Demon's Delight

Demon's Delight is an anthology I picked up at RWA. It's a solid read, though I found myself wishing a couple of the stories were longer.

From MaryJanice Davidson . . . Can a witch and a witch-hunter find common ground . . . without killing each other first?

From Emma Holly . . . A beautiful scientist in the realm of the Demon World falls in love with a human male she has experimented on--and is changed forever . . .

From Vickie Taylor . . . Zane is hell-bent on danger--the more he eludes death, the bigger the rush. Then he awakens from a near-drowning not only alive, but in the caring arms of a beautiful angel. But the ethereal Rosemary is driven by her own desires--and full of surprises.

From Catherine Spangler . . . Meet Rachel, hooker and vampire, plying both trades after hours until she meets Gabriel on the night shift. He's an angelic emissary on a mission to prove Rachel still has a sould, and to save it. But she offers him a mortal temptation he never expects . . .

I loved the concept of MaryJanice Davidson's story, "Witch Way." The hero and heroine are destined to battle each other until both die. Unfortunately, neither one wants to do it. The premise is intriguing, and I enjoyed the interaction between Chris and Rhea. However, the story could have used another 20 pages or so to make the romance more convincing. I was a bit disappointed in the love scene as well.

The next story is Catherine Spangler's "Street Corners and Halos." It was lovely to watch the wounded Rachel heal. Her backstory was intriguing, which made her a character I wanted to read about. The resolution did seem a bit too easy; however, I liked spending time with the characters, and I plan to see what else Spangler has written.

Emma Holly's "The Demon's Angel" comes next, and it's set in the same world as the story I loved in Hot Spell. "The Demon's Angel" is plenty hot, and I loved the hero. Once again, though, I would have liked to see what Holly would have done with another 20 pages. Harry and Khira have such a complex relationship simply because of the way they meet. I would have liked to see this dealt with a bit more.

My favorite story was Vickie Taylor's "Angel and the Hellraiser." Rosemary is an angel who is set to save Zane . . . if she can. At first, he appears to be a classic troublemaker; it's soon clear that there's more to him than that. Rosemary has a lot to offer him. In a nice reciprocity, she needs to learn something from Zane as well. This story brought tears to my eyes at one point. It was very nicely done.

Demon's Delight was a quick read with a nice variety of stories. They averaged out the book to be 3.5 out of 5.

Kitty Goes to Washington

I've been dying to get my hands on the sequel to last year's Kitty and The Midnight Hour. Kitty Goes to Washington takes Kitty to Washington D.C., and it's a good follow-up story: 4 out of 5.

The country's only celebrity werewolf, late-night radio host Kitty Norville prefers to be heard, not seen. But when she's invited to testify at a Senate hearing on behalf of supernaturals, her face gets plastered on national TV. Kitty's been in hot water before, but jumping into the D.C. underworld brings a new set of problems. And a new set of friends and enemies, including the vampire mistress of the city; an uber-hot Brazilian were-jaguar; and a paranoid, Bible-thumping senator who wants to expose Kitty as a monster. Kitty quickly learns that in this city of dirty politicians and backstabbing pundits, everyone's itching for a fight.

After the events in the previous book, Kitty is on the road, still taking time to do her radio program. Then she's summoned to Washington D.C. There, she also faces off with Senator Duke, a man whose anti-supernatural beliefs pose a serious threat. Duke was introduced in the previous book, and I thought his reappearance connected the two books nicely.

Duke isn't the only problem Kitty encounters. She also comes up against a nosy reporter, a cult leader, and a vampire hostess whose motives for helping Kitty may not be what they seem. All of this makes Kitty Goes to Washington a fast-paced book that's easy to read.

It's important to note that this isn't a romance, so if you read it expecting a HEA in the romance tradition, you won't find that here. What you will find is a strong book showing Kitty's continuing adventures. And yay! Cormac is back in this one. I hope he continues to appear in the upcoming books in this series. The more the better, as far as I'm concerned.

I did miss seeing Kitty's radio show--there's not as much of it in this book. There is an interesting development at the end that makes me curious about what's next for Kitty. I can't wait to find out.

Poor Splendid Wings

I have long been a fan of Patricia Veryan. It began when I read The Tyrant, and I've collected every book of hers I could get my hands on. She's got a rather extensive backlist, and I have most of them. Poor Splendid Wings is one I hadn't been able to find--not without spending a great deal of money, anyway.

