Catching Up!!

I've been sooooo behind on blogging my favorite books *shakes fists at the Holidays* so to play a little catch up I'll fill you in on what I've been reading.

First up Julia Quinn's Bridgerton Series.

 
This Historical Romance Series follows the 8 Briderton Siblings find love. It's spread throughout several years as Hyacinth, the baby of the family, hasn't even hit puberty when sister Daphne meets her Duke in book 1. I LOVED this series. Ms. Quinn takes you on the journey with the 4 Bridgerton boys and their 4 sisters. Anthony, Benedict, Collin, Daphne, Eloise, Francesca, Gregory and Hyacinth with all capture your heart and you'll find it hard to pick a favorite. But here's my secret, I love a book that makes me cry so I'm partial to 'When He Was Wicked' (featuring Francesca).

These are probably Ms. Quinns most popular books/characters so look to her Website to view the second epilogues for these fan favorites. Enjoy!!


Next up is Michelle Rowen's
   Immortality Bites Series.

This Supernatural Romance series follows new vampire Sarah Dearly and friends battle all the wrongdoers and fang haters. With her older than dirt boyfriend/adoptive sire Thierry, 'I wanna be a vampire too' best friend, Slayer turned Vamp Quinn (Lady & the Vamp) and timid warewolf pet you'd think Sarah has enough to deal with. Unfortunately she's not that lucky...everyone seems to be after the sassy star of these books.

If you're looking for a fun little series that lacks a little spice in the *ahem* bedroom, this is one for you. I've actually really enjoyed all of Ms. Rowen's books I've read and I'm looking forward to reading her 'Living in Eden' series which the first 2 books are waiting for me on my bookshelf. 

If you're looking for more information on this series or any of Michelle Rowen's other series you can go to her website

Night Star

Title:Night Star (The Immortals Series)

Author:Alyson Noel

Genre:Young Adult (Paranormal/Sci-Fi)

Pages:320 (Hardback)

Copyright:2010

Main Characters:Ever; Damen;Jude;Haven
Supporting Characters: Myles; Ava;Sabine





Night Start is the 5th book in Alyson Noel's Immortal series. I'll keep this one short and sweet considering my rant about my feelings on Ever in the blog for Dark Flame.

Ever is getting ready to start her senior year of high school. Not only is there still no cure for her and Damens little problem. Sabine is still on her case about her doing psychic readings and she's still reeling over Jude killing Roman. But the biggest problem is Haven, Ever's former best friend is out for revenge and Jude and Ever are top on the list.

I must say I FINALLY felt a breakthrough with Ever in this one. I actually ended the book hating her quite a bit less.  The final book in the series is set to come out this coming summer and I can't wait to see how it all ends!

Buy this book--Night Star on Amazon

Me, Myself and Why?

Title:Me, Myself and Why?
Author:Mary Janice Davidson
Genre:Romance (Chick-Lit)
Pages:302 (Hardback)
Copyright:2010
Main Characters:Cadence/Shiro/Adrienne Jones
Supporting Characters:Patrick;Cathie;George






In the first book of Mary Janice Davidson's new trilogy we meet Cadence Jones who is just your average FBI agent on the hunt for a serial killer dubbed 'ThreeFer'. OK so that's a total lie, in fact Cadence it just one part of the crazy that is the Jones 'sisters'. I use the term sisters loosely for the fact that they're actually all different personalities trapped in one body. Cadence (The almost sickly sweet one) experienced a major trauma while a toddler and developed Shiro (the karate chopping/deal with everything one) and Adrienne (The slightly scary/beat people to a pulp one) to help her deal. After living in an institution her entire adolescence she's recruited into the BOFFO, a branch of the FBI who hires people like her, her sociopath partner George and the likes. Now that the 3 realize the ThreeFer killer is reaching out to them specifically they'll have to work together to figure out exactly why.

As if dealing with her job isn't enough, her best friend Cathie's, (hotter then the oven he works with) brother Patrick comes to visit. Much to Cadences dismay, Patrick seems to have a thing for crazy and does his darnedest to date all 3 girls.  Hilarity ensues.

