May 2011 Reads & Meeting Nalini Singh

Nalini Singh's Kiss of Snow U.S. Book Tour
June 2, 2011, New York City

May was a great month for reading, reviewing, bookish things and meetings, as earlier in the month I had a wonderful time while meeting my old friend Indie for the first time. Then yesterday, (I know it's June!) I had the pleasure of meeting Nalini Singh, while she is on her Kiss of Snow U.S. Book Tour, at a Barnes & Noble in New York City. It was a wonderful experience and one that I shared with my friend Mariana of Hips Like Mine. The two of us caught the bus after work, met at the Port Authority and shot over to the venue, arriving a bit late due to heavy traffic.

When we arrived, the chat between Sarah Wendell of Smart Bitches Trashy Books and Ms. Singh was already in progress, but what we caught was both amusing and informative. Ms. Singh kept her audience rapt by giving just enough hints and information about characters, story arc and future books (three, maybe four before the series ends!). She was warm and just lovely. Ms. Singh was also very generous with her time during and after the conversation, especially during the second part of the event when every single lady had the opportunity to sit by Ms. Singh to chat briefly while she autographed each book(s).

I didn't bring my ARC copy of Kiss of Snow (yes, I was kicking myself) so I purchased a copy, plus a print copy of Play of Passion since that's the only book from her series I read in ebook format. She autographed both of them for me while we chatted briefly and she proceeded to surprise me with her incredible memory for names and details -- meanwhile Mariana took the above grainy picture of the both of us with my phone. So yes, now I own two copies of each one of those books, lol! But I'll save the signed copies for my collection and use the other ones for re-reads -- rationalize, rationalize. :)

Well, that's my experience with Ms. Singh. Now I should go on with my recap of last month's reads which will be a short one this month. I decided to post my usual minis separately since this post is already so long.
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Total May Reads: 19
Contemporary: 9 (Romance: 8  Fiction: 1)
Historical Romance: 2
Paranormal Romance: 2
LGBT:  6 (Romance: 4 Mystery: 1 Erotica: 1)

1. Dragon Bound (Elder Race #1) by Thea Harrison: B+
2. Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell: B+
3. Twisted Creek by Jodi Thomas: B+
4. Driftwood by Harper Fox: B+
5. Portrait of Seduction by Carrie Lofty (Upcoming Review)
6. Getting Rid of Bradley by Jennifer Crusie (Upcoming Review)
7. Summer at Seaside Cove by Jacquie D'Alessandro: (Upcoming Review)
8. The Heat is On by Jill Shalvis: B
9. Homecoming by Rick R. Reed (Upcoming Mini): B
10. The Summer We Came to Life by Deborah Cloyd: B-
11. On the Line by Kathryn Shay (Upcoming Review)
12. Under Her Skin Anthology with Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brook, Ilona Andrews: B-
13. Love and Rockets by Gavin Atlas: B-
14. Promises by Marie Sexton (Upcoming Mini): C+
15. The Dark Farewell by Josh Lanyon (Upcoming Mini): C
16. Still the One (The Educators, #1) by Kathryn Shay (Upcoming Mini): C
17. Someone Like You (The Educators, #2) by Kathryn Shay (Upcoming Mini): C
18. Maybe This Time (The Educators, #3) by Kathryn Shay (Upcoming Mini): C-
19. His Hearth by Mary Calmes (Upcoming Mini): D-

As you can see my top reads this month are a combination of the genres I read this month and new and old releases: paranormal, contemporary, historical and LGBT romance -- no fantasy or science fiction this month! I began reading War for the Oaks by Emma Bull and although I was enjoying it, didn't finish it before the end of the month. When it comes to science fiction I did try reading Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley, but I'm afraid that book ended up in my "did not finish" pile. 

What about you? What book stood out for you in May? 

Mini: A Lot Like Love by Julie James

Jordan Rhodes is invited to all of Chicago's best parties, but there's only one the FBI wants to crash. To get her brother out of jail, she agrees to take Agent McCall as her date. But when the mission gets botched, requiring their "relationship" to continue, it starts to feel less like an investigation-and a lot like something else.