So Kristie, bless her heart, came to my rescue. She has a copy and sent it to me late last year so I could read it. Then, I was a bit intimidated by the length; it's 512 pages. This week, I finally vowed to finish it.

The American born son of European parents, Michael Owens' love for Britain and his detestation of the Hitler regime drove him to enlist in the Eagle Squadrom long before the United States enters World War II. He transfers to the U.S.A.A.F. and heavy bombers when the first Flying Fortresses arrive in Enlgland. Engaged to a beautiful American actress, Owens' life is complicated by an encounter with a charming English widow.

The war has brought tragedy to Victoria Craig-Bell but with quiet courage she copes with the many challenges that come her way, and tries to keep what is left of her family together. Victoria falls deeply in love with Owens, and he soon reciprocates her feelings, but he is a lead pilot during the darkest days of the war, and he knows his chances of survival are slim. The responsibility for bringing his crews safely home from missions dogged by staggeringly heavy losses is crushing. He is accustomed to the risks on the ground--the blackout, the sirens, the enemy air attacks, but now he must deal with his fears for Victoria's safety.

When the ambitious and ruthless Cynthia Stuart refuses to free him from their engagement, Owens faces a different kind of battle. He thinks he has all the burdens he can carry, but gradually it becomes apparent that a new danger is looming: a danger that threatens not only his life but his honour, and appears to involve the woman he loves. His crew and friends support him loyally, but the web that closes around him is so cunningly contrived that there seems little hope of proving his innocence, even if he survives the second strike at a target dreaded by all combat flyers.

For the first 100 or so pages, I was a little worried that my taste had changed and that I wouldn't enjoy the story. I think in many cases, I've grown tired of subplots and prefer the focus of the story to be on the main couple. In this case, though, I shouldn't have worried: 4 out of 5.

There are a number of subplots, but I had forgotten how well Veryan ties various plot threads together. Reading the story is very much like putting together a puzzle where even the smallest piece is a vital part of the whole.

Victoria and Michael fall in love fairly quickly--their feelings are engaged and expressed by page 150. That doesn't mean that their relationship is without conflict, however. There's Cynthia, who isn't as much an impediment as the book blurb makes it sound. There are several other challenges as well.

There's a secondary romance between Victoria's sister and another flyer, and I thought it was quite sweet.

This is a very unique time period--in fact, I can't remember reading another romance set during this time. As far as I know, it's the only book Veryan wrote that's set in this period. Kristie told me the air battle scenes were very suspenseful, and she was right. The more I read, the more I worried that something terrible was going to happen. This is, after all, the same writer who wrote The Dedicated Villain, a book in which the hero is tortured for some time. I won't give anything away, but I'll just say that the ending is not achieved without cost.

There is a villain, a face to the evil. There's another character (Washburn) I wanted to strangle by the end of the book. But the main antagonist is the war itself, which takes a dramatic toll on everyone--those who are left behind as well as those who enter combat.

The book could have been tightened a little. I think it was a little too long, although I didn't want to stop by the time I hit page 200. I'll leave it on my wish list in hopes of getting a copy of my own, although I don't hold out much hope in that regard.

Now I can finally return the book to Kristie. I'd like to send it back along with a few other books, but she needs to (ahem!) update her wish list.

FYI: I'm attending a conference beginning tomorrow night, so I probably won't post again until after the weekend.

Poison Study

I'm a huge baby when I'm sick. I'm just back from the store, where I bought cold/flu medicine, restocked my tissues, and indulged in some cotton nightgowns. I deserve something nice when I'm feeling sick. Ha! I just took some medicine and I hope it kicks in soon.

I moved Maria V. Snyder's Poison Study to the top of my TBR pile because it is due back at the library tomorrow. I finished it this afternoon before taking a nap. Here's the summary:

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace--and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust--and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.

As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear . . .

I really enjoyed Poison Study: 4 out of 5. The story has an intriguing opening, and the interest continues throughout the book. The world-building of the story is excellent. I was instantly immersed in Ixian society, and it's an interesting place to read about. There are many small details that add realism to the story, such as the uniforms that are worn by each general's entourage.

The story is told from Yelena's point of view, and the first-person narrative is a nice choice because you really get to know Yelena. It's especially interesting to learn about her history as it is slowly revealed throughout the book.

