Review of Stormwalker

Stormwalker
Allyson James
Penguin Group
330 pages
This gives the term Storm chasing a whole new meaning
Janet Begay has always been a misfit and trying to find her way while battling things inside her that not only scare the bejesus out of her but ignite a longing. That longing is suddenly filled by the mysterious Mick, who seems to understand not only who she is but what she can do, he feeds the desire while calming the Stormwalker. But that wasn’t enough for her and she finally tired of frequent absences and his evasiveness about himself, so she left him. Now five years later, just when she needs him, he returns. Just as mysterious as before. But now there’s more to fear and they have more to worry about than the survival of their relationship, they are fighting for their very lives.
Allyson James aka Jennifer Ashley has given us many paranormal cultures in her illustrious career and she doesn’t disappoint with this one. The genre of paranormal romantic suspense is the apparently the next big thing, but Allyson keeps it fresh with her unique plot a Native American woman who controls the weather. She mixes Native myths and legends with her own brand of imagination in a culmination of fact but mostly fiction. Her dialogue is full of invention as she brings to life her magnificent vistas, interesting people and horrifying events. Her characters are over the top in personality, moxie and entertainment. Her main protagonist Janet is a confusing mass of humanity mixed with the anomaly of the paranormal, but Allyson does a first rate job of letting her readers really see Janet. Her co-starring characters are all well put together and they all add interest and depth to the tale especially the enigmatic Mick who along with Janet make the novel come to life. Her love story is as stormy as the weather that Janet controls and there are pitfalls that need to be overcome and readers will find themselves cheering them when they triumph. The love scenes are hot, steamy and you’ll need a good air-conditioner and cool glass of water to get through them. But the best thing about them is the love that shines through between Mick and Janet.
So run do not walk to your nearest bookseller and pick up this first in her new series starring Janet Begay The Stormwalker. You won’t be sorry you did.

Review of Brava Valentine

Brava Valentine
Adriana Trigiani
Harper Collins
328 pages
Brava Valentine is the second in her new series featuring Valentine Roncalli and the Angelini Shoe Company. It debuted at #7 on the New York Times Best Seller List.
Welcome back to the bosom of the Roncalli’s and to the Angelini Shoe Company. We start out in Italy where gram (Teodora) is getting married, and a miracle happened, it snowed, which rarely happens in Tuscany. But the good luck stops there when Teodora announces that Valentine’s older brother and nemesis, Alfred will be partnering with her in the new era of Angelini Shoes. Life has a way of vomiting all over Valentine and this latest installation of her life under the microscope is no different. There are changes coming for Valentine, some good, some not so good.
Adriana’s second in the series of Valentine Roncalli will wow you. I think it’s even better than the first, maybe because we already know the major players and are comfortable in the knowing. Her plot for this episode of the perils of Valentine is classic family drama but it’s the way she tells it that makes it such a joy to read and experience. And you will experience it, with her unique form of entertaining and description her dialogue will effortlessly take you from the hills of Tuscany to the Island of Manhattan where she will captivate you with her amazing ability to make you laugh, cry and just simply participate in the lives of these amazing life like characters. And let’s talk about her characters, we go from the bold and the beautiful to the bizarre and from the meek to the boisterous as she intimates us to them. And it’s very obvious that she knows these people well by the way she makes them come to life for her readers. This is a love story as well as a dramatic piece of literary fiction and she handles the love scenes with finesse and charm.
This is a must read on anyone’s list who enjoys big time family spectacles, for anyone who enjoys going from tears to laughter in an instant and anyone who love well written fiction.

Review of Kite Runner

Kite Runner
Khaled Hosseini
Penguin Group
400 pages
A must read for everyone. A poignant story about coming of age, friendship and betrayal set in the backdrop of an Afghanistan that’s about to chance forever.
Have you ever been forced kicking and screaming to do something you didn’t want to do, and then find out it was one of the best things you ever did. Well that describes my reading of Kite Runner. It was the May read for my in-person book club and I put it off until the last possible moment and even then was arguing with myself whether I should read it or just not show up for the meeting. And if I would have listened to my other self I would have missed out on one of the best books I’ve ever read.
Amir and Hassan were “fed from the same breast” which is very meaningful in their society it makes them brothers of a sort, but in real life they’re not. Amir is the son of a wealthy man and Hassan is the son of their servant. They share a rare relationship that is uncommon in their culture where they are never perceived as equals. Amir has always been jealous of his father’s affection of Hassan and in trying to get that affection for himself finds himself at a crossroads of right and wrong. Which road will he choose.

