Ten Big Ones A Stephanie Plum Novel Written by: Janet Evanovich

This book was well...awkward I am not sure where Janet is taking the Stephanie Plum series but, this one was a tad awkward. The series has always been comedic in the characters exploits and dialogue which keeps the serious undertones of the book from being too scary and dark, but this book that comedy only made me frustrated. I know some people have to smile or laugh to keep themselves from going insane, but sometimes you have to face reality and not be a complete moron. Don't get me wrong I still love the series, but there seems to be some new ingredients in this latest book that isn't mixing quite right. We have the usual nutty antics by not only Stephanie, but Lula, Connie, and of course Stephanie's family and future brother in-law Albert K-L-O-U-G-H-N (Pronounced Clown) Then there's a character whom I fell in love with the second they appeared in the series and was sad to not have seen them....Sally! You just cannot help loving this cross dressing, cussing, rock star. So, we have the usual FTAs and Stephanie is doing what she can to stay afloat even though she's living with Morelli rent free, but then enters the darker side of crime the dangerous side, not that the Mob wasn't dangerous, but these street gang thugs are just terrifying they're wild and out for blood, and don't play by the rules we are used to. NJ just goes from being nuts to just plain dark and dangerous it seems, and the bodies are stacking up in a very unnerving way. And, to top that off Stephanie is still eating like she's about to die and her body is catching up and she still can't keep hold of a pair of handcuffs! I liked this book some rather interesting relationships are developing and changing, but for the most part I was just plain anxious over how clueless Stephanie and her friends remain.

To The Nines a Stephanie Plum Novel Written by: Janet Evanovich

I couldn't resist I just had to read another Stephanie novel, the world of NJ is just so fascinating from her point of view, this latest book did not disappoint, perhaps it was the fact I took a break for a few weeks and can again appreciate how much fun this world Janet has created can be. I this latest Novel Stephanie is bringing in a low of FTAs and doing actually not too bad of a job, but then a big FTA occurs and everyone has to stop what they're doing and focus on this one case. One problem, bodies are beginning to pile up and Stephanie is receiving death love notes... The rest of her life is rather nuts too. Her love life is well, up and down but not from lack of intimacy just she's got to stop this crazy flirting and then there's her line of work, I really wish Miss Plum would get her butt in gear so her bf wouldn't have a heart attach when it came to what followed her home... Then there's the whole Plum family it is just absolutely a wreck how many people can you have living in a Duplex? The rat pack side kicks are back too, Lula and Connie make for some entertaining moments, but really c'mon ladies between the three of these characters I would think by now they would not be so... Abbot & Costello? A trip to Vegas will prove my point. Then throw in Morelli's family....and the fact Joe's Grandmother keeps seeing Stephanie either dead or pregnant and then dead is so not helping her and Morelli's relationship. Though, we shall see what happens. This book let go of some of the stereotypes of the past books, kept a few, and brought in some new patterns, I think Ranger got even sexier in this book too by the way... I cannot wait to see what happens next in the Stephanie Universe.

The Phantom of Valletta Written by: Vicki Hopkins

Bravo! Stupendous! The Phantom of Valletta has brought me great joy in its reading. I could not wait to finish reading this book, but at the same time I got that old feeling of be patient and digest this slowly because it will be over all too soon. The Phantom of Valletta is a sequel to the classic tale of The Phantom of the Opera, and perhaps some of you die hard traditional fans may be a bit shocked over this, but in all frankness whatever, this sequel was so beautifully written and flowed into the original tale so well I fell in love with our Opera Ghost all over again. There are of course some classic characters who also grace these pages and have their very classic and distinct voices. From the ashes shall he rise again no? I could see the sets, and hear the haunting voices of so many and of course the music imbued with so much emotion. Perhaps I am a tad crazy, but the words painted such a haunted picture in my mind. I just cannot give anything away about this book because one should really enjoy this sequel totally blind. My only qualms was about a certain servant all but vanishing from the plot, but even that can be forgiven in how this book progressed and its characters interacted and were forced to interact, mend, and grow up after all these years of being slaves to the same performance over and over again. Will this book be the Angel of Music’s undoing? Will it be his death? I certainly won't tell you. So great job Vicki Hopkins I loved your book.

Daughter of the Sea written by: Mira Zamin

This read was a last attempt at keeping summer near, so what better way than to imagine white beaches, Oceans, and beautiful sunshine. We go back to the time of ruler Augustus Caesar in a land called Terronensis right by the sea far from Rome, but its citizens are Roman and Calista our main character daughter of the ruler of Terronensis her family also includes her beautiful Dark Mother Olympia and her young brother Pyp. The story is something like that of a classic Greek Tragedy there are the Gods always meddling, Star crossed lovers, a family in peril, an incestuous relationship, and of course tragedy. Poor Calista a beautiful golden maiden is being forced into marriage by her parents, though they are a loving pair and only wants what best for their daughter they know it is not a match of love. The story goes on well enough and Calista can be a likable character, but there were a few times I had to remember she was just 16 and was subject to not being able to handle everything that came her way. There's a mysterious past behind Calista's parentage and perhaps she may not be quite wholly human. The book continues steadily and draws you in, but then it continues going in circles and does not really develop any of the other characters having random people enter and leave just as abruptly barely putting flesh on this stories bones. Before you know it the end of the book comes and so many questions are unanswered and makes me wonder if she grew bored with her book or planned on writing a sequel. This was just OK of a book.

