Tuesday, September 30, 2014

New Releases ~ week of 9/29/2014


"Shouldn't You Be in School?" by Lemony Snicket (#3 All the Wrong Questions)
A Very Levet Christmas by Alexandra Ivy (#16 The Guardians of Eternity)
As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre (#2 2B Trilogy)
Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials by Ovidia Yu (#2 Singaporean Mystery)
Burning Desire by Donna Grant (#7 Dark Kings)
Chained by Night by Larissa Ione (#2 MoonBound Clan Vampire)
Champion by Cat Johnson (#7 Studs in Spurs)
Complete Nothing by Kieran Scott (#2 True Love)
Dead Zone by Robison Wells (#3 Blackout)
Die and Stay Dead by Nicholas Kaufmann (#2 Trent)
Dragonfly Awakening by Jaycee Ford (#2 Love Bug)
French Pastry Murder by Leslie Meier (#22 Lucy Stone Mysteries)
Gentlemen Prefer Curves by Sugar Jamison (#4 Perfect Fit)
Going Gone by Sharon Sala (#3 Forces of Nature)
He's So Fine by Jill Shalvis (#11 Lucky Harbor)
Highland Fling by Shelli Stevens (#4 McLaughlins)
In Your Dreams by Kristan Higgins (#4 Blue Heron)
Incarnate by Anton Strout (#3 Spellmason Chronicle)
Indecent Proposal by Molly O'Keefe (#4 The Boys of Bishop)
Innocent Prey by Maggie Shayne (#3 Brown and De Luca)
Keep Me by Anna Zaires (#2 Twist Me)
Kodiak Sky by Stephen Frey (#3 Red Cell)
Laurel Heights 2 by Lisa Worrall (#2 Laurel Heights)
Literally Murder by Ali Brandon (#4 Black Cat Bookshop Mystery)
Monkey Me and the School Ghost by Timothy Roland (#4 Monkey Me)
Moonlight Raider by Amanda Scott (#1 Border Nights)
Murder at Marble House by Alyssa Maxwell (#2 Gilded Newport Mystery)
Murder on the Ile Sordou by M L Longworth (#4 Verlaque and Bonnet Mystery)
Perfect Harmony by Michele Scott (#3 Into the Ring)
Priestess Dreaming by Yasmine Galenorn (#16 Sisters of the Moon/Otherworld)
Proof Positive by Archer Mayor (#26 Joe Gunther)
Ring in the Holidays by Katie Lane (#2 Hunk for the Holidays)
Rise of the King by R. A. Salvatore (#2 Companions Codex)
Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh (#1.5 Rock Kiss)
Sacrifice by Brigid Kemmerer (#5 Elemental)
Snap by Katie Porter (#2 Command Force Alpha)
Sole by Teshelle Combs (#2 The Core)
Something Blue by Ella James (#4 Love Inc.)
Stirring the Plot by Daryl Wood Gerber (#3 Cookbook Nook Mystery)
Sweeter Than Sin by Shiloh Walker (#2 Secrets & Shadows)
The Betrayed by Heather Graham (#14 Krewe of Hunters)
The Lost Key by Catherine Coulter (#2 Brit in the FBI)
The Queen of Zombie Hearts by Gena Showalter (#3 White Rabbit Chronicles)
The Resolution of Callie and Kayden by Jessica Sorensen (#5 The Coincidence)
The Wedding Vow by Cara Connelly (#3 Save the Date)

Monday, September 29, 2014

Book Review ~ Disenchanted & Co.

His Lordship Possessed (Disenchanted & Co. #1, part 2)

by Lynn Viehl
published by Pocket
genre: Adult, Steampunk, Fantasy, PNR

**EGalley received from netGalley and Publisher
***Review for part 1 can be found (here).

Summary (Goodreads): The second half of Disenchanted & Co.—the thrilling conclusion. In a steampunk version of America that lost the Revolutionary War, Charmian (Kit) Kittredge makes her living investigating magic crimes and exposing the frauds behind them. While Kit tries to avoid the nobs of high society, as the proprietor of Disenchanted & Co. she follows mysteries wherever they lead.

Lady Diana Walsh calls on Kit to investigate and dispel the curse she believes responsible for carving hateful words into her own flesh as she sleeps. While Kit doesn’t believe in magic herself, she can’t refuse to help a woman subjected nightly to such vicious assaults. As Kit investigates the Walsh family, she becomes convinced that the attacks on Diana are part of a larger, more ominous plot—one that may involve the lady’s obnoxious husband.

