Archive for the ‘4 Star’ Category

Title: The Missing
Author: Shiloh Walker
Release: Out in Trade Paperback now, Mass Market July 6th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Borders | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Suspense
Rating: 4 Stars

The Missing is only my second Shiloh Walker read and it served as a good reminder that I really need to pick up more of her books. In spite of my “paranormal/romance burnout” I flew through this book yesterday and could not put it down. I was cursing Shiloh Walker and updating my goodreads status at 4 am, wondering where the night had gone.

Taige, pronounced like Paige with a t (I asked!), has a unique gift. Ever since she was a little girl Taige has had visions or dreams that help her find missing kids. As a young girl she does her best to ignore her gift and the inconvenience it causes. Yet, events in her life push her toward using it to help kids any way she can, no matter the cost her own life.

Taige and Cullen were a sweet, but electric, couple. At first I wasn’t sure where things were going and I was a bit apprehensive about meeting them as teenagers. Over the first 50 pages all reservations I had disappeared and I was smitten. Shiloh Walker wrote them in such a sweet, yet realistic courtship it was impossible not to fall in love with the pair. She then went on to take my heart, rip it out of my chest and stomp on it. Shiloh Walker is evil, in the way all good tragedy writers are. She made me cry. There I admitted it. Taige and Cullen were so perfect for each other, yet their relationship takes such a heartbreaking turn. I hated it and I loved it. I couldn’t put it down once I got to that point. I would have liked to see Taige drag Cullen around by his “you know what” a bit to make him suffer, but that could just be the evil bitch in me talking.

The suspense of The Missing was haunting and readers are given enough clues to figure out bits and pieces here and there, yet I didn’t have an clear hunch about the bad guy until three quarters of the way through. I think portions of the missing children plot could have been prolonged and I would have enjoyed seeing Taige and Cullen’s relationship change during that hardship, but overall the story worked well as it was.

The only annoyance I had were the dreams Taige and Cullen shared. I knew where that subplot was going and I just couldn’t get on that train. It felt too easy and neither of them seemed like the kind to not face their feelings and be honest with each other. In the end I think the couple really needed a knock down, drag out, all things on the table, tupperware thrown at your head type of discussion and I felt shorted that because of the dreams. It didn’t annoy me enough to not love the book, but I would be a slacker blogger if I didn’t mention it.

The Missing is a haunting and emotional story you will not want to put down once you start it. Clear off your schedule for the day, bake some brownies, grab a box of tissues and curl up with some Shiloh Walker. You won’t regret it, I promise.

Other Trusted Reviews:
WickedLilPixie – 4.5
Bibliophilic Book Blog – 3
Stacy’s Place – 4.5

FTC Disclaimer: Book was given to me for review by author

Street Magic – 3.5 stars

Her name is Pete Caldecott. She was just sixteen when she met Jack Winter, a gorgeous, larger-than-life mage who thrilled her with his witchcraft. Then a spirit Jack summoned killed him before Pete’s eyes—or so she thought. Now a detective, Pete is investigating the case of a young girl kidnapped from the streets of London. A tipster’s chilling prediction has led police directly to the child…but when Pete meets the informant, she’s shocked to learn he is none other than Jack. Strung out on heroin, Jack a shadow of his former self. But he’s able to tell Pete exactly where Bridget’s kidnappers are hiding: in the supernatural shadow-world of the fey. Even though she’s spent years disavowing the supernatural, Pete follows Jack into the invisible fey underworld, where she hopes to discover the truth about what happened to Bridget—and what happened to Jack on that dark day so long ago…

Demon Bound – 4 stars

Thirteen years ago, Jack Winter lay dying in a graveyard. Jack called upon a demon and traded his soul for his life… and now the demon is back to collect its due. But Jack has finally found something to live for. Her name is Pete Caldecott, and because of her, Jack’s not going to Hell without a fight.

Pete doesn’t know about Jack’s bargain, but she does know that something bigger and far more dangerous than Jack’s demon is growing in the Black. Old gods are stirring and spirits are rising–and Jack doesn’t stand a chance of stopping them without Pete’s help.

I already had Caitlin Kittredge’s Nocturne City series on my “to read” list, but I was looking for something quick in between review books and The Mighty Buzzard suggested this series as he was really enjoying it. With only 2 books released so far, it was perfect. I was looking for a good urban fantasy that wouldn’t tear my heart out and this was just what I needed.

First things first…. what I loved about these books? The characters. I liked and related to both Pete and Jack from the first chapter. Pete is smart and independent, but also stubborn. Jack is a tortured, cocky, moody bastard. He is cynical, dirty, and dangerous…all things that attract me even tho I know better.

The first book, Street Magic, is narrated by Pete and focuses on her investigation into the disappearance of young girl. The investigation lands her in the middle of a supernatural world she is hesitant to accept and connects her with a long lost friend she believed was dead, Jack Winter. She fights to keep a drug addicted Jack clean in order to save the missing girls while Jack struggles to stay sane and keep Pete safe from monsters from their past. It manages to move the romantic subplot along without taking away from the urban fantasy story line.

Demon Bound, book 2, is narrated by Jack and is all about a decision he made 13 years ago coming back to haunt him. Because of his growing feelings for Pete, Jack tries to keep her out of the dangerous tasks he has to do, but he can’t save himself without her help.

