Anne Bishop – The Shadow Queen

The seventh book in the Black Jewels series, published March 3, 2009.
Genre: fantasy romance
Cover: nice
Re-read for the seventh time. When Karin recommend this series, I could not resist picking these two books up again, and I allow myself one review post a year from a re-read book. So if you have been following my reviews for a while, you probably have read this one before. And if you have not yet read this series, what are you waiting for?



Dena Nehele is a decimated land. Once it was ruled by corrupt Queens who were wiped out when the land was cleansed of tainted Blood. Now, only one hundred Warlord Princes stand … without a leader and without hope.
Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, desperate to restore Dena Nehele. But first he needs to find a Queen who knows Protocol, remembers the Blood's code of honor and lives by the Old Ways. Languishing in the Shadow Realm, Lady Cassidy is a Queen without a court, a castoff. But when she is chosen to rule Dena Nehele, she must convince bitter men to serve once again.
Theran’s cousin Gray is a Warlord Prince who was damaged in mind and body by the vicious Queens who once ruled Dena Nehele. Yet something about Cassidy makes him want to serve - and makes him believe he can be made whole again.
And only Cassidy can prove to Gray – and to herself – that wounds can heal and even the whisper of a promise can be fulfilled.


I think I have read this book 4 or 5 times now, and I still love it. There is not as much tragedy as in the first books in this series, and I love revisiting this realm time and again. The worldbuilding is just awesome, and I love everything about it.

3 years ago, the evil Queens and those of the Blood they had tainted, were destroyed by Jaenelle, the Queen of Ebon Askavi. A great cost to herself, and those she loves. Dena Nahele is the country that suffered the most. After the purging, the landens rose against The Blood, and now there are no Queens left, and only one hundred Warlord Princes. They need a Queen to rule them, to keep their volatile and aggressive tempers in check. Theran Grayhaven is the last of his line, and the Queens who ruled the country before evil took over, were from his family (see: the Invisible Ring). He will take the quest to ask for a favor from Daemon Sadi, as he once helped his ancestors fight of Dorothea SaDiablo for a little longer, also as he has now the highest ranking Jewels in Dena Nahele.
Unfortunately for Theran, he does not find Daemon at the Keep, but Saetan SaDiablo, and he does not recognize the higher power at all, and is kind of insulting. He does not even want to tell his name. Saetan is still very protective of Daemon, and doesn’t like Theran. But Daemon agrees to see Theran, and he is send over to SaDiablo Hall where he is really shocked that the butler is a Red Jeweled Warlord, which means he outranks Theran.
Theran also dismisses Jeanelle because of her looks, he cannot sense the power within her, which means he has failed the most important test already. But Jeanelle wants to hear his request, as she has seen something in a tangled web that concerns Dena Nahele.
When Theran asks for Daemon’s help in convincing a Queen from Kaeleer to come back with him and rule Dena Nahele, Jeanelle knows the perfect woman. She is not a strong Queen, she only wears the Rose Jewel, but she knows the old ways and Protocal, and that is what Theran needs. As she is also not beautiful, as Theran thinks a Queen should be, he doesn’t like her on sight, and is disappointed that he did not get more choices. Daemon also forces some heavy rules on him, and he is to report weakly to him. There will be a trial period of one year for now. And the thing that Theran is most upset about, he will have to accept the Purple Dusk jeweled Sceltie witch Lady Vae with him. She will help train him in Protocol and the old ways.

Cassidy is an unhappy Queen, living with her parents again. She has ruled two small villages before, and she really thought she was a good Queen, but her whole first circle dropped her for a young and vibrant girl who charmed them all. And without a first circle, a Queen is not really a Queen. But now she has the chance to mean something for a whole country, and teach them the old ways. She is determined to do right by Dena Nahele and all the inhabitants, be they Blood or Landen.
Theran organizes for Cassidy to meet all the Warlord Princes and Warlords left in Dena Nahele, so she can choose her Court. She needs 12 males to serve her, and Theran himself will be her First Escort. Those males are rebels and rogues, living in secret camps in the mountains for the past few centuries, and fighting the evil Queens and their warriors when ever necessary. They are not used to serving a Queen, and not really willing to either. But they know they need a Queen if the land is to be fertile again.

And so Cassie’s rule begins, and it is difficult, as especially Theran opposes most of her ideas as he just doesn’t like her, and doesn’t want her for his Queen. As the last Grayhaven the rest of the Court look up to him, and as they reside in his families’ mansion, they mostly defer to him. But when Lucivar drops by for a visit, he teaches them the importance of learning Protocol and following the old ways. And slowly a real Court starts to form.

