Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Kaleb Krycheck and Sahara Nightstar



Heart of Obsidian (Phy-Changeling book #12)

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.
 
A woman whose very existence has been erased.
 
A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.
 
A deadly price that must be paid.
 
The day of reckoning is here.

Without a doubt, Nalini Singh is one of the best urban fantasy story tellers I have ever read. I don't care which of her series/books you pick up, prepare to be completely and totally sucked in. I just finished Heart of Obsidian (after waiting forever for it to come out in paperback) and I have no words. I can't explain how completely excellent Heart of Obsidian was. Definitely the best read of 2014 so far. I have avoided all spoilers for Heart of Obsidian since it came out so I had no idea what to expect. All I knew is that it was finally Kaleb's story. 

First let me start with saying, THESE ARE NOT STAND ALONE BOOKS. The good news is that the previous twelve books are also awesome so get going if you haven't started the series. If you can't afford to buy them, go directly to your library and borrow them. 

The Phy/Changeling world is complicated to explain in a sole review. Now having said that, the world grows with you so if you start book 1, Slave to Sensation, you will not be lost and an overload of information is not dumped on you. I promise you. 

Kaleb has always been a powerfully mysterious Phy man. As a reader you crave to know more about him and what he is capable of. Each and every previous book that Kaleb was in, the author Nalini Singh only delivered masterfully placed tidbits of information. After reading Heart of Obsidian you get the full story. Brace yourself, as there is a lot of backstory to absorb and thankfully all of the puzzle pieces finally fit. Also allow me to add, I love Kaleb. I. Just. Love. Him. 

Sahara. Wow. There could be no one else for Kaleb other than Sahara. It is so hard to comment on Heart of Obsidian without mentioning spoilers. In fact, I don't want to. If you follow this Phy-Changeling series, you will be blown away with this twelfth book. 

Nalini Singh wraps up the story in a most excellent style. Once I closed the cover, I had a slight panic that this was the last book. I immediately went to her website and was relieved to read that there are more coming. Fantastic! 

Heart of Obsidian is the first book of 2014 that is awarded my 5+. 

Teasers: memories buried in a mind labyrinth, one kiss practically broke a house, Pure Phy returns, the Ghost is revealed!!!!!

Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Legion ( Guild Hunter book 6)

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
Angels are falling from the sky in New York, struck down by a vicious, unknown force.

Vampires are dying impossibly of disease.

Guild hunter Elena Deveraux and the Archangel Raphael must discover the source of the wave of death before it engulfs their city and their people, leaving New York a ruin and Raphael’s Tower under siege by enemy archangels.

Yet even as they fight desperately to save the city, an even darker force is stirring, its chill eyes trained on New York…and on Raphael. Rivers of crimson and nightmares given flesh, the world will never again be the same…

Oh boy what a fabulous story. I could read about Elena and Raphael every day. They have grown so much as a couple and yet they remain true to the original characters that Nalini Singh created in the first book. I would love to add that I totally love Raphael's newly developed sense of humour. Archangel's Legion was outstanding. One of those books where I am sad it ended. I am suffering a book hangover. 

One of the things that I just love about the Archangel Raphael and his Seven is that they are extremely bad ass and yet they are unapologetically, totally in love with their mates and aren't afraid to show it. Not all of the Seven are in a relationship but I just know that when they do each get their own books I can count on reading about that unconditional love. 

Archangel's Legion had a lot going on. There are side stories, stories that have carried over from previous books and outstanding new stories forming.  From the first page to the last chapter it was a true page turner. However there was some real head scratching moments and that happens near the end surrounding this new mysterious Legion. I am right confused. Probably just where Nalini Singh wants her readers. 

The Archangel War, the Cascade is truly on. It has been building over the last few books but it was full blown in Archangel's Legion and it will be continuing in the next book. (Crosses fingers that the next book is Elena and Raphael again) 

Teasers: a new facial marking on Raphael, Wildfire, The Legion, Raphael and Elena are aeclari

Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh

Jason and Mahiya's book




Archangel's Storm ( Guild Hunter book 5)

by Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

I'm still playing catch up on the stack of books I had purchased in the past two years. I am so happy that I waited to be in a total UF/Paranormal frame of mind to read Archangel's Storm because I enjoyed it that much more. I was ready to be swept away in the world of angels and vampires. Nalini Singh as always, delivered a great story. 

