Pam's Review: His Mistress by Christmas by Victoria Alexander

His Mistress by Christmas
~Victoria Alexander

Hardcover: 352 pages 
Publisher: Kensington 
Publish Date: October 1, 2011 
ISBN-10: 0758255675 
ISBN-13: 978-0758255679 
ASIN: B005CRY7NW

From Goodreads:
For three years, Lady Veronica Smithson has been a happy, independent widow. Still, the right gentleman could provide the benefits of marriage without the tedious restrictions. And in Sir Sebastian Hadley-Attwater, renowned explorer and rogue, Veronica is sure she has found him.  

Sebastian will inherit his fortune in a matter of weeks—if his family deems him responsible enough. There’s no better way to prove his maturity than with a home and a wife. But though the lovely Veronica will share his bed, she refuses to marry.

An intimate sojourn at his new country house will surely change her mind. For Sebastian never takes no for an answer. And even in the midst of mischief-making relatives and unexpected complications, he intends to persuade his Christmas mistress that they belong together—in this and every season to come…

Veronica Smithson has decided that she wants to be a mistress, and never a wife. She had been married, happily too, but since she was widowed a few years back and got a taste of true independence she refuses to let a man control anything about her life again. She sets her eyes on Sebastian Hadley-Attwater, her friend’s cousin, at a lecture he was speaking at and decides that she wants to be his mistress. Sebastian is an author and a world traveler. It is rumored that he has been with many women during his travels. Will Veronica be able to convince Sebastian to let her be his mistress or will Sebastian have other plans instead?

My thoughts:
Ugh, this book. So Veronica decides she wants to be a mistress and doesn’t think ahead about what that would really mean in regards to her feelings. Such as what if she falls in love? What if it’s not forever, etc? She also announces how she wants to be a mistress to her friend, Sebastian’s cousin, at the beginning of the book, saying how she decided that Sebastian is who her conquest will be. She was just…annoying. I thought she would be more mature in her thinking, especially because she is not naïve; she has been married before.

I felt like Sebastian was blah too. Yeah, he definitely had his own plans for Veronica, and yes, he used have a reputation because of his traveling, but none of that is evident in the book because he changed his ways and just like that he wants to settle down. His character was a bore, sorry Sebastian. He just isn’t that memorable to me. The story definitely was not for me.

My Rating:

 Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Unwrapped anthology

Unwrapped
~Erin McCarthy, Donna Kauffman,Kate Angell

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Brava
Publish Date: September 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 0758251327
ISBN-13: 978-0758251329
ASIN: B005CRY8JK

From Goodreads:
From the streets of Chicago to the back roads of Kentucky to the wild dunes of a Scottish isle, mistletoe and mischief are this season's hottest gifts...

Blue Christmas
While a blizzard blankets the world outside, Blue Farrow burrows into the arms of her highway hunk at the No Tell Motel. The road might be closed for dangerous conditions, but the couple navigates their own Kentucky Christmas curves. Nice and oh-so-naughty, Blue and her man open up to each other as they keep the Yule log burning.

Santa in a Kilt
The wind-whipped December sands of the isle of Kinloch invigorate Kira McLeod as she sets out to tame rugged Shay Callaghan, a Scottish bachelor as wary of a wedding ring as a snowman is of the hot sun. It'll take all the wiles of the canny islanders to weave a perfect Celtic Christmas for all....

Snow Angel
Snowed under in Chicago, free spirit Allie is trapped in Dutton's department store on Christmas Eve when the lights go off and the holiday romance heats up. Our snow angel finds herself face to face with the dashing Aiden, the heir to the retail riches and her host for a night of winter wonder...

Hmmmm, a Christmas anthology. Three romantic stories, one book, with Christmas as the theme? Sounds good right? Well, it mostly was; let me break it down by story:

Blue Christmas by Erin McCarthy
This was my first time reading anything by Erin McCarthy, but it most certainly will not be my last. I read Blue Christmas, approximately 90 pages, in one sitting. The main character'’s name is Blue, and she meets her leading man with fate’s help of a car accident due to a massive snow storm. (Fortunately no one was hurt). The storm is so bad that both of them have to stay the night at a local hotel. See where this is going? This was a great story with fantastic writing, and if I were to rate it by itself it would be a five star story.

Santa in a Kilt by Donna Kauffman 
The only reason I read this story all the way through was because it was only a hundred pages. I'’ll be honest; this one took me a few days to read because I was so bored. The story is about Shay Callaghan and Kira McLeod. They both have emotional baggage; Kira was hurt from a divorce, and Shay is wary of relationships because he sees couples downfalls in his profession as a divorce attorney. Not only is the story boring, but random things happened that had nothing to do with the plot, and left me saying to myself, why did I have to read those extra pages? Anyways, if I were to rate this story by itself, it would be a one.

Snow Angel by Kate Angell 
This is a Christmassy story that starts out on the ski slopes. Allie loves skiing and meets a handsome man named Aiden; they end up having a one night fling. Allie wakes up and gets scared; her feelings are way too strong for him. So she leaves him before he wakes up. Neither of them could find each other if they wanted to; they didn’t know each other'’s last names. Three years later they bump into each other and have a little snowbound time together. I really liked this story. It felt warm and romantic. This alone would be a four.

So, two out of three great stories is why this book only got a three star rating from me. It would have received a much higher one if not for Santa in a Kilt (the story, wink wink).



My Rating:3 stars Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Say You'll Be Mine by Julia Amante

Say You'll Be Mine
~Jullia Amante

Paperback: 384 pages 
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 
Publish Date: October 25, 2011 
ISBN-10: 0446581631 
ISBN-13: 978-0446581639 
ASIN: B004QZ9PGU
From Goodreads:
Isabel Gallegos, owner and CEO of Gallegos Wines is tired of always being responsible. Tending to everyone else's needs before her own has left her divorced, unhappy, and unfulfilled. The winery had been her parents dream, but never hers, though she devoted herself to making it a success. After much thought, Isabel decides to sell the winery, move to the beach, and finally take back her life.

But just as these changes are about to take place, Isabel's cousin and her husband are killed and she becomes the legal guardian to their three young children. Convinced this must be a mistake, Isabel returns to Argentina, intent on finding a more suitable home—and parent—for the kids. But as she spends time getting reacquainted with her family and her past, the decision to return to her own life grows complicated. Should she bring the children home with her, or find a way for them to stay in Argentina? Should she stay with them? Can she really give up her own dream, just as she's about to realize it?

