Book Beginnings on Friday, August 31, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include  include the title and author so others know what you're reading.


"I'm dead, for starters - it happens."

This is the beginning sentence for Death Warmed Over by Kevin J. Anderson.  This is a fun read with an unusual main character.  Read the Goodreads summary below to see why that beginning sentence sets the tone for the book.

Ever since The Big Uneasy unleashed vampires, werewolves, and other undead denizens on the world, it’s been hell being a detective—especially for zombie P.I. Dan Chambeaux. Taking on the creepiest of cases in the Unnatural Quarter with a human lawyer for a partner and a ghost for a girlfriend, Chambeaux redefines “dead on arrival.” But just because he was murdered doesn’t mean he’d leave his clients in the lurch. Besides, zombies are so good at lurching.
Now he’s back from the dead and back in business—with a case load that’s downright unnatural. A resurrected mummy is suing the museum that put him on display. Two witches, victims of a curse gone terribly wrong, seek restitution from a publisher for not using “spell check” on its magical tomes. And he’s got to figure out a very personal question—Who killed him?
For Dan Chambeaux, it’s all in a day’s work. (Still, does ***everybody*** [delete: the media] have to call him “Shamble”?) Funny, fresh, and irresistible, this cadaverous caper puts the P.I. in R.I.P….with a vengeance

Kevin J. Anderson always does a good job with his books and this is no exception.  Pick it up for a funny, twisted zombie tale.

Book Beginnings on Friday, August 31, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include  include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

My book beginning this week is from Existence, a science fiction book by David Brin.  The first chapter starts with a Quote:

Those who ignore the mistakes of the future are bound to make them" - Joseph Miller

The first part that really starts the story is several pages in:  "A hemisphere of glittering stars surrounded Gerald on the right.  Blue-brown Earth took up the other side." 

Here is Goodreads summary: 

Bestselling, award-winning futurist David Brin returns to globe-spanning, high concept SF with Existence.

Gerald Livingston is an orbital garbage collector. For a hundred years, people have been abandoning things in space, and someone has to clean it up. But there’s something spinning a little bit higher than he expects, something that isn’t on the decades’ old orbital maps. An hour after he grabs it and brings it in, rumors fill Earth’s infomesh about an “alien artifact.”

Thrown into the maelstrom of worldwide shared experience, the Artifact is a game-changer. A message in a bottle; an alien capsule that wants to communicate. The world reacts as humans always do: with fear and hope and selfishness and love and violence. And insatiable curiosity.

What Else I Read in August of 2012

 What Else I Read In is a monthly post featuring books I read during the month but did not write a full review on.  If you have a similar post leave a comment and a link and I will visit to see what else you read.   

Mystery/Audio Books:

My new favorite mystery series is the Commissario Guido Brunetti mysteries by Donna Leon.  I checked out two from the library this month and  loved them both.  A Sea of Troubles and Willful Behavior are two that are back to back.  Both were great.  These do stand alone but I found that listening in order did explain some of the things.  None were essential to the story but I did like knowing why certain characters were worrying about others in the books.  I also listened to About Face on my way to Denver.  There are just two more Commissario Brunette audio books in the library and I have the checked out to listen to on this trip.



Romance:

The Care and Feeding of Stray Vampires  by Molly Harper - Great book with great characters.  Both Iris and Cal are very snarky.  The dialog between the two is great and story is first rate.  I picked it up because of the title and am glad I did.

Starlight by Carrie Lofty - I loved the first book in the series but this one was kind of slow reading.  The characters just never came alive for me.  It really did not get good and exciting until the last quarter of the book.  

A Duchess to Remember  by Christina Brooke - This is the third book in the Ministry of Marriage series.  Like the previous books it tells a good story.  It was fun to see the characters from the first two books.

A Gentleman Says "I Do"  by Amelia Grey -  This is the second in a series about 3 brothers.  I haven't read the first one but it made no difference.  The characters are great and the story very entertaining.  

Paranormal:

Control Ops by Myke Cole is another audio book I listened to.  This one just proves that I will listen to an entire book I would never read.  This was just one big bloody scene after another and at the end nothing seemed to be solved.  It did say book one so I guess there will be others.  

Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Fantasy

From the Author’s website:

Dodger is a tosher - a sewer scavenger living in the squalor of Dickensian London.

Everyone who is nobody knows Dodger. Anyone who is anybody doesn't.

But when he rescues a young girl from a beating, suddenly everybody wants to know him.

And Dodger's tale of skulduggery, dark plans and even darker deeds begins .

He’s cunning. He’s artful. He’s Terry Pratchett’s DODGER

.

A storm. Rain-lashed city streets. A flash of lightning. A scruffy lad sees a girl leap desperately from a horse-drawn carriage in a vain attempt to escape her captors. Can the lad stand by and let her be caught again? Of course not, because he’s … Dodger.

Seventeen-year-old Dodger may be a street urchin, but he gleans a living from London’s sewers, and he knows a jewel when he sees one. He’s not about to let anything happen to the unknown girl—not even if her fate impacts some of the most powerful people in England.

From Dodger’s encounter with the mad barber Sweeney Todd to his meetings with the great writer Charles Dickens and the calculating politician Benjamin Disraeli, history and fantasy intertwine in a breathtaking account of adventure and mystery.

Beloved and bestselling author Sir Terry Pratchett combines high comedy with deep wisdom in this tale of an unexpected coming-of-age and one remarkable boy’s rise in a complex and fascinating world.

Writing this one up is difficult.  I loved the book but it is hard to define it.  Dodger is just like the description above.  He is fun, inventive, and very much his own person.  He is much better person than he thinks he is.  There are two things that help change his life.  Both of those involve helping save someone from being beaten and killed.  In both cases it would have been very easy of Dodger to walk away and not help.  It is fun to see him interact with famous people.  I especially like Charlie Dickens and how Terry Pratchett used things from Dickens novels in the story.

I found Dodger to be a really fun read.  Since this is just the third Terry Pratchett novel I have read I really can’t compare it to previous books. I would recommend you give it a try.

 Harper Collins published Dodger by Terry Pratchett in 2012. 

I received a eARC of Dodger from NetGalley.  Dodger is scheduled to be

Teaser Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser today is from Dark Inheritance:  Fallen Empire by K. Reed.  This is a historical romance set in England in the early 1800's but it is a very different England.  Here is my teaser:
"From here Grayson couldn't see the funeral pyres choking London, but there was not lack of that sickening flame along the countryside.  Since the plague, ash suffocated England."

And here is the Goodreads summary:

The once glittering ballrooms of Regency England now lay desolate. A plague has ravaged the countryside. The government has fallen. What vestiges of order remained have been consumed by the endless funeral pyres.

Grayson, once the Baron of Harwich, sought only to protect his people. Rescuing a half-dead woman was not among his plans. But something about her pulled at him. Perhaps it was her beauty, still evident beneath the pallor of loss. Perhaps it was the recently fired rifle at her side. Or maybe he simply tired of death. All he knew was that the plague had taken too much already. He couldn’t let it take her as well.

Lady Juliette Adair had been ready to die with her brother. She didn't expect to be shown mercy in a world that had no room for mercy. When Grayson saved her she questioned his motives but soon found herself intrigued by him, drawn to him.

Societal rules were a thing of the past, dead along with the ton. Juliette had no manner by which to measure her growing closeness to Grayson any longer. But when she discovers he may not be the man she thought she knew more is at stake than just her heart. The secrets she carries could make a king or destroy one.

Monday Musing August 27, 2012

This week’s musing — courtesy of http://lustforstories.blogspot.com– asks…What is the weirdest/strangest/craziest book you’ve read?  Go to Should be Reading to see other answers.

The one that immediatley came to mind is How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe by Charles Yu.  Here is the summary:

From a 5 Under 35 winner, comes a razor-sharp, hilarious, and touching story of a son searching for his father . . . through quantum space-time.
 

Every day in Minor Universe 31 people get into time machines and try to change the past. That's where Charles Yu, time travel technician, steps in. He helps save people from themselves. Literally. When he's not taking client calls, Yu visits his mother and searches for his father, who invented time travel and then vanished. The key to locating his father may be found in a book. It's called How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe, and somewhere inside it is information that will help him. It may even save his life.  

