Review: Period 8

Period 8 by Chris Crutcher

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: In this full-length novel from Chris Crutcher, his first since the best-selling Deadline, the ultimate bully and the ultimate good guy tangle during Period 8.

Paul "the Bomb" Baum tells the truth. No matter what. It was something he learned at Sunday School. But telling the truth can cause problems, and not minor ones. And as Paulie discovers, finding the truth can be even more problematic. Period 8 is supposed to be that one period in high school where the truth can shine, a safe haven. Only what Paulie and Hannah (his ex-girlfriend, unfortunately) and his other classmates don't know is that the ultimate bully, the ultimate liar, is in their midst.

Terrifying, thought-provoking, and original, this novel combines all the qualities of a great thriller with the controversy, ethics, and raw emotion of a classic Crutcher story

My Thoughts: I think Chris Crutcher is a fantastic storyteller. His words always grab me within the first couple of pages and his stories build in intensity pretty steadily. This one has a good deal of mystery and a lot of guessing as to what is happening and who is doing it. I find Crutcher's books very hard to put down and this one was especially so.

I really loved the retiring teacher, Logs, as the kids called him. I wish more teachers were like him. He is the kind of teacher that genuinely cares about his students...he is the de facto voice of reason when kids don't feel like they could talk to their parents. He made himself available to his students...they knew where he lived, what his phone number was, etc.

Paulie was kind of an "every" kid. Average, he didn't stand out as the smartest, dumbest, sportiest, etc...Just a regular kid. But one with a history and strong feelings about telling the truth and admitting wrong-doing. In that way he reminded me of my son, maybe that's why I liked him so much.



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Review: The Story of X

The Story of X by A. J. Molloy

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: Shy American student Alexandra Beckmann-'X' to her friends-arrives in Naples desperate for adventures beyond the sheltered life she has led. She is there to study the infamous Italian crime organization, the Camorra. But on the sun-soaked, ancient city streets, her research leads her to a man like no one else she has ever met. Lord Marcus Xavier Roscarrick is an Italian aristocrat, irresistibly handsome with a mysterious past. Yet, underneath his smooth exterior, X senses a man who is well-acquainted with danger.


Soon they begin a passionate affair, and X is drawn into Roscarrick's world of ancient secrets and sexual experimentation. A world she never dreamed existed. But as she falls ever more deeply under Roscarrick's spell, X must decide whether she dares to submit entirely to this shadowy world of dark desire.

**TITLE INTENDED FOR MATURE AUDIENCE**

My Thoughts: This was an incredibly interesting read! I believe it falls under the heading of "erotica", but it was so much more than that! Maybe a better classification would be a "thinking-person's erotica"??

What the synopsis doesn't tell you is that this is the story of a doctoral student working on her thesis. A thesis about the origin of the Cosa Nostra, or "the mob" as we Americans call it. But in addition to that she does get involved with a local Italian business man who is part of a secret society. It's where the secret society, it's practices, and the origin of the Cosa Nostra overlap that are really interesting. While being very tittilating and erotic, this book had me heading to the web to see if some of the references were created by the author or set in truth. Not something I usually do while reading erotica. LOL

I really enjoyed this book on a number of levels and would be very interested in reading more from A. J. Molloy again!





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Review: Hurt: A Novel

Hurt: A Novel by Travis Thrasher

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: His Rebellion Will Soon Turn to Hope When Chris Buckley first encountered the mysteries of creepy Solitary, North Carolina, he had little idea how far he would fall into the town’s shadows. After losing the love of his life, Chris tried to do things his way. He hunted answers. Then he gave up trying to find them. But now Chris comes back to Solitary knowing there’s a purpose for his being there. As he watches his place in a twisted and evil bloodline become clear, Chris waits for the last battle—and wonders who will be left when he finally makes his stand. The fourth and final book in the Solitary Tales shines light into deep darkness as Chris’s journey to Solitary comes to a dramatic close.

My Thoughts: I was so frustrated with this book...which in turn was frustrating! I really enjoyed the first 3 books and the novella of this series...but this final book was a letdown.

Over the previous books, the pace was heart pounding with tension continually building. So I was really looking forward to this, the final chapter. But, the story starts out very slowly and builds very slowly over a very long time. We are talking almost 500 pages here...with many tangents that did not further the story along and only succeeded in bogging it down further. THEN when we finally reach what has to be the culmination of all 4 books...it's over in a few pages and nothing really happened...at least nothing that came close to all the build up.

