Skin Game by Ava Gray

Kyra is a con woman and a particular kind of thief. She steals with a touch, but she only takes on thing: her target's strongest skill. Which means she can be a fighter, an athlete, a musician, an artist...anything she wants...for a limited time. Heartbroken, she turns hergift toward avenging her father's murder. With deadly patience, Kyra works her way into casino owner Gerard Serrano's inner circle. After pulling off the ultimate con, she flees with his money and his pride.

Reyes has nothing but his work. Unfortunately for Kyra, he's the best...and mercy never sways him once he takes a job. He's been hired to find out where Kyra hid the cash...and bring her back to face Serrano's "justice." Dead will do if Reyes can't locate the loot. He's never failed to complete a contract, but Kyra tempts him with her fierce passion and her outlaw heart. So Reyes faces a hell of a choice: forsake his word or kill the woman he might love.

*purchased at B&N...by me! :P*


First off, I can't believe it's been almost a month since my last post. Things have been crazy busy, but I'm hoping to be better. Hope being the operative word here. lol

So...thoughts. Hmm...I'm gonna Good & Bad it. Bad first!


I don't have a lot of complaints except for one. I found the climax rather anticlimatic. It wasn't anywhere near as...I don't know...aggressive as I thought it should have been. It could have been...more!


Good:

Reyes. Mmm...I love tortured heroes and Ms. Gray has really outdone herself on this one. *sigh* He's just so stinkin' yummy. I can see why Kyra wanted him so badly, so quickly. The attraction's immediate and never really slows down. Le sigh.

Kyra. I liked her a lot. I like how she's never "Oh, whoa is me" and that she ENJOYS her life. It's not great, but she goes out of her way to really like who she is and what she does. Reyes is knocked over sideways by her and just doesn't know what to do with her once he has her. It's great watching the two of them figure each other out.

The overall storyline. It's pretty fast-paced from the beginning. Hot sex, yummy heroes, cool heroines...it's pretty much all there. Yum!


As I said, my only complaint is the villain. He's so evil up until the end and it just kinda seemed...well, it just lacked something. *sigh* Still a great book!



Overall Rating: B+

I'm Trying!

Really, I am. This is my 2nd post in the last week. I think that's an improvement over a month, don't you? I'm going to try something a little different today. I'm going to do Part 2 of my e-book focus. There are so many wonderful e-books hanging out in e-book land that I don't think most people have even heard of. I feel it's my duty...nay, my obligation to bring these books to your attention. :)


Here are the books in no particular order (ah, who am I kidding? They're in alphabetical order):


Blade's Edge by Val Roberts (Samhain Publishing): It's a fantasy, sci-fi, futuristic hodgepodge of insanity. Great writing, fun action and a great storyline. I really, really enjoyed it.

Dare to Believe by Dana Marie Bell (Samhain Publishing): I love Ms. Bell's Halle Puma series and her book Very Much Alive, but this one's my favorite so far. It's her take on the Fae and it's a good one. This one is your standard m/f, but the next is a menage and I can't wait! It should be fabulous! :)

Hunting Season by Shelley Laurenston (Samhain Publishing): I first got into Ms. Laurenston with her Pack series. This is a totally different look at Gods and such. I really liked it. The sex is beyond smokin' hot, the interplay between the h/h is great as is the interplay between their 2 kinds. I won't go into anymore detail, but trust me...it's lovely.

Pack Alpha & Pack Enforcer both by Crissy Smith (TotalE-Bound): These weren't too bad. The first one was rec'd by Tracy. I don't care for the website all that much, but the stories were pretty good.

Primal Hunger by Sydney Sommers (Samhain Publishing): An interesting look at Gargoyles, though I don't think her idea and my idea of gargoyles mesh. lol. Still, a hot story with a couple of interesting twists.

Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews (Samhain Publishing): It's Ilona. 'Nuff said.



And now for a couple of complaints. Here's the thing; I hate it when an author writes a great book with obvious sequel bait and either doesn't deliver OR there's such a long delay in waiting for the next book that you kind of lose interest. Case in point? Evangeline Anderson. I read her book Wishful Thinking when it first came out with Samhain. LOVED IT. Super sweet romance, sexy beyond belief and you know the other 2 sisters are going to/should get their own books. It's been almost 2 years since that book came out. I'm waiting, but not very patiently. What is up with that? :(


Anyhoodles, I hope I've brought your attention to some great books. I've got a lot on my plate right now, but am going to try to do much better in keeping up to date over here.