Jason is a quiet angel with such a strong presence that he really doesn't have a lot of dialogue. I found that he is in his head more than he communicates with his words. I found that this approach completely worked for Jason. It goes hand in hand with his childhood background and at one point in his past, he was considered mute. I so admire Nalini Singh for being true to Jason's character. I would have been very disappointed if his own book came out and all of sudden he was a chatterbox. 

Mahiya is the perfect match for Jason. She too is reserved and even shy at the initial intimate moments with Jason. I found her to be a very quiet heroine. If there was a room full of angels, Jason and Mahiya would be the pair that would be quiet and watching everyone else or being secluded away with each other. Neither are attention seekers. 

It has been awhile since I read the last Guild Hunter book so I found myself trying to get caught up on where the last book left off. These books are not stand alone because there is a true bigger story that keeps expanding with each book. I do wonder where the genius Nalini Singh is taking us. The main mystery in Archangel's Storm was a bit slow for me. It progressed gradually forward and always skirting around the edges was the bigger story to still be told. 

I do like Dmitri and Honor and you get glimpses of an extended story from their previous book but it felt like a badly timed interruption of Jason & Mahiya's story. A chapter would end and I would turn the page eager for their next move and BAM! a short chapter of Dmitri and Honor. I wanted to skip over it but I was worried that it would eventually all be linked. It wasn't. Oh well, I guess it was better than paying for a short novella of Dmitri and Honor. 

On to the next book, Archangel's Legion and I am so excited because the series turns back to Elena and Raphael and I LOVE those two!! Okay if I was being totally honest, I just read Archangel's Storm as fast as I could just to get to Elena and Raphael. 

Teasers: Reminder - Archangels do not think the same way humans do

Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh

Adria and Riaz's book



Tangle of Need (Phy-Changeling book #11

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:Adria, wolf changeling and resilient soldier, has made a break with the past—one as unpredictable in love as it was in war. Now comes a new territory, and a devastating new complication: Riaz, a SnowDancer lieutenant already sworn to a desperate woman who belongs to another.

For Riaz, the primal attraction he feels for Adria is a staggering betrayal. For Adria, his dangerous lone-wolf appeal is beyond sexual. It consumes her. It terrifies her. It threatens to undermine everything she has built of her new life. But fighting their wild compulsion toward one another proves a losing battle.

Their coming together is an inferno…and a melding of two wounded souls who promise each other no commitment, no ties, no bonds. Only pleasure. Too late, they realize that they have more to lose than they ever imagined. Drawn into a cataclysmic Psy war that may alter the fate of the world itself, they must make a decision that might just break them both.

It took me a long time to finish Tangle of Need. I just couldn't get into it. It was like a filler book for me. I wanted to read Tangle of Need as soon as it came out but "the powers that be" decided to go with a hardcover and since my books all have to match on the shelf, I waited for the paperback. I also refuse to pay the same price for an ebook as a hardcover so I had to wait and wait for the paperback. When it finally did come out, I bought it but by then I had lost the momentum to read it and other books took priority. Well now with the new book coming out in June, I wanted to for sure get it read. 

Riaz and Adria were just "meh" characters to me. I really had nothing invested in them. I was getting pretty sick of the repetitive word "dominate" and I really couldn't understand why Adria was so torn up about her previous relationship. I felt they were rather boring as a couple. I wouldn't say that I don't like them, I guess it is more that I really have no draw towards them. 

Now the great thing about Tangle of Need was that there was lots of fabulous follow up with Hawke and Sienna's story. That was probably my favourite thing about the story. I admit to fully wanting more story after their book, Kiss of Snow. Tangle of Need definitely delivered on that front. I also called Tangle of Need a filler book because it included updates from a few other couples that put a smile on my face. I love revisiting previous couples. The story also included tidbits of what is to come in the the next book. There wasn't a lot offered but enough that had to be given before then next book comes out this June 2013. 

Tangle of Need didn't have too much from the Phy world but what was included was excellent. With further questions and an amazing cliff hanger ending, I am so looking forward to the next book, Heart of Obsidian. 

