Recommendations from Maia for March 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 eight books. My reading time is still limited, because of work and a mastercourse at the university. But I've read some great books. A re-read glom of Jennifer Ashley's McKenzie series and three other books.

My top three of this month is:

1. Anne Bishop - Murder of crows



2. J.D. Robb - Concealed in Death



3. Jennifer Ashley - The madness of Lord Ian McKenzie




The one I can recommend to all Aurian's readers is:
Murder of Crows by Anne Bishop



Return to New York Times bestselling author Anne Bishop's "phenomenal" (Urban Fantasy Investigations) world of the Others - where supernatural entities and humans struggle to co-exist, and one woman has begun to change all the rules...
After winning the trust of the terra indigene residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more.
The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murder of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard - Lakeside's shape-shifting leader - wonders if their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or a future threat.
As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now, the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet - and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.


I've been reading this book in two evenings. Hated to have to go to work/to sleep to stop reading. After the great first instalment of this series I was very anxious to read this book. Would it be as great?
Almost!

I loved reading more about the world Anne has created. It is different and beautiful and scary. The humans are not the top predators and a lot of people are starting to resent that. And that's very dangerous to humans living in Thaisia.
I love the relationships. Between Simon and Meg, between Meg and the Others, between the Others and the people of the Courtyard, Meg's pack.
There is less humour in this book, compared to the first. I understand why Simon kept Sam away, but I missed him! Also less Elementals and ponies.
The romantic relationship between Simon and Meg grows, but at a slow pace. Both are not yet ready to commit and a lot stands between them. I really want to see this develop more in the next book(s). Simon is so adorable when he thinks about her!
The bad guys are creepy and I love that they get what's coming to them. There isn't much action, until the end, and Meg knows what to do with a broom and a teakettle!

Concluding. It wasn't as great as the first book, but very nearly as good. I will be rereading it soon, to savour it more, in my free time.

Aurian: Thanks for the recommendation Maia! I have read all three of them, and Murder of Crows yesterday. I loved it very much, but not as much as the first one. It is still very good though, and head and shoulders above a lot of other series I have read. If you enjoyed Written in Red, you need to read this one. If you haven’t started yet, what are you waiting for? You are missing out on a great series.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Misa Ramirez – Living the Vida Lola

The first book in the Lola Cruz Mystery series, published January 8, 2008
Genre: cozy mystery
Cover: fun



Dolores "Lola" Cruz loves shoes, kung fu, and her job as an underling at Camacho and Associates, a private investigation firm in Sacramento. After a year and a half on the job, her sexy and mysterious boss, Manny Camacho, finally assigns Lola her first big case--a woman's disappearance.
If Lola gets it right, it could mean a big bump up the career ladder. But this is no grocery store stakeout. The woman turns up dead and the same thing could happen to Lola if she doesn't watch her back. Complicating matters are the reappearance of Jack Callaghan, the gorgeous guy who first inspired Lola to surveil in high school; and her loving but meddling family that she still lives with. Can Lola solve the murder, reconnect with her long-time crush, and help her cousin's quinceañera go off without a hitch?


It took me a while to get into this book. I am still not sure if Lola is smart, or fluffy, and things just come to her. As I don’t speak or read Spanish, I did not really like all the Spanish/Mexican words used by all the characters. I am Dutch, I can read French, German and English besides my own language. But Spanish is mostly beyond me. So not knowing what precisely was being said, time and again, threw me out of the story.

Lola is a beautiful 27 year old woman, still living at home, in an apartment above her parents house, shared with her brother. They are both saving for their own house, and enjoy the cheap rent. But Lola is starting to feel the constant company and censure of her parents. They don’t like her dangerous job, and want her to do something safe, and preferably work in the family restaurant full time, get married and give them a lot of grandchildren.
When Lola was 15, she had this huge crush on the most popular guy in school, and kind of stalked him where ever he went. She even made pictures, and caught him once in the backseat of his car with another girl. She still has the picture of a naked Jack in her dresser drawer … And now Jack is back in town, and as he was her brother Antonio’s best friend, she is bound to run into him again. Does she want to see him, or would it be too embarrassing?

