Review of Better than Chocolate by Sheila Roberts

Title: Better Than Chocolate
Author: Sheila Roberts
Published by: Harlequin
Pages: 372
Source: Little Bird Publicity/Author
Format: Paperback ARC
Available: September 25, 2012
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads:  Sweet Dreams Chocolate Company has been in the Sterling family for generations, ever since Great-Grandma Rose literally dreamed up her first fabulous recipe. But now it looks as if they're about to lose Sweet Dreams to the bank—and that would be a disaster, not only for the family but for the town of Icicle Falls, Washington. Can Samantha, the oldest daughter and new head of the company, come up with a way to save it? After Samantha does some brainstorming with her mother and sisters, inspiration strikes. They'll have a chocolate festival! Time's running out, but the Sterling women are determined and the town's behind them, so everything's bound to go smoothly….

Or not. Events seem to be conspiring against Samantha, and her mother's attempts to help aren't helping. To make matters worse, the fate of her company is in the hands of her archenemy, Blake Preston, the bank manager with the football-hero good looks. It's enough to drive her to chocolate. But Blake's also enough to convince her that (believe it or not) there's something even better than chocolate.

I love chocolate!  So when I came across this title I was instantly intrigued, because there is only a couple things I can think of that are better than chocolate and I wanted to know what Sheila Roberts thought was better than chocolate. 

If you are looking for a light, cute read this is your book.  You will instantly fall in love with Icicle Falls and all it's quirky residents.  Samantha can sometimes be pushy and overbearing, but she's got a company to save.  I can't imaging the pressure on Samantha's shoulders and while at times she acted irrationally I think I would have too, especially towards Blake.  While reader will love Blake from the instant they meet him, it is easy to see why Samantha blames him for everything.  It seems like he is in the way of saving Sweet Dreams and in turn ruining her life.  I loved to see Blake struggle, not only with Samantha's wild mood swings, but also how to make things right.  He's genuinely a good guy and we need more of those around.

The rest of the characters are just as fun.  They are unique and each bring their own spin to the story.  We do get to see into Samantha's family a bit, but I'm sad to say not as much as I wanted.  There are some loose ends, especially involving her sisters that I want answered.  I'm not sure if there is going to be another book or not, but there should be.  I want to know what happens to Cecily and Bailey's love lives.  These sister need some luck in the love department..  

The story itself was intriguing and hard to put down.  There was so much detail about running a chocolate factory and how it was built and passed down through the family.  I loved hearing about all the different candies and other creations that were made with chocolate.  The chocolate festival that Samantha and the town organized sounded amazing, but I think I would need a gallon of milk and some serious exercise after a weekend there.  To make sure that you didn't feel left out of the goodie fun, the book features some of the recipes of the creations talked about throughout the story.  I love when authors include recipes when they talk about interesting food.  I'm super excited to try the Lavender-White Chocolate Scones.  Don't they sound wonderful?

Whether you're in the mood for something sweet or just a fun read, try Better Than Chocolate.  Oh and if you make any of the recipes in the back make sure to send some my way! 

Review of Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

Title: Kiss of Midnight
Author: Lara Adrian
Published by: Dell

Pages: 402
Source: Bought
Format: Paperback
Rating: 3 stars

Summary from Goodreads: He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.

 While some people are over vampires, I still love them.  I think it's amazing that an author can take this classic idea of vampires and change the lore to make it their own.  We have born vampires, blood-made vampires, sparkly vampires, men only vampires, warrior vampires and a personal favorite...hot and sexy vampires.  Maybe I came upon this series too late, but for me something was missing.  I wanted more from Kiss of Midnight and the start of the Midnight Breed series.  

Gabrielle is a character that even after reading the book I don't fully feel like I know.  I never really connected with her.  I loved that she was a photographer and she seems to have a unique ability (or curse depending on how you see it) of her own, but what about who she was as a person?  The one insight into her personality was her reaction to vampires.  she wasn't all accepting at first when she found out about vampires. She was shocked and a bit horrified, but was willing to listen to reason.  I felt her reaction was better than some I've read in literature of instant acceptance and worship.  

Lucan on the other-hand is mysteriously sexy and I want to know more about him.  He was kind of aloof and protective which I feel is why we didn't get to know a lot about him until the end of the story.  However, I did feel that Lucan and Gabrielle made a wonderful couple.  I thought their personalities complimented each other well and I liked how despite the early physical relationship it took them a little bit to realize their feelings for one another.  

