All Consuming : Cherie

#55 The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 01:29:14 GMT

by Louise Welsh

Rilke is a down-on-his-luck auctioneer in Glasgow, Scotland who comes into a estate job that has seriously piqued his interest. In the converted attic of the McKindless residence, hidden among a huge collection of rare and hard-to-find first edition pornography, he finds some extremely disturbing photographs…. Proving that McKindless was more than just a reader, but an actual participant in some very nasty stuff!

I’m glad I found the time to read this. Thank you for allowing me hang on to it longer than usual. I’m not much of a “true crime” reader usually, but the subject matter of this particular book (pornography and other sexual deviations) greatly interested me. ;-) Apparently, this was a first novel from this Scottish author, Louise Welsh, and though I had a slightly difficult time with some of the colloquialisms, it wasn’t anything that took away from the story, and I was usually able to figure out what the author was referring to within a page or two max. An exciting read!

#54 Midnight Pleasures (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:40:29 GMT

Midnight Pleasures (Paranormal Anthology)

by Amanda Ashley

Though I didn’t care for some of the stories in this anthology all that much, I’m still glad I read it because I did enjoy the story by Ronda Thompson. :)

“Darkfest” by Amanda AshleyMy Rating: 3 stars
I found this one a bit chintzy and sappy. And then I realized I didn’t really care for Amanda Ashley’s full-length novel, Desire After Dark, that I’d read either. Romance buffs may enjoy it more but it didn’t have enough of an interesting story line to go along with it to hold my interest.

“Phantom Lover” by Sherrilyn KenyonMy Rating: 4 stars
I wasn’t too impressed with this story. It was a bit too “sappy romance” for me and the rest of the action was only mediocre. Though I’ve felt that the romance in Kenyon’s full-length Dark-Hunter novels was a bit sappy too, they generally had enough action and sub-plot going on to keep me interested anyway… although I do admit I get a bit glassy-eyed during the sappy love scenes that go on for 3 or 4 pages. But glossing over those parts, the rest of the story is still fairly engaging, which I didn’t really find to be the case as much with this short story, probably due in great part to the short-story format and not having enough space to really flesh out a good sub-plot.

“Under Her Spell” by Maggie ShayneMy Rating: 5 stars
Melissa St. Cloud is hired as the technical consultant for a television series, The Enchantress. But instead of simply correcting the technical inaccuracies related to Witchcraft in the show itself, she ends up having to banish an evil spirit who is trying to consume Alex’s life… literally!

I had mixed feelings about this one. On one hand, I liked the background story that went along with the it. However, the way the author approached the parts dealing with Wicca and Witchcraft, though accurate, seemed very much like a Wicca 101 lecture. Yes, granted she’s trying to teach the reader something in the process, but for someone who’s already experienced with all that like myself, it simply came off as rote, and the kind of thing that should be saved for a non-fiction Wicca 101 text.

“A Wulf’s Curse” by Ronda ThompsonMy Rating: 7 stars
Elise is running from her uncle and the arranged marriage he’s set for her to a very cruel man. So she stows away in the wagon of a traveling road show, hoping to hitch a ride from London to Liverpool, and ends up right in the arms of the Beast Tamer, Sterling Wulf… and the Wulf part is more than just his last name! ;-)

This is my fist introduction to this author, and since I have some of her full-length novels coming in a bookring from CandyDarling, I had wanted to make sure I liked the author. Although this was strictly romance, I liked the author’s writing style enough, and there was enough of a storyline outside of the romance with the traveling road show, that I enjoyed it nonetheless. IMO, this was the best story in this anthology.

#53 Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 01:04:45 GMT

Magic Bites

by Ilona Andrews

When the magic is up, rogue mages cast their spells and monsters appear, while guns refuse to fire and cars fail to start. But then technology returns and the magic recedes as unpredictably as it arose, leaving all kinds of paranormal problems in its wake.

