Review: Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews

Old hatreds die hard. Old love dies harder.

On Meli Galdes' home planet, the struggle for power is a bloody, full-contact sport-in business and on the battlefield. For years her lethal skills have been a valuable asset in advancing her family's interests. She's more than earned her right to retire, but her kinsmen have one last favor to ask.

Kill the man who ruined her life.

Celino Carvanna's razor-sharp business acumen-and skills with a blade-won him the freedom to do as he pleases. There's only one thing he can't seem to control-his reaction to the mysterious woman who tantalizes his senses. Her eyes alone set his blood simmering, stirring ridiculous adolescent fantasies about breasts and honey. With a few words she dissects his soul. Who is she? And how does she slide so easily under his well-guarded skin?

It's almost too easy to draw Celino within the kill zone. Meli plans to revel in him in. Drink him in. Wring every drop of pleasure out of every moment.

And when she's sure he belongs to her, she will finally repay a decade's worth of pain-in a single, brutal dose of reality.

A Romantic Sci-Fi Futuristic short story by a favorite writer, Ilona Andrews -- how could I pass it up? I couldn't, of course. Silent Blade is not part of the Kate Daniels books or the upcoming series. Instead with this short story, Andrews gifts us with a complete romance set in a futuristic world--sharp, dangerous and sexy, we get more than just a glimpse of the world our characters inhabit.

Meli Galdes is biologically enhanced and has special abilities inherited through her bloodline. She is an oddity and perfect for her role as an assassin for her kinsmen. But Meli is tired of killing and all she wants to do is finish that last job and retire to her home and garden. Celino Carvanna's enhancements are different from Meli's but just as deadly. He is more than just a brilliant businessman. Celino is also the head of his family -- a super alpha, arrogant and unscrupulous man who is used to getting what he wants and whose fate has led him straight to Meli.

I loved Meli's character. In Silent Blade, Andrews gives us a heroine that is both a dangerous assassin and a vulnerable woman. Meli is the type of heroine I love in any romance -- a woman who is strong enough to love without becoming a doormat to the alpha hero or so strong that she makes him look like a wimp. Celino is an arrogant and ruthless alpha hero who is about to get his comeuppance, but he is also the type of man I like -- one who knows when to be aggressive and when to back off.

The world in which Meli and Celino live is developed so that we understand the reasons for their actions and reactions. We see both of them in action within their respective worlds -- Meli as an assassin and Celino as the ruthless businessman he is -- and learn their personal histories, but we are definitely not short changed when it comes to the romance or their intimate encounters.

This is a short story and I don't want to give away too much or take away from your enjoyment. I have no complaints about this read, except to say I enjoyed it thoroughly and wanted more. I give this one an A.

Visit the author here. Read an excerpt here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile June 10, 2009

Hilcia's Weekly Reads

I'm a happy camper this week. Yes, I'm reading again! Not as much as I would like to, but hey... I know I'm greedy when it comes to books. Some of the reads I had on my list were pushed back due to new releases I just HAD to read right away or other reads that came along. I do that a lot, but I'll get back to them this coming week. You wouldn't think with my list of books I would start my week by re-reading, right? But that's exactly what I did. *g*

----------

I started by skimming the historical romance Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale and couldn't help myself -- had to continue reading. Did I enjoy it? You bet. Talk about an angst-riddled plot with great characters that you love or just love to hate! The story of Christian, a brilliant Duke who after suffering a stroke is unable to communicate verbally -- his hateful family ships him off to an asylum where he meets Maddy, a Quaker and daughter of a mathematician whom he knew before the stroke, and our tale really begins.

I thought Kinsale did an amazing job of keeping her characters true to themselves and to that period in time. I loved everything about the story, even the hero's hated family members. I liked the way Kinsale gave the heroine enough character that even after falling in love, betraying her religious beliefs was a conflict for her. I thought it made their coming together tougher but sweeter in the end. And Christian? He deserved his fortune, his Maddygirl and anything else he wanted. This re-read was worth it for me.