Isabel Gallegos is tired of taking care of everyone but herself. From helping her parents with their winery for decades to dealing with her alcoholic husband (now ex-husband), she’s had enough. She is tired of being selfless and thinks it is about time she starts being selfish and acquire what she actually wants for a change, which happens to be to sell her family’s winery and retire to take some time just for herself. Things are headed in that direction; she has some interested buyers in her business. Then Isabel gets some shocking news; her cousin has died and left her the guardian of her three children. Isabel sees this as just another bump in the road that she will take care of before retirement, but sometimes life and love have other plans.

My thoughts:
This story started out okay. It took me a long time to really get into it, long as in about 200 pages. However, once I did the rest of the book sucked me in and I stayed up reading until 4:30am by accident! The characters and the story just snuck up on me, and I couldn’t stop reading until I got to the end.

Isabel isn’t my favorite protagonist, but I don’t really dislike her either. I can see where she is coming from, sometimes. For example, her cousin Brenda, who died and left her the kids, lived in Argentina where Isabel is from. Isabel currently lives in America, and has for some time now. I understand that she was ready to retire and finally do what she wanted to do, but some of the decisions she made with these kids were pretty bad. Granted, she is not a mother and all of this came at her out of the blue; she was bound to make mistakes. But some of these mistakes make her seem pretty cold hearted.

As I mentioned before, the last hundred or so pages flew by because I was so involved in the story. So while Say You’ll Be Mine started out as an okay book, it ended up being good which is why I gave it 3 stars.



My Rating:3 starsPam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: The Hunter by Theresa Meyers

The Hunter 
~Theresa Meyers 

Paperback: 352 pages 
Publisher: Zebra 
Publish Date: November 1, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1420121243 
ISBN-13: 978-1420121247 
ASIN: B005CRY85E 

From Goodreads:
They're the Chosen—Winchester, Remington and Colt—brothers trained to hunt down supernatural beings using the latest steam-powered gadgetry. It's a hard legacy to shoulder, and it's about to get a lot more dangerous. . . 

A Devil Of A Job
Colt Jackson has gotten his name on many a wanted poster with success in the family business: hunting supernaturals across the frontier. Lately, though, there's a sulfur stink in the wind and the Darkin population is exploding. A rift in the worlds is appearing. To close it, Colt will have to do the unthinkable and work with a demon to pass arcane boundaries no human alone can cross.

Except when he summons his demon, he doesn't get some horned monstrosity: he gets a curvy redheaded succubus named Lilly, who's willing to make a bargain to become human again. He also gets Lilly's secret expertise on the machinations on the dark side of the rift. And her charm and cleverness help to get them out of what his silver-loaded pistol and mechanical horse can't. Of course, when all hell breaks loose, he might have to sacrifice his soul. But what's adventure without a little risk?

Colt Jackson hunts the supernatural. In Colts world, all the supernatural beings are bad and should go back to hell where they belong. Colt’s friend Marley makes him some weapons to help accomplish that. Colt is on a mission to find the pieces of a special book that will help stop the supernaturals from entering their world. The first part of the book he is looking for is behind a door that only a supernatural being can open. Colt does what he has to do and summons a demon. The demon that comes to him ends up being a beautiful succubus named Lilly who has an agenda of her own. Will they be able to work together to accomplish Colt’s quest?


My thoughts:
I didn’t end up finishing this book. I read almost half though, so I did give it a fair chance. Why didn’t I like it? I was bored and couldn’t get into the story at all. There was also no feeling to the words that were written. This story had definite potential; it could be a good story; unfortunately, it doesn’t have the pull of one. It doesn’t suck you in and make you want more. Instead, I found myself avoiding it, or only reading a few pages at a time. For example, there are some action scenes where Lilly and Colt have to fight other demons in a cave in search of the book. This should be scary, but honestly, I could not have cared less. There isn’t really anything else to say about The Hunter, and I think the fact that there isn’t much to say, says it all.


My Rating:Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: The Inn at Little Bend by Bobbi Groover

The Inn at Little Bend 
~Bobbie Groover 

Paperback: 294 pages 
Publisher: Melange Books, LLC 
Publish Date: September 7, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1612350550 
ISBN-13: 978-1612350554 
ASIN: B005W32JW2

From Goodreads:
In antebellum America, life for an abandoned woman was difficult at best. But when young Grayson escapes her sadistic guardian, she finds freedom just as hostile. Grayson Ridge struggles to survive her fated trials and conceal the secrets that plague her.

And so begins a turbulent journey that spans two decades and chronicles the exploits of the lonesome, starving wanderer. Her adventures collide with the life of Drake Somerset, a sullen and uncommunicative drifter who wants nothing to do with her. While at first using him for her own safety, his dark, mysterious magnetism draws her and binds her to him—in a clearing, in a heartbeat and in love.

Grayson Ridge was named after the orphanage where she was found as an infant. Since then, Grayson has had a very strong survival instinct. She was adopted by a couple when she was a teenager, but instead of being treated like their daughter she was treated more like a servant or a slave. One day Grayson was defending herself against her adopted father’s advances, when she thought she had killed him in the process. She knew that she would possibly hang for this so she ran away and disguised herself as a boy named River. River came into some trouble soon after and was saved by a man, Drake Somerset. Drake decided that River would be his companion and work for him until his debt for saving him was paid off.

Drake Somerset was being haunted by his memories when he came across River. But since meeting the boy, he has someone that he can talk to openly and unashamed. Though it started off as a work relationship, it quickly turns to friendship even if they do annoy the heck out of each other. But what Drake doesn’t know is that River is really a young woman, a woman who is starting to have feelings for him.

My Thoughts:
There is so much more to this story. Looking back, I don’t know how Ms. Groover fit the entire plot into 289 pages. It felt so much longer then that because every part of the story was well told; so it felt longer in a good way. There were a few times when I didn’t feel the characters emotions, I felt like I was just reading words. But then the emotions came back and I got sucked back into the story again.

You have to admire Grayson, she is the type of girl who doesn’t complain, just does. Part of that, though, is because she doesn’t have the luxury to complain. But I love how she just does what needs to be done.

Drake Somerset is older and definitely has some past grievances to deal with. He is known for the way he plays the piano, as if he is trying to pour out whatever is haunting him. Wherever he plays, people remember.

There are so many problems and conflicts to be solved in this book! Like, how is Grayson supposed to get Drake to notice her in a romantic way when he knows her as River? (Drake is heterosexual.) What if someone finds her and takes her back home to face trial for the murder of her adopted father? What is it that haunts Drake and makes him wander the country and play the memorable music? That’s not even all of the problems; but they made the book that much better.