Sleuthing in the city of Rumsen is difficult enough, but soon Kit must also skirt the unwanted attentions of nefarious deathmage Lucien Dredmore and the unwelcome scrutiny of police Chief Inspector Thomas Doyle. Unwilling to surrender to either man’s passion for her, Kit struggles to remain independent as she draws closer to the heart of the mystery. Yet as she learns the truth behind her ladyship’s curse, Kit also uncovers a massive conspiracy that promises to ruin her life—and turn Rumsen into a supernatural battleground from which no one will escape alive.

My Thoughts: I'll start by saying I have found I don't like reading books broken into parts. Especially when I have a long wait between the readings. I didn't enjoy part 2 as much as part 1. Where the first seemed to flow and read as a cohesive story. This second part seemed to jump all over the place. We go from a sorta steampunk victorian like city to a world where two groups of ancient mythological beings, who want to go to war, taking over the land and the people. Throw in some time travel and eventually it gets back to where the book started.
Overall, I don't know if this had been better if I had read both parts at the same time. The beginning and the end were a promising start to what could be a good series. Unfortunately the middle section kind of got muddled and seemed to go off track. I did like that at least for this story the author did not have a love triangle between Kit, Dredmore, and Doyle. There was enough between Kit and Dredmore that it did not need anything else thrown at it.

Rating: 3.5, Overall for Disenchanted & Co: 4

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness

TV
I kind of like the look of Allison Williams as Peter Pan but not sure from this shot about Christopher Walken as Hook. I grew up with the live version rather than the animated so interested to see how this turns out

ART
These pieces are from Daivd Goh. Can see his gallery here.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

E.J. Stevens New Series: Hunters' Guild ~ Cover and Giveaway

It's time for a cover reveal!  Feast your eyes on the cover for HUNTING IN BRUGES, the debut novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series by E.J. Stevens.

Keep reading for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card!


Hunting in Bruges (Hunters' Guild #1) by E.J. Stevens.

The only thing worse than being a Hunter in the fae-ridden city of Harborsmouth, is hunting vamps in Bruges.

Being shipped off to Belgium sucks. The medieval city of Bruges is quaint, but the local Hunters' Guild is understaffed, the canals are choked with dead bodies, and there's no shortage of supernatural predators as likely suspects.

On second thought, maybe Bruges isn't so bad after all.

With a desire to prove herself, protect the innocent, and advance within the ranks of the Hunters' Guild, Jenna Lehane hits the cobbled streets of Bruges with blades at the ready. Someone, or something, is murdering tourists and dumping their bodies in the city's scenic canals.  With the help of a mysterious stranger, Jenna begins to piece together clues that are dotted throughout the city like blood spatter.

Determined to stop the killings, Jenna delves into a bloody local history that only raises more questions--but some secrets are best left buried. Jenna must put her combat training to the test as she struggles to unearth the truth about an ancient enemy.

Hunting in Bruges is the first novel in the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series set in the world of Ivy Granger.

Release Date:  November 11, 2014
Genre:  Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Pre-order on Amazon.
Add to Goodreads.

About the Hunters' Guild Series

The Hunters' Guild series is an urban fantasy series written by E.J. Stevens and set in the world of Ivy Granger.  The series is told in the first-person point-of-view of Jenna Lehane, a Hunter with a troubled past, a proficiency with weapons, and an intolerance for monsters who target the innocent.

About the Author

E.J. Stevens is the author of the Spirit Guide young adult series, the bestselling Ivy Granger urban fantasy series, and the Hunters' Guild urban fantasy series.  When E.J. isn't at her writing desk she enjoys dancing along seaside cliffs, singing in graveyards, and sleeping in faerie circles.  E.J. currently resides in a magical forest on the coast of Maine where she finds daily inspiration for her writing.

Hunting in Bruges Cover Reveal Giveaway

The author is giving away a $25 Amazon Gift Card to one lucky winner!

To enter, use the Rafflecopter form below.  This giveaway is INTERNATIONAL.  Giveaway ends October 7, 2014.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
What do you think of the cover?