Teasers: Hawk & Sienna's mating ceremony, still guessing on who the Ghost is (who I think it is is so far off the mark that nobody would believe me), SHE AWAKES

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh

Dmitri and Honor's book





Archangel's Blade (Guild Hunter book 4)

by Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

This review is written with the assumption that you are all caught up in the series. Archangel's Blade could be a stand alone read but I would not recommend it. 

Talk about two tortured characters! Most times when I read a story and there is a heavy back story, it is usually one character battling personal demons and the other character is trying to help with the healing process. Not the case with Archangel's Blade. Both of the protagonists, Dmitri and Honor are fractured and reeling from deep wounds.  Quite honestly, I wasn't sure how they were going to heal each other. There are some wicked scenarios in Archangel's Blade that are pretty gruesome. I'm glad I'm done with the series for now. I need a break. 

Archangel's Blade was very well written and the intense story line kept my eyes glued to the pages. It was a page turner for sure. 

The only information that the readers know about Dmitri going into Archangel's Blade is the few tidbits that have been shared in the previous books. Dmitri is a vampire now and you just know that there is a wicked back story.  To bring the readers up to date on his previous life, there are a series of flashbacks that Dmitri experiences. I'm not a fan of flashbacks (in any story). The reader is fed bits and pieces and you need to use these snippets to puzzle together his mortal conclusion. It takes the entire book to do so. Heartbreaking best describes Dmitri's previous life as a human. That is all I can say about that. 

Even though Honor is a Hunter from the Guild Hunter organization, she is a new character that was not introduced in any of the previous books. Right away you understand that she has suffered a recent personal atrocity and she is still in the clutches of healing. She is a strong woman and it is easy to admire how hard she is trying to heal herself. 

As Dmitri and Honor team up there are two mysteries woven into Archangel's Blade. One is about a mysterious decapitated head with an unknown but distinctive tattoo and the other is trying to solve who and why Honor was brutalized. Both of those stories run parallel to each other. Additionally mixed in to the book are Dmitri's flashbacks coupled with strange dreams that Honor is experiencing. There is an awful lot going on in Archangel's Blade. 

Although Elena and Raphael (from the first 3 books) are present as secondary characters in Archangel's Blade, I really missed them. I do love them. I'm pretty sure that if this book 4 was another story about Elena and Raphael, I would have been just as happy to continue reading about them. 

You would not think that Dmitri and Honor would have been such a great pair together. With his dark side and her trying heal from the dark forced upon her, they seemed to be a mismatched pair on paper. However, it worked. I enjoyed them testing each other's limits and I enjoyed reading about Honor earning her life back. Dmitri didn't turn out to be a crutch as I expected but rather Honor was just brave enough to do it on her own. The ending is where I decided to downgrade Archangel's Blade from a 5 down to a 4. This explanation is going to be bit hard without spoilers but lets just say, I didn't like the ultimate "fix" for Honor. This whole story I was routing for her and I was disappointed. The finale with the accumulation of his flashbacks and her dreams certainly left me scratching my head and feeling a bit let down. That is not what I personally wanted for Honor. I am pretty sure fans of the Guild Hunter series will strongly go against me on my disappointment but it was how I felt at the end. 

Teasers: great use of honey, Holly turned to Sorrow, a mother's love gone really really bad, wild flower memorial

Archangel's Consort by Nalini Singh

Eleana & Raphael's 3rd book





Archangel's Consort (Guild Hunters book 3)

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux and her lover, the lethally beautiful archangel Raphael, have returned home to New York only to face an uncompromising new evil…

A vampire has attacked a girls’ school—the assault one of sheer, vicious madness—and it is only the first act. Rampant bloodlust takes vampire after vampire, threatening to make the streets run with blood. Then Raphael himself begins to show signs of an uncontrolled rage, as inexplicable storms darken the city skyline and the earth itself shudders. The omens are suddenly terrifyingly clear.

An ancient and malevolent immortal is rising. The violent winds whisper her name: Caliane. She has returned to reclaim her son, Raphael. Only one thing stands in her way: Elena, the consort who must be destroyed…

As I progress through each book does it get predictable that I say, "Oh this one was my favourite."??? Because I think that Archangel's Consort may be my favourite yet.  

