ARC Review: The Safest Lies

The Safest Lies
Megan Miranda
Young Adult
Crown Books/May 24, 2016

Kelsey was raised to see danger everywhere. Her mother hasn't set foot outside their front door in seventeen years, since she escaped from her kidnappers with Kelsey growing inside her. 

Kelsey knows she’s supposed to keep a low profile for their own protection, but that plan is shattered when she drives off a cliff and is rescued by volunteer firefighter and classmate Ryan Baker.

A few days later, she arrives home to face her greatest fear: her mother is missing. She and her mother have drilled for all contingencies—except this one. Luckily, Ryan is as skilled at emergency rescues as Kelsey is at escape and evasion. 

To have a chance at a future, Kelsey will have to face all her darkest fears. Because someone is coming for her.And the truth about the past may end up being the most dangerous thing of all.

So this was different. It was good, overall, although I did have to suspend my reality in place of the author's reality. The unconventional life Kelsey has lived isn't easy to relate to but Ms. Miranda does well conveying Kelsey's feelings and showing how her lifestyle has affected her in her short life. 

One event can change a life. In Kelsey's case, the first time it was what happened to her mother that also shaped Kelsey's life. Then, Kelsey's life is again disrupted by a harrowing experience. This becomes the storm before the break in the clouds and beginning of something new and ultimately, the best thing to happen to Kelsey. 

Kelsey has gotten her wish. She gets to venture out of her home and attend public school. Until now, she has been home schooled but for her senior year of high school, her mother has agreed to allow Kelsey to attend public school. This is huge and Kelsey acts as if she has been given work release from prison. She still has to return every day to her prison-like home, but while she is out, she relishes the taste of freedom, no matter how scary it sometimes is.   

The guy in Kelsey's life is a genuine hero. He's a high school student who moonlights as a volunteer firefighter. Ryan is a good guy who does not understand Kelsey's life but doesn't treat her like she's a freak. He has patience with her while encouraging her to experience the typical life of a teenager.  If only it would have been typical but Kelsey's mother's past catches up with them. I would have liked to see more of Kelsey attempting to fit in but the suspense aspect was kept in the forefront. 

The over-the-top some of the situations were created some problems. This is where I had to suspend my disbelief and just go where the author lead me. There were couple of eye rolls and "good-griefs" but in the end the story was interesting although the surprise ending didn't come as a complete surprise. 

Rating: B

Review: The Lost Prince

The Lost Prince
Julie Kagawa
Young Adult Fantasy
The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten/Book 1
Harlequin Teen/October 23, 2012

Don’t look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase’s unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he’d dare to fall for. 

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister’s world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myth and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series is a favorite of mine. The world Kagawa has created is filled with such memorable characters and fast paced action, I was thrilled to venture back into it.

Little Ethan is all grown up, mostly. He may be in high school but his past experiences with the Fey are still with him, governing his every move. He's going through more than the typical teenage angst, Ethan is being pulled back into a world he wants nothing to do with. Ethan was an interesting character when he was a little boy. I still found him interesting but his teen angst became redundant with his "poor me" attitude.

I like how we see Ethan trying to fit in to the "normal" world of teens all the while keeping his defenses up against whatever the Fey might thrown at him. It was a little odd, seeing Ethan as the main character without his big sis watching over him. As the story progresses, Ethan becomes a stronger presence and begins to come out of the shadow of his sister, the Iron Queen.

There is plenty of backstory so if you haven't read the previous novels, you get a pretty good idea of what has preceded up to this point.  The problems came up with the main female character, Mackenzie aka Kenzie.  She's determined to find out what is going on with Ethan Chase.  I found her pushy, overbearing and difficult to like.  She made me miss Meghan and her quiet strength. Maybe it's not fair to compare the two but I couldn't help but compare Ethan and Kenzie to Meghan and Ash and found the new couple lacking.  Still, I was left curious to see what happens next in Ethan's world.