Khaled is a master of the written word and a gifted storyteller in his masterpiece Kite Runner he presents his readers with the ever popular right versus wrong scenario and then goes one step farther and puts us in the middle of Afghanistan in the 1970’s during the Russian occupation through the 2000’s and the Taliban incursion. His dialogue is so right on for what I expect from a young man trying to find his own way and use his own voice to say it. To the descriptions of an apocalyptic vision of a war torn land that used to be a paradise that will take your breath away. His characters are so vividly portrayed that you can imagine them down to the expressions on their faces as he puts them through their trials. This is a story of defeat and of triumph, of love and loss, but it’s mostly a story of redemption and atonement. It’s the loss of innocence. It’s one man’s journey, but it’s more.
Mr. Hosseini has presented us with a classic read, one that will stay with his audiences long after the last page is closed. If you are one of the minority who hasn’t taken the time to read this incredible novel, please don’t waste any more time, do it now. And I promise you won’t be sorry you did.

Review of Very Valentine

Very Valentine
Adriana Trigiani
Harper Collins
384 pages
You will laugh, you will cry, but you will finish this book with a feeling of joy.
How can you call a novel about a 34 year old a coming of age story, well you’ll just have to take my word for it because that’s exactly the fact finding mission that Valentine Roncalli is on, to find her role in her family, in her career and in life in general.
Deep in the island known as Manhattan on a quiet street called Perry sits a quaint old building that houses the Angelini Shoe Company started in Italy in 1903 and built on the back of Valentine Roncalli’s great-grandfather, grandfather and grandmother she now finds herself in the precarious position of next in line to take the reins of this now struggling family business.
A few short years ago Valentine quit her teaching job to start a new career one in her blood, that of creating one of a kind wedding shoes and in this struggling economy she needs to find a way to bring the business she loves into the 21st century and into the black. Along with her beloved grandmother she finds new and inventive ways to re-brand the name. Along the way she is met with the force known as her family and love she didn’t expect to find. Her family is a solid feature in her Italian-American life, but love, not so much.
Adriana introduces her readers to her larger than life Italian family known as the Angelini/Roncallis and they are an immovable force and bring to life her wonderful tale of love, family and finding a place to belong. The characters are the real stars of this novel they are rambunctious, loud, loving, hateful. You name it you get it and each one is an integral part of the telling of her story. Her protagonist Valentine is the typical middle child, always the peace keeper and never quite finding the right spot in the hierarchy of the family. But she is a real three dimensional character and you will find yourself turning page after page to find out what madcap thing can happen to her next. Adriana’s dialogue is flowing and prose like when describing her wonderful scenes of Italy and very boisterous when depicting the many family interactions. This is not a romance but there is a love story involved here and the author handles it with care and dignity and would not offend any reader.
This novel will delight any reader who loves literary fiction, a great family read, a love story and a coming of age long after it’s due tale. And after you’re finished with this then run don’t walk to the next read in the series out now called Brava Valentine.

Review of Chasing Perfect

Chasing Perfect
Susan Mallery
Harlequin
376 pages
Chasing Perfect is the first in Susan’s wonderful new Fool’s Gold series. A real feel good novel. And Just what we all need.
Fool’s Gold has all the advantages of a small town, low crime and knowing your neighbor. It also has the advantage of being a tourist attraction all year round with both winter and summer time activities. It however has one thing not any other small town can boast, a shortage of men. No one knows why, it just seems that they can’t hold on to male residents.
Charity Jones has just been hired as the new city manager and after a childhood spent constantly moving with a mother who couldn’t seem to settle down she’s ready to put down roots and stay in one place for good. What she never counted on however was falling for famed bicyclist Josh Golden one of the few men Fools’ Gold holds on to. He’s too much of everything she doesn’t want in a man. The only trouble is can she convince her heart. Josh Golden is Fool’s Gold’s hero, he came from nothing and made the town proud. He retired young from bicycle racing and everyone thinks it’s on his own terms, little do they know the demons he fights everyday to keep off his bike and to get on it. Will his past troubles keep him from getting back on that proverbial horse and worse will it keep him from the one woman who could make his dreams come true.
Susan gives us an unusual plot in Chasing Perfect creating a woman dominated society in a rural California picturesque town. So within the first few pages she’s already piqued your interest and with her wonderful storytelling and descriptive dialogue she keeps you turning the rest of the pages. Her characters are all fully involved in the telling of her tale from the quirky to the solid they each fill a purpose and all add to the story. Her hero is larger than life and yet very humble and down to earth once Susan peels the layers from him. Her heroine is loveable and steadfast just what we readers need to counteract the blinding shine of the hero. Their love story is ageless and yet the author sucks us right in to her version of true love. The romance is filled with pitfalls but sweet and you’ll find yourself urging them on. The love scenes are hot and spicy, earthy and physical and she takes us from lust to love in no time flat.
So if you love a great love story, a series so you’ll be able to catch up on the characters you’ve come to love, than this is for you. If you like your romance on the sizzle burner do not walk but run to your nearest bookseller and get this one. You won’t be sorry that you did.