However, getting the story from Yelena's point of view also means that you don't get to know her love interest as well as you know Yelena. Although he is in the story frequently, I did wish there had been a way to delve into his perspective. He reminded me a little of Roarke from the In Death series. No, he's not an Irish billionaire, but he's morally ambiguous in a way that reminds me of Roarke. I don't mean to suggest that this hero or Roarke is immoral, just that they have different standards of morality.

Toward the end of the story, Yelena goes into the enemy camp unnecessarily. This results in a showdown and the climax of the novel, but I wish there had been a way to make this unavoidable. It seemed like it could have been avoided.

On the whole, though, the book was excellent. I'm keeping it on my book-trading wish list in hopes of getting a copy of my own. The next book in the series is out next fall.

Kitty and The Midnight Hour

It isn't often that I recommend books to my friends and coworkers. Most of them are not romance readers. But Carrie Vaughn's Kitty and The Midnight Hour is so good that I'm planning not only to recommend it but to give it away to a few people as Christmas presents. This is one of the best books I've read all year: 5 out of 5.

Kitty Norville is a late-night DJ. One night, she decides to take a few calls from people, and she ends up chatting about the world of vampires and werewolves. When the show's ratings spike, Kitty starts a new show, The Midnight Hour, where the supernatural can call for advice.

The problem is that not everyone loves her show. Kitty, a werewolf, owes allegiance to Carl, the leader of a local pack, and he isn't thrilled about the program. The leader of a vampire family is also displeased, since he thinks Kitty's show brings to much attention to the supernatural. So someone hires a werewolf hunter to kill Kitty.

I won't say how Kitty escapes. Instead, I'll focus on the things I like about the book. Kitty is terrific. The story is told from her point of view, and she's a fascinating character. The pacing of the story is wonderful; it kept me engrossed in the story. I read it in one sitting. I like the radio show angle. It allows for interesting interaction between characters, and it also gives Vaughn a way to show world-building without getting bogged down in description.

There is a suggestion of romance between Kitty and another character. It's left largely unexplored, but this is the first book in a series. The rest of the story was so good that I didn't mind. I do hope this character is brought back in future stories. I'd love to learn more about him.

If you like paranormal romance or paranormal in general, you're likely to enjoy Kitty and The Midnight Hour.

Beyond the Dark

I picked up this anthology primarily because I like Evelyn Vaughn, but it also sounded like an interesting read for Halloween. It ended up being one of those anthologies where all of the stories would have been better if they'd been longer. Overall, Beyond the Dark was a 3.5 out of 5.

"Forever Mine" by Linda Winstead Jones is the first story in the book. I loved the idea behind this story. Miranda, the heroine, accidentally runs over and kills an ex-boyfriend who has been stalking her. Now he's a ghost, and he's still stalking her, saying that she is his forever. So Miranda calls a psychic to see if he can help her get rid of the ghost.

As I said, I loved the set up, but this story definitely needed to be longer. There's a lot to cover--the ghost, the hero and heroine's first meeting, the investigation, the flashback to previous lives (since this is stated on the back cover, it's not a spoiler). With so much going on, the romance seems a little rushed. Even 30 more pages would have helped. The resolution seemed a little anticlimactic as well. This story is 3 out of 5.

Evelyn Vaughn's story, "Haunt Me," is the second and best one of the anthology. It's also the longest, which might be one reason I liked it. One thing I like about Vaughn's books is that she's not afraid to try something different with her stories. "Haunt Me" has plenty of different going on. For one thing, the hero has been in a car accident and is lying comatose for most of the story. This scenario brought tears to my eyes several times. Second, one of the villains is a creature that feeds off the pain and anger of others.

Despite the obvious challenges of these scenarios, I liked the story. There is a nice balance of flashbacks and current action, and we do get to see the hero and heroine interact with each other despite the coma. I was hoping for more happiness at the end to offset the hero's coma for most of the story, but I still liked it: 4 out of 5.

The third novella is "Soul of the Wolf" by Karen Whiddon. It's the story of a woman who is investigating the death of an ex-boyfriend. The boyfriend's cousin, an FBI agent, joins the investigation and finds himself falling for the woman his cousin loved.

