Recent Read

Veil of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Why this one: The author noticed it on my sidebar under the Eagerly Anticipating and contacted me to see if I'd be interested in reading an ARC.
Hell Yes!! I replied since I've loved all the previous books in this series.

Steam Level: Ahhhhhh yes. Hope you like it hot 'cause this one is

Author Website Blurb:

BOUND BY BLOOD, ADDICTED TO DANGER, THEY'LL ENTER THE DARKEST--AND MOST EROTIC--PLACE OF ALL . . .

A warrior trained in bullets and blades, Renata cannot be bested by any man--vampire or mortal. But her most powerful weapon is her extraordinary psychic ability--a gift both rare and deadly. Now a stranger threatens her hard-won independence, a golden-haired vampire who lures her into a realm of darkness . . . and pleasure beyond imagining.

A combat-loving adrenaline junkie, Nikolai dispenses his own justice to enemies of the Breed--and his latest quarry is a ruthless assassin. One woman stands in his way: the seductive, cool-as-ice bodyguard, Renata. But Renata's powers are put to the test when a loved one, a child, is threatened and she's forced to turn to Niko for help. As the two join forces, as desire fans the flames of a deeper hunger, Renata's life is under seige by a man who offers the exquisite pleasure of a blood bond--and a passion that could save or doom them both forever. . . .

My Thoughts: I read my first vampire book way before most did. I think it was either Forever the Night published in 1993 by Linda Lael Miller or Twilight Phantasies by Maggie Shayne also published in 1993. I read them close together – in 1993 - so I’m not sure which one came first. While I enjoyed them well enough, I was never moved to read more in either series. I read Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice and enjoyed it, but never read any other of her Lestat books.

Then after a lull until they came back into vogue, I read a number of the current crop of vampire books. I read JR Wards Dark Lover and Lover Eternal and I quite liked both of them. But I was never compelled to read further, though I have the next two in the TBR pile. I tried a couple of Christine Feehan’s Dark series, but they squicked me out too much. I’ve read a couple of Susan Squires but don’t even really remember what they were about. I’ve tried a few other authors who have written vampire books but I don’t even remember them.

So what’s your point you’re wondering?

Well, I thought I’d escaped the ‘call’ of the vampire romance. I could read one or two and that was enough. I wasn’t in any danger of becoming a vampire junkie.

Or so I thought.

Then I read Lara Adrian’s first book, Kiss of Midnight and didn’t I get hooked after all. I loved it! And since her other three in the series were already on the shelves I quickly read them all. And darned if I didn’t have to say goodbye to my attitude of not getting hooked on Vampire Romance and become addicted to the Midnight Breed series. That will teach me :) little Ms. Smuggy Pants that I can be.

Which brings me to Veil of Midnight? This time it was a bit of time between reading but it took no time to get caught up again in the world of the the Order, a group of Vampires who at first were dedicated to riding the world of Rogue vampires – those who have surrendered to Blood Lust to now tracking down a far greater threat to vampires and humans alike.

This is Nicolas’ story. As the book opens, he is in Montreal, trying to find an old Gen One Vampire Sergie Yaku. Nico wants to warn him that an evil, powerful vampire is targeting all the Gen One vampires and Sergie is more that likely on that list.

Instead of finding him, Nico falls into a trap laid out for him by none other than the heroine Renata, Sergei’s human female bodyguard. Time and again Renata gets the drop on Nico until finally she needs his help to find her young ward, Mina and must rescue him from a horrible fate. Then they must work together, despite some distrust on both sides, especially Renata’s.

Unlike the other Midnight Breed books, this one takes place almost entirely in Montreal and there are just brief appearances of the previous heroes. The action mainly involves Nico and Renata and the evil stacked against them.

One of the things that appeals to me over That Other Series, is the strength of the heroines. For the most part they are almost an equal match for the alpha Breed heroes and wowzers is Renata almost more than a match for Nico. Considering she’s human, albeit a breed mate human, she can really kick some ass – including Nico’s. And I liked that – I really liked it! And her special talent can really lay him low – with no defences and she uses it on him, more than once. No TSTL heroine is our Renata. I love how near the end, when Nico is behaving like a typical, I am Man and You Woman Must Obey Me, she doesn’t hesitate to let him have it, physically, and then goes on to get the job done. And there is no doubt she can do it.

