To Be Read Tuesday

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, an African-American woman, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life.
During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given: to protect this young slaveholder until he can father her own great-grandmother.


Author's Website

Review: Ecstasy In Darkness by Gena Showalter

Series:  Alien Huntress, Book #5

Genre:   Romance, Paranormal, Sci-Fi

Release Date:  October 2010

Publisher:  Pocket Star Books

Author Website: http://members.genashowalter.com/

Format I Read:  Paperback

Pages:  502

Source:  Purchased

Read an excerpt

Book Blurb

Growing up poor on New Chicago’s meanest streets, Ava Sans had two options: be the predator or be the prey. No contest. Now, working for Alien Investigation and Removal, she’s been ordered to capture the biggest, baddest warrior of all—a vampire too beautiful to be real, with the ability to manipulate time. Once the leader of the entire vampire army, McKell has been deemed savage and unstable, spurned even by his own kind.

To McKell, humans should be nothing more than sustenance. Yet the petite, golden-skinned Ava is a fascinating contradiction—vicious yet witty, strong yet vulnerable, lethal but fiercely loyal. Against his better judgment, McKell craves that loyalty, and much more. When the chase leads to seduction, McKell and Ava will race to discover the truth about his past. But the answers will come at a price, even for a woman who thought she had nothing left to lose. . . .

Awesomeness:

One of Ava’s requirements for a man had been “rich”.  “I want enough money to last an eternity making this woman happy.”

“So I’m your sugar daddy now?”  

My Thoughts

I officially have new love for all things Gena Showalter.  Ecstasy in Darkness is a must read.  The story is full of the same humor and action that I’ve come to love with each Alien Huntress book that I have read.

All the characters are over the top funny.  I especially loved the characters of Ava and Noelle.  They bicker and call each names but really are the best friends.  They love and support each other like sisters and get a tad violent with anyone that crosses them.

I also loved the sexy and dysfunctional relationship between Ava and McKell.  Although they were hot for each other, Ava just couldn’t seem to stop beating up on him.  Besides being Ava’s enemy, McKell was suppose to be the scariest of all vampires but he turned out to be a simple man in awe of his mate.  He was so eager to take any beating she dished out just as long as she kissed it and made it better. 

The story was easy to follow and I just couldn’t stop cracking up at the dialogue.  Although the book was long as hell, it never got boring.  There was always action, crazy moments, and enough romance to keep me turning pages.

Overall, I would recommend this book.  Gena Showalter’s Alien Huntress series gets better with each installment.  Ecstasy In Darkness  was funny as hell and McKell can bite me anytime -just as long as Ava doesn’t kick my ass.

Flowers Of Love Rating

1/2

Very good read and highly recommended

Other Books In This Series:

Awaken Me Darkly

Enslave Me Sweetly

Savor Me Slowly

Seduce The Darkness

Tempt Me Eternally 
Dark Taste Of Rapture (coming August 2011)

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

ARC Review and Giveaway: Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

Series:  The Blend, Book #1

Genre:  YA, Fantasy, Romance, Sci-Fi

Released:  June 2010

Publisher:  Self Published

Author Website:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lori-Pescatore-Author/141156271014

Format I Read:  ARC Paperback

Pages:  231

Source:  Author

Book Blurb

Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her. 

A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her mysteriously curing a young child's illness. He befriends her due to his growing fascination with uncovering the true nature of her abilities, but not without harboring secrets of his own.

Laney's budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed. 

 Awesome Line:

“Sure you can take care of yourself.  That’s why we all spent the last two days chasing after you and that crazy-ass thug with a death wish.  Face it, Julie, your life screams ‘damsel in distress’”

My Thoughts

I did not know what to think going into this book.  The book has an interesting cover and a unique plot that keep me interested.

Human Blend is about Laney (Julie) who has a combination of unusual abilities.  She was kidnapped as a child so she’s never been taught how to use her abilities, where they came from, or exactly what they are.  All she knows is to do whatever she is told to stay alive.  She has tried several times to escape, but each time they find her, anyone that has come in contact with her or tried to help her in anyway end up dead.

Human Blend is another good book that kept me wondering what would happen next.  It has romance, action, a little bit of paranormal mixed with science fiction and fantasy. 

