Category Archives: Book Reviews

Goodbye from Victoria’s Corner and Victoria

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Hi there everyone.

As you may have noticed, I’ve been pretty much the only one posting for a month or two now, and even my posts have become a bit sporadic. There’s just too much on my plate right now to continue reviewing for Reviews by Molly along with my real life.

I wanted to say goodbye so you knew that nothing bad had happened with my abrupt disappearance. Not sure what’s going to happen with the review site – I haven’t heard from the other contributors in a while either. Hopefully they’re all right and have just gotten swarmed under by life too.

I am going to keep my hand in reviewing. But doing it to the degree I was trying to do it here simply isn’t feasible for me unfortunately. I’m doing an occasional review over at The TBR Pile (far fewer books) and I may go out with my own review site later, but right now…I’m done with reviewing traditionally published (i.e., not e-publisher) books.

I thank Molly for letting me come here and use NetGalley through her.

I thank the reading audience, esp. those who commented on my Victoria’s Corner posts.

And, btw, we got the lot, and we’ve started seeing signs of progress on getting it built! Woot!

Good luck and have a great year, everyone!

Victoria…out. :(

ARC Review: Magic of “I Do”

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Magic of “I Do”

Author: Tammy Falkner
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Date of Publication: June 4, 2013
Description:

I DoDesperately Seeking Excitement…
With the temporary prohibition on magic on the land of the Fae, Claire Thorne might as well go back to the Regency world. The haut ton has just as many annoying rules as her world, but at least they have parties and dances. Plus, the roguish Lord Phineas “Finn” Trimble is there…

When the feisty faerie tumbles into his room through a magical portal, Finn can’t believe how completely unpredictable she is. Even before the two stumble into a dangerous intrigue that threatens both their worlds, Finn discovers that his hitherto carefree life is about to go up in smoke…

My Thoughts:

This picks up pretty much right where Book 1 in the series left off. Claire was abducted and meant to be held while Robin (the hero of the first book) finished dealing with the problems of a human/fae marriage, which included brokering a deal between the Fae & human worlds that would allow him to keep any children from his marriage. Well, Claire doesn’t take kindly at all to being kidnapped by the brother, however handsome, and resolves to escape.

After that, however, she does a lot of sulking. I wasn’t particularly impressed by this entry in the series, though I love the eventual “falling in love” she and Finn do have. However, Claire’s continued pouting/being pissy about her sister and the sister’s breaking of the Unbreakable Rules of fairydom got old pretty quick. I wanted her to just grow up and move on. Because she was also whiny about her mother’s abandonment (again, issues that turned up in the first book).

That said, however, I felt the real connection between Finn & Claire. They both had very strong personalities. Given Claire and Finn get up to some rather naughty business before she makes her first escape (as evidenced by a “happy event” which, for Claire is not a really happy event), I liked watching Claire fight against her own moral code and not wanting to be untrue to her fairyside even as she gets stronger feelings toward the ugh human.

The revelation as to her painting gift, including a magic paintbrush that she finds, was a rather sweet touch, I have to say. I liked the brief glimpses we get of the Fae world and really hope to read more in this series. I’m a fan of Tammy Falkner through and through, though for me this wasn’t the best book by her that I’ve read.

Keep on reading!

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

–Review by Victoria

Heat Rating 3

ARC Review: The Accidental Demon Slayer

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The Accidental Demon Slayer

Author: Angie Fox
Publisher: Angie Fox
Date of Publication (re-pub, it looks like): May 23, 2013
Description:

Accidental Demon SlayerIt’s never a good day when an ancient demon shows up on your toilet bowl. For Lizzie Brown that’s just the beginning. Soon her hyperactive terrier starts talking and her long-lost biker witch Grandma is hurling Smuckers jars filled with magic. Just when she thinks she’s seen it all Lizzie learns she’s a demon slayer-and all hell is after her.

Of course that’s not the only thing after her. Dimitri Kallinikos, a devastatingly handsome shape-shifting griffin, needs Lizzie to slay a demon of his own. But how do you talk a girl you’ve never met into going straight to the underworld? Lie. And if that doesn’t work how dangerous could a little seduction be…?