A loner all her life, Renata has been brutalized by the Montreal branch of vampires and is very hesitant to trust Nico, even though she is attracted to him from the beginning. And her strength and will to succeed is one of the things that attracts Nico to her.

If I seem to be going on about her quite a bit, it’s because she’s such a well written heroine and it’s so unusual to see a human heroine who’s an equal match for a vampire hero – at least in the ones I’ve read.

But I can’t neglect Nico either. He’s another great addition to this most excellent series. He’s compassionate, protective, and sexy and rather than feeling threatened by Renata, appreciates her.

And – there is just enough about the next book with Andreas Reichen to start the countdown for the release of Ashes of Midnight!

For those who’ve been reading and enjoying this series, Veil of Midnight is a most excellent new addition to the series. For those who haven’t but have been curious, I think this one can be read as a stand-alone since most of it takes place outside of the setting of the previous books.

This one is in the running for best paranormal of the year for this happy reader. And while I don't always notice such things, she has a pretty good trailer for this one too!

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

(and can I just say - sometimes I loathe blogger. I know the font is all out of whack - but no matter what I do, it just won't allow itself to be fixed. Damn blogger anyway)

Recent Reads

I’ve gotten behind in doing my thoughts on my latest reads so I’m doing a 4-fer here.

Call of the Highland Moon by Kendra Leigh Castle

Why this one: Katie sent me a copy and as it’s a werewolf story and I never had a thing going against werewolf stories I was quite happy to receive it.

Steam Level: Nice and steamy

Amazon Blurb: A Scottish Highlands werewolf fleeing his destiny ...

Gideon MacInnes is a werewolf from the Scottish Highlands. He loves the haunting beauty of his home, but runs away to upstate New York, grappling with his destiny of being his clan's next alpha. As a snowstorm closes in, Gideon is attacked by rogue wolves working for an enemy he never imagined existed. He stumbles, wounded and bleeding, to collapse on the doorstep of Carly Silver's tiny romance bookstore-ironic, as she's never been very good at relationships with men.

A warmhearted woman, looking for a new pet ...

Thinking he's a dog, she takes him home, treats his injuries and wakes up to find a devastatingly handsome naked man in her bed.

Trapped together through the raging storm, Gideon discovers that he's found his mate and Carly has to choose between becoming a werewolf, charged with protecting humankind from the inhabitants of an evil otherworld, or giving up the one man she's ever truly loved ...

My Thoughts: *sigh* oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. First off, this one started out quite good. Gideon has traveled to the US to escape his destiny – or at least put it off for a while – as his clan’s next Alpha. When he is very badly injured in a fight with another werewolf, he finds Carly – while still in werewolf form – and she takes him home with her. For quite some time, I was really digging the character of Gideon. He was a very fine hero. But then the hero train stopped at the station and he got off the train and for me, lost all rights to be called a hero. *sigh* he was stupid. STUPID IN CAPITAL LETTERS. He withheld vital information from Carly and as a result of this, her life was put into deadly jeopardy. And if that wasn’t bad enough

*spoilers here*

After when she was bitten by the bad werewolf, because our hero was STUPID, he whisked her back to Scotland, to his clan, she was about to go through the change, the change that killed most of the women because they weren’t strong enough – AND HE LEFT HER!! He left her all alone with the knowledge that she would probably die like so many other mates of werewolves. And this was after promising her he would stay with her!! I wasn’t too keen on him before that – the STUPID thing, but to me this was totally inexcusable. Yes, I know he had to go and fight the bad guys and as Mr. Spock says, “The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few” but surely he could have found someone to be with her in her final painful horrendous hours. He didn’t even wait to tell her what to expect! Nope, he just left her there – all alone. At this point he was on the Unforgivable train.

Of course since this is a romance, she didn’t die – but still. If I were her, I would have stayed in werewolf form and bitten off a certain piece of his anatomy for what he did!

Still, I give the author props for good writing and an interesting world. I’m not writing her off. Gideon has a brother who will have a story coming up and I plan on reading it. I just hope his isn’t as STUPID as his older brother.