I love that although Raphael and Elena have been together since the first book, Angel's Blood, this third book is when I truly see them as married. Well, as married as angels get. I do like the spin on the word "Consort" and how it all just wraps up in a nice perfect package. Elena and Raphael are very much in love and I'm loving how much they are in love! 

The entire book, Archangel's Consort, is a story where Raphael's very ancient and powerful mother, Caliane is waking up from a "sleep".  It appears that due to how old and ancient Caliane was she started to go insane when Raphael was just a young angel. As a result, she put herself to sleep secretly hidden away. This self induced "sleep" is a gamble on whether she'll wake even more mad or cured of her madness. Regardless when Caliane does fully wake, she will be the most powerful archangel that ever was. As the reader, you are never quite sure how this state is going to turn out. Are all the catastrophic world events that are occurring on each of the continents leading up to her wakening? Is that an indication of how crazy Caliane is going to be?  Nothing was ever written the ancient texts to base this event on. 

Elena is still quite weak in terms of how an immortal angel gauges strength. She can't fly for long distances yet but she is a fighter and she is giving it everything she has to be 100% healthy and independent. She is frustrated with herself because as a Guild Hunter, she was one of the strongest. It is a complete table turn for her to have to rely on being saved or watched over. I could feel her frustration. I absolutely loved that even though she hated being so dependent, she was still wise enough to realize she needed assistance and didn't do stupid things. Oh how I hate when authors make their heroine do stupid things. I could hug Nalini Singh for making Elena so brilliant in that respect. 

The readers have now all been introduced to Raphael's "SEVEN". These brave warriors are a combination of vampires or angels. They are Venom, Jason, Galen, Nassir, Aodhan, Dmitri and of course my favourite (as well as everyone else's) Illium. Wonderful secondary characters that I am sure we will get treated to each and every one of their books. I'll bet you a nickel that Illium's book will be last because he is the fan favourite. I love how each of these characters are loyal to Raphael (and even Elena through Raphael). Excellent set up for more books!

I look forward to more and more of these wonderful adventures. I am starting Archangel's Blade next. 

Teasers: An Angel "dance" over the ocean, sister Eve surprise, "I live Elena. Because of you."

Archangel's Kiss by Nalini Singh

Elena Deveraux and Raphael's 2nd book





Archangel's Kiss (Guild Hunters book #2)

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux wakes from a year-long coma to find that she has become an angel-and that her lover, the stunningly dangerous archangel Raphael, likes having her under his control. But almost immediately, Raphael must ready Elena for a flight to Beijing, to attend a ball thrown by the archangel Lijuan. Ancient and without conscience, Lijuan's power lies with the dead. And she has organized the most perfect and most vicious of welcomes for Elena...

The second book, Archangel's Kiss is just (if not even more) exciting than the first Angel's Blood book.

With the exciting conclusion of Angel's Blood, the story left our heroine hunter, Elena in a very precarious medical condition. Elena awakes after a year long coma and discovers that she is now an angel. Here's what I loved. She awakes but it takes her time to become physically healthy again. It is so awesome and so much more realistic ( I know angels and vampires but still) that she needs to build her strength. She needs to train all over again and she needs to learn to fly. I would have been so annoyed if she woke from her coma and BAM she is fully ready to be in action and takes flight like nothing happened. Right away, Archangel's Kiss earned my respect. 

The entire story takes place in a secret Angel world called, the Refuge. This angel domain is a place of retreat hidden away from the mortal world. It should be a perfectly safe place to allow Elena to heal and train. Unfortunately there is an angel who wants to be escalated to the position of an archangel and in doing so, causes a ripple effect of destruction among all the other archangels. Archangel's Kiss was like a  mystery with the readers trying to guess who the culprit was. 

The angels of this Guild Hunter series can be wicked cruel. These are not the religious God fearing type of angels. These angels have slaves, territories and some of them are very depraved. Even Elena's archangel, Raphael has some wicked cruelness but so far it doesn't seem to be unjust. Even in book 2, Elena and Raphael are still very much exploring their feelings towards each other. They have such a pull to one another that the one definite thing is quite clear; they are soul mates and by the end of Archangel's Kiss, there is no doubt how solid their love is for one another. 

