run a little investigation into your dope group.  I’m sure that we’d find something worthwhile there.”

“You son of a bitch.  You stay away from these people.  They haven’t done anything; they just want to manage their pain.  You’re a damn fascist, that’s all you are.”

My Thoughts

An eye for an eye…

What would you do if a crime was committed against you or someone you loved and the justice you thought was deserved never came? 

Two words for this book:  Loved it!  I am a fan of mystery and suspense novels and Justice Rules does not disappoint.  Thomas White created characters and scenarios that had me totally engrossed in the story. 

The story is not about one particular person, but multiple people who have been raped, murdered, or kidnapped and even though their attackers were caught and tried, for some reason or mistake, they always got off with slaps on the wrists.  But as the victims or family members become feed up with the justice system, they start to dish out their own twisted brands of justice.

Brian Wylie is an FBI agent with issues of his own, that has been assigned to a gruesome murder case.  As he begins to investigate, he ties the murder to an old rape case and then to a unique, but suspicious victims support group.   From there, Brian begins to uncover similar cases proving that payback is a bitch you don’t want to mess with.

The plot of this book had so much action and drama that it could easily be an episode of CSI, Bones or Law and Order (which I absolutely love).  Thomas White did an excellent job of telling the victims stories of pain and humiliation and their need for closure.

Brian was a very likable character.  He was a pretty good agent and a devoted father.  At one point the dangers of his job bleeds into his personal life and he becomes one the victims in need of support.  How he chooses to handle his anger puts him in the same situation as the victims he currently investigates.

Although, I liked the book, there were a few things that I didn’t like.  I got the whole victims fighting back and being strong part, but how they found their closure was a little disturbing.   These parts were written so well that you could easily step into the characters shoes, but some parts got really brutal and graphic.  The persons inflicting the pain, in my book, are certified crazies and strait jacket worthy for being able to go through with such violent acts.

Overall the book is a very good read, which I decided very early.  The other thing I didn’t like was the back cover blurb.  Usually, I am swayed to pick a book because the blurb is juicy or interesting, but Justice Rules had no back cover blurb.  Instead it had praises of the book.  So if I were to have run across this book in the bookstore, I would never have bought it.  I also found quite a few other errors that a general proofing should have caught.  It was nothing major, just a few things that stuck out.

 

Rating

I give Justice Rules four and a half flowers of love.  Thomas White is an author to watch.  If you love crime drama or mystery and suspense books, this book is a must read.

1/2

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Review: Let's Eat by Denise Burroughs

Series:  None

Genre:  Cookbook

Release Date:  May 2010

Publisher:  Authorhouse

Author Website:  http://www.deniseburroughs.com/

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  51

Source:  Pump Up Your Book Tours

Book Blurb

Denise Burroughs combines her rich Italian heritage with years of southern tradition in Let’s Eat!, her debut cookbook.  Her love for cooking shines through in this comprehensive book, suitable for all levels of cooking experience.  Let’s Eat! provides readers with simple, inexpensive dishes.  Recipes range from “Potato Flake Chicken” to “Chocolate Italian Cookies.”

Her strong Italian background shines through in many recipes, combining her love of tradition and her passion for rich flavors.

My Thoughts

First of all, I’d like it to be known that I love to eat and I love to try new dishes.  I’m not the best cook in the world, so I rely on good recipes to disguise my lack of culinary skills.  So, I was excited to get Let’s Eat because the author is Italian and who doesn’t love Italian food? I was really anxious to see what recipes she had to offer.

When I got the book, I was a little disappointed.  I was expecting a nice sized cookbook (for the price it’s going for) with some tasty dishes that would make me eager to try.  That was not the case. 

Let’s Eat is a simple cookbook with dishes that do not require a lot of preparation.  It even features general cooking tips like preparing, measuring and substituting.  So, if you are not ready for the Rachel Ray or Paula Dean cooking level, you could still whip up a nice meal in no time.

The book did not have a table of content so I had to flip through the book to find out where everything was.  Usually cookbooks are organized with chicken dishes here, desserts there,  etc, but this book seemed to have no particular order.  I found that to be odd because most cookbooks that I own or have leafed through always have some type of organization to let you know what area to thumb through to find what you are looking for.

After sifting through the recipes, I did find some favorites like Lasagna, Manicotti, and Swedish Meatballs and Macaroni and Cheese.  I already know how to make these dishes off the top of my head, but for someone that doesn’t, the instructions are simple and easy to follow.

None of the recipes were complicated, but a lot of them just did not appeal to me like Marshmallow Potatoes, Mayonnaise Cake, and Zucchini Cake.  Not to say that they may not be tasty dishes, but those were just not high on my list to try.

Another thing that I noticed was a lack of pictures.  There are a few pictures, but not enough.  With me, if a dish looks good, it makes me want to try it.  If I can’t see it, nine times out of ten, I won’t try it.

Rating

I give Let’s Eat two flowers of love.  Although the book had easy to prepare recipes, it just didn’t have any dishes that stood out enough to recommend.