The writing in Kiss of Midnight was good.  The action scenes were fast-paced and exciting while the intimate scenes were steamy and sexy.  Even though I didn't connect to the story right away, the ending left me shocked.  I can see how this series could become addicting if all the books end the way Kiss of Midnight did.  

Review of Willow Pond by Carol Tibaldi

Title: Willow Pond
Author: Carol Tibaldi
Pages: 318
Source: Author/Pump Up Your Book Virtual Book Tours
Format: Paperback
Rating: 3 stars

Summary: As the Roaring Twenties crumbles into the Great Depression, Virginia Kingsley, owner of New York's swankiest and most popular speakeasy, Baccanal, learns her baby nephew is kidnapped. Is she somehow involved? His movie star father and her neice must set aside their differences to work with Virginia and her shady contacts to find the stolen child. A Pulitzer Prize winning journalist who befriends the mother may hold a key to the mystery. 

What a roller-coaster of a ride.  Willow Pond is filled with scandal, deceit, gangsters, tears and hope.  A heartbreaking tale about the kidnapping of a young boy and the aftermath that ensues.  With mystery and intrigue, it's hard to pin down exactly who was involved in the kidnapping and the roles they played. 

Laura is devastated by the loss of her son.  She wants him found, but is not quite sure how to go about it.  This was a trying time for her and I'm sure she is completely broken, but she also makes some rash decisions.  She falls into a new relationship fast and at the first sight of an argument gets selfish and childish.  I did like Laura in the beginning of the novel, but after a turn of events I couldn't stand her.  I thought she was acting ridiculous and spoiled.  There wasn't much depth to her; in fact, instead of connecting with her more as the novel continued I was put off by her. 

The rest of the characters I really enjoyed.  They were lively and complex which made their parts of the novel so much more interesting.  I loved how determined most of the characters were.  They took things into their own hands instead of waiting around to see what could be done.  This made the novel more interesting as there were multiple people hunting down the kidnappers, with false leads, death, more kidnapping and pure craziness that it was delightful. 

I, personally, am fascinated with "the Roaring Twenties" and while Willow Pond did feature Speakeasies and some gangsters I wish there would have been more of this in the story.  I loved the setting and wish that it would have been a greater focus in the novel.  This could just be me though and my insane desire to be a flapper.  Maybe I was one in a past life and I'm hoping for a return to the lifestyle. 

While I did enjoy this book, I still felt like it was a bit disconnected.  It would jump in time and between people and I often had to take a minute or two to orient myself.  Even with some of it's glitches, it's still a great story and a very interesting read. 

Review of To Kill a Warlock by H.P. Mallory

Title: To Kill a Warlock
Author: H.P. Mallory
Pages: 210
Source: Obtained free from Amazon (July 3, 2012)
Format: ebook
Rating: 3.5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: The murder of a dark arts warlock.A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world.

When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

To Kill a Warlock is a hilarious read that is pure enjoyment.

Dulcie is a fun character. She's spunky, quirky and really wants to be a romance writer...oh and she's also a fairy. Dulcie is somehow corralled into working with this gorgeous stranger to catch a murder, and her life gets flipped upside down in the process. While the situation may not be ideal, Dulcie is the type of character to do what is needed of her, even if it means red leather, and black feathers.  I did really liked Dulcie as a character, but I wish she would have had a little more depth.  She was funny, but I felt like by the end of the novel I never really got to know her. For me, if I don't feel attached to the main characters I have a hard time connecting with the rest of the book.

H.P. Mallory made sure to not forget any paranormal creature as she was writing To Kill a Warlock. We've got vampires, werewolves, fairies, witches, loki and even a gnome. I loved the interesting mix of paranormal creatures and the plot that intertwined them all was easy to follow and kept you wanting more.  There are some fun scenes where Knight is partially possessed by the creatures blood and he becomes quite the horny teenage boy.  I was literally laughing out loud and could feel Dulcie’s frusteration. 

To Kill a Warlock was a fast read that quite entertaining.  It is one of those reads I would consider "mind candy", but hey who doesn't like a treat every now and then?  If you're looking for a book that's light, fun and easy to get lost To Kill a Warlock is the perfect choice.

Review of Dead Ringer by Allen Wyler

Title: Dead RingerAuthor: Allen Wyler
Published by: Astor + Blue Editions
Pages: 286
Source: Publicist/Author
Format ARC ebook
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: While speaking at a Hong Kong medical conference, neurosurgeon Dr. Lucas McCrae slips the cloth off a cadaver’s head during a routine medical demonstration, and is overwhelmed with the shock by what’s staring back at him: His best friend, Andy Baer.

Stunned, McCrae races back to Seattle to discover that Andy is in fact missing and may have been murdered by a gang of body snatchers who operate a legit funeral business and make a fortune by selling recovered body parts to medical researchers.

McCrae teams up with an unlikely pair—a beautiful but hardnosed female cop and a gang member whose family was victimized by the body parts ring—to try and expose a macabre web of corruption that involves law enforcement, politicians, funeral home curators and murdered prostitutes.

Dead Ringer was gripping, entertaining and a welcome addition to the medical thrillers family.

Lucas McCrae is one neurosurgeon you don't want to mess with.  Not only is he brilliant, but he's also fiercely loyal to his friends.  After the shock of seeing his best friend's head on the demonstration table he's determined to find out not only why his friend is dead, buy also how he died.  Lucas  is the type of character that you admire.  He is down to earth, caring and compassionate.  He's your everyday good guy and someone you'd want on your side if things went downhill.   

The premises of this novel was intriguing.  The unusualness and slightly morbid idea of killing prostitutes to sell their body parts was like watching a wreck....you can't look away no matter how horrible it is.  I enjoyed this fresh take on a medical thriller, especially the partnership between Lucas, the investigating officer, Wendy Elliot, and Luis, a gang member looking for revenge for his sister's death.  It's unexpected, tension filled, and at times a bit saucy, but still fun and exciting. 

While I did really enjoy this novel, I felt the ending was a bit rushed and it left me unsatisfied.  Don't get me wrong, it was actioned packed and thrilling, but there was something missing from it.  I would have liked to seen a more detailed and thought out plan.  There were some loose ends that didn't seem to get tied up and left me wondering. 

Despite the ending I liked Dead Ringer and I'll be looking forward to more novels from Allen Wyler.

Review of The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

Title: The Lucky One
Author: Nicholas Sparks
Narrator: John Bedford Lloyd
Published by: Hachette Audio
Length: 9 sound discs (ca. 10.5 hr.)
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 3 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.

I have a confession.  I read this book only because I wanted to see the movie...umm hello did you see Zac Efron...let's just say someone isn't in high school anymore. 

Anyway I used to read a lot of Nicholas Sparks novels but after awhile they all started sounding the same to me.  I would actually get them confused myself when I would talk to people about them.  So how did The Lucky One hold up?  It was ok, but it still felt formulated and like something I read before.  What a complete and utter jerk.  Throughout the story there was good character development and Logan and Elizabeth seemed to have some chemistry.  Their interactions where a bit awkward at first, but it was the cute kind of awkward of two people who are attracted to each other and are just getting to know one another.  I like that Logan was respectful of others, but still held his own ground and refused to be walked over.  He was also great with Elizabeth's son and let him just be who he was.  I think this is a great quality in a guy that he accepts children for who they are instead of trying to change them.  My favorite character was Zeus who was great.  I only wish I had a dog that well behaved and trained.

The narrator of this novel, John Bedford Lloyd, had a very pleasant voice.  It was deep, a bit rough and slightly southern.  Of course the whole time I listened to this novel I was picturing Zac and to me the voice didn't fit him, but that is my fault for already putting a face to a character. 

While this book had some good elements it wasn't my favorite, though I am still excited to see the movie. 

Review of Shadow of Night by Deborah Harkness & Giveaway

Title: Shadow of Night (All Souls Trilogy #2)
Author: Deborah Harkness
Published by: Viking Adult
Pages: 584
Source: Viking/Publisher
Format: Finished Review Copy-Hardcover
Available: July 10, 2012
Rating: 5 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Now, picking up from A Discovery of Witches’ cliffhanger ending, Shadow of Night plunges Diana and Matthew into Elizabethan London, a world of spies, subterfuge, and a coterie of Matthew’s old friends, the mysterious School of Night that includes Christopher Marlowe and Walter Raleigh. Here, Diana must locate a witch to tutor her in magic, Matthew is forced to confront a past he thought he had put to rest, and the mystery of Ashmole 782 deepens.

Shadow of Night was phenomenal, enticing, completely unforgettable. 

Deborah Harkness outdid herself with Shadow of Night.  Not only do we continue the compelling story of Matthew, Diana, and all their paranormal friends, we now add the components of time travel and historical fiction.  Deborah Harkness makes this transition flawlessly. 