My Thoughts:

OMG – how the heck have I not read Angie Fox’s works before this?! TADS is one of the funniest books I’ve read in ages! I mean, I looked at the blurb and started giggling. C’mon, a granny slinging Smuckers jars with magic in them?! Couldn’t possibly actually be that funny throughout, could it?

I discovered it could. And is.

Granted, this is not a light-hearted romp through the tulips. Nor is it a heavy-duty romance. Oh, there are sparks a plenty between Lizzie and Dimitri, but I wouldn’t call this a romance first and foremost, but rather urban fantasy with a romance subplot. Which is probably my favorite thing to read in the whole wide world.

Like the blurb says, Lizzie thought she was a normal, turning 30 y/o woman who loved her job (teaching in a preschool). And then her life gets turned topsy-turvy when her biological grandmother shows up and announces Lizzie is a demon slayer and only seconds later a demon pops out of Lizzie’s toilet. Yes, toilet. I’m not sure WHY the toilet, but, hey, it’s a demon. I’m not about to tell it where it can’t come from.

Through this book you meet the Red Skulls (like the Red Hat society, except with witches and motorcycle helmets), a biker gang of geriatric witches (I’m not kidding) who are on the run from the demon they want/need Lizzie to slay before it breaks free from Hell, a pack of werewolves verging on leadership issues (alpha challenges), and a demon who tries to steal not only Lizzie’s soul, but her grandmother’s as well.

Lizzie has to learn how to use her powers that have just developed (her demon-slayer sense will lead her straight into the heart of the biggest danger around, be it a cotton-mouth snake or a deadly spell that she (no one else) is immune to). Magic definitely is unique in this world of Ms. Fox’s. The portal the Red Skulls use to send Lizzie to hell to deal with Vald, the demon, apparently didn’t want to be used, and they ended up having to have Lizzie jump off the edge of a riverboat and hope she got through the portal before she got smushed on the paddlewheel.

Dimitri is one freakin’ hot griffin. Able to take on the shape of a man. I think I’ll give up my vamps if I can have a griffin like Dimitri. Sense of humor, incredible loyalty to friends and family. He’s got his own need for Lizzie’s skills, and that causes some trust issues when he finally comes clean with Lizzie.

I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book of this series, which apparently takes place in Las Vegas with a band of succubi trying to do bad things.

Definite 5-book rating on this sucker! Way to go, Angie Fox. I love you! Er…your books.

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

–Review by Victoria

Heat Rating 5

ARC Review: Skin in the Game

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Skin in the Game

Author: Jackie Barbosa
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: May 27, 2013
Description:

Skin in the GameAngela Peterson was always the quiet, shy kid growing up in Harper Falls, crushing on the high school quarterback and honing her football strategy skills. Now grownup and coaching the high school team, she’s shocked when that same sexy quarterback returns to Harper Falls asks her back to his hotel room. And then tries to steal her job.

Injured NFL quarterback Cade Reynolds is in Harper Falls to take over as interim head coach, and he never thought the tall, blond bombshell he propositioned would offer up any resistance. Not to a repeat of the amazingly wild night they shared and certainly not to his coaching position.

But the Harper Falls High Eagles are Angie’s team, and even the hometown hero won’t take that away from her, no matter how hot he is. As the two engage in a battle of wits and wills, this is one game neither is prepared to lose.

My Thoughts:

I just cannot get over how much I love Entangled’s covers. :;cough:: Yeah. It doesn’t hurt that green’s my favorite color either.

A couple of weeks ago, in Victoria’s Corner, I asked how y’all felt about sports in your romances. This is the book that sparked that question. You simply cannot separate the romance from the sports angle in Skin, nor can you overlook the familiar trope of nerd girl with crush on football guy meeting after twenty years. And for me, this book absolutely worked.

Angela is determined to earn the head coach’s job for her high school football team. She’s been a football fan and strategist her entire life. The head coach has a heart attack and she sees the man’ bringing in Cade as a knock against her capability just as she finally has the opportunity to prove she can handle the job as well as any man. Cade, of course, knows he was primarily brought in to keep the board from handing the position to the other assistant coach, a perfectly vile man who proved himself to be quite an arse.

