I think that collective internet groan was especially loud when it was announced that MGM would be bringing The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo to the big screen. Well, for the second time. Why? Because the Swedish interpretations of novels written by Stieg Larsson are simply phenomenal and it is hard to imagine anyone doing better.

Let’s take a step back for a minute and talk about the books. This is where I get booed by book clubs across the country: I didn’t love the books. They were ok, good even in parts, but they were just too busy and scattered for my taste. The first in the series was by far my favorite, a solid 4 star read. However the remaining two felt disjointed and slow. I would have loved to see book two and three edited down to one novel.

All that said, if you haven’t read the series yet, it is worth taking a chance on. I mean hundreds of book clubs can’t be wrong, right? The story telling may not be perfect and the journey is slow in parts, but Lisbeth is a character that calls to you from the pages. I kept at it solely because of her and my need to know what happened to her. She is wounded, fragile, and yet…powerful. In a word, Lisbeth Salander is fascinating.

In 2009 the Swedish film company Yellow Bird released the first of three movies based on the books, staring Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth and Michael Nyqvist as the male lead. If ever there was a movie adaptation worthy of its origins, this was it. In fact I’m going to go so far as to say the movies are significantly better than the novels themselves. The distractions that slowed down the story are no where to be found in the films and the actors give the characters a depth and honesty that was missing from the text. Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth is perfection.

With the announcement of the U.S. remakes, I was …. nervous. Why do it?! The Swedish films are wonderful! Yes, you have to read subtitles but so what? We like reading! I was even more apprehensive when I saw the first of the promotional shots trickling out.

What… the? Really? Anyone who has read the books knows that Lisbeth would never tattoo her last name across her chest. Additionally, why do we have to take a woman who is fascinating in her own right and reduce her to a naked body in order to sell tickets?

Then I saw the trailer.

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The unscrupulous new Council chair has charged Jace, Marc and me with trespassing, kidnapping, murder and treason. Yeah, we’ve been busy. But now it’s time to take justice into our own hands. We must avenge my brother’s death and carve out the rot at the heart of the Council.

But life never waits until you’re ready.

It wasn’t that long ago that I was asking for advice on which series were complete, and now… I’m finishing up three of my favorite series within one month. It’s killing my poor book loving heart. Yet I understand, sometimes it is time to let go of characters because there is only so much torture they can take. I wouldn’t mind a spinoff involving Jace tho… #justsaying

Faythe, Faythe, Faythe, my how you have grown. I went into this last book not expecting her to be so mature and so clear headed considering the emotional beating of the Prey and Shift. I expected her to flail and struggle and make mistake after mistake because her life was in turmoil. She certainly did struggle to find her footing when it came to her romantic interests. She stubbornly held onto her own selfish wants when it came to the men in her life up until the very end. I wanted to grab hold and shake her. It wasn’t fair to either Mark or Jace, but I can overlook it. Why?

Because she may have been acting selfishly and avoiding the problem, but for once it was the right thing to do. There was simply no way for her to stand up and lead in the way that she does, and needs to, in Alpha if she couldn’t see past her own problems and grab hold of the bigger picture. Immature, weak, whiny Faythe has grown into a fearless, courageous, intelligent bad ass motherf**ker (BAMF!). There are losses, there are wins, there is heartbreak… and she handles it all. She fully accepts her role, acknowledges her devotion to her pride, to her family, and it fits her.

I have to admit, Alpha isn’t perfect and won’t be my favorite of the series. I was fairly certain of who would die and the choice she would make in the end, but…. I didn’t care. This book didn’t make me bawl like Prey did, didn’t make me scream OH MY HOLY YODA like Shift did, but it did leave me feeling satisfied. It was a great story and a fitting end to a fantastic series. My favorite aspect of Alpha? The political world of the shifters once more being center stage, while the romance was still there, just as a supporting role along the side.