Matthew and Diana have often had a complex relationship and their trip back in time tested their love for one another.  While neither of these characters are perfect, they still make a formiddable team along with their new circle of friends and allies.  With all of the obstacles the characters have to overcome, the reader gets to see all sides of their personalities.  There was deep character development as each chapter revealed more about Diana, Matthew and everyone else in the story.  Even the supporting characters grew and found a place in your heart.  It is impossible to read Shadow of Night and not become attached to these characters. 

One of the most fascinating aspects of Shadow of Night was that with the time travel aspect many new people were introduced.  These characters will sound quite familiar to everyone who has read a history book, but Deborah Harkness introduces new attributes about them you never would have thought possible. 

I adored the time I spent in 1590 as each description of clothing, food, and entertainment were luscious and detailed.  The story was so gripping and interwoven with love, deceit, scandal, and heartbreak; it was impossible to put down.      



And thanks to the amazing people at Viking I have a Finished copy of Shadow of Night and swag to offer my readers as a giveaway. 

Giveaway Rules:

The contest runs until Monday, July 16, 2012 at 11:59pm (CST)

You must be 13 years of age or older to enter

Leave a comment with your name and email address to enter.

This contest is open to participants both from the US and internationally

Once the email is sent to the winner they will have three days to respond or a new winner will be chosen

**I am not responsible for any lost or damaged items. (I haven't had any lost or damaged and I really hope that none will be)

Review of A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness

Title: A Discovery of Witches Author: Deborah Harkness
Narrator: Jennifer Ikeda
Published by: Penguin Audio
Length: 20 sound discs (24 hr.)
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 4 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Magical, mystical and utterly captivating. A Discovery of Witches is one novel you won't want to miss.

Both Deborah Harkness's words and Jennifer Ikeda voice are spellbinding with beauty and wonder. While this novel is set in modern day Oxford and New York, there is a sense that you are transported back in time to a different world. It may be that Matthew is a centuries old vampire and he gives the novel a timeless feel, but either way you will definitely be transported out of your current location and into this fantastic world.

Even though the title is A Discovery of Witches you will meet many different paranormal characters. Since there are so many characters there is not much character development beyond Diana, Matthew and a few others. However, the world that these characters live in is rich with detail and originality. The buildings themselves are described in great detail, especially Sarah and Em's house which has a mind of its own. The house actually builds more rooms when it knows there will be more visitors. Don't we all wish we had houses like that?

What I really loved about this novel is I felt it covered an area or genre in adult literature that was missing. Sure there are many paranormal romances, but this novel felt more like literary fiction that had paranormal elements than a paranormal book. It was intriguing to take what I normally read about in young adult literature or the fore-mentioned paranormal romances and bring it into adult fiction. I think that Deborah Harkness fill that gap wonderfully.

The audio of this novel was amazing. I had a hard time turning it off and would sit for hours at night just listening to it. It was engaging and the cadence of Jennifer Ikeda voice was perfect. While I did really enjoy this audio it was a long one at 20 cds so make sure you set aside some time or you'll find the dishes not being done and the laundry piling up just get in one more chapter.

   

Review of Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer

Title: Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Author: Jonathan Safran Foer
Narrators: Jeff Woodman, Barbara Caruso, and Richard Ferrone
Published by: Recorded Books
Length: 10 sound discs (11 hr.)
Source: Library
Format: Audio
Rating: 3 stars

Summary from Goodreads: Nine-year-old Oskar Schell is a precocious Francophile who idolizes Stephen Hawking and plays the tambourine extremely well. He's also a boy struggling to come to terms with his father's death in the World Trade Center attacks. As he searches New York City for the lock that fits a mysterious key he left behind, Oskar discovers much more than he could have imagined.

I really wanted to love this book and I defiantly tried, but I just didn't.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the book and I liked it, but I wasn't blown away like I thought I'd be. 

This may have something to do with the audio or it may not.  I was often confused while listening to the audio and I felt like things were repeated often.  I'm not sure if this occurred in the book or if I was missing something by listening to it instead of reading it.  The narrators were good and evoked many emotions.  Their voices really seemed to fit each character and helped me to picture them easier.  I was just often confused as the story seemed to jump back and forth. 

I did really enjoy the story.  It was so much more than it says for the description of the book.  Sure it involved the story of Oskar and his search for truth, but there was also the story of his grandparents and of each of the "Blacks" he visited.  I really enjoyed meeting each character and hearing a little bit about them.  I felt there were so many connections between people that were explored in this novel and that made Oskar grow as a person and come closer to finding his own truth. 

