Review - Dirty Kiss

Dirty Kiss by Rhys Ford

There are some first novels that feel rushed and confusing and others that are filled with this beautiful descriptive language, as though the author has crafted and honed and polished for so long that even the backstory is told with metaphor and style. Dirty Kiss is one of those gems, for example, to say they weren’t going to talk about what happened last year, "Neither one of us was going to rake that night open and spread its entrails out in front of us to look for good fortune." Besides being action and romance filled this book’s language was a joy to read. It also opened with a hilarious scene I will never forget. My mind’s eye certainly created some interesting pictures from those events…

This was a gritty, sexy story. Cole, the Private Investigative lead is emerging from a cocoon of scars and bad memories from a majorly traumatic event. Jae-Min is hurting about having to hide his sexual orientation and fears behind his family’s expectations and his familial responsibilities.

There has been a suicide which Cole has been asked to look into since the police aren't looking further than the suicide note. Unfortunately, as Cole follows the trail down the rabbit hole, violence dogs his every step, making murder look much more likely.

Cole meets Jae-Min during the investigation and they are instantly attracted to each other. They are catapulted into a steamy romance which also dislodges and awakens their fears, wounds and emotions that could easily end things before they can even begin.

This is a great first novel. The language is rich and complex and the mystery is intense. I just had a slight problem because the mystery got a little lost in the middle of the book and took a backseat to the romance. But the characters and character development are amazing! Especially the supporting cast, I loved Scarlet, Cat and Bobby, they were simply wonderful. Additionally, when you read this, google the Korean words, it makes it fun to know what they are saying. The humor and dialogue is just right and imminently enjoyable. Jae-Min and Cole have many layers and make an interesting couple, which has definite potential for future novels. There are questions about the Cole’s past which remain unanswered, but aren't necessary to enjoy this novel. But I really want to know what the heck happened and why! So, I really hope Ford is planning on a sequel. Pick it up if you like mysteries and enjoy (or don’t mind) some hot and sexy guy/guy action.

Review - Eternal Kiss of Darkness

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

Well, if you are reading and enjoying the Cat and Bones series by Jeaniene Frost, these offshoots are a must read. This particular book is about Mencheres and his finding his own babe, if you remember he has been celibate for 900 years because of his crazy wife…so he is pretty hot and heavy with lust and desire when he meets Kira.
So in this book Mencheres starts out pretty tired. His visions have stopped and all he can see is a large wall of darkness coming his way. He is convinced he is going down and has decided to go out his own way. Kira hears him playing the victim to a couple of gouls, and she runs in to help save him. Needless to say, she becomes enmeshed in the paranormal world, things happen and then more things happen so that Mencheres is being framed for doing bad things which could result in his death by vampire enforcers, so that he has to go on the lam.
Kira is a pretty good character. She is strong, a little pig-headed and has that cop mentality of complete and utter fairness. She is a good pairing for Mencheres because she has a conscience and power won’t go to her head. He is so strong and been a ruler his entire life that he needs someone who knows what it is like to be without power and at the hands of someone ruthless. It softens him a little and makes him a little more human. We get a bunch of his background though which is interesting and Cat and Bones make an appearance, but the best one is Vlad. I really hope we get a spinoff for him. That would be great. Both Cat and Bones were a little weird from Kira’s point of view and it just didn’t feel like them, but Vlad was pretty much himself. He got a bit more involved, so there was more time for him to be his normal charming self. Love it!
So this book was fun, the action was pretty good. Mencheres had to get over himself, as he learns that he doesn’t always know what his visions are telling him. Because I knew this world and a lot of the characters I enjoyed the story more, I don’t think it would be as good/appreciated as a stand-alone book. This novel takes place between books 4 & 5 in the Cat and Bones/Night Huntress series. Kira seems like a good addition to the cast of characters even though she doesn’t have all that much to do in This Side of the Grave, book 5. Like I said, read this book if you are enjoying the Night Huntress series, which is really good by the way! If you haven’t picked them up, find Halfway to the Grave now!!

