Romance Books

Volume 20!

Of all mangas/animes, I feel that Fruits Basket has recieved the biggest production and purchase rates around the world. The storyline is complex and definitely twists in unexpected ways. There is a peculiar cast of characters within these pages, where each member of the Sohma family represents an animal in the Chinese Zodiac. Living among the Sohmas is a young and kindhearted girl named Tohru Honda, who is simply adorable and responsible for herself and others. She has discovered the Sohma family's "curse" and is trusted to not let anyone else know. Tohru, being herself, keeps her promise (as of volume 20, anyway) and doesn't share anything about this secret with anyone else.

I'm not a manga fan at all, but I currently own all 20 volumes of this series, and absolutely love each and every panel of every page. I also think the book provides life lessons to younger readers, but still maintains a level of maturity for the older readers to get into.

These mangas were introduced to me from a friend, and I'm 100% pleased she forced me to read the first volume. Since that day, I haven't put down the books until I ran out of pages, only to wait for the following volume to be released. If you're a hardcore manga fan, buy and read this. If you know someone who is in manga/anime books, I suggest this as a gift. Before you know it, you'll be buying the other 20 volumes, too! =D

Fruits Basket is coming to a close and there are a lot of storylines to tie together and clear up. Volume 20 was a little jarring as it tried to incorporate these storylines, flashbacks, and characters' personal thoughts and feelings. It reveals important back-stories for Kyo and Akito, while leaving us with some cliff-hangers. As I read it, I found myself needing to go back every few pages and review as sentences were broken up by panels of memories or inner thoughts. It was a little annoying, but part of that is that the pacing is so fast, you can't help but quickly flip to the next page and keep reading, even if you aren't absorbing it all. It's an emotional volume and serious (even Takaya comments in the two side columns that the mood shouldn't be interrupted), and requires some reflection afterwards.

Okay, so down to business! This part has spoilers, so watch out! The opening was a little weak - Tohru's still struggling with her feelings for Kyo replacing her feelings for her mother, and the fear that she'll disappear if Tohru lets herself really love Kyo. Kagura avoids Tohru at first, but when Rin and Tohru talk about these feelings, Kagura can't help but burst in and fight with Tohru, ordering her to tell Kyo. This felt out of place, but it did show that Tohru isn't willing to apologize to Kagura after the fight, so we've seen that she's grown a little stronger.

The meat and potatoes of this story deals with Ren and Akito's past, particularly involving Akira's love for his wife and his daughter. We get an idea of just how warped Ren is - she was jealous of Akito before she was born, when the zodiac first called attention to the pregnancy. Ren didn't have an easy marriage or pregnancy, but she also never gave Akito a chance. We also get to see the involvement of the old woman (does she even have a name?) who's watched over Akito and the Sohma household since Akira was around. She was the one to Akito the mysterious box she treasures and we learn its history. In an act that could have been kind and meant to comfort, she did a great deal of damage to Akito after her father's death. Fruits Basket seems to live off of those moments of potential kindness that only hurt people more when that hope is taken away.

In the midst of learning Akito's history, Momiji is freed from the curse - it's not the happy moment we all expected, but rather one of sadness, because now Momiji doesn't belong anywhere. His immediate family doesn't recognize him and he's no longer a part of the zodiac. He still loves Tohru, but he doesn't get in the way of the love Kyo and Tohru feel for each other. And yet, you still feel that if anyone of the Sohmas has a chance at happiness, it's Momiji. Unfortunately, this means confronting Akito. Momiji no longer feels the bond, and that sets Akito off, resulting in one of the cliffhangers - dum dum dummmm. Even as we leave Akito, we see another member of the zodiac's curse breaking, with mixed feelings.

Towards the end, we pick up with Kyo and Tohru. Both have been urged, by Momiji and Kagura, to confess their feelings to each other. But before that, Kyo must tell Tohru a secret he's been harboring since the beginning of the series (and it makes things make SO much more sense). Not only did he know her mother, but he was also connected to her death. Kyo could have prevented her from dying, but at the risk of exposing the family secret. And thus, another cliffhanger.

So now we wait another couple of months before the next Fruits Basket. Time to reread the old volumes! Man, this was a long review!

You can really tell when a series is finally starting to wind down, and the plot threads are being tied off one by one.

Such is the case in the twentieth volume of "Fruits Basket," where Akito's dark family legacy and malign mother are finally exposed completely, and the curse comes further unraveled. There's a little romance around the edges, but not much comedy here -- only a lot of heartrending loneliness, and a bloody secret that has been torturing poor Kyo for years.

The whole story of Akito's mysterious box is revealed, as we see how Akito's parents -- beautiful, sheltered invalid Akira and his seductive maid Ren -- met and married, despite the family's protests. When Akito was born, Ren rejected her out of jealous hatred, and Akito clung instead to her loving father until he died -- leaving her a wooden box. Just what is in the box, and how far will the maddened Ren go to find out?

But her mother is not Akito's only worry -- as Shigure predicted, the curse is coming unraveled, and two more members of the zodiac are freed. Even worse, she turns against the one person who has always been there for her, when he tries to leave her for her own good.

Meanwhile, Tohru is struggling with her feelings for Kyo, with a few of her zodiac friends egging her on to just say how she feels (in particular Kagura, who is understandably annoyed by this). But when she finally confronts Kyo, he reveals a secret he's kept since before she came to live with the Sohmas -- a tragic story about the day her mother died.