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ARC Review: Explosive by Beth Kery

Series:  None

Genre:  Erotic Romance, Suspense

Release Date:  December 7, 2010

Publisher: Berkley Heat

Author Website: http://www.bethkery.com/

Format I Read:  ARC ebook

Pages:  330

Source:  Author

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

His touch would consume her—if it didn’t kill her first…

Dr. Sophie Gable wasn’t expecting her peaceful getaway to be shattered by the arrival of a half-dazed, dead-sexy guest. Thomas Nicasio has obviously been traumatized, and Sophie thinks she knows by what. There’s something about Thomas’s father that he can’t—or won’t—remember. Something that could get them both killed. Still she can’t resist Thomas’s electrifying seduction—or her instincts to help him…

An ex-Navy explosives specialist, Thomas has never felt this type of volatile need for a woman. Even while he’s grieving the deaths of his brother and nephew, something in Sophie makes Thomas want to overtake her, and each time he does, her willing submission makes him want her all the more. But danger is lurking close by, and if he can’t face the demons of his past, he and Sophie could be the next victims in a pattern of meaningless violence…

My Thoughts

Explosive is a page turning mystery with plenty of suspenseful moments.   The story opens with Thomas being frustrated because chucks of his last few days are missing.  Without really thinking he seeks out the one person that he really shouldn’t involve in his mess of a life. 

Sophie is a doctor that Thomas has been attracted to for a long time.   She’s kind and sweet.  Despite the public drama that Thomas and his family are going through and him coming to her looking like hell warmed over, Sophie is naïve enough to invite the stranger into her home. 

Blame it on her mutual attraction plus her doctoral need to help, but Thomas takes full advantage of everything that Sophie offers.  This is where Explosive kicks into high gear and the mystery takes a backseat to erotic scenes that left my mouth hanging open.  I had assumed that Thomas sought Sophie out because she was a therapist and he simply wanted someone that he could trust to help him sort through his feelings, but boy did he have a lot of feelings that really needed to be worked through. 

Thomas needed the good doctor for another type of therapy.  Thomas is one of those men that demand to be satisfied and is very creative in the bedroom. There are quite a few smutty scenes that I wouldn’t mind bookmarking for future references.   Despite all the sexual attraction, Sophie’s presence actually made Thomas feel safer and helped him pick up the pieces.  

I loved the book, not because I’m a smut fan, but because it was well written and I was immediately pulled into the story.  The relationship between Thomas and Sophie was instant, but it worked.  He was broken and Sophie helped fix him.  The mystery behind Thomas’s amnesia unfolded at the right pace so I wasn’t able to guess what was coming next and spoil the outcome. 

My Rating

I give Explosive four and a half flowers of love.  I felt that Beth Kerry picked the perfect title for this book because it has an explosive mixture of action, mystery and hot loving.  I’m also putting Thomas on my Book Boyfriend list because his dirty mind is swoon worthy. 

1/2

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Review: Secrets Of The Black Box by Amanda Wolfe

Series:  Beneath The Silver Lining, Book #1

Genre: NonFiction

Published:  August 2010

Publisher: Xlibris

Author Website: http://beneaththesilverlining.com

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  380

Source:  Pump Up Your Book Tours

Read an except

Book Summary

On the outside, her family appeared to be one big, happy family. Their house, with her parents, three sisters, and two brothers, was the epitome of a simple yet fulfilling life lived in a small town. But as the author would soon discover, her childhood was in fact a nightmarish phase of her life she would always be running from. Growing up as a carefree girl, Wolfe struggled to comprehend why she was reared in a family where children are deprived of their right to know the truth, adults are always right, and smoothing out a misunderstanding is never an option.

At the young age of nine, she started experiencing cruelty at the hands of her father, who not only abused her emotionally, but physically and sexually as well. Her mother, whose love she sought, was a stern woman who refused to see her husband's mistakes. As if her deeply troubled relationship with her parents was not enough, Wolfe also had to deal with inner secrets involving creepy characters from the afterlife. Feeling tormented, confused, solitary, and even filthy, this naïve girl had yet to be transformed into a strong-willed woman who would become cynical about love and learn to depend on no one but herself while facing more of life's bitterness.

My Thoughts

Oh my gosh.  What to say about this book?  Secrets Of The Black Box is one of those books that leaves a stain on your brain.  It was no easy book to read.  I originally decided to read it because I thought it was a paranormal story.  While it did have some paranormal happenings, it retold the life of author Amanda Wolfe and ugly parts of her life that most people would not have to courage to talk about.

The book deals with physical, sexual, and emotional abuse that an entire family has to endure.  Little Amanda doesn’t understand what’s going on so she tries her best to make sense at an age where a child should be happy and safe, not fearful of what abuse she will suffer next.

Her parents are the worst parents ever.  Her dad is a total sleeze.  He’s supposed to be taking care of the family but he’s the one destroying it.  Rape and beatings are his preferred methods of dealing with his daughters.

