Tag: author

Books, Out of the Box Blogs, paranormal romance

The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

Karen

ninth grave

Wow! Les and I are at polar ends with this book so we decided to do a tandem blog. That’s right you get not just one but two opinions! But wait there’s more, we can’t just leave it at that, we have to comment on each others opinions because we feel so strongly different so we left a open draft for 24 hours (we are 6,000 miles apart so we had to give it some time) so we could give a proper rebuttal to the others unbiased and honest comments, because netgalley was crazy enough to give us both copies for that exact purpose. Yup, that’s why they did it, and that’s why they’ll never do it again 🙂  But first as always the official blurb..

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.


But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn’t help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she’s lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Kar: I’m pretty disappointed in this book. I want to start out by saying that I loved this series. Charley and the gang always made me laugh, had great adventures and her and Reyes were hot! But then came book seven, I felt like the story line took a hard left turn without warning. I hated it, raged about it, even called up my friends, that are fellow fans and cried to them. And book eight came out, I felt vindicated, total redemption! Characters were back to their crazy, snarky, entertaining selves. Oh and Reyes practically smoldered off the page, I loved it, so when I had a chance to get an advance copy of the ninth book I jumped all over it. I’m so sad right now. Let me break it down for you.

First 1/4 of the book Charley doesn’t know who she is or who anyone else is. Everyone is there but no one is tell her or interacting with her (except Cookie, she at least talks to her) so it is literally Charley aka Janey (that’s her new name) working in a diner. No, I’m serious that is it. NOTHING else is going on, okay you get one or two matrix slow mo looks from Reyes but nothing else. For like 75 pages….

Next section Janey decides that she’s going to solve a mystery. Finally something to read about! Oh and she decides she is attracted to Reyes (seriously!?! who isn’t???) so she might like to kiss him. Also she starts to discover what she can do. If you never read any of the other books this is a great way to learn all about Charley/Janey’s abilities. Unfortunately I have so this is just more boring for me.

Next part. Finally we get some Reyes action, but to be honest it feels a little rushed, like it’s just thrown in there cause there would be riots in the streets if it wasn’t. Even this mystery isn’t really getting much attention.

The last part. Book seven took a left turn. This book just DROVE OFF THE ROAD!! Really, can’t that Earl guy die??? And seriously, could this story be any more convoluted? I feel it’s so far from the original plot line I don’t even think I’m reading the same series. Which brings me to my ultimate point, I’m done. This isn’t anything like the books I loved and I refuse to continue to cling to this series hoping for the past. Will Reyes continue to be smoking hot? Absolutely! But these books are just too far from where they started. I can’t recommend this book, I hated it.

Les: I really enjoyed this book!! Even though she has no memory she is still Charley. The whole gang is there and they are funny and witty. Reyes is as hot as ever!!! Uncle Bob gets a new name and there is a new ghost in the corner. I admit Garrett wasn’t his normal self. He didn’t insult her once. I disagree with Karen, yes it took a turn in book 7 &8 and this is where it was always headed. They told us a lot in book 8 so some wasn’t a shock to me. The whole deal with an angel thing I admit is weird but makes the perfect conundrum. As per usual I think Darynda Jones did a good job. Would I have liked more Charley and Reyes time well duh, who wouldn’t? Earl was in a paralyzed state in the hospital, so he was up for grabs, and who was paying attention to him in book 8, they had a lot going on at the time. Look she is Charley she does dumb shit that almost gets her killed and that didn’t change. I must say I missed Mr. Wong.

And she starts her first detective work in the first 11% of the book. Give her some credit she doesn’t remember anything and she sees dead people and all this stuff is happening and she doesn’t understand it. At least she isn’t whining like in book 7.

Needless to say we don’t agree I loved it Kar hated it I will go on to read book 10 while Kar is done.

But Kar, we found out who she was in book 8 and what she was capable of and also beep, so why didn’t you think it would go this route?

