Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen

Lord of the Wolfyn is the third book in the Royal House of Shadows series and is written by Jessica Andersen who is also the author of the popular Final Prophecy series. Lord of the Wolfyn is my first read by Ms. Andersen and I really enjoyed her writing. I found it an easy style to read and follow, and to be honest, I saw shades of J.R. Ward (one of my very favorite authors) scattered throughout—not too surprising considering that they are critique partners. Or perhaps I have it wrong and there are shades of Ms. Andersen in J.R. Ward’s writing? Hmmm…

Anyway…

So as I said, I enjoyed the writing. I felt it flowed well and the story Ms. Andersen created was interesting, to say the least, however, I didn’t fall in love with the characters the way I must in order to really be WOW’d by a story. I never became connected to them, or invested in them. Dayn seemed “flat” to me, spending much of his time trying to appease Reda, who in my opinion, was kind of mental. I was talking with a Goodreads friend about them, and she made the point that Reda’s concern about being brainwashed or controlled was definitely bordering on paranoia, and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that Laurie had nailed what I hadn’t been able to put my finger on. A big part of my issues with Reda and her behavior was something I found… I don’t know… unreasonable based on what we, the readers, were given. And Dayn was so wrapped up in trying to make her happy, so concerned about her, that it made him seem kind of… wimpy.

Even though I’m giving Lord of the Wolfyn 3 stars, which means I did like it, I have to admit that I was also a bit disappointed. I really had hoped for something more from this book, and I hate to say it, but that something more - that buildup to final battle in Lord of the Abyss, the next and last book of the series, just wasn’t delivered.

That said, I'm definitely looking forward to reading Lord of the Abyss which is written by Nalini Singh.

Fatal Consequences by Marie Force

Fatal Consequences is the third book in the Fatal series and my absolute favorite of them all, so far. Being a huge fan of Romantic Suspense I've read a lot of it, so it takes quite a bit to impress me. Well, let me tell you, Marie Force has definitely done that!

So far each book in this series has been excellent, and has kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. Nick and Samantha, the main characters and whose lives we follow through each book, are the kinds of people I can become invested in and want to see more and more of. I love being able to revisit the secondary players book after book because they’re just as awesome as our hero and heroine are.

If you're looking for an exciting story filled with characters you can connect with and cheer for, then you really should give Marie Force's Fatal series a try.

I've gotten some questions about the heat factor for the books. So here it is - For those readers out there who like their stories on the steamier side, I want to mention that the sex scenes in this series are fairly mild. There’s more sexual tension than actual sex, but in the case of these stories it works well. And in case you're wondering, I'd strongly encourage you to read these books in order.

Carnal Gift by Pamela Clare

Carnal Gift is the second book in the Blakewell/Kenleigh trilogy, and is Jamie Blakewell’s story. Jamie, as you might recall if you’ve read the book, was the young brother of Cassie Blakewell-Kenleigh who we met in the first book, Sweet Release. Now he’s all grown up and trying and to aid a young America in the French and Indian War by heading back to England to petition Parliament for more soldiers and money for ships. And of course it would be asking for too much to have everything go smoothly but in this case, I’m glad it didn’t because the real excitement, the real passion of the story comes when everything starts to go wrong.

Well, no surprise here – I loved this book! Carnal Gift is yet another example of Historical Romance at its finest, and why Pamela Clare is one of the few auto-buy authors on my list. If you’re looking for an amazing story with substance, one that will have you on the edge of your seat cheering the hero and heroine as they face whatever it is that life has thrown at them – while falling in love, of course – Pamela Clare is the author to go to. Her stories are romantic, passionate, exciting and sexy, and I’ve loved each and every book that I’ve read by her. Be they Historical or Romantic Suspense, I always come away feeling like I’ve made new friends, and wanting to read more about them. She writes believable storylines and characters who seem so real it’s hard to imagine that they’re not. They are the kinds of people I’d love to have as friends and neighbors.

Honestly, if you’ve not yet tried anything by this author – you’re missing out on some truly great stories. If you’re into Romantic Suspense, give her I-Team series a try. If Historical Romance is your thing, check out the Blakewell/Kenleigh Trilogy and her Highlanders series, MacKinnon’s Rangers. You will not be disappointed!

And for those who have been trying to find Sweet Release and Carnal Gift with no success, you’ll be thrilled to know that they are now available in ebook format! They can be found at amazon.com , barnesandnoble.com , and smashwords.com for $2.99 each!

NEVER FORGET!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mC1NhB0IO0&feature=related

God Bless The USA

by Lee Greenwood

 

If tomorrow all the things were gone,
I'd worked for all my life.
And I had to start again,
with just my children and my wife.

I'd thank my lucky stars,
to be livin here today.
‘Cause the flag still stands for freedom,
and they can't take that away.

And I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

From the lakes of Minnesota,
to the hills of Tennessee.
Across the plains of Texas,
From sea to shining sea.

From Detroit down to Houston,
and New York to L.A.
Well there's pride in every American heart,
and its time we stand and say.

That I'm proud to be an American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

And I'm proud to be and American,
where at least I know I'm free.
And I wont forget the men who died,
who gave that right to me.

And I gladly stand up,
next to you and defend her still today.
‘Cause there ain't no doubt I love this land,
God bless the USA.

Hard to Hold by Stephanie Tyler

Hard to Hold is the first book in the Hold trilogy and my first read by this author. I enjoyed the writing and the story itself, finding it easy to follow and holding my attention. I’m in love with Navy SEAL stories anyway, and this was right up my alley! I’m not going to go into the plot in this review, as you can get that from the book synopsis, but I am going to give you my thoughts on the story as a whole.

