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Review: Brains: a Zombie Memoir by Robin Becker

Tiffany — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:14:15 +0000

Title: Brains: a Zombie Memoir
Author: Robin Becker
Release: June 1, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 3 Stars

College-professor-cum-zombie Jack Barnes is a different breed of undead—he can think. In fact, he can even write. And the story he has to tell is a truly disturbing—yet strangely heartwarming—one.

Convinced he’ll bring about a peaceful coexistence between zombies and humans if he can demonstrate his unique condition to Howard Stein, the man responsible for the zombie virus, Barnes sets off on a grueling cross-country journey to meet his maker. Along the way he recruits a small army of “super” zombies that will stop at nothing to reach their goal. There’s Guts, the dreadlocked boy who can run like the wind; Joan, the matronly nurse adept at reattaching decaying appendages; Annie, the young girl with a fierce quick-draw; and Ros, who can actually speak. United they embark on an epic quest to attain what all men, women—and, apparently, zombies—yearn for: equality.

Brains is a blood-soaked, darkly humorous story that will have readers rooting for Barnes and his zombie posse to the very end.

Brains offers an interesting take on the zombies, or at least I think it does. I have to admit, I don’t read a lot of zombie books… something about the rotting flesh that does me in. Yet, I had heard good things about this book and it was a quick read (only 182 pages) so I jumped on board the zombie train. Unfortunately, this book was just OK – it had it’s moments, but overall I was left wanting more.

Jack Barnes is a well educated professor who suddenly finds himself a zombie. Yet, he isnt a mindless brain eating zombie, he has somehow retained his ability to think and to write. He sets off trying to find other zombies like himself and ends up creating his own little zombie family, ready to show the world they can co-exist with humans.

Overall Jack is an interesting guy, if you can overlook the fact he comes across as kind of a jerk before he was zombified. His, and perhaps this book’s, downfall is the way he narrates the story. The narration is filled with pop culture references and one line zingers. Granted some are funny, but a lot of them felt forced just for the sake of trying to be funny and turned me off to his character. Add in that he is kind of a jerk when he talks about his wife and I soon found him to be a pretty unlikeable character. I did warm up to him as he warmed up to his new zombie family, but it was a little too late. What I enjoyed most about the story was the cast of characters he collects around him – they are a merry band of misfits and I would have love to get inside their heads and see some of the story from their perspective.

In addition to an unlikable main character, I found the story to be slow. I wanted more to happen… its only 182 pages but I found myself yawning at page 100. Even in the end, I felt the plot just kind of went pfffft. There was a small climax but it was more of a speed bump and all of a sudden the book was over.

So, I have am complaining about all of these things… why am I giving it a 3?? Well even with these faults it was a decent read. It was quick and there were some moments where I laughed out loud. Robin Becker is certainly a talented writer and the idea is one I would love to see expanded on with a bit better story line. As it is, I had some problems with it stylistically – but you may not. I can certainly see the potential for the idea and the writer behind it. The end is a bit open ended, allowing room for a sequel. If there is one I will certainly pick it up to see where it goes.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was given to me for review

Review: Gobsmacked and Cover Me by L.B. Gregg

Tiffany — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:00:32 +0000

Title: Gobsmacked (Men of Smithfield, book 1 )
Author: L.B. Gregg
Release: February 6, 2009
Purchase this book: Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: M/M Romance
Rating: 4 Stars

No more Mr. Nice Guy.

Mild mannered Mark Meehan’s good judgment flies out the window when he finds his lover banging another man. Things go from bad to worse as Mark’s crazy revenge scheme uncovers shocking secrets—sending him straight into the arms of hunky lawman and old friend, Tony Gervase, a man of limited patience and secrets of his own

I have been hesitant to start another M/M Romance series, worried that none could match up with Josh Lanyon’s Adrien English series. However, I have been overloaded with homework lately and really needed a couple of quick reads and these novellas by L.B. Gregg fit right into that at only about 120 pages each.

