Allegiance (Legacy, #2) by Cayla Kluver

• Title: Allegiance (Harlequin Teen)
• Classification: Young Adult
• Genre: Fantasy
• Format: Paperback, 512 pages
• Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition (February 28, 2012)
• ISBN-10: 0373210434
• ISBN-13: 978-0373210435
• Author's Website: http://caylakluver.com/
• 
  

Some people aspire to be a ruler, others are natural born leaders. Alera was the latter, born and bred from a line of Kings and Queens. The only thing holding her back from taking the reigns of her kingdom was that her people didn't believe a woman could lead. They were wrong, and she was forced to marry the man who they'd groomed to be the next ruler.

Narian looked to have all the traits associated with the Legend of the Bleeding Moon. The legend claimed a Hytanican boy born under the bleeding moon bearing its mark would be given powers to overthrow the Kingdom. Shortly after his birth he'd been kidnapped and raised by their Cokyrian enemies. Their plan was to use him to overtake the Kingdom. The only thing they hadn't counted on was his love for Alera, Hytanica's soon to be Queen.

Two kingdoms. One war. Who will win? It all will come down to a question of allegiance.

Once again Cayla Kluver created a masterpiece of literature spinning a web of intrigue, war, jealousy, betrayal and vengeance. Alera is strong, stubborn, loyal, and brave. She is also frustrated by the events which she's been forced to partake in all because she is female.

We finally get to see how her marriage to Steldor is progressing, and they are not a happy couple. In 'Legacy' I truly disliked Steldor and was quite upset the King chose him to be Alera's husband and the next King. In this book, I actually started liking him and felt bad for him. Alera was not the only one put in a bad position. If he'd known how reluctant she was to marry him, he might have thought twice about marrying her. 

Narian was missing during a good portion of the story and that is the only fault I had with the book, but that could not be helped. He once again found himself in the hands of the Cokyrians. He's put in a tough position at the beginning of the book where he has to decide what role he'll play in the war, and the Cokyrians are not playing fair. Neither choice is ideal and neither choice will gain him favor with Alera. 

I love the world Kluver created with it's two decidedly different kingdoms. The characters are easy to associate with and the drama created is first rate. I'm forgoing my romance rating scale with this one because it doesn't really go into that territory. I look forward to reading the next book in the trilogy and hope we'll be seeing more stories coming from Ms. Kluver. She is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors. I gave this one 5 out 5 roses. This is definitely looking like a serious series seduction. Can't wait to see what happens next.

Order of Series:

1) Legacy (Harlequin Teen)
2) Allegiance (Harlequin Teen)
3) Sacrifice - Tentative released date is late 2012

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2) by Darynda Jones

• Title: Second Grave on the Left
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance/Mystery
• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press (August 16, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0312360819
• ISBN-13: 978-0312360818
• Author's Website:   www.darynda.com

'I take the grim out of being a grim reaper.'

'I'm Charlotte Davidson: private investigator, police consultant, all around bad@ss. Or I could've been a bad@ss, had I stuck with those lessons in mixed martial arts. I was only in that class to learn how to kill people with paper. And--oh, yes--let us not forget grim reaper. Admittedly, being the reaper wasn't all bad. I had a handful of friends I'd kill for--some alive, some not so much--a family of which I was quite grateful some were alive, some not so much, and an 'in' with one of the most powerful beings in the universe, Reyes Alexander Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan.
     
Thus, as the grim reaper, I understood dead people...'

Charlotte Davidson is tough, smart, loyal, and about as snarky as they come. She does have her share of problems, what with being able to see dead people. Imagine taking a shower and being watched by one? *shudder* It's part of her job as a grim reaper to see and associate with the dead. She is after all a portal to heaven. Sometimes the crossing over is easy, other times the dead have issues that were left unresolved. She never forces anyone to cross over. Sometimes she even helps them resolve the things which were left unresolved and other times they help her solve cases that would otherwise be left unsolved. The relationship is mutually beneficial.