This book has it all, adventure, romance, suspense, and mystery, what’s not to love? Like Drake’s music, I’ll remember The Inn at Little Bend for a long, long time.


My Rating:Pam
Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Voyage
~Colleen Houck

Reading level: Ages 12 and up 
Hardcover: 560 pages 
Publisher: Splinter 
Publish Date: November 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402784058 
ISBN-13: 978-1402784057

From the author's website:
With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections--leaving Kelsey more confused than ever. buy here

 ***Spoilers if you haven’t read books one and two, Tiger’s Curse and Tiger’s Quest!***

Things aren’t looking good for Kelsey. Not only does Ren not remember her, but he feels discomfort and pain when he is near or touching her. After feeling depressed for a while, Kelsey takes Mr. Kadam’s advice and tells Ren that it’s okay to just be friends and that there is no pressure to remember her. A relationship soon develops between Ren’s brother, Kishan, and Kelsey. And soon, they are all on Ren and Kishan’s yacht heading on the next part of their adventure to break the curse. Will they be successful in their mission? Will Ren ever recover his memory of Kelsey?

My thoughts:
This was my favorite book of the series. I literally picked it up as soon as I finished the second one, and I had trouble putting it down. The story and all the settings were amazing. I don’t know how Ms. Houck can come up with this stuff in her mind, but I’m glad she did so everyone can enjoy it.

Part of their quest in this book involved dragons, and in one scene a dragon is taking Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan up to the sky and into the stars. Just the way the flying is described, I felt like my stomach was dropping on a rollercoaster. It was great!

I had trouble relating to Kelsey in the previous books, but in this one I liked her a little more. I think she might be growing on me. She actually made me laugh out loud a few times which is something that is hard to do. At one point in the story, the three of them have to fight a kraken (a sea monster for those of you like me who wouldn’t know what that was without having read the book). At one time she was wondering if she was going to die and what she would tell the other deceased people around her if she did….

“I thought about the afterlife and wondered if people shared death stories. If so, I’d have the coolest story ever. You died in your sleep? Drunk driver? Cancer, huh? World War II? Well…yeah, those deaths are great and all, but wait till I tell you what happened to me. Yeah…that’s right…I said a kraken.” ~Tiger's Voyage page 303 

There is one reason why this isn’t a five star book to me. I couldn’t feel the romantic relationships. I don’t know what it is, if it’s just me or what, they just don’t work for me. I want to feel heartbroken that Ren doesn’t remember Kelsey, instead I just feel a little sad.

Besides the lacking in the romantic environment, the story was truly fabulous. Pick up Tiger's Voyage if you want to get totally lost in another world. You won’t regret it.




My Rating:Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Quest 
~Colleen Houck 


Hardcover: 496 pages 
Publisher: Splinter 
Publish Date: June 7, 2011 
ISBN-10: 140278404X 
ISBN-13: 978-1402784040

From the author's website:
Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest--this time with Ren's dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger's Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER'S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them. 
Buy here.

 ***Spoilers if you haven’t read book one, Tiger’s Curse!***

Kelsey decides to leave India and go back home to Oregon. She finds many surprises on her return trip, such as a house that was bought for her, and that someone already enrolled her in college. Believing that she and Ren were through, Kelsey begins dating a few young men. While she starts to wonder if she could ever feel the same way with anyone as she did with Ren, something unexpected happens. Ren shows up in America and tries to win her back. Will things finally fall into place for them?

My thoughts:
There was much, much, much more to the story then the brief summary I gave, but there is a great deal that I could potentially give away, and I don’t want to do that. I didn’t like this book as much as the first one. It was good, not great. This book has great reviews, so why am I not feeling it? I think one reason is the immaturity of Kelsey. I know she is only a teenager, and I mentioned how it bothered me in my review of the first book as well. I do feel like she starts to mature though; so there is hope.

There was so much going on in this book that I shouldn’t have been able to put it down. But I did put it down, and I was never in a rush to read it until the last hundred pages or so when it finally got a hold on me. The story is really good; I just couldn’t always connect with the characters. I didn’t always feel like their feelings were believable.

However, as said on page 478:

“Just because you can’t see the star doesn’t mean it’s not there. It might be hidden from view for a while, but you can rest assured that it still shines brightly somewhere.” 

The last hundred pages really picked up to the point where I finished the book, and then picked up the third book, Tiger’s Voyage, immediately. So while this wasn’t my favorite book, the series is starting to have more of a hold on me. Not only are the characters finally starting to evolve and mature, but I believe the author’s writing style is as well.

Stay tuned. Review for book three, Tiger’s Voyage, to come soon.




My Rating: Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Darn Good Cowboy Christmas by Carolyn Brown

Darn Good Cowboy Christmas
~Carolyn Brown

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Publish Date: October 1, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1402261578 
ISBN-13: 978-1402261572
ASIN: B005EU50QK

From Goodreads:
Born and raised in a traveling carnival, all Liz Hanson ever wanted for Christmas was a home that didn't have wheels. After she was old enough to date she added one more item: a sexy cowboy.

She's about given up on Santa ever bringing either one when her father dies and leaves her an ugly house and twenty acres in Texas. Then rancher Raylen O'Donnell walks onto her property...

Lizelle Hanson is a carnie, as she calls herself. She traveled and worked as a fortune teller and belly dancer for most of her life. But what she always wanted was roots; somewhere to call home, a house that has a foundation and not wheels. In fact, that is a Christmas wish that she has; she wants a house and a cowboy. The first part of her wish comes true when her uncle moves out of his house to take care of his father and is going to leave it to her if she still wants to live there after she tries it out for a few months. Liz is ecstatic. She arrives at the house in Texas to find her uncle’s neighbor, Raylen O’Donnell, there. He is the very cowboy that she had a crush on when she used to visit her uncle, and she has been fantasizing about him for years. Could this be the second half of her wish coming true?

My Thoughts:
This is the first book that I haven’t finished since I started reviewing. I definitely gave it a chance though; I read to page 225. Besides just not being interesting, there were a lot of things that bothered me about this book.

First, the shifting of the characters points of view. There was constant shifting with no clear breaks. It gets very confusing, especially if the shift happens within a single paragraph, which it did!