Lola likes her job as a private investigator, she likes her colleagues, except for Sadie, who seems to do her best to discredit Lola. But her handsome boss, Manny, has faith in her. He gives her an important case, a missing mother, and Lola is determined to find her. Talking with whomever knew Emily, she stumbles upon a sad tale, a mother grieving for her dead son, and wanting someone to blame for it. But she went to the wrong people to get help, or did someone kill her for a different reason altogether?
And now Lola is following the same route Emily did, and someone is really not happy about that. Is someone trying to scare her off, or is someone really trying to kill her? And not caring if she is alone or not. Her family wants her to quit her job, and Jack is also not happy with the danger she puts herself in, but he does stand beside her.

Lola tries to matchmake between her friend and co-worker Reilly and her brother Antonia, who is really not interested, and Antonio sets her up with Jack. And every time things get nice and hot, something interferes. I did not really like her brother, as he tries to embarrass her in front of Jack a few times too often, that was no longer teasing. And he could be nicer to Reilly or just tell her kindly he is not interested. Not just try to run away.


I did like parts of the book, and parts were confusing. I never got a good enough grip on the story to make me figure out the killer or the plot, and it was not all that difficult, but very convoluted. I do have the other two books in this series, and I will read them someday. I liked Lola for the most part, she is feisty, she is feminine and still though. She also refuses to carry a gun, as she does not want to accidentally shoot the wrong person. She is good at Kung Fu, and as she says so herself, her body is her weapon.

Still, it was a fun story, and the attraction between Lola and Jack is off the charts, I enjoyed those parts. But both Jack and her boss Manny are very secretive about their past loves, and now Lola is determined to find out. Is Manny really interested in Lola, or just using her to make Sadie jealous?

Lola’s parents are the oldfashioned kind; a woman’s place is not in a man’s job. She needs to get married and have children, and work in the family restaurant. I do feel very sorry for Lola, as her mother tries to make her feel guilty every single day for not listening to her, but well, it is Lola’s life.

6 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

J.D. Robb – Concealed in Death

Book 38 in the In Death series, published February 18, 2014.
Genre: futuristic romantic suspense
Cover: ugly, like they all are



The incomparable J. D. Robb presents the latest moving and suspenseful novel in the #1 New York Times - bestselling Eve Dallas series.

In a decrepit, long-empty New York building, Lieutenant Eve Dallas's husband begins the demolition process by swinging a sledgehammer into a wall. When the dust clears, there are two skeletons wrapped in plastic behind it. He summons his wife immediately - and by the time she's done with the crime scene, there are twelve murders to be solved.
The place once housed a makeshift shelter for troubled teenagers, back in the mid-2040s, and Eve tracks down the people who ran it. Between their recollections and the work of the force's new forensic anthropologist, Eve begins to put names and faces to the remains. They are all young girls. A tattooed tough girl who dealt in illegal drugs. The runaway daughter of a pair of well-to-do doctors. They all had their stories. And they all lost their chance for a better life.
Then Eve discovers a connection between the victims and someone she knows. And she grows even more determined to reveal the secrets of the place that was called The Sanctuary - and the evil concealed in one human heart.


12 young girls have been murdered in the old building, hidden behind fake walls, wrapped in plastic. Who could have done this, and who could have known about this? The first part of the job is to identify the remains, and the new forensic anthropologist is certainly up for the job. Dallas is a bit apprehensive at first, especially as the beautiful dr. Garnet DeWinter knows Roarke. But Garnet and her team are good at what they do. Elsie Kendrick manages to reconstruct the faces with her computer wizardry, and so Eve and Peabody can match these to the missing persons reports of children of that age, gone missing in the appropriate time period.

The investigation keeps leading them to Philadelphia and Nashville Jones, brother and sister, the previous owners and operators of the building where the remains were found, called Sanctuary back then. Nowadays they are running a more classy shelter, called the Higher Power Cleansing Center for Youths. It is meant for children who are homeless, runaways, or taken by child services or for whatever reason cannot live at home. They will get and education, have to do chores, are thought how to take care of themselves and get therapy. All with the hope that they will become productive members of society. The Center does good work, but they cannot save all the children. And it is not a coincidence that Roarke has the same kind of plan for the old building. It has been used for that purpose a few times before.