Monday, September 22, 2014

New Releases ~ week of 9/22/2014

**Links go to Goodreads

A Little Harmless Secret by Melissa Schroeder (#10 Harmless)
Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs (#17 Temperance Brennan)
Daring by Elliott James (#2 Pax Arcana)
Deacon by Kristen Ashley (#4 The Unfinished Hero)
Debauched in Diamonds by Nikki Duncan (#4 Tulle and Tulips)
Fading Light by Angela Dennis (#2 Shadow Born)
Firebug by Lish McBride (#3 Necromancer)
In a Handful of Dust by Mindy McGinnis (#2 Not a Drop to Drink)
Lark Rising by Sandra Waugh (#1 Guardians of Tarnec)
Magnolia Market by Judy Christie (#1 Trumpet & Vine)
Rose Gold by Walter Mosley (#13 Easy Rawlins)
Seize Me From Darkness by Cari Silverwood (#4 Pierced Hearts)
Silvern by Christina L. Farley (#2 Gilded)
Stay With Me by J Lynn (#3 Wait for You)
The Book of Secrets by Cynthia Voigt (#2 Mister Max)
The Faerie Queen by Kiki Hamilton (#4 Faerie Ring)
The Fires of Calderon by Lindsay Cummings (#1 Balance Keepers)
The Forbidden Flats by Peggy Eddleman (#2 Sky Jumpers)
The Prince Who Loved Me by Karen Hawkins (#1 Oxenburg Princes)
The Seventh Sigil by Margaret Weis (#3 Dragon Brigade)
To Dwell in Darkness by Deborah Crombie (#16 Duncan Kincaid / Gemma James)
Unmade by Sarah Rees Brennan (#3 Lynburn Legacy)

Friday, September 19, 2014

Book Review ~ Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel

Doctor Who: Touched by an Angel

by Jonathon Morris
published by Random HOuse UK-North America
genre: Sci-Fi, Fantasy, 

**Review copy received by NetGalley

Summary (netGalley): The past is like a foreign country. Nice to visit, but you really wouldn't want to live there.' In 2003, Rebecca Whitaker died in a road accident. Her husband Mark is still grieving. He receives a battered envelope, posted eight years earlier, containing a set of instructions with a simple message: 'You can save her.' As Mark is given the chance to save Rebecca, it's up to the Doctor, Amy and Rory to save the whole world. Because this time the Weeping Angels are using history itself as a weapon.
It is an adventure featuring the Eleventh Doctor, as played by Matt Smith, and his companions Amy and Rory.

My Thoughts: A year ago I had never watched an episode of Doctor Who. Then all the promos and excitement for the 50th celebration started showing up all over the web and commercials during shows I did watch. I decided to to cram all of New Who into a couple of months to catch up before the special. One of my favorite episodes that I've seen is Blink. There is just something so creepy about these angel statues that come to life and if they can get the hands on you, you don't die you get sent way back in time.
In this book Jonathon Morris upped the creepy. Here we have angels who are actively arranging events to create large time paradoxes for them to feed off of. Using Mark's grief and convincing him that all he has to do is follow this letter from himself correctly and he will be able to save the life of his wife.
Overall, as my first Doctor Who book I was very pleased with the story/book. Mark had moments where you might have wanted to smack him but they fit with where his characters was in his life when the angels set all these events in motion. I was happy with where the author took this character and how he ended the book. I had no problem picturing Matt Smith as the Doctor in this story and thought all three characters fit what we know of them from the show. I can definitely see myself taking time to read some more Doctor Who books.

Rating: 4

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness


Fractal Art ~ I just spent a lot of time looking at all the different types of fractal art on DeviantArt. Here are a few that grabbed my attention. Links go to DeviantArt page.
Electro Dragon Fractal
by harbingerofdeath13
Fractal Decoration
by solgas
The Fractal Wizard
by  Trip-Artist

I somehow missed this previously. Saw the trailer for the first time today. Looks great and has a great cast.