In this book, Cookie's friend, Mimi, mysteriously disappeared, and people the missing woman knew are popping up dead. In the middle of the night Cookie was asked to meet her friend at a diner and drags Charlotte along to help. The friend never appeared. Since Charlotte hasn't been contacted by the woman the chances she's alive are good. Problem is there's a good chance whoever's been killing off Mimi's acquaintances is still after her. It's a race against time to piece together what happened years ago to put Mimi's life in jeopardy now and find her before the killer does.

On a more personal note, things have become complicated with Reyes, her dream lover from 'First Grave on the Right', who happens to be the son of a demon. Hmm...could that be the new catch phrase? Substitute demon for bitch? I kind of like that. lol Anyway, I digress. Reyes is at a crossroads that involves Charley. He has decided to let go of his physical body. He finds it a hindrance as he can get around without it and feels it isn't really necessary and makes him vulnerable. Problem with that is, if he sheds his human form, rumor has it that it will mark the beginning of the apocalypse. Can nothing ever be easy in Charley's life?

Where did the book get its name? Well its from this:
"It's that one," Mimi told the Mora County sheriff, pointing to Mr. Romero's grave. "The second one on the left."

Some of my favorite quotes:
- “DON’T GO BUYING TROUBLE.
IT’S FREE AND IT KNOWS WHERE YOU LIVE." -  T-Shirt: (I want one of these)
- “Chocolate and coffee? Together? Whoever came up with that combination should have won a Nobel Peace Prize. Or at least a subscription to Reader's Digest.”
- "His gaze slid over me like a veil of fire. He could ignite my deepest desires with a single glance. I decided right then and there no more reading romance novels by candlelight."

This one has a lot of mystery, drama, humor, with a dash of romance which makes for a delightfully delicious combination. The main story line involving Mimi is a sad tale, but you knew from the beginning if people were getting killed something truly bad had to have happened. My only fault is I would have liked to have had more of Reyes in the story, but that was forgiven because we did find more out about him. *sigh* Overall, I gave this one 4 1/2 out of 5 roses. I'm forgoing the Romance Rating because this story truly doesn't go into that territory this time. Charley was too bent on getting information on Reyes' whereabouts that the romance didn't go full bloom, but there were some scenes that did get hot none the less.

Listen to an excerpt from the audio book:

Order of Series:

Sneak Peek at Angel's Rest by Emily March

Check out this Excerpt from Emily March & Angel’s Rest (2/15/11)- the first in her Eternity Springs series

http://www.randomhouse.com/book/196347/angels-rest-by-emily-march :

Gabriel Callahan has lost everything that mattered. All he wants is solitude on an isolated mountain estate. Instead, he gets a neighbor. Vibrant, no-nonsense Nic Sullivan is Eternity Springs’ veterinarian, and she has an uncanny plan to lure this talented architect back to the world of the living. First with a dog, next with a renovation project, and, finally, with a night of passion that ends with a surprise.

Now a man still raw from tragedy must face the biggest struggle of his heart. Can he forgive himself and believe in the power of second chances? Dare he trust in the promise of a future and a brand-new family here in Eternity Springs?

Angel's Rest by Emily March (Excerpt)

Retribution (Dark-Hunter Novels, #20) by Sherrilyn Kenyon

• Title: Retribution (Dark-Hunter Novels)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Paranormal Romance
• Hardcover: 432 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press; First Edition edition (August 2, 2011)
• ISBN-10: 0312546599
• ISBN-13: 978-0312546595
• Author's Website: http://www.sherrilynkenyon.com/

'The hardest part of living is making peace with your past. Most of all, it's making peace with yourself.'

William Jessup Brady (aka Sundown) grew up in another era--the wild west. He was said to be untamed, uncivilized and soulless. One reporter even wrote, "everyone called him Sundown because he did his best and most gruesome work after dark". He was a bad man, but he was willing to change his ways for the woman he loved. On the eve of his wedding, he was murdered by the man he thought was his best friend. His soul cried for vengeance, and his plea was heard by Artemis. She gave him one night to right the wrongs that had been done to him and in exchange he became one of Artemis' Dark-Hunters. For not only had his best friend murdered him, but he'd also raped his bride-to-be and killed her family. While he could never reveal himself to his true love while she lived, he vowed to watch over all her children even the one who was conceived that fatal night by his former best friend.