Review of Line of Fire

Line of Fire
Jo Davis
Penguin
290 pages
Tommy Skyler might be the youngest at Station Five but he’s far from a kid, he can take the ribbing from his teammates but it really stings coming from the woman he can’t get out of his mind. Shea Ford knows all about heartache and betrayal and she’s not about to let too handsome, too built and too young Tommy Skyler under her skin, too bad he’s already there. Now not only do they have to deal with the attraction between them but there’s something wrong going on with all the recent fires that Station Five has been sent out on, so they have to hope they live long enough to be able to deal with each other.
Jo Davis brings us another in her Station Five firefighters series with her larger than life heros the firefighters themselves. She’s always got a lot of drama going on and not just in the romance. Her plots are full of theatrics, excitement and creepy villains. Her dialogue is rough and what you’d expect spewing out of the mouths of sweaty, filthy, smoky men and women fighting fires and rescuing victims and yet respectful where it needs to be. Her characters all have dramas of their own going on whether it be good or bad and we re-visit the goings on of all the members of Station Five as we learn the fate of our star characters Tommy and Shea. And speaking of Tommy and Shea they are well balanced and great characters for a hero and heroine and as the romance develops you feel their connection as you cheer them on and hope they get through all their hurdles. The love scenes are very physical and visceral and don’t leave much to the imagination and yet there’s an innocence to them as well. It’s not e-rom but some contents could be objectionable for younger readers.
Line of Fire is the is the 4th in Jo Davis’s Firefighters of Station Five Series. It could be read as a stand-a-lone but to get all the intricacies and nuances my recommendation would be to read the series in order.

Review of The Next Best Thing

The Next Best Thing
Kristan Higgins
Harlequin
393 pages
You will laugh, cry and just feel when you read this book Kristan is known for her quirky characters, and everyday heros and heroines and of course the dogs, cats and other animals that play such large roles themselves in her stories and you will get that and more when you dig into this wonderful read.

Lucy has something that runs in her family, on her mother’s side, a lot. She’s a widow and it happened early in her marriage and in her life just like her mother and two great aunts it’s their own private club and no one wants to join. Well Lucy has made a decision and unlike the rest of the “Black Widows” she’s decided that she wants to remarry, even though Jimmy was the love of her life, but before she does that she’ll have to stop sleeping with his younger brother. Gotcha didn’t I.
Those of us who love Kritan’s romances have come to expect her witty descriptive dialogue where she makes her characters and settings pop off of the page and makes us laugh out loud and cry. Her story line is unique in the fact that these “Black Widows” aren’t murdering psychopaths but female family members who jointly own a bakery in a picturesque little town. So let’s talk about her characters they are a cast of unforgettable folks from the kooky great aunts, the overly cautious sister, the vogue mom, the old school Italian In-Laws, the cute confused heroine and the hot hunky hero. And they all have a major role to play in the telling of the tale. Her romance is funny, sad, serious and so full of pitfalls you’re constantly looking forward to the next disaster. Her love scenes are hot and spicy, but also very tender and sweet.
So if you’ve never read Kristan Higgins, what’s wrong with you get this book. And if you’re an old fan re-discover just what it is we all love about her writing and get this fall on your face funny and cry in your coffee tear jerker together in one incredible novel, you won’t be sorry you did.