Gobsmacked is about Mark, a seemingly normal and calm gay man who absolutely loses his cool when he finds out his lover is cheating on him. I absolutely loved his character, he was funny, witty, slightly sarcastic…. all the things I love in my gay book boyfriends. And he wears red Crocs…. i mean how can you not love him?? In contrast to Mark’s erratic and hilarious behavior, Tony was cool and calm and the perfect alpha hero. He balanced the story out nicely and I was fully invested in their relationship from the start.

The story opens with a bang and had me hooked from the very beginning. Gobsmacked kept me awake into the wee hours of the morning because of the well done plot and laugh out loud funny lines. I will never be able to watch my hubby eat a bowl of Captain Crunch cereal again with a straight face.

Title: Cover Me (Men of Smithfield, book 3 )
Author: L.B. Gregg
Release: October 2, 2009
Purchase this book: Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: M/M Romance
Rating: 3 Stars

Lax.

That was the initial conclusion enigmatic security specialist Max Douglas had drawn of Michael “Finn” Finnegan—Dalton Prep’s beloved English teacher. When Max arrives at Smithfield’s exclusive boarding school to protect a high profile student against a mysterious stalker, he’s hell bent on enforcing his style of leadership on students and teachers alike. Warring tempers turn to passionate lovemaking between the former marine and the easy going drama coach. But danger is closer than either man expects and all too quickly violence rocks the homey campus—putting both men at risk.

I must say that I really love L.B. Gregg’s writing style. I enjoyed this installment of the series (tho I use the term loosely, the stories are mostly stand alone) but I have to admit I liked Gobsmacked better.

Cover Me is told from the perspective of Michael “Finn” Finnegan, a college english and drama teacher. While tutoring one summer he meets Max, a sexy security specialist, and they have a crazy hot scene on an office desk. Yet something goes awry and Michael storms out of there angry and feeling used. The two meet up again as they are forced to work together to keep one of Michael’s students safe, and sparks fly.

The smut scenes in this book were hot and the lines were funny. My problems with the story were based on the relationship between Michael and Max, I just didn’t connect with the two of them as a couple. I felt that Max gave in too easily and Max was too hard and distant. The entire relationship felt rushed and unrealistic. That said, the interactions between the two of them and they way they connect in the end when they are finally honest and coupled was wonderful. It was the arc of the coupling that didn’t sit right with me. Overall Cover Me is a good read with funny moments and L.B. Gregg’s next book, Catch Me If You Can, has made it to my “must read” pile.

Other Reviews:

SmokinHotBooks – 5

Smexybooks – 4

FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me

Review: Shades of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Tiffany — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:34:34 +0000

Title: Shades of Midnight (Breeds, book )
Author: Lara Adrian
Release: March 2nd, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Rating: 3 Stars

Something inhuman is stalking the frigid Alaskan wilds, leaving unspeakable carnage in its wake. For bush pilot Alexandra Maguire, the killings stir memories of a horrific event she witnessed as a child and evoke in her the inexplicable sense of otherness she has long felt within herself but never fully understood . . . until a darkly seductive stranger with secrets of his own enters her world.

Sent from Boston on a mission to investigate the savage attacks and stop the slaughter, vampire warrior Kade has his own reasons for returning to the frigid, forbidding place of his birth. Haunted by a secret shame, Kade soon realizes the stunning truth of the threat he faces–a threat that will jeopardize the fragile bond he has formed with the courageous, determined young woman who arouses his deepest passions and most primal hungers. But in bringing Alex into his world of blood and darkness, Kade must confront both his own personal demons and the even greater evil that could destroy all he holds dear.

This may be one of the shortest reviews I ever write! The truth is, Shades of Midnight was just “ok” and I don’t have a lot to say about it.

Kade is a sexy Breed (aka alien vampire) warrior from the Order, an organization determined to keep humans safe from the knowledge and harm from the vampires that have gone rogue. He is sent to his home state of Alaska to investigate some brutal and suspicious human deaths. In Alaska he meets Alex, a woman with a frightening secret who finds herself in the middle of whatever is going on up there.

Unfortunately, I just didn’t latch on to Kade. He was sexy sure, but I was never invested in his character or his relationship with Alex. I felt like I “knew” him less than the previous Breeds featured in other books, as I have always seen him as a more secondary character. His unique talent was interesting, but not enough to really drag me into this story. Likewise, Alex was just “ok”. I didn’t love her and at a times I found her actions to be unlike her character and even bordering on the “too stupid to live” side.