Abigail Yager started her childhood happily enough until the one dark night all hell broke loose and both her parents were murdered. As the the mayhem took place she hid under her bed and will never forget the face of the man she saw reflected in the mirror in her bedroom. That was the day she decided to dedicate her life to exacting vengeance on the man, and all those like him, who had destroyed her family. She was determined  she'd get retribution.

Who could have predicted that these chain of events could lead to the apocalypse? God save us all!

Sherrilyn Kenyon is one of my favorite paranormal/urban fantasy writers. This was such a change from her usual Dark-Hunter stories. It incorporated some American Indian lore, which incidentally she made up. The only exception was the use of the Time Untime which is a real Cherokee belief that Kenyon couldn't resist utilizing in her story. Most of the Dark-Hunter books include mythology associated with Greek mythology, and I enjoyed the switch. Writing a story which incorporates a lore of an author's making are not easy to do, but Kenyon does it with style and finesse while throwing in some spectacular twists and turns to the story. It's one of the things I love about her books.

Jess was a fun character. A cowboy at heart who likes listening to (of all things) classical music. Mozart and Grieg being his favorites. The contrast made me smile. He's loyal and pretty darn sexy, and while he might not have started out that way, a fairly nice guy. He was first introduced in 'Dance with the Devil' (Zarek's story).  Zarek, by the way, is his best friend and makes a brief appearance in this book. Incidentally, as Jess states, "My real name is 'Manee Ya Doy Ay...it means 'sundown' in my mother's language.'" ..."It was her favorite time of day. When the sun must make peace with the moon and for a few brief moments, the two touch in mutual friendship and respect. Perfect balance between the light and dark. A time for reflection and for preparation." Hence, that is where Jess' nickname came from.

Abigail was so full of hate when the book began and all of it concentrated on Jess. It was fun seeing her slowly come to grips with the fact she'd been manipulated and all she believed had been a lie. She was strong and owned up to her mistakes when she realized she'd made them.

Two of my favorite quotes:
-“To quote the Tsalagi, you should never allow your yesterday to use up too much of today. The past is gone and tomorrow is at best a maybe. Live for this moment because it may be all you'll ever have.”
- "Acheron always says that our scars are there to remind us of our pasts, of where we've been and what we've gone through. But that pain doesn't have to drive or determine our future. We can rise above it if we let ourselves.  It's not easy, but nothing in life ever is."

Overall, this book gets 4 out of 5 roses. It kept my attention, had a lot of drama, mixed in some humor, incorporated a little Indian lore, had a lot of twists and turns, and had good dash of romance. Plus, it had the bonus scene of Ash and Tory having a baby. So while some of our favorites may have been missing from the main story, we got a good dose of them in the added scene. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one gets a STEAM rating- too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Notes to keep you in the know:
I found a wonderful list of Animal Totem and their meanings at http://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-totems.html which had the following information on some of the animal totems used in the story:
Butterfly - Metamorphosis, transformation, balance, grace, ability to accept change
Buffalo - Sacredness, life, great strength, abundance, gratitude
Bear - Industrious, instinctive, healing, power, sovereignty, guardian of the world, watcher, courage, will power, self-preservation, introspection, and great strength
Coyote - Trickster, intelligence, stealth, wisdom and folly, guile and innocence

Sneek Peek at 'Ride With Me' by Ruthie Knox

Check out this FREE inside peek of  'Ride With Me'. The exciting new story from Loveswept, digital imprint of Ballantine Bantam Dell at Random House:

Here are what people are saying about it:

“A sweet yet sultry, honest and heart-tugging ride. Everything a love story should be!” Carly Phillips, New York Times Bestselling Author
"A fantastic, sexy, and fun story! Ruthie Knox’s, RIDE WITH ME, was a delight to read." Jill Shalvis, NYT Best Selling Author
“Ride With Me, is a unique kind of road trip with the best kind of bumps and curves!” Sandra Hill, New York Times Best Selling Author
“Smart, sexy, and downright fun–I loved every moment of the ride!” Julie James, National Bestselling Author
“Ruthie Knox writes a devil of a good book! Ride With Me is one wild and fun ride you’ll enjoy from the first page to the last!” Christie Craig, award winning author of romances with heart, humor and suspense.