It does bring back nasty memories for Eve and Roarke, as both of them could have been one of those victims, but they survived, and made their own lives. But someone else is closer to these girls still, and helps Eve to crack the case.


After 38 books, I still love this series and eagerly anticipate the next book in the series. I really like the interaction between Eve and Roarke, their relationship is still growing and going strong. They deeply care for the other, and try to work out the rules of being married. Neither of them has ever lived as a family before.
Then there are Peabody and McNab, two very colourful police detectives, and also very much in love. Dr Mira and her husband Dennis, on whom Eve has some sort of crush. He is absentminded and just huggable. And he makes the best hot chocolate there is.
Mabel, Eve’s first girl friend, her husband Leonardo, the fashion designer, and their sweet baby girl Bella. And of course Nadine Furst, Eve’s other girl friend and ace reporter. They all interact together and complement the story, and I enjoy reading about their lives and loves and every day thingies.

Back to the story though. It had kind of sad feeling to it, so many young lives sniffed out before the girls could redeem themselves, or not, before they reached their potential. And I admit, I did miss the action part, where Eve has to outsmart the killer and has to actually find him and arrest him and make him confess. This one was kind of non-surprising. I did guess who the killer was, as soon as he was mentioned in the book. It was more about finding out the identity of the girls, and who they were, and if they were beloved or not. Some stories were heartbreaking for the victims, others for the parents or guardians. But overall, I was a bit detached.

I was missing the adrenaline that usually goes with catching a killer before he kills again, as everything happened 15 years ago, there was no urgency.

I don’t think this one will be re-read, and I do hope the next one will be full of suspense and cat and mouse games again. But I do read these books as much for the characters as for the story, so I still enjoyed it a lot. It was just lacking some intrigue, some suspense.

7 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Sherrilyn Kenyon – Dragonswan

A novella in the Dark Hunter series, first published in September 2002 in the anthology Tapestry.
Genre: paranormal romance
Cover: yummy.
Re-read for the second time.



New York Times bestselling author Sherrilyn Kenyon delivers a special collector's-edition tale of unexpected passion woven from the mysteries of a celebrated ancient tapestry.

Beautiful scholar Channon MacRea has spent years studying the legendary Dragon Tapestry, devoting days and nights to deciphering the impenetrable Old English symbolism. Then one evening the unnaturally handsome Sebastian appears. He claims to hold the key to solving the tapestry's mysteries. Bearing magnificently taut and tanned flesh marked by intriguing scars of battle, he also claims to be a dragon slayer trapped between two worlds.
For Channon there's only one way to finally uncover the secrets of the intricate embroidery-by following the seductive stranger into a fantastic alternate world of magic, danger, and erotic adventure.


First sentence in this novella, and I am certain you all have seen it somewhere, perhaps on a bumper sticker, or perhaps you have read this novella:
Be kind to dragons, for thou art crunchy when roasted and taste good with ketchup.

That is of course one hell of a pickup line. Channon MacRea is busy studying the ancient Dragon tapestry in the museum, when the most gorgeous man she has ever seen, starts talking to her. He seems genuinely interested in her, and her thoughts on the tapestry. He is not even taken aback when he finds out she is a history professor at the university. Instead, he quotes Beowulf to her in Old English.
Sebastian has no idea why he is so attracted to this human female, but he is, and he acts upon it. Telling her more about himself than he ever has before. Usually, he only searches out a female to have night of sex with, and the only thing he learns about her is her name. But Channon is different. Of course she doesn’t believe him when he tells her he is there to steal the tapestry, and that he really is a dragonslayer. But it is all true…
Talking leads to having dinner together, and dinner leads to spending the night together. After that Sebastian will go back to his own time to save his brother, and will leave Channon behind to live her mortal life. But the fates intervene when suddenly the mating mark appears on his hand. He has a duty to protect her now. His enemies can sense her if they search for him again. And so he has no choice but to take Channon back in time with him. At least as a history professor, she can look back to the adventure as doing research …