The thing that I like about Lara Adrian’s Breed series, and the reason I will continue reading them, is the unique take on vampires. Her vamps are descendent of an alien race and very much alive. They are covered in ultra sexy dermaglyphs (tattoos) and growl and roar like my beloved shape-shifters.

Overall, Shades of Midnight is a mediocre installment to the Breed series. I wouldn’t pick this up as your first experience with Lara Adrian but if you are a fan of the series, I wouldn’t skip it.

Other Reviews:

Tori @ Smexybooks – 4

Dear Author – C+

Larissa’s Life – 3.5

FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me

Review: The Adrien English series by Josh Lanyon

Tiffany — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 11:26:37 +0000

The Adrien English Series
Josh Lanyon
Buy Kindle Versions: @ Fictionwise or at Loose-ID
Rating: 3 to 5 Stars

Fatal Shadows – 4 stars

Goodreads entry here.
Someone’s out to get Los Angeles bookseller Adrien English. His best friend has been viciously murdered, now he’s getting weird phone calls and sinister gifts from a mysterious “admirer.” The cops think he’s trying to divert suspicion from himself-with the exception of sexy and homophobic homicide detective Jake Riordan. Is Riordan really such a great detective–or does he have a few secrets of his own? Is his offer to help Adrien on the level or is he out to nail his favorite suspect — to the wall?

A Dangerous Thing – 3 stars

Goodreads entry here
Suffering from writer’s block and frustrated with his tentative relationship with hot but closeted L.A.P.D. Homicide Detective Jake Riordan, gay bookseller and mystery writer Adrien English travels to northern California where he finds a body in his front drive. By the time the sheriffs arrive, the body has disappeared, and Adrien once again finds himself playing amateur sleuth. But when the game turns deadly, Adrien turns to Jake. Jake may be confused about some things, but keeping his lover alive is not one of them–no matter what the cost.

The Hell You Say – 5 stars

Goodreads entry here
The long anticipated third novel in the Adrien English series finds the “ill-starred and bookish” mystery writer and bookseller battling demons–maybe literally.

After bookstore clerk Angus flees following terrifying death threats, Adrien must contend with a mysterious Satanic cult, a hot and handsome university professor, and his on-again/off-again relationship with closeted LAPD Homicide Detective Jake Riordan.

And, oh, yes, murder…

Death of a Pirate King – 5 stars

Goodreads entry here
Gay bookseller and reluctant amateur sleuth Adrien English’s writing career is suddenly taking off. His first novel, Murder Will Out, has been optioned by notorious Hollywood actor Paul Kane. But when murder makes an appearance at a dinner party, who should be called in but Adrien’s former lover, handsome closeted detective Jake Riordan, now a Lieutenant with LAPD — which may just drive Adrien’s new boyfriend, sexy UCLA professor Guy Snowden, to commit a murder of his own!

The Dark Tide – 5 stars

Goodreads entry here
As if recovering from heart surgery beneath the gaze of his over-protective family wasn’t exasperating enough, someone keeps trying to break into Adrien English’s bookstore. What is this determined midnight intruder searching for?

When a half-century old skeleton tumbles out of the wall in the midst of the renovation of Cloak and Dagger Bookstore renovation, Adrien turns to hot and handsome ex-lover Jake Riordan — now out-of-the closet and working as a private detective.

Jake is only too happy to have reason to stay in close contact with Adrien, but there are more surprises in Adrien’s past than either one of them expects — and one of them may prove hazardous to Jake’s own heart.

It is 3:40am and here I am typing away on my laptop writing a review for a series I just finished reading. I should have packed it up and called it a night as the girls will no doubt be pestering me for breakfast bright and early, but the last book of the Adrien English series was so perfect, so sigh worthy that I absolutely had to get my thoughts out before I could fall asleep.

I started this series not knowing what to expect. It came highly recommended by Smexybooks and she has never steered anyone wrong before, but I have never read a M/M romance before. True to form, Ms. Smexy did not disappoint and this series is a must read. Fictionwise has this series classified as M/M erotica but I have a hard time classifying it as erotica. Yes, there are some smexy scenes in it, but the plot and relationships between characters steal the show in every book. Because of the strength of the last 3 books, I am giving the series as a whole 5 stars.