I listened to this as a audio book and it was so strange that I quite half way through.  It is one of my few DNF books.  It just never seemed to have a theme or make sense.

Stacking the Shelves, August 26, 2012.

Welcome to my Stacking The Shelves post!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews so follow the link and check out what other stacked on their shelves this week.  

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books I am adding to my shelves each week, sharing with you my excitement for my newest books.

I am traveling so only two books this week.   To see where I am right now check out my travel blog.  There is a link on the right.

From Netgalley:

The Guardian Bastet by Jacqueline Battistti

Blue Nebula by Diane Dooley

The Ugly Duchess (Fairy Tales #4) by Eloisa James

Historical Romance

The Ugly Duchess is part of the Fairy Tale series however all of the books are stand alone.  

From Goodreads:  Theodora Saxby is the last woman anyone expects the gorgeous James Ryburn, heir to the Duchy of Ashbrook, to marry. But after a romantic proposal before the prince himself, even practical Theo finds herself convinced of her soon-to-be duke's passion.

Still, the tabloids give the marriage six months.

Theo would have given it a lifetime…until she discovers that James desired not her heart, and certainly not her countenance, but her dowry. Society was shocked by their wedding; it's scandalized by their separation.

Now James faces the battle of his lifetime, convincing Theo that he loved the duckling who blossomed into the swan.

And Theo will quickly find that for a man with the soul of a pirate, All's Fair in Love—or War.

Characters:  I loved James and Theodora especially in the first part of the book.  They grew up together and are best friends.  James calls Theo “Daisy”.  He doesn’t think she is ugly and never has.  James loves Theo but is full of guilt for not telling Theo about the money his Father embezzled from her trust fund before the wedding.  Theo is full of insecurity after being labeled “The Ugly Duchess” by the papers in London on her wedding day.  Both react very badly when the truth comes out.  I really did want to reach in the book and give both of the a good shake for the way they acted.  There are secondary character that play a part in the story but each is a part of the story for a very short time and there is little character development.

Plot:  James leaves and disappears for 7 years.  Theo works hard and make a life for herself but it is a empty life based on the work required to bring the Duchy of Ashbrook out of debt.  Just as Theo is having James declared dead he reappears.  It is easy to guess the rest. 

Tension:  I really felt the tension in the first part of the book.  I did not feel it that much in the second part.  For me 7 years was too long for strong feeling to survive.

Writing:  The story did move very smoothly.  Eloisa James knows who to tell a good story and even though I felt part of the story line was weak it was still an engaging story.

Avon published The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James in 2012.

I received a free eARC of The Ugly Duchess from Avon through Edelweiss.  The Ugly Duchess is scheduled for release on August 28, 2012.

Book Beginnings on Friday August 24, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include  include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

My book beginnings this Friday is from Monster in My Closet by R. L. Naquin.  Just a small teaser, there really was a monster in her closet.  Here is the first sentence:

"Of all the possible weapons I might have grabbed, I chose a toilet brush."

I found this to be a great way to start a book that so far is fun to read.

Here is the Goodreads Summary:

I stopped believing in monsters long ago. But I knew I wasn’t imagining things when I found one in my kitchen baking muffins. I’d seen him before: lurking in my closet, scaring the crap out of my five-year-old self. Turns out that was a misunderstanding, and now Maurice needs a place to stay. How could I say no?

After all, I’ve always been a magnet for the emotionally needy, and not just in my work as a wedding planner. Being able to sense the feelings of others can be a major pain. Don’t get me wrong, I like helping people—and non-people. But this ability has turned me into a gourmet feast for an incubus, a demon that feeds off emotional energy. Now, brides are dropping dead all over town, and my home has become a safe house for the supernatural. I must learn to focus my powers and defeat the demon before he snacks on another innocent woman and comes looking for the main course

A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare

Historical Romance

From Tessa Dare’s website ( Goodreads description just did not fit this book):

"After years of fending for herself, Kate Taylor found friendship and acceptance in Spindle Cove--but she never stopped yearning for love. The very last place she'd look for it is in the arms of Corporal Thorne. The militia commander is as stone cold as he is brutally handsome. But when mysterious strangers come searching for Kate, Thorne steps forward as her fiancé. He claims to have only Kate's safety in mind. So why is there smoldering passion in his kiss?