I enjoyed this short story a lot, especially as I have always had a weakness for dragons, and Sebastian sure is a tasty one! He is completely torn between his human half who wants to keep Shannon safe, and his dragon half who wants to claim its mate. And that interferes with his magic in a bad way. He falls for Channon hard, and his world is just not safe for her to be in. He is outcast, he has no family or home to help him protect her or their children. But he also can’t give her up without a fight.
Channon is not a typical heroine, she is not pretty, she is a professor and very smart. So she doesn’t button her blouse correctly and her socks don’t match, she doesn’t notice it. But Sebastian does, and he doesn’t care. To him she is beautiful.
Channon is not happy that she is suddenly in the past, with no way to get back home than the next full moon and if Sebastian takes her there. To research the past is great, but to live in it? No plumbing, no central heating, nasty diseases and hygiene problems. How can she survive all that? But she does have her personal dragon slayer with her, and never has she been more attracted to a man like she is now. He is kind to her, and genuinely interested in her thoughts and feelings. He cares and it shows in his actions. After her first trepidation, she is fascinated with the ancient Saxon village she is visiting. And she can understand their Old English!

Of course it is a short story, so there is not much time for developing their relationship, it all goes very fast, but it never feels rushed. I liked them as a couple. There is danger, and fighting and hot love scenes and some sweetness and tenderness as well. I enjoyed it, and will certainly read it again someday.

The last sentence: Be kind to dragonswans for thou art gorgeous when naked and taste good with Cool Whip.

8 stars.





It is no longer available as paper booklet, but you can buy the ebook on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dragonswan-Sherrilyn-Kenyon-ebook/dp/B0023ZLMEI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1392555703&sr=8-1&keywords=sherrilyn+kenyon+dragonswan

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Erin McCarthy – Seeing is Believing

The fourth book in the Cutterville, Ohio series, published March 5, 2013.
Genre: contemporary romance, with ghosts
Cover: sweet



Cuttersville, Ohio is full of ghosts, and they all want Piper Tucker's help.
One guy in town just wants Piper.

Ever since Piper Tucker was young she wanted to be like everyone else, but her uncanny ability to see ghosts always put her on the other side of normal. And the apparitions are showing up now more than ever, desperately seeking help. But what can she possibly do for them? They've already been dead for years. Besides, she has a personal concern of her own right now. A real flesh and blood concern - named Brady.
He's Piper's childhood crush, and no sooner is he back in town than sparks start giving off heat. For Brady, it's hard not to notice the sexy young woman Piper's become, or forget the special gift she had as a girl. And right now it could come in handy, because a long-forgotten murder has been keeping a restless spirit from finding peace. All Piper and Brady have to do is solve the crime to put the specter to rest. But the passion brewing between them is just as restless, and could prove twice as dangerous.


Last year I read Heiress for Hire, the second book in the series, and enjoyed it very much. So when I saw this book, I had to snatch it up. The heroine in this book is the daughter/stepdaughter of that books couple, all grown up now. It was fun to see Amanda and her husband still very much in love and in lust, and with two young sons of their own.

Until she was 8 years old, Piper was a very much neglected little girl, malnourished and with no hair because of it all. Quiet, she had learned never to ask for anything, never to expect anything from adults at all. Then her stepfather dumped her on her father Danny Tucker’s doorstep, and she finally found out what a family should be. Danny never knew he had a daughter, but he loved her instantly and became the best father he could be for her.

Piper has always been a good girl, she is 24 years old now and a school teacher, but still living at the farm with her parents and brothers. She loves being at home, never alone, feeling loved by her family. But now, while she is babysitting Shelley’s twin daughters, no one else but her old crush appears out of nowhere. Brady is back in town and there is an instant connection between them. 10 years ago, Brady left Cuttersville for Chicago, sure that he would make it in the art world. But he did not, and now his job at the advertising firm has been terminated. He is down on his luck, out of a job and out of money. And so he has come home to figure out what to do with his life. He is 31, and has nothing to show for himself. His salary will only be paid for the next three weeks, and he has no live savings at all. He will have to break his leash on his apartment, as there is no way he can pay for that anymore.