And one other thing of note. Carly owns a book store – which is cool – but I hate the name of her bookstore; Bodice Rippers and Baubles. The only type of books she sells are romance books. I didn’t find that entirely believable – that she would make a success with such limited options.

Grade: 3 out of 5 – it would have been higher except for the hero taking the wrong train.

Your Scandalous Ways by Loretta Chase

Why this one: Because it’s Loretta Chase! I’ve read almost all her books excluding her earliest Trads and while I have Lord Perfect and Not Quite a Lady, I haven’t read them yet. But I decided to jump ahead and read YSW because of the great buzz

Steam Level: Just the way I like it

Back Cover Blurb: James Cordier is all blueblood and entirely dangerous. He's a master of disguise, a brilliant thief, a first class lover--all for King and country--and, by gad, he's so weary of it. His last mission is to “acquire” a packet of incriminating letters from one notorious woman. Then he can return to London, and meet sweet-natured heiresses--not adventuresses and fallen women.

Francesca Bonnard has weathered heartbreak, scorn, and scandal. She’s independent, happy, and definitely fallen; and she's learned that “gentlemen” are more trouble than they're worth. She can also see that her wildly attractive new neighbour is bad news.
But as bad as James is, there are others far worse also searching for Francesca's letters. And suddenly nothing is simple--especially the nearly incendiary chemistry between the two most jaded, sinful souls in Europe. And just as suddenly, risking everything may be worth the prize.

My Thoughts: I’ve seen in a few places that this one rates as high as Lord of Scoundrels. For me it wasn’t quite that good – but then very few book are. But aside from the comparison, I liked this one very much. It was refreshing in a number of ways. First off the setting is Venice rather than England. That alone gives it bonus points. Secondly, the heroine is an unabashed courtesan. Francesca made no bones or no apologies for what she did for a living. And I really liked her character. She was intelligent and fun.

James was a good match for Francesca. He was quite a hoot in his pursuit of Francesca. He acted totally out of character from himself. Yet I loved that she remained calm – at least on the outside. She really made him work for herself. I like that in a heroine. And I really adored her later on when we got to see some her vulnerabilities. And I give kudos to James for not holding it against her for her life and for wanting to marry her anyway.

Overall this was quite an enjoyable read.

Grade: 4 out of 5

Tall Tales and Wedding Veils by Jane Graves

Why this one: I’ve read all of Ms. Graves books and enjoyed them.

Level of Steam: Between warm and hot

Author Web site blurb:

Marry in haste...

Accountant Heather Montgomery is a planner. So never in her wildest dreams did she think she'd run into sexy charmer Tony McCaffrey in Vegas, play lady luck, and celebrate his jackpot with a champagne-soaked night. And she certainly never expected to wake up the next morning married! How could this good girl pick a man whose fridge is empty and whose apartment is a disaster zone, yet still drives her so crazy with lust she can't see straight?

Lust at leisure!

Quickly hitched and happily ditched, Tony can't wait to get back to his playboy ways. But when Heather's family is thrilled that their no-nonsense daughter is finally in love, he proposes a plan: stay married for a month to repay his good luck charm, even though she sterilizes his toothbrush and forbids anything between the sheets. But Heather is more than he bargained for--a sharp-witted, passionate woman who just might turn his near miss into wedded bliss!

My Thoughts: Ms. Graves has a wonderful way of taking a character you’re not sure you are going to like and writing them in such a way that by the time you’ve finished the book, you quite like that person. She did it with the character of Darcy McDaniel in Hot Wheels and High Heels and now she has done it with Tony McCaffery. I must admit when I first started reading, I didn’t really care for his character. He was a real player and that isn’t my favourite type of character. But as the book went on and his past is slowly revealed, I came to like him better and better.

But what I really enjoyed in this book was Heather, the heroine. When she wakes up the next morning and realizes they were married, her reaction is horror – much to Tony’s surprise who thinks she will be upset when he says it was a mistake.

I loved her character. She isn’t the brainless beauty that Tony usually dates, but she knows her own worth. She doesn’t take any crap from him and doesn’t hesitate to dress him down - in very funny ways. She’s had kind of crush on him for a while but she still sees him for the player he is.