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

New Releases ~ week of 9/15/2014



Ancestral Machines by Michael Cobley (#4 Humanity's Fire)
Andi Under Pressure by Amanda Flower (#2 Andi Boggs)
Ashes to Ashes by Jenny Han, Siobhan (Vivian #3 Burn for Burn)
Blackbird by Anna Carey (#1 Blackbird Duology)
Day 21 by Kass Morgan (#2 The Hundred)
Echoes of Us by Kat Zhang (#3 The Hybrid Chronicles)
Edge of Eternity by Ken Follett (#3 Century)
Home by Sarah Prineas (#4 Magic Thief)
Hunt for Jade Dragon by Richard Paul Evans (#4 Michael Vey)
Mountains of the Misbegotten by Joseph Heywood (#2 Lute Bapcat)
Once Haunted, Twice Shy by H P Mallory (#2 Peyton Clark)
Outfoxed by Love by Eve Langlais (#2 Kodiak Point)
Raging Heat by Richard Castle (#6 Nikki Heat)
Scandal and the Duchess by Jennifer Ashley (#6.5 Highland Pleasures)
Served Cold by Marie Harte (#1 Best Revenge)
Space Case by Stuart Gibbs (#1 Space Case)
Texas Born by Diana Palmer (#51 Long Tall Texans)
The Blood of an Englishman by M. C. Beaton (#25 Agatha Raisin)
The Certainty of Violet & Luke by Jessica Sorensen (#6 The Coincidence)
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey (#2 Fifth Wave)
The Last-Chance Maverick by Christyne Butler (#4 Montana Mavericks: 20 Years in the Saddle)
The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas (#2 Elemental Trilogy)
The Stone Wife by Peter Lovesey (#14 Peter Diamond)
The Whispering Skull by Jonathan Stroud (#2 Lockwood & Co)
Trapped by Beverly Long (#3 Crow Hollow)

Monday, September 15, 2014

Book Review ~ The Inventor's Secret

The Inventor's Secret

by Andrea Cremer
published by Philomel
genre: YA, Steampunk, 

Summary (Goodreads): In this world, sixteen-year-old Charlotte and her fellow refugees have scraped out an existence on the edge of Britain’s industrial empire. Though they live by the skin of their teeth, they have their health (at least when they can find enough food and avoid the Imperial Labor Gatherers) and each other. When a new exile with no memory of his escape  or even his own name seeks shelter in their camp he brings new dangers with him and secrets about the terrible future that awaits all those who have struggled has to live free of the bonds of the empire’s Machineworks.

The Inventor’s Secret is the first book of a YA steampunk series set in an alternate nineteenth-century North America where the Revolutionary War never took place and the British Empire has expanded into a global juggernaut propelled by marvelous and horrible machinery. Perfect for fans of Libba Bray's The Diviners, Cassandra Clare's Clockwork Angel, Scott Westerfeld's Leviathan and Phillip Reeve's Mortal Instruments.

My Thoughts: This was a good read but did not feel like a first book. It felt more like a prequel to a series. While there was a small story about the exile and who he really is, it wasn't enough to carry the whole book. This mainly was an introduction into this new world and the characters that live there.
I could have done without the romance drama/ love triangle that appeared even though one had only known Charlotte for minutes. Charlotte and Jack seemed too immature and then throw in Jack's brother and we have unneeded drama considering the world is in the middle of a war.
I liked the side characters we meet in the city from the clueless (or not) wife to the step sister that seems to have more sense than all the exiles put together.
Overall, there was not enough story to carry this book. The secret that is hinted at in the title had no effect on this book. If this had been a prequel I might have rated it higher but as is there wasn't enough depth and it focuses on the wrong characters.

Rating: 3.5

Thursday, September 11, 2014

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness


I have a love hate affair with trees/plants. I love the looks of them, I hate taking care of them. I tend to kill them no matter what I do. Pinterest is a time suck but you can find some really great places around the world that you might not see otherwise.
Wisteria Tunnel, Kitakyushu (Japan)
Norway
Art ~ This is all love. I've been following Jasmine Becket-Griffith's work for awhile. I also managed to pick 2 non garden ones :)
Darling Dragonling V
deviantArt
Unseelie Court: Pestilence
deviantArt

Another love/hate. Once Upon a Time, There has not been a full season since the first where I liked it from beginning to end of season. I also wasn't the biggest fan of Frozen so worried about this season as well.