Kate Daniels is a down-on-her-luck mercenary who makes her living cleaning up such problems. But when her guardian is murdered, her quest for justice draws her into a power struggle between two strong factions within Atlanta’s magic circles: the undead (Vampires) and the shapeshifters (more than just wolves).

This book had a completely unique way of looking at vampires, shapeshifters, and magic, and I’m not sure I cared for all of it. I definitely didn’t like the concept of vampires “piloting” other vampires remotely, nor the fact that they were portrayed as completely emotionless bloodsuckers. The concept of magic or technology being “up” was also a bit hard to get used to—especially the fact that only one or the other could be in effect at any given time. I’m much more synergistic in my approach to life and thus have a hard time dealing with absolutes. And this one definitely seemed a hard one to swallow, at least for me personally.

Overall, I’m not sure how I felt about this one. On the one hand, I enjoy the urban fantasy genre very much, but on the other, this was this author’s first novel and I’m sorry to say, you could sort of tell with the writing. There were many things that could’ve been done better. That said, I do hold out hope for the second novel in the series, due out in March of next year. By then, she may have refined her writing technique a bit more and I won’t be distracted by the lack of finesse in the writing. :) We shall see….

#52 Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 04:31:37 GMT

Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West

by Gregory Maguire

I was looking forward to reading this because I’m going to see the musical in Boston on November 3rd, and I wanted a more concrete understanding of the story before seeing it.

I enjoyed this take on The Wizard of Oz, as seen from the viewpoint of the Elphaba, later to be known as the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba was born in Munchkinland, a province of Oz, daughter to a Unionist minister and his privileged wife, a woman with what some called “loose morals”. She was born with green skin, extremely sharp teeth, and a very temperamental manner. Her father, Frex, thought Elphaba was his curse to bear, and Elphaba grew up feeling this guilt her entire life.

Eventually Elphie, as she was known to her friends, heads off to school at Shiz University in the Emerald City, where she meets Galinda, who later becomes known as Glinda the Good Witch of the North, and some other key figures relating to Oz politics. Elphie has a very strong personality and develops some strong ideals for which she fights. After her sister Nessarose, who was born without arms and eventually becomes the Wicked Witch of the East, joins her at Shiz, and their Ama is killed for witnessing something she shouldn’t, Elphie runs away, fearing that as the headmistress predicted, she’s being used as a pawn for the evil Wizard of Oz.

So Elphie begins a campaign of her own to right what she believes is wrong in the world. Her actions eventually cause the death of her lover and her life seems to go downhill from there.

I really felt for Elphie in this book. Maguire portrays her not as the evil witch we have all become so familiar with through the famous movie, but instead as a misunderstood but headstrong character with strong ideals which she defends to the very end!

BookCrossing journal page for this book

#43 Zahrah the Windseeker by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:24:22 GMT

Zahrah the Windseeker

by Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu

Zahrah lives in the northern Ooni Kingdom, where fear of the unknown runs deep. She is born dada, with vines growing through her hair and believed to have special powers. Besides their fear of dada, the people of the Ooni Kingdom also gravely fear the Forbidden Greeny Jungle, which begins on the outskirts of their small village. But when Zahrah notices changes going on within her and is then faced with having to save Dari’s life, she’s ready to confront all her fears head on, and challenge everything she’s been taught.

This was a fun adventure. I enjoyed Zahrah’s trek through the jungle and the various creatures she met therein. Because this is a children’s book (ages 9–12), it also teaches a few important lessons, many which I believe strongly in to this very day. That one being to not believe everything you’re told if you don’t feel comfortable with it. It’s okay to challenge old, outdated beliefs to forge the way for the future. Another is that you are definitely stronger than you think when faced with seemingly impossible odds.