Nalini Singh has created an extraordinary cast of secondary characters. On one page you can't stand them and then on another, you feel a bit sorry for them. It is a very interesting read because besides Elena and Raphael, it is hard to put your finger down and label any one of the characters. 

Raphael's group of warriors, known as the Seven, have now been all introduced by the end of Archangel's Kiss. The relationship between the reader and these Seven need to still grow because once again, Nalini Singh is very careful to only write the bare minimum about these warriors. A great formula because they all hold my interest and she could very easily create books entirely based on each of the secondary characters. I am so curious about each and every one. I also like that the group of protectors are taking their time on deciding how they feel towards Elena. They are not quick to trust. They are completely true to Raphael and they will do anything for him, even protect Elena with their lives. 

The villain in Archangel's Kiss was hard to nail down precisely because the reader was kept in the dark most of the book not really knowing who exactly they were. There is also an amazing sub story about the most powerful Archangel and a puzzle regarding the mystery of her power. Is she evolving or is she devolving? And finally, Elena's nightmares really escalate. As the reader, you are just dying to read where all of that is leading. Freaking loved this book, Archangel's Kiss. 

Teaser: drip drip drip, Elena's first flight, nasty deaths, walking dead (the reborn)

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh

Elena Deveraux and Raphael's book 1





Angels's Blood (Guild Hunter book 1)

By Nalini Singh

Book Blurb:
Vampire hunter Elena Deveraux knows she is the best- but she does not know if even she is good enough for this job. Hired by the dangerously beautiful archangel Raphael, a being so lethal that no mortal wants his attention, Elena knows failure is not an option—even if the task is impossible.

Because this time, it's not a wayward vamp she has to track. It's an archangel gone bad.

The job will put Elena in the midst of a killing spree like no other—and pull her to the razor's edge of passion. Even if the hunt does not destroy her, succumbing to Raphael’s seductive touch just might. For when archangels play, mortals break.

Oh it looks like I'm in love with another Nalini Singh series!

"You want to play, angel boy? Then let's play. Find me." ....and 127 pages in, the field of play really escalated to a heart pumping action urban fantasy novel. Wow Angel's Blood was so good. 

Raphael the Archangel is delicious. His power oozes off the pages and you can really read his transformation of feelings escalate towards the mere mortal Elena. Okay, so mere mortal is a stretch since she is a vampire hunter for the Guild Hunters but still. Compared to an archangel, hunter or not, she is still mortal.  

Elena is a tough hunter but definitely not over the top with butchiness. (is that even a word? *shrugs*) I love that Nalini Singh made her a brave and courageous heroine and yet there was a strong feminine essence. The story really had a unique way to take a hold of the reader and have them become completely immersed in the pages. With the growing attraction that was sparking off the pages between Raphael and Elena, I was loving how their flirtations were escalating page per page.

Angels' Blood takes place in New York City but the world is occupied by Angel, Archangels, vampires and mortals. (at least that is all we've been introduced to at the moment) The Angels "Make" the vampires and most of the vampire lore we know (burning in the sun) etc, are not relevant. One of the things I absolutely adore with Nalini Singh books is that she includes a variety of different cultures in her stories.  Asian, African American, Indian, white etc.; it is a true melting pot of the world that is being represented. I also think Nalini Singh was a genius to only share a few secrets regarding this world. There is still so much more lore to learn and understand about the angels and vampires. The reader is given just enough to get by which leaves room for an awesome future story line. I cannot wait to dive into book 2, Archangel's Kiss. 

The villain of the story is Uram. He is a very old archangel that has gone rouge and has turned to bloodlust. Apparently he had turned himself into 1/2 vamp & 1/2 archangel and the combination has made him lethally mad. Uram goes on a gruesome killing spree that is so descriptive that I'm glad I was not reading a graphic novel. He is beyond disgusting. The acts of abomination and chaos Uram creates is spine tingling chilly. With Elena's hunter gifts and Raphael's power, they seek to destroy the destruction that Uram is creating. 