Wednesday, September 10, 2014

Review ~ Fables Vol. 11 and Vol 12

Fables: War and Pieces and The Dark Ages

by Bill Willingham
illustrated by Mark Buckingham, Peter Gross, Andrew Pepoy, Steve Leialoha, David Hahn, Mike Allred
published by Vertigo
genre: Adult, Graphic Novel, Fantasy, Fairytale retelling,

Summary (Goodreads): vol. 11: The final battle between the free Fables of the mundane world and the Empire occupying their former Homelands is about to begin, and the scrappy storybook heroes have already managed to even the odds considerably. With his previously unstoppable wooden soldiers neutralized, the Adversary is about to get his first taste of high technology in the form of steel-jacketed bullets and laser-guided bombs. But the ruler who
conquered a hundred different worlds didn’t do it by fighting clean—and he’s still got a surprise or two left to spring on the residents of Fabletown.
vol. 12: Tourists of the world unite! If you've ever craved a guided tour of Fabletown's secret Manhattan location, prepare to be voraciously satiated. Pinnochio has a field day taking a certain VIP around the city. And exactly which Fabletown denizens are no longer active (dead, alive or otherwise) just might shock you into a comic book coma. Also in this volume, you'll find the 4-part story featuring Freddy and Mouse, two local rogues who just want to get along and perhaps turn a bit of profit in the post-war, topsy-turvy world. Meanwhile, in Fabletown, a new political group forms called the Society of Seconds, and what they want doesn't seem very reasonable at all.

My Thoughts: I think vol. 11 is one of my favorites so far. We finally have the Fables doing something about the adversary and they were doing it before he did anything more to them. This was also one of the few volumes that I actually liked Prince Charming. He was more in the role of Prince running military maneuvers rather than being a cad. Blue also had a big part in this that had repercussions going forward.
vol. 12 seems to follow the pattern of a really big volume followed by one that is more transitional. There are several things that happen in this volume but I had a harder time stating focused on this one. Part of me is interested in the Dark One but will have to see where they go with it.
Overall, I'm still enjoying these graphics and will be continuing to read them. Between the stories and the great artwork these are some of my favorite I've come across.

Rating: vol 11: 4.5; vol 12:

Tuesday, September 9, 2014

New Releases ~ week of 9/08/2014


Act of Surrender by Mandy M Roth (#2 PSI Ops)
All or Nothing by Kendall Ryan (#3 Love By Design)
Blood of My Blood by Barry Lyga (#3 Jasper Dent)
Blood on the Water by Anne Perry (#20 William Monk)
Body Language by Em Petrova (#2 Boot Knockers Ranch)
Dying for Love by Rita Herron (#5 Slaughter Creek)
Entombed by Christopher Krovatin (#3 Gravediggers)
Exo by Steven Gould (#4 Jumper)
Festive in Death by J. D. Robb (#39 In Death)
Fighting Chance by Jane Haddam (#29 Gregor Demarkian)
Found by Harlan Coben (#3 Mickey Bolitar)
Haze by Paula Weston (#2 The Rephaim Series)
Hell Hound Curse by Eleanor Hawken (#3 Sammy Feral's Diaries of Weird)
Nightmares! by Kirsten Miller, Jason Segel (#1 Nightmares!)
Of Monsters and Madness by Jessica Verday (#1 Of Monsters and Madness)
Red Blooded by Amanda Carlson (#4 Jessica McCain)
Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh (#1 Rock Kiss)
Roped In by Lorelei James (#6.5 Blacktop Cowboys #9 1001 Dark Nights)
Shadows on a Maine Christmas by Lea Wait (#7 Antique Print Mysteries)
Silhouette by Justin Richards (#3 Doctor Who 12th/13th Doctor)
The Blood Cell by James Goss (#2 Doctor Who 12th/13th Doctor)
The Caller by Juliet Marillier (#3 Shadowfell)
The Crawling Terror by Mike Tucker (#1 Doctor Who 12th/13th Doctor)
The Marco Effect by Jussi Adler-Olsen (#5 Department Q)
The Strike of the Sweepers by Tyler Whitesides (#4 Janitors)
The Terror of the Southlands by Caroline Carlson (#2 Very Nearly Honorable
League of Pirates)
The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison (#13 Rachel Morgan / The Hollows)
Tokyo Kill by Barry Lancet (#2 Jim Brodie)
Vampires of Manhattan by Melissa de la Cruz (#1 The New Blue Bloods Coven)
Virtue Falls by Christina Dodd (#1 Virtue Falls)
Worth the Fall by Claudia Connor (#1 McKinney Brothers)

Thursday, September 4, 2014

Some Thursday Randomness

Thursday Randomness


Found this artist Cryptid-Creations that has a section called dailies with a bunch of really cute pieces. I love and collect both turtles and Eeyore so these were my faves.
Pooh Crossing- Eeyore
deviantArt

Turtlesaurus
deviatArt
Thought this was cute but makes me feel old! Can find out more at 22 visions Facebook page here.

and last is trailer for season 2 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

Waiting on Wednesday ~ The Girl at Midnight


Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly event that spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1)
by Melissa Gray
published by Delacorte Press
expected release date: April 28, 2015

Summary (Goodreads): Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

**Part of this sounds like epic fantasy and part Urban Fantasy. Since I like both looking forward to checking this one out.