----------

Continued my week by reading Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson, a soap opera mystery. I reviewed this book here, so I won't repeat my impressions of it, except to say that I'm glad I read it this week as it was a fun, light read. I really needed it and it provided a wonderful break from the other books on my list.

----------
Ashes of Midnight by Lara Adrian was released and I wanted to read it immediately. I loved Veil of Midnight and I was very curious about Reichen's character. Adrian's paranormal series follows the Breed vampires and their Breedmates. At this point in the series, the Order -- a small group of warrior vampires -- is fighting more than just the bloodthirsty Rogue vampires. Dragos, an evil vampire, has resurrected one of the Ancients and is creating

a new breed of super strong Gen One vampires. In this book, Adrian focuses on Andres Reichen and Claire as the main romantic couple, plus the ongoing fight against Dragos continues.

I was quite disappointed with Ashes of Midnight as a whole. I found the romance to be nice, but quite predictable. Although I liked Andres Reichen's character and understood him and his motivations, I didn't connect with the Claire, the heroine. I found her character to be contradictory. I also had a few questions about the world building. I truly couldn't understand why Claire had no clue as to her husband's, Roth, true nature. Shouldn't she be able to feel his reactions through their blood bond? How could she not have at least an idea of who this man was?

A few unanswered questions that bothered me... Definitely a case of not connecting with the heroine and finding plot holes in the world building. Not my favorite book in the series, but as I said before, this series has not been a consistent one for me.

----------

Finished the week the way I started it, by reading a historical romance about a hero with a disability, this time it was The Madness of Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley. I'm just going to give you my impressions today.

I had a problem with this book before I read it. I became curious as soon as I heard about it a while back. See, I wasn't sure the premise would work. I was told it involved a hero with Asperger Syndrome and my immediate question was, how is Ashley going to make someone who can't empathize with others (in this case the heroine) a hero in a "romance" novel? Hmmm....

Well my friends, what can I say? By the time I finished the book, I could have cared less about the premise. I just wanted Ian and his Beth to get their happy ending. I became wrapped up in the "romance"-- the romance I thought I wasn't going to buy--bought it hook, line and sinker. Were there contradictions? There would have been if the name of the disease was mentioned in the book, but it wasn't -- Ashley does use the symptoms -- and frankly it became a mute question for me. I enjoyed the book for what it is, a beautiful romance with a gorgeous hero and his wonderful woman.

There were a few moments of frustration for me while reading the mystery and with the hateful Detective Fellows. The man is not the most likable of characters, but then I don't think he was meant to be. Loved the Mackenzie brothers -- yes, even Hart -- and I'll be right there waiting to read their happily ever afters.

----------

I read two books for the M/M Romance Reading Challenge. I better hurry I only have a couple of months to finish my list. I'll be reviewing those next week, so I'll leave my comments for later.

What am I reading? I have three books going at the moment. Continuing with Bad to the Bone by Jeri Smith-Ready, although it has been placed on hold for a few days.

Started Touched by Light by Catherine Spangler, third on her Atlantis mythology based paranormal series. I read the first two, Touched by Fire and Touched by Darkness and liked them both. I became a Catherine Spangler fan by reading her Sci-Fi/Romance "Shielder" series, one of my favorites to date. You know this one will be devoured.

And the third book I started is Perdido Street Station by China Miéville, a Fantasy book that has been gracing my TBR pile for a while and one I've really been looking forward to reading. I have The City and The City, Mieville's latest release, but really want to read Perdido first.

That's it for me, a very productive reading week. How was yours? Any good ones?

Originally posted at Musings on June 6, 2009

On Favorite Books and Endings

I love nothing more than a great ending to a favorite series or trilogy. I know... it's a double-edged sword, we look forward to that next book anxiously and with some series we love, we wish they would never end. But all good things must come to an end.