Then there is Prince Gray. He was tortured as a young boy, and has not really grown up since. Scarred inside and out, and too afraid to live inside the family mansion. But when he sees Cassie for the first time, something starts to change inside of him, and he wants to become more as he could have been.


As typed before, I really love this book and all the characters inside. Well, except for Theran who is a superficial ass. Sure his life has not been easy, but it was better than most thanks to his last name and heritage.
I love the story itself, how they are struggling to rebuild their country, and reunite the people in it. Cassie is not young, or pretty, but she is capable, and with some help she really is the Queen they need. And that Theran just cannot see that, is his loss. I loved how this bunch of males get used to forming a Court, and taking care of their Queen.
One of the best parts, to watch Gray grow slowly into his own. And yes, he does recognize the power in Jeanelle, and becomes friends of a sort with the most scary males in this realm. I loved how he got advice about life and love from Daemon and Lucivar and Saetan.

There are also little peeks in the lives of Daemon and Jeanelle, Lucivar and Marian, and Saetan, and I enjoy that very much. The Kindred, I sure love all of those. Theran really deserves Lady Vae and she does not hesitate to bite him if he doesn’t listen to her.


I do recommend this book to all lovers of fantasy romance. Anne Bishop really is the best in this genre. If you haven’t read this series yet, you are missing out on a great adventure.

10 stars.

© 2013 Reviews by Aurian

Jayne Ann Krentz – River Road

A novel, published January 7, 2014.
Genre: romantic suspense
Cover: not original.



It's been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she'd been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party—by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing. Obviously Mason Fletcher—only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up—was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue.
Now, returning after her aunt's fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night—and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who'd targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found.
A lot has changed in thirteen years. Lucy now works for a private investigation firm as a forensic genealogist, while Mason has quit the police force to run a successful security firm with his brother—though he still knows his way around a wrench when he fills in at his uncle's local hardware store. Even Summer River has changed, from a sleepy farm town into a trendy upscale spot in California's wine country. But Mason is still a protector at heart, a serious (and seriously attractive) man. And when he and Lucy make a shocking discovery inside Sara's house, and some of Tristan's old friends start acting suspicious, Mason's quietly fierce instincts kick into gear. He saved Lucy once, and he'll save her again. But this time, she insists on playing a role in her own rescue . . .


When Lucy was sixteen years old, she was staying for the summer with her aunt in Summer River. Her parents were divorced, and she still had trouble accepting that. Lucy was a nice and responsible girl, so going to a wild party given by some older teenagers, was not something in her character. But the most popular girl in school had invited her at the lat moment, and her aunt Lucy and her girlfriend were out of town, so why not?
But she did not really like the drugs and alcohol they were all having, and had made her mind up about walking back home, when Mason Fletcher arrived, intent of taking her back with him. Of course it was embarrassing to be taken away like that, but driving at night alone with Mason should be very romantic. If he ever looked at her like she wanted. But he was just lecturing her, like the responsible almost adult he was, and made her promise to stay clear from Tristan in the future.

The next day, Lucy was put on the plane by her aunt though, and was told never to return. Her parents kept a very close watch on her for a whole week, until her aunt called that Tristan was missing and supposed dead, that Lucy was safe. Of course Lucy was never told that Tristan had intended to drug and rape her at that party. She never went back to Summer River either, but she did stay in close contact with her aunt Sara and her friend Mary. They visited Lucy often, and they went on holidays together.

And now Lucy’s aunt Sara and her friend Mary have died in a car accident, and Sara has left everything to Lucy. She will have to go back and close up the house and put it up for sale. The house itself is old and gloomy, but the land it is standing on is worth a small fortune, as Summer River has become a very popular tourist attraction in the new wine country. Farms and orchards have made place for vineyards and rich people’s mansions, and the small village has a lot of trendy boutiques and restaurants.

And then there is the hardware store, which has not changed at all, and really does not fit in between the chic art gallery and restaurant next door. But Lucy is glad it is there, as she needs some new lightbulbs and tools, and some advice on contractors. To her big surprise, Mason Fletcher is behind the counter. His uncle bought the store years ago, so aunt Sara had told her, when he resigned his commission from the army. Mason has not changed much, he has grown into the man he promised to become, and still looks mighty fine to Lucy!
And Mason sure is happy that little Lucy has become all grown up too; he hasn’t felt this instant attraction to a woman since his marriage fell apart. So when she needs help at her aunt’s house he quickly offers himself, and invites himself to dinner at the same time. As Lucy is on a tight budget and time frame, she only has two weeks off from her job, she accepts his offer of help. But when after dinner Mason starts working on tiles that are blocking the beautiful old fireplace, they sure are not ready for what they find inside. A body! Could her aunt Sara really kill Tristan and hide his body for thirteen years? She was a vegan before it was invented and would not even hurt a spider! But it sure explains why she never wanted Lucy to visit again.