Adrien English is likable and funny, often sarcastic but not overly so. He is curious, finding himself close to far more dead bodies than one would think is possibly. The relationship between him and Jake is an unlikely one where they seem to knock heads more than kiss. I would have liked to sit them down and stage an intervention more on several occassions. They seemed to take turns being unable to be emotionally honest and often saying the wrong words. On one hand I am glad this series was only 5 books long, I am not sure my heart could take the emotional turmoil that their relationship caused me!

The plots for all 5 books were well done. The mysteries were interesting and demanded equal footing with the romantic plot. I did find the storyline in A Dangerous Thing, book 2, to be less interesting than the others. I felt the changes in Jake and Adrien’s relationship were most important to the series, but the plot kept trying to push them out of the way.

Ultimately, book 5 left the biggest impression on me. I laughed out loud at the one liners and sighed at the tender side Jake finally showed us. I held my breath during many scenes hoping one of them would say the right thing and happiness would be in their future. Never have I read a series that was completed so well and did so without compromising the characters or the growth they had to experience. Even upon finishing The Dark Tide I kept hitting the “next” button trying to deny the book was really done. Realizing it was truly the end, I actually grinned and hugged my kindle for a moment in gratefulness.

Thank you Mandi for helping me spread my book horizons and thank you Josh Lanyon for giving readers a little piece of joyful perfection.

FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me

Review: Lords of the Underworld Series

Tiffany — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:00:33 +0000

Lords of the Underworld Series
Gena Showalter
Buy Kindle Versions: here
Rating: 3 to 4 Stars

The Darkest Night – 4 stars

All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she’ll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member — a man trapped in a hell of his own. Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments . . . and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction — and a soul-shattering test of love . .

The Darkest Kiss – 4 stars

She was tempted many men…but never found her equal. Until now.
Though she has lived for centuries, Anya, goddess of anarchy, has never known pleasure. Until Lucien, the incarnation of death–a warrior eternally doomed to take souls to the hereafter. He draws her like no other. And Anya will risk anything to have him.

But when the merciless Lord of the Underworld is ordered by the gods to claim Anya herself, their uncontrollable attraction becomes an anguished pursuit. Now they must defeat the unconquerable forces that control them, before their thirst for one another demands a sacrifice of love beyond imagining…

The Darkest Pleasure – 3 stars

Reyes is a man possessed. Bound by the demon of pain, he is forbidden to know pleasure. Yet he craves a mortal woman, Danika Ford, more than breath and will do anything to claim her—even defy the gods.
Danika is on the run. For months she’s eluded the Lords of the Underworld, immortal warriors who won’t rest until she and her family have been destroyed. But her dreams are haunted by Reyes, the warrior whose searing touch she can’t forget. Yet a future together could mean death to all they both hold dear.…

The Darkest Whisper – 3 stars

He is the keeper of Doubt and his entire world’s about to be rocked.

Bound by the demon of doubt, Sabin unintentionally destroys even the most confident of lovers. So the immortal warrior spends his time on the battlefield instead of the bedroom, victory his only concern…until he meets Gwendolyn the Timid. One taste of the beautiful redhead, and he craves more.

Gwen, an immortal herself, always thought she’d fall for a kind human who wouldn’t rouse her darker side. But when Sabin frees her from prison, battling their enemies for the claim to Pandora’s box turns out to be nothing compared to the battle Sabin and Gwen will wage against love…

I was going to review these individually, but I thought I would go through all four in the series pretty quickly and do one big glowing review. That seemed to be true upon reading the first two books, but things slowed down for me reading book 3 (The Darkest Pleasure).

The series starts off well …. your typical tortured warrior who finds a women he seemingly can’t have. All the books are based around a group of Lords, warriors who were once in good with the Gods. They did something they shouldn’t have and were expelled from the Gods’ good graces and punished by being forced to harbor evil demons. Each warrior hosts an evil demon such as Violence, Disease, Distrust, Death, Wrath, etc. These demons provide the stumbling blocks in the warriors relationships with their fated women.