I started reading a trilogy in 2005. The first book was one of my 'random picks' and BOY did I get lucky! It was one of those books that grabbed me and wouldn't let go from beginning to end. I liked it so much, I re-read it as soon as I finished and then I re-read it again.

The book was The Traveler (First Book of the Fourth Realm) by John Twelve Hawks.

This trilogy is difficult to categorize, it has been compared to films like The Matrix, Star Wars and Kill Bill, but I can't say that it's similar or the same as any of them. It deals with good vs. evil, social control, free will and alternate dimensions. John Twelve Hawks uses current science and technology, makes it feel like science fiction and at the same time makes you look around and wonder. He even gives us a taste of string theory to go with the rest.  

We meet Travelers -- able to attain pure enlightenment by traveling to other dimensions and bringing back knowledge, they are considered prophets who have influenced the course of history for untold generations. In the Fourth Realm Trilogy we meet two Travelers, Gabriel and Michael Corrigan, brothers who are just discovering their gifts.

Every Traveler must have a Harlequin to protect them. Harlequins are a fierce group of warriors willing to sacrifice themselves to protect their appointed Traveler. They are trained from childhood in different martial arts styles, samurai swords and a myriad of weapons and undercover strategies they use to defend themselves and their charge. In The Traveler we meet Maya. She has been chosen to protect the Corrigan brothers and must travel from Europe to the United States, find them and keep them safe.

The brothers are being hunted by The Tabula --- a global society composed of very powerful men and ruthless mercenaries who have hunted Travelers for generations. This is a group determined to inflict order on the world by controlling it, and they view Travelers as a threat that must be eliminated. 

This is the basis of the trilogy and how it all begins. 

The second installment The Dark River (Book 2 of the Fourth Realm) was released two years later in 2007. Of course, you know I bought it as soon as it was released. In this book Gabriel, Maya and Michael's story continues and is expanded. The three of them make choices that take us along for a dangerous ride. Maya and Gabriel's relationship is developing and there's more than a tentative bonding between the two. But Twelve Hawks left us at a crucial point in the story and I've been waiting a long time for the end to arrive.

Of course I've been following all news about the upcoming book. Recently it was announced the last book of the trilogy was to be released September 2009, but there was no actual date on the announcement. I didn't want to get my hopes up... and then, finally! Last week, a final date and a Cover! Yes! 

The Golden City (Book 3 of the Fourth Realm) will release September 8, 2009.  I will be there with bells and whistles on! Ends and favorite books... it's a beautiful thing. 

Review: Simple Wishes by Lisa Dale

GOING HOME IS THE LONGEST JOURNEY OF ALL...

Adele couldn't wait to put her lonely childhood and hometown behind her. Amid the bright lights and hustle and bustle of New York, she built a life for herself--until one terrible mistake brought it crashing down. Now Adele is running again, this time to a cottage she inherited from her mother in rural Pennsylvania. And she's about to realize that a small town has more to offer than she ever dreamed.

An Artist and woodworker, Jay Westvelt knows a thing or two about living in the country. Adele is intrigued by her mysterious and sexy green-eyed neighbor, a man who took care of her house and soon cares deeply for her. But even as Adele's heart begins to soften toward him, secrets from her mother's past threaten to send her fleeing back to the city. Can Jay convince her to stay with him?

Only if she can learn an important truth: that happiness begins with SIMPLE WISHES.

I've been in the mood for contemporary romances lately and decided to search for one from a new-to-me author. I do this every so often and call them my random picks. If I get lucky, I find a new author whose work I'll follow. I was unaware Simple Wishes is Lisa Dale's first contemporary romance when the above description caught my attention. As it turns out this book is about much more than the romance -- although the romance is there, I didn't find it to be the focal point of the story.