Other things start happening, and Lucy is determined to get to the bottom of it all. Apart from her aunt’s estate, Lucy also inherited some important and very valuable shares from Mary, in her family’s company, and all the other shareholders are very intent on having her sell those shares back to them. Apparently there is a multimillion dollar merger at stake. But Lucy doesn’t believe anymore that it was a normal carcrash that killed Sara and Mary, and she is determined to find out the truth. With Mason’s help.


I’ve been looking forward to this new Jayne Ann Krentz book for a while now. Although I really enjoy her Arcane and other paranormal series, she used to be very good at writing “straight” romantic suspense. But having read this book in one afternoon, I am smiling to myself, as she just can’t let the psychic part completely out of her new book. Lucy’s aunt Sara sure sounds not only eccentric, but psychic to me.

I really liked Lucy, she was calm and unflappable about the things that happened, perhaps in some instances a bit too much. She did not fall apart after being attacked with a glass of beer, or after finding a dead body in the fireplace. Mason tried to take charge of Lucy a few times, but she never let him get away with it, and I liked her for that. You go girl, it is your life and your decisions to make!
Mason was a real hero as I like them. Immediately sure that Lucy is the one, and wanting to protect her at all costs, but not unreasonable or smothering. He let her set the pace of the relationship, and did not push too much, but made it clear he wanted her.

Now, the mystery part, that one was good. I never for one instant suspected the person who was behind it all. I was focused on Mary’s family, the patriarch, his money grubbing second wife, his weak son and his wife. Who is also the girl that invited Lucy to that party 13 years ago. And who invites her to a party at the winery this time, where she gets confronted by all those family members.

I enjoyed reading about this small village and how the hype of vineyards have changed it in just a decade. It was a really nice setting, but this is a real character driven story. I liked the main characters, but also the secondary characters a lot. Like Mason’s uncle and his lady friend, Lucy’s old friend and even the ones I suspected. A colourful lot. I think the start of the book, what happened 13 years ago, lays a nice ground for the story in the now. I am not much a fan of flashbacks through out a story, and now you know what happened.

I do recommend this book if you like romantic suspense. It is not a thriller, but it is a really nice read. And it surprised me at times.

8 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Recommendations from Maya for February 2014.

In order to bring some more variety to my blog, I have asked some of my bookish friends to tell about the books they have in the past month, and to give us a recommendation. Today’s post is made by Maia from Holland.

Maia: Last month I've read nine books.

My reading time was severely limited, last month, because of work and a mastercourse at the university. I only had time for some short romantica stories, three books by Nora Roberts and one book by Jayne Anne Krentz.

My top three is:

River Road - Jayne Anne Krentz



Savour the moment – Nora Roberts



Happy ever after – Nora Roberts




The one I can recommend to all Aurian's readers is:

River Road by Jayne Anne Krentz



It's been thirteen years since Lucy Sheridan was in Summer River. The last time she visited her aunt Sara there, as a teenager, she'd been sent home suddenly after being dragged out of a wild party—by the guy she had a crush on, just to make it more embarrassing. Obviously Mason Fletcher—only a few years older but somehow a lot more of a grown-up—was the overprotective type who thought he had to come to her rescue.
Now, returning after her aunt's fatal car accident, Lucy is learning there was more to the story than she realized at the time. Mason had saved her from a very nasty crime that night—and soon afterward, Tristan, the cold-blooded rich kid who'd targeted her, disappeared mysteriously, his body never found.
A lot has changed in thirteen years. Lucy now works for a private investigation firm as a forensic genealogist, while Mason has quit the police force to run a successful security firm with his brother—though he still knows his way around a wrench when he fills in at his uncle's local hardware store. Even Summer River has changed, from a sleepy farm town into a trendy upscale spot in California's wine country. But Mason is still a protector at heart, a serious (and seriously attractive) man. And when he and Lucy make a shocking discovery inside Sara's house, and some of Tristan's old friends start acting suspicious, Mason's quietly fierce instincts kick into gear. He saved Lucy once, and he'll save her again. But this time, she insists on playing a role in her own rescue . . .