Thoroughly enjoying the story and I am only stopping long enough so I can type my thoughts in this review before I pick up the next book...and start right now. 

Teasers: A bathroom beyond imagination, Holly Chang, "Bluebell" love, vampire's scent, Angel surprise

Another Look Book Reviews 2011 "Best Of" Book Recap

Since Another Look Book Reviews focusses on all kinds of romance books from the past and the present some of my winning selections are books that have been out for years. 

For 2011 I have read a whopping 180 books! That’s 15 books a month or around 3 books a week. So how do I recap all of the amazing books I read? I decided to create a lexicon of “Best Of” in 10 different categories. So without further ado, here is my Best Of list.

Disclaimer – In regards to the snippets you are about to read, any grammatical errors are mine. None of the blurbs are copy and pasted but rather me re-typing. Errors could occur even after my careful reviews.

Also the images I used were just internet images and I have no idea who they belong to. If the images are yours and you would like credit, please contact me and I shall immediately do so.

BEST FIRST KISS – Sheet Music by Tibby Armstrong (read April 2011, review here)

Kyra was a music journalist and David was a rock star. The combination was powerful.   I rated Sheet Music a perfect 5 hearts and I remember months later that first anticipated kiss between Kyra and David. I find musicians to be so sexy and David was smoking hot.

“First he kissed her eyelids. One and then the other. She smiled and he breathed a laugh at her amusement.

Next he moved to the tip of her nose. It’s warm softness brushed against his lips. He inhaled the sweetness of her breath, growing harder at the anticipation of her lips against his own. No, he definitely hadn’t experienced this in a long, long time.

He swept a series of kisses over the satin of her cheek and along her jaw up to her ear where he whispered, “I want to taste you.”

Ok tease over…it just gets better and better from there.

BEST M/M – I’ll Be Your Drill, Soldier! By Crystal Rose (read May 2011, review here)

If I was to give an award for worst title, “I’ll Be Your Drill, Soldier” would also receive that award.  This book was fabulous. One of my favourites of the entire year and I just found the title cheapened the content of the book. I’ll Be Your Drill, Soldier was way more than a hot M/M erotic book. In fact, there wasn’t all that many erotic scenes at all. My favourite part of the book was when Phillip and Ryan were emailing one another while away at war. I am going to shorten this tease but you’ll get the point.

“…and slide in as deeply as I can. I’m so fucking hot for you right now I could burst. September – Just wait until September. I’m going to fuck you until you walk funny. I’ll be home, Phillip. Don’t ever doubt it.

Ryan

Ryan, You know I’ve always found you and Phil insanely hot but I always kinda saw Phil as the top. That was kinda hot. Tory

Dear Ryan, Your letter has been submitted and will be out “Salute to our Troops’ Penthouse addition. Brendan

Ryan, When you check your email, make sure you are replying to the right one, and don’t click “reply to all” Patrick

Ryan, Wow. Can I just say that was the best Christmas present EVER. If you wanna write Phil another one like that please do. I’ll even forward a good heading for you. Sandy

Ryan, For fuck sakes! Ryan do me a favor…don’t ever email me again. Mark

Ryan, Wow, baby I didn’t know you were such an exhibitionist. When you get home we’ll take care of that fetish. Girls? You wanna watch? Maybe sell popcorn? Phillip

Best Deflower Scene – Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas (read Dec 2011, review here)

Oh man I love Lisa Kleypas books. I love her historicals and Devil in Winter easily got a 5 heart rating from me.  Evie and Sebastian take a carriage ride to Gretna Green in Scotland to get quickly married and then the big wedding night approached. There was a bit of delay regarding  the nighttime lovemaking because they ultimately passed out from being so tired and weary from the vigorous journey from London. Oh that’s not to say, the next morning things heated up.

“Lie still. You don’t have to do anything, my love. Let me take care of you. Yes. You can touch me if you…mmm, yes…” He purred as he felt her trembling fingers touch his gleaming hair, yhe back of his neck, the hard slope of his shoulders.

     

He moved lower, his hair roughened legs sliding along the insides of hers, and she realised that his face was just above the triangle of her fiery red curls. Flooded with embarrassment, she automatically reached down to cover her private area with her hand.