As you know I'm a huge MJ Davidson fan (Undead and Unfinished Blog) so deciding whether or not to read 'Me, Myself and Why?' wasn't even a question. After starting it I initially wondered what in the heck was going on, but once you get used to the jumping from character to character thing it's a brilliant read.  Getting into the mind of someone who doesn't feel like MPD is a handicap was refreshing and getting to know all 3 personalities made reading fun.  I'm excited for the next 2 installments. Even though they're totally lacking in the paranormal madness MJD is famous for, it's great fun for all.

Buy this book--Me, Myself and Why on Amazon

The Lost Hero

Title:The Lost Hero
Author:Rick Riordan
Genre:Fantasy-Adventure
Pages:553(hardback)
Copyright:2010
Main Characters:Jason Grace; Piper McLean; Leo Valdez
Supporting Characters:Other Demi-gods, monsters and Hera







The Lost Hero is part of the Heroes of Olympia series and follows Rick Riordan's best selling and super popular Percy Jackson series, and picks up a few months after The Last Olympian finishes.  Jason doesn't know who or where he is, or how he got there. For one thing he's on a bus, in the middle of the desert holding hands with a girl he's never seen before...a girl who claims to be his girlfriend Piper...listening to some ADHD kid named Leo talk.  When some jerk from Texas (whoda thunk it) ends up being a venti, storm spirit. They have to work together to get away from the stormy Grand Canyon.  Thankfully Annabeth shows up to whisk them off to Camp Half-Blood, where heroes are made.  Every 2 chapters the Narrator changes between Jason, Piper, and Leo. We come to know they're fears about their pasts, futures and how they're dealing with the present. It's  not easy. Especially when the present brings a prophecy, a missing goddess, and an uprising of something worse then the Titans (we learned of them in Percy's 5 books). 

The group takes off on the back of a celestial bronze dragon in search of Hera and run into some familiar faces along the way like, Thalia and some people who should be dead...i.e. King Midas and the sorceress Medea.  Now Leo, son of Hephaestus, the fire and machine guy...Piper, daughter of Aphrodite...she can charmspeak and Jason...Son of Jupiter...(ehhh Zues...no Jupiter...well they're the same guy...kinda) have the fight of their lives (and the lives of others) on their hands as they race across North America to reach and free Hera before the Winter Solstice. 

Loved this book...don't know why I wouldn't after Percy but I wasn't sure Mr. Riordan could keep it up. He did and more. I can't wait for next fall when we get more into where Percy is and who the others are in this great prophecy we keep hearing so much about. I'm also looking forward to more talks with gods...I love how Riordan describes their human appearances. And what about how the Roman and Greek gods differ! The man is brilliant!


OH on another note, I'm also still looking forward to learning more about Nico...here that Rick..this girl wants more Hades!!

Buy This Book--The Lost Hero on Amazon

Ben & Fran

I've been waiting for these 2 books for quite a while, but first you need a little background.  Katie MacAlister first introduced Francesca Ghetti and Benedikt Czerny in 2005, writing under Katie Maxwell for a young adult audience.  Unfortunately after 2 books in the series she was forced to put Ben and Frans story on hold until now.  I hadn't read either of the original books but lucky for us, they were re-released together in Confessions of a Vampires Girlfriend.

Title:Confessions of a Vampires Girlfriend (Got Fangs? & Circus of the Darned)

Author:Katie MacAlister writing as Katie Maxwell

Genre:YA Paranormal

Pages:348

Copyright:2005 & 2006 (re-release 2010)

Main Characters: Francesca 'Fran' Ghetti and Benedikt 'Ben' Czerny

Supporting Characters:Imogen Sorik, Miranda Ghetti, Soren Sauber

Got Fangs...Fran is 16 and would love nothing more than to be a normal teenager, but normal was never in the cards for her.  She describes herself as 6ft tall and built like a linebacker and it doesn't help that she can read your  emotions with one touch.  Although she's quite 'special' you'd never notice because she travels with the GothFaire her Wiccan mother works for. Yep, when you're surrounded by Moravians, mind readers and magicians being tall is nothing. That is until her friend Imogen's brother comes for a visit.