Rating: B

The Iron Fey:  Call of the Forgotten Series ~

The Lost Prince
The Traitor's Son (October 29, 2013)

TBR Challenge: Secret Admirer

Secret Admirer
Susan Napier
Contemporary Romance
A Year Down Under Series
Harlequin Presents/May 1993

Grace under pressure
 

Running into a potential business partner late at night in a broken elevator - when one was wearing a glamorous fur with nothing on underneath - was awkward, but Grace Blair was cool enough to handle a hot situation.

Her poised, controlled demeanor belied the insecurity she felt taking over her late husband's business empire, but Scott Gregory was able with one caressing glance to strip away all her pretenses. Especially since the handsome New Zealander had made it clear from their first inauspicious meeting that in business, knowledge was power - and that he knew exactly what he wanted.

This is not the first book I picked up for this month's challenge.  I started with a historical western but after a week and only 125 pages in, I decided to set it aside.  Unfortunately, I decided this yesterday morning which meant if I was going to make the challenge deadline, I would need to pick something I could read and review in a day.  So I dragged out the underbed storage box filled with Harlequins and came up with a Susan Napier romance.  I've not read Ms. Napier but have read some positive reviews of her work which is how she landed in my TBR pile.

 What a memorial impression Grace leaves on Scott Gregory upon their first meeting!  She is mortified, he is intrigued.  Fast forward a few months and Grace is trying to keep her late husband's company afloat, learning as she goes.  It turns out Mr. Gregory is in the same business  Grace now finds herself in and he has an interesting business proposal to make.  

Scott Gregory is not only known for his amazing business ventures but also for escorting a variety of beautiful women about town.  He can be either a ruthless competitor or an asset to Grace's company.  Right off you know Scott has plans that extend past the boardroom when it comes to Grace.  His fascination with her may have started in the elevator but it has gone beyond there.  He does have this tendency to show up everywhere Grace goes.  Stalker-ish or a man who goes after what he wants?  It didn't feel like Scott was a stalker simply because the intent was not malicious.  Yes, he does want to get to know Grace and she says she wants to keep things business only but the vibes she's sending out say something else.

Grace Blair has gone through a lot in the past months.  Her husband's death left her feeling alone and insecure in running the business he left to her.  She doesn't give up but instead is determined to learn what she needs to know to run the business. Grace is a former model, starting in childhood with a stage mother who focused all of Grace's time and energy on her career.  We see how Grace's modeling experience only feeds into her insecurities when it comes to business.  Grace was too indecisive when it came to her personal life and her feelings for Scott.  When she did make a decision, I was merely waiting for her to change her mind.

There is a big ol' WTH moment about two-thirds of the way through.  It was plausible, given the character's childhood but believable?  Yes, but ... I still had to remind myself that this is fiction.  Speaking of childhoods, both Grace and Scott has some bumps from theirs with Scott's bumps being far more traumatic.  Looking back, it is surprising how much detail was put into this category.  The focus does stay on Grace and Scott with little to no development on the secondary characters.  That didn't really bother me since it is a short format.

Even with the less than stellar heroine, the WTH shocker and the potential stalker moments, Secret Admirer turned out to be a engaging, short romance. 


Rating:  B-

Review: Fall From Grace

Fall From Grace
Megan Chance
Historical Romance/Western
Texas/1876
Harper/February 1997

Lily loses her childhood the day the Sharpe gang murders her parents and "adopted" her. They brought her into their world, and taught her who to be ruthless and smart.

Soon, Lily the Cat is wanted by the law. But, in the act of revenge she has planned for twelve years, Lily betrays the outlaws. And then she deceived Texas Sharpe, reluctant heir to the notorious gang--the man who loved her, married her, and defied his father for her. But although he desired her like no other, she used him - and his love.

And he was about to show Lily just how ruthless a man betrayed could be...

Well this is certainly a different romance! In fact, the romance is subdued with Lily and Texas at odds and each others throats for a great deal of the time. Their life of crime not only brought them together, it's pulling them apart. Lily wants more but Texas doesn't want to give her up. Even if he wanted to he can't, his father has ordered Texas to bring Lily back and Texas won't go against his father.

