Tag: female characters

Out of the Box Blogs

Tough Love by Lori Foster

debra

Hi everyone,

Tough Love is the third installment of her Ultimate Series.  This series follows the lives of several fighters in the SBC, a fictional ultimate fighting company. This installment tells the story of Stack and Vanity.  I have enjoyed both characters since meeting them in prior books, No Limits and Holding Strong. Stack has wanted Vanity since meeting her and the same goes for Vanity.  Stack is a bit relationship-phobic and lacks any tolerance for deceit.  Without knowledge of this and the why behind it, Vanity decides the best way to get to Stack is by using a “smoke and mirrors” plan.  Through a series of unforeseen incidents, it takes a little bit for them to hookup, but when they do, they steam the pages.  The real story lies within how both of them come to realize they truly love one another.  Vanity completely captures Stack with her response to what he considers his crazy family including his sister’s beloved dogs.  Stack wins Vanity by showing her his love for his mother, his sister, his friends and the community. Vanity is alone in the world except for her best friend, Yvette (the heroine in the first book, No Limits) and the other fighters in Stacks’s circle whom she has developed real friendships with.  I loved it when the fighters stood on Vanity’s side when Stack discovered her small deception.  There is also a little suspense added in with someone hiring people to hurt Stack and Vanity steps into the situation in her own way to help which leads to the finale.

Although I don’t consider this to be the strongest book in this series (that still goes to No Limits, the first book in this series), this is a nice addition.  I ended up liking both Stack and Vanity.  This book also sets up the next story nicely.  I think everyone is really looking forward to Armie and Rissy’s story and we got a little peek of them here.  All in all, a solid entry in the Ultimate Series.  It is not necessary to read the books in order, however, I do suggest it so you can see the introduction of all the characters and the lead up to their stories throughout the series.

I received an ARC of Tough Love in exchange for an honest review.

Out of the Box Blogs

Blood Dark by Lindsay J. Pryor

Les

Vampires, Lycans, 4th dimension creatures, OH MY! Ok so this was a really good book. You have Powerful Vampires, Human police, love, sex, and action.

This book is about a cop Caitlin who is infatuated with a master vampire Kayne, who in turn wants to let her in but is suppose to be a loner. They had a whirlwind 2 weeks together, but now reality has come back to haunt them. She goes back to work with the police department which he hates, so there is issues with why she would do it. There are so many things that happen in this book, I couldn’t possibly go into them all.

I liked this book a lot. Sometimes the main characters Caitlin and Kane made me want to choke them for their stubbornness. Nevertheless I couldn’t put this book down.

So basically, this book will make you laugh, make you crazy, and make you sad. The characters are well developed and the story is told from different perspectives.

This is book #5. Even though I didn’t read the first four I was able to read this one with no problem knowing what was happening.

Check it out!

Peace

Les

Out of the Box Blogs

The Charley Davidson Series by Darynda Jones

Les

This is an amazing series! Kar and I love it. She introduced me to this series and I can’t get enough of it. I get so excited when we get a new novella or new book. I actually met Darynda Jones at the Romantic Times Convention 2015. She was really sweet and probably thought I was a weirdo, since I was holding my own autographed copy of Eighth Grave After Dark to my chest like someone would try to steal it. I got it at the convention before it was released, so I was reluctant to read it because I knew I would have to wait so long for my next fix of Charley and Reyes.

For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting Charley yet, allow me to give you a little taste of what this series is about.

Charley Davidson is the grim reaper, and she is a crazy, caffeine addicted, witty, crazily bold girl. Her job is to help people cross over into the other side, Unfortunately sometimes they aren’t ready to go, or don’t believe they are dead. She is also a Private investigator, because she is in contact with the dead she can solve cases easier than by typical means. She has sidekicks that are funny and witty as well, as they have to be because Charley keeps everyone on their toes.

Enter big black, who is  probably the only incorporeal being Charley is afraid of even though he has saved her life before.I can’t reveal who it is, well because you know me I have to leave you hanging. Enter crazy stepmoms, sisters, uncles, and dead perverts and you have a well rounded story that will have you laughing and wanting more.

For those who have read this series, how excited are you for the new novella Brighter than the Sun?

So if you want to check out this series I will list the first three for you.

First Grave on the Right

Second Grave on the Left

Third Grave Dead Ahead

Go ahead pick it up, I don’t know how anyone could be disappointed in this series.

Peace out,

Les

Books, Out of the Box Blogs, Reviews

What’s too far in fantasy books?

Karen

I follow a few different fantasy and urban fantasy series and in the last year I’ve noticed an unfortunate trend, authors going too big with they’re characters and story lines. You see the beautiful thing to me about fantasy is that it can be anywhere and be about anything. So how does an author go too big? These are the things that have been series killers for me:

  1. Over complicated story lines. There is nothing quite like finding out that a great book you read is going to become a series. But when you get into books 3 and 4 and suddenly they completely change the story line or make the plot so complicated it’s ridiculous that’s frustrating to me as a reader. Listen if you, as an author, don’t want to write it anymore or just creativity can’t, then don’t. I know, I know, your saying but if it’s in the series you get guaranteed 5 stars from fans or maybe even you’re under contract. Think about this though what if I have someone read book four first then try to go back and read book one? Would they be confused with the stories even connecting? Sometimes you don’t even have the same characters. If you find that to be true then I’m probably going to stop reading your series.
  2. Unbelievable characters. Again this is fantasy, keep in mind readers do accept unbelievable things in fantasy. Want wings to suddenly pop out of your characters back? A-okay! But when the same character also breathes fires, is invincible and can be chopped in half by a sword and come back to life, come on. The worst is when they are horrible people treating everyone around them terribly why they themselves cry about being forgiven for every minor infraction. The result? Everyone loves them or wants to be them. I just threw up a little in my mouth. Honestly I’ve never wished for so many characters to die at the end of they’re books! But how, they’re invincible!
  3. Long, drawn out books. They’re are books I read that I never want to end, and in fantasy world building takes time so I get that some books will be a bit longer than others. But if the first book was 300 pages, with all the character intros and world building, and the new book is 800 pages some editing maybe required. There is an art in being able to tell a story in 300-400 pages and I appreciate those who do.
  4. Character addition. Stories will grow and with that characters are going to be added, I get that and support it. But when each book adds 5-10 characters and very few are being taken away, I’m starting to lose track. The main character is constantly talking to all these people I can’t remember and honestly it makes me start to lose focus on the story. When that happens I start to lose interest in the series.

I’m not an author so I can’t imagine how hard it is to keep a story line alive but I am a reader and I just can’t take it! Something different make you crazy? Comment. Don’t like my list, make your own…