With this review, I say goodbye to one of my top 10 Urban Fantasy series. You have made me laugh, made me cry, made me gasp, and made me yell in frustration. You have entertained me and given me little pockets of fantasy to escape into. I’ve shared you with friends and pushed you onto complete strangers, all just so I could relive my own excitement through their experience. Thank you Rachel Vincent, may your new series be just as well loved.

FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me.

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This was my first Megan Hart book and I wasn’t sure what to expect. From the cover I expected Switch to be steamier than it was. Don’t get me wrong, there is lots of smex and steam, but I found the story to be more about Paige figuring out who she is.

Paige is a young, mid twenty year old woman. She has a weird obsession with stationary. I have to admit I have never thought about paper and pen in the ways she does…. but I enjoyed reading about it! At first I had a hard time connecting to her, or even liking her. She came across as harsh sometimes, especially in her reactions with her ex-husband Austin. Even after finishing the book I am not sure that I understand what went so horribly wrong in their relationship and why she was so hurt by him. I don’t want to give anything away, so I am being vague, but there was a flashback that I think was the supposed reason however I found myself siding with Austin in that scenario. I am happy to say that Paige did grow on me as I got to know her. I enjoyed seeing her grow through the tasks she took upon herself from a neighbors’ anonymous notes.

Paige finds herself torn between her ex-husband Austin and a dark and sexy neighbor Eric. What is worse is that I found myself torn between the two men! One chapter I was rooting for Austin and wishing he would just show up on her door and stay there until she came to her senses. The next I was cheering Eric on hoping he would make a move! In the end I was totally Team Austin, but it was a close race. His devotion and trust in Paige was so sweet, I couldn’t bear to see his heart broken.

Outside of the relationship plot, I enjoyed the story. I liked her quirky boss Paul and the relationship she has with her half siblings. The story borders on being too busy when you add in the work and mom/dad plot lines and because of that drags a bit in the beginning. I would have liked to quick epilogue and I really really really want to know what was in the last note. Maybe I can bribe the author with cookies? Switch overcomes these minor flaw with its’ steamy eroticism, interesting personal adventure, and sexy men! This will definitely not be my last Megan Hart novel.

Disclaimer: This book was received from Netgalley for review

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Book 3 of the Maker’s Song series by Adrian Phoenix picks very quickly after where book 2 left off. In fact the entire events of Beneath the Skin take place over just about a week. So much is going on in these few days that several times I wondered if time just ran differently in their world. Ok not really, but seriously if I could get as much done in a day as these guys I would be superwoman!

In Beneath the Skin Heather and Dante find themselves stuck trying to deal with the aftermath of all the events that take place at the end of In the Blood. Dante is lost within himself, buried in flashbacks and memories of his past. Heather is now on the run from the agencies she used to work for. Lucien is still being held by the Fallen and suspected of being dead. Book 3 explores the question…. can Dante keep his sanity or is he destined to be just a weapon who has lost control?

One of the things I love about this series are the characters. Heather kicks ass and I was glad to see her finally slip on some leather pants. For once I think the book cover actually portrays a look the characters pulls off in the story! I love Heather because she is smart, determined, dedicated, and simply will not take no for an answer. Not even from the bad boy vamp in PVC mesh and leather. There is never even a question that she is strong enough to stand beside Dante and fight with him.

Equally lovable is Dante, a True Blood (born) vampire and Fallen Angel “maker”. He is like an M&M, hard shell…. sweet chocolatey goodness in side. His foul mouth and flippant attitude make him a fun character to read about. I just can’t help but love a guy who is so fond of flipping people off and tossing out the F#&! word. As if his oddly charming personality isn’t enough, Dante is man enough to not push Heather behind him at the first sign of trouble. He doesn’t go all alpha crazy and lock her in a closet when things start falling apart, in fact he admits to needing her. But make no mistake, you will get your sexy man beast fix with this book as he has no problem putting Heather up against a wall if ya know what I mean *wink wink nudge nudge*.