"Fruits Basket" is often classed as a romantic comedy. But there's not much romance or comedy in the twentieth volume -- the love is painful or even illusionary, and the comedy is almost nonexistant. There are admittedly a few cute moments, like Kagura whacking Kazuma in the head, but more often the humor is dry and weird, such as when Shigure tells Ren why he slept with her.

But most of the time, Natsuki Takaya cloaks the story in a feeling of bitter reminiscence, and sorrowful loneliness -- of the broken curse, of being an outcast, of being rejected, or of being unloved. The flashbacks to Akito's childhood are both beautiful and tragic, especially the story of poor Akira and the revelations about how Akito became such a neurotic. And the final chapters are outright painful in their naked emotion, especially Kyo's despairing final lines.

Even the moments when certain people lose their curses are bittersweet. They are suddenly free, but they've also lost the connection that has been with them all their lives. Takaya doesn't resort to flash or dramatics, and her elegant, clean artwork only adds to the feeling of beautiful loss.

In a way this is Akito's story -- we get to see her from birth to the present day, and see how Ren's hate has warped her. Ren herself seems like a manipulative bunny-boiler, who hates all women -- including embryos -- and can't stand the idea of her sweet, tragic husband loving anybody but her. The scene where she stalks into Akito's room with a knife is pretty creepy.

And poor Kyo's much-foreshadowed grief is finally explained. Suddenly all his weird feelings, past breakdowns and gory dreams make sense, and you can see why the poor guy thinks Tohru couldn't love him.

The twentieth "Fruits Basket" takes the story into one of its darkest places, with a jealous Mommy Dearest and a crumbling curse. Not to be missed.

Fruits Basket heads towards it's end at breakneck speed with almost too many events to take in as the story of Tohru's confidant and closest male friend reaches it's climax and the volume ends with not one but two huge cliffhangers.

With zero hour approaching for Kyo, some readers might be wondering why Kagura hasn't been around as he prepares to face a terrible crisis. Unfortunately, her appearance turns into an unseemly, ridiculous catfight between herself, Tohru and Rin that really doesn't fit in at this late stage. The rest of the volume, thankfully, makes up for it.

Few characters in Fruits Basket deserve a happy ending more than Momiji; but as the series nears it's end his mother is still lost to him, his hope of being a violinist is still on hold, and his chance to connect with Momo before her adulthood is slipping further away every month. In fact, it isn't that much of an exaggeration to say that nothing has gone right for him in the whole series except for meeting Tohru; and considering that their comfort level with eachother is through the roof he wouldn't be human if the hope didn't dawn in him that maybe, just maybe, he doesn't have to be alone anymore.

But Kyo needs Tohru too, Kyo's will is fading fast, and Momiji wouldn't be Momiji if he did anything to try to deny Kyo his motivation for fighting his impending confinement. So we watch with sadness but not much surprise, knowing that a situation has arisen through no one's fault in which someone has to end up hurt, as The Most Foolish Traveler leaves what might be his last chance at happiness for a long time to the "Monster" who might need it even more.

It's then that Momiji does two things that act as catalysts to the remaining storylines.

First, a subtle but colossal event forces him into a reluctant confrontation with Akito that was perhaps inevitable in any case considering he's arguably the most emotionally stable member of the Zodiac, and starts a precident that might shake the curse to it's core. This serves to further destabilize the already disturbed head of the family as we finally learn Akito's full backstory and Kureno pays dearly for his pity towards Akito in a shocking turn of events.

Then, Momiji gently prods Kyo to confess to Tohru one more time, giving Kyo the strength to finally make a move. But there is still one thing Kyo has to do first.

Before they can go any further, Kyo has to tell Tohru about his connection to Kyoko, and the truth will put their relationship to the ultimate test...

The cast has alot on it's plate as the series moves towards it's final three volumes.

I've been a fan of Marjorie M. Liu's urban fantasy romances for a while, so I jumped on this new series. The Iron Hunt shows Liu's ability to keep the reader guessing and the intensity keeps the pages turning throughout. Although this book has been tagged by some as a paranormal romance, it's not a romance at all. If you're looking for love, go to her Dirk and Steele series.

I loved the action and that the plot was so unpredictable. Too many books follow expected paths, allow readers to figure out where the line is drawn beween the good guys and the bad ones. This book even questions the heroine in places. The people you ant to believe in are the people you're not sure you can trust.

I was dissappointed with some aspects of this book, though. One major difference between this title and Liu's previous books that I have read is this one is in first person and the perspective seems to limit descriptive elements. It's as if the character of Hunter (Maxine) doesn't feel the need to talk about things she already knows, which in turn leaves the reader in the dark on many things. As an example, she never gave a good description of her living tattoos, in fact I was left with conflicting mental images of traditional inked imaged covering her and her entire body being a solid black.

Another problem was the lack of definitions or explainations for the terminology used. Every fantasy book has it's own anguage and meaning. Readers need a clear definition of new terms to help build the alternate reality. This book had nothing. Many times I was left trying to figure out exactly what a given word meant in the context of the story and came up blank.

Her lack of description and explainaton left me floudering in several action passages. I had to go back and figure out what was happening and how we got to such a strange point. The reader will be yanked out of one strange situation and into another with little to no transition.

