Category / HarperCollins Publishers

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Worth Any Price by Lisa Kleypas

Format: Paperbackworthanyprice
Read with: Paperback
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Bow Street Runners, Book 3
Publisher: HarperCollins
Hero: Nick Gentry / Lord John Sydney
Heroine: Charlotte Howard (Lottie)
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: April 1, 2003
Started On: October 14, 2010
Finished On: October 16, 2010

I remember starting on this book a long time back, when I first discovered Lisa Kleypas’s talent for weaving a great historical romance. However at that time for some reason or the other I left this book half way through the second chapter or so and forgot about it. After my sister read this book and seemed to be quite taken with Nick Gentry at the point of being unable to stop talking about the guy *winks*, I decided to see what all the fuss is about and finally read the third book in the Bow Street Runners series, not that I have read the other two books in the series before.

Nick Gentry who is reputed to be the most skillful lover in all of England acquires the knowledge that goes along with his inherent skill from Mrs. Gemma Bradshaw, the owner of the most well trained house of prostitutes in London. Nick who has always been sensual by nature had refused to seek out just any woman to satisfy his hungers until holding back becomes too much for him and he finally seeks out Mrs. Bradshaw’s brothel after he turns 24 of age. Nick who is disreputable at best is described as a man who is popular with the public, feared in the underworld and detested by the Bow Street Runners who continuously try to hunt him down until Sir Ross Cannon who has now retired from the Bow Street Runners finally catches up with him and convinces Nick to work for them.

Charlotte Howard (Lottie) is a woman who is on the run. Having being betrothed to Lord Radnor since childhood by her parents who had practically made a deal with the devil himself to keep themselves ensconced in the lap of luxury, Charlotte had found every aspect of her life being controlled by Radnor himself. Knowing that marriage to the controlling mad man that Charlotte’s parents refused to see that he was would be a fate worse than death itself, Charlotte flees from home and seeks employment at Lord Westcliff’s residence as a companion to his mother.

Lord Radnor who is besides himself for the fact that Charlotte dared run away from him hires Nick to bring back his bride to be whether she is willing to come back or not. When Nick encounters the woman whom he had been hunting after for the past 2 months, Nick is surprised to find himself enchanted with the woman who for the first time in his life seems to be calling to something deep inside of himself that Nick refuses to recognize.

When Lord Westcliffe finds out that Nick is not who he is pretending to be, all hell breaks loose when Charlotte finds out that  the man whose warm sensual kisses had drugged her to no end was actually the man who her detested groom to be had hired to hunt her down. With Nick determined to make Charlotte his regardless of the consequences, these two make a deal to get married, Charlotte refusing to let love enter the equation knowing that being that vulnerable to any man was not for her and Nick who only thinks that he wants the sensual delights that Charlotte’s body promises and nothing more.

These two are certainly in for a delightful surprise when each of them finds more than they have bargained for in the other. Charlotte for the first time in her life begins to feel safe in the heady warmth of Nick’s arms, whose lightest touch sets her senses afire. Nick who refuses to be bewitched by any woman finds himself relentlessly in need of his wife’s gentle touch and the warmth and understanding that she so effortlessly wields that creates havoc on his heart and emotions which he keeps under tight rein.

Before the story is through, Nick who has always continued to run from his viscountcy finds himself forced to face his future as a viscount with Charlotte by his side whose unwavering faith in him leaves him completely astounded at times. Before these two can finally achieve their happily ever after, Lord Radnor and his evil plans as well as Nick’s restlessness with the inactivity brought about by claiming his title threatens to tear them apart, a lesson well learnt by Nick who is brought to his knees at the thought of losing his Lottie forever.

Basically this was an enjoyable read though I always find myself a tiny bit irritated at the fact that the hero who is described as so tortured by his past becomes a wuss at the first scent of the heroine. I think I am one of those readers who likes a bit of angst in my romances, someone who doesn’t like the path to true love be a walk through the park – if you know what I mean. Out of all the Kleypas books that I have read, my favorite still would have to be Suddenly You though there are still a couple of more titles that I have yet to read from her. I think Lady Sophia’s Lover which I have somewhere on my bookshelves would pretty soon end up in my TBR pile as my interest has been very much piqued by glimpses of Nick’s sister Sophia and her husband Sir Ross Cannon who apparently sentenced Nick to 10 years in a prison hulk when he was 14 years old.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-booketernal
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Series: Night Huntress World. Book 2
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Mencheres / Menkaure
Heroine: Kira Graceling
Sensuality: 3.5
Date of Publication: August 1, 2010
Started On: August 16, 2010
Finished On: August 17, 2010

Jeaniene Frost has penned another winner with the second book in the Night Huntress World Books series. Before starting out on reading this book, I did skim through reviews written to get a feel on what to expect in this book. But I should have known even then that when it comes to Jeaniene Frost and her tales, you never know what to expect and each page just keeps you riveted with the surprises that come along your way. Needless to say I completely fell in love with Mencheres, I mean who wouldn’t? So here is my take on this wonderful story, which had me glued to every single word, right from the very beginning.