This book was perfect for my needs. No great drama, no nail biting suspense. This is a book that I could read, but also put down when I had to do other things.
But saying that, I also enjoyed this story immensely. JAK is one of my favorite writers by far. When I started reading romance, she stood out. I like the way she writes her heroes and especially her heroines. I admit, in her early days she had a bit of alpha a-holes in her short stories, but the heroes of her novels redeemed her.
Mason is another winner. He is caring, considerate, but "You don't want to mess with Mason Fletcher". He has a protector’s heart and he cares for Lucy. The love blossoming between them flows naturally, starting from a foundation that was laid down thirteen years ago.
Lucy knows what she wants and doesn't let anybody tell her what to do. She wants to know what happened to her aunt and knows it has its roots in the events all those years ago. She accepts the help of Mason and they are a good team.
The suspense bit was predictable, but enjoyable. I liked the sound of ALICE and Mason's brother Aaron, I hope we'll know more of them, some day.
As an amateur genealogist it was great to read about heir-hunters, I would like to hear more of that. I've also seen a BBC program about it and it sounds intriguing.

Concluding, a great book for a couple of hours easy reading. And I'm off to buy some pink screwdrivers!

Aurian: Thanks for the recommendation Maia! I’ve also read this book this weekend, and my review will post tomorrow.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Tate Hallaway – Tall, Dark & Dead

The first book in the Garnet Lacey series, published May 2, 2006.
Genre: urban fantasy / paranormal romance
Cover: fun



The line between magic and sanity is very thin. That’s part of why I, Garnet Lacy, quit cold turkey. Never touch the stuff. No exceptions.
But magic is so addictive … and my inner Goddess Lilith, is hard to resist. Besides, restraint isn’t easy when you manage Wisconsin’s occult bookstore, and get customers like Sebastian Von Traum - piercing brown eyes, a sexy accent, and a killer body in black leather and denim. The only thing missing is an aura. Which means he's dead.
That means trouble. I guess I’m a sucker for it. The Vatican witch hunters are on to us. My long-lost vampire ex has crawled out of the woodwork looking for action. And Sebastian’s frustrated ex is stirring in her grave.
What's a girl to do if she's hot for a dead man walking? Run like hell-and take full advantage of the nights…


For years I had the second book in this series on my shelves, and every time I wanted to read it, I went: o no I can’t, this is book 2, I want to read book 1 first! A few months ago I finally bought the rest of the series, so now I could start reading it. I am really not sure if I like this series though. The cover suggests something fun and light, and it is not light. This book has a lot of violence in it.

The book started strong, Garnet Lacy, the heroine, talking to her cat who is also her familiar. And she can sort of read the bodylanguage of the cat to know what she is telling her back. Then thinking back of what happened to make her flee Minnesota to this small town she is not living in, makes the goddess Lilith take over her body. And that is never good.
Garnet’s coven was murdered a few years ago by Vatican Witchhunters, and as Garnet was late, as usual, she escaped the slaughter, but walked in on it. And by channelling the goddess Lilith, she took her revenge on the witchhunters, killing them all. And now Lilith has taken residence inside of Garnet, and sometimes takes over her body. And when that happens, Garnet usually finds dead bodies and a lot of damage when she regains consciousness again.

And then a tall, dark and gorgeous man walks into her magic shop, asking for mandrake. He has to be a powerful warlock, perhaps a necromancer. How else could he have no aura like a vampire, and be able to walk around in daylight, drink coffee and eat normal food? Yes, he asked Garnet out for coffee in the coffeeshop next door. But when Sebastian Von Traum (which means the Dream in German) leaves suddenly, a strange woman is suddenly very interested in what Garnet knows about him, and Garnet recognizes her as a witchhunter. She really needs to leave town immediately, and warn Sebastian.

Luckily, he left his card with his address at her shop, as she had to special order the mandrake root for him. When he doesn’t answer the phone, she will just have to get her bicycle and drive out to his farm. There is a storm brewing, but that is not important, she will have to warn him. When she finally arrives, soaking wet, there is no sign of Sebastian, but the door is open so she enters the house. Only to be attacked by a vicious poltergeist. Channelling Lilith saves her, but also leaves her unconscious. When she comes to, it is late and Sebastian has undressed her, and put her clothes in the dryer. She really cannot go home tonight. Fighting the attraction between them, Garnet sleeps on the couch that night, but the next morning they can’t keep apart any longer. As Sebastian is a vampire after all, Garnet expects him to be cold to the touch, like her ex-boyfriend, but he is warm. And the sex is amazing.