Long ago, Samuel Thorne devoted his life to guarding Kate’s happiness. He wants what's best for her, and he knows it's not marriage to a man like him. To outlast their temporary engagement, he must keep his hands off her tempting body and lock her warm smiles out of his withered heart. It's the toughest battle of this hardened warrior's life...and the first he seems destined to lose."

Tessa Dare keeps coming up with mismatched couples in her Spindle Cove series.  In  A Lady by Midnight Kate Taylor and Corporal Samuel Thorne seem to be another two who would never get together.  For over a year Samuel has ignored Kate and Kate has taken pot shots at him.   Then everything changes.

Characters:  Kate is a joy to meet.  She is independent and in spite of everything does not feel sorry for herself.  Corporal Thorne on the other hand is a very closed off man and it is fun to watch Kate chip away at the wall he has built around himself.  Most of the previous characters appear in A Lady by Midnight as well as introducing an entire new family to the mix.

Plot:  Like the other Spindle Cove novels part of the plot revolves around the apparent mismatch between the two main characters.  Throw in a mystery about Kate’s background and you have a recipe for either happiness or disaster.  Both things keep the tension up. Tessa Dare keeps the story fresh and new and makes this a fun journey toward a know destination. 

Tension:  Throughout the book there is the tension between Kate and Corporal Thorne.  There is also the added tension as Kate finds out her background.  Everything with her new family seems to good to be true and I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop.  Of course it near the end of the book it did.

Writing:  While some of the book is written in the passive, most is in the my favorite, the active voice.  There are times we are in a character’s head (the passive voice) and it the only way to know what is happening with that characters so it works and does not slow the story down.

A Lady by Midnight can stand alone but it is more fun if you have read A Night to Surrender, Once Upon a Winter’s Eve  ( a novella) and A Week to be Wicked first.  The next book in the series is not out until 2013.  That gives you plenty of time to read all three books and the novella while you wait for the next book.

Avon published A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare in 2012.

I received an ARC of A Lady by Midnight from Edelweiss.

Teaser Tuesdays August 21, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser today is from Kept by Shawntelle Madison.  I got a free ARC from Netgalley.  I didn't realize that this is the second book in a series.  It is full of fun and adventure but it would  be better if I had read book one.

"My good friend Natalyn here is one of those clean freaks.  It'd be awesome if you'd help her out by letting her put her hand down your pants."

Here is the summary from Goodreads:


Fresh from defending her pack in battle, Natalya Stravinsky, a whip-smart werewolf with a lovable neurotic streak, wants a little rest and relaxation. Once an outcast, she’s now eager to rejoin the ranks of her New Jersey pack, and has even gotten a handle on her obsessive urge to hoard holiday ornaments. Yet Nat barely has time to revel in her progress before the next crisis comes howling at her door.

Nat’s father has suddenly gone missing, captured by the Russian werewolf mafia. And as Nat steps up to save her dad from a mob boss’s deadly game, two men step in to play another round for her heart: her gorgeous alpha ex-boyfriend, Thorn, and her new flame, the sweetly sensitive wizard Nick. With her life growing more harried by the minute, Nat must stay cool, calm, and collected . . . or else risk losing everything. 

Musing Mondays August 20, 2012

This week’s musing — courtesy of http://drpepperdiva.wordpress.com – asks…  
Have you ever reread a book and found that your opinion changed?

Yes, I have reread and found I have very different feelings about a book.  The most common examples are books that I helped select for my Science Fiction Book Club.  There have been several that I read years ago and are considered classics.  I loved them when I originally read them but rereading years later I had a completely different opinion.  I did not hate them but I wondered why I loved them so much when I first read them.  Other members of the club found the same thing with some of the books they recommended.

The Night Beat by Gini Koch

Paranormal Romance

Goodreads Summary:

The majority of Prosaic City’s residents don’t know that their town exists on top of another place -- Necropolis, City of the Undead. For the most part, the two planes of existence manage to remain separate. And when they don’t, Necropolis Enforcement has beings in place to ensure the general human population remains blithely clueless.

