Posts Tagged ‘100 challenge’

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: Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, book 4)
Author: Ilona Andrews
Release: May 25th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | No Kindle Version Yet
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating: 5 Stars

I am going to do my very best to keep this review spoiler free…. I didn’t want to be spoiled and I know you don’t either (well with the exception of KC that is, she is a bad girl).

Magic Bleeds has Kate still working for the order in her own way. When a big bad evil doer comes to town and starts driving shapeshifters wild and infecting people with contagious diseases it is up to Kate to take care of business in the best way she knows how. Things get even more dangerous for Kate and those she loves as her identity gets harder to hide and her family ups the stakes.

If I were a super kick ass heroine, I would totally be Kate. She is funny, sarcastic, courageous, and loyal… but she will also kick your ass if she needs to. She takes the shit life gives her and keeps on going no matter the cost, all the while somehow managing to avoid becoming bitter and spiteful (one of my pet peeves with UF heroines). All of this and more is true of Kate in book 4 of the series. She is the Kate we know and love, but she is growing increasingly vulnerable and wiser.

The Kate Daniels series started off with a strong, yet lonely heroine who had only one purpose in her life. Magic Bleeds gives the reader a battle hardened but love softened version of that same heroine. The family Kate has unintentionally found and her feelings towards Curran make her vulnerable and soften the hard edges of her personality. Voron’s words of warning constantly play in the back of her mind causing her to doubt whether she can have the things that make her truly happy.

Curran is the ultimate Beast Lord and delivers like you would expect one to in Magic Bleeds. He is pissy, temperamental, sarcastic, dangerous, standoffish, and growly. Very Growly. Very. He will also make your toes tingle and your heart swell in ways I didn’t expect. A relationship between Kate and Curran will never be easy, but book 4 asks the question…. do both of them have the strength to try? And if so, will the big bad evil doers even give them the chance?

Ilona Andrews once again delivers a novel that meshes sizzling romantic tension with nail biting urban fantasy action perfectly. The plot and action sequences always manage to stay center stage, never feeling lackluster in comparison with the “will they or won’t they” subplot. Magic Bleeds reads like a game changer…tying up some long running plot lines while expanding and revealing new ones. I for one can’t wait to see what is coming up next for Kate and how she manages to stay alive, again.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was given to me by the author

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

Title: Lover Mine (Black Dagger Brotherhood, book
Author: J.R. Ward
Release: April 27th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3.5 Stars

I have to start this review by stating that I debated whether I wanted to give this a 3.5 star rating or 4 star. Part of me says 4 stars because I think some of my issues with the book are due to my own little reading funk, but the more I think about it, the more I am comfortable with the 3.5 star rating.

Lover Mine is the eagerly waited for book featuring John Matthew (who is not yet a “Brother”) and Xhex, a sympath assassin who worked for Rehvenge from Lover Avenged. At the end of the last book Xhex is captured by the Omega’s son and former potential Brother, Lash. Lover Mine concentrates on John Matthew’s efforts to get her back and what happens after he does.

As has been the trend with the last couple of Black Dagger Brotherhood books, the main hero and heroine’s story is not the only one featured. In Lover Mine we also get a much more indepth look at the relationship between Quinn and Blay. Their story and interactions take up quite a bit of page space and were the most interesting part of this book for me. On top of that, we also get a subplot featuring Payne and No’One, as well as an oddly placed subplot about a reality show being filmed at an old mansion.

What I loved about Lover Mine? I felt that John Matthew and Xhex were true to their characters and the intimate scenes were HOT. John seems mighty capable at ripping a shirt or two and if it were me, I wouldn’t be complaining. Yet even with all their passion, in my opinion, Blay and Quinn stole this book. The tension, emotion, and suspense of their relationship was overwhelming and I found myself looking forward to their scenes and skipping parts of the book to make them come faster.

What didn’t work for me…. sigh, it’s hard to put a finger on. For John and Xhex there was just too much emotional angst in the story line, not enough action. They are both kick ass warriors, I wanted more physical action in the story and found the emotional turmoil within each of them to drag on and on. It took me a full 4 days to read this book and that is the longest I have ever spent on a BDB book, it just dragged for me.

The issue with John and sign language seemed to be too easily solved as well – he teaches her the letters of the alphabet and all of a sudden she can interpret entire paragraphs in what seems like no time at all? So he is signing each word letter by letter instead of using the actual signs for things? That’s impressive but entirely unrealistic in my opinion. On top of that, the subplot with the reality show filming was just weird. It ruined the pacing of the book and kept me from fully sinking into the story line.

Now my biggest problem? The GIGANTIC FREAKING PLOT HOLE! Exactly when did John Matthew and the Brothers find out that Lash was the Omega’s son? Was there a short story or novella that gave this away or were readers just deprived of this realization? When Xhex is taken at the end of Lover Avenged John Mathew mentions that Lash must have hooked up with the Omega somehow, yet he clearly does not know he is his son. Yet somehow in Lover Mine it seems that this is common knowledge?

For me, Lover Mine, was a tiny bit of a disappointment but I am willing to admit I may have had high expectations. This installment in the Brotherhood series was a good read, just not without it’s problems.

FTC Disclaimer: Book was purchased by me

Title: Laid Bare (Brown Siblings, book 1)
Author: Lauren Dane
Release: August 4th, 2009
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Erotic Romance, Menage
Rating: 4.5 Stars

After reading a couple of heavy hitting Urban Fantasy books I wanted some light sexy books, I looked through my library and settled on the Lauren Dane books I had been hoarding. FictionVixen loves herself some Lauren Dane and she hasn’t steered me wrong yet, so it was settled. Of course I had some reading comprehension issues that day and mistakenly read Coming Undone before Laid Bare, but no harm was done as they stand on their own. Laid Bare and Coming Undone are not a series, but they are related as they are focused on a small group of friends and family. You can read one without the other, but why would you? They are too good to pass up on.

Laid Bare focuses on Erin Brown, a tough non nonsense sort of chick who has been put through hell and is somehow still standing. Erin struggles to get through each day pushing the loss she has suffered down and out of the way. The fates have plans for her tho and one day strong, sexy, dominant Todd Keenan walks back into her life after more than 10 years have passed. Todd Keenan has returned to his hometown after 10 years and a divorce, finally ready to be comfortable with who he is. When he walks into a small cafe to find the only woman to ever accept his dark desires sparks fly and the two embark on a wicked path of burning hot sex and unexpected emotional twists and turns. Things are only made more exciting, and complicated, when the couple find themselves intrigued and interested in adding Ben Copeland to their bed.

I absolutely loved Laid Bare. Words can not express exactly how much I loved this book. Lauren Dane blew my socks off and clear out of my house with the dominating and sexy Todd Keenan, and later Ben Copeland. To say that the sex scenes in this book were steamy is an understatement… they were an inferno unlike anything I have read so far. But Laid Bare is about more than just sex, Lauren Dane has a talent for creating endearing characters you wish you knew in real life. The sense of family and friendship she writes into this story compliment the plot perfectly and give the characters added dimension and depth. The emotional development between all three main characters was a joy to read.

My one complaint is that I felt the ending dragged on a smidge. I felt like I had my happy ending a good 50 pages before the end of the book and the rest could have been cut and I would have still been happy. Those last 50 pages do have value, i just wonder if they should have been rearranged to happen sooner.

I’m convinced Lauren Dane somehow downloaded all of the things that make me tingle from my head and put them into this book… Erin even has pink hair! If you like steamy sex scenes featuring dirty men and their dominating ways, you will not want to miss Laid Bare – just make sure you have a high speed fan nearby to cool you off.

Title: Coming Undone (Brown Siblings, book 2)
Author: Lauren Dane
Release: January 5th, 2010
Purchase this book: Amazon | Book Depository | Kindle Version
Goodreads Entry: here
Genre: Erotic Romance
Rating: 4 Stars

Coming Undone focuses on Brody Brown, Erin Brown’s (from Laid Bare) brother. Brody is the ideal big brother, if you can still say that about a sexy 40 year old tattooed biker guy. He took up the reigns raising his siblings when he was just 17 and has been their protector for all of his life. He runs a successful tattoo shop and has little time for more than a casual fling here and there. His world is reshaped when he starts up a casual relationship with his new neighbor, Elise Sorenson. Elise is a single mom who has to worry about her daughter first and foremost, she has no time or desire for a full time boyfriend….. but that doesn’t mean she can’t have herself a piece of man candy here and there. Famous last words in any romance novel….

Just like Laid Bare, Coming Undone will have you wishing you had a strong breeze blowing through your living room… or maybe a cold shower. Brody is strong, admirable, loyal, and devoted to his family. He is also sexy and confident enough to turn any woman into a melted pile of goo. I really enjoyed this book, tho not as much as Laid Bare. That isn’t because the writing or story isn’t as good, but it is solely based on the male leads…. Todd is just more my kind of guy than Brody is…. but Brody is a very close second.

The growth of relationship between Brody and Elise is sweet and timed perfectly. I really enjoyed the way Lauren Dane incorporated Elise’s daughter into the story, giving her just as much importance as the other characters and doing so realistically. As with Dane’s previous book, the theme of family and friends is a strong support to the plot and only adds the depth of the story. There were a few time when I felt scene transitions were a bit off or done too quickly, but it was easily overlooked.

Lauren Dane writes erotic romance novels that feel realistic. The characters deal with real problems, real threats, and do it with real courage and bravery…. yet they get smoking hot love making to go along with it. If Lauren Dane isn’t on your auto buy list, she should be. Excuse me while I run off and stalk her mercilessly on twitter.

FTC Disclaimer: Books were purchased by me