The book is the first in a series, and there are many situations left unresolved an waiting for the next installment. Don't look for any clean endings in this one. Hopefully some of the terminology questions will be resolved in the next book, too.

Overall, "The Iron Hunt" is a very exciting read and I recommend it with the warning that it's not a good book to put down and pick up later. It's not a light read and is best suited fo someone who wants to get lost in a book for a while, preferable someone who can read it in one to three sittings. Like her other titles it's also intense and not for the squeamish, so be prepared for a bit of an "eew" factor.

Maxine Kiss has problems that most people wouldn't understand - what with her tattoos becoming demons at nightfall and her family legacy of demon hunting to protect humanity. But Maxine has broken a couple of rules that all the women in her line have lived, and been kept alive, by - don't settle in one place too long, no personal relationships, none, and constant practice to keep their deadly skills razor sharp. During the day, her "boys," the living tattoos, sleep within her skin, making her invulnerable to everything from cold to intense pain; but at night the "boys" peel themselves off Maxine's body and become the only constant in her life since her mother's death and her companions in the hunt.



However, these days Maxine lives in the homeless shelter her former priest boyfriend, Grant, runs while he attempts to reform zombies - humans possessed by demons; she is sadly out of practice in her hunting skills, relying almost exclusively on her "boys" for protection; and she is completely clueless as to her destiny as a hunter and the power she is destined to wield in order to save or doom humanity.



But the days of Maxine willfully ignoring her destiny have come to an end as she is slowly surrounded by other supernatural beings that she never even suspected existed and which will help or hinder her, as their interests demand, forcing Maxine to face her terrible destiny...



The Iron Hunt is an absolutely mesmerizing urban fantasy book that will suck you into it's universe and leave you wanting for more. Marjorie M. Liu does an outstanding job of creating a world parallel to the "known" world and infusing this universe she creates with enough mystery, action and danger to keep you glued to the pages well into the night to find out if, and how, Maxine will survive. Maxine is a compelling character as she is a mass of contradictions. Maxine, with her need for human contact - hence Grant, and her deadly potential against demons and other beings will keep you spellbound and on the edge of your seat from start to finish. Almost as interesting as Maxine is the collection of secondary characters that slowly, but inexorably, surround her and become involved in her fight against evil in the most unexpected ways and from the most unexpected sources. I was absolutely floored by The Iron Hunt from start to finish, especially during the most confusing times when I floundered along with Maxine to understand what was going on, and more importantly, why. This book has made me a fan of Marjorie M. Liu and I will be most eagerly waiting for the next installment of what is sure to become a legendary saga! However, it must be noted that the romance in this novel is really a secondary, supporting, storyline along with all the other people she unwillingly, and inadvertently, collects to aid her in her quest. Pick up The Iron Hunt when you are looking for a spellbinding urban fantasy read that will intrigue you and have you panting to catch your breath at it's action packed, fast paced plot!

Sabella

I thought it was good, but it had a hard time catching my interest but when it did I got into the book okay. Once it did, it was a good book. I won't read the next one in the series, however, I like the author and enjoy her books.

If I had to sum up this book in one word, the word would be WEIRD.

During the whole book Maxine is confused, scared and clueless. I was pretty confused also. The author tried to be poetic & dramatic, but there is nobody in the book to really care about, they were are all so flat.

"Silver smoke winds around my torso, peeling away from my ribs and back, stealing the dark mist covering my hands and lower extremities...tattos dissolving into demon flesh, coalescing into small dark bodies. My boys. The only friends I have in this world. Demons.

"I am a demon hunter. I am a demon. I am Hunter Kiss."

These are the words on the back of the book to intrigue a potential reader into buying and reading. Plus, look at the cover illustration--the woman covered in tattos. Doubly intriguing. I bought the book and here I am reviewing this supernatural thriller or urban fantasy. Take your pick.

I am not particularly a fantasy fan, but when Maxine Kiss's tattos came to life and slithered off her body into their unique demon forms, I was totally mesmerized. Such imagination hooks me every time.

Several reviewers wrote about the confusing elements of the story. Indeed, things seems to be left out or unexplained, but I figured there must be sequels to carry forth. This first volume in the Hunter Kiss series is all about Maxine, the last Hunter. When the story begins she has already done major battle, but this story is about Maxine's developing powers. Long ago, demons were locked in this prison away from humans, but the veil is coming up and demons are escaping. It is a hunter's job to kill them.

Marjorie M. Liu, the writer, is a wonderful craftswoman of style and use of language. When Maxine's lover moves a stack on books on Mesopotamia, Liu is inserting a basic piece of information. The great epic about Gilgamesh plucking an eternal life-giving plant after an impossibly long swim references Maxine's equally long swim and gaining of the eternal ring so important to later events. Like Gilgamesh she "loses" it as well. The only reference to this ancient story is that stack of books. The reader must be well-read enough to know the story. I like that.

Some reviewers found the story confusing, as did I, but I liked that mix of story elements that didn't quite make sense. Oturu is a horrible demon with knives for feet, but he is also a friend and keeper of the ring. Maxine herself is a demon and demon hunter. No one is ever what they seem in this story which references real life. Are we ever really what we seem? The demons who live in her tattos keep life-threatening secrets from Maxine, but their job is to protect her. Contradictions.