Victoria Wolfe is more than just a policewoman. She’s an undercover werewolf assigned by Necropolis Enforcement to work Prosaic City Police’s Night Beat. Victoria’s comfortable working the shift where all the weird comes out to play, especially since her partner is also her perfect man. Or would be, if Victoria could ever work up the nerve to tell him she isn’t like other girls.

It’s hard enough being a werewolf in disguise, but when a creature from the Depths of Hell shows up in an alley preferred by junkies, bums, and hookers, it’s going to take more than just Victoria’s special gun and werewolf skills to subdue the ancient Sumerian demon. Especially when the demon is merely the start of what appears to be a major takeover attempt by the Prince of Darkness.

Soon all of Necropolis Enforcement’s Undead Brigade is involved in the fight to stop the Prince’s Major Minions from taking over Prosaic City and the rest of the human plane. But it’s Victoria who has to face the Adversary and figure out what intricate plan Lucifer has up his wings before everyone she cares about is destroyed.

In other words, it’s just another day on the Night Beat.

Gods and Monsters, The Night Beat is a real trip.  A city on a city and only some people can see both.  Interesting characters. Many of whom you will recognize even when they go by nicknames.  Then there is the plot.  Unless the bad guys are stopped it will be the end of humans and other beings.  What else do you need?  Oh, of course there needs to be romance.  That is there too.

I was reading along sure I knew what was going on when there was a real twist; one that puts the story on a whole new track. 

I loved the side characters.  Sexy Cindy was great and has the potential to be a wonderful sidekick for Victoria.  The angels, vampires, werewolves, and other supernatural creatures come alive in the book.  Of course they are alive or is that undead.  They are all beings with souls.  Something that is a little different from other books.  All of Victoria’s love interest both past and present add some spice to a plot that already has plenty of spice already.

While Victoria is a strong female character she is very different from Kitty in the Alien series.  Gini has created another strong character that can stand on her own.  This is a great start to a new series and I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book.

Pick this one up.  It is a fun read. 

Smashwords published The Night Beat by Gini Koch in 2012.

I won a copy of The Night Beat.

Stacking the Shelves August 18, 2012

Welcome to my Stacking The Shelves post!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews so follow the link and check out what other stacked on their shelves this week.  

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books I am adding to my shelves each week, sharing with you my excitement for my newest books.

I am getting ready for a month long trip so only got one book this week.  
From Amazon Vine:  

A Fatal Winter:  A Max Tudor Novel  by G. M. Malliet a mystery due out in October.

The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe

Paranormal   

From Goodreads:

“With every fiber of my being, I yearned to be normal. To glide through my days at Iverson without incident. But I’d have to face the fact that my life was about to unfold in a very, very different way than I’d ever envisioned. Normal would become forever out of reach.”

"Lora Jones has always known that she’s different. On the outside, she appears to be an ordinary sixteen-year-old girl. Yet Lora’s been keeping a heartful of secrets: She hears songs that no one else can hear, dreams vividly of smoke and flight, and lives with a mysterious voice inside her that insists she’s far more than what she seems.

England, 1915. Raised in an orphanage in a rough corner of London, Lora quickly learns to hide her unique abilities and avoid attention. Then, much to her surprise, she is selected as the new charity student at Iverson, an elite boarding school on England’s southern coast. Iverson’s eerie, gothic castle is like nothing Lora has ever seen. And the two boys she meets there will open her eyes and forever change her destiny.

Jesse is the school’s groundskeeper—a beautiful boy who recognizes Lora for who and what she truly is. Armand is a darkly handsome and arrogant aristocrat who harbors a few closely guarded secrets of his own. Both hold the answers to her past. One is the key to her future. And both will aim to win her heart. As danger descends upon Iverson, Lora must harness the powers she’s only just begun to understand, or else lose everything she dearly loves.

Filled with lush atmosphere, thrilling romance, and ancient magic, The Sweetest Dark brilliantly captures a rich historical era while unfolding an enchanting love story that defies time."

