Other Books I Read In May, 2011

Mystery:

A Regimental Murder by Ashley Gardner- This is the second in the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries and it does not disappoint.  I learned more about Captain Lacey, more about some of the recurring secondary characters and there were a lot of interesting facts that could be hook for future stories.  Add The Glass House and The Sudbury School Murders to the Captain Lacey Regency Mysteries I read this month.  I am still hooked and now I have to wait until June for the next one to be released as an ebook.

Fatal Error by J. A. Jance.  This is latest book in the Allie Reynolds mysteries.  The series continues to hold my attention.  There is a new character that could have his own series or be a reoccurring character in this series.

Romance:

Taken by the Prince by Christina Dodd – This is another in the Distinguished Academy of Governess’ series.  Set back in Moricadia the revolution to put the true King is in full swing.

Science Fiction:

The Complete Bolo by Keith Laumer – This was the Science Fiction Book Club selection for May.  A series of short stories and novella’s the book was written in the 1960’s.  It was Classic Science Fiction.

Steampunk:

Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross – I received Girl in the Steel Corset from Harlequin free as an ARC.  It is a young adult book and is not a good fit for my blog so I will not be writing a post.  It is  however a good book so I wanted to at least mention it. 


Science Fiction Romance:


Enemy Games by Marcella Burnard - I loved Enemy Within but I was disappointed by Enemy Games.  I kept reading but the story never hooked me.  That just happens sometimes.

Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn

Historical Romance

Just Like Heaven is an ARC that I received free from Amazon Vine.  I loved Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton series and when I saw that the Bridgeton’s know the Smythe-Smiths I picked Just Like Heaven as one of my two free books.  I was not disappointed with my choice. 

In Just Like Heaven Julia Quinn has created a hero and heroin that are both very likeable people.  The start of the series revolves around that Smythe-Smith Musical that we heard about first in the Bridgerton series.  Marcus Holroyd has known Honoria Smythe-Smith since she was 6 and he was twelve.   Honoria was a six-year-old pest who wanted to go everywhere with her brother Daniel and his friend Marcus.  Now that Honoria is twenty-one and Marcus is twenty-seven things are different.  It is such fun to watch these two realize that they are not only friends but are also falling in love. 

Just Like Heaven is also full of humor.  I challenge anyone to read the scene where someone’s mother is pecked to death by pigeons and not laugh so hard they hurt.  Just Like Heaven is a great start to a new series.  I like to guess who will be featured next.  I wonder if it will be the governess that Marcus thinks he has seen before?

Avon published Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn in 2011.  The book will be released May 31, 2011.


Giving me a free book does not guarantee a recommendation.  I will not recommend a book if I do not like it. 

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell

Time Travel

The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is another book I received free from Carina Press and it is another winner.  Christine Bell has crafted an entertaining story full of surprises.  The characters are likable and the actions fit the plot.  The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale is a novella length ebook that tells a complete story with a satisfying ending.

Dorothy (Stormy) Gale is a time traveler.  Professor Gilbert Green took Stormy and her brother Bacon from London in the 1800’s to America in the 21st Century.  Because you have to be very careful not to make too many changes when you travel in time Professor Green made Stormy and Bacon promise to always keep how they traveled in time a secret.  Now Bacon has lost his Time Travel Mechanism or TTM in a card game to the Loony Duke of Leister in 1836 and the secret of time travel is in danger of being revealed.  She and Bacon have to travel back in time get the TTM.  As you might expect, things do not go smoothly.   Stormy did not expect the Loony Duke to both handsome and sexy.  The Loony Duke has a few surprises of his own for Stormy.

Carina Press published The Twisted Tale of Stormy Gale by Christine Bell in 2011.


Giving me a free book does not guarantee a recommendation.  I will not recommend a book if I do not like it. 

Semper Fi Magick by Faith V. Smith

Paranormal/Fantasy

When I received my last Romantic Times magazine I is saw that Semper Fi Magick had received 4 ½ stars.  I requested and got a copy of the ebook from Wild Rose Press.  This is one time when I did not do the background checking I should have.  Semper Fi Magick is the second book in a series.  Each story stands alone but the characters from the first story play a big part in the new story.  Even though Faith Smith included some back-story I would have gotten into this book faster if I had read the first story.  That being said Semper Fi Magick had a good story that also forms the basis for the next book in the series.

Princess Catriona (Cat) is the daughter of the King of the Faeries.  She has been restricted to her own realm after her interference in the mortal world.  She is spoiled and she is bored so she decides to ignore her Father’s restriction and visit Wulfgar and Raven’s home in the mortal world.  There is another guest there when she arrives.  Derek is a special Ops Marine and he has come to his cousin Rav’s home for some quite time to recover from a mission that went bad.  There are immediate sparks of the wrong kind between Derek and Cat.  Derek needs peace and quite.   Cat wants to be treated like a Princess and Derek just does not buy it.  Cat has to do a lot of changing and Derek has to take some thing on faith for things to work out between the two.