Second, the repeating of thoughts. Liz would think a thought, and then say the thought out loud to someone else. Then she would repeat it later to another character. I get how perhaps the author is trying to show how the third character found out about what she was thinking, but this isn’t the way to do it.

Third, Liz’s character herself. She would ramble a lot, and it just wasn’t attractive to me. Also, everything was handed to her on a silver platter. Where’s the challenge? She wants a house, gets it from her uncle. Wants a job, gets one handed to her right when she moves to town. Wants to decorate her house like the Griswold’s, the neighbors pitch right in to help. It was annoying. I feel like she acted very juvenile too. Here’s Liz talking to Raylen about what kind of Christmas tree she wants.

“I want a real one but Momma reminded me that I’m allergic to cedar and pine trees. Do you think they’ll have one that doesn’t look perfect? I want it to look real even if it’s not.” (p. 181)

I guess I just feel like a grown woman should know what she was allergic to. It wasn’t just that though, it was all things like I listed above.

I can’t imagine the work it takes a write a book, I really can’t. But Darn Good Cowboy Christmas was not worth the read.

My Rating:

 Pam
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

Tiger's Curse
~Colleen Houck

Reading level: Ages 12 and up 
Hardcover: 448 pages 
Publisher: Splinter 
Publish Date: January 11, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1402784031 
ISBN-13: 978-1402784033

From the author's website:
Passion. Fate. Loyalty. 
Would you risk it all to change your destiny? 
The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she’d be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world. But that’s exactly what happened. Face-to-face with dark forces, spellbinding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever. 
Tiger’s Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Kelsey is a high school graduate and needs a summer job before college. The temp agency she went to set her up to work for the circus in town for two weeks. She helps sell tickets, clean up after the shows, and brings the tiger, Ren, its food. There is something about the tiger that captivates her. Kelsey finds herself spending more and more time with him, reading him stories and poetry. She even gets daring and pats him through the bars. Near the end of her employment she gets offered another job to travel to India and help Ren travel comfortably to a tiger sanctuary there. She agrees, but little does she know that Ren is really a cursed prince, and she is about to go on the adventure of her life.

My thoughts:
This was the first book I’ve read with the setting in India; it was so different, it was so unique. I learned, through Kelsey, some myths and legends about the country, but I’m not sure if they were made up for the book or not. Either way, they were really interesting.

I generally liked Kelsey’s character. Her parents died when she was young, but she still turned out to be a caring, genuinely nice person. However, her character bothered me in the way she doubted herself. She thought Ren was too good for her, too handsome for her, basically that he was out of her league. It might be normal for a 17 year old girl to think like that, I wouldn’t know, it’s been a while. But the fact that she self doubted herself so much was a bit of a turn off for me.

Something about this book kept reminding me of the Twilight series as well. Maybe the fact that Ren was really old, really rich, and wanted to be with Kelsey even though she thought he could do better. But then I reminded myself that that is the way a lot of books are. If there is a vampire or shapeshifter who is old, they’re probably going to be rich. It kind of goes hand in hand I guess. Well, as long as they invest right.

Ren and Kelsey had romance, but I didn’t always feel it. Sometimes it just didn’t seem believable to me. Also, in the adventures that they had together pretty scary things went on, but I didn’t even feel like Kelsey was scared. This wasn’t enough to keep me from liking the book though. In fact I had the one more chapter problem. It was one of those books that you say to yourself, I’ll just read one more chapter, and you can’t stop. I went to bed way too late because of this; I couldn’t wait to see what happened next.

I am already reading and enjoying the next book in the series. Review to come.

Buy the book here.



My Rating:

Pam

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Lady Sophie's Christmas Wish by Grace Burrowes

Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish
 ~Grace Burrowes

Mass Market Paperback: 416 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Publish Date: October 1, 2011
ISBN-10: 1402261543
ISBN-13: 978-1402261541
ASIN: B005EU5092

From Goodreads:
It's just before Christmas, and Lady Sophie Windham has an abandoned baby on her hands with nobody to help her but a handsome stranger who hates the holidays. Sophie and Lord Vim Charpentier succumb to a vulnerable moment, and he feels he must leave before he compromises her. But they're trapped by a snowstorm in a ducal mansion full of well-placed sprigs of mistletoe...

Lady Sophia Windham wants some time to herself this holiday season. She does not expect to be left with an abandoned baby. Having no clue as to why the child is crying, she is in luck when Vim Charpentier approaches her and offers assistance. She allows it because he seems very knowledgeable about children. Vim ends up accompanying Sophie and the baby, Kit, home because he is worried for them in the snow storm. He agrees to spend the night because of the snow and to help with Kit. Also, he assumes that Sophie is a housekeeper or a lady’s maid, otherwise she wouldn’t be unchaperoned; so he believes that his staying the night would not be scandalous in this case.

Vim gets snowed in with Sophie and the baby for a few days. During this time Sophie becomes more confident with Kit; she starts to recognize what his different cries mean and what to do about them. She also starts to have feelings for Vim, even though she knows he is bound to leave as soon as the snow clears up. What she doesn’t know, however, is that Vim is also having those same feelings for her.

My thoughts:
I really liked this book, it was so sweet. I felt cozy just by reading it. Honestly, most of the book was about them snowed in at her house, but it wasn’t boring at all! I felt like I was snowed in with them; I smelled Sophie’s cooking, watched Kit learn to crawl, and listened in to their conversations.

Also, the characters were definitely unique and likeable. Vim Charpentier is not your typical alpha male that I’ve gotten used to reading in romances, and I really liked that he was different. He has this sense of calmness about him, and patience too. I felt like he was soft spoken, but not a pushover. Sophie, a duke’s daughter, is very knowledgeable, not a complainer, and knows how to take care of herself. She speaks up for herself while at the same time she is cautious with her feelings; she is another likeable character.

I definitely suggest reading Lady Sophie’s Christmas Wish this holiday season. Curl up under a warm blanket, grab some hot chocolate, and get trapped in the snow with Sophie, Vim, and Kit.

My rating:

Pam

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts by Claire LaZebnik

Families and Other Nonreturnable Gifts
~ Claire LaZebnik

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: 5 Spot (September 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446555029
ISBN-13: 978-0446555029
ASIN: B004RD8558

From Goodreads:
Despite her name, Keats Sedlak is the sanest person in her large, nutty family of brilliant eccentrics. Her parents, both brainy academics, are barely capable of looking after themselves, let alone anyone else, and her two uber-intelligent siblings live on their own planets. At least she can count on one person in her life, her devoted boyfriend Tom. Down-to-earth and loving, he's the one thing that's kept Keats grounded for the last decade. But when Keats's mother makes a surprise announcement, the entire family is sent into a tailspin. For the first time, Keats can't pick up the pieces by herself. Now she must re-evaluate everything she's ever assumed about herself and her family - and make the biggest decision of her life.

