Monday, November 15, 2010

Christine Warren-Born to be Wild (the Others series)

Josie Barrett brings out the animal in men. Literally. As the local veterinarian in a town that's approximately seventy percent Others--mostly shapeshifters--Josie deals with beastly situations all the time. It's practically part of her job description. But when the werewolves of Stone Creek, Oregon, start turning downright feral, Josie smells a rat--among other, more dangerous critters...

Teaming up with the ferociously sexy Eli Pace, a full-time sheriff and part-time were-lion, Josie tries to contain the shapeshifting problem before it spreads like a virus. But when more shifters get infected--and stuck in their animal forms--the fur really begins to fly. Josie and Eli have to find the cause, fast, before the whole town goes to the dogs. But first, they have to wrestle with a few animal urges of their own...


* (no stars--didn't finish it)
Really really tried to like this book, but after 3 attempts to read it, i give up. I really loved the first ones in this series, but this one strays away from the core the series started with. Can't say it's a bad book, didn't read enough to judge. I just couldn't get into it.....it didn't captivate me.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Addison Fox--Warrior Ascended (Sons of Zodiac series)

Charming, proud, and impulsive, Leo Warrior Brody Talbot is fighting what may be his final battle. Enyo, the Goddess of War, plans to fulfill an ancient prophecy to destroy humanity by harnessing the dark power of the Summoning Stones of Egypt--and there's only one person who knows enough about the stones to help Brody diminish their strength.

Since her father's murder, museum curator Ava Harrison has continued his research of Egypt's ancient treasures. She's just landed the exhibit of the century: displaying the Summoning Stones at New York's American Museum of Natural History. Used to working alone, Ava is suspicious of the arrogant archaeologist who's been brought in to entrust the stones' safekeeping, but his presence ignites an unexpected blaze of attraction.

Never in all his centuries has Brody met a woman who enthralls him as Ava does. But, bound to protect her, he struggles to deny his passion as they are drawn into a dark and dangerous final reckoning between good and evil.

*** (3 stars)
Didn't hate it, but didn't love it. This is the first in this series, and it was.....truthfully, boring. The plot sounded interesting, I like the Greek Mythology theme. But the story and the characters fell flat. I kept reading out of sheer boredom, and to my suprise the story pulled together after 200 pages. Brody and Ava seemed to mesh together and the disjointed parts of the story started to come together....barely. Ava's family is a train wreck of dysfunctional evil, pathetic really. The evil Enyo is a joke, and Themis is hardly a player at all in the story. But there are a couple of other warriors in the mix, and I liked them. Still not a keepsake book, more like a bored afternoon Sunday read. But I have hopes for the next book in the series, if it pulls together better than this one I just might read the rest.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Christina Dodd--Chains of Fire (Chosen Ones series)

synopsis:
Samuel Faa is a Gypsy lawyer with the power to control minds. Isabelle Mason is wealthy, privileged, and refined, and has the gift for healing. Two of the Chosen Ones, they share a past filled with love and betrayal, and a future denied by fate -- until the day they're trapped underground. No way out. No way to deny the passion that still burns beneath the surface. And when danger threatens, Isabelle has only one choice: to place her trust in the power of the one man she could never forgive ... or forget.


**** (4 stars)
Out of the 4 books in this series, I like this one the best. The dynamic between Samuel and Isabelle is great. They don't always get along, they fight, but they love each other. Their character development was great. The series is moving along at a more understandable rate, and the pieces are falling into place. The side story involving Todd seemed out of place when you learn that he is just greedy and is not really an "other". And what is with Irving's nurse? Kind of makes you think she is an "Other". The ending seemed weak, confronting the devil should have had a bigger splash, but tempting man's free will is fairly simple right? I'm sure most people were expecting fire and brimstone, but the devil himself rarely gets his hands dirty. He has others to do his dirty work for him. And the last scene with Samuel and Isabelle was a little to sappy. But all in all, I like the book. Now we wait to find out what's happening with Alexansdr? Who is this girl he is marrying?

Friday, November 5, 2010

Christina Dodd--Chains of Ice (The Chosen Ones series)

synopsis:
For one magic summer, Genny Valente escapes to spend time as a wildlife observer in the untamed mountains. Little does she know that a beast lurks in the forest…a man, one of the Chosen, betrayed by his gift & tormented by memories. John Powell has fled his fate and his duty, yet in Genny he sees his chance for redemption. He will stalk her, kidnap her, love her as only a savage can. But when a new betrayal threatens, John must call on the powers he swore he’d never use again. Then only Genny’s love can save him…if she dares tame the one man she can’t live without…


***(3.5 stars)
I read the first 2 books in this series, and thought they were a waste of time. I don't know why I put the next 2 on my wish list, but I thought I would give the series another try. Nicely surprised! The series is really starting to pull together, the characters are becoming more developed (still annoying and silly at times) but they are learning their place in the grand scheme of things. I felt a little lost with the back story about Gary and John's team, like I had skipped a book, but eventually you find out what happened and are able to piece it all together. I really like John and Genny's story, it developed outside of the "Chosen One's" group, so you learned alot about them without them being lost among the others. Still not the best series I have ever read, but it does seem to be getting better and the core of the series is coming together. Still don't really understand the point of the "hand", but I will read the next one in the series, hope it holds up as well as this one did.