The second most interesting character is Grant, a human--is he?--Maxine's lover, who can alter a being's personality and life flow by the music from his flute. We never learn why he limps.

I was fully engaged in this novel from beginning to end. At the conclusion, I thought how well-ended this is. It was satisfying as a book unto itself, or as an introduction to a whole series. Thank goodness there will be a Book 2. Can't wait!

Let me count the ways that I love this book- 1, 2, 3, 100. Frankly, this book rocked. It is going straight on my keeper shelf. The story was charming and engrossing, it reminded me of how focused I get on a Linda Howard Story (Major Compliment). I couldn't wait to see what happened next- This is a Red Light Read.

Poor widow Anna is down on her luck until she talks herself into a secretary's position. The Earl is none too pleased when he sees who his new secretary is, which creates some witty dialogue between the two, and major tension. But this author steps it up a notch, not only are the h/h great, there are wonderful secondary characters, dramatic scenes, but yet entertaining. This book was pretty steamy, more detailed than most I've read.

Let me put it this way, I haven't received the other two books in the Prince Trilogy, so last night I went out and bought her book, To Taste Temptation- I just enjoyed her style of writing immensely. Her new book is the start to a Series about 4 soldiers. After one book, this author is an auto buy for me, so glad to have read this!

"The Raven Prince" was just as good as all the excellent reviews paint it to be...I was so enthralled that I read the first half one evening and finished it the next morning! I am so glad I didn't take the negative reviews to heart.....true, in the beginning of the book the earl is painted as an unattractive man but as the story unfolds he becomes more and more attractive to both Anna and the reader. He was tall, dark and muscular.... everything you could hope for in a hot tempered, brooding hero. The way he yearned for both Anna's body and her love was quite endearing. The sex scenes were explicit but tasteful, and brought meaning to the story instead of just being filler. The passion between Edward and Anna was palpable and made this novel a joy to read. The happy ending was the best part, and I was thoroughly satisfied at how this love story ends.

Anna is a widow living with her mother-in-law in a small town called Little Battleford. Anna must find a position since money has become scarce. Anna finds employment as secretary to Edward the Earl of Swartingham, a most unusual position for a female.

It is nice to have a heroine who is mature and a hero who is not perfect. Anna is practical and stands up for herself and the Earl is not only scarred from small pox but is also bad tempered.

I enjoyed the attraction between the two main characters. The interaction between them was witty and engaging. The sexual tension was ever present and Ms Hoyt handled the sex scenes extremely well. They were erotic and tasteful.

As a bonus, the beginning of each chapter included the story of the raven prince. This tale was well done.

Why did I give it four stars instead of five? It was the last chapter. I'm not going to include spoilers, but I will say that the ending was typical of many romance novels.

This was the first novel that I have read by this author and it will not be the last. Bravo Ms Hoyt!

Anna Wren is nearly destitute, and the only solution she can think of is to find a job. Not an easy proposition in Regency England.

She lucks out when Edward de Raaf, the Earl of Swartingham, urgently needs a new secretary, his temper having rid him of his previous ones. The earl's steward is desperate, and hires Anna despite his misgivings.

It's a sweet story--the tortured hero (he's scarred from smallpox, his entire family including wife and child have died) and the valiant heroine first fighting their attraction, then liking each other, then falling in love, culminating in a disguised Anna meeting Edward in a brothel where he'd gone to... er... work off his attraction to her.

I don't have any real complaints, other than a vague feeling that the tone of the writing seemed rather more modern than I'm used to with a historical romance--there weren't any anachronisms or anything I can put my finger on, so maybe it's just my imagination or a taste issue. Mostly, the four stars is because it's a pleasant story that I enjoyed and am glad I read, but nothing extraordinary.

I love the fact that the herione in the story is an "older" widow and not another fresh faced innocent girl that is the usual. The hero is also not your average nobleman; he has had his share of tragedy leaving him with image issues - and a farmer to boot! The love story moves along well and the supporting casts have interesting side-stories and add punch to the main plot. Everything is well thought out, characters are nicely fleshed-out complete with hobbies and best friends. This was my pick for best book from this series.

This is your typical chic lit. Great for a lazy summer day. As a lawyer working in banking and finance just like the main characther, I'm very impressed by Kinsella's background check and how she captures the work in lawfirms. This book will not change your life but it will make you laugh.

I'm fussy, but love funny books. Sophie is spot on with this laugh out loud book. People at the beach must have thought I was insane, but it was very funny! Loved it! Nothing life changing, just sweet entertainment. Well done Sophie!

The Shopaholic series is fabulous, but in the Undomestic Goddess Kinsella takes a different turn on learning a life lesson in a fun, fluffy way.
In this book Samantha is high powered lawyer living in the city who has been working her way toward a partnership in her law firm. When this seems in grasp, her life takes a turn. She runs off the the country and is mistaken for a housekeeper, and she does not tell anyone else otherwise. In this new life she makes for herself she realizes what really is important is spending time with friends and family and having time for yourself.
This one will have you taking a step back and examining what you really want out of life.
A funny and uplifting read, I could not recommend it more!

Can you Keep a Secret was much funnier and, if you can believe it, more believable. I found Samantha Sweeting a little too flippant for a life-long workaholic. And without giving anything away,

Samantha is a high powered lawyer who is happily working her way up towards a partnership then everything goes wrong at work and she runs off to the country. She is mistaken for someone applying for a live-in housekeepers job. Samantha needs somewhere to stay and maybe she could hid here for a while. Housework she hates and is not good at.

