Short and sweet book Reviews # 216 - Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston, Star Carrier by B.V. Larson,

Hot and Badgered by Shelly Laurenston
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved the start of the book. I also liked the characters. What kept this from being a five star was the backstory. Not that it was bad but it was a spin off from a previous series and at times I felt left out about relationships between the main characters and some of the side characters. I did love Charlie and her sisters. Berg was a real sweet heart and just right for Charlie. The story line was interesting. There was never a dull moment with plenty of action to go with the romance.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Star Carrier by B.V. Larson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Captain Starhawk is once again in the middle of a lot of trouble. Seems that the oldsters need to be removed. Of course Starhawk is the one who may be able to stop them. This is the last book of the trilogy and before it ends there are some very interesting events. Each seems like it will lead to disaster. Every time Starhawk and his crew turn disaster into a step in the right direction. A fun series to listen to.

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Short and Sweet Audio Book Reviews # 215 - Dreadnought by B.V. Larson, Blackout by Marc Elsberg

Dreadnought by B.V. Larson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Captain William Sparhawk and his crew are off to explore and they find many surprises. I keep listening to this for the fun. There are more interesting descriptions that inspire me to answer back while having a very good chuckle. Start with book one and be prepared to enjoy what is a fun book full of cliches and some very different characters.


Blackout by Marc Elsberg
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book that left me feeling very unsafe. Set in Europe it tell all that can happen if you lose the power grid and cannot bring things back for days. The story revolves around a set number of characters in different parts of Europe and through their eyes you see all that can be destroyed in a matter of days. It also shows how easy it could be to kill the power and how hard it could be to bring it back on. I liked the voice of the reader. He kept the right amount of tension while giving each character a unique voice. Reading this will send you out to make sure you have emergency supplies.

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Short and Sweet Book Reviews #206 - Why Kill the Innocent by C.S. Harris, Battle Cruiser by B. V. Larson

Why Kill the Innocent by C.S. Harris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have to start by saying I was disappointed in Why Kill the Innocent. This is one of my favorite mystery series and I have never missed any. In fact I have read then all in order. So to start this is a nice mystery and we get to watch Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, and his wife Hero work to solve the murder of Jane Ambrose, a murder that the crown wants swept under the table. A lot of the actual history of the period is used to solve the murder and makes for some very interesting reading. What I felt missing was the tension between the various characters and any lead toward solving the issues that have been set up as part of the backstory in the series. Where any of that comes up lacks the connection to the series characters. I want Sebastian to still be looking into his past and I want more of a conflict between Hero and her father. That would have added to this story and would have moved the story arc instead of stalling it leaving me with a feeling that the story was just a little flat.

I received a free copy of the book in return for an honest review.


Battle Cruiser by B.V. Larson
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This story was full of recycled tropes and it had scenes that were contrived. The voice of the main character did not make him any more likable. He came across as arrogant. In fact I have a name for him but not one I would put in a review. By the end of the book I had gotten used to the voice and since it did not go in a straight line I kept listening just to see what happened next. This was not a audio book I purchased so the things that made this a three star book did not bother me as much as it would if I had been out money.

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Shield’s Lady by Jayne Ann Krentz

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Science Fiction Romance/Futuristic

I got Jayne Ann Krentz’s newsletter and saw where Shield’s Lady was offered as an ebook for 1.99.  I had read the other two Lost Colony books Sweet Starfire and Crystal Flame.  I even have a combined hardcopy of the two books but had never read Shield’s Lady so I purchased and read.  All three were written in the 1980’s so are early example’s of Krentz’s futuristic writing.  For me they are not as good as the St. Helen’s books and those are not as good as the Harmony/Ghost Hunter books.  That said they are worth reading and do let you see Krentz’s progression as a writer.

Shield’s Lady was the last of the Lost Colony series and for me it is the best.  In this colony there were two colony ships and they crashed on separate continents on the planet Windarra.  Both groups thought that everyone on the other ship perished.  They have just recently rediscovered each other.  Both groups have developed in very different manners. 

Sariana Dayne is from the eastern continent where lives are very structured and in Sariana’s mind much more civilized.  She has moved to the western continent and although she does not realize it at first she fits much better on the western continent where life if full of surprises. 

Gryph Chassyn is a Shield. Shields are surrounded by mystery and legends.  There are not Shields on the eastern continent so this is Sariana’s first contact with a Shield.  Sariana does not believe in legends.  Shields have special powers that help protect the people of the planet.  One thing that is unique about them is the fact they have to find their Shield Mate to every have children and then they only have male children.  Sariana is Gryph’s Shield Mate.  Not that she believes that.  When the two end up working together sparks fly. 

The set up here is great.  There is a lot of tension between Gryph and Sariana.  She refuses to believe the part about Shield Mates.   Gryph never askes, he orders.  Sariana never follows orders.  A prisma cutter has been stolen and Sariana needs Gryph to find it.  What develops is much more than a theft.  The theft is part of a dangerous plot that only Gryph and Sariana can stop.

Shield’s Lady was a quick fun read.  If you like Jayne Ann Krentz’s futuristic stories pick this on up and find out about one of the Lost Colonies.

Purple Papaya LLC reissued Shield’s Lady by Jayne Ann Krentz as an ebook in June , 2012.