Lily Sharpe's life changed dramatically when she was twelve. She went from a child with two parents who loved her to a tenuous existence in a gang of killers and thieves. Her one goal became to survive. Which she did, integrating herself into the gang and becoming a well known thief herself. Lily is such a unique heroine. She has become cold, calculating and ruthless at times. She knows she is all those things and while she doesn't necessarily like it, her reality is such that she needs to be those things to survive. I liked Lily for what she had survived but she has a cold side to her and the empathy I thought I should/would feel for her wasn't always there.

Texas Sharpe has a code of conduct he tries to follow. He doesn't always succeed and that success often depends on the action of others. Texas doesn't like to kill but he will when necessary. He will kill for the gang and for survival. He's not a cold blooded killer but he does use his upbringing to justify his actions. It can be hard to see Texas as a hero. He's a criminal, a killer and yet the author shows the reader why Texas makes the choices he does. He doesn't see a way out so he makes the best of the situation he's in. He's still nowhere near what I would consider an ideal hero but he did prove to be interesting if only to find out what he will do next with Lily and the problems she creates.

The story is dark with Lily and Texas at turns filled with love and mistrust of each other. The complexity of their relationship makes it hard to believe they could have a strong and loving marriage while still in the gang. There is just too much to overcome, with Lily's relationship with Hank Sharpe, Texas' father, being a huge obstacle. Lily hates Hank but part of her wants to be loved by him. The little girl who watched her mother gunned down is desperate to be loved again. For me, I merely waited and hoped Hank would be killed.

Chance is a skilled writer, giving the reader a distinct feel for the old west and the outlaw lifestyle. It's not pretty but brutal and grim with very little light except for the odd camaraderie these outlaws have for each other. Odd because they can not trust that they won't find a bullet in their back from one of their fellow outlaws at some point. But they still band together when they need to.

Fall From Grace isn't a light, happy romance but rather a look at survival and the cost of loving someone. It's an emotional story with some very serious situations that don't always turn out the way you would hope. Even with its unconventional characters and setting, I found it compelling in the intensity of emotions. It is a novel I think you would need to be in the right mood to truly appreciate.

Rating: B+

ARC Review: Believe It or Not

Believe It or Not
Tawna Fenske
Contemporary Romance
Sourcebooks/March 6, 2012

Do you believe in...accounting?

Numbers never lie, so Violet McGinn found safe haven in the most boring profession she could find. Until her renowned psychic mother lands in the hospital and Violet has to run her business. Now you can have your taxes filed and your aura read, in one convenient location.

Do you believe in...music?

Drew Watson is the jaded owner of the local hot spot next door, and doesn't need a single thing except a good crowd to dance to what he's spinning on Saturday night.

Do you believe in...love?

The only thing Violet and Drew seem to have in common is that neither believes in that psychic hoo—hah. Except Drew seems to play exactly the right song at exactly the right time. And truth be told, it makes Violet's heart dance just a little ...

After enjoying Ms. Fenske's Making Waves, I was happy to see she had another romantic comedy coming out. This time our heroine is a serious accountant with possible psychic abilities and the hero owns a strip club bar featuring male strippers two nights a week. You would think they wouldn't have anything in common but Ms. Fenske brings these two together and shows us how much they really do.

Violet heads back to Portland, Oregon to help her mom, Moonbeam while she recuperates from surgery. Violet isn't psychic but gets talked into taking over her mom's store and appointments. Violet decides to make the best of it, even if it requires her to fake her psychic predictions. Then weird things start to happen, like Violets predictions coming true. Violet was a hoot! She had a few "I Love Lucy" moments and only through sheer luck, avoided disaster.

Drew Watson shares a building with the crazy psychic next door. They've had an ongoing feud for years - he thinks she's a fake, she thinks he exploits the human body with his strippers. When Moonbeam's daughter shows up, Drew has an odd attraction for this serious accountant turned fake psychic. Drew is a funny, sweet hero with a preference for 80's hair bands which he calls "butt rock". I've never heard that term before and neither had Violet. Soon they find they have more in common than their tastes in music.