Mencheres whose the grandsire of Bones from the Night Huntress series, is a very old vampire. So old in fact he was born in 2553 B.C. and was a pharaoh when he became a vampire. Mencheres is one of the most powerful or should I say the most powerful vampire we have yet come across in the Night Huntress series. His power is such that he can move a lot of things simultaneously, fly at speeds that amazed me and could foresee the future before he assisted Bones in killing his wife Patra.

Marriage to Patra and the knowledge that he shared with her about the ways of the dark magic has continued to be one of the biggest regrets of his life. Patra’s thirst for power and worldly riches had ultimately ended in her demise, and Mencheres had been shouldering the blame for all the havoc and disaster that she brought about, nearly destroying everything and everyone that Mencheres had held dear to him.

Radje or Radjedef is an uncle of Mencheres, and a Law Guardian of the vampire race. Being a Law Guardian meant that he was a member of the vampire ruling council, and being the power hungry and corrupt vampire he was, Radje had been after Mencheres for eons, claiming that the power Mencheres’s sire had shared with him upon turning him into a vampire, rightfully belonged to Radje.

With the cease of his visions, Mencheres feels adrift, and knowing that the centuries old feud between him and Radje would just eventually hurt those who belonged to him, and the fact that he kept seeing total darkness whenever he tried to look into the future made Mencheres come to the decision that death was all that awaited him now. Mencheres knows that as the co-ruler of his line, Bones would be able to handle whatever that could come their way, and Mencheres was determined that a personal feud between him and Radje wouldn’t harm those that belonged to him. So it is with this in mind that Mencheres decides not to wait for the sure death and eternal darkness that awaits him, but rather commit the vampire form of suicide and embrace death before its too late.

Kira works as a private investigator and has two half siblings Tina who was terminally ill of whom she was really protective of and Rick, who was a drug addict, always trying to leech off money from Kira on the pretext of turning over a new leaf and getting his act together. Kira is well versed in the art of self defense, having trained to become a cop. Kira’s ex-husband had definitely left his mark on Kira with the physical and emotional abuse that he had heaped on Kira during their marriage. Kira’s salvation had come in the form of an old cop friend of her ex-husband, Mack Davis whose motto in life had been to save one life, an advice that always runs through Kira’s mind.

So when during her walk home from work Kira hears a man in agony, she can’t turn her back on whoever it was that was in so much pain. Mencheres had walked in on the ghouls who were effectively butchering him up in order to put his plan of getting killed/committing suicide into action, when a beautiful human woman walks in, commanding his torturers to give it up. To say the least, someone who had presumed to have seen everything life has to offer is more than surprised when a woman who doesn’t even know him, walks into the danger that surrounded him willing to give up her life. And when the ghouls attack the woman, Mencheres knows that he has to save the woman and stall his plans for now.

Knowing that the one thing that all Law Guardians held in contempt was flaunting the fact that vampires existed to the human race, Mencheres knows that all he has to do is erase Kira’s memory and send her on her way. But her fatal injuries end in Mencheres feeding her his blood, and right from the get go, Mencheres is unable to read Kira’s mind or effectively manipulate her with his green-eyed gaze. Thus Kira becomes a captive, a captive that Mencheres treats well, earning Kira’s respect amidst the other feelings that Mencheres’s deep black eyes and his perfect bronze body evokes in her.

Mencheres yearns for the beautiful courageous woman Kira is. Emotions that he had controlled ruthlessly and tamped down on for more than 900 years suddenly burst into the surface, urging him to let go and succumb to the feelings that Kira roused in him. Mencheres, a vampire who has always been coveted by others for what he could provide for them, whether it be from his wealth or his undeniable powers as a vampire, has never been really wanted for the man he is. And it is this cynical viewpoint that prevents Mencheres from laying a hand on Kira no matter how much he comes to desire her within the week that she resides at his home.

