by Lori Handeland
My Rating:
Liz Phoenix has never had a "normal" life. Her psychic abilities have more often been a burden than a gift. Unfortunately for Liz, things are about to get even stranger and everything she knows about herself, her abilities and her loved ones will soon be tested.
It all begins when Liz has a psychic flash that leads her to the house where she was raised, along with other cast-outs, by a lady named Ruthie. When she gets there she finds that Ruthie has been brutality attacked and left to die.
Liz blacks out and finds herself in a hospital being visited by Jimmy, the man who broke her heart many years ago. With the help of Jimmy, Liz sets out to find Ruthie's killer and finds herself stuck in an age-old battle between good and evil.
This is a fast-paced read with lots of exciting action and steamy romance. I found the paranormal elements extremely interesting and well researched. The story had a good balance of serious moments and witty humor. Liz, the main character, is tough and independent but also shows a vulnerable side. Overall, she is very likable and I wouldn't mind getting to know her better.
My favorite character was Sawyer, a sexy mysterious Native American who helps Liz reveal her true potential. I hope to learn more about him in future stories.
I would definitely recommend Any Given Doomsday to other fans of paranormal romance. Just a little warning, this book does contain quite a few pretty graphic sex scenes. Although necessary to the story, I found them a bit excessive. For the most part, however, I enjoyed the story and I will be looking for other books written by Lori Handeland.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Review: Any Given Doomsday by Lori Handeland
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Review: Bedlam, Bath and Beyond by J. D. Warren
Bedlam, Bath and Beyond (World of the Storm Ravens, Book 1)
by J. D. Warren
My Rating:
Samantha is living in a suburban paradise. She has a gorgeous house, the perfect husband and adorable twin sons. Problem is, she thinks it is all too perfect. As it turns out, she's right. In reality, her milkman is the sexy shapeshifting leader of the Storm Ravens, her husband is a homicidal maniac who isn't even human and the twin sons are actually blood thirsty hell boars that have been sent to track her down. Now, with a little help from the Cor (the sexy mailman who's not really a milkman) and the rest of the Storm Ravens, she's on a mission to reclaim her life and stop the bad guys.
I really enjoyed this book. It is a fast-paced read with lots of excitement and a bit of romance. There are lots of interesting characters and funny dialogue. The main character is intelligent, funny and very likable. However, there are a few things that kept this book from earning a full five stars. First off, the title and book cover have basically nothing to do with the story! While this is not necessarily a bad thing, you might be disappointed if you are expecting the shopping-themed chick-lit that the title & cover suggest. The only other negative I found is that romance is definitely lacking something. It started off well, but by the end, I wanted to see a stronger connection between Cor and Samantha. In my opinion, if you're gonna risk your life for someone, there better be some a strong bond that you share with them. Unfortunately, I don't think the author developed enough of one between the two main characters. This didn't detracted from the story enough to make that much of a difference and I definitely will want to read the next book in this series.
Books in this series:
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Review: Enchanted Inc. by Shanna Swendson
Enchanted Inc.
by Shanna Swendson
My Rating:
Ever since her move from Texas to New York, Katie Chandler has been seeing some weird things. Things like guys who appear to summon the subway with a flick of their wrist, young ladies who wear wings and seem to float above the ground and stone gargoyles that move from one building to another. Little does she know that her normally boring life is about to get really weird.
This book caught my interest on page one and kept it throughout the story. The heroine is an independent business woman with common sense and a great sense of humor. Just the sort of gal you'd like to be friends with. The rest of the characters, from an enamored frog "prince" to the legendary Merlin, provide an amusing and fast-paced tale.
List of books in the Katie Chandler series:
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Review: A Girl's Guide to Vampires (Dark Ones Book 1) by Katie Macalister
(Dark Ones Book 1)
by Katie Macalister
My Rating:
Just before their trip to the Czech Republic to attend Goth-Fest, best friends Joy & Roxy decide to ask "The Goddess" for a little help in finding their true loves. Unfortunately for Joy, what she winds up with is a creepy premonition about a dark & dangerous stranger. At first she doesn't believe in the premonitions or in vampires at all, but as the visions get stronger and more detailed she becomes convinced there might be something to them. Who's making her see these visions? Is it the sexy and strong Raphael? The gorgeous but reserved, Christian? Or someone else all together?
The first thing I have to point out is that the back of the book has basically nothing to do with the book, so don't use it in your judgment to read it or not. Despite that fact that the book wasn't quite what I expected, I really enjoyed the read. It was some light, mindless fun with sexy, sizzling romance thrown in for good measure. I found the main character (Joy) likable and very funny. I would have liked to see a little more character development, however. I do definitely intend to continue with the rest of the series.
Here is a list of the Dark Ones series in order:
