Review of All The Pretty Girls

All the Pretty Girls
JT Ellison
Mira
411 pages

All the Pretty Girls is the first of the Taylor Jackson series and is an outstanding example of a thriller disguised as romantic suspense.

Taylor Jackson Lieutenant for the Nashville Police Department has her hands full as it is and the last thing she needs is a serial killer loose and in her backyard. Along with her “main squeeze” FBI profiler John Baldwin they will have to get into the head of this heartless villain and solve the mysteries of the bodies he’s leaving behind.

Ms. Ellison has given us a brand new model for a strong woman protagonist in Taylor, a woman who’s not afraid to be female in the presence of a mostly male cast and an all male homicide department. Her plot may not be original in it’s contents but she spins her tale with the best of the thriller authors and keeps her audience guessing as we sweat the outcome of the various characters until the bitter end and in between the blood and gore you get real life dramas that only intensify your liking of these people. Her dialogue is just what you’d expect from cops and robbers, that no-nonsense and to the point speak with plenty of expletives, yet it’s not over done like with some authors who find the need to cuss in every sentence. Her characters are outstanding all of them especially the stable of homicide detectives that work with Taylor and of course Baldwin. And let’s talk about her protagonists for a bit, Taylor is a head strong and independent woman who is not a bit afraid to show her female side and her occasional vulnerability and then turn around and show us her very professional cop side as well, and Baldwin is this tortured soul who seems to be a better man with Taylor in the picture and is just fine with admitting it. And better than anything I like the characters and I think her audience will too. The love story is between two flawed individuals who are better together than apart. The love scenes are few, but are tempered to please any reader.

So do yourself a favor and if you’ve never read JT Ellison, make “All the Pretty Girls” your first foray, you will not be sorry you did. And, like I intend to do, immerse yourself into the series with the following books in the life and times of Taylor Jackson.

Review of Rebel

Rebel
Claire Delacroix
Tor
408 pages

The final installment of Ms. Delacroix’s trilogy is an amazing finish. Just remember “The Eyes of the Republic are Everywhere”.

Angels have voluntarily surrendered their wings to live as humans and to help earth regain some sanity and humanity after leaders of the Republic have insidiously removed it by creating a sub-human labor force and in this the 3rd and final episode is the story of the fallen angel now known as Armand and the wraith Theodora whom we have met in the earlier novels. They will take it upon themselves to destroy the status quo and hopefully bring about a new beginning for the entire human race.

Those of us familiar with the previous works of Ms. Delacroix will not surprised by the amazing storytelling ability she has and she outshines even herself in this horrific look at a post apocalyptic USA now known as The Republic. Her plot is unique in this time of many such popular novels and I love how she intertwines the regular dialogue with snippets from supposed news articles and other publications to give her audience a better and fuller look at the world she’s created. With her direly descriptive dialogue and horrific glimpses of what the world has become, her readers will be able to picture every frightening experience her characters live and some don’t live through. Her characters are all amazing and clearly thought out and portrayed from the smallest part to the main protagonists and finally to the vilest villain, where she gives us a peek at the ultimate of evil doers, Lucifer, and I like the fact that we catch up with the lives of the characters of the previous novels in the series. Her hero Armand and heroine Theodora are exquisite examples of her vivid and brilliantly creative mind as they will literally jump off the pages and into her reader’s hearts as they torturously find their way to each other and out of harms way. Her romance is full of heat and innocence in equal parts and her love scenes are descriptive and physical and yet tender and endearing.

So if you like me love that romantic suspense with an urban fantasy twist, this is definitely the one you should choose as you won’t find anywhere out there more vivid imagination that this series will give you. And finally you will love the exceptional climatic ending that will bring tears to your eyes and make you believe in the power of the divine. So I urge you to take a chance if you’ve never read her, and I know once you do you like me will become a fan for life.
This volume stands well alone, but I suggest to get all the history and events from the series read Fallen and Guardian also.
Also check out her other works in her alter ego Deborah Cooke as well as the many works as Claire Delacroix.
Claire kudos to you for one of the best in this genre that I have ever read!!