A funny, romantic, light story. A solicitor client of mine said she had already read it, loved it and loved all of the Sophie Kinsella series.
So even solicitors appreciate this story.

A light sunday afternoon read at the beach or infront of the log fire.

The first thing readers should realize is that even though this book is second in the Bullet Catcher series, it is also a stand alone novel. Well written romantic suspense. The only reason it didn't get five stars from me was that there were not enough red herrings in the plot, making the reveal predictable in my opinion. Romance was plentiful though for readers looking for a little more sex in their novels than the typical Romantic suspense.

Max Roper is given a difficult assignment; be the bodyguard for his ex-fiance. He hasn't seen her since she ran away claiming he killed her father and she would never forgive him. Yet, she wasted no time in finding herself a new extemely wealthy husband, who just happened to have died three months earlier leaving her a sizeable fortune and a great deal of power. It's Max's job not only to protect her from whomever is trying to threaten her, but to find out if she killed her husband. The only problem is that he isn't sure if he can get her to confide in him without getting too close in the process and opening up a world of emotions locked to the past. Someone wants her out of the way. Will Max be able to protect her, or will she suffer the same fate as her father?

Is it worth buying?

Yes. Either as part of the series or just for someone wanting to read a good contemporary romance novel. Suspense is carefully strung out to pull the reader along. Just don't expect a surprise ending. Hope that helps a little with the decision.

I loved it. Ms. St. Claire promises to Thrill You to Death and delivers. Max is a hero to die for. He could watch my back anytime.

When her father is killed in a DEA bust gone bad, a guilt ridden Cori blames her lover, DEA agent Max Roper and dumps him. Several years later, the two are reunited when Cori hires an elite bodyguard group to provide protection while she investigates the possible murder of her much older wealthy husband. No one is more surprised than Cori when she discovers that Max is the man who is sworn to protect her. But who will protect Cori's heart from the only man she's ever really loved, who's assigned to both protect her and determine if she had a role in her husband's murder?

Full of sizzling love scenes and great bantering between the two protagonists, St. Claire's second entry in the Bullet Catcher series has equal parts romance, intrigue, and sensuality to sustain the reader's attention and waiting impatiently for the next intallment in the series. But I could have done without the epilogue, which added nothing at all to the story (in fact, I found it detracted). Too many authors are using them to do nothing but plug their next book.

The Bullet Catcher Series:

Kill Me Twice

Thrill Me To Death

Take Me Tonight


Roxanne St. Claire has me hooked. Her hero characters, known as The Bullet Catchers, are incredible. Each has a unique personality, an interesting past, and a noble heart. None would hesitate to sacrifice himself for his client. These men are intelligent and powerful, yet still ordinary guys who make each other laugh with good- natured taunting.

St. Claire really hit a home run with "Thrill Me To Death". Her Bullet Catcher, Max Roper, has everything that makes a woman melt. Not only is he towering in size, he has a big heart as well. His friends and clients don't see it, because he hides behind a "tough guy" facade. His one true love left him 5 years ago, taking the laughter from his soul and the smile from his face.

Now Max has been assigned the job of protecting the very woman who turned his heart upside- down. His hardest task is keeping his feelings out of the picture. However when the two see each other, 5 years melt away as if they had never parted. Both are wary of rekindling their relationship, but their need for one another is undeniable. Max, known as "Mad Max" to his fellow Bullet Catchers, is brought to knees. He finds himself throwing caution to the wind, confessing to Cori that he accepted the assignment of protecting her because he never stopped loving her. Although Cori had pushed herself to move on by marrying a different man after their break- up, she admits to Max that she thought of him every single day.

Cori is caught in a web of lies. All of the people who matter in her life eventually become suspects in the murder of her late husband. That same murderer is now targeting Cori. After losing both her father and Max 5 years ago, Cori clings to every friend she has. She can't believe that any of them could be a killer. Max must keep her close to guard her life as he works to solve the mystery. The thought of losing her again is unbearable.


I never wanted to put this book down. Not only were the characters and the love story great, but the mystery was excellent as well. St. Claire kept me guessing. It has been a very long time since I read a crime story that was not predictable. Every time I thought I had figured out who the murderer was, she threw in twists that changed my mind. I was enthralled with this tale. I can't wait to read the next in the series!

Want to read the whole Bullet Catchers series? Here are the links:
First book in the series:
Kill Me Twice (The Bullet Catchers, Book 1)
Third in the series (following "Thrill Me To Death"):
Take Me Tonight (The Bullet Catchers, Book 3)

More Roxanne St. Claire favorites:
Killer Curves
French Twist

If you enjoy romantic tales between protective men and modern women, try these:
Hard Evidence
Extreme Exposure

I'm not typically a romantic suspense fan, but this book wowed me! The characters are so easy to fall in love with, and the writing makes each scene easy to picture.

I look forward to the next installment of the Bullet Catchers series!