Review of Tell No Lies

Tell No Lies
Julie Compton
St. Martins Minotaur
358pages
Look out there’s a new gun in town, a fresh new face in court-room drama.
Jack Hilliard is the fair-haired boy of the St. Louis DA’s office and with the imminent retirement of his boss is on the fast track to become his successor. With the perfect family he’s living the charmed life, but soon that dream existence becomes a nightmare and as he spirals downward he wonders if he will ever see the light again.
It’s a rare author who’s words on a page can deliver such intense emotional feelings in her readers. And that’s exactly what you’ll find in Julie Compton’s debut novel Tell No Lies published in 2008.
Julie gives us a realistic story line with her politico/legal drama. Her dialogue is vivid and witty interspersed with dramatic court-room legalese, dialogue so intense you will find yourself exhibiting the same emotions as the characters in this prosecutory emotionally charged novel. And oh my, her characters, they are wonderful, interesting, realistic and three dimensional. They make the story and as she introduces us to each one it becomes obvious as their importance in the telling of the tale, especially her charismatic protagonist Jack as this story is mostly his. Her scenes are described with such precision that you can easily imagine yourself a fly on the wall. There are some love scenes that she handles with dignity and raw emotion.
If you love great fiction, awesome storytelling, brilliant dialogue and phenomenal characters I think this novel will fit the bill. If you’re a fan of court-room or crime drama, this is it. If you love literary fiction it’s here too. If you just want to escape in some one else’s make believe troubles and wallow in their dilemmas this is what you want.
Be sure to check out Julie’s brand new novel Rescuing Olivia here’s a link to that review.
http://thereadingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2010/04/review-of-rescuing-olivia.html?spref=fb

Review of The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest

The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest
STieg Larsson
Knopf Publishing
576 pages


The first comment I have to make is that I’m in mourning knowing there will never be another amazing work from Stieg Larsson. The world has truly lost one of the best writers of the century.

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest is the third in Steig’s Millennium series following The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and The Girl Who Played With Fire. And it’s the best of the three by far. His storytelling is factual and very precise and you might think because the novel is almost 600 pages that you’ll find it unnecessarily wordy, well you’d be wrong. The novel entails an enormous amount of information crucial to the telling of the tale. And what a tale it is, he gives you espionage, murder, gang bangers, cops, newspaper reporters, secret police and some of the cruelest villains ever to grace the pages of a novel. The plot is amazing in it’s intricacy and the detail is awe-inspiring and the story is uniquely his. The characters include some old friends from his first two books and some new friends and new enemies, but don’t fear that you won’t know them well because Stieg has a way to intimate you with each and every one. His dialogue is flowing and yes sometimes the minutiae is mind boggling, but every line is important to the telling of the story.
If you haven’t yet read this series, now is definitely the time. It’s something you’ll treasure and something you’ll re-read. It will become a permanent part of your library and you’ll find yourself talking about it with friends and lamenting the fact that his voice has been forever silenced. So get ready for the ride of your life and get ready for nail biting, edge of your seat, breathe holding excitement. Get ready to read the next to top the bestseller list. Get ready to be entertained like you never have before. Get ready to Kick the Hornet’s Nest!

Review of Ice

Ice
Linda Howard
Random House
208 pages

Linda Howard Queen of Intrigue gives us a great big punch in a little package. Ice is one powerhouse of an action packed, exciting read. One should expect no less with Ms. Howard who is an awesome storyteller, but how many authors do you know that could give you so much in a scant 200 pages. She wows us with her characters especially our hero Gabe and our heroine Lolly who are two heavy duty, ready for what ever comes their way characters. The villains in this story are equally heavy duty, heavy duty out of their minds on meth bad guy and bad gal. Her dialogue is as always excellent and she’ll have your breath showing as her words describe the ice storm and the dangers our heros face out in the elements. Her love scenes are fiery and sizzle and put some heat back in your system. And yet the relationship that forms between our hero and heroine is sweet and touching.
So if you like a quick read that you literally can’t put down, this in for you. If you love a great romance, this is for you. If you need great characters, this is for you. If you want a great story, with nail biting excitement and edge of you seat adventure, this is for you. You can’t go wrong with Linda Howard and you can’t go wrong with ICE. A definite must read for your winter reading collection. And a definite Best Seller for Linda Howard.