Review - Waking Nightmares

Waking Nightmares
by Christopher Golden

What a story! I love this world where vampires and magic are public knowledge and, while that certainly isn’t a new idea, it is certainly grittier and more realistic than other book worlds. Golden uses a third person narrator that follows one person around in each chapter. So while the narrator isn’t omniscient, you still get inside many people’s heads and actually care for them as they watch the people they love fall prey to the insanity that has awoken in this town. This is the 5th book following Peter Octavian but the first one I have read. While I can appreciate that many of these characters have backstory that I am unaware of, it doesn’t really matter for enjoying this book. In this novel Peter is brought to the town of Hawthorne by Keomany to stop a chaos storm from spreading. Something has awoken in Hawthorne and it is up to Peter and Keomany to stop it.

Waking Nighmares is an apt name for this book! The things that go bump in the night and that keep you under the covers shaking in fear are walking around for all to see. Golden gets you to know and then root for the people in this chaotic hell on earth. It is creepy and scary and not a book I would read while soaking in the tub. It is also a little difficult at night as I began to imagine what might be staring at me through the windows from the dark outside. A character mentions that their mother used to tell him when he was little that, there is nothing in the dark that isn’t also there when you turn on the light, and he wonders if his mother had lied to him. Scary!! There are a lot of creepy crawlies in this book, eating souls and wreaking havoc and seemingly unstoppable. Not to ruin it for you, but the world doesn't come to an end in this novel and a semblance of order is restored, but not without a lot of change and loss.

All in all a great read and I look forward to reading the other Peter Octavian novels.

Review - Blue is for Nightmares

Blue is for Nightmares
by Laurie Faria Stolarz

I liked this book. It was good, a little creepy and integrated wicca with everyday people and life. This book was about Stacey who is a witch and is able to predict the future, somewhat, through her dreams. She is currently having some pretty scary dreams about her best friend and has to figure out how to change the future to keep her alive.

This book was interesting because, while it is about teenagers as everyone is around 16, they are at a boarding school so we don’t have any parent drama, just teen interactions. As with most teens, emotions run high, things don’t always make sense and you can’t assume everyone is entirely truthful. This book deals with stalking, obsession and makes you ask, how well do you know the people in your life? It is a good, quick read and has three more books to the series if you want to keep the teen drama flowing.

Review - Caressed By Ice

Caressed by Ice
by Nalini Singh

This is #3 in her Psy/Changling series and it is just as fun as the first two. The cold, emotionless psy compare/contrast with the warm volatile changling and prove opposites attract, sometimes violently!
The love story is fun between Judd and Brenna. Both need major healing and fall for each other hard. We get new bad guys for just this book and some for the whole story arc of the series. We also see a new character causing great damage to the psy, but we are not sure of his identity yet and so unsure if he is only anti-Proticol (even worse than Silence) or anti-council or what.
These books are fun and easy and sexy. All the characters, at least the good guys are noble and proud and territorial. Meaning there are lots of fights and posturing. Recommended if you are looking for an easy, sexy read with many alpha males running around.

Just back from heaven

I met Patricia Briggs on Sunday and got my book signed!! Life is good. She is really nice, gracious and funny. The Q&A was extremely interesting and I learned that she went on location prior to writing River Marked and the pictograms are real, She Who Watches and that river devil (which can really give you the willies if you think about it too much).

FYI - there is a picture of She Who Watches in River Marked, on the map page in the beginning.

The other lovely thing about going to the signing was that it was held at Mysterious Galaxy, a mystery, science fiction and fantasy only bookstore. It was nirvana!!! I found way too many new titles and authors to add to my ever growing wish list and to-be-read lists. There just isn't enough time in the day!

I am currently reading Naked Heat by Richard Castle. It is just like watching an extended episode of the show Castle, such fun!