Kar: Because this route is pure insanity! By the way it’s really hard to fight with you spoiler free..Anywho the best part of this series is that, though she is crazy and a bit dumb, there is a pattern. Charley does her grim reaper thing, solves a crime (usually getting hurt in the process), has crazy hot sex with Reyes, and there is some hilarious banter in between with the rest of the cast of characters. Somehow we have veered waaay off course, now basically Charley can do anything she wants, everybody lives and breathes for her (in the whole universe), she has the power to make everyone stop breathing but is too dumb to figure that out still and there is some funny banter with the cast of characters. See the difference?!!? Yeah not what I signed up for…

Les: SHE HAS AMNESIA!!!!! It does get explained to her and then she understands what she can do and what she is capable of. They do not live and breathe her if they did she wouldn’t have gotten her ass kicked in the woods. No I don’t see the difference. The route was exactly where it was always headed. I don’t think it was just pulled out of the air. I was not even suprised by it. She can’t do anything she wants, they almost arrested her. They get mad at her as usual and then they get over it, because at the end of the day Charley will always do dumb shit and get hurt.

Clearly Les and I don’t agree on this book (trust me this could go on for DAYS) but I will end the torture and publish the review. Let us know what you think once it’s release. I say if you must read it get it from the  library, Les says buy, I guess we are leaving this one in your hands…the book releases January 12,2016 and can be preordered at Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Dirt-Ninth-Grave-Charley-Davidson/dp/1250074487/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1450575163&sr=8-1&keywords=Ninth+grave+Darynda+jones

Books, great reads, Out of the Box Blogs, Reviews

Sorry Guys!

Les

I am so sorry I haven’t posted in a while. I have been super busy with work! So a little run down on what I have been up to:

I have been building a new reservation system for work, along with my regular demanding duties as well as training two new people, conference calls, meetings, crazy girl drama. Isn’t it funny an office full of girls always seems to have weird drama.

So after months of this I am finally done with the system, and basically finished training the newest girl, although in light of today, we do have some things to discuss.

But do not worry I have been reading when I can, because I mean I had previous deadline commitments to meet. I have so many books to go over with you guys. The great ones, the good ones and the bad ones. Ones I feel duped into reading and ones I know I am totally to blame. Some I wish I would have found sooner.

So I promise to have a blog for you guys tomorrow, and Tuesday I think I will blog and I have a Meredith Wild giveaway offer for you guys.

Until Tomorrow!

Peace

Les

Books, great reads, Reviews, scifi, steampunk

The Diabolical Miss Hyde by Viola Carr

Karen

diabolical-2

This book has been on my TBR forever but for some reason I just never got around to it, that was my loss. I LOVED this book, let me tell you why, but first the blurb:

Magic, mystery, and romance mix in this edgy retelling of the classic The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde–in which Dr. Eliza Jekyll is the daughter of the infamous Henry

In an electric-powered Victorian London, Dr. Eliza Jekyll is a crime scene investigator, hunting killers with inventive new technological gadgets. Now, a new killer is splattering London with blood, drugging beautiful women and slicing off their limbs. Catching “the Chopper” could make Eliza’s career—or get her burned. Because Eliza has a dark secret. A seductive second self, set free by her father’s forbidden magical elixir: wild, impulsive Lizzie Hyde.

When the Royal Society sends their enforcer, the mercurial Captain Lafayette, to prove she’s a sorceress, Eliza must resist the elixir with all her power. But as the Chopper case draws her into London’s luminous, magical underworld, Eliza will need all the help she can get. Even if it means getting close to Lafayette, who harbors an evil curse of his own.

Even if it means risking everything and setting vengeful Lizzie free . . .