But the time comes for Mencheres to let Kira go, when he knows that he would never be able to manipulate Kira’s mind like he can for most of the human race, and when Kira’s sister Tina is hospitalized, Mencheres knows that the time has come to let her go. Kira thinks that Mencheres would help save her sister’s life only in exchange for her captivity to him for life, and she is more than surprised and a little lost when Mencheres releases her and sets her free. Though she is freed, Kira’s undeniable feelings for Mencheres makes her seek him out and it is then that Radje puts his evil plan into effect to draw out Mencheres to finally get the power that he wants.

In the end, Radje’s harsh sentence ends Kira’s life as she knows it and Mencheres changes her into a vampire, refusing to let the one woman who stirred his senses after centuries die away. Someone reviewed that there wasn’t enough heat between Mencheres and Kira and it was all about control with Mencheres. Maybe that particular reviewer and I didn’t read the same book, cos I definitely felt the heat and seductive lure of the power Mencheres yields so effectively to make Kira his. And I wouldn’t say when you have ceiling banging encounters with the woman you love, you are in control. Definitely not!

With Kira in his life, Mencheres suddenly yearns to live and doesn’t want his vision of eternal darkness to come true. And Mencheres knows that he has to pull all the stops and use every bit of knowledge and power he has to beat Radje at his game and save Kira from his clutches before its too late for either of them.

Mencheres definitely made me sigh all over and Kira is definitely the woman for him. I absolutely fell in love with Mencheres’s sleek good looks, the way he tamps down his power and cares for those around him and who belong to him. Its not that Mencheres is a vampire who hasn’t made mistakes or is one without flaws. But the fact that with absolute power in his hands, Mencheres still manages to be the man he is definitely makes him a vampire to sigh over!

Needless to say, the longest review I have ever written so far is due to the fact that I loved this story so much and wanted to capture its essence in my review. This book is definitely very highly recommended for Frost fans as well as those who have never read anything from Frost before. Try it out. It might just be your cup of tea! And for fans of the Night Huntress series, its always a treat to see our favorite couple Cat and Bones from another hero or heroines’ viewpoint. Always good to revisit them.

My only peeve with the book was its cover art. Definitely doesn’t match the Mencheres that I envision in my mind.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress World, Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Baron Charles DeMortimer (Spade)
Heroine: Denise MacGregor
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: February 9, 2010
Started On: July 10, 2010
Finished On: July 11, 2010

Fans of the Night Huntress series; all the books of which I have been rapidly going through for the past five days by being holed up in my room, seems to have mixed feelings about the books of the Night Huntress World Series. But you cannot read through the Night Huntress series without being intrigued by all the other characters such as Ian, Charles (Spade), Vlad (Dracula) & Mencheres. Hence I was glad when I realized that Spade’s story had already been published which pairs off Cat’s best friend Denise with Bones’ best friend Charles (Spade).

Spade is a centuries-old vampire who’d been a South Wales prisoner in the 1700’s along with Bones. The overseer used to call the former Baron Charles De Mortimer by his assigned tool, a spade. He’d kept the name so he wouldn’t forget his previous helplessness. Charles/Spade is as chivalrous as they come and you cannot help but be charmed by his character.

Denise first meets Cat when Cat worked for the federal government to train soldiers who would have the ability to deal swiftly with the rogue undead. During the 2nd book in the Night Huntress series (One Foot In the Grave), Denise gets married to her boyfriend Randy who gets killed in the 3rd book, At Grave’s End. Denise has never forgotten what spending new year’s eve at her best friend’s place with the undead had cost her and she has kept her distance from her best friend through all this time. Now a year later, Denise gets hunted down by a demon shape shifter named Raum who marks her with his essence forcing Denise to search out for Nathaniel, a relative of hers who used Raum’s powers and then sent Raum back to the depths of Hell for which Raum is hell-bent on seeking revenge.

Knowing that the only beings who could help her out would be Bones and Cat from whom Denise has been out of touch with for the past year, Denise tries to contact them to no avail and finally ends up calling Spade who agrees to come out and see whether what has got Denise so rattled is not a figment of her imagination. The strong stench of sulfur together with how Spade finds Denise unconscious in her home convinces him beyond any doubt that Denise would not be safe and that her life as well as that of her family’s depends on whether she finds Nathaniel as soon as possible, which is easier said than done.