Well, I really enjoyed A Lot Like Love by Julie James. In this story James combines contemporary romance and "light" suspense quite well. Jordan and Nick are as different from each other as you can get, yet by the end you believe they belong together.

She's the owner of a successful wine shop and he's an FBI agent who needs her help to catch a crook. Julie James uses Jordan's wealthy background and Nick's preconceived ideas about what that might mean to set up initial tension. Jordan being a woman who works hard for her money, is not ashamed of her father's wealth and has never been spoiled, gives as good as she gets and the result is some excellent snappy and witty dialogue between these two.

A Lot Like Love is a good contemporary romance with lots of amusing moments, likable protagonists, and quite a few sexy moments. I actually loved Nick's slow trip into love, thought his internal dialogue was a hoot and really enjoyed the ongoing joke where everyone refers to him as Tall, Dark and Smoldering (or TDS as I began to think of him). I wish a visit to New York with Nick's mother and brothers had been included, there was some great interaction over the phone with these characters, and it almost felt as if the story was incomplete without their physical presence. This is the second book by Julie James I've read and really enjoyed it, so I'll definitely pick up the next book which will be featuring the Twitter Terrorist himself, Jordan's brother Kyle.

Category: Contemporary Romance
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley, March 1, 2011 - Kindle Edition
Grade: B+

Visit Julie James here.

Review: The Summer We Came to Life by Deborah Cloyed

Every summer, Samantha Wheland joins her childhood friends—Isabel, Kendra and Mina—on a vacation, somewhere exotic and fabulous. Together with their mixed bag of parents, they've created a lifetime of memories. This year it's a beach house in Honduras. But for the first time, their clan is not complete. Mina lost her battle against cancer six months ago, and the friends she left behind are still struggling to find their way forward without her.

For Samantha, the vacation just feels wrong without Mina. Despite being surrounded by her friends—the closest thing she has to family—Mina's death has left Sam a little lost. Unsure what direction her life should take. Fearful that whatever decision she makes about her wealthy French boyfriend's surprise proposal, it'll be the wrong one.

The answers aren't in the journal Mina gave Sam before she died. Or in the messages Sam believes Mina is sending as guideposts. Before the trip ends, the bonds of friendship with her living friends, the older generation's stories of love and loss, and Sam's glimpse into a world far removed from the one in which she belongs will convince her to trust her heart. And follow it.

The Summer We Came to Life by Deborah Cloyed is her debut novel. This is a book that left me with mixed feelings and deep thoughts about life, death, friendships, family, love and more. Although I'm sure many consider this novel women's fiction, for me it had a more literary flavor, perhaps because of the style in which it is written, the prose, and the depth with which the different subjects are approached.

Birth and Death are the two occurrences in a person's life that seem to say one thing: we are not the ones calling the shots. "The only consolations are love and best friends." That's what Mina told me two days before she died.

That's how this story begins and right there is the substance of this story. After losing Mina, Samantha herself feels lost, and grief and guilt make her question a lifetime of personal decisions. She wants to grieve on her own but her friends won't allow it, and Isabel, Jesse, Lynette, Cornell and Arshan come down to Tegucigalpa, Honduras to help her go on. All of them, including Isabel and Kendra go through the grieving process, consolidating their friendship and love, and going through a journey of self-discovery and personal growth. Mina seemed to have been the axis around which the rest of the friends rotated and although dead, she is very much a part of their rough journey.

Through Samantha's character and quantum physics (and what some would call magical realism), Cloyed goes forth in her attempt, a creative one if I may say so, to disprove the fact that "we are not the ones calling the shots." You'll find references to both the Copenhagen Interpretation and the Many World Theory -- which theorizes that there are "a number of parallel universes, and everything that could possibly have happened in our past, but didn't, has occurred in the past of other universe or universes."