But first, he is visiting his cousin Shelly, and hoping he can spend the night there as he does not want to disturb his grandmother this late at night. He does not count on the fact that his cousin has actually left town for the weekend, and to find a beautiful young woman as the babysitter. He does not recognize Piper, until she tells him who she is. And then he remembers the little girl, whom he painted a butterfly bedroom for. And who he really, really would not mind doing other things for … which is of course highly inappropriate, he used to baby-sit Piper! And her father, Danny, has big fists …

Piper is embarrassed that Brady finds her like this, in a top and shorts, her pyjama. But he is soaked through, and she can’t let him stand on the doorstep. After talking a bit, and teasing Piper about still seeing ghosts or not, they decide to go to bed. But Piper is for once in her life determined to go after what she wants, and that is Brady in her bed. And so she boldly goes after him, and has the best sex of her life. But so does Brady, and it really shocks him. Piper is not the kind of girl a man has a fling with, and he is leaving for Chicago in two days … or isn’t he?

Lucky for Brady, his grandmother has some rental properties in town, and is willing to let him live in one of them, in exchange for him to fix it up. But Piper has suddenly decided to get a place of herself, a place where she can have a social life, and Brady’s grandmother is willing to let her rent the Blue House, after Brady has fixed it up. Of course, if she is willing to help him with that, she could save on the deposit.

Everyone seems to be against Brady and Piper hooking up together, except for Brady’s grandmother. Piper is just the girl to keep him here in town and make him settle down…

It all seems to be going great, they are almost living together already, when something happens that sets of Piper’s insecurities, and she decides that maybe she needs more time. Time to really deal with her past, and with her ability to see ghosts. Time to stop wanting to be normal and fitting in, and time to do what she wants and needs.


I really enjoyed this sweet love story. It is not friends to lovers, as she was just a little girl when Brady left. Nor big brother’s best friend. But still, they already knew each other. And that was fun and added to the story. There is a big secondary story line about the ghosts living in Shelly’s house, and how the ghost Rachel is suddenly attacking Piper, and the ghost Brady is trying to tell her things. The new Brady is determined to get to the truth about what happened in the past, but Piper is too scared to dig any deeper. She just wishes the ghosts would leave her alone, to be normal.

So they both had growing up to do; to decide what they want in life. I enjoyed it that the journey was not so smoothly after all. There are some hot love scenes in this book, also some sweet scenes though. It is fun to see all the previous characters again, and I really have to find the anthology with the third story in this series.

Erin McCarthy writes fast paced stories, with loveable characters and a great sense of humor and wit that is exactly my taste. The little village of Cuttersville, Ohio, and its inhabitants are a great backdrop to the story. As there are plenty of children around, I do hope there will be more stories in this setting.

8 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

Lisa Shearin – Con & Conjure

The fifth book in the Raine Benares series, published March 29, 2011.
Genre: fantasy romance
Cover: good



My name is Raine Benares. I’m a seeker who finds lost things and missing people. My relatives, on the other hand, steal thing. They’re the most notorious criminal family in the seven kingdoms. Sometimes I wonder if they have the right idea, especially since what I’ve found lately is likely to get me killed. And the Saghred, a soul stealing stone that has given met unlimited power, is to blame for every last bit of it.

Ever since the Saghred bonded to me, the goblin King and the elven power brokers have wanted to possess the magic themselves. But to get it, they’ll have to get me, and their pockets are deep enough to make that happen. With the help of my highly qualified family, I’ve rigged the perfect con – one that will financially ruin the elves who are spoiling for war. My family’s run elaborate scams before, but none involving this much money, government officials this highly ranked, or a war this close to starting. In our way is a goblin thief who’s after the Saghred, and my ex-fiancé – an elven assassin who may be after me. I broke up with him. Let’s just say it could have gone better.
If either the goblins or the elves get their hands on the Saghred, they have every intention of using it. Which means total annihilation will be inevitable.