Also, don't forget that I'm giving away a book. It's in the previous entry. Have a great Sunday, everyone!

The Other Mr. Darcy by Monica Fairview: A Review, An Overview and a Giveaway!

*disclaimer....I received this book from Sourcebooks as a Review Copy*

Back Blurb: When Caroline Bingley collapses to the floor and sobs at Mr. Darcy's weeding, imaginer her humiliation to discover that a stranger has witnessed her emotional display. Miss Bingley, understandably, resents this unknown gentleman very much, even if he is Mr. Darcy's American cousin.

Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find a beautiful young woman weeping broken-heartedly at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's love at first sight. Alas, regaining her good graces seems an impossible mission, and he is left to hope that someday their paths will cross again...

My thoughts on The Other Mr. Darcy...hmm...I admit it's a bit of a conundrum for me. I hated Caroline Bingley in Pride & Predjudice. Hated her with a passion. I thought she was an obnoxious spoiled brat and that Mr. Darcy was lucky to have escaped her clutches. So, I'm surprised that Ms. Fairview not only got me to sympathize with her, but to actually kind of like her.

Not to say that she's a completely different person in this book. Oh, not at all. She's still an obnoxious, spoiled brat. However, she's humanized in this book in a way that she wasn't in P&P.

After Fitzwilliam & Lizzy marry, Caroline runs to the privacy of another room and bursts into hysterical tears. She knows her chances with Mr. Darcy are dead and gone, devastating her to her core. What she doesn't realize is that her hysterics are witnessed by someone else. Of course, when she finds out that he's in the room with her, she freaks out and basically makes an idiot of herself.

And thus begins the courtship of Caroline Bingley & Robert Darcy. To say that this book was easy to read would be a lie. Caroline really did bother me throughout 99% of the book. It seemed like her bratty behavior was going to ruin something that would be the best thing for her. It wasn't until the very end that she got her comeuppance and realized just what she would be missing in her life.

The book was well-written, pretty entertaining and more of a historical-romantic view of the P&P world. All in all, I truly did enjoy it. If you liked Caroline Bingley, this is definitely the book for you. If you like the idea of Caroline Bingley getting her comeuppance AND falling in love...this is also the book for you. :)

Overall Grade: B-

Below is a piece written by the author, as well as her picture. You can win a copy of The Other Mr. Darcy (US & Canada only...)

Monica Fairview Guest Blog, author of The Other Mr. Darcy

Picture a young teen who is enamored of Pride and Prejudice. Not just Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet, but of the Bennets, Mr Collins, Lady Catherine, and the Bingleys. Picture this teen growing up and reading and rereading Pride and Prejudice, and, like many people, trying to imagine what happens beyond that quiet affirmation of love at the end. Then finally, a story takes shape, one that isn’t about Mr Darcy and Miss Bennet, but about one of the characters that has been consigned to the corner. Lo and behold, The Other Mr. Darcy is born.

In some ways, Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is part of me. I’ve known it for so long it feels like part of my growing up. Though I should say I’m definitely the odd person out, because I don’t think Jane Austen’s success in Pride and Prejudice is only about the romance. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Darcy & Elizabeth part of the novel. But I also love the other parts. I can hear Mrs Bennet’s histrionic fits in my head. I can see Mr Bennet smiling sardonically (In fact, I have an uncle that is quite a bit like him). I love the chaos and disorder the Bennets bring to the well-regulated society around them. I love their sheer unconventionality (for that time), and I think, despite Elizabeth’s typical teen embarrassment about her family, Elizabeth could never have grown to be who she is without them.

So when I came to write my Austenesque sequel, I knew it wasn’t simply going to be about Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth and Darcy are in there, but it’s not their story. It’s the story of a character who is (in my view of things) unfairly represented in the novel. I feel that everyone takes her at face value, and very few people notice that even Elizabeth gives her a break later in the novel. In Chapter 45 Elizabeth knows she is intruding on Caroline at Pemberley, and she is able to put herself in her rival’s situation: “Convinced as Elizabeth now was that Miss Bingley’s dislike of her had originated in jealousy, she could not help feeling how very unwelcome her appearance at Pemberley must be to (Caroline).” Elizabeth recognizes here that she has been unfair to Caroline. Which is really my starting point, because if Caroline’s behaviour wasn’t really typical, and has been motivated by jealousy, then I want to know more about what she is really like when she doesn’t feel threatened. Who hasn’t behaved badly in a fit of jealousy?