However, although science is very much a part of this quest, there's also a mixture of interesting characters in this story. Isabel is half-half Panamanian/American, Kendra is half-half African American/White and Mina's parents were born in Iran with Samantha being the red head American in the group. The author uses this mixture of races and cultures, as well as the setting in Honduras, to address racial and cultural differences. And as if that were not enough, while relating their personal experiences, the Baby Boomer parents in the story also get into history as the reader is treated to their personal struggles and first person points of view on the 1960's U.S. Civil Rights struggle, the Iranian Revolution and South American politics, as well as and the struggle of the Garifuna population in Honduras where the group of friends is staying.

There's a generational theme in this story. The parent's older generation making a connection with the younger one by imparting experiences often fraught with controversial subjects, but flawed or not, all leading in one way or another to lessons in life and love. The friendship and bond between Sam, Isabel, Kendra and Mina is deep, the connection between them supposedly making them stronger. Instead I found them to be fragile, fragile to the point of brittleness and therefore easily broken and in need of saving. The younger women's sense of hopelessness weighs heavily for most of this story, even through the lighter moments.

As you can see this is an ambitious undertaking by Ms. Cloyed, and although the four friends are there as characters, as is the journey of the self, this not necessarily your typical women's fiction read. This is where my mixed feelings come in about The Summer We Came to Life, as some of its strengths can also be considered its weaknesses. At one point there are as many meaningful subjects discussed or debated as there are shifts in points of view. Those constant shifts were problematic for me through the beginning of the book, and even a few times later when I sunk into the story. On the other hand, I quite appreciated Cloyed's creative blending of magical realism (if magical realism is her objective) with science, and found both her prose and in-depth characterization to be excellent throughout.

Finally I'll say that The Summer We Came to Life is not an easy read, but it is one that made me think and that's always a plus for me. This is Deborah Cloyed's debut novel and it's very good in my opinion. I would like to see what comes next from this author.

Category: Women's Fiction
Series: None
Publisher/Release Date: Mira, May 31, 2011
Source: ARC Planned Television Arts, Ruder Finn
Grade: B-

Visit Deborah Cloyed here.

Dreaming of a Summer Day...with Jacquie D'Alessandro

This weekend marks the official beginning of the summer in New Jersey. The beaches open and everybody is planning on heading for the Jersey Shore this long holiday weekend. Well, not everybody. Some of us will be staying behind and yet others will be taking advantage of the beautiful warm weather by having barbecues and family get togethers. But I'm envious of those heading to the shore this weekend!

I've been reading Jacquie D'Alessandro's contemporary romance book, Summer at Seaside Cove and I can almost smell that sea salt. I want to feel the sand between my toes, take a walk on the beach and hear the waves roar in the evenings. Nick and Jamie are killing me! I wish I were at that beach in Seaside Cove romping around the waves with a dog, playing catch with a tennis ball on a beautiful day with a gorgeous dog like Nick's Godiva. Sigh... I dreamt about it last night.

It is going to be 83º F or 28º C today! It's all Jacquie D'Alessandro's fault that I just don't want to work that half day I have scheduled today and I'll be dreaming of a summer day at the beach all day long. It is perfect weather for a summer read, maybe I'll just do that later on today instead. :)

Enjoy your weekend!

Minis: Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell and Under Her Skin Anthology

Somebody Wonderful by Kate Rothwell

Well... this was such a fun book! It was a different historical romance read, not only because the setting and time period felt fresh to me, but because the characters also felt rather unique in their own way.

While visiting New York City, Timona Calverson is kidnapped and taken to a brothel. After a daring and rather improbable escape, she is rescued by Irish cop and recent immigrant Mick McCann. Mick takes Timona to his small tenement apartment and although he thinks she's a prostitute and doesn't believe her story, kindly nurses her back to health. Timona, however, is from a prominent and eccentric family and known the world over for her wild escapades and extensive travels.