I looked for and found Janet's previous work before the Stephanie Plum series - and yes they are a good read and it has helped me to understand the origins of the Plum series. Janet is an excellent writer and from her early days at writing she manages to capture you into the story very early on. Thanksgiving is the first of the "old stories" so to speak that I had the chance to read. It is a light-hearted short story about jumping into the unknown and realising it is not too bad after all. Thanksgivig is a book abut a young lady who finds love in the form of a child only to realize that the man who she is helping look after the child with is ultimatly the one she wants and needs in her life.
As the story is centered around Thanksgiving the story also brings the funny side to pumkin, biscuits,turkey and family members that can see what is happening to the couple in the story and mayhem arises at the most inapropriate times.
I found this book a good read on the train going to work and if you can find Janet Evanovich's other stories, read them also - you will not be disapointed.
Plum Boxed Set 1 (1, 2, 3): Contains One for the Money, Two for the Dough and Three to Get Deadly(Stephanie Plum Novels) There are 14 novels so far for the Stphanie Plum series as of the 26/07/2008

I'm listening to the book on CD, and I don't think I'll be able to get through it. It is so sickeningly sweet it is making my teeth rot. The romance it totally forced and contrived - throw two people into a story and make them love each other for no reason. The plot is ridiculous and stupid. I've gotten as far as - girl loves/hates boy, boy loves girl, boy and girl get a baby shoved into their laps and decide to 'play house,' boy and girl are planning to cook Thanksgiving dinner. What is this dreck?

I'm a big Janet Evanovich fan in general, but man oh man is this ever a dull book. It's virtually plot-free and has no supporting characters deeper than a wading pool. This is a very, very boring book that makes you long for

My other complaint was a personal one - I just couldn't warm up to the main character, who just seemed totally irrational. In fact, the whole 'plot' made little sense to me - what 30-year old adults torture themselves endlessly about whether or not they can stomach getting married after knowing someone less than a month? Suffice it to say that I was unable to suspend my disbelief.

If you're looking for a non-Stephanie Plum Janet Evanovich book, try that Alex Barnaby series or the "Full" series set in SC. Believe me, you'll thank me later.

There is so much interest in these books and more keep coming. I read them and then have to wait for the next books. This was one.

Megan Murphy met new resident and pediatrician Patrick Hunter when his lop eared rabbit roommate Tibbles tried to turn her skirt into lunch. She met him again when she went to his home, and returned said rabbit after finding him unaccompanied on the street. While visiting with Megan, one of Patrick's patients Tilly Coogin came and left her baby with them stating she would be back as soon as she could to get him. Patrick was going to call social services to intervene because with his patient load, didn't have time to care for little Tim. Megan told him they couldn't do that to little Timmy, so she would baby-sit him during the day, and then bring him to Patrick for the night shift. It wasn't until after she got his agreement that she realized that was his plan all along. Patrick had ulterior motives, as he had plans of getting to know Megan's body much better! As they settle into a routine of sorts with Tim, both of them start feeling like they have a little family. When both sets of parents invade for Thanksgiving, Megan and Patrick really start to get attached and feel like they belong together. They even start planning a wedding. Then Tilly shows up, and both of them are devastated that they have to give Tim up. They start to wonder - is what they had real? Can their fragile relationship survive the loss of Tim?

Megan and Patrick were funny together, and the rest of their families complemented the looney bin nicely.

I started with book one and got so enthralled I have ordered all of these books in this series. Love to read her books under the above name and Nora Roberts name also.

I am an avid fan of this series. Haven't read all of them yet but I'm working on it. I liked every single one that I have read so far but I must say I enjoyed this one more than most of the others. Maybe it's the katharsis of the main character when she finally visualises her past or maybe because the villain is another woman, or maybe because I enjoy the banter between characters. All in all I think it's up there with "Naked" the one that launched them all.

I'm giving the book five stars, because it's good despite a few problems.

Julianna Dunne was a fascinating villainess. What makes her fascinating is she actually seduced her stepfather and cried rape to gain sympathy, which is rather ironic as the author is constantly using the fact Eve's father did rape her to gain sympathy for the character. Thankfully, the author also breathed some new life in the tired dream of the red room and the blood that's been shoved down the viewer's throat for the last 12 or 13 books.

Julianna's has returned to wreak revenge on Eve and she's decided the way to pay her back for sending her to prison is to kill Eve's husband, Roarke. I wish they would have taken it to the mat in regards to Roarke being in danger, since Eve saw the instant Julianna tried to give Roarke a poison glass of champagne, so you didn't really feel Roarke's life was ever really that much in jeopardy.

There was also a nice little side mystery of a cold case involving the murder of Marsha Stibbs. I applauded Eve when the ever-annoying Peabody felt sorry for the woman who killed her so she could have her husband and Eve rightfully said the one she should feel sorry for is Marsha Tibbs.

The bad parts of the book regard the inappropriately creepy Dr. Mira and the bootlicking Peabody. I don't know where the author is trying to go with the Eve/Mira relationship, but it doesn't work and she comes off desperate to form some kind of bond with a woman who just isn't that into her. She was practically begging Eve to take her with her when she went to Dallas declaring she could make it all better for her if she did. Eve, however, wanted Roarke with her, as he's the one she's able to open up to about her past. Then Mira went over a bugged Roarke to see how he was feeling. I really think the Mira character needs to be drop-kicked from the series, because she really doesn't work in the capacity the author is trying to go for. As for Peabody, the only thing that makes her tolerable is her relationship with McNabb. She started mouthing off to Roarke in defense of her idol, when he was allowing her equally annoying parents to stay in his house, and if she'd done the same with Eve, she would have been kissing her butt and begging forgiveness, but she never offered one word of apology to Roarke for her behavior. Of course the most nauseating Peabody moment of all was declaring to Eve, "You're my god."