Understanding that Nathaniel has been under the guardianship of a vampire narrows things down to the point of the search being one similar to that of searching for a needle in a haystack. But that doesn’t deter Spade’s decision to keep Denise safe and when he finds out that the mark Raum has left on Denise has altered her blood such that its like narcotics for the vampires, his resolve to keep her safe at any cost with his burgeoning desire to possess her as his makes this book a great source of romance and endless adventure.

Both Denise and Spade have their own issues to work around with on top of the fact that Denise is now a shape shifter who yet has no ability to control what she has become. And together with the team from the Night Huntress series this is a novel all die hard Jeaniene Frost fans must read!

My favorite scene from the book is when Denise and Spade have their first fight since they got together & Spade storms out, and when Denise hears that he has come back, wanting to talk with him Denise goes downstairs where the vampires feed from willing humans and mistakenly thinks that Spade is the one who is in the room with the woman who doesn’t cease moaning and screaming in ecstasy, goes and bangs on the door only to find a very naked and pissed off Ian on the other side. Priceless!

I am really looking forward to the next novel Eternal Kiss of Darkness featuring the Mega Master vampire Mencheres which releases on the 27th of this month. Though I am more interested in reading Ian’s story which the author has not mentioned of for the near future, I am waiting avidly to read Mencheres’s story which I am sure would hold a lot of surprises in it as it did for Spade’s story. Never be it said that Jeanine Frost spins a predictable tale!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

amazingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Urban-Fantasy
Series: Night Huntress, Book 4
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: July 28, 2009
Started On: July 9, 2010
Finished On: July 10, 2010

It’s been six years since Cat Crawford first laid eyes on her lover Crispin (Bones) and the years they have been apart and together have certainly never been boring for the reader. Having Bones by her side should have made life a bliss for Cat, but it hasn’t been one sweet ride into happily ever after for the two.

Struggling with being half human and half vampire has always been an issue for Cat. And her successful stint as the slayer of the rogue undead has certainly earned her her fair share of enemies in all the wrong places and strong allies who stand beside them as well. Life had certainly proved to be hectic enough for the two of them when Bones and Cat barely escaped with their lives intact and a time-out from everything else seems like heaven to Cat, that is until she starts having strange dreams from which she has a hard time waking up from.

Mancheres, Bone’s grandsire knows straightaway that something is wrong and when Bones finds out that Gregory, one of the super master vampires has set his eyes on Cat and wants her for himself, and is declaring Cat as his wife to the rest of the undead population has Bone’s livid with anger. And when Mencheres confesses that Gregory kidnapped Cat when she was 16 years old and took her as his wife before Mencheres was able to imprison Gregory and erase one month off from Cat’s memory has Cat torn apart in two as well.

Life becomes a constant battle between Bones and Cat as Bones tries to protect Cat and with Cat trying to help out in anyway she can by going against Bone’s wishes creates a rift between the two, until it all comes to head when Cat allows Gregory to steal her away from Bones in her dreams.

Cat has a few conditions of her own before being snatched away by Gregory and one was to find out what actually happened during the one month that she spent in Gregory’s company. However the trip down the memory lane though it shows Gregory as a manipulative bastard, some residue of emotion that Cat has for Gregory prevents her from killing him.

Her return to Bones is not the welcome that she at all envisioned. Though Cat knew that Bones wouldn’t welcome her with open arms, the cold controlled man that greets her and seethes with anger that he cannot control makes slivers of fear run up and down her spine. Bones is more than devastated when his wife shields all her emotions from him and runs off to Gregory rather than trust Bones to be able to keep her safe and be able to take care of both of them. Bones finally walks out on Cat and it is a devastated Cat that hears the news that Bones has been shagging up with women in New Orleans though she tries hard not to believe it.

Hurt and angered beyond belief, Cat goes into hiding with Vlad aka Dracula, one of their allies to lick away her wounded pride and heart in privacy and also to keep herself in an undisclosed location from Gregory. However, when Cat hears that Bones is in danger of getting killed by Gregory, Cat pulls all stops to prevent that, but doesn’t have the strength to face him when he comes back.

Though Cat knows that finishing off Gregory is the only way that Bones or herself would have any semblance of peace, Cat knows that she is far too weak with her human traits to be able to tackle with a vampire who is far stronger than even Bones. Thus it is with this in mind  that Cat decides to embrace her life as a full vampire, and even in this form Cat is unlike any other who embraces the life of a vampire.