Violet and Drew have some clashes but they also have some hot and tender moments. Events and people cause some complications but Violet and Drew confront and discuss their problems, showing that while they know how to have fun, they can also be mature when it's called for. I liked how they each took responsibility for their mistakes. This was mostly Violet since, while she does try to do the right thing, it doesn't always work out the way she plans it.

I liked the secondary characters, a bunch of odd ducks with Moonbeam and her quirky friends, Violet's customers and Drew's employees making life interesting for all they encounter. I did find that some of those characters, mainly Moonbeam's friends were a little too cliché.

The plot has a few sub-plots running alongside the romance. Possibly one or two too many sub-plots that took some of the focus away from Violet and Drew. Since my favorite scenes were with Violet and Drew, there were times when I found myself wanting to get back to them rather than scenes with Violet's customers or her mother. I did like how Violet's relationship with her mother changed from Violet wanting to keep her distance to appreciating Moonbeam and all her quirkiness.

This is a light, funny read. A romantic comedy with peculiar characters in a different setting. If you're looking for an amusing romance, this could be the one for you.

Rating: B

The cover - not sure why it looks like they're on a beach with very little clothing. The story is set in Portland, Oregon. More rain than sunshine and the clothes came off inside. The cover makes me think of east coast beaches not the Pacific Northwest. Maybe this won't be the final cover.

ARC Review: How to Save a Life

How to Save a Life
Sara Zarr
Young Adult/Contemporary
Little, Brown/October 18, 2011

From Goodreads ~

Jill MacSweeney just wants everything to go back to normal. But ever since her dad died, she's been isolating herself from her boyfriend, her best friends--everyone who wants to support her. You can't lose one family member and simply replace him with a new one, and when her mom decides to adopt a baby, that's exactly what it feels like she's trying to do. And that's decidedly not normal. With her world crumbling around her, can Jill come to embrace a new member of the family?

Mandy Kalinowski knows what it's like to grow up unwanted--to be raised by a mother who never intended to have a child. So when Mandy becomes pregnant, she knows she wants a better life for her baby. But can giving up a child be as easy as it seems? And will she ever be able to find someone to care for her, too?

This is a story of surviving loss and moving on. Jill and her mom Robin are trying to survive the devastating loss of father and husband. Mandy is trying to survive the loss of everything she knows, even if those things and people are not good for her. All three women take an interesting journey to find what the next stage in their lives will hold.

Jill and her mom Robin are coping with the loss of Mac, father and husband, who died unexpectedly. They are well off financially but both still struggle with an emptiness Mac left behind. Robin decides to not only adopt a baby but bring the birth mother home to live them until the baby is born. This doesn't go over well with Jill who thinks it's a crazy idea. It does sound farfetched - a 50-something woman with a seventeen year old deciding to adopt a baby. But Robin, like Jill, is reacting from the death of her husband Mac. I thought Robin was a little too trusting for a woman who is portrayed as a very intelligent business woman. But she is thinking with her emotions when it comes to the adoption.

Robin thinks the baby will bring hope into their lives but Jill thinks it all a big mistake. She was very close to her father and it shows in how she thinks of him and what advice he would give her in different situations. Jill has tried to shut out the world so bringing a very pregnant Mandy into the home is seen by Jill as an invasion. I thought Jill's reactions were genuine given the situation. It's less than a year since her dad died and while she may act like she doesn't want attention, she still needs her mom. So to have her mom focus on this stranger and her unborn child causes Jill to become defensive.

Mandy is an odd character. At times she is comes across as innocent and younger than her years (she's 18, nearly 19). Her life has been sheltered but she's also had her share of abuse. She has a tendency to say what she's thinking, often being too blunt. Her thought process and actions don't always show someone with a sense of how society and social situations work. She wasn't an easy character to relate to.

How to Save a Life is intriguing for it's contrasting look at grief and how people work through that grief. I could easily picture this as a Lifetime movie. The characters are solid but not easy to connect with. The ending didn't come as a surprise, it was fairly obvious how it would end early on. Even with the predictable plot, How to Save a Life turned out to be a satisfying read.