To be frank, with the exception of Summerset, all the characters at one time or another have to worship at the shrine of Eve Dallas. Roarke gets away with it, because unlike the others, he'll also only put up with so much of Eve's crap before he gets fed up and tells her off. To the others Eve Dallas is their own little tin god who they genuflect to on a regular basis.

As a reader, I'd prefer to make up my own mind about Eve, and not have all the characters telling me she's the next best thing to sliced bread.

Still, Julianna, Roarke and Eve make this book a great read. Buy it for them and just skimmed through the butt-kissing when it gets too deep.

While the plot itself might not be an original idea, the spin Eve Dallas et al place on this story makes it 100 percent their own.

When a criminal from Eve's past is released, a showdown between the two former enemies is all but certain. Will Roarke be injured in the ensuing battle? Who will the killer harm to get Eve's attention? How badly does she want revenge?

We all know Eve isn't going to hide. She's not even willing to "play it safe." Typical to Eve Dallas, she meets this challenge head-on in a clash that will leave readers VERY satisfied.

The "in Death" books were published in paperback here until recently... I was able to find a seller in England who provided me with many of the older books in the series in hardcover, and was excited to find this one.

Great Eve Dallas book - I have almost all of them, and love them!

This book has a sweet and interesting story, but I wish that the author had developed it a bit more. The book was very short, and it could have been much longer. Though it has a romantic theme, it reminded me of a children's book just a little. However, it was fairly good; the story just needed a little more development.

*SPOILERS*

Bittersweet ending as always in Levine's gorgeous books. You know, I'm really not sure why I like her books so much, they have a lot of what I hate about fantasy books (random names, little exposition). Hers are just somehow really amazing, easy to read, and the stories are really engaging. Specific to this book, let's see, I really didn't like all but the last few of Kezi's chapters. She's boring. Olus is a REALLY interesting character and is great, Kezi isn't all that interesting until the end of her trial and on. Ever was really fast-paced, I remember her other books spanning much longer time periods, that was a drawback. I didn't like that a lot was crammed in and a lot was spaced out unnecessarily. I thought for sure there'd be a plot twist, isn't that what she's known for? =P Still, pretty happy with the ending, just wish she'd got to stay with her family. I also really wish we'd gotten resolution to Admat. Is she purposely leaving it vague as a parallel to God? I still think there should be a sequel, maybe from one of Kezi's kid's POV, that would be really intersting, one of them going on a quest to find Admat, struggling with their siblings, the mortal vs. immortalness. I really liked Kezi's abilities, they were sweet. That's pretty much it, wonder what her next project is going to be!

As a huge fan of Levine I was very disappointed with this book. I love and constantly re-read Ella Enchanted and Fairest, so when I saw a new book my Levine I snatched it up. However, upon reading it I found the characters hard to relate to, the premise difficult to follow, and the plot a bit predictable. I really wanted to love this book as much as some of her others, but it fell flat.

Kezi lives in the city of Hyte, with her Mati and Pado, and spends her days weaving and dancing and worshipping the all powerful god Admat. Olus lives in Akka, the land of the gods, and is the god of the wind and loneliness. He sets out to Hyte to live among the mortals, where he meets Kezi. He is inexplicably drawn to her, and their bond is forged when Kezi is promised to be sacrificed to Admat. Olus is determined to save her, and reveals his true self to her. Together, they set out to change their destiny.

Gail Carson Levine creates in Ever a completely different world from the one that her heroines from Ella Enchanted and Fairest live, with a new set of rules and gods and cultures, packing in as much information and details without giving the reader a sensory overload. The story moves rapidly, and is wonderfully simple and magical at the same time. Levine's trademark spunk and determination shine through in Kezi as she struggles to become a heroine and finds a way to survive.

The romance between Olus and Kezi is kept simple and chaste, and is a bit rushed, but pitched perfectly for younger readers. However, the religious ponderings and question concerning the existence of Admat will be very relevant to older readers, and does well in engaging them as well. Once again, Levine has woven another magical tale that will enchant readers of all ages.

Kezi and her relatives are no different from any other family in the city of Hyte. They are very religious and owe all to Admat, the god of everything. Kezi is beautiful, young, loves to dance and knot rugs, and is very close to her parents and aunt. The only daughter, Kezi hopes to marry well, and she already has her eye on one of the boys in Hyte.

Olus is the youngest god in Akka by hundreds of years. His mother, Hannu, is the goddess of the earth and pottery, and his father, Arduk, is the god of agriculture. Olus controls the wind and can summon any sort of gust to travel around or to do his bidding. Since he's the same age as many of the mortals in the town, he finds more kinship with them than with the other Akkan gods. Soon he leaves to live among the mortals and decides to travel far away to another town where no one will worship or recognize him.

Kezi's father, Senat, offers Olus a bit of farmland, and the young man, using his god's powers, can see Senat's family and instantly falls in love with Kezi. So he is horrified when a terrible string of events causes Senat to vow to sacrifice his daughter to the god Admat. Olus pretends to "run into" Kezi at a neighbor's wedding, and soon the two are madly in love. Kezi cannot bear to be around her parents, who are terribly sad that she has to be sacrificed, so she runs away with Olus to see the town of Akka.