 Keats Sedlak is living a content, comfortable life. She is living in an apartment with her boyfriend of ten years and has a not so challenging job as an office manager. However, she is the oddball in her family, the normal one to say the least. Her brother, Milton, hasn't left their mother's house for two years. Her sister, Hopkins, is a genius, and she is currently saving lives as a neurologist. Her father, also a genius, is a published author and a professor at Harvard. Lastly, her mother drives her insane for many reasons, one of those is for always implying that Keats's boyfriend, Tom, isn't good enough or smart enough for her. In fact, her whole family seems to think that about Tom. They also don't like her job; none of them understand why she is working there and not getting a higher education.

While her family definitely drives her nuts, she is there for them when she is needed, like for going through items in the house she grew up in because her mother wants to sell it. In spending more time with her family, she is also spending more time with her dad's personal assistant, Jacob. Keats starts to question certain aspects in her life and witnesses all the changes taking place around her. She starts to see that change isn't always a bad thing.

My thoughts:
This was a very good read, but it made me a little depressed at the same time. Let me try to explain why without giving too much away. Keats’s parents, who have been separated for years, are finally going through a divorce, a family member suffers a medical emergency, and I think the fact that Keats has to constantly defend her boyfriend and her happiness made it a little sad for me.

Keats is a great protagonist though. Although her family is constantly on her case and questioning her happiness, Keats stands up against it and defends herself. She also clearly loves them and lends them a hand, or even a stubborn threat, to help them out. I definitely felt for Keats when she was dealing with her family, but it wasn’t always depressing. When she did interact with them there was usually some humor to be found in the struggle too. Here is Keats describing time with her dad:

“When he finally moves on from the topic of Keats’s Wasted Life, it’s to give me a lecture about the heart, both as muscle and as a literary trope. It’s clearly something he’s put a lot of thought into, but none of his observations seem all that original to me, and after a while, I can’t restrain a yawn, which sends him into a long rant about the deterioration of the American attention span—which makes me so bored I could scream, which I guess proves his point.” (p. 137)

While I wouldn’t say that this is the best book I’ve ever read, it was an enjoyable read with a melancholy sort of feel.

My Rating:

Pam

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Unleashed by Sara Humphries

Unleashed
~Sarah Humphries

Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages 
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca 
Publish Date: October 1, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1402258437 
ISBN-13: 978-1402258435 
ASIN: B005EU511O

From goodreads:

What if you suddenly discovered your own powers were beyond anything you'd ever imagined...

Samantha Logan's childhood home had always been a haven, but everything changed while she was away. She has a gorgeous new neighbor, Malcolm, who introduces her to the amazing world of the dream-walking, shapeshifting Amoveo clans...but what leaves her reeling with disbelief is when he tells her she's one of them...

And shock turns to terror as Samantha falls prey to the deadly enemy determined to destroy the Amoveo, and the only chance she has to come into her true powers is to trust in Malcolm to show her the way...

Get swept away into Sara Humphreys's glorious world and breathtaking love story...

Samantha Logan tries to make it as an artist in New York, but her work isn’t selling, she just ended a relationship with a man who is turning into a stalker, and then there are the dreams. Samantha has been having strange dreams lately; dreams involving a man, one that she can’t see. There is also something about these dreams that makes her want to return home to live with her grandmother. Samantha decides to do just that. She starts to settle in back home, but then she meets her neighbor, Malcolm Drew, and she starts to feel anything but settled.

Malcolm Drew is a shapeshifter, part of the Amoveo clan. It is important for the Amoveo to find their mates; not only does it increase their power, but it significantly lengthens their lives. Malcolm is happy to have found his mate, Samantha. There is one problem. Samantha has no idea that shapeshifters actually exist. Will she be able to open her mind to all that Malcolm will present to her? Most importantly, will she be able to open her heart?

My thoughts:
I liked this book. It was different then any other shapeshifter books that I have read. I was able to vividly imagine all of the settings and scenery the way they were described; that doesn’t always happen easily for me. I could clearly see Sam’s art studio and her paintings that she was working on, and I had no problem picturing her house and bedroom.

Nonie, Sam’s grandmother, was a riot. Here’s something that she said that I’m going to hold on to and use when I get older.

“Don’t even think of arguing with me. I’m an old woman. If you fight me about it, it could give me a heart attack.” (p. 44-45)

She made me laugh out loud. I loved how she always seemed to know what was going on, and how she even had a few secrets of her own.

Malcolm was strong, tall, handsome, and confident. What’s not to like? Well, the one thing that irked me about him was the nickname that he used for Sam. The endearment itself was cute; I just thought it was a little overused. However, Sam didn’t seem to mind.

I had a hard time relating to Samantha, I’m not sure why. I liked her as a person. She is driven, and caring about her family and friends. One thing that bothered me was her acceptance to everything that Malcolm told her. She would be bothered by it but then would forget about it for a minute because she was so attracted to him. I just felt like it wasn’t realistic in that respect.

All in all, this was a good book. Even though it is about three hundred pages, I read it in about three days; it’s very fast paced. I enjoyed getting lost in the story and look forward to the next book in the series.



My Rating:

Pam

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Caressed by Moonlight by Amanda J. Greene

Caressed by Moonlight
~Amanda J. Greene

Paperback: 272 pages
Publisher: Amanda Greene
Publish Date: May 6, 2011
ISBN-10: 0578064006
ISBN-13: 978-0578064000
ASIN: B004EEONLK

From the author's website:
Dorian Vlakhos is no ordinary aristocrat. He is a vampire king, who will do anything to save his clan from complete annihilation, before an ancient curse can claim his immortal life. 

Penniless and orphaned, Victoria Kingston has nothing to bring to a marriage, yet she must shackle an unsuspecting gentleman into marriage by the end of the month or forfeit her rights as guardian of her younger sister. With the help of her dearest friend, Victoria begins her hunt, and vows to stay far away from the dark, mysterious, Dorian Vlakhos. 

After meeting the beautifully innocent Miss Kingston, Dorian had to have her. He would do absolutely anything to make Victoria his. One sweet stolen kiss would bring them together while a force, more powerful than any vampire, would bind them for all eternity, but treachery, war, and death rule Dorian’s dark world and Victoria would be fortunate to survive.