Can you tell I was bummed out? I was!

It's taken me a while to write my thoughts on this book. The sad part is that a week later all I can remember was how disappointed I was...not much of the story remains other than the (anti)climax. Thank goodness for notes and highlighting.



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Review: Natural Born Angel

Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Goodreads Synopsis: Life turned upside down for Maddy Montgomery when she found out she was half-Angel and was catapulted into the scene of flashbulbs, paparazzi, and the fervent adulation that comes with being in the celebrity Angel world. She's trying to juggle her ordinary life—high school, family, friends—with the intense demands of being in the public eye as heartthrob Angel Jackson Godspeed's girlfriend.

And now Maddy must face the most difficult choice of her life. She's been offered the chance to become a Guardian. This means entering into dangerous and high stakes training, with no guarantee that she can succeed. But more than that, it would mean leaving her mortal life behind—forever—and allying with the Angels at a time when their relationship with humans is heading for war.

My Thoughts: WOW! I really enjoyed the first book, but this one...YIKES! So much going on. I was so upset when it ended...not because or what happened, just that there was no more story left to read!

We get to see the angel training process through Maddy's eyes, though her's is an accelerated process. Which was interesting and fun...we also see Jacks kind of forced into the background as Maddy's charisma and special circumstances eclipse even him. Through Maddy's accelerated training she is introduced to Tom Cooper...and yes our love triangle may now be complete. We all know these stories where romance isn't the focal point, have love triangles.

Jacks is forced to go through a lot of changes because of injuries he sustained during the battle at the end of the Immortal City. Everything is compounded by the upcoming Presidential election and a rash of bizarre random catastrophes world-wide, among other things. Everything comes to a head and also a stellar cliffhanger...I hate having to wait for the next installment!

This story had a pulse pounding pace with equal parts mystery, romance, adventure, conflict, supernatural beings, and drama. A potent mix and incredibly hard to put down. If you enjoyed Immortal City, you will LOVE Natural Born Angel...so much is learned and so much happens. I will bet you are as frustrated as I was when it ends and you realize you are going to have to wait for what can only be a really thrilling conclusions.



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Review: The Fever Series 5-Book Bundle: Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, Shadowfever

The Fever Series 5-Book Bundle: Darkfever, Bloodfever, Faefever, Dreamfever, Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



I LOVE this series! A quick disclaimer though...I own and read the books individually but wanted to post a review on my blog that encompassed the whole series.

This is the story of MacKayla "Mac" Lane. Her sister, Alina, has been murdered while studying abroad in Dublin, Ireland. Unable to get satisfactory results over the phone, Mac leaves for Dublin in hopes of finding her sister's murderer.

Once in Dublin Mac starts to discover all is not as it appears. So much so that the wall separating our reality and the world of Faery has weakened and the fae are mixing with the human population. Mac can see through the fae glamour. Which opens up a whole world of questions about what is going on, and who or what she is.

In trying to find the answers to her questions Mac meets all manner of interesting characters and discovers she is a sidhe-seer and a rare one at that. She is also able to detect fae objects of power within her proximity...making her very useful to certain factions. Ultimately there is a race against time to find the biggest of fae power objects, the Sinsar Dubh...the book of all fae magic. The book is a sentient and evil being that can transform into a beast and causes chaos and death in it's wake. Everyone wants the book for the power it holds, but the question is whether who holds it can stem the tide of death and destruction?

This is a journey like no other. Moning has created VERY memorable characters and a story and sub-plots that keep me coming back for more. She is a fantastic writer whose "turn of phrase" is so quote-worth. One of the lines that is often repeated is... "Hope strengthens fear kills". It's a major theme of the book. And it is so true. There are so many instances during this series that Moning, very thoughtfully and beautifully, expresses thoughts everyone can relate to and many we should live by. If for no other reason, this book should be read for the beauty inherent in her writing.

I've read this series more than once and will continue to read it again and again...continually enthralled in Monings words and ideas. Not to mention the HOT Jericho Barrons!



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Review: Ever My Merlin

Ever My Merlin by Priya Ardis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: The end of the world. The day of reckoning. The final battle.

In the last chapter of the My Merlin Series, it is a time of great strife for Arriane (aka Ryan) and Merlin (aka Matt) as they struggle to stem the flood of destruction unleashed upon the world. Their only hope rests in the one object that can restore their greatest ally: the Healing Cup.