The secondary characters are also quite interesting from Heather’s best friend to her cousin who’s getting married – with Heather as a Very Reluctant Bridesmaid. This one recently got an A at AAR and I can see why. It’s so refreshing to read a straight contemporary. They are getting more and more rare

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Midnight Rising by Lara Adrian

Why this one: I’ve read the previous three books in this series and I’ve really enjoyed them

Steam Level: Hot!!

Author Website Blurb: In a world of shadows and dark, consuming hungers, desire is the deadliest weapon…

The Breed Warrior Rio has endured a shattering betrayal of the heart – one that has left his body scarred and broken, his mind on the brink of madness. For him, redemption seems out of reach, and never more so than when he finds himself craving a fiery tabloid reporter in pursuit of a story that’s closer to the truth than she could ever imagine. A dangerous seduction begins, blurring the lines between predator and prey, lover and enemy…

My Thoughts: I haven’t got caught up in the whole JR Ward and BDB phenomenon, But I have in this lesser known (and lesser appreciated I think) vampire series. What I like about this series over the BDB series is the heroines are much stronger – they seem to be on a more equal footing with the heroes and I think the world building is more consistent, something I’ve said before about the previous books. The strong bond behind The Breed is just as strong I think.

This book is Rio’s story. Near the end of the first book he was badly injured in an explosion and it turned out he and his fellow band of warriors were betrayed by his breed mate.

Scarred both inside and out, he feels he is no longer any use as a Warrior and after his final mission, blowing up a cave that once held one of the monsters they were all descended from, he was going to seal himself inside the cave.

But before he can do that, our heroine, finds him hiding out in the cave and proceeds to take pictures. She plans on doing an article for a rag type newspaper. She’s a journalist but at the time, this is the only kind of work she can find. As this could reveal things that are not to be known about the Breed, Rio has no choice but to ditch his suicide plans and follow her and take her captive. But much to his dismay, she is a breed mate, one of the few humans that can mate with Breeds and as such is to be treated with care and reverence.

Because Rio is so damaged, he has trouble controlling himself at times and suffers breakdowns. When Heather witnesses one she is terrified. But she gradually begins to see beneath the surface to the tender, kind and honourable man underneath.

I was fortunate to read the first four books of this series in a relatively short period of time but alas now I have a longer wait for the next one. But I have a feeling it will be worth it as so far I have quite enjoyed each and every one of these books.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

Recent Reads

If you haven’t seen me around quite as much lately, it’s because I’ve been on a great reading binge lately. And boy am I happy that I have been. I haven’t read this many books so quickly in a long time! Giving up TV has proved to be very beneficial to the reader in me.

Not Another Bad Date by Rachel Gibson

Why this one: I’ve read all her other books and some I love, some not so much, some I didn’t like at all – but except for one – Daisy’s Back in Town. That one was a hot button for me – heroine has secret baby but decides not to tell the daddy. See Jane Score is one of my all time favourite books so I’m always going to at least give her a try.

Steam Level: Nice and warm, the kettle could have boiled a little bit more though

Author Web site blurb: Adele Harris has never had a problem finding a man it’s finding a good man that’s damn near impossible

Adele Harris has dated them all-geeks, nerds, liars, losers. Egomaniacs, nymphomaniacs, and just plain maniacs. She's been set up and stood up, and now she's had it up to here with the jerks of the world. It’s enough to make a girl give up dating forever. If only she could find a guy that made her heart flutter like her first love, Zach, the college quarterback who swept her off her feet senior year... before dumping her to marry someone else. Okay, so he wasn't perfect. But when Adele heads back to Cedar Creek, Texas, for a family emergency, she discovers that her hometown heartthrob is still as sexy as ever and now he’s single.

It could be the end of Adele's streak. After all, forgiving Zach for breaking her heart years ago and learning to trust him again will take everything she's got, but Adele can handle anything... anything but another bad date.