#42 Julian's House by Judith Hawkes (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 23:10:05 GMT

Julian's House

by Judith Hawkes

I really enjoyed this story. It was very atmospheric, and I enjoyed it more so because there wasn’t so much blood and murder as opposed to suspense and psychic happenings due to the haunted house. The characters were portrayed well, and though i can’t say that I really cared for David all that much, I had the same feelings of dislike towards Sally in the beginning as well… until I began to empathize with her situation a bit further along.

My only complaint about the book might be that sometimes I felt the paragraphs went on a bit too long for my taste, and that if they were split up, it might’ve been a bit easier to read. But I think a lot of that could also be due to the fact that I’ve been reading a lot of the more contemporary and/or YA authors lately, whom tend to stick to smaller paragraphs to make for easier reading. Certainly the paragraph lengths the author used here weren’t outside the boundary of acceptable writing. I’ve just found shorter to be better for me personally in holding my interest and keeping me from getting too distracted. Obviously a lot of contemporary authors have jumped on the same bandwagon.

#41 Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 02:53:51 GMT

Wicked Lovely

by Melissa Marr

My Review
Aislinn has always been able to see faeries, as could her mother and grandmother. But she’s always lived by Grams’s rules: Rule #3: Don’t stare at invisible faeries; Rule #2: Don’t speak to invisible faeries; and most importantly Rule #1: Don’t ever attract faeries’ attention.

But now the rules have changed, and Aislinn is no longer safe from the faeries that have begun stalking her. What is it they want from her? And how far are they willing to go to get it? Can Aislinn continue to live by the same rules, ignoring their existence, when she seems to be their prime interest?

I found this debut novel from Melissa Marr an interesting entry into the YA urban fantasy genre. There were a few grammatical mistakes here and there, presumably because this was an Advance Reader’s Edition. Like the faeries in Holly Black’s novels, these are not your sweet, winged creatures, but reflect the true spirit of the Fae and the various courts.

#40 Morrigan's Cross by Nora Roberts (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Fri, 01 Jun 2007 01:36:01 GMT

Morrigan's Cross (The Circle Trilogy, Book 1)

by Nora Roberts

Going in, I wasn’t sure how I’d like this book, seeing as I’m not a huge fan of romances. But if it’s paranormal, you know I’ve gotta try it out! :P So I was pleasantly surprised that I liked it as much as I did. I found that Roberts’, who tends to be too overly descriptive and flowery in the romances of hers that I’ve read, didn’t annoy me so much here. Probably because those descriptions were instead directed towards a different outlet. These descriptions nicely portrayed the beautiful landscapes and hills of Ireland. And even New York city, while the characters were there for awhile… I felt as if I were able to see it from the point-of-view of a tourist visiting for the first time. :D

Overall, a fun read, and I’m looking forward to the next two in the trilogy, both of which are waiting here on Mt. TBR. :D

#39 Motor Mouth by Janet Evanovich (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Sat, 26 May 2007 10:12:52 GMT

Motor Mouth

by Janet Evanovich

Barney, Hooker, and friends are back, tearing up the race track, and tearing up the town! The action takes place in a wild race around Southern Florida and Concord, North Carolina, home of NASCAR. Barney and Hooker “borrow” a NASCAR trailer to save a friend, only to discover that in addition to the two race cars and their friend Gobbles in the back, there’s also a naked dead man wrapped in plastic! And that’s not all… turns out the cars house their own secrets as well.

Now on the run from a couple of hit men, the head of R&D at Huevo Industries, and the police for questioning on a murder they didn’t commit, Barney and Hooker team up with old pals Felicia and Rosa to clear their names, and try to figure out what’s going down in downtown!

This was another great Evanovich read which I enjoyed just as much as its predecessor Metro Girl. It had a lot of laugh-out-loud moments, and you’re left wondering just what’s happening right up until the very end.

#38 Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Sat, 19 May 2007 20:28:42 GMT

Vampire Kisses

by Ellen Schreiber

Raven is a Goth teen who lives in “Dullsville”... where nothing interesting ever happens! Until the Sterling family moves into the haunted house on top of Benson Hill, and the rumors start flying that they’re vampires since they’re never seen during the day.