I have mixed feelings about The Sweetest Dark.  I am a fan of Shana Abe’s Drakon books and looked forward to her YA addition to the series.  I did not get the same feel for this as for the adult books.  It was slow to build and did keep me guessing about what was to come.  There was a good use of an alternative history set in World War I in England.  The main characters were fascinating.  Sometimes it was hard to see who was the good character and who was the bad one.  Most characters were neither black nor white which made the reading much more interesting.  I don’t want to do a spoiler so just let me say I look forward to seeing what happens in the next book since I am not sure what Shana Abe is setting up with this book.

Random House published The Sweetest Dark by Shana Abe in 2012.

Book Beginnings on Friday August 17, 2012

Book Beginnings on Friday is a meme hosted by Gilion at Rose City Reader. Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include  include the title and author so others know what you're reading.

My book beginning this week is from Forever a Lady by Delilah Marvelle.  This is a historical romance set in New York and London in 1830.  The author did a lot of research about New York during that time period and includes it in the book.  This is a story about classes and class differences and how two people from very different social classes fell in love but it was not an HEA.  They separated but then were given a second chance.  Both had to change to make it work and in the end it did.

Each chapter starts with a saying from the The Truth Teller, a New York Newspaper for Gentlemen.  Both the newspaper and the quotes existed.

Prologue:

Quote:  Survival, Gentlemen.   Life is all about survival.

First Sentence:  When it had been uncovered that heir bookkeeper and longtime friend, Mr. Richard Rawson, was actually a money-pilfering son of a mudsill, Matthew and his father had sent the authorities straight to Rawson’s house to make an arrest.

Chapter One:

Quote:  The city inspector reports the death of 118 persons during this ending week.  31 men, 24 women and 63 children.

First Sentence:  The sound of hooves thudding against the dirt road in the far distance beyond the dim gas lit street made Matthew snap up a hand to signal his men, who all quietly lurked across the street.

Here is Goodreads summary:  

TWO DIFFERENT CLASSES, ONE COMMON DESIRE... Lady Bernadette Marie Burton  may be the richest widow in England, but like her dreams of finding true passion, her reputation is deteriorating. Cruel gossip, loneliness and hoards of opportunistic suitors have her believing Society couldn't be more vile...or dangerous. So when an attacker threatens her life, she finds safety in the most unseemly of places: the arms of a mysterious, Irish-American gang leader. His fortune stolen, young  Matthew Milton is done playing the respectable gentleman. In the slums of New York, only ruffians thrive. But from the moment he arrives in London and encounters the voluptuous Lady Bernadette, he can't help but wonder about the finer pleasures he's missing. Or just how much he's willing to risk-not only to bed her, but to prove his worth

I received a free copy of Forever a Lady from Netgalley.

Royal Bridesmaids by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley, and Loretta Chase

Historical Romance

Each of the three authors of a story in Royal Bridesmaids was given the same framework and each wrote a story around that framework.  In each story someone is marrying the Prince of a small country and her best friend or sister is one of the bridesmaids.  The story is about the bridesmaid not the bride.

You can see the different twist that each author gave the story when you read what Goodreads has to say about Royal Bridesmaids. 

Now, in this original anthology, "New York Times" bestselling authors

Stephanie Laurens
Gaelen Foley
Loretta Chase

tell us what it really takes to get the bride to the royal altar.

They need to do more than "smile, wave, and look delighted"

Stephanie Laurens: "A Return Engagement"
Lady Nell Daughtry has her hands full getting her reluctant bride sister safely married to the Prince of Lautenberg. Then she learns she's paired with Robert Knightley . . . the fiancE who walked away.

Gaelen Foley: "The Imposter Bride"
Lady Minerva must ensure her country's princess is wed to handsome Prince Tor. Then the bride bolts, and bridesmaid becomes--bride

Loretta Chase: "Lord Lovedon's Duel"
When Chloe Sharp hears the handsome Earl of Lovedon say her sister's royal marriage is a match made in money, she challenges him to a duel--for love and honor.

I received a free ARC of Royal Bridesmaids from Edelweiss and if I had purchased the book I might have been a little upset.  The stories take up less than half of the book.  Sample first chapters from books by the three authors and sample chapters from books by other authors take up the other half.  It is available for 1.99 as an ebook and if you love these authors that is the way to go.  I would never recommend paying for the mass market paperback priced at $5.99.