I love that Somebody Wonderful is set for the most part in the late 19th Century New York City slums, and that it's both a romance and an adventure. What type of adventure? Well, I absolute agree with the book summary which states that, "Timona's adventures formed the blueprint for the Perils of Pauline." The central characters certainly made this an entertaining read, and the secondary played their roles quite well. As far as the romance goes, I really enjoyed Timona's "slyness" and determination, especially when it came down to making Mick her man, as well as Mick's initial prudish attitudes toward women and almost too perfect personality. However, the fact that Mick and Timona communicated, minimizing misunderstandings between them, was a big plus. Somebody Wonderful is a romance that left me with smile. Grade B+

Under Her Skin with Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brook and Ilona Andrews

This was a good paranormal romance anthology with three good stories by favorite authors. All three of these stories were previously published in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance, which I've not read. However, I'd already read Meljean Brook's story "In Sheep's Clothing," so in reality I only read two out of the three stories in this anthology.

Jeanine Frost's "Pack" is a short story about a hiker who gets lost in the woods and is attacked by wolves, bitten, and turned into a werewolf against her will. Although the premise for this story is not quite unique, I found Frost's werewolf "pack" quite interesting. Most of all I liked the fact that the woman in this story didn't accept her situation readily. The length of the story didn't affect its impact and the story feels complete. Grade B

"Grace of Small Magics" by Ilona Andrews is another short story with a familiar premise. This one is about a woman who must repay a family blood debt to another magical clan by providing a service. I like the world building in this short story and would love to read more in this setting. Andrews uses tension, fear and action to showcase the characters. I particularly enjoy when Grace realizes she has more to offer than her paltry small magics. The weaknesses in this story are the romance, which is underdeveloped, and the lack of details within the story, probably due to its length. In this case, a longer version would have been a plus. Grade B-

Meeting a Friend, NYC, Dinner and Books!

This post is late! I had a crazed, long working week and wasn't able to put up my posts last week, but better late than never... right?

Last Tuesday evening I finally had the opportunity of meeting in person one of my oldest on-line friends, and wasn't that just the best treat?! Indigene (Indie Reviews) and I met on-line in 2007 and since then have been trading book recommendations and conducting our own, and often lengthy, in-depth book discussions through emails.

Well, Indie finally came all the way from Ottawa, Canada to New York City and of course we had to meet each other in person, even if it was for one day or one evening. We met at the Port Authority and took a taxi to one of my favorite little places in the West Village, La Lanterna Caffe on McDougal. I love that little place because of its atmosphere, service, food, good wine, great coffee and desserts, but the best feature is that you can sit there all night and they won't bother you or throw you out! LOL!

It's a good thing too, because Indie and I sat there from around 5:45 p.m. to around 10:30 p.m. talking, discussing books, talking and just.... talking. Let me tell you, those hours were not enough! We share a mutual love of history, politics, literature and the LGBT genre, and it was wonderful to be able to discuss in person the books and authors whose works we love. And how about the fact that it felt as if we had known each other forever? We just picked up where we left off on those emails... how great was that?!

Of course we brought each other a little "hello, it's nice to meet you" present, and guess what it was? Not much of a guess when it comes to book bloggers, right?

Indie gifted me with two unique Canadian surprises: a delicious bottle of Maple Syrup -- my husband was licking his chops before I got through the door, lol! And I was ecstatic when I unwrapped one of Indie's favorite books, a novel I've been wanting to read ever since she reviewed it for Three Dollar Bill Reviews, The Summer Between by Canadian author Andrew Binks. Here it is!

On the ‘wide, slow river’ in front of his home, twelve-year-old Dougaldo Montmigny navigates the dark waters of homophobia and racism while realizing his parents’ disintegrating relationship and the complexity of his own feelings for a summertime playmate. Dougaldo’s transitional ‘summer between’ is a lesson on love, desire, and innocence lost.

In turn, I gifted her with two of my favorite books.

The first was a book I simply loved and wish everyone would read! My 2010 LGBT Speculative Fiction top pick and Lambda 2010 finalist under their SF/Fantasy/Horror Category, Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories by Sandra McDonald. The second book was another 2010 release, but one I read and loved this year, The Perfect Family by Kathryn Shay. I'm hoping Indie enjoys these books as much as I did.