I was aware, of course, that I was treading new ground even thinking that way. And then, by introducing an American Darcy who is quite patriotic in his way, despite having roots in England. But I wasn’t trying to depart from Austen. I was trying to introduce new factors and a new angle into her familiar world and see what would happen.

I couldn’t wait to see how the Bennets were going to react to the new situations they were encountering, especially Mrs Bennet and Lydia. I carefully studied the novel before I started, looking at their speech patterns so I could follow the way they talked as closely as possible, while at the same time using my own language. Of course, they couldn’t say the things they already said, not unless they were stuck in a loop. But I tried my best not to let them say anything that was out of character. I asked myself throughout the process of writing The Other Mr. Darcy: what would they typically say in such a situation?

But because the situation is new, even if the characters are doing what they typically would be doing, they are bound to change. After all, I didn’t want them to be simply people from someone else’s novel. I wanted to bring them to life, to move them on, to live up to the new experiences they are dealing with. Elizabeth and Darcy have to respond to Miss Bingley in a different way now, and Darcy’s response is, I think, typical in that his family pride kicks in when faced with an uncomfortable situation. Mrs Bennet’s reactions in a crisis are typical, too, but we see a slightly different side of her that perhaps was unexpected. And of course, Caroline undergoes a long journey, both physically and psychologically, before she can become the new person she’s destined to be.

It’s a fine line, because one can easily go too far and make the people of Pride and Prejudice unrecognizable in the new novel. Writing an Austen-inspired novel is like walking a tightrope. You’re in the middle of the rope. Behind you, you have Pride and Prejudice, with its brilliant characters, its exquisitely polished style, and its sharp wit. In front of you, at the other end of the tightrope, you have your unfinished novel. It’s a thin line to cross, but you’ve got to do it if you want to get to the end.

Above all, I think, it’s about not setting yourself up to rival Pride & Prejudice, because you can’t, of course, not even in your wildest dreams. To think so would be arrogance of the worst type, the type Mr Darcy was guilty of at the beginning of the novel. The Other Mr. Darcy is simply some kind of continuation, some kind of tribute to a writer who has brought me so much joy. In more than one sense, it is ultimately about love.

The Other Mr. Darcy—in stores October 2009!
Did you know that Mr. Darcy had an American cousin?!

In this highly original Pride and Prejudice sequel by British author Monica Fairview, Caroline Bingley is our heroine. Caroline is sincerely broken-hearted when Mr. Darcy marries Lizzy Bennet— that is, until she meets his charming and sympathetic American cousin...

Mr. Robert Darcy is as charming as Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy is proud, and he is stunned to find the beautiful Caroline weeping at his cousin's wedding. Such depth of love, he thinks, is rare and precious. For him, it's nearly love at first sight. But these British can be so haughty and off-putting. How can he let the young lady, who was understandably mortified to be discovered in such a vulnerable moment, know how much he feels for and sympathizes with her?

About the Author
As a literature professor, Monica Fairview enjoyed teaching students to love reading. But after years of postponing the urge, she finally realized what she really wanted was to write books herself. She lived in Illinois, Los Angeles, Seattle, Texas, Colorado, Oregon and Boston as a student and professor, and now lives in London. To find out more, please visit http://www.monicafairview.co.uk/

*sigh*

And things. I admit it, I've been awful at the blog thing. Here's the thing, ever since I got this new position, it's screwed EVERYTHING up. My sleeping habits, my reading, everything. It's downright depressing is what it is.

I've been reading, but it's been pretty sporadic. I didn't even go pick up Lisa Kleypas's new book. I KNOW! *headdesk*

What makes it worse is that I owe a book review for Sourcebooks. Danielle is the most patient of women. The problem? I haven't read the book. And it's not like I haven't tried, because I have...numerous times. I think it's just me. And it's Judith James. And I loved her first book! I think my problem is that I know it's going to be an emotional read and I'm just not sure I'm in the mood for that. Her books are tough going, even if they're excellent. *sigh*

And my writing is suffering too. I'm ssssssssssssssssssssssoooooooooooooooooooooooooo close to finish my first draft. So close. And yet I'm stalling; big time. I dunno...maybe I'm in a rut. Maybe there's something going on I'm not aware of. All I know is that I'm tired. This week-long vacation I'm on isn't really doing much to help with the tired. Bleh.