I devoured this fifth book in the series. It was so much fun. Another cousin has come to Mid to help Raine. This one is not a pirate though, he gets seasick on a ship, this one is a banker. Of course he does not use the name Benares ;) He is going to help Raine by fleecing her adversaries to they can no longer pay to hurt/kidnap/kill her and those she loves. Both the Goblin King and some pure bred Elves want to start a war and annihilate the other species completely, and for that, they need control over Raine and through her, the Saghred. They don’t care what happens to her in the process, that she will go mad being used to eat souls for the rock. Even though she has powerful friends in high places, they can’t protect her from everything. Especially as Raine refuses to be locked away.
The Goblin prince in exile is also coming back to town unexpectedly early, he wants to dethrone his brother, and keep the peace, so Raine is all about supporting him. The money they will fleece from the elves will go to support his cause, which is of course wickedly ironic.

But of course her enemies don’t sit still, they have evil plans of their own, and they don’t care at all if innocent people die because of their actions. As long as they get what they want. But they might have bitten off more than they can this time …


I loved this fifth book in the series, and devoured it in about 4 hours. As usual it is fast paced, with a lot of action and danger for Raine. I liked the new cousin, Mago, and how he also stood behind Raine. He is Phaelan’s older brother, and of course they tease each other.
The parts where Mago and Raine in disguise are working together are just fun and surprising.
I did miss Piaras in this story though, and some private times with Mychael.
Still, there is finally some progress, some of her enemies are taken out of the equation, but of course bigger dangers are already there. The Saghred is stolen by a Goblin thief who is also a chameleon, and Sarad Nukpana is building the biggest Gateway ever, to lead his army through. They will have to stop him, and fast …

I just can’t get enough of this series. I love all the characters and the setting, the magic. Lisa Shearin has written an amazing tale, and I am very happy that the series does not end after the sixth book. So far, it keeps twisting and surprising me, making me want more and more.

9 stars.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian

New books to look forward to for March 2014

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

Anne Bishop – Murder or Crows – Others 2 HC
Anne Bishop – Written in Red – Others 1 PB
Clive Cussler – The Bootlegger – Isaac Bell 7
Duffy Brown – Pearls and Poison – Consignment Shop Mystery 3
Nora Roberts – Shadow Spell – Cousins O’Dwyer 2
J.R. Ward – The King – Black Dagger Brotherhood 12
Jennifer Ashley – Feral Heat – Shifters Unbound 5,5
L.J. McDonald – The Sylph Hunter - Sylphs 4
Laura Childs – Steeped in Evil – Tea shop mysteries 15
Patricia Briggs – Night Broken – Mercedes Thompson 8
Sarah MacKenzie – Loving Lord Ash – Duchess of Love 3
Shannon Stacey – Taken with you – Kowalski Family 8
Shelly Laurenston – Bite Me - Pride 9
Sierra Dean – Grave Secret – Secret McQueen 5
Sierra Dean – Perfect Catch – Boys of Summer 2

I have read a total of 29 books and 3 novella’s this month. An epic score for me.

Did I match my reading solutions for last month? Yes, I did manage again, but those Kindle freebies will have to entice me more. I just prefer to read paper books.

I have read 3 cozy mysteries:
- Heather Webber – Digging up Trouble
- Lucy Arlington – Books, Cooks and Crooks
- Julie Hyzy – Grace under Pressure

9 books longer than 1 year on my shelf:
- Sherrilyn Kenyon – Night Play (re-read)
- Sherrilyn Kenyon – Unleash the Night (re-read)
- Sherrilyn Kenyon – Dragonswan (re-read)
- Anne Bishop – Dark Jewels 1 – 5 (re-read)
- Jayne Ann Krentz – The Pirate

1 book I have won:
- Misa Ramirez – Living the Vida Lola

and for my Kindle freebie or Nora Roberts challenge:
- J.D. Robb – Concealed in Death.

© 2014 Reviews by Aurian