I liked this set up for the story, although I was taken aback by the fact that the heroine's breakup with the ex-boyfriend occurred only a month before. This made it seem a little too soon for her to become involved with someone else. The resolution to the suspense aspect of the story seems a little abrupt, as well. The couple falls in love quickly, which isn't surprising in a novella, but it's not entirely satisfying. As with the first story, this novella could have used another 30 pages. I may try one of her full-length books to see what I think.

Passion

Lisa Valdez's Passion is another book I bought at the literacy signing. It's getting considerable buzz at review sites and blogs, so I decided to give it a try. I'm so glad I did: 4 out of 5.

Mark and Passion (named by her father after Passion Sunday, when she was born) meet at Crystal Palace. They feel an instant attraction, and their first encounter results in steamy sex behind a large screen. While the attraction is initially physical, they continue to meet behind the screen. With each encounter, their feelings deepen.

As others have mentioned, I thought it was pretty incredible that Passion and Mark could have sex behind a screen in such a busy place without being noticed. There's also one sex scene where I thought, ouch. But it's a compliment to Valdez's skill that I was able to get past these moments and enjoy the fantasy.

There are many sex scenes, they are explicit, and they start early in the book. Readers who prefer more vague descriptions should be warned. I liked the fact that the sex reflects the evolving relationship; it didn't feel gratuitous. Passion is an engrossing read with a nice love story at the center.

A.K.A. Goddess

I first discovered Evelyn Vaughn earlier this year when I read Contact, one of her Silhouette Bombshells. I found A.K.A. Goddess through Paperback Swap (yay!) and read it. While I enjoyed Contact more than this book, it's still exceptionally good: 4.5 out of 5.

When professor Maggi Sanger discovers that her house has been broken into at the same time her aunt has been attacked, she goes to France to see her aunt and to discover who is behind these events. In both cases, the perpetrators were after information, and Maggi plans to find out what and why.

A.K.A. Goddess is an almost perfect blend of suspense and romance. Maggi is a strong heroine who does justice to the Bombshell premise. I enjoyed the way she was able to talk her way out of some dangerous situations but didn't hesitate to get physical when the situation required it.

I also loved Lex's complexity. He's no stereotype (neither is Maggi, for that matter), and while many things about him seem suspect, his love for Maggi is constant. But his relationship with her is complex.

I won't go to far in explaining the mystery; it's one of those things best discovered for yourself. My only quibble (and it's a minor one) is that things about the group Maggi is investigating still seem ambiguous at the end.

I have A.K.A. Goddess's sequel, Her Kind of Trouble. I'm hoping to wait a bit before reading it--when I find authors I enjoy, I try to spread out reading the books rather than reading them all at once--but I don't have much hope in my self control.

Alyssa

Contact

The Silhouette Bombshell series has been hit and miss for me. I've enjoyed one--Catherine Mann's Pursued--but the others I've read haven't impressed me. Until I read Evelyn Vaughn's Contact. Vaughn's skilled writing makes Contact an unforgettable book: 5 out of 5.

To say that Contact is a book about a female psychic who hooks up with a skeptical cop is a serious oversimplification. Faith Corbett has always been different. Her senses are amplified: she has heightened abilities to smell and hear. Her sense of touch is also unique. When she touches someone, she can sense his feelings. Faith is very aware of her unusual abilities, and she has isolated herself physically because of it. She avoids the touch of others.

The murder of her roommate forces her to work closely with New Orleans detectives Butch Jefferson and Roy Chopin. She's known both men for a while, and she anonymously feeds Butch information about cases. Roy distrusts psychics and doesn't know that Faith is the anonymous informant.

The Bombshell series promises strong heroines, and Faith lives up to the billing. While young (only 22), she is very mature and she doesn't hesitate to jump in and kick ass. This is no pseudo-strong heroine who talks a good game but needs the hero to jump in and save her.

What made the story so good, though, is the way Vaughn depicts Faith's abilities. We really get inside Faith's head so we understand what she experiences. I was especially impressed with the descriptions of what it's like for Faith to touch someone. Faith has held back for so long because she becomes overwhelmed through touch. There is a scene with Faith and Roy that's beautifully written. You'll know it when you get to it.

Roy is a wonderful hero. We don't really get any scenes from his point of view, but I still felt like I got to know him pretty well. He's abrupt and strong, but he has a softer side I find appealing.