The road to resolving their differences and getting back together is a tough one for Bones and Cat and with their enemy Gregory pulling all the dirty tricks up his sleeve to get Cat to be by his side doesn’t leave Cat and Bones with much room to rejoice in their getting back together, but its rather back to the battlefield with no holds barred for these two.

The fourth installment in the series is as good as the previous ones and I have got to admit that there is a certain allure in reading a well written series to just reading one story about a couple who holds your attention to the point of being riveted by them.

The witty dialogue, the smoking hot tension between Cat and Bones and the non-stop hair raising adventure makes the Night Huntress series a smash hit, and I can’t wait for the fifth book to come out next February.

Though I have heard that the Night Huntress World books are not as good as the Night Huntress series, I aim to take a look at them myself, the second book of which is to come out later this month.

Until my review of the First Drop of Crimson, the story that features Bone’s best buddy Spade and Cat’s best friend Denise comes up, happy reading my fellow bookworms! ;)

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: At Grave’s End by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress, Book 3
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 2.9
Date of Publication: October 6, 2009
Started On: July 9, 2010
Finished On: July 9, 2010

Cat  still leads her unit and actively works in killing the rogue undead with her lover Bones by her side. Though Cat uses countless disguises, Cat has become something of a legend because she is the only one of her kind and she is a lethal force to be reckoned with, with her collection of silver knives strapped to her side.

When Cat’s vampire father Max literally finishes Cat’s life off until at the last minute Bones is able to save her finally makes Cat understand the real threats on her life and that she would not be able to operate as she has been doing before. And to add to the complications, a powerful female from Bone’s past is out for his head and Bones has a a real close call with death that kept me at the very edge of my seat.

The relationship between Cat and Bones sort of takes to the backstage in this novel as there are more important things happening, like saving their vampire clan from utter destruction. Bones joins forces with his grandsire Mencheres who is the only hope they have left in defeating an enemy that could be the end of Bones and Cat as we know them.

Filled with hair raising action, love gone wrong and new vampires in the making, this is a pretty fast page-turner as well though I would have loved it a bit more if the sizzling tension between Cat and Bones had been kept at a simmer. And you have got to love the rich cast of characters such as Ian, Spade, Tate etc. who contributes towards the witty banter that never fails to invoke laughter throughout the book.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

amazingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress, Book 2
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 4
Date of Publication: October 13, 2009
Started On: July 7, 2010
Finished On: July 9, 2010

I didn’t waste any time before starting on the second book of the series and boy am I glad! This series just gets better with this book where Cat and Bones meet again after a four year period during which Cat has been devoting her time and effort into becoming Special Agent Cat Crawfield who trains soldiers into becoming mean killing machines for the rogue undead.

The four years that Cat has spent apart from Bones has not been easy. Her mother ever still vengeful of the vampire species continues to hold an everlasting grudge against them whilst rooting for Cat for the undeniably good job that she does as an effective killing machine of the undead who have gone astray.

Though it pains Cat’s heart in ways she couldn’t explain because she misses Bones so much, she has no inkling of what Bones is going through until she is sent to kill Ian, the vampire who turned Bones and the small thrill of happiness that bursts through her when she hears that Bones has been as miserable as she has been for the past 4 years cannot be denied. For reasons that Cat only understands, she lets Ian escape and that’s how Bone’s endless search for Cat becomes fruitful.

The scene where Cat lays eyes on Bones after the four year hiatus is something to be savored. The raw jealousy and pain that swipes through Cat when she sees Bones kiss another woman at the wedding reception of her friend Denise undeniably lets Bones know that Cat has been missing him as much as he has been missing his kitten.

What has got Bones more worried than anything is the fact that Cat has become such an efficient killing machine of the rogue undead that she has become a target with a handsome bounty on her head. And Bones refuses to budge  once he has found Cat and accepts her terms when she says that the only way she can continue a relationship with Bones is if its a celibate one.

As Jeanine Frost promises on her website, the road to happiness for these two never comes easily. Before the second book is through, Bones effectively deals with Cat’s mother (whom I would like to bitch slap once or twice as well), comes to know the truth about her boss and team members and gets close enough to wreak vengeance on her vampire father before she finds the strength to choose a life with Bones by her side rather than an empty one without him.

The sex between Bones and Cat is sizzling hot in this book, much better I would say than the first book and the adventure that these two with a rich cast of characters go through is absolutely non-stop. I just for the world of me cannot put these books down once I start them.