How are all y'all doing? I miss you guys! Bad me. :(

My Cousin Caroline by Rebecca Ann Collins

I’ve been on a bit of a Pride & Prejudice kick over this past year or so. I finally read all of Jane Austen’s books last year and when given the opportunity to read “sequels” for P&P, I can’t seem to turn them down.

My Cousin Caroline is the story of Caroline Gardiner and Colonel Fitzwilliam. When I first started reading the book, I admit to being a bit uncomfortable. Why? It’s all due to the significant age difference between Caroline and the Colonel.

However, once I got into the story, I was able to overlook this, mostly due to the fact that I know this wasn’t unheard of back in that time period. Much older men married MUCH younger women and it worked out fine. And what I liked is that the Colonel fought his attraction until…well, until it got too hard not to finally admit his feelings. Still, the age difference was still hanging over it all.

The thing I appreciated the most about this book was that it was number 6 in an ongoing series and yet you didn’t feel like you were floundering. I hate reading series and getting lost because I can’t figure out what happened in the previous books. Sourcebooks was nice enough to send along a “cheat” sheet of the previous books to help me keep track of who was who.

On to my thoughts…I actually really enjoyed this story. I enjoyed Caroline’s strength and maturity, even though she was so very young when the book started. The Colonel surprised me. He was such a secondary character in P&P (even though he was the catalyst at a certain point) and it was nice to see him fleshed out.

I really liked how the author really made you feel like you were reading the recorded history of these people. She made them seem real. To say that the book was perfect would be a fallacy, unfortunately. It was more a history lesson than a romance. I never could understand exactly how Caroline and the Colonel fell in love. Instead of showing the natural progression of their relationship AND them falling in love, it basically was vignettes of their lives.

There was no consistency. The years jumped. It was difficult to keep track of time, especially later in the book when we get to them being old and looking back at their life together.

Still, the book was greatly enjoyable. I've got book 7. Now I wish I could get books 1-5. lol


My Overall Rating: B-


You can buy the book here.

Two Reviews

I will have them. Both are Sourcebooks reviews that I should have had up around the first of this month. I'll just say I've had a lot of stuff going on lately and apologize for my lateness. I'm going thru something that's something everyone goes thru...I just haven't gone thru it in a long time.

I'm tired of men and their stupidity. That is all. My reviews for both books will be up tomorrow. That is all.

Review #2

Loving Mr. Darcy by Sharon Lathan


Happy Release Day!!! *ahem*

Now that I got that out of the way...on to my review!


I am a Pride & Prejudice fan-girl. It is a sick, sad fascination I have with all things Lizzy & Darcy. Reading Sharon’s continuing saga of Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth is enough to make my fan-girl heart beat just a little bit faster.

In Loving Mr. Darcy, we start out where Book 1 left off. After 5 months of marital bliss at Pemberly, the Darcy’s are off to visit London. Georgiana is thrilled at the idea of going to town, Lizzy just wants sleep and Darcy is concerned, not only with his wife’s health, but also introducing her into society.

Whereas Book 1 was focused on their honeymoon, Book 2 is focused more on the introduction of Lizzy into Darcy’s world. Lizzy has always known that Darcy is a man of circumstance, but to see it in reality boggles her mind. Lavish parties, fantastical birthdays…the list goes on and on.
The introduction of new characters, old characters showing up to visit...it's like visiting old friends.

The thing I love most about Ms. Lathan’s style is her ability to inject humor, even in tense situations. Where a lot of authors would take the seriousness of a situation and make it worse, she throws in little turns of phrase or a moment that gives an uplifted feeling to it all.

Was it perfect? No, but it was still greatly enjoyable. I think my only really big pet peeve is the…flowery tones when it comes to the pet names. I’m not a big fan of pet names. They drive me insane. And when I think of the time period, sometimes it throws me off because I honestly cannot imagine these two people speaking to each other in the ways that they do.

All in all though, I really did enjoy this book and am greatly looking forward to the next one. If you loved the 2005 movie version of P&P as much as I did and want to know what happens next, I cannot recommend these books enough. Trust me…it’s worth it.


Overall Rating: B+