Rating: B

Review: Hammered

Hammered
Kevin Hearne
Urban Fantasy
Iron Druid Chronicles/Book 3
Del Rey/July 5, 2011

From Goodreads ~

Thor, the Norse god of thunder, is worse than a blowhard and a bully—he’s ruined countless lives and killed scores of innocents. After centuries, Viking vampire Leif Helgarson is ready to get his vengeance, and he’s asked his friend Atticus O’Sullivan, the last of the Druids, to help take down this Norse nightmare.

One survival strategy has worked for Atticus for more than two thousand years: stay away from the guy with the lightning bolts. But things are heating up in Atticus’s home base of Tempe, Arizona. There’s a vampire turf war brewing, and Russian demon hunters who call themselves the Hammers of God are running rampant. Despite multiple warnings and portents of dire consequences, Atticus and Leif journey to the Norse plain of Asgard, where they team up with a werewolf, a sorcerer, and an army of frost giants for an epic showdown against vicious Valkyries, angry gods, and the hammer-wielding Thunder Thug himself.

The third installment of Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid Chronicles finds ancient druid, Atticus O'Sullivan preparing for a major battle. A battle he might not survive. But if he does, he'll need to go far underground, leaving all behind but his apprentice Granuaile and his best friend and all around awesome dog Oberon.

Atticus has a lot to do before he takes on Thor. It was interesting to see how many attachments Atticus had. He had survived for so long by laying low and not building lasting relationships. Now, he's realized how many people and places have become important to him. Lots of loose ends to tie up. While Atticus is busy doing this, we also get to know more about Leif and Gunnar. Leif is a lawyer and a vampire. No, really. Gunnar is the alpha of the local werewolf pack. They both want revenge against Thor and will be joining Atticus when he goes after him.

Atticus is under a lot of pressure, he knows he might not make it back alive but he still keeps his humor intact. It's one of my favorite things about him. There is a car/chariot chase scene with Leif driving, Gunnar as passenger and Atticus in the back adding his unique humor to the situation. Atticus and Leif end up in a dueling Shakespeare contest that had me in stitches.

It takes a lot for the gang to get to Asgard where they plan to lure Thor into a fight. It's not just Atticus, Leif and Gunnar who want revenge but there are three others who travel with them to Asgard. I liked the new characters, they were well developed for secondary characters and rounded out the "fellowship" determined to take down Thor. The pacing did slow down quite a bit as everyones' reasons for revenge were told around the campfire. The stories were interesting but tended to drag on too long and for some, the willingness to risk their lives didn't balance with the act Thor was accused of.

There are a number of fight scenes and while I liked them I did find it hard to keep track of everyone involved. There were so many engaged in the various fights. There are gods, goddesses and deities along with their supernatural sidekicks making me wish I had a score card to keep track.

The end provides some twists and turns along with sadness and loss. It also leaves the reader wondering what will happen next. We'll have to wait until next April to find out.

Rating: B

Iron Druid Chronicles ~

Hounded
Hexed
Hammered
Tricked (April 2012)

ARC Review: The Wolf Next Door

The Wolf Next Door
Lydia Dare
Historical Paranormal Romance/1816
Werewolf series/Book 3
Sourcebooks/June 2010
ARC from publisher

From the author's website ~

They can't even be in the same room together...

Ever since a disastrous encounter on a full moon years ago, Prisca Hawthorne has taunted, insulted, and in every way tried to push him away. If only her heart didn't break every time Lord William Westfield left her...

But staying apart is even worse...

Lord William throws himself into drinking, gambling, and debauchery and pretends not to care about Prisca at all. But when he returns to find a rival werewolf threatening her, he just about goes berserk...

Can Prisca forgive the unforgivable, or are the mooncrossed lovers going to be forced into a battle of wills that could be fatal...?

Ah, William's book. I've been interested in William since he first showed up in A Certain Wolfish Charm (book 1). He's the rake of the family with a wicked, humorous side that I found so very appealing. He's also crazy in love with his next door neighbor. They have a rocky history full of immaturity and misunderstandings that has played a role in keeping them apart. With William trying to keep his distance and Prisca baiting him at every turn, you wouldn't think they would get a second chance at love.