Victoria Kingston’s father killed himself, leaving her as the sole provider and caretaker for her eight year old sister, Margaret. Because Victoria had to sell almost everything to pay off her father’s debts, she has no choice but to go live with their only living relative, Aunt Nelly. Aunt Nelly loathed Victoria’s mother and seems to feel the same way about Victoria. Aunt Nelly tells Victoria that she has a month to get married so she can provide for her younger sister, or else she will never be able to see Margaret. Victoria is determined to find a husband, and starts attending balls and such to do just that.

Dorian Vlakhos is a very old vampire and a king of his clan. He escapes to London to try to divert the attention of the witches that are attacking his people. Dorian must make sure that people see him in London; therefore he must attend the social gatherings of the Season. At one such gathering he meets a young lady, Victoria, and feelings that he doesn’t recognize slowly start to stir.

My thoughts:
This felt different than your typical vampire book, but in a good way. Victoria, as a woman who had an extremely difficult task set upon her to marry within a month, just took it in stride and decided that if that is what it would take to keep her younger sister with her, then that is what she would do. Her character is refreshingly strong, and in other circumstances which I can’t mention because of spoilers, she acts in the same way.

Dorian, for his extremely old age, wasn’t as hard, or emotionally unavailable, as would be expected. Honestly, although he was a vampire he seemed emotionally human to me most of the time. A vampire that Dorian looked up to did as well. Here is a quote that that vampire once told Dorian:

“Love is not a weakness, Dorian, but a strength. It can give you more pleasure, more sorrow, more power, and more pain than anything on this earth.” (p. 221)

The one thing I didn’t like so much in this book was the shifting of the point of view. I don’t mind so much if it shifts from one chapter to the next, but sometimes it gets confusing when it happens in the same chapter with no page break or anything to notify of the change.

This was a romantic adventure that kept me up late wondering what was going to happen, but in the end all my questions were answered and I was fulfilled. Because of the ending I believe another book is in the works, and I’m excited to read it when it becomes available.
My Rating:

Pam

Book provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review and a Giveaway: Riversong by Tess Hardwick

Riversong
~Tess Hardwick

Paperback: 278 pages
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Publish Date: March 30, 2011
ISBN-10: 1935961144
ISBN-13: 978-1935961147
ASIN: B004WDRYVE

From Goodreads:
Author Tess Hardwick assembles a colorful cast of endearing small-town characters and takes you on a journey that will make you believe in the possibilities of life - even in the face of overwhelming adversity and unimaginable grief. 


Lee Tucker is the kind of woman you find yourself rooting for long after the last page is read. When her husband commits suicide,he leaves her pregnant and one million dollars in debt to a loan shark. Out of options, she escapes to her deceased mother's dilapidated house located in a small Oregon town that, like her, is financially ruined, heartbroken and in desperate need of a fresh tart. Lee's resilience leads to a plan for a destination restaurant named Riversong, to new chances for passion and love, and to danger from her dead husband's debt as her business blooms. 


A surprising mix of romance, humor, friendship, intrigue and gourmet food, Riversong entertains while reminding you of life's greatest gifts.

Lee Tucker grew up in a small town with an agoraphobic drunk for a mother. Anxious to leave her house, Lee takes off for college early and heads to Seattle, following her dream to become an artist. Fast forward; Lee is now in her thirties and her husband just committed suicide. Turns out he secretly borrowed money from a loan shark and saw no way out; now that loan shark is coming after Lee for his money, money that she doesn’t have. To top it all off, Lee just found out that she is pregnant, something that was not planned. She decides to run back to her house where she grew up, the one that was left to her when her mother died.

Going back to her hometown brings back unpleasant memories. But Lee is determined to make enough money to pay off the loan shark so she will not have to live her life in hiding. She decides to fix up and sell her mother’s, now her, house, and while she is waiting for that to be finished she gets a job. She starts working at a restaurant as a consultant, trying to figure out what to do to bring in more money for them. On Lee’s journey she finds love, makes true friends, and finds some long awaited answers.

My Thoughts:
This was a great book! I couldn’t believe it was Ms. Hardwick’s first novel. It starts off a little dark with Lee growing up feeling like she isn’t wanted, to having her husband leave her by shooting himself. But it lightens up along the way.

The characters are so real; it was so easy to lose myself in the story completely. Lee’s neighbor, Ellen, is like a second mother to her when Lee returns home. Ellen is in her seventies, but is still young at heart, and in body. Ellen makes sure Lee has good meals to eat when she comes home from work, is there to lend an ear when Lee needs to talk, and even helps Lee out by bearing arms a time or two.

Tommy, a musician who plays at the restaurant Lee works at, and a local EMT, has the ability to see Lee and connect with her on a level that no one has before. This scares Lee for a few reasons, and even makes her feel guilty because her husband has not been deceased for that long. I really liked Tommy’s character; he had his own mishaps in life and there was something really soulful about him.

From when a bear is climbing up the side of Lee’s house, to when she is finding love again, this book never has a dull moment. Let me be honest with you, when I first looked at the cover of this book I wasn’t a fan, but I am so happy that I read the synopsis and in turn, gave the book a chance. I guess what they say is true to never judge a book by its cover. This was truly a great read, one that I will be passing on to my family and friends.
My Rating: Pam
And now for the giveaway:  Thanks to Melange Books, we have a copy of Riversong to give away!  To enter, leave a comment about a book cover you've loved (or hated).  US Only, ends Oct. 20*.  
*The small print:  Caught in a FAB Romance is not responsible for books lost or stolen in the mail.
Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Lethal by Sandra Brown

Lethal
~Sandra Brown

Hardcover: 480 pages 
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing 
Publish Date: September 20, 2011 
ISBN-10: 1455501476
ISBN-13: 978-1455501472 
ASIN: B004QZ9QLO 

From goodreads:
When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted. Coburn claims that her beloved late husband possessed something extremely valuable that places Honor and her daughter in grave danger. Coburn is there to retrieve it -- at any cost. From FBI offices in Washington, D.C., to a rundown shrimp boat in coastal Louisiana, Coburn and Honor run for their lives from the very people sworn to protect them, and unravel a web of corruption and depravity that threatens not only them, but the fabric of our society.