The mother is a shell of a woman.  She’s ignorant and weak.   She continues to stay with her scumbag husband and is very aware of all the abuse he is subjecting their children to.  When she’s not dealing her own cruel form of punishment, she fuels her husband’s sick shenanigans and looks the other way as if nothing is happening.

Secrets Of The Black Box was a train wreck to read, but I couldn’t put it down.  It made me sad and angry to know that this was a real life story and this could also be the story of someone else’s life

There were a few happy spots in the book and I’m glad that Amanda Wolfe had the courage and determination to stay sane and get her story out.

My  Rating

I give Secrets Of The Black Box four stars.  It’s not my normal read and I can’t say that I enjoyed it, but it was a very good book.

Review: The Portrait by Hazel Statham

Genre:  Historical Romance 

Published: August 2010

Publisher: Avalon Books

Author Website: www.hazel-statham.co.uk

Format I Read:  Hardcover

Pages:  185

Source:  reviewed for Pump Up Your Books

Read an excerpt

Book Summary

England 1812

Severely injured at the battle of Salamanca, Edward Thurston, the new Earl of Sinclair, returns home to his beloved Fly Hall. Determined not to present his prospective bride with the wreck he believes himself to have become, he decides to end his betrothal, unaware that Lady Jennifer, for vastly differing reasons, has reached the selfsame decision.

Throughout the campaigns, Edward was often seen relying greatly on a miniature he carried, and it is to this token he clings upon his return. Will he eventually find happiness with the girl in the portrait, or will he remain firm in his resolve not to wed? Reason dictates one course, his heart another.

My Thoughts

After being injured in war, Lord Edward is determined to spare Lady Jennifer the pain of being married to a less than whole man.  Although he is secretly in love with her, he doesn’t want her to pity him.

Jennifer is upset that Edward has never given her a chance to get to know him, but she more than agrees when he proposes that they call off their engagement and just remain friends. 

After I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down.  I loved Jennifer and Edward.  Although I could tell that the two were already in love with each other, I enjoyed their friendship and all the shenanigans the two managed to get themselves in. 

I loved that their relationship was not rushed.  After they got to know each other, the romance blossomed. I think that’s what made me like story more because I had a forced romance.  It kills the whole story.

The Portrait is historical romance at its best.  The book was short but the story is unforgettable.  Hazel Statham did an excellent job with the plot and the characters. 

My Rating

I give The Portrait four flowers of love.  This is definitely a great romantic read.

  

Review: Regression by Kathy Bell

Title:  Regression

Author:  Kathy Bell

Series:  Infinion Trilogy, Book #1

Genre:  Sci-Fi

Published:  February 2009

Publisher:  Northern Sanctum Press

Format I Read:  Print

Pages:  348

How I Got It:  reviewed for Pump Up Your Book Tours

Read excerpt

Book Summary:

Fourteen-year-old Adya Jordan swears that before her head injury she was a forty-year-old mother of six. Is she going crazy, or did she really live through an entirely different life? 1985 is nothing like she remembers, although her first day of high school certainly is! A typical girl with atypical genes, Adya tries to recapture her old life, hiding her growing conviction that she has done this before. Memories of the man she loved and a family she adored haunt her, even though her future husband doesn’t even know she exists.

Accidentally discovering the secretive Three Eleven Corporation might know more about her situation than she does; she is convinced the twenty-eight men heading up the company are responsible for the changes in her world. Adya finds her way into their ranks, journeying to the tropical island headquarters to begin an orientation into their prestigious internship program. The Three Eleven Company controls the development and distribution of Twenty-first Century technology brought with them from the future. Charged with the task of preparing the world for an impending disaster, each member of the team uses his scientific background to create a solution for a problem the planet does not know it is facing. They don’t have time to deal with a feisty young girl poking around. Banished to the frozen Canadian Shield for asking too many questions of CEO Abraham Fairfield, Adya finds the men in the underground city of Sanctum are interested in more than just her genes as they search for the answer to her presence in the timeline. In the end, Adya encounters a choice no mother should ever face: save her children…or everyone else.

My Thoughts

I was excited to read this book.  The book confuses you and piques your interest at the same time.   Regression starts out slow and I had to really pay attention to find out what was really going on.  The story is like an end of the world type where some sort of disaster happens in 2011.  The impact of the disaster is so powerful that it causes Adya to time travel.  She goes back in time twenty six years and is forced to live her life over but has all of her memories from her future self.

As her fourteen year old self, Adya has to work hard to not do or say things that would make people think she was crazy.  Having a forty year old mind in a teenage body isn’t easy especially when she doesn’t know how or why this has happened.   This is what drew me to this story.  The story was well written and it keep me turning pages.  It was very interesting to see how Kathy Bell handled the mixing of past science and technology with that of current advancements.

The story raised lots of question and caused my imagination to run wild.  If you could live your life over, would you change or add anything?  Are you totally content with the way your life has turned out?  And if you had information about the future that could mean life and death, how far would you go and what would you sacrifice to make sure that the life you knew continued to exist?

My  Rating

I give Regression three and a half flowers of love.  If you love science fiction and fantasy, you’ll want to read this series.

1/2