What Else I Read in October 2014

Books:

A Christmas Wedding Ring by Susan Mallery – This is not a new

story.  It is a new release of a book that was released in 1998.  That said it is a very nice story.  I love Molly who thought she was weak but was in fact very strong.  Dylan Black was the bad boy who really was never very bad.  From the wrong side of the tracks he has worked hard and is now a success.   Even though they both have problems together they are able to put them aside while they go on the adventure Dylan promised 14 year-old Molly years ago.  A very nice story.

A Hero for the Empire by Christina Westcott- This is Science

Fiction Romance so it is a book I should have loved but it fell a little flat for me.   So what did not work for me:  The backstory was there but not in enough detail.  There was no build up to the romance.  It showed up too early,  it was just sex and it interfered with the flow of the story.   The world building seemed incomplete.

What worked for me:  I liked the two main characters.  They had to carry the story and they fit the action. I thought the writing was good.  Everything was kept in a very active voice, which I love. I liked the twists and turns in the plot.   The things I did not like kept the plot from jelling as it should have.  This is book one and I did like the story enough that I will be looking for book two.  I hope that the back-story, world building and plot development will continue and it will be a book I love.

Breaking Creed by Alex Kava - Breaking Creed is the first book in a new series.  However it features a character that was seen in a previous Maggie O’Dell book.  Maggie is also featured in Breaking Creed.  I have not read the O”Dell books but had no trouble keeping up with the action in Breaking Creed.  There is some back-story added where needed and the rest of the action stands on its own.

The story was good.  I loved all the dogs, especially Grace.  There were some things that I found distracting.  There are several important characters and the chapters switch between them.  That was a bit of a distraction.  I also found one of Creed’s actions really unbelievable.  There was no way it was safe.  I will let you see if you agree when you read the book.  Even with that I found Creed a great protagonist and look forward to future stories about he and his dogs.

Deadly Pursuit by Nina Croft - Nothing was as it seemed in Break Out by Nina Croft, book one in the Blood Hunter series, so I did not expect Deadly Pursuit to be any different and it was not.  The crew of the El Cazador took a job to break Jonathon Decker out of prison in book one.  Now they are stuck with him in book two.  They might just turn him back to the Collective except it will not work.  Now the Collective wants Jon and the entire crew dead.  Added to the mix is Al or Alex the High Priestess of the Church of Everlasting Life who is now crew on the ship.  The Church wants her back or do they.  Nothing is as it seems.  That includes characters as well as action.  Look for several familiar paranormal characters as well as some new breeds to mix everything up.  Croft has written another edge of your seat adventure and romance with this second book in the Blood Hunter series.  It will stand-alone but you don’t want to miss the adventure and romance in Break Out, book #1.

'Tis the Season by Robyn Carr – Tis the Season features three Christmas Novellas from Robyn Carr.  Two are set in Virgin River where four of the side characters from some of the main line books get their own story.  The third is one she wrote sometime in the 1990 and seems to be one that was written as a stand-alone.  The book is really for Virgin River fans who may have missed the two Virgin River stories when they were published in other books.  Like always the stories are full of great characters and an even better romance.

Audio Books:

The Burglar Who Counted the Spoons (A Bernie Rhodenbarr

Mystery)  by Lawrence Block - This is my first meeting with Bernie Rhodenbarr and his friend Carolyn Kaiser and I hope it will not be my last.  I loved the paring.  Bernie runs a book store and Carolyn a pet grooming business.  They have lunch each day and are fast friends.  Nothing more.  Bernie is straight and Carolyn is gay.  Bernie has a side line.  He is a burglar and just refuses to give it up.  This time he uses his skills to solve a murder and pay back a client how shorted him money.  A fun listen.

Skin Game (Dresden Files #15) by Jim Butcher - Harry is up to his neck in trouble again and to add to the problem he is in a very unusual condition.  One problem is solved and several others are set up in Skin Game.  Now I am ready for the next book in the series.