Garnet learns a lot about Sebastian, especially when she is found naked in his house by his son, who is a dhampir, and tells her all about his father and how he has buried his mother alive. He certainly holds a grudge.

When she gets home that afternoon, she finds her ex-boyfriend waiting for her in her house. She broke up with him months ago, and after that, he still helped her get rid of the bodies. But now those have surfaced and the FBI is looking into the case. The witchhunters will be after her again, and if he could find her so easily, so can they. But when he finds out she has taken Sebastian’s grimoire (Lilith made her) his plans change immediately.

What follows is a fast paced story, filled with violence and blood, and Garnet trying to do the right thing and not kill anymore. Her vampire lovers have no such qualms though, and Garnet will protect her human friends.


I did like the story, but there are parts I really disliked as well. Like Garnet going from Sebastian’s arms into her ex’s arms on the same day. At first she wants to forget all about Sebastian, and then she risks everything to safe him again. I was also expecting more cat-Garnet interaction, perhaps some help with her magic, isn’t that what familiars do? But no, her cat is allergic to magic, and plays virtually no role in the rest of the book.

I liked the friends, especially her geeky shop assistant, who tries to find himself in embracing all sorts of cultures. From Druids to Goth to Trekkies and everything in between.

Yes, I will read the next book but am not in a particular hurry to do that.

7 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

New additions to my addiction

My second new additions post for 2014. I think I lucked out at the bookstore, because two days later they closed down the whole chain! I wonder if they will reopen at all, but I buy all my books online and have been doing for years. It is just so much cheaper.

From Bookdepository:
Sabrina Jeffries – When the Rogue Returns
Lisa Shearin – The Grendel Affair
Lisa Shearin – Con and Conjure
Lisa Shearin – All spell breaks loose
Faith Hunter - Black Arts (finally!)
Joanne Fluke – Red Velvet Cupcake Murder
Lynn Viehl – Disenchanted & Co.
Yasmine Galenorn – Crimson Veil
Pamela Palmer – Wulfe Untamed
Patricia Briggs – Raven’s Strike

Sale at Bookstore in Utrecht:
Cheyenne McCray – Vampires dead ahead
Linda Wisdom – Hex Appeal
Mark del Franco – Undone Deeds

Secondhand Books:
L.J. Smith – Huntress
L.J. Smith – Black Dawn
L.J. Smith – Witchlight
L.J. Smith – The return - Nightfall
L.J. Smith – The return – Shadow Souls
L.J. Smith – The Fury
L.J. Smith – The Reunion
L.J. Smith – Secret vampire
L.J. Smith – Daughters of Darkness
L.J. Smith – Enchantress
Susan Elizabeth Phillips – Heaven, Texas
Clive Cussler – Dirk Pitt, revealed

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Margaret Ronald – Spiral Hunt

The first book in the Evie Scelan series, published January 7, 2009.
Genre: urban fantasy
Cover: different, intriguing if you look longer



Some people have the Sight. Genevieve Scelan has the Scent.
They call her "Hound," and with her unique supernatural sense Evie can track nearly anything - lost keys, vanished family heirlooms . . . even missing people. And though she knows to stay out of the magical undercurrent that runs beneath Boston's historic streets, a midnight phone call from a long-vanished lover will destroy the careful boundaries she has drawn. Now, to pay a years-old debt, Evie must venture into the shadowy world that lies between myth and reality, where she will find betrayal, conspiracies, and revelations that will shatter all she believes about herself and the city she claims as home.
When the Hunt is on, the Hound must run . . .


Genevieve “Evie” Scelan is a bike messenger for her daily job and a private investigator using her nose to find lost things or people on the side. Her world is a dangerous world, where using magic will get you the attention of the Fiana, and that is not something you want. They are like a magical mafia, and they control everyone who uses magic.

When Evie gets a phone call in the middle of the night, from an almost forgotten ex-boyfriend, the trouble starts. Somehow, Frank is not the only one talking to her, and while he seems determined to get out of Boston, she needs to find out if he succeeded. But following Frank’s scent is bringing back more memories than she cares for, and gets her into contact with some old classmates.
While visiting Frank’s parents, to see if they know anything, she walks into Brendan Corrigan, who seems to be clueless about the magic regime in Boston, and who saves her life when one of her informants tries to pull a gun on her. She doesn’t understand how he can be so powerful, without using the normal loci.