Raven, who as a little girl proclaimed she wanted to be a vampire when she grew up, has had a strong attraction to the house even during the long years it sat empty. So she’s determined to uncover the truth about the spooky new family… especially the darkly handsome 17-year-old Alexander.

This was a quick and enjoyable teen book that ended on a cliffhanger, leaving me anxiously looking forward to the sequel, which unfortunately I don’t yet have. :( Despite the teen target audience, the author is good at keeping you wondering right up until the very end.

#37 Grave Surprise by Charlaine Harris (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Thu, 17 May 2007 23:49:47 GMT

Grave Surprise (Harper Connelly Mystery, No. 2)

by Charlaine Harris

I ate this book up in a few days! Which was surprising because I’d been wondering why my reading pace had slowed down somewhat with my last few books. It’s become obvious to me that I chew through the ones I really enjoy while the other stuff that’s just okay kind of drags at a steadier pace. Hmmm….

Grave Surprise continues the story of Harper and Tolliver started in Grave Sight. Harper has an unusual talent for being able to find the dead, and discover their last living moments including how they died. She’s often called upon by distressed parents or various law enforcement officials to help in missing persons cases, to see if a body can be located… for Harper can only find the dead, not the living.

Harper and Tolliver are called to Memphis by anthropology professor Dr. Clyde Nunley to “read” a graveyard, the records for which were only recently discovered. Little do they realize that Dr. Nunley is hoping to expose Harper as a fraud since no one else has had access to these records besides himself. But the entire class gets more than they bargained for when, besides being spot on for each person buried in the centuries-old cemetery, Harper discovers the body of 11-year-old Tabitha Morganstern, abducted from Nashville 2 years prior, in one of the existing grave sites. Harper had been called in on Tabitha’s case back then but had failed to produce results when she couldn’t locate the body. So her and Tolliver begin to wonder if this is too much of a coincidence and that perhaps they were set up to find this body. Unfortunately, the police and FBI aren’t too pleased with the coincidences either…

The action keeps going nonstop right up until the very end. I anxiously await the next book in the wonderful new Harper Connelly series by Charlaine Harris.

#36 Hot Spell by Emma Holly, Lora Leigh, Shiloh Walker, and Meljean Brook (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Tue, 15 May 2007 04:40:26 GMT

Hot Spell

by Emma Holly

The Countess’s Pleasure by Emma Holly
Not quite as erotic as some of Emma Holly’s other works that I’ve read, though still definitely hotter than your standard paranormal/fantasy romance as well.

Georgiana, a widowed countess from Britain, travels to Bhamjran, a British Victorian India, and unknowingly meets up with the man of her dreams, or at least, a dreamy man… well, then again, he’s not really a man but a demon. Iyan is part of a separate paranormal race known as the Yama; they aren’t actually demons as you might think of them in terms of evil spirits or minions from the various levels of Hell. But besides their sculpted bodies, perfect features, and unwillingness to succumb to emotion, they are also able to draw energy from humans in a most unusual way.

Mixing between the races is generally frowned upon. But then again, “What happens in Bhamjran, stays in Bhamjran.” And Georgiana is committed to living for herself now, even if that means taking pleasure where she can find it… in the arms of a demon!
My Rating: 5 stars

The Breed Next Door by Lora Leigh
I plan to read some of Lora Leigh’s other Breed books so this novella was a good introduction to the race, and the writing style of the author. I liked it a bit more than the previous story because there was some additional elements of danger that weren’t present in the previous story.

Lyra is a human, and unknowingly living next door to a “Breed”, a genetically engineered human clone species bred to serve, usually in a warlike capacity. The Breed species were very ill-treated by their masters, until the revolution that is, fought side-by-side with humans who also thought their treatment too cruel. Many escaped to live in the real world among humans, trying to hide their true identity. Tarek was such a creature… and sexy as hell to boot! And the two of them are forced into close quarters after the people hunting Tarek decide to go after Lyra instead…
My Rating: 6 stars

Falling for Anthony by Meljean Brook
Anthony is a Guardian, a special type of angel created to protect the human race from evil. After being killed by a Nosferatu while serving as a medic during the Napoleonic Wars, Anthony is made into a Guardian, a special type of angel created to protect the human race from evil. Though most Guardians must wait 100 years first if they choose to fall, Michael the archangel has decided to send Anthony back after only a few short weeks, to protect the very family he unknowingly helped to betray to the Nosferatu who attacked him.

There’s a whole back story, which is pretty intense, but when I tried to get into it, the summary got super long, so suffice to say, I really enjoyed this story the most of all of them so far. Though the sex scenes could’ve been a wee bit longer >:-> the story was definitely well fleshed-out.
My Rating: 7 stars

The Blood Kiss by Shiloh Walker
Roman Montgomery, the Wolf King of Wolfclan Montgomery, believes he has found his true mate. Unfortunately, she’s the daughter of his sworn enemy, Lord Eduard Capiet, head of The House of Capiet. While on a mission to free his younger brother from the hands of Eduard, he abducts Eduard’s daughter Julianna, not wanting to leave her in the hands of such a monster as Eduard, who’s archaic old ways have drawn the eye of the Ancients.

There’s a bit of similarity to Romeo and Juliet. Not just in the names, but also in the fact that the 2 Houses are sworn enemies. And Roman and Julianna fall in love. Fortunately, the story doesn’t end in tragedy as Romeo and Juliet does. And there was enough action and danger going on, since the erotica wasn’t as sizzling as some of the other stuff I’ve read, to keep the story interesting for me.
My Rating: 7 stars

#35 Charmed & Dangerous by Candace Havens (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 14 May 2007 04:24:31 GMT

Charmed & Dangerous

by Candace Havens

Bronwyn is a high Witch, working as a kind of one-witch secret service to the British Prime Minister. Her arsenal includes a combination of potions, spells, explosions, mind-reading tricks, and general butt-kicking skills. While she’s traveling the globe to protect the PM and a middle eastern sheik (I’m not sure that she actually ever specifies what country he’s from), she’s pining for her warlock back home, Dr. Sam… despite the fact that she’s promised herself not to fall for any man—especially a warlock.

This book is written in a diary/journal format, which in this case was actually a drawback as I don’t think that format worked all that well with this story, and didn’t add much to it at all. The storyline itself was interesting though, and I was kept in the dark about who the culprit behind all the assassination attempts was all the way to the end. I have the next book in this series, Charmed and Ready, waiting on Mt. TBR and hope to get to it shortly.

#34 Awaken Me Darkly (Alien Huntress, Book 1) by Gena Showalter (rated 5 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 07 May 2007 01:33:53 GMT

Alien Huntress 1: Awaken Me Darkly

by Gena Showalter

Mia Snow is an agent for A.I.R. (Alien Investigation and Removal). She’s been hunting aliens her entire life, and hated them ever since she was a little girl and they had killed at least one of her brothers, the other gone missing and never found.

Now she’s on the hunt for an Arcadian that’s killing human men and leaving them to be found in compromising positions. But if she’s to find who’s behind these murders, and save her partner in the process, she must accept help from the most unlikely of sources: a tall, exotic Arcadian by the name of Kyrin en Arr. And as she gets closer to the truth, and closer to Kyrin, she discovers some shocking secrets about herself in the process.

I went into this book not sure what to expect. I was thinking I might just be getting another romance in a paranormal wrapper, but I couldn’t be further from the truth. :-) I totally enjoyed Gena’s writing style, and Mia’s kick ass character reminded me of the Anita Blake of old. This book would probably be considered more Paranormal Fantasy, or even Sci Fi because of the Aliens, though some of the powers they exhibit are very similar to what we see in Vampires in other stories: strength, quick moving, mind control, enhanced life, etc.

After finishing this story, I immediately added the rest of the series to my wishlist. There’s currently one other published, Enslave Me Sweetly, with the next two coming in June and July 2007 actually being YA, and a return the non-teen version in January 2008. I believe the YA books, going by the series title “Teen Alien Huntress”, will take place in the same world but with different characters. (I added the forthcoming titles and release dates to the Ongoing Releases Dates thread at BookObsessed if you want all the details.)

#33 When Darkness Comes by Alexandra Ivy (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 30 Apr 2007 10:09:01 GMT

When Darkness Comes (Guardians of Eternity Trilogy: Book 1)

by Alexandra Ivy

Abby Barlow has unknowingly become The Chalice, a host body for The Phoenix, the Goddess designed to keep the Prince of Darkness and his minions at bay. Dante is a 341 year old vampire who’s been bound by ritual to protect The Chalice from all the demons and minions now hunting her. With the death of the current Chalice, and it’s transference into Abby, they’re now running for their lives from the demons that hunt the Chalice, in the hopes of bringing the Prince of Darkness back into our realm.

This book struck me from the beginning because the main character’s last name is very similar to mine, and then on the very first page of the Prologue, the Duke of Granville is mentioned, and Granville is my Dad’s middle name, taken from what was once part of his last name before he moved to America from England as a teen. In any case, it just struck me as quite coincidental. :-)

This is Alexandra Ivy’s first novel and though the story itself was fairly decent, it did have a bit too much romance for my liking. Also, I thought her style left something to be desired. She was constantly using incomplete sentences as entire paragraphs! I know authors often do this for emphasis sometimes, but I thought it was very much overused, such that as a reader, you couldn’t stop mid-way through a chapter because you might stop at a paragraph that makes no sense standing alone. I didn’t like that… but I often see a lot of quirky things I don’t like in an author’s first novel anyway.

The story itself was supposed to contain an element of danger, and it tried to, but for some reason, it just didn’t come across that way, probably because Abby and Dante were stopping to have sex every 1/2 hour. We hear at least once per chapter about his silver eyes, and long dark hair, and gorgeous body, etc. It’s this kind of thing that made it too romance-y for me, and caused my attention to wander. Once I got beyond all these things though, I did enjoy the underlying story. If I hadn’t, I would’ve given up without finishing. So I’m guessing romance readers might appreciate some of it more than I did.

#32 Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale by Holly Black (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 10:50:00 GMT

Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale

by Holly Black

Sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she travels from city to city with her mother’s rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the industrial, blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye soon finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms—a struggle that could very well mean her death.

When Kaye discovers she’s actually a Changeling (changed at birth), her whole world starts to get really confusing, and some of the new friends she’s met could possibly be her worst enemies.

I really enjoyed this book, which portrays the struggle between the Seelie and the Unseelie Court of Faerie. It is dark and suspenseful, and definitely doesn’t refer to the light fairy which perches on flowers and flutters about. I’m anxiously looking forward to book 2, Valiant, which is also waiting here on Mt. TBR.

#31 Vamps and the City by Kerrelyn Sparks (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:43:14 GMT

Vamps and the City (Love at Stake Series, Book 2) (Avon Romance)

by Kerrelyn Sparks

Darcy Newhart has only been a vamp for 4 years now, but every day she longs for her previous life: the sun, the beach, and the man of her dreams, an Apollo-like Sun God! Little did she expect to meet him on the set of her new reality TV show, The Sexiest Man on Earth. Now Adam, an Undercover agent for the Vampire Stake-Out team, has been accepted to participate in the competition, undercover of course. He falls hard for Darcy, not realizing at first that she’s a vampire, and she’s totally smitten with him as well. But can things work out between them when they’re both from two separate worlds… and when one of them is actually a vampire slayer.

I’m not sure I enjoyed this second book in the Love at Stake series as much as the first, How to Marry a Millionaire Vampire. Some of the events were a bit too far-fetched to be believable, even in a novel based on fantasy such as this is. A few times I found myself thinking, “yeah right, as if that would happen”. Beyond that however, there was some good action, the romance scenes weren’t too sappy, and it was a pretty enjoyable read. :-)

Why I gave up consuming "So Much For My Happy Ending"

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Mon, 16 Apr 2007 05:04:34 GMT

So Much For My Happy Ending

by Kyra Davis

Too romance-y for me. :( I read the first three chapters and like Ann, I didn’t develop much of an empathy for the characters either. Perhaps if I had more time on my hands, I might’ve tried to plow through it, but since it’s on EllyMae’s wishlist, I plan to hand it off to her at the BC 2007 Convention in Charleston… which is only a few days away… w00t w00t!!

#30 Legend of the Jade Dragon: A Chintz 'n China Mystery by Yasmine Galenorn (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 19:58:02 GMT

Legend of the Jade Dragon: A Chintz 'n China Mystery

by Yasmine Galenorn

The bad luck begins for Emerald O’Brien after a client leaves a statue of a jade dragon at her shop, and is then struck by a hit-and-run driver right outside her store. To thwart the statue’s curse, Em and her friends will have to follow a trail of heartache which leads all the way back to China’s Ming Dynasty.

I enjoyed this second story in the Chintz ‘n China Mysteries as much as the first. The author herself is a Witch and Wiccan High Priestess, and uses her knowledge of Wicca and Paganism well in these stories, portraying Em’s character realistically in integrating her magickal practices with her everyday life. And with just the right amount of the fantastical added in. :)

#29 I Thirst for You by Susan Sizemore (rated 3 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 09:00:06 GMT

I Thirst for You

by Susan Sizemore

Marcus Cage is on the run from some shady characters conducting experiments on him to discover the secret of immortality. The poor vampire has been driven mad and his heightened senses upon his escape lead him right to Josephine Elliot. Her empathic qualities, though psychically wounded, call to him in the night, and he goes to her craving what he needs to bring back his strength and sanity.

This is a story of love on the run, between an immortal “Prime” and his bondmate. For those who enjoy romances, this is a book worth reading. The writing was good, and there was a modicum of suspense added to the story line which made it more interesting for me. However, since the main premise pretty much revolves around the romantic relationship between Cage and Jo, it wasn’t one of my favorites. But at least the sex scenes were a bit above the tame or lame-o-meater! (pun intended) LOL

I think Ms. Sizemore holds a lot of promise as a writer, so though I don’t particularly care for this genre (the romance part, not the paranormal), I’m happy that I’ve got her Laws of the Blood urban fantasy series (also vamp) waiting here on Mt. TBR.

#28 Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean by Justin Somper (rated 4 stars)

nobody@allconsuming.net (Cherie) — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 06:36:34 GMT

Vampirates: Demons of the Ocean (Somper, Justin. Vampirates.)

by Justin Somper

Twins Connor and Grace never dreamed that there was any truth to the Vampirate shanty their father sang to them before he died, but that was before the two were shipwrecked and separated from each other. For Connor, who is taken aboard a pirate ship, there’s the chance to learn to sword fight, but for Grace, aboard a mysterious ship of vampire pirates, the danger is great. The twins want more than anything to find each other, but their time is limited and they’re an ocean apart.

This was a swift-moving, interesting read… reminded me a bit of Darren Shan’s wonderful Cirque Du Freak series. It’s young adult so not a very complex or convoluted story line, but that simply made for an even quicker read considering it’s 330 pages.

Though all ends on a happy note when Connor and Grace are eventually reunited, another danger has boarded the Diablo, which causes the story to end on another minor cliffhanger, and thus left me craving Tide of Terror, the next in the series.