Tuesday, September 2, 2014

New Releases ~ week of 9/01/2014



A Texan in Her Bed by Sara Orwig (#2 Lone Star Legends)
A Winter Wedding by Amanda Forester (#3 Marriage Mart)
Acceptance by Jeff VanderMeer (#3 Southern Reach Trilogy)
Angels Walking by Karen Kingsbury (#1 Angels Walking)
Celtic Fire by Alex Archer (#50 Rogue Angel)
Countdown by Fern Michaels (#2 Men of the Sisterhood)
Dark Blood by Christine Feehan (#26 The Carpathians (Dark))
Dawn of the Arcana, Vol. 13 by Rei Toma (#13 Dawn of the Arcana)
Death in the Dolomites by David P Wagner (#2 Rick Montoya Italian Mystery)
Death Is Like a Box of Chocolates by Kathy Aarons (#1 Chocolate Covered Mystery)
Fat Cat at Large by Janet Cantrell (#1 Fat Cat Mystery)
Forged by Desire by Bec McMaster (#4 London Steampunk)
Fortunes of the Imperium by Jody Lynn Nye (#2 Imperium)
Gets the Sniffles by Wanda Coven (#12 Heidi Heckelbeck)
Ghost Layer by Robin D. Owens (#2 Ghost Seer)
Ghoulfriends The Ghoul-It-Yourself Book by Gitty Daneshvari (#7 Monster High)
Groomed For Murder by Annie Knox (#2 Pet Boutique Mystery)
Haunted by Kay Hooper (#15 The Bishop/Special Crimes Unit)
Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas (#3 Throne of Glass)
Heir To Scandal by Andrea Laurence (#3 Secrets of Eden)
Hidden by Benedict Jacka (#5 Alex Verus)
Hider, Seeker, Secret Keeper by Elizabeth Kiem (#2 Dukovskaya)
House Immortal by Devon Monk (#1 House Immortal Trilogy)
Hunter's Trail by Melissa F Olson (#3 Scarlett Bernard)
Island of Legends by Lisa McMann (#4 Unwanteds)
Joyful by Shelley Shepard Gray (#3 Return to Sugarcreek)
Katfish by Obert Skye (#4 Creature from My Closet)
Light Up the Night by M. L. Buchman (#5 Night Stalkers)
Love Bites by Angela Knight (#9.5 Mageverse)
Marked Down for Murder by Josie Belle (#4 Good Buy Girls)
Mary: The Summoning by Hillary Monahan (#1 Bloody Mary)
Matched to Her Rival by Kat Cantrell (#3 Happily Ever After, Inc.)
Midnight Betrayal by Melinda Leigh (#3 Midnight)
Murder 101 by Faye Kellerman (#22 Peter Decker & Rina Lazarus)
Murder of a Needled Knitter by Denise Swanson (#17 Scumble River Mysteries)
Night of the White Buffalo by Margaret Coel (#18 Wind River Novels)
Night Unbound by Dianne Duvall (#5 Immortal Guardians)
Night’s Honor by Thea Harrison (#7 Elder Races)
Nightmares Can Be Murder by Mary Kennedy (#1 Dream Club Mystery)
Not the Boss's Baby by Sarah M Anderson (#1 The Beaumont Heirs)
November Rain by Daisy Harris (#4 Fire and Rain)
Personal by Lee Child (#19 Jack Reacher)
Practice Makes Perfect by Melanie Spring (#3 Varsity)
Rebel Without a Cake by Jacklyn Brady (#5 Piece of Cake Mystery)
Reunited with the Lassiter Bride by Barbara Dunlop (#7 Dynasties the Lassiters)
Revealed by Margaret Peterson Haddix (#7 Missing)
Right Kind of Wrong by Chelsea Fine (#3 Finding Fate)
Roman Reunion by Crystal Jordan (#3 Destination: Desire)
Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton (#3 Cocktail)
Sealed with a Lie by Kat Carlton (#2 Two Lies and a Spy)
Shatter by Erin McCarthy (#4 True Believers)
Shattered by Mari Mancusi (#2 Scorched)
Shifting Shadows by Patricia Briggs (#8.5 Mercy Thompson)
Son of No One by Sherrilyn Kenyon (#25 Dark Hunters)
Stalked by Patti Sheehy (#2 Boy Who Said No)
Still Point by Katie Kacvinsky (#3 Awaken)
Tempting Mr. Perfect by Rebecca Rose (#2 Unlikely Love)
The Bully Bug by David Lubar (#5 Accidental Monsters / Monsterrific Tale)
The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush by Susan Wittig Albert (#5 Darling Dahlias)
The Desire by Dan Walsh, Gary Smalley (#3 Restoration)
The Eye of Heaven by Clive Cussler (#6 Fargo Adventure)
The Golden Princess by S. M. Stirling (#11 The Emberverse )
The Jewel by Amy Ewing (#1 The Lone City)
The Laird by Grace Burrowes (#3 Captive Hearts)
The Low Road by A D Scott (#5 Joanne Ross)
The Midnight Queen by Sylvia Izzo Hunter (#1 Midnight's Daughters)
The Savior by David Drake, Tony S Daniel (#9 General)
The Secret Place by Tana French (#5 Dublin Murder Squad)
The Skeleton Takes a Bow by Leigh Perry (#2 Family Skeleton Mystery)
The Texan's Twins by Donna Alward (#3 Texas Rodeo Barons)
The Twelfth Night Murder by Anne Rutherford (#3 Restoration Mystery)
The Wedding Soup Murder by Rosie Genova (#2 Italian Kitchen Mystery)
The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire (#8 October Daye)
The Wolfe Widow by Victoria Abbott (#3 A Book Collector Mystery)
This Good Man by Janice Kay Johnson (#5 Angel Butte Mystery)
To Fudge or Not to Fudge by Nancy Coco (#2 Candy-Coated Mysteries)
Trial by Fire by Josephine Angelini (#1 The Worldwalker Trilogy)
Wickedly Dangerous by Deborah Blake (#1 A Baba Yaga Novel)
Wood Sprites by Wen Spencer (#4 Elfhome)