A Faerie Fated Forever Written by: Mary Anne Graham

And they all lived happily Ever after... that's how Faerie tales should be right? What they don't tell you is that the fair folk like to keep playing with their investments. Nial Maclee is Laird of his Scottish clan, and has a fairy curse upon his family placed upon him by the King of the Faeries himself. Ian Maclee, Nial's Great Grandfather man times removed, fell in love with the daughter of the Faerie King who disapproved of their love, but the King gave into his daughters tearful pleas. But, the king decreed his daughter had to leave her beloved after a year and day passed, even though 9 months lady a bairn appeared. And so it goes on and on, and ends with Nial's family ending up with a Faerie flag that the clan laird can use, but the flag can only be used three times in total to summon Faerie help. Something occurs to earn the Maclee men a curse that every laird of the CLan Maclee shall be more handsome and more irresistible to the lasses than the one before him. Ladies shall chase him and try to trap him but he must not fall prey to their wiles, for he shall fall in love only once. His faerie fated love shall set the claws of passion to his manhood, the need to possess to his soul, and the magic of love to his heart. If he marries another he will live a wretched existence beset by unsatisfied desire for the love he cannot have and cannot forget for all of his mortal days. Well, Nial certainly is gallant in how he only beds widows and won't allow any to possess him since he's so desperately looking for his Faerie Fated love. He is even willing to not consider an ideal match between Clan MacIver's Heather aka Heather The Hag, her dowry and joining of the clans would mean prosperity for both clans, but Nial is convinced Heather the Hag though a Nice girl is anything but is Fated love. This book is long, I mean just long, there's so much excess chapters, plots, and twists that really do not need to be here, from the very beginning I had this figured out, and even though the author tries to empower her female character Heather with a London cousin guiding her it really does insult the female here and there with how men can behave and women cannot...or how nuts these people are, then again the Faerie folk are messing with them no? This book takes us from Scotland to London and back. There were some very risky scenes and pretty racy, I am not sure if this was going for erotic, but it border-lined on it quite often.  It was ok, nothing really great, but the concept was cute but infuriating with how nuts people can be, but I guess that's what love does eh?

The Doll Written by: J.C. Martin

Dolls...:shiver: Ever since I was five years old and saw Chucky I just could never look at Dolls quite the same way...I mean they're little people but have lifeless smiling eyes, and for those of you who have seen The Littles or read Gulliver's Travels sometimes little people can be trouble. Plus what Porcelain Dolls used to be made of Human Teeth and hair, ew! Teddy Bears all the way for me thank you. Dolls are especially creepy if they are imbued with a dead serial Killer like in Chucky's case. The Doll was a short book, that brought into play the practices of Santeria a mixture of traditions: African, Roman, Catholic, and Native American. It according to the book occurred when African Slaves were brought to South America by Catholic Masters. Joyce a mother and her daughter Taylor travel to an Island off of Mexico which is just covered in Dolls. OK, right here I would not get off the boat, we are not talking nice in the packaging dolls, but decaying missing limbs and eyes, dolls hanging from trees. No thank you! Add in a ghost story about a drowned little girl who has drowned a man with her haunting restless spirit, and well...yeah screw that I have enough sense to not go looking for trouble. I don't know how children now of days are not cautious because when I was Taylor's age I would just have about been frozen with fear from all of those decaying eyes, I don't know what posses such a child to go ahead and think this Island is cool. Nope, not a clue. It is not a fully unique story, but it is a tale of caution I would think to both parents and children alike.

A Dark Kiss of Rapture Written by: Sylvia Day A Renegade Angels Novella

Happy 1st of September Readers, have we already reached the ending of summer? Seems like it flew by. So, I downloaded this book for my E-reader as a suggestion by Book Bub wonderful site. Any who. Have you ever felt like you began talking to someone and felt like you had fallen into the middle of the conversation rather than the beginning? This is what A Dark Kiss of Rapture was, it was a good book on its on the writing was good not great, but simple and flowed well enough. The story I have read quite  few times loner supernatural never has known love and then suddenly BAM! There's their soul mate and now there are obstacles, but Sylvia Day put her own little spin on her supernatural world where there are the following groups in this book; The Fallen were previously Watchers fallen from Grace they are now basically Vampires. Lycans a subgroup of the Fallen who were spared Vampirism by agreeing to serve the Sentinels and were transfused with demon blood...they are mortal and can shape-shift and procreate, but are mortal. Minion, a mortal who has been changed into a vampire by one of the Fallen doesn't really go over well for them. Sentinels, an elite special ops unit of the Seraphim tasked with enforcing the punishment of the Fallen. I am not sure where A Dark Kiss of Rapture falls in the Renegade Angels series, but I enjoyed it once you got past the typical supernatural names everyone always seems to pick for themselves. Then again Charlie the Vampire doesn't really sound mysterious or dangerous does it? (Stolen from Fright Night the Movie that line) This particular story Follows Raze a Fallen who never has loved and is oh so sexy and is so typical loner guy it almost hurts, but when a stereotype works why break it? He's had a body dumped on his doorstep and a scary plot involving followers of a put down Fallen are creating problems in Chicago. Then enters Kim so not his type even though she's you guessed it, Gorgeous and she wants him to go to bed with her, both need to heal some inner issues, and what better way then multiple orgasms? I will let you the reader follow up on what happens here, it is no great mystery, but a fun short read, I hope to read more of these books to get a better picture of where Sylvia Day is taking her world and cast of characters.