Amy's Book Nook

Books reviewed: Eternal Pleasure by Nina Bangs and Undead and Unworthy by MaryJanice Davidson

Books reviewed: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen and The Importance of Being Married by Gemma Townley

 

Review from Graffiti Magazine: Rogue by Rachel Vincent

I knew I was emotionally invested in Rachel Vincent’s “Rogue” when I was getting angry and upset with how the other characters were treating Faythe. I found myself wanting to defend her actions and her mistakes to a group of fictional people.


So I was hooked.


“Rogue” is the sequel to Vincent’s equally engrossing “Stray” - a story of a Pride of werecats and in particular, the Alpha’s daughter, Faythe, who escaped her family’s hold on her in search of a normal life at college, complete with roommates and boyfriend. In”Stray,” Faythe found her old life coming back in the form of her ex-boyfriend, Marc, who also happened to be her father’s enforcer, and was trying to protect her from a dangerous non-Pride cat, a Stray. Faythe’s independent streak and well, brattiness, ended up putting her in danger and she was kidnapped by the Stray. And Faythe had to grow up fast and became a very interesting character.


Now, in “Rogue,” Faythe has settled back into Pride life, at least for now. She and Marc are back together and working together to round up Strays that invade her fatherás territory and she has cut all strings to her past at the college.


But when Faythe and Marc start finding dead Strays, they investigate further and find a link with missing human women - who bear an uncanny resemblance to Faythe. All of Faythe’s actions are under scrutiny by her Pride, her father, and Marc, and relationships are strained to the breaking point.


Faythe is such an engrossing character in that she’s not perfect. She makes mistakes, sometimes big ones that affect more than just her, and may not even be aware of it. But she tries to move on and fix things, and you have to like that in a character. She might be a supernatural creature, but she has ordinary human fears and desires - not sure about wanting to commit, wanting her independence, wanting to do her own thing and not what her family expects - and that makes her highly relatable. Vincent’s strength lies in creating these wonderful, flawed characters who practically step off the pages, putting her on the list of authors to watch.


The ending doesn’t exactly end, setting itself up for the next book, “Pride,” coming out this fall, which frankly, can’t get here soon enough for me.


“Rogue” is published by Mira Books. It is $6.99 and 394 pages long.



 

Review from Graffiti Magazine blog:

A far-off future where people can be downloaded into a hive consciousness of computers and a mega-conglomerate rules all is the setting of Michele Lang's science-fiction romance, "Netherwood."

Talia Fortune has spent enough time in the virtual reality Netherwood as her avatar personna, Amazonia, that she has become attached to the illicit pleasures of that world - fighting, romance and danger, with her cyber lover, Avenger. But Talia's Real position is sheriff and as the primary shareholder of FortuneCorp. Her grandmother and employer, Violet, who has recently forgone her body and being downloaded into the computer hive mind, gives Talia the task of tracking down a cyber outlaw Kovner in the Real, and after the last encounter with Avenger, Talia's beginning to suspect they are one in the same.

Traveling to the off-world colony, Fresh Havens, she meets with her uncle and finds that Fresh Havens is being sabotaged by the people hiding out in Gray Forest. Traveling there to put a stop to the saboteurs once and for all, she finds Kovner, who tells her something unbelievable - the computers of FortuneCorp are trying to take over and get rid of humanity and she is key to saving his people. Talia refuses to believe him though she still has feelings for him, but when circumstances begin to lead her to believe he is right, will she have the courage to stand and fight against seemingly impossible odds?

A fun blend of science-fiction scares, honorable outlaws and romance, "Netherwood" is reminscent of "Matrix" and "Terminator" movies with a bit of "Robin Hood" thrown in. It's a cool page turner that could keep you up all night reading.

"Netherwood" is published under Dorchester Publishing's Shomi line, all combining science-fiction, paranormal, action-adventure and romantic elements. It is $6.99 and is 303 pages long.

 

Not under this headline in the newspaper, I would say whatever copy editor wrote the headline didn't bother to read the story as it was "Books that describe ways of living, enjoying life" What does that even mean?

Books reviewed: Don't Hex with Texas by Shanna Swendson, These Boots Were Made for Strutting by Lisa Cach, Gemma Halliday and Melanie Jackson, Wicked Game by Jeri Smith-Ready and From Dead to Worse by Charlaine Harris. 

Oh, please do visit my blog on the newspaper's website http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/blogs.detail/display/188.html to see Shanna Swendson's gues blog this week, and Jeri Smith-Ready's in upcoming weeks! Any authors out there interested in guest blogging, feel free to contact me here.

Books reviewed: Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily, Suddenly by Barbara Delinsky, The Ex-Debutante by Linda Francis Lee

Books reviewed: Highlander Ever After and These Boots Were Made for Stomping

Books reviewed: Howling at the Moon by Karen MacInerney, Dead to Me by Anton Strout, Dead Over Heels by MaryJanice Davidson

It's science fiction with a heart.

A sequel to Kay Austin's Time Rogues, Time Transit follows the story of the Rogues, a group of people in the 22nd-century who keep temporal rifts at bay by fixing things in the past. The Rogues don't have time for love, and take pains to bury those feelings and memories. But Maude can't get Gil out of her head, the man she left behind in 2008, during her last mission. And Gil can't forget Maude, though the Rogues certainly tried to make him using mindwipes.