Monday, September 1, 2014

Book Review ~ Visions

Visions (Cainsville #2)

by Kelley Armstrong
published by Dutton
genre: Adult, Supernatural, UF, 

Summary (Goodreads): Omens, the first installment in Kelley Armstrong’s exciting new series, introduced Olivia Taylor-Jones, daughter of notorious serial killers, and Gabriel Walsh, the self-serving, morally ambiguous lawyer who became her unlikely ally. Together, they chased down a devious killer and partially cleared her parents of their horrifying crimes.

Their success, however, is short-lived. While Olivia takes refuge in the old, secluded town of Cainsville, Gabriel’s past mistakes have come to light, creating a rift between the pair just when she needs his help the most.

Olivia finds a dead woman in her car, dressed to look like her, but the body vanishes before anyone else sees it. Olivia’s convinced it’s another omen, a sign of impending danger. But then she learns that a troubled young woman went missing just days ago—the same woman Olivia found dead in her car. Someone has gone to great lengths to kill and leave this young woman as a warning. But why? And what role has her new home played in this disturbing murder?

Olivia’s effort to uncover the truth places her in the cross-hairs of old and powerful forces, forces that have their own agenda, and closely guarded secrets they don’t want revealed.

My Thoughts: I'm enjoying the mix of mythology and supernatural crime drama. We find out a lot more about the town of Cainsville and it's inhabitants in this book. I actually found this part of the story more interesting than the dead person in the car. The person in the car did become a part of the overall story but still felt disconnected to me.
The three men in Olivia's life were also a big part of the book. I have to say I like Ricky above the rest as far as couple material. James is just crazy and if there is not more to his story then I will be amazed. Then there's Gabriel. I really like this guy but at the same time I'm torn. I've reached the point that I'm tired of over half of Olivia's commentary being excuses for Gabriel. Whether it's for his actions or his in actions I don't need her excuses, it's part of who is he is and I wish it could just be.
Overall, I'm still happy with this series and where it seems to be going. I like the Fae aspect and want to know more about how all three are intertwined in this ongoing feud between the different factions.

Rating: 4