Review of Shoot To Thrill

Shoot To Thrill
PJ Tracy
G P Putnam Sons
308 pages

You’ll find cover to cover excitement in this the latest Monkeewrench mystery.
PJ the mother daughter creators of the Monkeewrench crew have truly outdone themselves in their latest installment of the series. We find the motley crew ensconced knee deep in a crime spree the degree of which Minneapolis has never seen and trying desperately to keep up with the villains who’ve decided that it’s a good thing not only to commit murder but film and post it on social networking sites for the world to see.
PJ reacquaints us with the Monkeewrench folks in this her 5th in the series. Her story line is something that could easily appear on every front page, every news show and every on line network known to man and unfortunately for those of us living in this e-world are ever aware of that fact. Her dialogue is so in line with what her characters portray, we have the ever present e-speak geek part, the personally tragic human part that is this rag-tag group of friends. And then we have the voices of the villains the unidentifiable faceless perpetrators of evil doings of unspeakable proportions. Her characters are so unique in the world of literature that you could not compare them to anyone, which is a very good thing because the members of Monkeewrench are each one of a kind and with each novel you learn a little more about them. The co-stars of these novels are the homicide detectives Leo Magozzi and Gino Rolseth and you’ll find them right where they belong solving crimes right along side of our stars in their own entertaining way. We have a new member this time in FBI agent John Smith and he will add yet another layer of intrigue to our tale as we learn about him.
This is an incredible edge of your seat thriller that you fans of PJ Tracy have come to expect. For those of you new to her this can stand on it’s own, but to get the history, all the intricacies and the tragic way they became who they are I suggest reading the series from the beginning.

Review of Burning Lamp

Burning Lamp
Amanda Quick
G P Putnam’s Sons
328 pages
The Burning Lamp is book two in the Dreamlight Trilogy.
There are three authors who dominate all the romance world Jayne Ann Kretnz, Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle and guess what they’re the same woman. Jayne Ann Krentz writes contemporary, Amanda historical and Jayne Castle futuristic/paranormal, but what would happen if all three authors wrote one book in a trilogy, wonder no more because that time has come.
Welcome to the world of The Arcane Society Jayne/Amanda/Jayne’s wonderfully made up consortium devoted to the research and advancing of paranormal behavior. Griffin Winters knows all about threats having grown up on the streets after the death of his parents, he’s learned to not only survive but to thrive as he builds a vast underworld empire. He’s always had certain abilities and now with the onset of the Winter’s curse needs to find the talents of one woman, now he just has to find her. Than woman happens to be Adelaide Pyne a paranormal talent in her own right that has taken a very dangerous step while trying to rid London of it’s notorious brothels. And she knows all about brothels having been sold into one at fifteen after the tragic death of her parents. Together Griffin and Adelaide have to find the secret to The Burning Lamp while they discover what they mean to each other.
Welcome to the world according to Amanda Quick, what a world it is. With her wonderful imaginative story lines, her memorable characters and her unforgettable romance. And you’ll get all three in this wonderful addition to her work. She will wow you with her inventive plot and her imagination will astound you as she puts it all together. Her hero Griffin and heroine Adelaide are two very different people, he an underworld crime boss and she a social reformer, who get in the way of cupids arrows and either have to succumb to love or get run over by it. Her supporting characters play their roles wonderfully and add dimension to the story. The romance is a comedy of errors as we watch these two unsuspecting characters fall deeply in love. Her love scenes are spicy but not raw and they sizzle without being vulgar.
So run don’t walk to your nearest book seller for Amanda’s newest novel. This is part of a trilogy and would be better if read as such, but could be read as a stand-a-lone.