Thankfully, Cade of course helps nudge that situation into line (though not without significant impact on the story/personal issues coming up). Angela, after she gets over being threatened by a pro-football player coming in to snag what she thought should be her job, ends up coming to realize just how much she could admire him. But, of course, they both know this is supposed to be a brief stint while the head coach is recovering from his heart attack and Cade tries to get back to his own career after a bad injury to his shoulder.

The raw emotions that flare between them, along with the drama and thrill of the metaphorical “Friday night lights” made this book an incredible experience. There was a definite crisis near the end, that led to a secondary crisis, but never once did I doubt they would find their way through it. Instead of a horrible misunderstanding, Ms. Barbosa took the story and used football itself, the game, the players and Angela’s ambition to create a genuine chance for emotional growth along with giving Angela the perfect opportunity to showcase her gift when it comes to coaching the game.

While it’s entirely possible Ms. Barbosa is not a fan of football, I’d like to believe she’s a major fan and loves the game as much as Angela and Cade both do. I know I love watching pro-football, and Ms. Barbosa made high school ball seem exciting in a way I’d never thought of it being, even from a coach’s perspective.

I love this book and in retrospect (thanks to writing this review a couple weeks after I read the book) have bumped my grade from 4 books to 5/5. For me, it’s very nearly perfect and I wouldn’t change anything in it.

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

–Review by Victoria

Heat Rating 5

ARC Review: Dream Nights With The CEO

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Dream Nights With The CEO

Author: Kathy Lyons
Publisher: Kathy Lyons
Date of Publication: May 27, 2013
Description:

Dream NightsHotel chain CEO and millionaire Wyatt Monroe is a stick in the mud. Sure, he’s hot as sin, even with the tie, but free-spirited assistant Megan Bradford refuses to jeopardize their perfect working relationship. Why mess that up with sex? She knows he’s the love ‘em and leave ‘em type, and she’s determined to find a family man.

Wyatt would never cross the line between boss and employee with Megan, no matter how hard it might be to resist the temptation. But when they visit a mysterious B&B in a bid to acquire the property, he starts having erotic dreams about the sexy brunette that make it hard to resist her in daylight.

Soon the line between reality and dreams further blurs when they learn they were sharing the same erotic dreams…

My Thoughts:

First, let me say I LOVE this cover! It’s a gorgeous shade of primarily purple and purple’s one of my favorite colors.

Okay, now that I’ve gushed a bit over the cover (which ties into my most recent Victoria’s Corner post, btw, found HERE), I can move on to the book behind the cover. I was delighted to learn/realize that this book had a bit of the paranormal, which made up (in my mind) for the fact that it was essentially just a contemporary romance (remember, not my favorite things…unless they’re Harlequin Presents, and there is definitely an HP feel to this book in some ways).

Wyatt and Megan have been working together for several years. She’s a great business-person/assistant to Wyatt, though they met and she came to work for him when he took over a bed and breakfast she’d been working as a maid in while she went through college. One night as they’re staying in a B&B that he’s considering purchasing, Megan starts having some very…interesting dreams about a masked man. Wyatt (unbeknownst to Megan) starts having the same dreams, except he doesn’t see the face of the woman he’s with.

As they examine a couple of other B&B possibilities and deal with Megan getting a nice promotion (well-deserved, not at all because of the relationship that starts developing), the dreams continue. Eventually Megan realizes (and is embarrassed by the fact) that she’s dreaming about Wyatt and Wyatt realizes likewise.

I found this an interesting study on the power of dreams, and how dreams can often reflect desires we’re not willing to admit to ourselves. Granted, technically, the dreams didn’t really represent that all by itself, but rather the desires/interests of a very determined ghost with a tie to a pair of beds (hehe), but still it definitely made me think about my dreams.

There was a great subplot about the owner, Bethany, of the B&B where Wyatt and Megan first start dreaming. I hope she gets her own book later so we can come to understand more of just what drove her batty and determined to suddenly get out of the B&B. Ms. Lyons, please please please tell her story! (And if you can work the ghost in, major PROPS!)

My initial feeling toward this book was a nice, solid four, but as I wrote this review and thought about how much I enjoyed it overall, I have to bump it up to a 5/5. Great book, can’t wait to read others by Ms. Lyons.

Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

–Review by Victoria

Heat Rating 5