     

St. Vincent’s erotic mouth lowered to her hip, and she felt him smile against her tender skin. “You shouldn’t do that,” he whispered. “When you hide something from me , I want it all the more. I’m afraid you’re filling my head with the most lascivious ideas…you’d better take your hand away, sweet, or I might do something really depraved.”

2011 Most Memorable Story – Contentment by Margaret Ethridge (read July 2011, review here)

There are lots of books that you pick up and really enjoy reading but then once you start a new book, the previous book is all but forgotten. Not so with Contentment  by Margaret Ethridge. The story focusses on Tracy Sullivan who has been married for fifteen years and she really has it all. The great kids, faithful husband, steady job, home in suburbs but due to the petty resentments built over the years from her marriage, she is ready to pack in her marriage. She blows her oblivious husband away with this news and Contentment is all about Tracy’s struggles to find the elusive contentment.

I related to Tracy so much in this story in so many aspects. I shared Contentment with some friends at work and they were sure Margaret Ethridge wrote the story after them. Contentment is an excellent story for married women.

“Whatever confidence Tracy had when she dashed out door fled the moment the whip cord thin; I’m barely-old-enough-to-order-a-drink salesclerk started pulling baby dolls, teddies and negligees from the racks.

Tracy gawked at the displays, trying to envision prying her body into one of the scraps of fabric without the benefit of a crowbar. She caught a glimpse of herself in one of the store’s many mirrors, and her heart sank. She looked exactly like what she was: an almost forty year old woman buying lingerie in a desperate attempt to salvage her failing marriage.”

2011 Best Series Conclusion – Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning (read Aug 2011, review here)

OMG! What a series. What a series. If you haven’t read the Fever series by Karen Marie Moning, you must. Do you hear me? You must! The Fever series is not just an excellent series, it is EPIC. My words of praise are the highest I can possibly convey. The Fever series are NOT stand alones so start at the beginning with Darkfever and work your way forward. You may as well get them all in front of you because they all end of cliffhangers and you can’t breathe until you get the next book in your hand. The long awaited Shadowfever was released in 2011 and although Karen Marie Moning will continue the series with a spin off, the Fever series did draw to an end. Buy it. Now.

“He pulls me around and kisses me. "You're Mac," he says. "And I'm Jericho. And nothing else matters. Never will. You exist in a place that is beyond all rules for me. Do you understand that?"
I do.
Jericho Barrons just told me he loves me.”

:~:

“Once, long ago in her world, a sunny day in spring was her favorite, but now a sunny day in winter delights her more. It is the perfect metaphor for their love.
Sunshine on ice.
She warms his frost. He cools her fever.” 

2011 Best Book Tour Novel - Chosen by Denise Grover Swank (read Sept 2011, review here)

I host a few book tours and I provide reviews for authors that reach out to me on their own as they embark on their own personal book tours.  As such, I thought I’d make an award for a book that I didn’t find but rather, it found me. I decided to review Chosen when it was presented to me from the Bewitching Book Tours and I was not disappointed. In fact I loved it so much I reached out to the author myself and asked if she could send me book 2. Chosen is an action suspense romance that took me on a thrilling ride I didn’t want to get off.

“They’re here,” Jake whispered in the monotone he used when he saw things only he could see.

Emma grabbed their few toiletries off the stained Formica counter, tossed them in the suitcasw, and zipped it closed. Lifting the pee-stained mattress, she pulled out the gun she’s stuffed underneath and made sure it was loaded. “Let’s go.”

2011 Best Book to Bring On Smiles – Buried in Briny Bay by Bobbye Terry (read May 2011, review here)

Wow this was a tough category. I had Janet Evanovich, Julie Garwood, Jill Shalvis and Pamela DuMond all grouped together for this category. But I think the crazy sisters, Roxie and Trixie just had to come out on top. What a feel good book Buried in Briny Bay was as it kept me smiling from the first page till the last.

“Did it ever occur to you that you were going a little overboard?” Greg couldn’t help but smile. For some odd reason, her quirkiness appealed to him.

