Naked in Death by JD Robb

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I liked this as a mystery just as much as I liked it as a romance. Love a good mystery that keeps me guessing. I had my ideas about who the culprit was, and I was more or less right, although I had that kernel of doubt. I liked how this was a very well-plotted mystery. I think that it helped that the underlying aspects were so dark that I didn't think the story would go there.

Eve is a great protagonist. She's tough, intelligent, but vulnerable in some ways. She's a very good cop, and she goes after justice, and she's refreshingly down-to-earth. I can identify with the fact that she lets work take over her life, and I'm glad that Rourke is there to make that harder for her to do that.

Speaking of Rourke....He was nice...real nice. Of course, I'm understating the case. I like that he didn't let Eve's issues stand in the way of their relationship, but he wasn't out to change her or remake her into a more manageable woman for his life. What attracted him to her was what he continued to admire about her. I love a guy who isn't afraid of a strong woman. I like how he's very supportive and caring for her, and he can get tough with her emotionally when it's necessary. If he wasn't able to, he never would have made it past the titanium barriers she keeps up. He gave up off a good future husband vibe loud and clear. It cracked me up that every time they would look up information on a company, Rourke owned it. I think his net worth should be more than 3.8 billion, since he owns pretty much everything. He's like a Harlequin Presents hero, the billionaire businessman who is too hot to resist. Rourke's larger than life personality and his developing relationship with Eve made an appreciated counterbalance to the mystery involving horrible misogyny and violence against women. Even in the future, things didn't change that much. The same forces at work in the present world are involved, hiding their ugliness behind a squeaky clean facade.

I liked the futuristic elements. They were well-written and believable, but they weren't distracting to the mystery elements. Used very well to give me a good visual of the setting. And since I love noir mixed with most genres, the future noir in this book went over great for me.

I can't say I'm a big Nora Roberts fan, but I definitely like this series, and I want to read more of them. I won't commit to almost forty books/stories, just yet, but I think I can agree to the next several. :)



View all my reviews

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Born of Fire by Sherrilyn Kenyon


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Review Disclaimer: Danielle is not actually insane. She is fully aware that Syn is not a real person. (What a shame!)

Syn, would you please marry me? I would hold you to my breast, and soothe you. I would wipe away the tears you will not allow yourself to cry, that is after I kick your ex-wife's butt all the way to the next galaxy for being such a piece of work not to realize what the precious jewel she had in you. I would kiss you every day, and make sure you understood just how much I adore you. I could care less that your father was a psycho and the worst person in all the nine worlds. Each person is accountable for his own actions. And your actions fully show what a wonderful man you are. Can you please tell your friend Nyk, that I am sorry? Our love affair is over, because you have stolen my heart away from him. He has Kiara, and I'm sure he will get over me, now that I have found you. I know that Shahara is your dearest love, but she cannot possibly love you like I do. There is no way!

Okay, the madness is over, I think. Now I can talk about how much I loved this book, and how Syn has changed my life.

I cannot believe that the stupid publishers did not want to publish this book. Were they insane? Clearly. This was a fantastic story. I thought I loved Born of Night, and I still do, but ah, Syn's story, I love even more.

Syn is one of the most awesome heroes ever written. Okay, you might dispute that, but this is my review, so if you are reading it, I attest this to be my truth. He is so tortured. I cannot believe what this poor man suffered. I wanted to slap every person who ever hurt him. I definitely wanted to go buy a pair of boots (since I don't own any except for work galoshes) and kick his ex-wife's butt so far out of the known galaxies that it would require a search party to find it. How can you hold a man's parentage against him? A man is judged for who he is individually, and Syn never let me down. I could see why he had the shell around his heart, so many times was it broken. And what he suffered, as a boy. Imagine putting a young boy through that. Hard to even conceive of. It's incredible what he accomplished, and that alone showed that he was far beyond what his father and mother were. I just wanted Syn to be happy. I wanted to love him to pieces as I read this story. I still do. There is so much I love about Syn!

Okay, Shahara. I did have a couple of moments that I wanted to slap the taste out of your mouth. But only a couple. You turned out to be a good heroine, although you had me frothing at the mouth initially. But, I could see your issues after what you suffered. You are definitely Ms. Kenyon's most tortured heroine. And, I must admit, you proved yourself to be a worthy match for Syn. The way you made his heart feel to know that someone really loved him....I'll tolerate you just for that. But, it was also pretty cool how you went to bat for Syn, more than once, in this story. And, you are a badass. I do love badass heroines. (pardon my French). You know how to take care of yourself and your man. And, you're a pretty good sister, too. I wish you well with my man Syn, since he's not real, and I can't be with him in real life. You better take very good care of him, because I'm watching you, very closely!

I predict I will have a new addiction, books set in space and on other worlds. If you know of some good ones, please recommend them. Only, they must have fantastic heroes to die for, buttkicking action, lots of angst, and wisecracking galore to make up for the moments that break your heart. I don't know if too many books will meet the high standard that this story has set for me. It's too scary to contemplate. Did I tell you how much I love Syn? There are no words Thumbs way up for this book.

View all my reviews >>

Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews

Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My friend was so right. This story definitely had shades of Harlequin Presents, with a little Romeo and Juliet thrown in--the feuding families, not the starcrossed lovers.

Celino is a butthead. A sexy one, but a butthead all the same. He could not be more of an arrogant, Harlequin Presents-type hero.

Meli, well she's definitely got more brass than the usual heroine in that line. And she's completely badass. I have to admit, I would have liked it better if she almost tried to kill him before they got together. Is that wrong of me?

This was short and sweet, and it made me feel things. I felt Meli's rejection and broken heart, her loneliness at being jilted and made unmarriageable as a result. I felt Celino's confusion at finding the perfect woman, and not knowing how to get and keep her. I felt the attraction and steam between this pair. I felt that their bond was stronger than anything that could keep them apart.

Ilona Andrews is a very talented writer. Her style is brisk, atmospheric and involving. She has a noir feel to her storytelling that I love. In this story, there is a vivid, naturalistic grace to the scenes and the setting. I could clearly see the bright colors and smell the dahlias that play such a large role, taste the pink wine, sweet coffee, and fruity dessert pastry that Celino would die for. In marked contrast, there are skillfully-executed science fiction elements, painting a vision of the future on another planet where fighting families have formed business empires that bring a new meaning to the word cutthroat, all delivered with a cinematic poise. The sci-fi setting was a deliberate mislead on the part of the author, in my opinion. Actually, this is a story of an arranged-marriage couple turned enemies turned lovers that feels so earthbound and familiar, although done in such a unique way.

Silent Blade is short and sweet. It's not action-packed, so don't look for that. Instead, it's a tender surprise of a love story that is delightfully old-fashioned, despite the futuristic setting. This was a real class act.

View all my reviews >>