Review of Dark Deceptions

Dark Deceptions
Dee Davis’
Grand Central Publishing
384 pages

When you think of operatives working covertly for the CIA and what they do when they’re not out there saving the free world did you ever in a million years see them as college professors. Well neither did I that is until I read Dee’s exciting first book in her brand new series about just that. Picture our dangerous world, getting more dangerous by the minute and you have to know that somewhere out there are men and women who fight behind the scenes, take orders that may end their lives and take on the worst of the worst kind of villains and do it knowing that they are ghosts, will never be publicly acknowledged for their brave deeds and have to be content in that fact. See it now, well then you have just glimpsed Dee Davis’s new world order with Sunderland College and more precise the Aaron Thomas Academic Center think tank created by the CIA at the forefront. Here you will find the men and women of A-Tac a black ops group of patriots who’s sole reason for being is to see the world a safer place.
Eight years ago after a successful partnership in more than one way CIA agents Nash Brennon and Annie Gallagher part ways each one thinking the other was to blame and each one thinking the other one betrayed them. But all of that has to be put aside when it becomes known that Annie is operating again in a terrorist plot against the very government she used to work for. The arrows all point this way, but there’s doubt in the one mind that used to be able to finish her sentences as well as sleep in her bed, Nash Brennon.
Dee Davis gives us a unique look at what goes on behind enemy lines even if those lines are in your backyard. Her story line/plot is a roller coaster, edge of your seat, nail biting ride that will leave your heart beating faster and your pulse racing. She gives us exciting and descriptive dialogue that fits my perception of those individuals and scenes that pop off the pages and into your mind’s eye. Her characters are so interesting, so complicated and in some instances so tragic and in others so evil, characters that she knows elementally. Her hero Nash and heroine Annie are the couple voted most likely not to succeed, but you want them to with all your heart and as you learn their personal stories you want it even more. Her supporting characters are all equally important to the tale and you find yourself looking forward to the time when their story will be told. Her villains are cruel, vicious people who will make you cringe. Her love story is one that I particularly love, that of ex-lovers reuniting and either finding love again or realizing that love never left. Her love scenes are spicy, visceral and sizzle on the page but are never tawdry or crass.
If you look for excitement in a read, you’ll find it here. If you love the reuniting of old lovers, look no farther. If you love romance on the Sizzle Burner, here it is. If you love series where you re-connect with old friends while making new ones, start at the beginning with this new one.

Review of Love at First Flight

Love at First Flight
Marie Force
Sourcebooks
398 pages


Marie gives us a touching, heartfelt and dramatic love story with memorable characters and a plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Not many authors can give you a romance novel that is ripe with heart stopping suspense and make it work, well Marie Force definitely can and does with Love at First Flight. Her main characters are involved in a love triangle that make you root for each of them at different times in the book, and said characters are well developed and so interesting that when the story's over you wish there were more to read. If that’s not enough she throws her readers into a murder trial with seriously evil bad guys and sequestered witnesses starring her supporting cast of characters which are so good they could support their own story. Her writing style is wonderful and her descriptive dialogue takes you to all the places the book visits in vivid detail. The love scenes are sultry and sensual and sexy and add a certain depth to the story.
So if you love a great romance with a lot of suspense, and you're not opposed to using a box of tissues as a prop and you like your love scenes on the sizzle burner. Then this should definitely be your next read. Great work Marie!!

Review of Change of Heart

Change of Heart
Jodi Picoult
Atria Books
447 pages

This was my first foray into Jodi Picoult and although it’s not something I would have chosen on my own it was very inspiring and thoughtful and I’m very glad I read it, and it’s the reason I love book clubs because my horizons get widened regularly and I find authors who are new to and become dear to me.
What if you had one chance to save your child but it came at the cost of everything you held in truth and perhaps your soul. Would the cost be too high or would you sacrifice even that to save that one precious life. June Nealon has to ask herself that exact question.
Father Michael has a secret he’s kept for eleven years and it’s about to blow up in his face. Will his faith survive it?
Maggie Bloom knows what it’s like to be the underdog, the one that doesn’t fit in and that’s exactly what makes her so good at what she does. This time as she fights, it’s for a loosing battle and it may be too much for her to bear.
Lucius knows what true love is because he’s known it, and he knows what betrayal is because he’s lived through it, he knows the right road to choose even though he goes the wrong way, he knows what it’s like to stare death in the face. But has he ever seen the face of God, and would he know it if he did?
Jodi has given us an intricate plot with many facets and many possible outcomes and as unique a story as I’ve ever read. Her dialogue is amazing as she writes in many voices and each one is worthy of being heard. She’s a phenomenal storyteller and she spins her tale with so much heart that you know she’s intimate with all of her characters. Characters who’s roles are all so varied and yet each one has his or her perfect fit. She deals with many difficult issues that plague us all today and she does it with a graciousness that would not offend reader.
If you love a great story or a piece of inspiring literary fiction, family trials or tales of faith this one has all that and then some. Give it a try, you won’t be sorry you did.