I wish more books in the Bombshell series were like this one. When I originally read it, I rated it 4.5. I've gone back to reread it a few times already, though, so I figure it's a 5. Now I need to order Vaughn's backlist.

Alyssa

Guarding Laura

I just finished Susan Vaughan's Guarding Laura, and it was an average read: 3 out of 5.

Laura Stanton is in danger. When it's clear that the man who has been chasing her for months has found her again, Cole Stratton is sent to protect her. Now an agent with the government, Cole has previous ties with Laura. He was her high-school lover. Their breakup was acrimonious, but they still have chemistry.

I like Cole and Laura but never felt more than a mild curiosity about them. Cole is easier to like; Laura's propensity to keep secrets is frustrating. The plot is a bit too predicable: Cole gets distracted, Laura ends up in danger, she's saved, repeat. Some dangers include a leaking boat that almost drowns her and a piano that almost crushes her. It's not a good sign when you start to say to yourself, "Oh, there she goes again. I wonder what will happen this time?" I enjoyed Guarding Laura much more when it focused on the characters than the plot.

As a side note, why do so many romance novel couples reunite after 10 years? Why not 2? Or 6? Or 9?

Alyssa

Bite

I rang in the new year by reading Bite, a vampire anthology with stories from Laurell K. Hamilton, Charlaine Harris, MaryJanice Davidson, Angela Knight, and Vickie Taylor. All in all, an excellent collection: 4 out of 5.

"The Girl Who Was Infatuated with Death" by Laurell K. Hamilton
I confess: I didn't read it. I haven't read any of the Anita Blake series, and since this short story takes place between two books in the series, I figured this wouldn't be a good place to start. (As long as I'm confessing, I'll also add that I don't think I will read any of her books. They don't sound like my thing.)

"One Word Answer" by Charlaine Harris
It was nice to see Sookie again. I enjoyed this story, but it wouldn't be the best introduction to the series. There's simply not enough room to do justice to the characters. I'm impressed with Harris's ability to write an interesting little mystery in so few pages, though. It also made me excited to read the next full-length book in the series, Dead As a Doornail. But I have to wait until May . . .

"Biting in Plain Sight" by MaryJanice Davidson
This story revisits the world of Betsy and Sinclair, though they are secondary characters. The main characters are refreshingly different from Davidson's usual snarky heroine and hero, which isn't to say they are short on pluck. Sophie and Liam go on the hunt for a vampire who enjoys breaking women's hearts and driving them to suicide.

"Galahad" by Angela Knight
Finally, a story I really, really like by Angela Knight. I was beginning to think she was one of those writers that I just wasn't getting. This story is beautiful. I think it's partly because Caroline is already a Maja when the story starts. Readers who are familiar with Knight's work will know what I mean when I say that skipping this part gives the story and the characters a bit more freedom. Caroline and Galahad are well matched. This is my favorite story in the book.

"Blood Lust" by Vickie Taylor
This is the first time I've read a story by Vickie Taylor, and it's a strong and interesting one. Daniel needs the help of vampire Deadre to fulfill his plot of revenge. In the process, they fall in love.

If you enjoy vampire stories, you'll find a lot to like here.

Alyssa

Killer Cowboy Charm

Vicki Lewis Thompson is one of my favorite series writers. Her stories are emotional and passionate. I didn't enjoy her single title, Nerd in Shining Armor, as much as I'd hoped, but I've found that I can usually depend on her Temptations and Blazes. For this reason, I was excited about reading her latest book, Killer Cowboy Charm. It was enjoyable but didn't have the magic that makes some of her other books so good. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Morning show host Meg Delaney jokingly claims on air that she'd like to find a real cowboy. The joke turns into a road trip to find contestants for a cowboy contest. At Meg's first stop, she meets Clint Walker. Clint wants nothing to do with the contest, but he wants Meg. They fulfill their attraction almost right away. Though they have only a few days together, Clint and Meg both feel a connection that goes deeper than a physical attraction.

For a story like this to work, readers have to believe in the couple's connection, and I wasn't convinced. I believe that Meg and Clint want each other. I believe that their desire could develop into something deeper. But the connection came too quickly to be entirely believable. This is the biggest problem of the book.

Thompson has written dozens of books in her long career; Killer Cowboy Charm isn't one of her best. I'd recommend one of these instead: After Hours, Acting on Impulse, and Pure Temptation.

Alyssa