With every scrap of life hanging in the balance, Ryan must convince both friends and enemies that the key to survival rests in the plans of a sword-toting girl of only eighteen. She must reconcile a fifteen-hundred-year rivalry between two brothers, and be ruthless enough to break a heart—and a life—in the process. And at some point, she really needs to get herself to Prom.

My Thoughts: WOW! What a roller coaster ride!

This installment is a total and complete race against time to save the world as we know it. Matt, as usual, thinks he has all the answers. But his judgement is clouded by his jealousy and anger. Ryan, thankfully, is the voice of reason, and is able to perceive things that Matt just can’t bring himself to see. Vane, meanwhile, remains his rather arrogant self…arrogant or not, his love has no bounds where Ryan is concerned.

Priya Ardis has written a very satisfying conclusion to a wonderful story that had something for everyone! Yes, there is an element of romance, but there is so much more. Global, cataclysmic events, duels, history, mythology, at one time I felt like I was reading an episode of “The Amazing Race”, and the prize at the end was saving the world and it’s inhabitants. Ardis has a wonderful voice and her attention to detail as well as history is amazing! I can’t recommend this story enough to everyone, but especially to those who love anything having to do with magic, Camelot, fantasy, history, and mythology! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Thank you Priya Ardis for a wonderful series that is now an all-time favorite! I look forward to re-visiting Matt, Ryan, and Vane many times in the years to come…and I will be anxiously awaiting whatever you choose to write in the future…Yours Truly, a Forever Fan!




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Review: Gabriel's Rapture

Gabriel's Rapture by Sylvain Reynard

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: Professor Gabriel Emerson has embarked on a passionate, yet clandestine affair with his former student, Julia Mitchell. Sequestered on a romantic holiday in Italy, he tutors her in the sensual delights of the body and the raptures of sex. But when they return, their happiness is threatened by conspiring students, academic politics, and a jealous ex-lover. When Gabriel is confronted by the university administration, will he succumb to Dante's fate? Or will he fight to keep Julia, his Beatrice, forever? In Gabriel's Rapture, the brilliant sequel to the wildly successful debut novel, Gabriel's Inferno, Sylvain Reynard weaves an exquisite love story that will touch the reader's mind, body, and soul, forever.

My Thoughts: Still love this series. Since finishing this book, I’ve learned that Reynard will be writing one more book with Gabriel and Julia…I’m thrilled! I wonder where he will take the story this time.

The story of Rapture was pretty much a foregone conclusion…you knew the University was going to find out about Gabriel and Julia’s affair. With that in mind, Reynard did not go the easy route and he generated a great story for Gabriel and Julia.

I think both Gabriel and Julia grow immensely through this book. They are forced to see their relationship for what it is and the impact it had on each other but also those around them…and that impact wasn’t necessarily very good. Ultimately, this is Gabriel’s quest for redemption in his professional as well as his personal life. And it is quite a quest!

I remain so very impressed by Mr. Reynard’s ability to write such great romance. His attention to detail is second to none in my book! I can’t help but wonder if Sylvain Reynard is really a Sylvia?? If not, that I will continue to picture him as the basis for Gabriel.




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Review: Gabriel's Inferno

Gabriel's Inferno by Sylvain Reynard

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: Enigmatic and sexy, Professor Gabriel Emerson is a well respected Dante specialist by day, but by night he devotes himself to an uninhibited life of pleasure. He uses his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm to gratify his every whim, but is secretly tortured by his dark past and consumed by the profound belief that he is beyond all hope of redemption. When the sweet and innocent Julia Mitchell enrolls as his graduate student, his attraction and mysterious connection to her not only jeopardizes his career, but sends him on a journey in which his past and his present collide. An intriguing and sinful exploration of seduction, forbidden love and redemption, "Gabriel's Inferno" is a captivating and wildly passionate tale of one man's escape from his own personal hell as he tries to earn the impossible...forgiveness and love.

My Thoughts: What a sexy, romantic read…and it’s written by a man! Gives a girl hope I tell ya!

I loved Reynard’s writing style! He, so completely, incorporated Dante and his works into the story and then used quotes from other classic works/authors to drive his point home. To quote Reynard’s bio on his website:
“I’m also interested in how aesthetic elements such as art, architecture, and music can be used to tell a story or to illuminate the traits of a particular character. In my writing, I combine all of these elements with the themes of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of goodness.”