Review of Blood Born

Blood Born
Linda Howard and Linda Jones
Ballentine Books
466 pages
Blood Born is the first novel in a new paranormal romance series.
For as long as the earth has been populated by humans there have also been vampires, some created by turning, others the rare form of being blood born. Someone has decided to end the status quo and start a revolution so the vampire race can finally come out of seclusion and gain their rightful place at the top of the food chain. The immortal warriors trying to come into this plane of existence need help by their conduits, the only trouble is that the vampires know this too and are systematically taking them out.
Luca Ambrus is one of those rare blood born vampires and he’s been the chosen executioner for the vampire counsel for ages but there’s trouble afoot or afang and he’s uncertain which side to fight on. Chloe Fallon has been having strange dreams that seem all too real, she thinks she may be going nuts until one fateful night when everything that only lived in her nightmares became all too real.
Ms’s Howard and Jones each have a rich following and that will certainly increase with their foray into the wonderful world of paranormal romance. It’s hard to start a new paranormal series when they seem to be everywhere, but have no fear because these talented women keep it fresh with subtle twists to the legends. If you like the kind of novel where there’s cover to cover hard edged dialogue you will love this one. The characters really shine as there is a very thin line between the villains and the heros, they’re all full of malfeasance along with redeeming qualities. The hero and heroine Luca and Chloe are unlikely lovers and the authors have brilliantly brought them together in-spite of it and made it work because their audience will definitely be pulling for this couple. The love scenes are physical and visceral and include very descriptive scenes, so keep this on a high shelf but bring it down often to enjoy a truly good new paranormal series.
So with vampires exploding off the screen and pages of many books you might be asking yourself why should you try this one. I’ll say try it because you know the quality writing that preceded this work by these gifted storytellers and accomplished authors and stay tuned for the next installment In the series when Warrior Rising will be out in Spring of 2011.

Review of Whisper Kiss

Whisper Kiss
Deborah Cooke
Penguin Group
391 pages

Whisper Kiss is the fifth of Ms. Cooke’s Dragonfire novels. It is Niall’s story and they just keep getting better and better.

Niall Talbot is a member of the Pyr a rare dragon shape shifter race of protectors of the earth and all her treasures including humans. His main objective is to hunt down and destroy the deadly Shadow Dragons who are trying to prevent the Pyr from doing their duties, In the midst of hunting these elusive creatures the last thing he needs is his firestorm, the one chance a dragon has to find his true mate and bring about an offspring and continue the line of Pyrs. And above that he doesn’t need or want a smart mouthed, trashy dressed tattoo artist as the one and only one the great Wyvern has chosen for him. Rox has lived a lie for years, hidden behind the goth make up and biker gang clothes is a heart of gold that’s still hurting from the betrayal at the hands of the one person in her life who should have protected her. Now she’s faced with a dilemma, she’s loosing her latest project, a lazy non-productive dragon shifter who’s been with her for three years, so isn’t she surprised to find out that the man her project is leaving her for is non other than another dragon shifter, only this one comes with sparks. Well let the sparks fly.

Ms. Cooke has created for us her audience a wonderfully creative and colorful alternate look at paranormal romance, where she gives us grand creatures with gem like scales who fly, breath fire and roar to protect their world, their friends and especially their loves. Her dialogue is no nonsense hard knocks and street savvy that one would expect from truly alpha male types and then she mixes it up with the eloquence and voice of reason of the women in her novels and as she spins the tale her readers can picture in their minds eye the brilliance of the flying mythological creatures, not to mention the fire they breath as they make mincemeat out of their opponents. Her hero and heroine in this episode of good vs evil are truly the ideal of opposites attracting and isn’t it good to know that the firestorm knows best because other wise these two would never have been the couple they were destined to become. Her other characters are equally well created and portrayed and I like the fact that we get to catch up on the couples that have come before and wonder who will get their firestorm next. The romance is sweet and it’s good to see old fashioned courtesy and chivalry as evidenced by Niall. The love scenes on the other hand are as earthy as the dragons themselves and physical in their intensity.

So give yourself a well deserved break from reality and treat yourself to a truly new concept in romance, that’s right fall in love with a dragon, you won’t be sorry you did. This novel stands well on it’s own, but to get all the nuances and the whole story check out the other novels in the series. Go to Ms. Cooke’s website www.DeborahCooke.com and get them all. And Deborah, I can’t wait for the next installment of the legend.

Review of Saving Max

Saving Max
Antoinette van Heugten
Mira
375 pages

Antoinette van Heugten may be a debut author, but her novel sings like a beautiful classic song. Saving Max is your next must read. It will be out in October 2010.

Danielle Parkman is a single mother with a troubled son Max, diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome among other psychological afflictions. In an effort to give him the best help available, Danielle takes him to a renowned institution where her life and Max’s takes an abrupt and downward spiral and now the only thing that’s important to Danielle is “Saving Max”. But the real question is can he be saved or should he.