I recommend you read Viking, Go Home, the first story before starting Semper Fi Magick.  Look for the lead into the next story at the end of Semper Fi.  I am looking forward to that story.

Wild Rose Press published Semper Fi Magick by Faith V. Smith in 2011.


Giving me a free book does not guarantee a recommendation.  I will not recommend a book if I do not like it. 

Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley

Science Fiction Romance

If you like Science Fiction Romance this is a must buy.  In Blue Galaxy Diane Dooley has written an action packed story that flows smoothly from start to finish. The world building compares favorably with some of the best full-length novels. Every action fits within the context of the story and the action drives the story while it reveals the personalities and secrets of the two main characters, Javan and Sola. Diane does not waste a single one of the 22,000 words that keep this story moving and on track.  After finishing Blue Galaxy I felt that it could have been expanded into a full-length novel.  While the main story is complete there are many side questions left unanswered. Hopefully, Diane Dooley is working on more stories set in the Blue Galaxy universe.  

In Blue Galaxy Javan Rhodes is a starship captain who has taken an illegal but very lucrative mission.  He is to ask no questions while transporting someone to the outer colonies.  His passenger turns out to be a beautiful young woman who is going to an arranged marriage.  Nothing is as it seems and both Javan and Sola receives more than one surprise.

I received a free copy of Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley from Carina Press.  Carina Press published Blue Galaxy in 2011. 

Giving me a free book does not guarantee a recommendation.  I will not recommend a book if I do not like it. 

Betrayer , A Foreigner Novel by C. J. Cherryh

Science Fiction

Betrayer is the twelfth novel in the Foreigner series.  For fans of the series this is a must read.  Bren Cameron is again in the heart of the trouble.  He is in Machigi’s home trying to prevent a new uprising.  As always there is a lot going on and Bren must work hard to stay alive.

I am not going to say much about Betrayer.  If you are a fan of the series you will want to get Betrayer.  If you are not yet a fan this is a series you want to start at the beginning.  

If you are looking for good Science Fiction you can start reading knowing that you have twelve books already written and you will not have a long wait between books like those of us who started reading when the first book came out.

DAW published Betrayer by C. J. Cherryh in 2011.

I purchased Betrayer.

Spirit Dances, Book Six: The Walker papers by C. E. Murphy

Urban Fantasy

Spirit Dances is a free book I received from Amazon Vine.  It is the sixth book in the series and I was afraid I might be totally lost.  I have to give C.E. Murphy credit; she knows how to treat and catch new readers.  All the back-story I needed was inserted in small snippets in the first few pages.  I had no trouble jumping right into the story.

Joanne Walker is a Seattle detective who also has shamanic abilities.  She has survived her first challenges and is beginning to feel comfortable with her abilities. All of that changes when she is given free tickets to see a dance performance.  The troupe uses dance to trap into magic, magic that someone steals killing one of the lead performers.  Things just get stranger and stranger as Joanne faces another new and big challenge.

Spirit Dances hooked me to the series.  C. E. Murphy has created a wonderful world full of strange new things.  The characters are fun and inventive, and the plot is well constructed.  There is mystery, danger and romance all tangled in with the magic.  Now I am waiting for the next book.

Luna published Spirit Dances by C.E. Murphy in 2011.


Giving me a free book does not guarantee a recommendation.  I will not recommend a book if I do not like it. 

The Last Warrior by Susan Grant

Science Fiction Romance

Susan Grant’s last few books have been a mix of hit and miss for me.  It was almost like she was trying write like someone else.  The Last Warrior is Susan back on track and writing with her own voice. 

The Last Warrior is set in an entirely new world.  Humans and the Gorr arrived to colonize the same planet.  The Gorr tried to exterminate the humans and all contract with Earth (Uhrth in The Last Warrior) was cut off.  Humans divided into three groups who do not get along but with the Gorr a common enemy.  General Tao has just come home after a great victory against the Gorr.  He does not find the welcome he expects.  He is forced to find refuge from his own people and is thrown together with Elsabeth whose loyalty is with another human group.  Together they must work to heal the wounds among the humans or see all humans on the planet wiped out by the Gorr.

The Last Warrior is a fast paced, action filled adventure where the romance does not overpower but is part of the story. The characters are well drawn and several of the secondary characters could be the main characters in future books.  Susan has crafted a world filled with possibilities and I look forward to see future books in this setting.

Harlequin published The Last Warrior by Susan Grant in 2011.

The Last Warrior is a book I purchased.