Benedikt just happens to be 300+ years old and has an appetite for blood. Fran knows he's a Vamp...ahem...Dark One...the moment they meet but she is surprised when she realizes they can read each others minds.  Ben is immediately aware that Fran is his Beloved (more on that later) but is willing to wait on Fran to grow up before they join.  The only thing Fran cares is that Ben is taller then her and she can touch him without passing out, that is until she finds out someone wants him dead.  With a not so little push from her mother, a new horse to take care of and a knee melting kiss, Fran decides to figure out who is stealing from the faire and who wants to stake her possible future at the same time.

Circus of the Darned...All Fran wants is to do is go on a date with her undead beau Ben. Too bad the fates have something else in mind.  Ben is keeping bloody secrets, Soren finds Tesla stolen and now the Valknut, Tibolt gave her for safe keeping has helped to inadvertently raise 12 long dead Vikings.  Vikings who expect "Goddess" Fran to get them to Valhalla... what's a girl to do. 

It takes several members of the Faire and a little mental shower scene to help Fran work out her problems, but in the end Ben still wants her, Tesla is home safe and sound and all her new bloodthirsty Viking friends have moved on.  She may have missed a first date opportunity but hey, she got some great advice and they have time....I mean Ben and Fran do have forever...right?

Buy This Book--Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend on Amazon

Title:In the Company of Vampires

Author:Katie MacAlister

Genre:Paranormal Romance

Pages:334
Copyright:2010
Main Characters:Francesca 'Fran' Ghetti and Benedikt 'Ben' Czerny

Supporting Characters: Imogen, Naomi, David and the 3 coolest Vikings warriors to ever walk the earth...again...Eirik, Finnvid and Isleif.

In the Company of Vampires finds our friend Fran in Oregon, confused and living with a girl named Geoff...and did I mention she hasn't seen Ben in about 5 years. Yeah, how could anyone stay away from Ben that long, especially someone who's supposed to return his soul.  Fran thinks she's content in the life she's made for herself. She's finished college and is about to take a job with her dad in California when someone kidnaps Geoff right off their doorstep and 3 Vikings, she knows to have been sent on, show up with plenty of weasel gold to go around. If that's not enough Fran can't seem to get in touch with her mother, could it be the God Loki has finally sought revenge on her after all these years?  After catching the first flight she could to Germany, Fran, Eirik, Finnvid and Isleif show up at GothFaire to search out the whereabouts of her mom.  Unfortunately for her (fortunately for us) Ben is there as well.  Although she's the one who initiated the breakup, when Fran catches a topless Ben (all the girls stand up and cheer) in the bed of another woman, her heart is absolutely broken. After all he claimed to Fran I'd be irked too. 

Even though Fran swears up and down she's done with Ben, she practically melts when he shows up in her trailer trying to explain he's never betrayed her.  With everything worked out, and the newer more mature Fran giving Ben a blessing to continue seeing Naomi (it's all an act you see), The Virgin Goddess Fran and her Viking Warriors start looking for clues.  With her days filled with mommy searching, God summoning, and of course weapon shopping you'd think Fran would be to tired for Ben at night...you'd be wrong.  In fact I'd have to say this book has one of my favorite sex scenes...probably ever.

Ok moving on...at first Fran is still skeptical about the whole Beloved thing (you see a Beloved is the one woman who can redeem a Dark Ones missing soul after taking the 7 steps in joining) but after realizing she truly does love Ben and him her she has Ben break into a hotel so they can take the final steps(Finally right?).  With that done, they're off in search of the illargi who has Miranda and also for Fran to meet her long lost half sister.

I'm not going to lie, I loved both books and I now realize why the people who had read the originals were so excited for the next chapter in Ben and Frans Saga.  Ben is probably one of my favorite male characters in all of Katie MacAlisters book, and that's saying alot (can we say Adrian, Kristoff, Christain, Baltic, Gabe, Drake, Paen...oh the list goes on and on). All and all...you need to read every book she's ever written.