My Thoughts: I’ve said before that while I love a good hero, it’s the heroine that can make or break a book for me. Cough – The Defiant Hero by Suzanne Brockman – Cough. This one is the opposite of that one that came out while I was coughing. I really did not like Zach, but the book wasn’t broken because I did like Adele. First off, Zach. He came across to me as real jerk. I did not like him – at all. First off, he broke Adele’s heart years earlier when he just dropped her to go on and marry his previous girlfriend when she became pregnant. He acted like it was such a noble thing for him to do – then proceeded to cheat on her. Real swell guy he was. Mind you his first wife, Devon, wasn’t all that great. She got pregnant on purpose.

Then, later in the book, when he finally says he feels bad about hurting Adele those many years ago, he does the “but” thing and says he would do the same thing again. What a prince. I also didn’t like him because he just struck me as being real stuck on himself – god’s gift to women – that kind of attitude. Adele was the only woman who didn’t drop dead at his feet and he really didn’t like that. He also pretty much ignored his daughter for years so he could do his own thing and screw other woman. Excuse me – he married her mother because he was the father – and then made a real rotten one for years.

On the other hand, Adele really worked for me. She gave up her own life – reluctantly – to come back and help her sister and niece out when they needed her. She wasn’t the best aunt – she felt. She wasn’t all motherish and I liked that about her. She was anxious and looking forward to getting back to her own like, which I felt was pretty realistic. She floundered and she had moments of resenting the sacrifice she made. I found that to be believable too.

Another thing that kind of had me scratching my head was the inclusion of the first wife. For the life of me, I couldn’t really figure out why that was in there at all. On top of that – having said one thing, I couldn’t help but notice the rather large almost double spaced font in this book. While it made it easier to read, it almost seemed like it was done just to make a certain page count. I could be wrong though.

Overall, it’s kind of hard to grade this one. The ‘hero’ was a jerk, but the heroine was great. And it was very readable. I finished it in a day and a half and even though I didn’t like Zach, it was no hardship to read. I’d give it a better grade but really, even though it’s the heroine that makes or breaks the book, still it helps a lot if you can like the hero, and I didn’t in this one. Hopefully I will like her next hero, because I will read her next book.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

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Kiss of Crimson by Lara Adrian

Why this one: I read her first book, Kiss of Midnight and really enjoyed it. I went out and bought all the other ones so far in the series. Plus it’s not too bad a cover to take to work.

Steam Level: Although there weren’t a lot of love scenes, the ones that were in the book were smokin’

Blurb from Author Web Site: He comes to her more dead than alive, a towering black-clad stranger riddled with bullets and rapidly losing blood. As she struggles to save him, veterinarian Tess Culver is unaware that the man calling hims

elf Dante is no man at all, but one of the Breed, vampire warriors engaged in a desperate battle. In a single erotically charged moment Tess is plunged into his world--a shifting, shadowed place where bands of Rogue vampires stalk the night, cutting a swath of terror.

Haunted by visions of a dark future, Dante lives and fights like there is no tomorrow. Tess is a complication he does not need--but now, with his brethren under attack, he must shield Tess from a growing threat that includes Dante himself. For with one reckless, irresistible kiss, she has become an inextricable part of his underworld realm . . . and his touch awakens her to hidden gifts, desires, and hungers she never knew she possessed. Bonded by blood, Dante and Tess must work together to thwart deadly enemies, even as they discover a passion that transcends the boundaries of life itself . . . .

My Thoughts: I don’t know how I avoided it – becoming addicted to JR Wards BDB series. I’ve read the first two so far and while I really enjoyed them, especially Rhage’s story, somehow I haven’t become what Katie calls a BDB crack addict. Now the Midnight Breed series are almost a different story. I may be one of a very few, but I actually am enjoying this series more. I find the world building better, the heroines much stronger, the villains not nearly as obnoxious and thank the stars – no silly Scribe Virgin.

Dante is the kind of hero who wants no entanglements. His prophetic mother predicted a bad ending for him and he’s almost just putting in time until his number is up. He is badly injured in a fight with some Rogues – the bad guys

in this series, vampires who have succumbed to blood lust and gone over to the dark side. He stumbles into the veterinary clinic of the heroine, Tess, and in a weakened state, drinks her blood, only to discover much to his horror that she is a blood mate – a rare kind of human female that can mate with and give birth to one of the Breed heroes. He is more than dismayed because this creates a bond between them that can only be broken by death and he wants nothing to do with having a mate.