Something else to look forward to from Beneath the Skin is an extended glimpse at Von, the sexy biker nomad. He plays a heavy part in the book. His dedication and love for Dante and all the things he considers “his” is touching.

Now for my complaints… *sigh*. I hate to do it, but I have some. This installment has just too much going on. Halfway through the book I was seriously considering whipping out some graph paper and making a flow chart so I could remember who was who and what agency they worked for. The way the author draws us into Dante’s head and his struggle to not lose it was flawless. I ate up those chapters like freshly baked cookies. But I found myself growling and sighing when we got pulled out of those scenes only to be stuck in the middle of Shadow Branch/FBI/Whatever other Agency crap. There were just too many agents with too many agendas and in the end there was nothing done with those plot points. They are just left dangling in the wind. On top of that the ending seemed abrupt… I didn’t expect it to be so sudden and got the feeling that because of all the plot lines the book was originally longer but they needed a stopping point.

Now that I complained, I will admit, that field agents (don’t ask me which agency they were from) Emmet and Merri interest me. I do look forward to seeing what part they will play in the wind and I liked the relationship between them. However, everything else relating to the Shadow Branch and the plot to capture/release Dante just went over my head and left me feeling confused.

Even with my gripes, Beneath the Skin, is a great read. So much of the action of the book comes from within Dante’s mind and I found myself really enjoying the experience. Often a good internal struggle is so more engaging than the external dangers. This book was definitely better than the last and I look forward to the next one. It will be interesting to see how and if resolution comes about in book 4.

Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me.

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Confession Time: Zombies. Totally not my thing and not sexy. I think this could be the very first zombie book I have read, but it won’t be the last! Contrary to popular belief zombies do not always walk around chanting brains. If they are lucky enough to be “made” zombies, like Amanda Feral, they can continue to function as they did before death, mostly. The exception being the devastating (and totally gross) side effects of eating real food, pale skin even a spray tan won’t fix, and the desire for human flesh. Other than those minor things, they can carry on with their lives as usual. Amanda Feral is trying to do just that, refusing to give up her designer clothes, power career, or warm blooded boyfriend just because she is dead. Unfortunately the afterlife isn’t so easy for her when one of her friends seemingly goes missing and she finds herself in over her head in someone’s attempt to stage a world takeover, one Starbucks at a time.

Amanda Feral and friends are quite possibly the most foul mouthed, snarky, and sarcastic group of characters I have come across yet. They are dirty ~ and I don’t mean “spank me” dirty, I mean “depends” dirty. Their brand of humor is not for the easily offended or light of heart. Living with an experienced master of inappropriate jokes and sarcasm, aka my husband, I figured I was up for the challenge. A few times I found myself cringing because Mark Henry holds nothing back, gore and bowels are not off limits. However, most of the time I found myself silently snickering and snorting along at bad jokes and hilarious storytelling. Mark Henry seems to have the unique ability of making the gory act of zombies eating humans perfectly normal, if not funny.

I have only one itty bitty complaint…footnotes. Happy Hour of the Damned is filled with footnotes, giving you little tidbits of info sure to make you snort out loud. Because I didn’t want to miss any of the funny, I wasn’t about to ignore their existence, but I did find them a tad distracting when reading it on the Kindle. Obviously, this is not the fault of the author, but this may be one of those series that are better off read in paperback where you can flip back and forth easily (*gasp* yes, I did indeed say that… mark your calendars!). Being a diehard Kindle lover who avoids dead tree books if at all possible, I did come up with a method that was workable and figured I would share because I am a generous girl like that.

Because of Mark Henry’s foul mouthed crew of comediens I give Happy Hour of the Damned 4 stars. It was fun to read an urban fantasy with main characters who were not battling with moral dilemmas and ethical questions. I can’t wait to see what else Amanda Feral can get herself into. Next up, Road Trip of the Living Dead.

FTC Disclaimer: This book was purchased by me.

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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.

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?

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

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