As far as characters go, I really liked, but didn’t love, Jake and Isabelle, and the reason I didn’t love them is that I don’t feel like we were really given a chance to truly know them. The constant switching back and forth between secondary characters took away from the necessary page time to really become invested in our hero and heroine, who had stories worthy of more details than we were given. Granted, it did allow for a great lead up to Chris’ and Nicks’ stories, but I really wanted to connect with Jake and Isabelle on a level that I just didn’t reach. And given the nature of their pasts, well… I just needed more from them. For them.

And kudos to Ms. Tyler! Rape is such a difficult subject to address, but I feel like she handled it well, not making it too horribly graphic or detailed, yet giving us enough of the emotional aftermath to such a heinous crime that I was still able to feel the destruction and devastation it wrought, and the effect it had on Jake and Isabelle’s relationship.

The bottom line – I’ll definitely continue this trilogy, no doubt about it! While I there were some things I had a hard time accepting regarding Jake’s past and his military career, I was able to put those things aside and just enjoy the story for what it was – an action packed, exciting adventure! I know some people find it hard to believe that at 15 (or 16?) years old Jake was able to fake his way into the military, but I’m here to tell you, my own father faked his way into the Navy just before his 16th birthday – and he didn’t have anyone on the inside watching out for him! So, yes, it can be done!

3.5/5 stars

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

'The name’s misleading. Grimspace means inexorable, implacable. Not to be appeased. You see, grimspace will have its due from all who traverse it. But it’s beautiful there or we wouldn’t be drawn back, time and again, driven on by a jones stronger than anything mankind could devise. Jumpers burn out smiling for a reason.

My pretty poisonous mistress, I’m coming back.'

Grimspace is the first book of the Sirantha Jax series and, as is often the case with a new series, there’s a whole lot of world building and character introduction taking place, but that never felt forced, nor did it bog the story down. Ann Aguirre did a fantastic job of creating people who I quickly and easily became invested in, and a story line compelling and exiting enough to grab me from the first page, and hold on tight all the way through the last.

Wow! I can’t even begin to tell you what an awesome book this is, and that’s coming from someone who usually avoids not only science fiction, but any books written in the first person point of view. Grimspace is both, and I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I. Loved. It! And okay, maybe I can believe I’m saying that because to be honest, I figured I’d enjoy it well enough since it’s written by Ms. Aguirre, who also writes as Ava Gray, the author of one of my other favorite series, the Skin series. But what really surprised me about Grimspace is that I couldn’t put it down! I even put off reading a book I’ve been waiting almost a year for, because I simply had to find out what was going to happen next to Sirantha Jax, March, Dina, Doc, Loras, and Baby – Z! And what’s even more astounding (because this is science fiction and first person, after all) is that I went out today, before I even finished this book, and bought the next two! Sirantha Jax is a woman who’s all kinds of amazing! She's strong, determined, and not afraid to fight, as this quote proves -

The Gunnars look like killers, all of them. Big men, hard eyed, well geared, and ready to throw down. That’s fine.

So am I.

I’m Sirantha Jax and I have had enough.

Anyway, I could go on and on, but I won’t. I’ll only say that if you’re like me and find that science fiction is usually too ‘technesque’ and dry, or that you feel like you need a degree in rocket science to follow along, stop worrying! The story is easy to read and follow, and not at all nerdy or geekified. And for those who are wondering, while not as heavy as it is in some books, there is romance and passion and even some sex in Grimspace! The way the relationship and the intimacy progressed was perfect! Slowly and honestly and reminding me of the way Urban Fantasy relationships are written. I loved it!

Ms. Aguirre, your evil plan worked! You gave away copies of this book in hopes of drawing new readers to the series. Yes, it worked indeed! You gave me characters to care about, a story that had me on the edge of my seat and wanting more. I’m hooked, my daughter is hooked and we can’t wait to read more of Sirantha Jax.

4.5/5

Edited to add - Because Science Fiction can be hit or miss, I'm listing a couple other books in this genre that worked for me -

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
Born of Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Junior's Dessert Cookbook

I’ll just start by saying that I consider myself a fairly good cook – when I don’t have to follow instructions, that is. With a pinch of this and a dash of that I can do meats, poultry, casseroles, soups and stews, and they almost always turn out great! But when it comes to making desserts, all bets are off! The best I can hope for is to make a Betty Crocker cake from the box and not burn it, but even that’s a crap shoot! But, I’m a big fan of Junior’s Cheesecakes and when I saw this book I decided I’d give it a shot. What did I have to lose, right?

After perusing the index, my daughter and I decided to try the Happy Birthday Cake and the Lemon Meringue Tartlets. The cake was less intimidating than the tarlets, mostly because of the meringue, but that’s a “me” thing and has nothing to do with the recipe itself. Both desserts turned out great and I’m feeling inclined to take up cake decorating now because the cake was so delicious that I’d love to make and serve it for birthday parties, but I’d want it to look as amazing as it tastes.

Next, we’re planning to try the Grandma’s Recipe Lemon Loaf and the Famous Fresh Strawberry Shortcake with Strawberry Sauce. And after that, if I’m still able to fit through the front door, I might just go to the market and get the ingredients to try my hand at making a cheesecake, too!

So, if you’re like me and don’t feel overly confident in the dessert baking department, you might want to give this book a try. These recipes are so much easier than I had thought they would be and if I can make a dessert from scratch and have people raving over it, so can you!