I really liked this book; I thought both Dante and Tess were great characters. Tess was a fairly strong character, much more so than the heroines in the BDB books I think. As I said there weren’t that many sex scenes, but th

e sexual tension between the two was very good. I mentioned in my previous post on Kiss of Midnight, that I kind of like the idea that these vampires are actually from another planet that ended up on earth a long time ago.

Grade: 4.5 out of 5

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Moonstruck by Susan Grant

Why this one: I’ve loved Susan Grant’s books for years and she’s an autobuy author for me.

Steam Level: Had to blow on my fingers, they were pretty crispy

Blurb from author’s website:

PEACE IS FOR LITTLE GIRLS.

And Coalition starship admiral Brit Bandar is one tough woman. A mere intergalactic treaty could never get her to trust the Drakken Horde. There was too much bad blood between the Coalition and the Horde and, for intensely personal reasons, Brit wasn’t sure that she was through spilling it! But now a peaceful accord has made Finn Rorkken, a notorious Drakken rogue, second-in command on her starship – and through some grand cosmic irony – front and center in her thoughts…and her heart.

WARLEADER. PIRATE.

Either title sat easily on Finn’s battle-hardened shoulders. Though second-in-command to “Stone-Heart” Bandar? That would take some getting used to. Peace required as much sacrifice as war, so he’d comply even if his reaction to the gorgeous admiral fell decidedly outside protocol. But would he end up kissing or killing her if the galaxy’s tentative truce turned into all out war?

My Thoughts: It’s books like this one that make me glad I read Sci Fi Romance!!! If Katie and I had had our favourite books of 2008 after I read this one – this is one I’d be saying is on my list for sure and I’d be URGING Kate to read. In fact – Kate – READ THIS BOOK!! READ IT I SAY. I know you love Linnea Sinclair so you and everyone else who love Ms. Sinclair's books should enjoy this one!

Wowzers this book is good! Brit Bandar is one of the strongest heroines I’ve read! Think Captain Janeaway from Star Trek Voyager and you get kind of a feel for Brit. She is an admiral and the captain of a ship. She is tough when she has to be, but is still loved by her crew. She suffered a great tragedy earlier in her life and rose from the ashes to become a tremendous success. She is admired by her friends and feared by her enemies. She is unapologetic in her sexuality, though she is discreet. She is tough, but fair and doesn’t make hasty decisions she will regret later. She has zoomed right up to the top and become one of my favourite heroines.

To give a bit of the storyline, she has been the captain of her own space ship and been a very successful commander in the ongoing war between the coalition and the Horde, their enemies for years. But peace has been declared and she is given command of a much bigger ship. But much to her dismay, her second in command is Finn Rorrken, a former War Leader of the Horde. Brit hates the Horde and with good reason and is not a happy camper that she must accept Finn and his crew. But, she reluctantly agrees to take them on and as I said, she is fair in her dealings with them.

Finn Rorrken is a great hero. Although he has suffered greatly himself, he is more than willing to let bygones be bygones and has actually long held great admiration for Brit, though he’s never met her. He is grateful to be given such a great opportunity and fully sees that the truce is a good thing. The Coalition has always had a higher standard of living than the Horde. Once he meets and slowly gets to know the woman behind the mask, he is totally and completely smitten with
her. I love when that happens with the hero. Despite being despised by many of the crew because of the bitterness left behind due to the war between the two races, he slowly earns their respect with his leadership qualities. Even though he is second to Brit, he is not bothered by it at all. In fact his previous admiration for grows into a deep love although Brit is most reluctant. Theirs is a great love story.

And I have to mention too, how multi-dimensional the secondary characters are, in particular her assistant Hadley Keyren, a young woman who a total fangirl of Brit and Bolivvar, one of Finn’s crew. Theirs is a tender secondary story I enjoyed very much.

I’ve loved many of Ms. Grant’s books and Moonstruck is one of the best! This is the first in a new series and if the rest are as good as the first, we are in for a real treat! And if you don't want to take just my word for it *g*, Jayne at DA really enjoyed this one too.

Grade: 5 out of 5

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So - that's three good books I really enjoyed. I'm on a roll I tell you - and I like it!

All three get my seal of approval