TBR Challenge- General

Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

TBR Challenge 2011- General.


I'm continuing to enjoy the In Death books on audio. I figured out the murderer early on in this story but I still enjoyed the ride. The backstory on Eve was tough to read, but made for some great interactions between her and Roark. We also learn more about Roark and Somerset, and get introduced to Peabody, who's a great character.


With so many more books in the series, I won't have any problems spending my audible.com credits for a long time.


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TBR Challenge- General

Get A Clue by Jill Shalvis

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

TBR Challenge 2011-- General


3.5*


Cute, lighthearted romance with a touch of mystery thrown in. I enjoy everything Shalvis writes, and this was no exception. I especially loved the lead male, Cooper. Breanne was a bit too stubborn, but I still liked her. The romance was sweet and steamy. ;-) This book was a fun way to spend a sweltering Sunday afternoon--inside in the AC and sipping some iced tea.


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TBR Challenge 2011- July Category: Fairy Tale

Sleeping Beauty by Dallas Schulze

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

TBR Challenge: July Category- Fairy Tale. Sleeping Beauty has been on my TBR list since June 28, 2010.


15 years ago, Anne's older sister Brooke was murdered. Anne's controlling mother, guilt-ridden brother, emotionally absent father, and even the well-meaning small town have all contributed in keeping Anne in an emotional limbo. She's tried to please her mother by being perfect, and everyone else has tried to protect her by being smothering and over-protective.


Into this half-life rides true-crime author Niell, whose motorcycle breaks down in Anne's small town. His attraction to Anne shakes up her world, and brings on emotional confrontations with friends and family. The book isn't a suspense. The lasting effects of Brooke's murder are the backdrop for the awakening of this particular Sleeping Beauty. The tension level is kept fairly low.


Overall a quick and enjoyable read. Nothing original, but pleasant.


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TBR Challenge- General

The First Mistake by Merline Lovelace

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

TBR Challenge 2011- General. This book has been on my TBR list since since March 2010.


I don't know why it's taken me so long to read this book. I'm so glad I signed up for the TBR Challenge 2011 over at Wendy the Super Librarian's blog (www.wendythesuperlibrarian.blogspot.com). Because of the challenge, I've been combing though my TBR lists for books I added prior to 2011. I can't even remember who recommended this romantic suspense, but they were right. It's very good.


This is the first book in the Cleo North Trilogy. It's followed by The Middle Sin and The Last Bullet. This trilogy has both romance and suspense, but the emphasis is on the suspense plot. Even though I tend to like books with equal emphasis on the two part, this book grabbed me and kept me eagerly reading. Perhaps it's because the character and relationship development are so satisfying even without the emphasis on the romance. (There are sex scenes, for those who want to know such things.) Cleo has an on again, off again relationship with a sexy FBI agent, Jack. Plus, while on the job as a bodyguard in Arizona, she meets an equally sexy millionaire. Both these men will figure in the following books. I'm assuming there'll be an HEA by the end if the trilogy.


The action and suspense were very good without being brutal or overly graphic. Cleo is a competent former Air Force OSI officer turned security expert who doesn't have TSTL moments, thank goodness. The way the investigation works, the rules followed, the inter-agency "cooperation," etc., all felt realistic. The author, a 23 year veteran of the Air Force, writes what she knows and it shows. She also writes with a sense of wry humor, which adds to the enjoyment.


I highly recommend The First Mistake as a fast-paced, enjoyable romantic suspense with a dose of reality and a touch of humor.


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SFR Reading Challenge 2011

The Last Warrior by Susan Grant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

SFR Reading Challenge 2011 #9


3.5*


A good story with likeable characters. This was more a futuristic fantasy/romance than SF romance. The world was colonized by Earth some number of centuries in the past, but contact had been lost. Technology and science had been banned as "magic" and evil by the dominant human faction after it's misuse had caused mas destruction during a war with an alien race. While not a deep or complex tale, it was still fun with plenty of action and a sweet romance.


The book feels ripe for a sequel or two. While there was closure to the main story plenty of room is left to expand on the world, it's various peoples, the mystery of the "arks," and the people who originally sent the colonist to this planet.


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TBR Challenge- General

Any Man of Mine by Rachel Gibson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

TBR Challenge- General Category. This book has been on my goodreads TBR list since December 2010.


3.5* A very enjoyable contemporary by a solid author. This book has gotten mixed reviews, but I was caught up in the story and the characters. It's not deep, and the characters could've been better developed, but overall it works as a different take on the "horn-dog hockey player meets his nemesis." Just a little more emotion and a little more character development would have easily put this at 4*, which is as high as I usually go.


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