When things go south because of Gil's memories, Maude must take him into the future to fix it or risk causing a rift in the timelines. But once in 2152, the couple see no reason not to get involved. They both know that Gil cannot stay - he has important part to play in his own time - and Maude is needed by the Rogues. But when you're used to time travel, you're used to making time last, or at least work for you. The two figure out a way to delay Gil's trip back home, but there are certain events you cannot delay - like death. Maude's fate seems fixed, but Gil and her friends are determined to see if they can prevent it, with or without authority.

A unique blend of science fiction plot and a romantic core of love and sacrifice, Time Transit is the best of both worlds.

Time Transit is published by Dorchester Publishing and is part of its Shomi brand of action romance. It is $6.99 and 338 pages long.

Time-draining vampires from outer space. An apocalyptic future. A debate on pirates versus ninjas. And one coffee-craving woman armed with a kitana stuck in the middle.

Sounds like a strange plot for a science-fiction movie? No, it is the latest in Dorchester's Shomi line of action and speculative fiction romances, "Twist" by Colby Hodge.

Abbey Shore is a college and martial arts student who flips houses to pay for her tuition after her father's new wife left her penniless in the aftermath of his tragic death. She loves her dog and enjoys going to her favorite coffee spot, Java Joes, and drooling on the hunky doctor she rides the L with. When an accident at her site lands her in the emergency room and into the arms of said hunky doctor, Shane Maddox, Abbey's arm may be hurting, but she now has a date! Despite a moment of wierdness in the hospital when a woman dressed like a character out of 'The Matrix' shows up in her room, Abbey is looking forward to the future.

And then she discovers something very odd behind a wall in her house - a swirling vortex in a tub of peroxide. When it breaks, Abbey actually opens a gateway to the future - 100 years to be exact. There, she finds the world overrun by Ticks - alien vampires who drain time out of you instead of blood - who now let groups of humans live to repopulate the food chain. Abbey finds that the humans are lead by a familiar face - Shane - who was turned into a Tick the night Abbey disappeared and blames her. Abbey throws in her lot with the humans and finds she has an affinity for killing Ticks -something that just might be otherworldly -and has the Tick Queen, Lucinda, wanting to capture her alive. What does the vampire want? Can Abbey ever make it back home? And what will become of the human race?

A fun mix of science-fiction, vampires, romance, and ninjas, Hodge's boisterous story is pure fun for fans of the genres. Hodge has a way of writing intense action and turning around and adding bits of pop culture, romance, even humor. It's a first-rate ride, and, forgive me, a new "twist" on typical vampire fiction.

Hodge has written several other books for Dorchester, including "Star Shadows," "Shooting Star," and "Stargazer." She has also written historical romances under the name Cindy Holby.

"Twist" is published by Dorchester Publishing. It is $6.99 and 308 pages long.

 A sequel to her assassin and pto mom book, "Scuse Me While I Kill this Guy," "Guns Will Keep Us Together" brings back all of the mayhem, marks, and murder that Leslie Langtry serves up with the Bombay family.

This time it is Dakota, brother of Ginny, and spoiled member of the elite family of assassins. Dakota is content to woo women, take a few jobs, and otherwise be a wild playboy, but his days of carefree frivolity come to a screeching halt when a boy shows up on his door. Apparently, one of Dakota's wild nights has come back to haunt him in the form of a son whom he must now take care of.

But that's not all - Dakota and his cousin, Paris, are charged by their Grandmother and senior members of the Bombay family to put a stop to a rival organization whose members are going incognito. That may mean that Dakota may have to wack a dentist or two, but he had better keep his eyes open - assassins can be anyone. And this is no time for romance, but Dakota strikes up a hot one with a fiery redhead named Leonie who's getting under his skin.

Another wicked blend of action, romance, mystery, and dark humor, "Guns" gives readers bullets, buff guys, and bad boys. While I still enjoyed "Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy" a bit more, I hope the Bombay family continues on with their deadly misadventures.

"Guns Will Keep Us Together" is published by Dorchester Publishing. It is $6.99 and 318 pages long.

 Books Reviewed: Lucy's Love Life in Ten and a Half Chapters, Sleeping with Ward Cleaver, Unpredictable, Theft of Shadows

Books reviewed: Manless in Montclair

Books reviewed: Shadow Music by Julie Garwood and Hot by Julia Harper

 

 Books reviewed: One Bite Stand by Nina Bangs, Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs, and Kitty and The Silver Bullet by Carrie Vaughn

Books reviewed: Where Angels Go by Debbie Macomber and An Enchanted Season

Happy reading!
AM

Books reviewed: To Catch a Cheat and Divorced, Desperate and Delicious

 

Books reviewed: Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen and Beg for Mercy by Toni Andrews

 
Happy reading!
AM

Books reviewed: I Wear the Maternity Pants in This Family by Susan Konig, American Diva by Julia London, Slacker Girl by Alexandra Koslow, Forget About It by Caprice Crane


Happy Reading!
AM

Books reviewed: Scuse Me While I Kill This Guy by Leslie Langtry and Moongazer by Marianne Mancusi

Happy Reading!
AM