I immediately liked Laney and felt her pain of wanting to fit in and just be normal.  She was young and naïve so she naturally she sucked at fitting in. Her first mistake was choosing a small town where everyone knew each other and someone new would easily stand out.  She also had that vibe where anyone that came in contact with her never forgot meeting her.  Besides being beautiful and super sweet, her vibe drew people to her and made them take notice.  At times, that vibe drew unwanted attention, but in the end, it provided her with the protection that she desperately needed.

The love triangle kept me frustrated because I couldn’t decide who I wanted Laney to end up with. Austin was the sweet, romantic guy next door that she easily fell for.  But knowing her past might catch up with her at any moment, she could never be completely honest with him and tell him about her life because there was no way he’d ever understand.   She also didn’t want him to get hurt.

Then there was Eli, the handsome doctor with secrets of his own.  He had a way of seeing right through Laney’s lies and making her trust him enough to share. I have to admit, when Eli was introduced, all I could think about was Dr. Cullen from Twilight.  Weird, but the mysterious doctor had vampire written all over him, or so I thought.  I had him pegged all wrong, but I enjoyed finding out about him and the other not so human characters in this book.

Another character that I liked was Marcus.  He was also a mysterious and a little too blunt with his words.  All of his scenes were memorable and funny as hell.   

Rating.

I give Human Blend four flowers of love because the story doesn’t have the usual paranormal creatures in it, but something new to wonder about.  I can’t wait for the next book so I can learn more about the characters and their origins.

Other Reviews Of This Book:

Goodreads

Shelfari

Giveaway

Lori has been sweet enough to offer a copy of Human Blend for giveaway.  This contest is open internationally and the winner will have the choice of receiving an ebook or print copy.  The contest will end Jan 3^rd. Here’s how to enter

• Must be a follower of this blog
• Must comment on this post
• Must read Contest and Giveaway Rules
• Must follow Lori Pescatore on Facebook or Twitter
• Must fill out the entry form

Good luck!!!

Review: Bloodsworn: Bound By Magic by Kathy Lane

Genre:  Paranormal Romance, Fantasy

Published: September 2010

Publisher: Wild Rose Press

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

Format I Read:  ebook

Pages:  380 (Nook pages)

Source: Ck2s Kwips and Kritiques

Read an excerpt

Book Summary

Worlds collide when a man of magic is forced to take a woman of science as his bride. Powerful Bloodsworn, Devlin Kel-Tragar, is sent to Earth to claim his prophecy bride, a task he has no heart for until he learns that research chemist, Avera St. John, is also his Starmate, the one woman in the universe born just for him. Now he'll do anything to claim her. But will his slow seduction of his lady mate give his enemy time to take away the one thing Devlin can't afford to lose?

Avera is drawn to her new neighbor, Devlin Kel, despite the mystery she senses surrounding him. A mystery that blows her safe little scientific world wide open when strange men with swords try to kill her and Devlin shows up and blasts them with magic. Real, honest-to-goodness magic! Her world is suddenly changed forever, and Avera must decide if she is able to accept those changes along with the man responsible.

My Thoughts

Devlin is a powerful magic wielder sent to Earth to claim his future bride, Avera.   Since Avera doesn’t know that magic exists and he’s pretty sure that she’s going to think he’s crazy, he plans to woo her before revealing his plans for their future. When his enemies try to keep Devlin from claiming her, time has run out and he has no choice but to reveal himself and hope that Avera can forgive him for deceiving her.

Bound By Magic is a unique story. The story started out slow, but developed into a fast paced read. At first, the story didn’t draw me in, but as I kept reading, I began to enjoy the tale that Kathy Lane wove.

Avera St John has a lot of things to deal with in her life. She recently survived a vicious attack on her life, her father has gone missing, and now she realizes that she hates her job. What more could life throw at her?

When she first meets Devlin, her sexy new neighbor, her first impression is stranger danger, but later she realizes that she’s drawn to him and can’t figure out why. When she starts receiving strange gifts, she decides that now is not the time to start a new romance.

Kathy Lane did a wonderful job on this book. I enjoyed the world building that took place and loved the characters that were introduced. The plot was also new and fresh. I haven’t read a lot of books that dealt with magical beings without shape shifters, so this was a nice change of pace.

The slow romance between Avera and Devlin was just right and didn’t feel forced. I liked that Devlin gave Avera time and patience to accept him and what her position with him would entail. I also liked that Avera was given her own identity and that she did not have to rely on her ties to Devlin to be a force to be reckoned with.

My  Rating

I give Bound By Magic four flowers of love.  

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