Scribd.Ride With Me Excerpt - by author Ruthie Knox

Heat Stroke (Weather Warden, #2) by Rachel Caine

• Title: Heat Stroke (Weather Warden, Book 2)
• Classification: Adult Fiction
• Genre: Fantasy
• Format: Paperback, 352 pages
• Publisher: Roc (August 3, 2004)
• ISBN-10: 0451459849
• ISBN-13: 978-0451459848
• Author's Website:  http://www.rachelcaine.com/Rachel_Caine_-_Writer/Home.html

     "Back in the good old times before, well, yesterday, when my name was still Joanne Baldwin and I was human, I'd been a Weather Warden. A card-carrying member of the Wardens Association, the international brotherhood of people in charge of keeping Mother Nature from exterminating the human race. I'd been in the business of controlling wind, waves, and storms. Being an adrenaline junkie goes with the territory...
     I didn't want to think about it too much, but I kept coming back to the fact that I'd died. Last mortal thing I remembered, was I'd been a battleground for two demons tearing me apart, and then I'd--metaphorically speaking--opened my eyes on a whole new world, with whole new rules. Because David had made me a Djinn. You know, Arabian Nights, lamp, granter of wishes? That kind. Only I wasn't imprisoned in a lamp, or (more appropriately) a bottle; I was free-range. Masterless. 
    Cool, but scary. Masterless, I was vulnerable, and I knew it."

Joanne Baldwin (Jo) went from Weather Warden to djinn in the blink of an eye. But there's a reason djinn aren't born/created every day. The cost of creating a new djinn is steep, and David broke djinn law by making Jo one. Now they need to answer to Jonathan, the most powerful of djinn, to find out what their punishment will be...

In this book, David and Jo's relationship gets kicked up a notch as the two spend the first few days of Jo's second lease on life together. Their bliss, however, is cut short when reality sets in and Jonathan catches up with them. Jo finds out David split his life force in half so he could use part of his to sustain her. Now she'll be put to the test to see if she can survive as a normal djinn without syphoning off more of David's life source.

I loved how Joanne can't let anyone know she's alive and a djinn. Her vulnerability as a free djinn was what worried me when she first became one at the end of 'Ill Wind'. By being masterless she could be claimed by someone and when a djinn is claimed their free will is taken away, which of course is what happens. I liked how Joanne gets a first hand taste of what a djinn has to endure in this book.

Lewis is truly becoming one of my least favorite characters of the series. I just don't understand Jo's attraction to the man. He just irritates me to no end. He's supposed to be this nice guy, but to me he just seems like a cocky womanizer, and I don't care for the way he treats Jo.

David was even more likable in this book. I like him more than Jo. He's very loyal and seems like the perfect match for me, er, I mean Jo. lol Sorry, please pardon my little book character crush. *sigh* The punishment handed out to David is not pleasant. Jonathan was not very happy to find out he'd converted Jo.

Jonathan was a new character who seems very menacing. He doesn't like mortals and talks of a war going on to free the djinn from the control of humans. He's also the first djinn ever created and the most powerful. He's the one in charge of enforcing djinn law and handing out punishment. He's not someone whose bad side you want to get on. He definitely adds an extra dimension to the series.