What follows is an adventure in the vein of epic poems about the quest for immortality, the path to becoming a hero or heroine, and defying fate. EVER seems at once new and familiar, because of its wonderful setting, mythology, and tests for Kezi and Olus. Told in alternating chapters from Kezi's and Olus's points of view, the confessional style shows us characters who are realistic, believable and appealing to readers of many ages.

Near the end, Kezi is invited to meet the Akkan gods and take the final test towards becoming immortal. The climax of the novel features many of the Akkan gods, each with their own personalities and flaws, and it's unexpectedly magical. This isn't a normal fairy tale with a puff of smoke and a few magic words; the magic in this story is grounding and human at the same time.

Gail Carson Levine's story is made richer by the impressive fantasy world she has created, complete with its pantheon of gods, an underworld, mythological creatures, religious texts and history. As if that weren't enough, slight indications of a different language spoken in Hyte are given through her depiction of accents and new words for "mother" and "father," namely "mati" and "pado." Everything is given in such a matter-of-fact way that readers can't help but think they already understand all they need to know about this world.

I've been a fan of Levine's since I first read ELLA ENCHANTED as a child. She has yet to disappoint.

--- Reviewed by Sarah Hannah Gómez

They believe the opportunity to destroy malevolent vampire Samos and his minion is near; so assassin Jaz Parks and her vampiric supervisor Vayl plan on the hit. However, when they return to the Trust to finalize their strategy, they walk into a shocker. Vayl is no longer in charge; instead the only vampire he created Disa is now running the show.

Disa has been a nuisance to Vayl since he changed the alien. This time with her as the boss, Disa refuses to allow Vayl to work the field operation to take out Samos. On the other hand, Jaz will not sit idly by allowing Disa to own her Vayl as her relationship with him was just turning to a new more exciting level. Her missions are to kill Samos permanently and keep Vayl at her side not that of Disa, who now gives the orders.

In her fourth CIA chick lit urban fantasy (see BITING THE BULLET, ANOTHER ONE BITES THE DUST and ONCE BITTEN, TWICE SHY) Jaz Parks is at her cheeky amusing yet exhilarating best. The story line told from her cynical perspective is fast-paced as she insures the paranormal species seem genuine and her mission essential especially winning the tug of war with Disa over Vayl. Thus the series is refreshed with a weird triangle in which the relationship between top CIA operative Vayl the vampire and his best subordinate has been evolving towards something personal but now with the return of Disa as their superior all bets are off. Jaz is at her mocking best in this engaging entry.

Harriet Klausner

I keep reading . . . and reading . . . but I now officially give up. The past, what, 5-6 books have been almost indistuishable. It's like a three-page story filled with hundreds of pages of the exact same sex-internal magical crisis-sex-internal magical crises related to sex - on and on and on and on. I like the first three, especially, because they were interesting stories. I just can no longer read another page of what is essentially the same plot repeated over and over with so little variation. It's sad when even the hot sex scenes do little because we have read it all before.

Its been a long time since I read a book that made me repeat, oh brother, in disgust and disbelief. How sad to see this series so far down in the dumps. Its been going downhill for awhile, Micah was a waste of paper, and this is just barely better. I stopped reading LK for awhile, then came across Micah for .25 cents, sad to say that was a total waste of a quarter. I cannot recommend you buy this book, if you must read it then borrow it from a library, that way you'll only have wasted your time and not your money. Sad sad sad, I loved the first books. oh well!

I wasn't going to waste my time leaving a review but I figured anyone bored enough to pick up this book should be warned. It was the biggest waste of my time this entire summer, which is an accomplishment, let me assure you. I won't rant and rave, others have pointed out everything I hated plus more and have done so more eloquently than I could hope of doing myself. Just avoid it.

I really tried to read this book, honestly I did. It started off well enough and was better than it's predecessor (not saying much). The idea of a meeting of several different Masters of the City was interesting since it would lead to different types of vamps & magic. Unfortunately all it lead to was providing Anita with different flavors of vamp & were to bang. It honestly was incredibly boring after a while, especially the sex scenes.

I'm no stranger to porn or written sex. (I have a few erotica novels on my shelves & a whole collection of anime/manga porn.) So when I say that LKH does NOT know how to write porn, believe that I know what I'm talking about. I think a 12 year old virgin schoolboy could write better sex scenes than LKH does. Her sex scenes just aren't well... sexy. It's boring that the only sex that happens comes through Anita. It's boring to hear LKH drone on about every little detail, and some of those details are actually make the sex a little icky.

In any case, I tried three times to finish this novel and couldn't. I got about halfway through when I just decided to flip randomly to the end of the book. I really didn't miss much. Everything takes place within a night or two & the whole plot can be summed up by "New vamps appear to provide Anita w/ new sex partners. Threats are made. Anita has sex. Everyone talks a lot. More sex. Anita solves it all. Richard whines. Jean Claude looks sexy & Asher broods. More sex while Anita tries to convince everyone that her way is the ok way."

I want to like LKH's books. I want to be entertained by them. I initially didn't mind the extra sex. However, now it's just boring. I wouldn't recommend this book unless you are missing part of your brain. If you want to read something fluffy & brainless, read some of the vamp books in the romance section. Those are brainless & have MUCH better sex.

I love her work. I love these characters, I do recommend reading them in order.