I seriously, seriously want a Bones of my own! Could I have one pretty please?! I think I & the rest of the female population who have read this series love Bones because he is a true alpha without being a bastard about it. He can sizzle the socks right off of us with his sizzling sensuality & he could be real arrogant when the calling comes. But the way that he lets Cat be the woman she is, and loves her for all she is and just gives her everything in his power is his special quality  that drives us nuts over him!

My favorite line from the book would have to be when Bones molds Cat’s body to his to dance (this is almost right after they see each other for the first time after 4 long years), and the haze of desire that crops up between the two which Cat tries to deny but cannot has Bones saying, “Oh, Kitten…” His voice deepened. “Now you’re just daring me, aren’t you?”.. Sigh!!

I guess I could just go on and on about my favorite parts in the book and this blog post would be a never ending one if I continue.

So, till next time! And here’s hoping that the 3rd book is as good as this one!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

outstandingread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Series: Night Huntress, Book 1
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Crispin Phillip Arthur Russel III (Bones)
Heroine: Catherine Kathleen Crawford (Cat)
Sensuality: 3
Date of Publication: November 1, 2007
Started On: July 6, 2010
Finished On: July 7 2010

I am not much of a fan of reading books of a series, mostly because the happily ever after that I am looking for doesn’t come about until the very last book has been published. Nevertheless apart from Twilight which I attempted reading a couple of days back and stopped, this is the first series that I am ever attempting to read and am determined to complete reading.

The night huntress series is an urban fantasy romance featuring half-vampire Cat Crawfield  whose the heroine featured together with Bones, a two hundred year old vampire whose a bounty hunter of his kind. Cat never knew that she was half-vampire or the fact that her mother bore her after getting raped by a vampire until she turns sixteen. Though Cat has always known she is different from the rest of her peers, its only when her mother explains about the “evil” that resides within her that Cat comes to realize what she truly is.

Her mother’s hatred for the vampire species has Cat out hunting for those who prey on humans for feeding and killing them without any compunction because Cat feels that she owes her mother for what she went through. It is during one of these hunting sessions that Cat comes across Bones. The scene where Cat first meets Bones is one that would always be etched on my mind because of the hilarity of the moment.

Before Cat knows it, she is captured and being interrogated by the fearsome vampire who moves as fast as lightning. A deal is struck between the two though Cat doesn’t trust the magnificent vampire who stands in front of her and raises her hackles so effortlessly. Bones promises that he would help Cat find his father in return for her services in hunting down and killing rogue vampires.

Bones trains Cat to be more efficient and to make the best use of her skills and assets which makes her a deadly opponent. However the hunt for a deadly vampire who has powerful friends in high places within the government becomes a deadly race against time when Cat’s family is threatened.

The sexual tension between Bones and Cat is sizzling hot and I found myself craving for a Bones for myself. Although this story is told in the heroine’s perspective in the first person, it doesn’t hinder any part of the novel,  in fact it just made things more interesting if I may say so.

But the ending is not a happy one with Cat and Bones going their separate ways, and I am thankful for the fact I won’t have to wait eons for the next book in the series to come out. Four books of the series have been published with the fifth one to come out on the 22nd of February next year with a total of seven books in the series as denoted on the author’s website.

I just have got to say, I am loving Bones and I don’t think I will ever get enough of him. I hope that the other books in the series continue with the same sizzling heat and adventure that would keep the pages turning.

My favorite line from the book would have to be when Bones says to Cat “If you run from me, I’ll chase you, And I’ll find you”. Sigh!! And you just gotta love his British accent, the way he calls Cat “Kitten” and the way he calls Cat “luv”. Drools!!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

fantasticread

 

by mvbookreviewer

Review: Sweet Lullaby by Lorraine Heath

Format: E-booksweetlullaby
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Mobipocket Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Homespun, #21
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Jake Burnett
Heroine: Rebecca Anderson
Sensuality: 2.5
Date of Publications: March 1994
Started On: July 1, 2010
Finished On: July 1, 2010

When I first started off this book last night I was a bit apprehensive because at first the story didn’t seem to be so interesting. Maybe it was because I was too sleepy and tired to give any real thought to the story unfolding but somehow the thought of reading through a story where right from the beginning the hero is in love with the heroine didn’t seem to be that exciting. But boy am I glad I was wrong. This book has got to feature one of the most endearing heroes I have ever come across.