Honor is making cupcakes for her father in law’s birthday party when her four year old daughter, Emily, comes inside to tell her that there is a hurt man on their lawn. After Honor processes this statement, she rushes out to help the man. The man puts a gun to Honor’s chest and implies that she better cooperated so no one gets hurt. Honor figures out who the man is, Lee Coburn, a suspect on the run for murdering seven people the night before. She is terrified but willing to cooperate for her daughter’s safety. Coburn is trying hard to find something in Honor’s house. Honor has no idea what it is. Will Coburn find what he is looking for? Will Honor and Emily survive?

My thoughts:
I think that is all I feel comfortable saying about the plot without giving anything away. This was such a great book; it’s no wonder that Sandra Brown is a bestselling author. When I first read the synopsis about the book I was a little confused but didn’t try to figure it out because I rather not know much about the books I’m reading. But wow, this book was something else.

I don’t like when people say things like, “you’ll never guess the ending,” or “the ending is going to leave you shocked.” Because when I hear those things, I figure out what’s going to happen and then it’s ruined. So I’m not going to say that, even though that is not the case at all with the ending. However, there are other parts in this book that are like that so I can’t say too much without giving anything away which makes reviewing it pretty tough!

Here’s what I can say: The story is written from several points of view; while this usually bothers me that was not the case here. The author is talented and you automatically feel like you know the characters you are reading about. I was a little confused at first with all the characters, but I quickly learned who everyone was.
Honor makes a great female lead. She is a widow, living in a secluded area with her four year old daughter, facing this alleged murderer so bravely. She is such a good mom, and I found myself thinking, could I be that brave if I were in her shoes?

So while I don’t really want to say too much about the story, I hope that I still got my point across. Great story, great writing; this is definitely a book that I will be passing on to my friends and family to read.

My Rating:

 Pam

Pam's Review: Deep Disclosure by Dee Davis

Deep Disclosure
~Dee Davis

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages
Publisher: Forever
Publish Date: September 1, 2010
ISBN-10: 0446582921
ISBN-13: 978-0446582926
ASIN: B0047Y0EU6

From the author's website:
After spending years in prison under deep cover, black ops agent Tucker Flynn joins A-Tac, an elite CIA unit masquerading as faculty at an Ivy League college. Nothing can shake him-except a vulnerable young woman marked for death. 

DUAL DECEPTION 

When Tucker is assigned to protect-and secretly investigate-Alexis Markham, he expects a routine mission. But this mysterious beauty has a past even darker than his: her father created a horrifying new biochemical weapon-and was murdered to keep it secret. 

Alexis has spent the last decade racing to stay one step ahead of the shadowy operatives who will stop at nothing to possess her father's formula. She can trust no one, not even her handsome new bodyguard. But the heat that flares between them is impossible to resist. Will giving in to passion bring her the safety she's always craved, or will her love for Tucker draw him into a killer's sights?

Alexis has been in hiding her whole life. Her family died in an explosion when she was in high school and ever since then she only has her father’s friend, George, to rely on. She grows up constantly having to watch her back and leaving no trace of herself behind in fear of being discovered. Then something happens that leaves her more alone and frightened than ever. Alexis goes home to get her belongings before she goes on the run once again; and there she meets a man who tries to kill her. She might have been killed if not for Tucker. 

Tucker is part of a secret organization in the CIA, but he can’t tell Alexis this because the government are the people that she has been running from her whole life. So instead, he tells her that he is a friend of George’s and he is there to help her. While he does help her, the real reason he is there in the first place is to find out how Alexis is involved in a recent bombing that took place. While Alexis and Tucker both try to find answers, they find love with each other along the way.

My thoughts: 
This book took me days to get through. I was so bored; I could not wait for it to be over. I felt like I was just reading a bunch of words. The characters had no depth. They said things, I just didn’t believe them. I wasn’t fond of Alexis either. Again, I felt like I needed to see inside her more to get a feel for her. Also, certain situations that occurred in the story annoyed me because they weren’t believable, but I can’t mention what they were without giving anything away. This was the fourth book in a series; I didn’t read the previous ones. Would it have changed my opinion if I knew some of the characters previously? Who knows, but this book on its own was not good.

I feel like this is a really negative review, so I want to leave with something that I liked; a quote:

She wished it were as simple as all that. That the world was divided into black and white. But she’d learned a long time ago that things were far more complicated, the world filled instead with muted shades of gray. Good and evil looking practically the same. The trick being to choose wisely.
~Deep Disclosure p. 215

My Rating:Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: In A Treacherous Court by Michelle Diener

In A Treacherous Court
~Michelle Diener

Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books
Publish Date: August 2, 2011
ISBN-10: 1439197083
ISBN-13: 978-1439197080
ASIN: B004G8QTYI

From the author's website:
Henry VIII’s most lethal courtier and his newly appointed artist become the only thing keeping him on the throne – and if they survive, neither will ever be the same.

John Parker is one of Henry VIII most useful courtiers — utterly merciless and completely loyal. But one small favour for his King will pull Parker into a deadly plot against the throne, one that will test his courage, his resolve, and most especially, his heart.

A commission from Henry VIII should have been the crowning achievement of Susanna Horenbout’s career, but before the beautiful and talented artist even sets foot in England, she finds herself in possession of a secret that could change its history. With Parker as her only protection against killers who will stop at nothing to silence her, Susanna has to trust the dangerous, enigmatic courtier. She’s used to fighting in a man’s world, but she never expected to be fighting for her life.

The story takes place in 1525 England. Susanna Horenbout finds herself in an unusual predicament. She is on her way to England to serve as an artist for King Henry VIII. During the journey, however, a man dies in her arms with no one else around. He leaves her with his last words which are an important message for the King.

John Parker works very closely with the King and is one of his men. He comes across Susanna because the man who died in her arms also worked for the King. Parker tries to get the dying man’s message out of Susanna, but she is determined to tell the King herself because the message was for his ears alone. When a bolt seems like it was meant to take Susanna’s life, Parker decides to stay close and guard her on the way to the King, because someone clearly doesn’t want the message to get delivered.

My thoughts:
This book was very hard for me to read. It was lacking in….something. I even stopped reading at one point when Parker and Susanna were being attacked. I think one reason is that I didn’t feel connected to the characters. I didn’t get the real feel for them, for what makes them who they are. I think another reason that I had trouble with this book was I just felt that the first two thirds dragged and was almost repetitive, in my mind at least. Even though I just finished this book last night, I’m having trouble remembering what happened; it didn’t interest me enough to stay with me. There was some romance between Parker and Susanna, but again, I just didn’t feel it.