This book was amazing! It was a steampunk twist on Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde with even a dash of Frankenstein thrown in for good fun. You follow the main characters Eliza and Lizza as they try to solve a murder, escape the Royal enforcers and figure out who they really are. The world build is perfect, I mean spot on, I normally have a hard time with steampunk and honestly sometimes, especially when Eliza was talking it did seem a little verbose but all and all I enjoyed it immensely. The story itself broke a lot of my rules, too many plot lines, too many characters, too much going on but guess what I DIDN’T CARE! Yeah I liked it that much. She even has an adorable little robot Hippocrates who likes to keep things logical thank you. Read it! I’m still on this book high, so I don’t want to talk to much lest I reveal something I shouldn’t.

Book two The Devious Dr. Jekyll just released on October 27th Hyde-2  acquiring now, I’ll let you know what I think of that as well.

Here is its blurb: Solving the infamous Chopper case has helped crime scene physician Dr. Eliza Jekyll establish her fledgling career in the chauvinistic world of Victorian law enforcement. But the scrutiny that comes with her newfound fame is unwelcome for a woman with a diabolical secret. And there is the mercurial Royal Society agent and wolf man Remy Lafayette. Does he want to marry her, eat her, or burn her at the stake? Though Eliza is uncertain about Remy, her dark and jealous shadow self, Lizzie, wants to steal the magnetic and persistent agent, and usurp Eliza’s life.

It’s impossible to push Remy away when he tempts her with the one thing she can’t resist: a bizarre crime. The search for a bloodthirsty ritual torturer dubbed the Pentacle Killer draws them into a terrifying world of spies, art thieves, and evil alchemy, where the price of immortality is madness?or damnation—and only Lizzie’s dark ingenuity can help Eliza survive.

As Eliza and Remy race to thwart a foul conspiracy involving the sorcerous French, they must also overcome a sinister enemy who is all too close: the vengeful Lizzie, determined to dispose of Eliza for good.

Happy reading!!

Books, Reviews, scifi

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Karen

red queen

This one I’m torn with, I have things I liked about it and things I didn’t which will probably put me in the minority since it’s such a popular book. But let’s do this right fist the official blurb..

This is a world divided by blood – red or silver.

The Reds are commoners, ruled by a Silver elite in possession of god-like superpowers. And to Mare Barrow, a seventeen-year-old Red girl from the poverty-stricken Stilts, it seems like nothing will ever change.

That is, until she finds herself working in the Silver Palace. Here, surrounded by the people she hates the most, Mare discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy the balance of power.

Fearful of Mare’s potential, the Silvers hide her in plain view, declaring her a long-lost Silver princess, now engaged to a Silver prince. Despite knowing that one misstep would mean her death, Mare works silently to help the Red Guard, a militant resistance group, and bring down the Silver regime.

But this is a world of betrayal and lies, and Mare has entered a dangerous dance – Reds against Silvers, prince against prince, and Mare against her own heart…

Pros first. The writing was amazing, first YA book I’ve read in awhile that had a solid plot and well written characters. Mare, who this story was about, at the beginning I liked her, unfortunately it didn’t stay that way but I’ll explain why. The prince brothers Cal and Maven, best characters in the book. They actually stuck to character, which was nice for a change. Loved the villains in this book, great job. The world building was spot on, I understood where they lived and the divide between the silvers and the reds. In fact I enjoyed the concept, if you have a super power and have silver blood you’re a silver (let’s call them upper class) if you have no power and have red blood your a red (servant class). I enjoyed the idea of having the power but not the right blood color, very cool.

My problems, I think I figured out the twists too early. Therefore I started to get really annoyed with Mare, who had no problem participating in killing silvers but was appalled that the silvers killed back. I’m never a fan of the everybody wants you thing, though the end helped with this a little, but I think I’m over lead female characters that do selfish stupid stuff and don’t understand why things go wrong. So done with that.

There is a fantastic part at the end where a character straight out tells her, I was your friend and you betrayed me, now I’m going to die. Your fault. I was cheering for him, she doesn’t seem to grasp that when you use people they can get hurt, even with the ending I don’t feel like she really got it.

Would I recommend this read? Yes I think it’s good enough to recommend. I will read the next one and see how it goes. Some characters are interesting enough that I want to read more about them.