Adele is returning to her mother's old cottage in Notch Lane. She never planned to return after Marge, her mother, died years before. The place held too many bitter memories of her lonely childhood and their estranged relationship. Now, she has no choice but to use it as temporary living space to regroup while searching for employment in New York City.

Getting back to the City as fast as possible, that's what Adele plans to do. She doesn't want to deal with old memories, hurts and guilts. She left home at age seventeen and never saw or spoke to her mother again. Theirs was a complex and dysfunctional relationship leaving Adele with conflicting emotions that affect her even as an adult. Returning to Notch Lane might force her to confront emotions she has ignored for too long. Dale does an excellent job of portraying both Adele's ambivalent feelings, as well as her anger and resentment towards Marge--an anger that is not allowing her to move forward with her life.

It is the leftover anger and resentment that Adele feels for her dead mother and the unresolved issues in their relationship that drive this story. Adele must come to terms with her emotions and confront her past in order to have a future. By now, she has become adept at running away when things get uncomfortable--the type of person who is most comfortable with superficial relationships, be they sexual or platonic, Adele cultivates neither. Intimacy is foreign to her.

The city, and all the people in it, were unpredictable, disposable on some level. Subject to change. So did she like it that way? It wasn't really a matter of like ordislike. She felt she belonged in the city, belonged to the city.

But Notch Lane is not New York City and Adele's life is about to change. Living in an isolated and rural area in the mountains, she has no choice but to meet and interact with her immediate neighbors. Soon she finds herself getting involved with them more than she likes or even appreciates.

Beginnings happen in moments, Adele thought to herself. Not hours, not days, not months. Life breaks down into scenes, sequences, and you hold them to you, examining each one by one, like picking through a handful of pearls.

When Adele meets Jay Westvelt, he is not what she expects he is more. Jay is a very private person and a brilliant artist. A man who has made very clear choices and knows what he wants from life -- the opposite of Adele. In many ways, Jay understands Adele better than she understands herself. Dale develops their personal relationship and eventual romantic involvement slowly. These two people get to know each other and their initial dislike grows into friendship, attraction and eventually into passion and love. Their coming together is not an easy or comfortable one. Adele's many issues, including her intimacy problems and inadequacies, make the conflict a difficult one to resolve.

Adele's closest neighbors in Notch Lane, Pat, Beatrice and their teenage granddaughter, Kayleigh, are very important to the story. Beatrice, a Korean born lady, becomes more than a friend to Adele. It is through Beatrice, who was a friend to Marge that Adele works through her resentment and anger towards her dead mother. It is with Beatrice Adele learns the intimacy and boundaries of friendship.

Adele is a thirty-one year old woman with adult feelings, but emotionally she seems to regress at times, almost as if she were stuck in an adolescent time warp. The relationship that she develops with Kayleigh and Kayleigh's own youthful struggles help Adele work through some of those issues. You will find this is the type of contemporary where secondary characters are as much a part of the plot as the main characters. In Simple Wishes they have as much to offer, as do Adele and Jay.

It's important to point out that although I was initially attracted to Simple Wishes by the romance, I was actually pulled in to the story first by the writing, and then by the characters. Dale writes more than a few beautiful passages in this book and although I did find some inconsistencies in the point of view--sometimes in the third person, sometimes in the first--it's always presented from Adele's perspective. The story itself is character driven and centers more on Adele and her personal struggles than on the romance, although the romance itself becomes part of those struggles and the resolution is sweet and worth the wait.

Development is extremely well done for both the main and secondary characters. Adele is explored to the fullest and there are few if any questions left unanswered about her by the time we reach the end. Beatrice and Kayleigh's characters are so well developed and are so key to this story that at times they become central--particularly Beatrice. Adele and Beatrice's relationship almost overshadows Jay and Adele's; it was that deep and meaningful. Adele's struggles were frustrating at times, but her growth, although slow, was palpable and well done. On many levels, a story about love and forgiveness.

Since this book was a random pick--will I look for Lisa Dale's next release? Yes.