Reynard’s writing intrigued me and in researching him after reading this title, I found the quote and it really struck me just how successful he was in incorporating those aesthetic elements. Reynard’s writing is beautiful and creates

Gabriel was really hard to like at first. But ultimately I was totally in love with him just like Julia. Like Julia I was amazed that he didn’t know who she was, even after his sister came to town and told him who she was. Gabriel’s history was a huge aspect to his story and loved how it all came full circle. Julia has an equally disturbing history that haunts her. It’s their individual histories that draws Julia and Gabriel together.

Loved the sensuality of this story…so romantic, dreamy, the whole kit and caboodle. Am anxious to see where the story will go from here.





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Review: Where Demons Fear to Tread

Where Demons Fear to Tread by Stephanie Chong

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



GoodReads Synopsis: Fledging guardian angel and yoga teacher Serena St. Clair dares to enter Devil's Paradise nightclub on a mission—to retrieve the wayward Hollywood "It Boy" she's assigned to protect. But she's ambushed by the club's owner, arch demon Julian Ascher. The most powerful demonic entity in Los Angeles, Julian is handsome as sin, a master of temptation who loves nothing more than corrupting pleasure-seeking humans. He won't release the lost soul Serena is supposed to guard. Unless she accepts his dangerous wager…

After the disastrous way his human life ended, Julian vowed that no woman would get the better of him again. Yet this sexy-sweet angel, smelling of fresh ocean air and happiness, triggers centuries-old feelings. Now, their high-stakes game of seduction, where angels fall from grace and where demons fear to tread, will lead them either to an eternity in hell or a deliciously hot heaven.

My Thoughts: Very interesting premise! Certain people, when they die, are given the opportunity to return to Earth as Guardians. These Guardians are usually assigned to a pivotal person in the fight of good against evil. Those people that have turned against God are destined for Hell where they have the opportunity to work their way up the ranks of “demonhood” to even become Satan’s right-hand man. So while demons are tempting these pivotal people, guardians are trying to steer them clear of the demons.

I love the whole angels and demons, paranormal storylines. This one was especially hard for me to put down. Especially since the demon in question is trying to turn the guardian assigned to that pivotal person. But there was a back story going on that the demon and guardian were unaware of. All of this mad the story exciting, really hot, and a real page turner.

Serena wasn’t fully fleshed out. We didn’t learn a lot about her life before becoming a guardian. The demon, Julian Ascher, was a much more complete character. We spent a lot of time in his head learning his history and what made him tick.

The ending was hinted at, but I didn’t see it coming because it went against the grain which made the read all the better. I love when authors do the unexpected! Really looking forward to the next installment of this series.




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Review: Eve of Samhain

Eve of Samhain by Lisa Sanchez

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Goodreads Synopsis: As a college senior and server at Hanaford Park's hottest nightclub, twenty-one year old Ryann Pierce's plan was simple: work hard, make lots of money, and avoid the ass-grabbers at all costs. What she never planned for was Quinn Donegan—the living, breathing advertisement for sinful behavior that waltzed into her life.

With an angelic face, a hard body and a butt-load of charm, Quinn had a way with the ladies—a lot of ladies. Cursed with a deadly, addictive touch, his trail of indiscretion blazed across five hundred years. Tired and jaded, Ryann is a shocking revelation Quinn didn't see coming.

Filled with desire, yet unable to touch one another, Ryann and Quinn embark on a daunting journey, battling frustrating physical limitations while exploring their new love. In a race against the clock, Ryann learns she must plead for Quinn's life before…the Eve of Samhain. Determined to end her lover's suffering, not even the danger dogging her every move can keep her from her mission.

My Thoughts: Really enjoyed this book! The reader could feel the heat and attraction between Ryann and Quinn and I absolutely loved that Ryann was able to resist Quinn when everyone else fell at his feet! She had some really great, really snarky comebacks for some of Quinn’s comments that had me thinking “You go girl!”.

This is a reimagining of the fae Gancanagh story, which is one I was completely unfamiliar with. The Irish Mythology has the Gancanagh as a race of people. The Gancanagh, in Eve of Samhain is a singular person.

While “Eve of Samhain” was predictable, it was a sweet story. The characters were not fully realized and I would have loved to know why Ryann’s Aunt was such a bitch. The story had a few holes, but over all a warm fuzzy read while it’s cold and dark outside.




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