But there's nothing like a rival to make a man sit up and take notice. That's what happens to Will when he finds another man sniffing around Prisca. He gets all alpha over the new guy on the block and lets it be known that if anyone is going to marry Prisca, it will be him. Unfortunately for William, the new guy doesn't back down which makes for lots of tension. Prisca's brothers also get involved since they have decided she needs to marry. They start scheming towards that end. Prisca decides to use all of this new attention to her advantage by, yep, making Will jealous.

Prisca might be considered spoiled by some readers and I can understand that perception. She's the youngest and only female in a family of men who are not always sure how to deal with Prisca and her antics. But they love her dearly and try to make her happy. She's not at all quiet or demure, but rather outspoken for a woman of her time. Her brothers are such a diverse group of men that I can certainly see some spin-off books down the road. I liked how they had similar viewpoints of their sister but different ideas of how to get Prisca to the alter.

There is also Will's family and they have their own ideas about Will and Prisca. Will's mother, who is ill, adores Prisca and treats her as the daughter she never had. Prisca gets along well with Ben, Will's youngest brother, but the duke is another story. Prisca enjoys irritating Simon, Will's eldest brother and Duke of Blackmoor, who is the pack alpha. We get to see Simon and Lily and Ben and Elspeth, the heroes and heroines from the first two books. I liked catching up with them and seeing how their relationships are progressing. They are skeptical when it come to Prisca but keep an open mind about her and Will, except for Simon. He doesn't like her.

The banter between Will and Prisca was wonderful. You could tell it had become a time honored tradition for them to dispense with politeness and get down to teasing and sometimes sharp remarks. Sometimes they said things that were hurtful towards the other which only showed the pain each of them felt because of their past history. I liked the way they had to work towards looking beyond their past and start to trust the each other with their secret desires and needs.

Once again, the writing team of Lydia Dare (Tammy Falkner and Jodie Pearson) have written a unique paranormal historical romance that left me wanting more. Luckily, they have another book coming out this fall. The Taming of the Wolf is the four book in the series and scheduled for release this November.

Rating: B+

Reviews for first two books ~

A Certain Wolfish Charm
Tall, Dark and Wolfish

In Death Challenge ~ Review: Missing in Death

Missing in Death/ The Lost anthology
J. D. Robb
Romantic Suspense
In Death series/Book 36 (including novellas)
Jove/December 2009
Library

*Mild spoilers for previous books*

From the back cover ~

While investigating a woman's disappearance on a New York City ferry, Detective Eve Dallas wonders... if she didn't jump, and she's not on board, then where in the world is she?

Very short blurb for a very short story. The investigation takes Eve and Peabody to a ferry in the harbor. There they find a lot of blood but no body. They need to find out who the blood belongs to and where the missing person is. On a ferry with over 3000 passengers, conducting a search proves to be a lengthy task. And with no obvious way off, Eve and Peabody are at an impasse.

I like these little novellas about my favorite detective. It's like a day in the life type of read. They usually take place over a day or so and are quick, sort of check-in type of stories. Just to see how everyone is doing along with a murder mystery thrown in. Are Peabody and McNab still co-habing? Yep. Is Summerset still driving Eve crazy? Check. Is Eve still parking her police issue vehicle out front to drive Summerset crazy? Check. Is Roarke still as hot as ever? Major check! :D

The shorter format doesn't allow for any real external subplot. It's all about the police work. It's a nice change. Eve is as smart mouthed and bossy as ever. The relationship between Eve and Peabody continues to grow. At this point in the series, Peabody has made detective and is now Eve's partner. Peabody is still learning the ropes with Eve's help but she's not as intimidated by Eve as she was at first. She's still got that hero-worship thing going but it's balanced out with their mutual respect and friendship.

The murder mystery plot was interesting. This time around we didn't get the anonymous viewpoint of the killer. That's not to say the murderer wasn't revealed fairly quickly. It was the why and how of the missing woman and murder that proved to be the real mystery. Peabody gave her free-ager take on how no one saw the murderer or the body leave the ship. Eve, of course, shot that idea down but still kept an open mind when nothing else seemed plausible. I like that about Eve. She very direct and usually has a good idea of how things happened with regard to a crime scene but is still open to ideas.