When her best friend Rena, who is a police officer, asks her to come and look at something, that something is Frank’s corpse, completely covered in blue runes. His head had aged way beyond normal, while his body was still young and strong. They have no idea what to make of that, but when Rena digs into the police archives; she stumbles upon some similar cold cases from 30 years ago.

Evies other good friend Sarah hires her to find some chainstones, and it all gets more complicated when Evie smells them in the nursing home she and Rena are visiting, to get some more information from the previous coroner of the cases.

Mrs. Crowe, the old woman who smells like the chainstones, goes missing from the nursing home the next day, and when Evie smells Sarah, she feels betrayed by her friend. Why would she do something like that? And is that old lady really the Goddess Brigid?

Evie stumbles upon the horrible truth when she gets caught by the Fiana herself, but she also learns more about her own past and her ancestors. What should she believe, what should she do? Who can she trust?


I have to admit, I had a very hard time finishing this book. If not Melissa from My World in Words and Pages had told me to continue reading, as the next two books will be very good and unique, this would have become a DNF. But I finished the book, and I really did not like it very much. There is just too little explained about the world, the bad guys and what is really happening. It is all very sparsely discovered by Evie and to me; it doesn’t make a lot of sense. Even though I really like Celtic mythology, it is just too unreal, to0 difficult/strange to believe in.

I do have the rest of the series, so I will probably read them, but that won’t be soon.

I did like Evie for her perseverance, but there is so little background on her, I don’t know enough about her to really like her and root for her. She cared for her mother, who made her promise again and again to be careful, and when she became mortally ill, she helped her terminate herself, if we have to believe Evie’s nightmares. It all gets mixed up with her dreams of the old Mrs. Crowe, who is more than she seems to be.

There are some guys in the book, Nate, a friend who is acting like a father to his much younger sister now their mother is dead. Will, another friend who gets under the spell of the Fiana and suffers for it. Brendan, who was posing as a possible love interest and who was anything but. And her two female friends, a police officer and the owner of a magic shop who wants to be more than a hedge witch.
And lots of scary powerful bad people.

If I did make you curious, you should try this book. If you can’t make head or tails from my review, I don’t blame you. It is not an easy book to read. Here is the interview that convinced me to keep on reading:
Melissa's blog


6 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

New books to look forward to for February 2014

This is the list of new releases for the month of February 2014 I am looking forward to:

Lara Adrian – Crave the night – Midnight Breed HC
Robin Kaye – Had to be you – Bad boys of Red Hook 3
Bella Andre – Come a little bit closer – Sullivans 7
Debbie Macomber – North to Alaska
J.D. Robb – Concealed in Death – In Death 38 HC
Jayne Castle – Sinister and Fatal – Guinevere Jones 2
Jennifer Estep – Killer Frost – Mythos Academy 6
Joanne Fluke – Red Velvet Cupcake Murder – Hannah Swensen 17 PB
Joanne Fluke – Blackberry Pie Murder – Hannah Swensen 18 HC
Kate Collins – Throw in the Trowel – Flower Shop Mystery 15
Kim Harrison – The undead pool – Rachel Morgan 12 HC
Lucy Arlington – Books, Cooks and Crooks – Novel Idea Mystery 3
Marjorie M. Liu – Labyrinth of Stars – Hunter Kiss 5
Susan Sizemore – Blood2blood – Laws of the Blood 7

I have read a total of 19 books and 2 short stories this month.

Did I match my reading solutions for last month?
I have read 5 cozy mysteries:
- Julie Hyzy – Fonduing Fathers
- Ellery Adams – Pecan Pies and Homicides
- Heather Webber – Trouble in Spades
- Julie Hyzy – Home of the Braised
- Joanne Fluke – Red Velvet Cupcake Murder

6 books longer than 1 year on my shelf:
- Raymond E. Feist and Janny Wurts – Mistress of the Empire
- Lisa Shearin – Magic lost, trouble found
- Lisa Shearin – Armed and Magical
- Nora Roberts – The winning hand
- Erin McCarthy – Smart Mouth
- Heather Webber – Trouble in Spades

1 book I have won:
- Celia Breslin – Vampire Code

and 2 Kindle freebie or Nora Roberts (paper)book (I did both):
- Nora Roberts – The winning hand
- Erica Hayes – Shadow Kisses

So 2014 started of really well, challenge wise. I really do hope the day job will be less demanding so I won’t be too tired to read in the evenings. Otherwise Goodreads will keep telling me I am behind on my challenge.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian