This Week's Reads

Snow White Red-Handed by Maia Chance
A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery #1 ~ Goodreads
**It's a cozy mystery, fairy-tale, historical fiction all rolled into one. I couldn't resist.

Ash & Bramble by Sarah Prineas
Ash & Bramble #1 ~ Goodreads
**Another fairy-tale type book. Was grabbed by both the cover and the description.

The Lazarus Machine by Paul Crilley
Tweed & Nightingale Adventures ~ Goodreads
**A steampunk alternate history adventure. I'm hit or miss with these but hoping for the best.

Terrier (A Tortall Legend) by Tamora Pierce
Beka Cooper #1 ~ Goodreads
** Gail Carriger does a book club pick every month (here). This is the book for February so giving it a go.

New Releases ~ week of 02/08/2016

A Spy's Devotion by Melanie Dickerson (#1 Regency Spies of London)

Bait & Switch by Kendall Ryan (#1 Alphas Undone)
Bride Protector SEAL by Elle James (#2 Brotherhood Protectors)
Dragon Hunters by Marc Turner (#2 The Chronicle of the Exile)
Find Her by Lisa Gardner (#8 D.D. Warren)
Fridays with the Wizards by Jessica Day George (#4 Castle Glower)
Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard (#2 Red Queen Trilogy)
Heart Conditions by Phoebe Fox (#3 Breakup Doctor)
Homefront by Jay Allan (#3 The Portal Wars)
Hostile Witness by Leigh Adams (#1 Kate Ford Mystery)
How to Sleep with The Boss by Janice Maynard (#6 Kavanaghs of Silver Glen)
Kissed by a Cowboy by Debra Clopton (#3 Four of Hearts Ranch)

Leaving Yesterday by Zoe Dawson (#1 Laurel Falls)
Legend by Katy Evans (#6 Real, Raw & Ripped)
Morning Star by Pierce Brown (#3 Red Rising)
Pacific Burn by Barry Lancet (#3 Jim Brodie)
Perfekt Control by S.T. Bende (#2 Aere Saga)
Ravenous by MarcyKate Connolly (#2 Monstrous)
Reign of Shadows by Sophie Jordan (#1 Reign of Shadows)
Rescuing Rayne by Susan Stoker (#1 Delta Force Heroes)
Scattered Ashes by Megg Jensen (#2 Forsaken Stars Saga)
Searching for Mine by Jennifer Probst (#4.5 Searching For)
Shoot by Loren D Estleman (#4 Valentino Mystery)
Some Sort of Love by Melanie Harlow (#3 Happy Crazy Love)

Starborn by Toby Forward (#4 Flaxfield Quartet)
Surrender to the Sea by Michelle M Pillow (#4 Lords of the Abyss)
The Consequence of Seduction by Rachel Van Dyken (#3 Consequence)
The Crime on the Norwegian Sea by Steve Stevenson (#10 Agatha: Girl of Mystery)
The Hungry Bunny Horde by Shannon Hale, Dean Hale (#3 Princess in Black)
The Hunt by Chuck Wendig (#2 Atlanta Burns)
The Truth About Boys by Shana Norris (#3 Stolen Kiss)
The Wolves by Alex Berenson (#10 John Wells)
Violent Crimes by Phillip Margolin (#5 Amanda Jaffe)
Wrecked by Sherilee Gray (#3 Axle Alley Vipers)

This Week's Reads

War Cry by Jim Butcher, Illustrated by Mark Powers, Carlos Gomez
Dresden Files Graphic Novel #4 (Goodreads)
**This is one of my all time favorite series. Plus I needed a change of pace and hadn't read any graphic novels yet.

The Masked Truth by Kelley Armstrong
(Goodreads)
**I like mysteries and thrillers but really only picked this up because of the author.

Story Thieves by James Riley
Story Thieves #1 (Goodreads)
**This was another where I was just looking for something different, lighter to read.

New Releases ~ week of 02/01/2016

A Deadly Tail by Dixie Lyle (#4 Whiskey, Tango and Foxtrot Mystery)

A Disguise to Die For by Diane Vallere (#1 Costume Shop Mystery)
A Familiar Tail by Delia James (#1 A Witch's Cat Mystery)
A Turn for the Bad by Sheila Connolly (#4 County Cork Mysteries)
A Whisker of Trouble by Sofie Ryan (#3 Second Chance Cat Mystery)
Assassin's Heart by Sarah Ahiers (#1 Assassin's Heart)
Banished by Kimberley Griffiths Little (#2 Forbidden)
Beauty, Beast, and Belladonna by Maia Chance (#3 A Fairy Tale Fatal Mystery)
Bewitched by Amanda M. Lee (#8.5 Wicked Witches of the Midwest Mysteries)
Bind Me by Anna Zaires (#2 Capture Me)
Blackjack by Robert Knott (#8 Virgil Cole & Everett Hitch Westerns)

Blood in Her Veins by Faith Hunter (#Stories Jane Yellowrock)
Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman (#31 Alex Delaware)
Brotherhood In Death by J. D. Robb (#42 In Death)
By Break of Day by M. L. Buchman (#21 Night Stalkers)
Cold Shot by Dani Pettrey (#1 Chesapeake Valor)
Darkness Fair by Rachel A Marks (#2 The Dark Cycle)
Darkness Raging by Yasmine Galenorn (#18 Sisters of the Moon/Otherworld)
Dreaming Death by J Kathleen Cheney (#1 Palace of Dreams)
Ember's Fire by Norah Wilson (#2 The Standish Clan)
For Cheddar or Worse by Avery Aames (#7 Cheese Shop Mystery)
Fused by Cari Quinn, Taryn Elliott (#4.5 Lost in Oblivion)