The stories, while fun, can only be classed as short novellas or even short stories. 

 I enjoyed all of the stories but it should be no surprise that Lord Lovedon’s Duel by Loretta Chase was my favorite.  There were mentions of characters in some of her novels and that added to the enjoyment.  She is one of my favorite authors and the reason I asked for the book.

A close second was A Return Engagement by Stephanaie Laurens.  Her story had an interesting twist to it and even though it involved the bride it gave a new insight to the brides sister.

Other than the price my only objection to the Royal Bridesmaids was that the stories were too short.  All of the authors did a good job of developing the stories and building the main characters.  Stephanie Laurens’ story even has the possibility of further stories featuring two of the side characters.  Even so I would have loved additional scenes in each story.  However, if you are looking for a good short quick read any of these stories will do.

Avon published Royal Bridesmaids by Stephanie Laurens, Gaelen Foley and Loretta Chase in 2012.

Mothership Book One of the Ever-Expanding Universe by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal

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This is the most fun read I have had in a long time.  Mothership is listed as YA but it is really for all ages.  It is book One of the Ever Expanding Universe but what is expanding the most is the baby bumps each of the girls are sporting.  So we have a Science Fiction book about pregnant teenagers.  This should be a serious topic but the twist the authors put on why and how they ended up where they are is what is so unusual.

There are serious moments and a lot of danger in the story.  Elvie Nara is the main character in the book and she is a Jill of all trades.  Her father made sure she knows how to fix almost anything and that skill is what saves lives when everything starts to go bad. 

Elvie reminds me a little of Kitty Katt, Gini Koch’s character in her Alien books.  Elvie has a solution for everything, is the leader when danger arrives and like Kitty has a very smart mouth.  The two main males in her life are very different.  Ducky has been her friend for most of her life and offers her as much support as he can when she is sent to school located in space and he is on Earth.  Cole, father of her baby bump, is part of the rescue mission that arrives at the school (No one knew they needed rescuing).  You don’t want to like him but he does grow on you as the book progresses.  There are some good secondary characters.  Elvie’s Father is wonderful and when you get to know him you understand how Elvie’s mind works.

The writing in Mothership is great, the plot is fun and the characters are marvelous.  What more could you want is a book?

I go this book from Amazon Vine and I can’t wait for the next one.  The ending of Mothership is a cliffhanger but like the rest of the book it is not one anyone would have expected.  Hurry up book two.

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Simon and Schuster published Mothership by Martin Leicht and Isla Neal in 2012.

Waiting on Wednesday (WOW) August 15, 2012

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

I am waiting on Riveted (A Novel of the Iron Seas) by Meljean Brook.  It is steampunk and is due out September 4, 2012.  I don't have it on pre-order as I will be out of town for most of September so I will just have to find a books store to purchase.  

Here is Goodreads summary:

A century after a devastating volcanic eruption forced Iceland’s inhabitants to abandon its shores, the island has become enshrouded in legend. Fishermen tell tales of giant trolls guarding the land and of seductive witches who steal men’s hearts. But the truth behind the legends is mechanical, not magic—and the mystery of the island a matter of life and death for a community of women who once spilled noble blood to secure their freedom.

Five years ago, Annika unwittingly endangered that secret, but her sister Källa took the blame and was exiled. Now Annika serves on the airship Phatéon, flying from port to port in search of her sister and longing to return home . . . but that home is threatened when expedition leader David Kentewess comes aboard.

Determined to solve the mystery of his own origin, David will stop at nothing to expose Annika’s secrets. But when disaster strikes, leaving David and Annika stranded on a glacier and pursued by a madman, their very survival depends on keeping the heat rising between them—and generating lots of steam .

TeaserTuesdays August 14, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser is from Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter.  This is a "new series featuring angels poised on the brink of destruction."The description is from the back of the book.

"Twenty-three", Bjorn said, a thread of darkness in his tone.
Thane added his tally in his head-he never forgot a kill.  "Only nineteen for me."  page 105

I am almost finished with the book.  Because the plot was familiar I have not enjoyed the book as much as I thought I would.  This is the first Gena Showalter book I have read and I think if had read the previous series I would have liked this one more.