Jake Burnett is a man who has been wronged so much in his life. A mother who sold her body to keep a roof above their heads and a father who never acknowledged his bastard child until his mother passed away when Jake was about 10 years old or so, Jake never knew any happiness or joy in his life even when he was brought home to live with his father. Bearing the brunt of his father’s many beatings and punishments and being made to live in the barn seeking the warmth of the animals to keep him from freezing to death at night with an his elder brother Ethan who continuously found ways to make him more miserable, there didn’t seem to be any end to Jake’s suffering until his father died leaving him with all his property.

At first wanting nothing to do with the property, Jake travels around and works for Rebecca’s father at his ranch. From the very first moment that Jake encounters Rebecca, he falls deeply in love with her. Rebecca is a beauty whilst nobody would call Jake a handsome man. Jake wears the marks of all the hardships that he went through to become the man he is on his body and face.But Jake doesn’t fall in love with Rebecca because she is just a pretty face but because for the first time  in his life, a woman makes him feel welcome and not soon afterwards a deep and lasting friendship is formed between the two.

Jake never dreams of the possibility that one day he may have everything his heart desires. But when Rebecca gets pregnant after sharing a night of passion with the love of her life Brett Meier who has left without knowing that he has fathered a child, Rebecca never envisions that her father who had loved her and spoiled her till now would reject the very idea of the child growing within her.

John Anderson’s, Rebecca’s father’s solution is to get her married to Jake and thus avoid the scandal that would follow if his daughter were to give birth out of wedlock. Jake proposes marriage to Rebecca on his own terms and Rebecca knowing that there wouldn’t be any other man around whom she would feel comfortable with as Jake accepts his proposal and decides to leave with Jake to Texas to make a life of their own which drives John into a fit of anger and disown her the very next day after they get married.

Marriage to Rebecca is a bittersweet experience for Jake who wants nothing more in life than to keep a smile on Rebecca’s face forever. The partnership that forges between the couple and the friendship that grows between them is heartwarming and at times filled my eyes with unshed tears.

As the story slowly unfolds, Rebecca begins to learn of the true feelings her husband holds for her but never being able to return the feelings because she still holds the handsome Brett close to her heart. With Ethan hellbent on vengeance and getting back the land he believes is rightfully his, life on the ranch that Jake and Rebecca build from the grounds up is not one without hardships.

Through the birth of their child Jacob and all the patience and love that Jake bestows on Rebecca, intimacy of another kind starts to unfold between the two, and Jake finally starts to feel happy in his life when Brett comes along and proclaims that he wants Rebecca back in his life. Everything Jake has worked for seems to crash and burn right in front of his eyes when he sees the desolation in his wife’s eyes and the distance that seems to crop up between the two.

It literally broke my heart into pieces to read about how Jake lets Rebecca and their son Jacob that he had come to love and adore leave so that Rebecca would find true happiness with the man she loves. I felt like howling when the pages seeped with the pain and anguish in Jake’s heart at his immense sacrifice.

However, once Rebecca leaves to start a life with Brett, she starts to realize that even though she doesn’t know it, she has come to love her brown eyed husband who stirs a slow simmering fire deep within her every time they come together. I was prepared to hate Rebecca for the pain she causes Jake when she readily leaves with Brett but the pain and loneliness that she goes through during the separation and the fact that she refuses to give her body to Brett until her divorce from Jake is final redeemed her in front of my eyes.

This book brings a whole new meaning to the saying, if you love something let it go and if it comes back its yours. I don’t think I would be able to put into words just how wonderful a book this has been and if you really want a romance that can play with your emotions and make you cry and laugh this is a must read.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: Parting Gifts by Lorraine Heath

Format: E-bookpartinggifts
Read with: Amazon Kindle
Length: Novel
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Homespun, #30
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: Jesse Lawson
Heroine: Maddie Sherwood
Sensuality: 2.5
Date of Publication: December 1994
Started On: June 29, 2010
Finished On: June 30, 2010

Even as I write this review, I still feel the remnants of the kaleidoscope of emotions that coursed through me as I finished this book. With a degree in psychology in hand, Lorraine Heath creates the most beautiful and realistic characters that have such depth that you can’t help but feel for them and relate with them. Though this is the first time I am reviewing a book by the author, I have previously read a lot of books by her and loved each story as it worked is magic over me.