I enjoyed both characters and enjoyed both books, but I found myself liking Jack’s narration more than Pete’s. It felt more honest and realistic. I liked being inside his twisted head and was surprised to find his book was heavy on emotion. Street Magic had definite romantic tension between Pete and Jack, but it was very low key and I assumed it would take books to develop. Instead Demon Bound is filled with Jack’s struggle to accept his emotions for Pete and find a way to keep her safe, even if he loses his fight.

My biggest complaint about the series is the world building, its lacking. Street Magic barely touches on the rules of the world and a few times I was left feeling confused as to how things worked or what was going on. Demon Bound did make an attempt to rectify this and added a few layers of depth, but in general I still feel unsure as to what Caitlin Kittredge’s supernatural Black London world really entails. I also wasn’t a fan of the ending of Demon Bound, tho I give the author credit for not doing the predictable thing. I am willing to be open minded and wait to see what book 3 has to offer us.

If you like urban fantasy with rich characterization, dark plot lines, and a bit of British slang, you’ll enjoy the Black London series.

FTC Disclaimer: These books were purchased by me

Title: Master of None
Author: Sonya Bateman
Release: March 30th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 4 Stars

Finding male authors and/or protagonists in the urban fantasy genre can be tricky. I can probably count the ones I have found and enjoyed on one hand, with Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden shining like a supernova as the best of the bunch. I saw reviews for this book popping up on blogs and my interest was piqued. When I was offered it for review I anxiously said yes…. a male protag written by a woman? Could she pull it off and would I enjoy it? The answer to both of these questions for me is yes, tho I admit I would love to see a male’s review of this book to see their opinion on it.

Gavyn is a thief, and an unlucky one at that. When he loses an item he stole for a very dangerous man, he finds his life on the line and on the run as a new and dangerous magical world is revealed to him. I loved Gavyn’s character. He’s funny, sarcastic, and self deprecating; his mouth constantly getting him in even more trouble than his actions. This story is as much about his journey to finding out his own strengths and weaknesses as it is about the suspense plot.

Gavyn’s sidekick in this magical mystery tour of danger is Ian, a djinn(genie) prince. At first, Ian is crotchety, cranky, surly, and downright condescending. Yet I grew to love him as the story progressed and his relationship with Gavyn developed. The world of djinns created by Bateman was unique to me, my only other experience with them through Rachel Caine’s Weather Warden series. Bateman’s djinns have their own realm, their own politics, their own battles and it is spilling out into our mortal world with possibly fatal consequences. The djinn are not all powerful beings enslaved to a master granting any wish requested, but instead they have power limitations and freedom of choice. Ian and his djinn counterparts are on equal footing with the other characters in this story, adding depth and credibility to the plot.

Master of None by Sonya Bateman is a good solid read from a debut author, a welcome addition to the Urban Fantasy genre. It is not without its slow segments and could use a bit more world building to add to the story, but the first person male character was done well and entertained me from the start. This book is the first in a new series and Sonya Bateman is an author I will be watching.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was given to me by the author for review

Title: Make Your Move
Author: Samantha Hunter
Release: May 1st, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Rating: 4 Stars

I am a relative newbie to “vanilla” contemporary romance novels, and by that I mean romance novels that don’t involve special ops, seals, or very dominating men. I started Make Your Move a little uneasy because I wasn’t sure I could fully enjoy it… it has no guns or secret missions, no super evil kidnapping plots, and no growly men. Yet I had enjoyed Samantha Hunter’s Kindle Short, Barely There, so I was pretty sure I would enjoy the writing. Luckily I was right, and Samantha Hunter didn’t need any of those things to get my attention, I was caught up in this sweet and enjoyable story from the first chapter.

Jodie is a naughty vixen. Yes I said vixen. She is a girl who is not afraid to get what she wants, and for her that is short and sexy flings with a new man each week. She doesn’t want a committed relationship and she isn’t ashamed of it or afraid to admit that. I loved how confident she was and Samantha Hunter did a fabulous job of portraying her as an empowered sexy woman when it would have been easy to cross into promiscuous slut. It’s so unusual for women in romance to be given the OK and ability to enjoy one night stands and I really enjoyed the twist.

Now let’s talk about Dan. Oh Dan, sigh. Dan is not a growling heavy handed alpha man, yet I loved him just the same. He is so sexy in his uber geeky ways. Dan is sweet, and caring, yet unexpectedly smoldering when he gets to the bedroom. How can you not love a guy who can gauge a relationship and how it will fare based on a combination of statistics?

“Additionally, you can’t argue that our sexual compatibility is off the charts. Do you know the odds against the number of orgasm that you had–”

Jodie put up a hand. “No, I don’t, and I don’t think I want to. Listen, Dan, people can’t become lovers based on statistics.”

“Why not?”

She looked at him long and hard, as if trying to figure out whether he was serious.

The relationship develops between Jodie and Dan in such a sweet and realistic way it was hard not to love. The characters are likeable and easy to relate to. If you are looking for a fun, sweet, and sexy read I would highly recommend Make Your Move. It was just the thing I needed to break me out of my tortured urban fantasy bender I was on.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was given to me by the author for review