Indigene is just a lady in the best sense of the word -- warm, extremely bright and just as lovely in person and she is on line. It was a pleasure meeting her in person and I missed her company as soon as we parted. Thanks Indie for a wonderful evening! Let's do it again -- hopefully next time we won't have a whole week of pouring rain and we'll make it to the LGBT Bluestockings Bookstore. I promise! :D

ARC Review: Kiss of Snow (Psy/Changeling, Book 10) by Nalini Singh

Kiss of Snow is one of my most anticipated books of 2011! I would like to thank KMont for indulging me and my love of this series by forward her ARC, just so that I could devour this book early. As you'll see below, I loved it!

ARC review with no spoilers

Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.

Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.

Then Sienna changes the rules and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight…

A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home…and the alpha who is its heartbeat…

Ohhh, Hawke and Sienna! What can I say about their story? For me, it was most definitely worth the wait. Hawke is as delicious an alpha as I expected him to be and Sienna turns out to be a great match for him. I loved this pairing much more than I expected to, but perhaps I should have known better by now. After all, this is Nalini Singh and she knows how to write an excellent paranormal romance. In Kiss of Snow you'll find tension, lots and lots of sexual tension, plus the romance and more than a few of those hot, sizzling moments that Singh is known for.

We all know by now that Hawke has been trying to avoid Sienna like the plague for years. Hawke thinks he's too old for her, and well... he kind of is! Sienna makes him feel things he doesn't want to feel, and since his mate died at a young age, Hawke believes he can't bond with Sienna. Sienna on the other hand has been fascinated and emotionally affected by Hawke from the moment she joined the SnowDancer pack with her family. These two have been pushing each other's buttons for years, but now that Sienna is 19 years old and back at SnowDancer full time the tension between them is off the charts. Hawke decides to find a female to soothe his wolf, and Sienna decides it is time to get her man.

This is a May-December relationship and the story must be well crafted to make the connection between the characters believable. In Kiss of Snow, Singh uses a fine touch while further developing Sienna's character and her relationship with Hawke. Sienna's character growth can be measured from beginning to end by her actions and reactions, as well as in Hawke's reactions to Sienna.

Sienna is a 19 year old young woman, and toward the beginning of the story that shows both in her uncertainty and actions, but from a young age she also suffered torture at the hands of the Psy and in many ways is older than her years. This aspect of Sienna's character is believable and that for me turned out to be key in making this relationship believable. I love the way that Sienna just blooms once she decides to take control and goes after her man. This is where her incremental growth and self-confidence can be measured as the courtship progresses. It's lovely and very well done.

Sienna is both vulnerable and strong, but Hawke is a delicious alpha and acts accordingly. He's stubborn, possessive, protective, bossy and more... but as always what makes him and his alpha attitude acceptable in this situation is the fact that Sienna calls him out on it and, young or not, takes a stand. I love that Hawke doesn't necessarily back off either, but instead modifies his approach. Smart wolf!

There's a secondary romance between Walker Lauren and Lara, the SnowDancer healer. I loved this romance! Walker was ohhhh so tender and unexpectedly hot! Go, Walker! The segments that told their story did not take the focus away from the main couple's romance, but instead served to break up some of the tension at key moments, plus it was wonderful to get to know this quiet character.

And yes... I loved all the action within the overall story arc. The overall story line moved along, and although in the end it seemed almost like a slow move, many small details are revealed along the way that make an impact. In Play of Passion we saw the Psy Council split, with Anthony and Nikita teaming up to protect their territory against the Scots. In Kiss of Snow, the story arc continues as we see Henry and the Pure Psy make their move against the San Francisco territory and more specifically, SnowDancer. Sienna's powers are revealed in all their agony and glory in these segments which are quite cleverly weaved into the romance.

The whole pack is involved in the action and characters from previous stories are highlighted with key contributions. I particularly loved Judd in this story as he continues to grow in depth and breath as a character. The cats from the DarkRiver pack also play key roles in the romance and battle. There's a lovely thread involving the kitties that I won't spoil, but look for it! It is lovely.