Review of Savor the Moment

Savor the Moment
Nora Roberts
Berkley Publishing
325 pages

Savor the Moment is the third in Roberts Bride Quartet

What would you do if you were in love with one of your best friends, have been for all of your life and probably for the rest of your life as well. What if his feelings for you have started to change. Would you risk it. Is loving and loosing worth the price. Well that’s what Laurel, Vow’s Pastry chef extraordinaire is about to find out when she lip locks literally with Delany Brown of the Connecticut Browns and brother of Laurel’s female best friend Parker Brown. Del has always been a fix-it, go to guy for all the women in his life and since the tragic deaths of his parents years ago, even more so. So when one of his charges goes into forbidden territory and challenges his ideas of her as well as his libido, watch out.
Enter the world of Vow’s a top notch, all inclusive one stop wedding planners run by 4 equal partners and lifelong friends. Parker is the detail one, she encompasses the whole celebration and keeps it all together, Mac is the photographer, Emma is the florist and Laurel the pastry chef together they have made quite a name and reputation for themselves. Nora has outdone herself with this story line it’s sort of Father of the Bride meets Julia Child you get all the comedy and all the drama in one. Her dialogue is full of terms that only the fearsome 4 know, but don’t worry you catch on right away. Her love story is full of laughs and comfortable friendship and full of pit-falls and awkward enmity. Her love scenes are hot, spicy and sizzle on the page.
Get you next dose of wedding bell blues and see if Laurel and Del can find their own HEA. Savor the Moment is the third in the series and although it’s a great read it definitely needs to be read in order.

Review of Lover Mine

Lover Mine
JR Ward
New American Library div. of Penguin Group
512 pages

JR Ward is a genius of the genre, her novels are witty, sexy and dangerous.
When the brother Darius went into the fade his sacrifices so touched the Scribe Virgin that she gifted him with rebirth, that rebirth was John Matthew who’s life has been no bed of roses. Never knowing his parents, never fitting in, where he came from or as it turned out, what he was, John Matthew spent his youth lost in the vast system and his pre-trans years abused, scared and taken advantage of until word of a lost boy found it’s way to the Black Dagger Brotherhood. Xhex is an assassin by trade and by necessity because being a sympath is no walk in the park especially if you’re a half breed. She’s always stayed clear of relationships because they always led to heartache. But she’s found her match in John Matthew. She never gives in and he never gives up and that’s what saves her after being abducted and held captive by evil incarnate. As they fight together and love together will they find the strength to stay together and fight for forever together.
JR has created an incredible paranormal society that parallels ours and in it she’s placed creatures of the night that are the good guys, that’s right the vampire is the good guy. Then who is the bad guy you ask, that would be the lessening society run by a creature that is the description of heinous, malevolent and malicious called the Omega. So her plots/story lines are unique, fresh and captivating. Her dialogue is on the down and dirty side with a lot of Hip-Hop, Rap and Heavy Metal music and language to match, so if you’re a sensitive type, Please Step Away from The Book. If not you’re in for some of the most adventurous, exciting, and arousing page turning you’ve ever done. Her characters are all wonderfully crafted and portrayed. Her love story is fast, furious, hard core and yet there is an abundance of tenderness between the hero John Matthew and the heroine Xhex. The love scenes are just as powerful and leave little to the imagination. You will find yourself cheering them on when they rally and hurting with them when they fail.
So come back to Caldwell NY, come back to the fold, comeback to the Black Dagger Brotherhood, you’ll be glad you did. This book is part of a series and although is a wonderful read, to get the full effect should be read as such.

Review of The Lost Symbol

The Lost Symbol
Dan Brown
Knoph Doubleday
528 pages

Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol has been all hyped up for months even years but once the hype dies down get ready to enjoy one of the best reads of the year. In Dan’s third adventure for Professor Langdon we find ourselves in Washington DC where the good professor is on a flight for his life through the sub-basement of the Capitol to some very esteemed Washington addresses to the top of the Washington Monument all the while in a fight to save the life of a friend.
Dan gives us some great new adversaries and supporters with his characters whom he is intimately acquainted with make the novel exciting and impossible to put down. The plot is original and like that other lesser know novel that he wrote is full of ciphers, codes, science and great mysteries, he draws the reader into his story by filling it full of fact along with the fiction. He gives Professor Langdon another shot at romance with the enigmatic Dr. Katherine Solomon, does it succeed, well you’ll just have to read it to find out. His dialogue is fast paced and exhilarating and takes the reader at top speed through these 509 pages of nail biting, heart thumping excitement.
Mr. Brown does not disappoint with The Lost Symbol, he gives his fan’s just what they’ve been waiting for so long. So to all the so called “experts” who have pooh-poohed this novel even before publication I say you must not have read the same novel as I did. But find out for yourselves, don’t let “them” tell you what to read and what to like. Read the book and I promise you won’t be disappointed.