On top of the romance there is suspenseful plot built around the premise of a group of “Hunters” who think the world would be a better place without the existence of these demons, therefore without the existence of the Lords. Hunters will do anything necessary to get their hands on the Lords of the Underworld and the series develops into a war between the two.

I really enjoyed book 1 and book 2. The warriors were strong and sexy, yet vulnerable. The women were relatable and likable. I rooted for Ashlyn in The Darkest Night to find her own feet and stand on them. I cheered as Anya from The Darkest Kiss kicked Lucien’s ass and took names while doing it. Their stories grabbed me and pulled me in so that I had to finish them.

I wish I could say the same positive things for book 3 and 4. Something about the last two books fell flat for me. I found myself more interested in the subplot of the war than I was in the state of the relationships. The characters seemed to be too typical and predictable. I don’t want to spoil anything so I won’t go into detail but I found the ending to The Darkest Pleasure unrealistic. It didn’t work within the previous context given to the Gods and their actions. Book 4, The Darkest Whisper, was a disappointment to me. I was slightly more interested in the relationships, but the subplot of the war was almost entirely missing from this story. There was almost no development or progress in the fight and again I found the ending unrealistic for the characters.

I will keep reading the series because I find the series idea and subplots interesting, but I hope the next book is an improvement.

FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me

Review: Covet

Tiffany — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 18:06:27 +0000

Covet
J.R. Ward
Release: Sept. 29, 2009
Buy Kindle Version: here
Rating: 3 Stars

Redemption isn’t a word Jim Heron knows much about—his specialty, both personally and professionally, is revenge, and to him, sin is all relative. But everything changes when he becomes a fallen angel and is charged with saving the souls of seven people from the seven deadly sins. His weapon: the power of love. His enemy: the darkest of evil. And failure is not an option.

Vincent Di Pietro has surrendered himself to his business—until fate intervenes in the form of a tough-talking, Harley-riding, self-professed savior, and a woman who will make him question his destiny. With an ancient evil ready to claim him, Vin has to work with a fallen angel not only to win his beloved over…but to redeem his very soul.

I am a very big fan of J.R. Ward and her Black Dagger Brotherhood series, because of that I had high expectations for Covet and the new Fallen Angel series. Unfortunately, the book fell short of it’s potential. It took me quite a while to get into the story and be invested in it. Even at almost the halfway point I wasn’t sure I was enjoying it. The story seemed to drag on and wasn’t engaging enough to grab hold of me and suck me in. Once I passed the halfway point things picked up and I knew I would finish it.

Jim Heron – a bad ass who wants to start his life fresh. He wants a quiet life where he can be left alone. I was prepared to dislike him, but grew quite fond of him by the end. I like the journey his character made throughout the story and if it were not for him I would have quit reading before I reached the halfway point.

Marie-Terese as a heroine was likable enough for me, but her character did not seem realistic or believable. Marie -Terese is a woman who prostitutes because she has large debts to pay off because of her ex-husband. She hates it and dislikes herself for doing it, later realizing she could be subconsciously punishing herself for her past actions. I am ok with all of that. Ward starts to lose me when Marie-Terese gives up the sexual goods to our hero without much of a hesitation. So much of the beginning of the book feature son how untrusting Marie-Terese is with men… not even trusting her boss who seemingly does anything to protect her and treat her well. Yet for some reason those trust issues virtually disappear and it isn’t more than a day or so before our hero and heroine have the all consuming life changing boots knocking? It just isn’t realistic for this character. I expected more hesitation and trepidation than we were given.

Vin- our hero was just “eh” for me. I liked him well enough, but I felt like we have seen him before in Ward’s books.

I am intrigued by the plot put forth by this series. I like the idea behind the battle for good and evil using a flawed but good intentioned character. This book fell short on plot when it comes to the subplot of Marie-Terese’s stalker. It seemed like an afterthought and had little to do with the driving force behind the series. I could have done with out it.

All of that said, I will keep reading the series. Even with this book’s faults, the series idea is a good one and J.R. Ward is great at interactions between her characters. I am looking forward to seeing how J.R. Ward will handle a series where not every book can end with a happy ever after.

FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me