I enjoyed the last few books of this series and remember loving Play of Passion. However for me, Kiss of Snow ranks up there with my very favorites of this series Slave to Sensation, Caressed by Ice and Branded by Fire. I love the way Singh extends the courtship between Hawke and Sienna throughout the story to make it a believable one, the sexual tension is off the charts and the payoff is worth it! The Psy/Changeling series is ten books long and for me it's still going strong. I'm still in love with the Psy and the Changeling characters in this series and can't wait to read that next book.

Category: Paranormal Romance
Series: Psy/Changeling, Book 10
Publisher/Release Date: Berkley, May 31, 2011
Source: ARC received from KMont Lurv a la Mode
Grade: A

Visit Nalini Singh here.

My Psy/Changeling series reviews:
Mine to Possess, Book 4
Branded by Fire, Book 6
Bonds of Justice, Book 8

Impressions: Dragon Bound (Elder Race, #1) by Thea Harrison

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their Dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful–and passionate—of the Elder Races.

As the most feared and respected of the wyrkind, Dragos Cuelebre cannot believe someone had the audacity to steal from him, much less succeed. And when he catches the thief, Dragos spares her life, claiming her as his own to further explore the desire they’ve ignited in one another.

So yes, I picked up Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison and had tons of fun reading it last week. Fun! This was a fun, solid paranormal read. I loved the overly alpha dragon and the banter, plus it was hot and sexy.

In the beginning I didn't think the world building was anything to write home about, what with the Fae and Goblins, the older than old, bored-to-death dragon, the half-breed Wyr young woman who captures his attention, and the whole New York setting that reminded me a bit of Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter's world for about a second. However, quickly enough I began to really enjoy this world Thea Harrison created with its different Elder races, magic, humans and all the struggles that go along with those tricky relationships.

The best part of this fast-paced story for me was the dialogue between the two characters. The banter that developed between Dragos and Pia was excellent. Dragos was such a beast! He was portrayed as an over-the-top, uber alpha dragon who just didn't know how to filter what came out of his mouth. Pia was no better. She called it the "lunatic in her," and it made for some great dialogue between these two.

"Pia." He spoke like the words were ripped out of him. "Don't you dare leave me. I swear to God, I will follow you into hell if I have to and drag you back by the hair."

One corner of her mouth lifted. She put her hand over his on her cheek. She said, "You say the most god-awful things."

And he did. He really did say the most awful things throughout the book! As old as he was, the beast never learned the meaning of the words finesse or romance, and Dragos was "born along with the solar system" -- that's old. Twenty five year old Pia, whom Dragos refers to as "a baby, nothing but a moment, a heartbeat," teaches him a thing or two along the way. Talk about a May-December romance!

Dragon Bound turned out to be a great read for me with a few niggles here and there. There were a couple of open-ended threads and unexplained events within the story line, as well as one big thread to do with Pia's shifting that just kind of fizzled at the end. And although Pia held her own against Dragos, I thought she tended to be more submissive than strong. But none of these niggles were enough to spoil the fun for me. I also really enjoyed the secondary characters in this book, particularly Rune, Graydon and Tricks, so you know I'll definitely read the second book in the series, Storm's Heart.

Category: Paranormal Romance
Series: Elder Race, #1
Publisher/Released: Berkley/Penguin, May 3, 2011- Kindle Edition
Grade: B+

Visit Thea Harrison here.

Winners: Impressions... 2nd Anniversary Giveaway!

Thank You!

This last week I celebrated my second anniversary here at Impressions by hosting a giveaway.

By using Random.org, two winners were chosen from a total of fifteen participants. Each will receive a $25.00 gift card from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (their choice).

Congratulations to the winners of Impressions' 2nd Anniversary Giveaway!

#7 - NATH

#14 - TRACY

Kindly send me an email to claim your prize.

It has been a wonderful two years. Thank you all for participating, but most of all for stopping by and for your warm wishes and congratulations.

Hilcia