In Ms. van Heugten’s brilliant debut novel we see evidence of greatness as she weaves her complicated plot for her audience. A plot where the incredible family drama will hook you and the imaginatively amazing mystery/thriller will reel you in and then culminates with a riveting court room scene of epic proportions that are award worthy. Her dialogue is intense in it’s contents while her prose like narrative will pull extreme emotions from her readers as she describes dramatically and descriptively a parents worst nightmare and the process in which to rectify it. Her characters are beyond capable and near perfection as each of them play their roles with clarity and excellence and each of them is as necessary a component as the next for the telling of the story. And you, her readers will expel every emotion you have before the end of the novel as we pull for the good and cringe at the evil. And let me be clear, this is not a romance, but it is a love story, a love of a mother, a love of a friend and yes the love between a man and a woman. And to that point there are love scenes, but they’re done with exceptional class and imagination. But the essence is the strength of one woman, a mother who wants nothing but the best for her child and would go to the ends of the earth even to hell and back to accomplish it.

Saving Max is a rare find in literary fiction. It’s a realistic look at mental health and the facilities that treat it. A heart wrenching drama of the frailties and strengths of our species. So if you’re looking for your next Must Read that will take you through a whole specturm of feelings from horror to joy to edge of your seat, nail biting suspense, run don’t walk to your nearest bookseller for “Saving Max”. You won’t be sorry!
And to you Ms. van Heugten, I can’t wait to read your next adventure.
Kudos!!!

Now I have to stop and say a word about Mira, yes it's a division of Harlequin, a publisher that's been around for 60 years. But this is not a publisher to be snubbed by so called book snobs, the last few novels I've read by this publisher have been excellent and not romance at all but great literary fiction, great pieces of women's fiction that would be very appealing to our male readers also. So you book snobs out there get your head out of the sand or where ever else it's hiding and I promise you won't be sorry if you give this novel and other's published by Mira a try.

Happy Labor Day

Do whatever floats your boat this Labor Day, but please stay safe.

Review of Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage

Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage
Jennifer Ashley
Penguin Group
316 pages
Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage is the second of Ms. Ashley’s Mackenzie brothers series.
Being an estranged wife on the ton is all too frequent, being an estranged wife of one of the rakish, disreputable Mackenzie brothers is pretty much expected. Of course what the ton doesn’t know is that Isabella is still madly in love with Mac and madly is a good description of what their married life has been so far, a few great times followed by sadness, hurt and abandonment, but despite all that Mac needs her help and by God he’s going to get it. Mac Mackenzie a rake by reputation and an artist and lord of the ton by trade really does love his wife that’s why when she finally had enough of him 3 years ago he took a vow of celibacy, which wasn’t too hard to keep since the only woman he wants is Isabella. Now someone is forging his name on their work and Isabella is bound and determined to help him whether he needs it or not and maybe that will be his opportunity to get her back.
Alright, I admit to not being a fan of “most” historical romance novels. I don’t find young lovers exciting to a “woman of a certain age”, but whenever Jennifer Ashley, a favorite author of mine in different genres, comes out with a historical I have to get it, why, let me tell you.
There is no better spinner of a tale then Ms. Ashley it shows in her unique humor, her flowing dialogue and her storyline. The plot is older than time, boy gets girl, looses girl, wants her back and plots to make that happen. But underneath that plot is the many subplots that she so wonderfully gives us, the love felt by both the hero and heroine, the heartache, the sadness, and the lives that they touch and touch them. It all comes out through her words and into the hearts and minds of her audience. Her characters are world class and larger than life and yet she makes them more human by giving them many faults then goes on to show her readers that dealing with those faults is what gives her characters, character. And oh the characters, they are amazing in their detail as she intimates us with them and even the ones with the smallest parts leave an impression on us, plus one of my favorite parts is that we get to reacquaint ourselves with the characters we’ve met in the previous novel. Her hero Mac and heroine Isabella are one of the most unforgettable couples you will ever cry for, hurt for and get angry at as they ineptly find their way back to each other. Her love scenes are very sensuous and blazing in their intensity, and her readers will feel the love, tenderness and longing in every coupling.
So if you’ve never met the Mackenzie brothers, have no fear this can easily be read as a stand-a-lone, but do yourself a favor and get The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie as soon as this one is finished. Then go to Ms Ashley’s website http://www.jennifersromances.com/ and discover what an incredible talent she has in all her endeavors, you won’t be sorry. Oh and Ms. Ashley great job on Mac and I can’t wait until next August 2011 to read Cameron’s tale.