“Not really.” Roxie beamed. “I was having too much fun. I especially liked the look on the preacher’s face when I mentioned I had missed church because I was researching murdering somebody by asphyxiation. I proceeded to explain the proper method for placing a pillow over the person’s head. But first, I thought it only fair I drug the fool.”

Greg chuckled. “Now you’re kidding me, right?”

Trixie shook her head. “Dead serious, not to make a pun. She even talked to Alan, the guy who runs the auto repair about how to sever a brake line and make it look accidental. That’s my sister, the sick one in the family.”

2011 Best Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Book – Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh (read July 2011, review here)

Wow what a tough category. I don’t read a lot of Paranormal but I do love Urban Fantasy so I combined them into one category. However the books that I did read in 2011 that fell within this category was so hard to choose from. Karen Marie Moning, J.R. Ward, Patricia Briggs, Jeaniene Frost, Shayla Black and Larissa Ione were all competing for top spot.  With many of the above authors, I read their entire series back to back so I fell in love with all their stories. However, Nalini's Kiss of Snow came out on top. I just loved that book and I had been anticipating Hawke and Sienna coming together so badly. The Kiss of Snow was spectacular. 

“You have the power to tear me to pieces, to wound me so deep and true that I‘ll never recover. What Rissa‘s death did to the boy I was? You have the ability to do a thousand times worse to the man I‘ve become." 

“You’re in my every breath and every thought, intertwined so deep inside me that love’s not a strong enough word—you have my devotion, your name branded on my soul, my wolf yours to command. A hundred years? It’ll never be enough. I want eternity.”

“She blew out a breath between gritted teeth. “Sometimes I really want to”—a frustrated sound—“bite you!”
He froze. “I might let you.”
“I won’t do it if you’d enjoy it.” 

2011 Best Contemporary Romance Book – The Sweetest Thing by Jill Shalvis (read Dec 2011, review here)

I could have made this category best Contemporary Series and it would still would have won. In The Sweetest Thing I was romantically swept away to a town with characters I fell in love with. Ford was the kind of hero that I have been waiting to have been written for a long time. I love a man that has humour and is oh so sexy. It is such a hard combo to pull off and Jill Shalvis did effortlessly.

“I’m maybe, possibly a little drunk,” he said, and shock reverberated through Tara. Ford wasn’t a drinker…

“So this superhero thing,” he went on. “All the skills I have, you’ve already seen. I’m guessing I do okay in the body department, because you seem to like it well enough. After all, just a few nights ago you were licking my –“

At this point, there seemed to be a scuttle with the phone, and Tara could hear Sawyer in the background saying, “Just hang up man, or I’ll do it for you and consider it a public service.”

“Back off,” came Ford’s voice, and then another tussle. “Some people have no fuckin manners,” he said, slurring slightly. “I want to know that if I could be your superhero, I totally would. But there’s no way my ass is gonna wear a pair of tights, not even for you.” He paused thoughtfully. “I could do sex slave, though. That seems like a fair trade, right?”

2011 Best Historical Romance – Ransom by Julie Garwood (read March 2011, review here)

I think 2011 was year of the historical romance novels for me. I am pretty sure out of the entire romance genre, the historicals were the ones I focussed on the most. I just love them. 2011 was also the year I discovered Julie Garwood. I am addicted to her writing style and I had almost read every historical book she wrote this year. I only have a few left. Now I just want to savour them because I know I am running out. Ransom was my favourite of the bunch if not my most favourite book of the year. 

“Every man has a weakness!” he patiently explained. “I'll find theirs, I promise you.”

“Every man?”

“Yes,” he answered emphatically.

…

“What is your weakness, Brodick?” she asked.

“You.”

 :~:

“She couldn't believe what she did then. Before she could stop herself, she leaned up on tiptoes, put her arms around his neck, and kissed him on the mouth. Her lips brushed over his for the barest of seconds, but it was still a kiss, and when she came to her senses and dared to pull away and look at him, he had the most curious expression on his face.

Brodick knew she regretted her sponatenity, but as he stared into her brilliant green eyes, he also knew, with a certainty that shook him to the core, that his life had just been irrevocably changed by this mere slip of a woman.” 

Well I hope you enjoyed my recap and my choices. It was so hard to pick them out. As always thank you for stopping by. Here's to a wonderful 2012.