This story is no different and right from the very start, Maddie Sherwood, who is at the very end of her wits as to what to do for survival finally succumbs to offering her body in return for shelter and food clutches at your heart. Rescue from the fate to which she had resigned herself to comes in the form of Charles Lawson who bids a hopping 1000 dollars to be the man who would initiate her & take her virginity.

However Maddie soon realizes that ravishing her is the furthest thing on Charles mind and before she knows it, she has agreed to marry him and care for his three children Taylor, Hannah and Aaron who settle deep within your heart from the very first encounter. And when Maddie first tumbles into the arms of Jesse Lawson, Charles’s older brother, Maddie realizes just how much she has agreed to sacrifice and forgo in the marriage of convenience to which she has entered with Charles.

From the very first moment Jesse looks into Maddie’s whiskey brown eyes he is a goner. Though he tries to fight the immense awareness he feels for someone he should not, you truly understand the meaning of the term “the heart wants what it wants regardless of the consequences” when you feel the cascading emotions that passes between Jesse and Maddie as the story progresses. While Maddie too yearns for the strength of Jesse’s embrace, she knows that deep within her heart she could never be disloyal to the man who had given her his family and affection.

What Maddie has no inkling of is the fact that Charles is a man who is near death, and the fact that he wanted his motherless children to know the warm and loving embrace of a mother was the reason why he had married Maddie in the first place. And Maddie holds close to her heart a secret which could destroy what she has come to love and hold dear to her heart.

Its hard to put into words how reading this story made me feel. Jesse’s loyalty towards his brother and towards doing what’s right made me admire him and fall in love with him along with Maddie. And Maddie’s courage in resisting the temptation of embracing the man she loved with every fiber of her being and being faithful to her husband made me realize the strength in her which Charles saw the night he rescued her from a life of prostitution. And Charles, the man who was insightful enough to know what his brother wanted and needed more than anything in the world and being man enough to leave Maddie to him made my throat tighten with emotion.

This is a book that packs an intense wallop of emotion and a page turner at that. I would advice to keep a box of tissues ready because towards the ending, its all you can do to keep from crying at turns with sadness, hope, happiness and ultimate joy.

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

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by mvbookreviewer

Review: The Last Oracle by James Rollins

Format: E-book
Read with: Amazon Kindle & Adobe Reader
Length: Novel
Genre: Science Fiction
Series: Sigma Force, Book 5
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Hero: NA
Heroine: NA
Sensuality: NA
Date of Publication: July 1, 2008
Started On: May 22, 2010
Finished On: May 25, 2010

Yes, I do deviate from reading romances now and then and read other types of books too. James Rollins has always been a favorite of mine ever since I picked up his novel Amazonia sometime back and found myself intrigued in the concepts he weaved so well in the book. Though I found myself a bit disappointed at the endings in certain books of his such as Deep Fathom, I  have always looked forward to reading his novels for the adventure and the interesting wealth of well researched information available in his books.

The Last Oracle is in no way an exception to the amazing talent Mr. Rollins has in weaving tales of a mixture of religious and scientific intrigue with a bunch of mean bad guys thrown in, to make it all more read worthy. The Sigma Force series started with the book Sandstorm which I haven’t read, but I have to say that Mr. Rollins has done an excellent job in developing the characters of  Sigma, an elite team of ex–Special Forces soldiers who had been retrained in scientific fields to serve as a covert military arm for DARPA, the Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency. The story of Sigma’s commander, Gray Pierce is one I follow closely in each of the novels of the Sigma Force series that I have had the pleasure of reading.

The Last Oracle is about bioengineering of the next world prophet. Its about achieving the ultimate power in today’s world by whatever nefarious means possible. The Sigma force is thrown into this harrowing adventure when a homeless man dies in the arms of Commander Gray Pierce near their Sigma headquarters, the homeless man who is later known to be Professor Archibald Polk the person who invented Sigma.

Unraveling the clues as to how the Professor ended up with a lethal dosage of radiation that would have killed him within a week if not for the sniper who targeted him begins to reveal a story that goes back to the ancient times when the ancient Greeks used to rely on those who could see the future to change the course of the world. The clues lead Gray Pierce, Dr. Elizabeth Polk, daughter of Professor Archibald Polk and Kowalski to India and then to Russia where autistic children with incredible abilities are harnessed to create the next world prophet. The Sigma together with their allies are in a race against  time to stop the ultimate destruction from taking place that could end the world as we know it.

Simply put – damn incredible right from the very start!

Purchase Links: Amazon | Barnes&Noble | BooksOnBoard | Kobo

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