This is such a fun book. It contains more romance than the previous book, and I loved how the relationship between Jo and David progressed. It contains drama produced by Jo trying to deal with being a djinn in every sense. Plus, there is the added drama of djinns being stolen and dying. I must admit, however, some of the explanations were a touch lacking and by the end of the book I still didn't quite understand everything about the sparkly power leak. Overall, I gave this book 3 out of 5 roses. On the Lisarenee Romance Rating Scale, this one scores a STEAM rating - too hot for a fan, but you still have a handle on things. You should use extreme caution when reading a book with this rating in public. People may inquire as to why you looked flustered and flushed.

Giveaway of a Signed copy of Lothaire (Immortals After Dark # 12) by Kresley Cole

Kresley's Website: http://kresleycole.com/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/KresleyCole

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/kresleycole

Paul Marron's (Model on cover of Lothaire) Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/PauL-MarroN/349477195062745

Last week Kresley Cole came to Tampa and did a book signing at Books-A-Million. She is one of my favorite paranormal romance authors. As I state in my rating scale, if I was rich I'd buy everyone I encountered a book from my favorite authors. Well, I'm still not rich, but alas I can occasionally share the love of my favorite authors through giveaways. As you can see from the above photos, a mysterious orb ended up in three photos at the book signing. Kresley was nice enough to agree to do another picture with me because the first was "compromised" by the mysterious orb of light. If the orb had been in just the first photo, I'd have dismissed it as perhaps the light of a flash from a camera or a spotlight, but with three such photos I'm not sure what to think. I snapped another picture shortly after the first three were taken to see if something was off with my camera, but no mysterious orb showed up in that picture. The pictures were not taken by me, but by one of the Kresley Cole crew. The second photo was taken when my camera accidentally took a picture of the lower half of the handsome male model, Paul Marron. The only reason I'm displaying it is so you can see the orb of light which is in the picture. Some have speculated it was an encounter of a "ghostly" kind. I just found it odd the orb seemed to be following me and was in three different photos, in three different places, at three different angles. As far as I know, I'm the only one whose camera displayed this mysterious orb. Speculation was that perhaps it was the ghostly ballerina, Néomi Laress, from 'Dark Needs at Night's Edge' (Immortals After Dark, #5) who stopped in to make an appearance. lol What do you think?

Book Description:

Installment 12 in the bestselling
 Immortals After Dark series

The Man. The Myth. The Monster.

 Evil finally has a name.

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole continues her electrifying Immortals After Dark series with this thrilling tale, revealing secrets of the Lore, fierce realm of the immortals. . .

ALL FEAR THE ENEMY OF OLD

Driven by his insatiable need for revenge, Lothaire, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the Horde’s crown. But bloodlust and torture have left him on the brink of madness—until he finds Elizabeth Peirce, the key to his victory. He captures the unique young mortal, intending to offer up her very soul in exchange for power, yet Elizabeth soothes his tormented mind and awakens within him emotions Lothaire believed he could no longer experience.

A DEADLY FORCE DWELLS WITHIN HER

Growing up in desperate poverty, Ellie Peirce yearned for a better life, never imagining she’d be convicted of murder—or that an evil immortal would abduct her from death row. But Lothaire is no savior, as he himself plans to sacrifice Ellie in one month’s time. And yet the vampire seems to ache for her touch, showering her with wealth and sexual pleasure. In a bid to save her soul, Ellie surrenders her body to the wicked vampire, while vowing to protect her heart.

CENTURIES OF COLD INDIFFERENCE SHATTERED

Elizabeth tempts Lothaire beyond reason, as only his fated mate could. As the month draws to a close, he must choose between a millennia-old blood vendetta and his irresistible prisoner. Will Lothaire succumb to the miseries of his past . . . or risk everything for a future with her?

Giveaway

This is the first of three giveaways. Open to US residents only who are 18 years old or older.  Up for grabs 1 signed copy of Lothaire (Immortals After Dark # 12). It was signed by both Kresley Cole and Paul Marron, the male model whose picture graces the cover. Let me say both Kresley and Paul are better looking in person and both were very nice. If you end up being the winner, you'll have 48 hours to respond to my email once it's been sent or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!

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