The characters were interesting and they all seemed to grow and yet at the same time they also seemed to settle.  (Does that even make sense?)  There were some heart-wrenching moments that invoked deep emotions and there were also some laugh-out-loud moments.  I never knew quite what to expect out of the characters but they were fun to get to know.

Usually I'm a huge audio fan, so I was sad that this one didn't work out for me as well as I hoped.  Maybe someday I'll "re-read" the book and see if my opinions change. 

Adult Review of Sleeping Tigers by Holly Robinson

Title: Sleeping Tigers

Author: Holly Robinson

Published by: CreateSpace
Pages: 258
Source: Author
Format: Paperback
Rating:★★★★★

Summary from Goodreads: Jordan O'Malley has everything she ever wanted: a job she loves, a beautiful home, and a dependable boyfriend. When her life unravels after a breast cancer scare, Jordan decides to join her wildest childhood friend in San Francisco and track down her drifter brother, Cam, who harbors secrets of his own.

When Cam suddenly flees the country, Jordan follows, determined to bring him home. Her journey takes her to the farthest reaches of majestic Nepal, where she encounters tests—and truths—about love and family that she never could have imagined.

This was the perfect vacation read.  Jordan is a little lost in life.  She had a major medical scare and now wants to make sure her life means something.  Jordan is a very likable character.  She's down-to-earth and very easy to relate to.  She's responsible and even though she wants to get away from it all and live a little carefree, she still is grounded in reality and willing to except what comes her way.

My favorite thing about this novel is that I felt like I was soul searching right along with Jordan.  Everything in this novel could happen to any of us at any time and that made it real for me.  Also I had just recently visited San Francisco so a lot of the settings were still vivid pictures in my mind. The scenes set in Nepal were descriptively breathtaking and made me a bit envious of Jordan's journey.   

Another aspect of this novel that I really loved was the strong connection of family.  Even though both Jordan and Cam are grown, they come to realize how much they still need each other in their life.  It's too bad that it took some extreme circumstances for both of them to realise that, but sometimes people need a big "push" to make things happen.  It also gave hope that people can change over time.  This is something that I think we all hold on to, so it was nice to have it "proven" in a novel. 

Overall I really enjoyed this novel.  It made me feel happy and content while reading it and I look forward to reading more from this author. 

Adult Review of Lover Unbound by J.R. Ward

Title: Lover Unbound (Black Dagger Brotherhood #5)

Author: J.R. Ward

Published by: Penguin Group
Pages: 528
Source: Bought
Format: ebook
Rating: ★★★★

Summary from Goodreads:  The ruthless and brilliant brother Vishous possesses a destructive curse and a frightening ability to see the future. As a member of the Brotherhood, he has no interest in love or emotion, only the battle with the Lessening Society. But when a mortal injury puts him in the care of a human surgeon, Dr. Jane Whitcomb compels him to reveal his inner pain and taste true pleasure for the first time-until a destiny he didn't choose takes him into a future that does not include her...

Hot, sexy and completely yummy.  Vishous has lived a hard life.  Harder than many could even imagine.  I was quite surprised when I learned about his background.  I really shouldn't have been because it seems that each of the brothers led a harsh life before they came into the Black Dagger Brotherhood, but still after the shock of Zsadist's story I thought all the horror was behind us.  Vishous not only lives with the memories of his past, but also has to live everyday with a curse that could hurt those around him.

After a couple of crazy surprises and mixed emotions, Vishous is seriously injured and left in the hands of Dr. Jane Whitcomb.  Jane is strong willed, determined, and a great match for Vishous.  (Though I'm definitely thinking I would have been the better match.) They have the greatest chemistry because it's not all lovey and sappy.  They challenge each other, which seems to only add fuel to their already smoking fire.  While the other couples of the Black Dagger Brotherhood were hot, Vishous and Jane were Apocalyptic, burning meteor scorching.   

I came to really care about Vishous in Lover Unbound.  His story was one of overcoming challenges and finding out his true identity.  While Zsadist's story was heartbreaking and amazing, Vishous is my vampire though and though.  I take him and everything that come with his life including his past, Butch, his penthouse, and his mother.  That leaves me with the ending of Lover Unbound.  Seriously, seriously, seriously.  Are you flipping kidding me?  So ridiculously upset by this ending.  I felt it was more than a tad bit cruel.  Hasn't he been though enough?

So may I serve as a warning.  Lover Unbound is simply amazing, but watch out for the ending.