Buy This Book--In the Company of Vampires on Amazon

Safe Haven

Title:Safe Haven
Author:Nicholas Sparks
Genre:Novel
Pages:340 (Hardback)
Copyright:2010
Main Characters:Katie, Alex, Kevin
Supporting Characters:Josh, Kristen, Jo







Katie is on the run from her past.  When she's lead to the town of Southport, North Carolina, she's afraid to settle down. She's constantly weary of her past(in the form of her husband) catching up with her.  Although she tries her hardest to blend in and keep to herself she can't help but be drawn to shop owner Alex and his children Josh and Kristen.

Alex knows Katie is hiding something, years as an Army detective has taught him the signs, and although he knows Katie is unwilling to share he secrets, Alex informs her he's not going anywhere. When the truth finally comes out and Alex knows Katie isn't her name and she's hiding from a controlling husband, Alex stands by her side.

With a little push from Katie's neighbor, Jo, their relationship blossoms regardless of both of their pasts. Now they have to prove they can make it work forever, and weather any disaster that comes their way.

Although Nicholas Sparks is generally one of my favorite authors, I've found myself having to actually make myself read his past several novels.  After reading "At First Sight" a couple years ago I decided I needed a break. Nick Sparks has said himself that his books aren't actually romances, but tragedies, and I can't remember a single title of his I haven't cried at one point or another. "Safe Haven" is different, considering as soon as I read what the book was about I knew it was going to be different and a definite must read...quickly.  Though many of his books have encompassed the subject of loss, whether it be death, war or distance, "Safe Haven" breeches the subject of abuse as well. Mr. Sparks is an excellent story teller, and he writes characters that you can't help but love...or in this instance hate. He truly makes you feel a part of he story where you don't want to put the book down.

I can honestly say this is probably my favorite Nicholas Sparks book since "A Walk To Remember", and although my copy is tear stained I shut the cover smiling.

Buy This Book--Safe Haven on Amazon

Simply Irresistible

Title:Simply Irresistible

Author:Jill Shalvis

Genre:Contemporary Romance

Pages:311

Copyright:2010

Main Characters:Maddie Moore & Jax Cullen

Supporting Characters:Tara, Chloe, Ford, Sawyer



First book in Jill Shalvis' new Lucky Harbor series.




Maddie Moore is leaving the 'mousy' lifestyle behind. After losing a boyfriend and job in one fell swoop, Maddie packs up her Honda and heads to Lucky Harbor, Washington looking for a new start. Maddie along with her sisters Chloe and Tara have inherited their mothers seaside inn...unfortunately with it comes a whole heck of a lot of debt and even more problems. Maddie is willing to make a go of the place, now she has to convince her sisters it's worth the effort.

After having nearly been ran off the road by Maddie, Jax Cullen is immediately taken with her unruly hair and soft smile.  Kissing her on the pier was not his plan, but now that everyone in town knows, why shouldn't he do it again.  Although Jax is a retired lawyer and current mayor, he finds being a contractor the more enjoyable profession. When Maddie calls looking for a 'Master' he can't resist taking the job. Together they decide to make a go of the dilapidated business.

Much to Maddie's discomfort, there is much more then meets the eye with Jax...and we're not talking about the tattoos. Maddie has to decide whether she can leave the past behind and move to a future with her sisters and Jax, or if she's stuck being the timid mouse forever.

I always forget how much I love reading Ms. Shalvis' books until another one comes out. Her style is total contemporary and she hasn't written a character yet that I dislike.  If you read like I do you'll finish "Simply Irresistible" in a few hours, I couldn't put it down. Normally a new series first book takes a bit to get into, as the author has to introduce the plot and characters. This series, and most others by Jill Shalvis, don't have that problem. I don't think I stopped smiling the entire story. I can't wait until Tara's story "The Sweetest Thing" hits the shelves.

Buy This Book--Simply Irrisistable on Amazon