As per usual, Roarke and his unregistered computer system get involved. I do wonder how long it would take Eve to solve the crimes if Roarke wasn't there to circumvent the law by obtaining data through other means. She's very smart but all the red tape would slow her down. Kind a bugs me at times when Roarke has to come to the rescue with his unregistered.

Another thing that we only got very briefly was what I've come to think of as Eve's "red light scene". These are the scenes where Eve flashes back to her childhood in Dallas where her father beat and raped her. There's a red light outside the grimy window of the room she's in. When listening to the audio books I've gotten in the habit of fast forwarding those scenes. Mostly because they are in almost every book and I've heard them enough. It's just not something I want to hear about again.

Okay, it almost sounds like I don't like the series but I really do! Love it in fact. The above are the two points that can bug me at times. But otherwise, this is a fantastic series with murder, mystery, hot sex, good friends and witty dialogue. What more could you ask for?

Rating: B+

*I'm running late on writing up my last few challenges for January. I'll blame it on Jill Shalvis and her newest release, Slow Heat, which is very hard to put down. :)

Review: Heartsick

Heartsick
Chelsea Cain
Mystery/Thriller
Heart series/Book 1
St. Martin's Press/September 2007 HC
St. Martin's Press/August 2008 mmp
Purchased

From the author's website ~

Det. Archie Sheridan led the Beauty Killer Task Force for ten years, before the Beauty Killer (Gretchen Lowell) caught him, tortured him for ten days and then mysteriously let him go and turned herself in. Now it’s two years later and Archie, addicted to pain pills and still obsessed with Gretchen, is called off medical leave to hunt a second serial killer. Pink-haired girl journalist Susan Ward is assigned to profile Archie. She knows he’s hiding something. But what? (It’s bigger than a breadbox.)

I've had this sitting on the tbr pile for at least a year. It's one of those books that had a bunch of great reviews, lots of recommendations for it and the author but still it just sat there. My need to read it wasn't there yet. I know it had something to do with the content. It's not a romance so no HEA (Happily Ever After) in this one. I knew I would have to be in the right mood to read it. Well, that mood hit and I read Heartsick in less than a day.

Heartsick is one of those novels that for me, had elements that I wouldn't say I enjoyed but were vital to the overall story. The scenes of torture could have been more graphic but they were plenty graphic for me. I had no problem visualizing what Gretchen did to Archie. I found myself doing some "fast reading" through some of those scenes. I didn't dwell on the details. It was more of a read and move on - fast. I also noticed that my body was more tense when I read those scenes.

The way both Archie and Gretchen are written is very intense. When Cain gets into Archie's head and lets the reader see what he's going through now but what happened to him when he was Gretchen's prisoner, you really get to know him. The way he is able to function and keep going to see Gretchen every Sunday. That was hard to read, his time with Gretchen. They had a very twisted relationship. She kept twisting and manipulating and he couldn't get away, even after she was imprisoned.

While Archie is the main character it was certainly a group effort to catch the killer. Along with Archie's police task force team is Susan Ward. She is a writer for the Oregon Herald. Archie specifically asks for her to follow him as he works the case. She is to write a piece each week about Archie.

Susan was not at all what I was expecting. She is a gritty, ballsy, in-your-face woman. And just about as stubborn as a mule. She is intelligent and writes compelling stories about what it's like for Archie Sheridan to be investigating a serial killer again. I liked that she didn't back down from the more graphic aspects of the murder investigation. She was there in the field with Archie, helping when she could.

The characters are what made this such a memorable read for me. The plot was interesting but there were a few coincidences in the end that left it too neatly wrapped up. I did like Archie and Susan. The way they began as two professional and then became a team with a common goal was well developed. I found Gretchen eerily fascinating and I couldn't help but admire her calculating mind. I plan to continue reading about Archie and Gretchen and their twisted relationship in Sweetheart, book 2.

Rating: B+