Visit Lisa Dale here. Read an excerpt for Simple Wishes here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile June 3, 2009

Simple Wishes by Lisa Dale

Finally finished the review for Simple Wishes by Lisa Dale, you can find it today at Musings of a Bibliophile. This was one of my yearly 'random picks,' an author I never heard of before. Turned out to be an interesting pick. Hope you enjoy it... see you there!

Review: Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson

Dial Emmy for Murder is a soap opera murder mystery by the author of Death in Daytime.  A soap opera star herself, Eileen Davidson is best known for Emmy-nominated roles on The Young and the Restless and Days of our Lives. 

I did not read Death in Daytime, so it was with a blank slate and absolutely no expectations that I began reading Dial Emmy for Murder. I knew this was a mystery set in the wonderfully dramatic world of soap operas and it sounded like too much fun to pass up -- especially since the writer herself is a well-known soap opera actress. I was expecting excellent details on that front and that's exactly what I found -- what I was not expecting was the humor or how much I would enjoy Alex's voice. The humor and the fast, flowing dialogue are what caught my attention from Chapter 1. 

Dial Emmy for Murder is a murder mystery with Detective Frank Jakes as the investigator, but our real heroine is Alexis Peters. A soap opera star with a Nancy Drew complex, Alex finds more dead bodies than she shoots scenes and nothing deters her when she decides to go after that next clue.  

In fact, we meet Alexis Peters when she arrives at the Daytime Emmys where she is about to present an award with Jackson Masters, a hunky co-star, who is running late. But is he? Jackson's dramatic entrance is an attention getter and fits right in with the surroundings -- a grisly, if darkly humorous, start to this whodunit. 

Alexis is an Emmy winner soap opera star--but not a diva, please--she left "The Yearling Tide" after being accused of killing one of the writers and now works for "The Bare and the Brazen" where she happily plays dual roles.  Alex met gorgeous Detective Jakes during that whole "Yearling" debacle (Death in Daytime)-- they worked together on that case and she's more than a little attracted to him.  But poor Alex has more than a few problems -- she has a long-time boyfriend, Paul Silas, plus ex-husband Randy the creep who is threatening to make an appearance after years in exile.  Her plate is full and getting fuller by the minute; soon a killer will make it overflow.

Alex is nothing if not persistent in her sleuthing and it doesn't seem to be beneath Jakes to use the situation to gain Alex's attention. The man is smitten! He is so smitten that he places himself in a precarious position at work and with his very strange partner. He and Alex click well as partners in the mystery and as a romantic couple. I was rooting for sweet, hot Jakes all the way.

Between her very demanding job, a murder investigation she can't stay away from, personal decisions she must make and a budding romance, Alex hardly has a minute to rest or take a sip from a martini. Except, of course, when she's visiting her best friend George and his partner Wayne -- these two characters had some of the best lines and became my favorite secondary characters. Their conversations were full of wit and comfortable best friend banter. I ended the book wanting more George and Wayne, never mind a martini.

There is a large cast of peripheral characters in the story, however when it comes to secondary characters there are only a few. These characters make brief appearances, in addition to George and Wayne, we meet: Jakes' reluctant partner, Davis; Connie the ever-disheveled manager who is always looking to pimp Alex another gig; Alex's wise mother, Mrs. Peterson and her sweet, young daughter Sarah.  Even though their appearances were few and far in between, I gathered definite impressions of individual personalities and characteristics through their interactions with Alex, as well as from her internal dialogue. The story definitely centers on Alexis, Jakes, the developing romantic relationship and mystery solving, but these secondary characters are all an integral part of it as well.

There was one very predictable moment and one of those pesky contradictory details that some of us always seem to catch when reading mysteries. Neither was enough to deter from my enjoyment nor did they take me away from the story. The climax was fast paced, exciting, and humorous. Best of all there was a bit of a twist I did not expect; those are always the best.