The story finally started to flow and held my interest when there was about a hundred or so pages left. So while it definitely ended on a good note for me, this is not a book that I will be keeping on my shelves.

My Rating: Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review: Where Demons Fear to Tread by Stephanie Chong

Where Demons Fear to Tread 
~Stephanie Chong 

Mass Market Paperback: 368 pages 
Publisher: Mira 
Publish Date: August 23, 2011 
ISBN-10: 077831247X 
ISBN-13: 978-0778312475 
ASIN: B005DB89UE 

From the author's website:
Fledgling guardian angel and yoga teacher Serena St. Clair dares enter Devil’s Paradise nightclub on a mission – to retrieve the wayward Hollywood “It Boy” she’s assigned to protect. But she’s ambushed by the club’s owner, Archdemon Julian Ascher. The most powerful demonic entity in Los Angeles, Julian is handsome as sin, a master of temptation who loves nothing more than corrupting pleasure-seeking humans. He won’t release the lost soul Serena is supposed to guard. Unless she accepts his dangerous wager… 

After the disastrous way his human life ended, Julian vowed that no woman would get the better of him again. Yet this sexy-sweet angel, smelling of fresh ocean air and happiness, triggers centuries-old feelings. Now, their high-stakes game of seduction, where angels fall from grace and where demons fear to tread, will lead them either to an eternity in hell…or a deliciously hot heaven.

Serena died almost a year ago, and now she is a guardian angel to an actor named Nick. Nick is a challenge; he likes to party, drink, do drugs, and spend ‘time’ with prostitutes. Serena does not mind the challenge and is determined to help him live a straight, honest life. He was doing well, but then she found out he was at a club so she went to get him to help him stay away from old habits.

While searching the club for Nick she meets Julian, the clubs owner and arch demon. He is not willing to let Nick’s soul get saved especially in his club. Julian also senses that Serena is an angel. He decides that he must have her and goes about pursuing her. During this pursue certain feelings arise that he hasn’t had for a very long time. Serena is starting to have feelings towards Julian as well, and he may be making her fall for him, and quite possibly fall as an angel as well.

My thoughts:

This was a good story, not what I was expecting. It was a fast read and I never found myself bored. I liked how although the book was about angels and demons there were no clear lines between good and evil; it helped make it more realistic in a way. Serena is pretty straight laced, she is an angel after all, but she is not annoyingly so. She is actually quite relatable and seemed more human to me, but perhaps that is also because in the story she has been dead for less than a year so she is still close to her human side.

Julian is not the most powerful demon, but he has the potential to be. In fact, there is only one more powerful than him before the devil. Julian is the typical alpha male; he sees something he wants therefore he will get it. Since he is a demon he hasn’t always gone about that the right way nor cared about the consequences of his actions. With Serena however, though his intentions at first are not pure, he definitely does not act like a typical demon would.  

All the characters that you were supposed to like, I liked. All the characters that you were supposed to hate, I hated. I was also really fond of the interpretation of what angels and demons are in this book. I would suggest starting this book when you have a few hours of spare time because it is very hard to put down.

 My Rating:

 Pam
Book received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Pam's Review and A Giveaway: Chosen by Paula Bradley

Chosen
~Paula Bradley

 Paperback: 334 pages
Publisher: Fiction Studios (August 16, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1936558106
ISBN-13: 978-1936558100
ASIN: B00551ASGK

From Goodreads:
Shy and introverted Mariah Carpenter has concealed a hidden talent from childhood that, according to her mother, would brand her a freak. Now a fateful encounter has caused her secret skill—an extraordinary psychic ability—to become greatly enhanced. Suddenly, she has a purpose for her gift, as her vision gives her the ability to find kidnapped children telepathically. But is this a blessing or a curse? When Mariah’s fourth finding is filmed by the FBI and the recording is stolen and sold to a broadcast journalist, Mariah’s worst nightmare becomes a reality. She is acclaimed worldwide as a saint and messenger from God—and vilified as the Antichrist whose powers must be quelled. Meanwhile, another government agency has its own covert agenda for Mariah…. In the midst of all of this, Mariah has a series of horrifying nightmares, culminating in the discovery of an ingenious serial killer, one who somehow prevents Mariah from finding out who and where he is. Locating this murderer before he kills again becomes Mariah’s obsession, one that threatens to consume her––and could even destroy her. Chosen introduces readers to a remarkably complex, achingly human, and absolutely unforgettable heroine. Bursting with tension, danger, and the thrill of the unexplained, Chosen is a singular reading experience.

Mariah swallows almost two dozen Restoril pills with the intention of killing herself. She is stunned when she wakes up the next morning, very much alive. However, something happened to her while she was sleeping, something she refers to as the ‘visitation.’ As she confides what happened to her friend, he thinks that this was something miraculous and prompts her to talk to the minister of his church. Michael, the minister, also thinks that this was God’s doing, a miracle. And soon Mariah finds a new home in the church along with singing in the choir. A short while after the ‘visitation’ another unusual occurrence happens that leads Mariah on a psychic sort of journey to find a kidnapped victim. When these psychic like episodes continue Mariah really does not believe that God is behind these events after all….

My Thoughts:
Well, I can definitely say that this book is unique and I have never read anything like it before. It was a good story that kept me interested most of the time, but there were some parts that didn’t fit, and some things that were missing. For instance, Mariah tries to kill herself, and what happens? People think it’s a miracle that she survived, but no one addresses the problem of her wanting to end her life! I just couldn’t fathom it. If my friend tried to kill herself, even if I thought it was a miracle she survived, you better believe I would call a close family member and make her get professional help. Also, sometimes there were too many people for me to keep track of, and the friend that she confided in about her suicide doesn’t get mentioned a second time until so much later in the book that I didn’t remember who he was.

On to the positive; I cannot figure out what is on the cover of this book, and it really creeps me out, which I believe is the intention. As Mariah’s psychic abilities increase, she begins to have different sort of dreams, and some of them even made me scared reading them by myself at night. It takes some pretty good writing to have that kind of frightening effect on me. Also, as mentioned before, this story is definitely one of a kind. You’re not going to read it and have it feel familiar to you.

If you’re looking for a different sort of story, one that may frighten you at times, while at the same time keeping you wanting more, then you should give Chosen a try.

 My Rating:

Pam

Thanks to the lovely ladies over at Media Muscle, 

we have a copy of Chosen to give away to one lucky reader!  Simply leave a comment stating you want to win this book.  

US addresses only.  Contest ends 9/22.

Book provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.