Games Wizards Play by Diane Duane (#10 Young Wizards)
Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen by Lois McMaster Bujold (#16 Miles Vorkosigan)
Grave Visions by Kalayna Price (#4 Alex Craft)
Hard Ever After by Laura Kaye (#5 Hard Ink)
In Place of Never by Julie Anne Lindsey (#3 Calypso)
It's a Wonderful Knife by Christine Wenger (#5 Comfort Food Mysteries)
Jane and the Waterloo Map by Stephanie Barron (#13 Jane Austen)
Midnight Revenge by Elle Kennedy (#7 Killer Instincts)
Murder on Wheels by Lynn Cahoon (#6 A Tourist Trap Mystery)
Notorious by Carey Baldwin (#3 Cassidy & Spenser)

Off the Books by Lucy Arlington (#5 Novel Idea Mystery)
Pain Killer by LS Sygnet (#2 Raver/Castillo)
Raging Sea by Michael Buckley (#2 Undertow)
Remembrance by Meg Cabot (#7 Mediator)
Revisionary by Jim C Hines (#4 Magic ex Libris)
Riders by Veronica Rossi (#1 Riders)
Savage Nights by Mia Gabriel (#2 The Savage Trilogy)
Scene of the Brine by Mary Ellen Hughes (#3 Pickled & Preserved Mystery)
SEAL Wolf In Too Deep by Terry Spear (#18 Heart of the Wolf)

Spoils of Victory by John A Connell (#2 Mason Collins)
Starflight by Melissa Landers (#1 Starflight)
Stars Above by Marissa Meyer ( Lunar Chronicles Collection)
The Alchemy of Chaos by Marshall Ryan Maresca (#3 Maradaine)
The Art of War by Stephen Coonts (#6 Tommy Carmellini)
The Bride Wore Starlight by Lizbeth Selvig (#3 Seven Brides for Seven Cowboys)
The Custodian of Marvels by Rod Duncan (#3 Fall of the Gas-Lit Empire)
The Grim Steeper by Amanda Cooper (#3 Teapot Collector Mystery)
The Hunter by Kerrigan Byrne (#2 To Tempt a Highlander)

The Shadow by Sylvain Reynard (#2 The Florentine)
Thirty Nights With a Dirty Boy by Shiloh Walker (#1 Heroes and Heartbreaker)
Town in a Cinnamon Toast by B B Haywood (#7 Candy Holliday Mystery)
Unreasonable Doubt by Vicki Delany (#8 Constable Molly Smith)
Wicked Sexy Liar by Christina Lauren (#4 Wild Seasons)
Wickedly Powerful by Deborah Blake (#3 A Baba Yaga Novel)

Book Review ~ Night Study

Night Study (Soulfinders #2)

by Maria V Snyder
published by Mira Ink
release date: January  26, 2016
genre: Fantasy, Adult, 

**E-galley received via Netgalley and publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (Goodreads): Ever since being kidnapped from the Illiais Jungle as a child, Yelena Zaltana's has been fraught with peril. But the recent loss of her Soulfinding abilities has endangered her more than ever before. As she desperately searches for a way to reclaim her magic, her enemies are closing in, and neither Ixia nor Sitia are safe for her anymore. Especially since the growing discord between the two countries and the possibility of a war threatens everything Yelena holds dear.

Valek is determined to protect Yelena, but he's quickly running out of options. The Commander suspects that his loyalties are divided, and he's been keeping secrets from Valek...secrets that put him, Yelena and all their friends in terrible danger. As they uncover the various layers of the Commander's mysterious plans, they realize it's far more sinister that they could have ever imagined.

My Thoughts: Another great addition to this series/world that Snyder has created. I had a few problems but not enough to take me out of the story. We'll start with the good.
This may sound weird but I was glad when Yelena and Valek went their separate ways. I love them as a couple and was happy with the family, commitment stuff but was ready the action/trouble that I'm used to from this series.
There was a definite focus on Valek in this book. A lot happens with the magicians but there didn't seem to be enough of a focus on it all. It seemed as if every step Yelena, Ari, and Janco took there was some bad thing waiting to take them more than two steps back. I was also glad to start and get some small explanation as to what has been going on with Yelena's magic. Which takes us back to Valek.
My favorite parts of this book revolved around Valek. Always moving forward trying to find his way back to Yelena  but still being able to get things done and scare a few people along the way. Figuring out who and where the storm thieves were. Finding the twins, taking them home before sneaking them into Sitia, and learning that they are family. I will say Valek's mother did not leave me with a good impression, I definitely liked his dad better.  I also liked how his immunity to magic and new abilities worked. Every part that took place made sense to both the character and this world.
The biggest problem with this book was that it felt like a middle book of a trilogy. There were a 100 pages left and it felt like nothing had happened and there wasn't much time left. At 40 pages, some things had happened (everyone was in one place) but it still felt like there was no way there was going to be any resolution in this book.  When the book ended and our heroes were not out of danger but at least together it worked, sorta.
This book definitely set up book three. Cannot wait for the battle/confrontation with the commander and Owen, Bruns and company. I'm really hoping for a resolution to everything we learned in this book without it turning into a sappy cop out. I want everyone to have an HEA (at least the good guys) but I want it to be believable. Now for the long wait...

Rating: 4