I found Dial Emmy for Murder to be a fun, fast paced murder mystery with well placed humor and some very dramatic moments--most appropriate for this book. The writing flowed and the details on the entertainment industry were excellent--they were weaved into and became part of the events beautifully without overwhelming the story. I enjoyed every minute of this book and was a bit sorry when it ended. 

It seems as if Alex and Jake will continue their adventures; the next one begins at the Playboy Mansion and I will be following it.

Visit Eileen Davidson here. 

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile on June 1, 2009

Upcoming Review at Musings

Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson

Tabloids and fans are stunned when Alexis Peterson leaves her popular show for another soap, but she's too busy preparing to be a presenter at the Daytime Emmy Awards to even notice. When her co-presenter loses his life before presenting a winner, Alex realizes she has another murder mystery on her hands.

Working behind the scenes to find out how her costar could have met such an end, Alex invites handsome Detective Frank Jakes--a man she can't stop imagining having a real love scene with--back into her life. But first Alex must focus on finding the killer before she sees another one of Hollywood's brightest stars burn out.

An ARC review from a new-to-me author, a soap opera mystery written by a real Emmy-nominated soap opera star--sounds interesting and fun, right? 

I'll be reviewing Dial Emmy for Murder by Eileen Davidson at Musings of a Bibliophile on Monday, June 1st.  So, come by and read all about Alexis, Jakes and the soaps... see you there!

On Awards and Friends

What an introduction! Just started getting comfortable in my little place, have not finished moving in yet, and here I am being awarded a.... Little CJ? And I thought Leslie was my friend, too! 

Woke up this morning, went to check my favorite blogs, and there it was... I must find someone whose blog, I really, really like to pass this wonderful... ahhh... Award to. 

Thank you, Leslie and of course CJ for gifting us with the Little one. I am truly honored.

Leslie has a wonderful picture of a screaming child on her blog, but when I saw the announcement this was my reaction -- I thought it was appropriate. 

A mutual friend of ours, joanna, who has a wicked sense of humor, titled this picture "The Angst that Wouldn't Die!!!" (Thank you, joanna) That's how I felt when I saw my name and my mind went blank. I figure EVERYBODY has a Little CJ by now and I'm going to get skewered, right? 

After much thought, (and research) I decided to share this moment with two people whose blogs I visit regularly and haven't received their awards yet. Of course this must be remedied immediately. They both use the word "addict or addiction" and "book" as part of their titles, so definitely places I would look up. 

Renee's Book Addiction, a lovely site. Renee and I seem to share our love for the varied within the genre. It's a place I love to visit and just enjoy. So, since we seem to be passing this...ahhh... lovely Award to people we like (isn't that right, Leslie?), Renee gets my vote.

Dani from Confessions of a Romance Book Addict just had a birthday in May.  What a great birthday present! Dani is definitely a book addict and we have that in common. So enjoy your present? 

Okay, now I can breath... no voodoo dolls or intense pain for me.  Oh, Renee and Dani? I do suggest you both read CJ's rules for this award or you might be in great peril.  

Upcoming Reviews at Musings

I'll be reviewing three books for Musings of a Bibliophile next week. 

You can expect to find Vision in White by Nora Roberts, her latest contemporary romance. Nora is one of my all time favorite romance writers and I'm more than happy to see her return to writing good old fashioned romance.

For my M/M Review I'll be featuring Crossroads by Keta Diablo an M/M Erotic/Suspense. This was not a book from my M/M Challenge list, but a separate read. I didn't manage to read any for the Challenge this week.  Diablo is a new-to-me author and I do enjoy those!

And speaking of new-to-me authors, I'll be finishing off with Simple Wishes by Lisa Dale. I've been in the mood for contemporaries, so I picked this book at random, just to see how I liked the author. This is Dale's first contemporary romance and I think a good pick. 

So, stop by Musings next week... see you there!