A closet readers take on: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy, Romance, Erotica, YA Fiction & Audiobooks

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Richelle Mead's SHADOW HEIR (Dark Swan bk 4)



Title: SHADOW HEIR (Dark Swan bk 4)
Author: Richelle Mead
Narrator: Jennifer Van Dyck
List Price: $24.95
Release Date: December 27, 2011
Format: Audible Audio Edition
Listening Length: 12 hours and 14 minutes, Unabridged
Publisher: Audible Frontiers Audible.com
ASIN: B006QGIPKY


My Ratings

Plot: 5/5
Setting: 4.5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 4.5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 2/5
Narration 5/5
Cover Art: 4/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 4/5

Overall: 39/45 = 86%


Synopsis

#1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own--and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage...

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...

The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't--or won't--reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon--and risk the ultimate sacrifice.. (from Goodreads.com)


My Review

What is a girl do, when her ex tries everything under the Otherworld to kill your unborn children? Run and hide! Eugenie has to make her children her top priority, no matter what it takes. She’s willing to runaway from her family, friends, and part-time lover to ensure their safety. And in the end Eugenie has to ask herself, is there anything important enough to consider leaving the save place that she has made for her and the twins?

Poor, poor Eugenie. She is caught half in the human world and half in the Otherworld. Part of both, but never fully fitting in either. She is torn between to lovers. One lover who she loved right from the start, and lived to regret is. Another lover who she grew to love over time, who she should have trusted from the very beginning. She’s torn between keeping her twins safe, and possibly bring forth the prophecy of Storm Kings grandson who might tear apart everything she has come to love.

Eugenie had grown so much since book one. She isn’t perfect, but she is willing to fight for what it right! She now understands what it means to truly be a leader, and what that requires. She has learned that relaying on other to help you isn’t a weakness, but can help you be a stronger leader. She understands that sacrifice can be the ultimate gift to those you love. I adore the fact that she isn’t perfect, and that she has come to except herself as she is.

What do I say about Dorian? I’ve loved him from the beginning. He may have seems a little overbearing, and some of his actions may of seems selfish, but his heart was true. He proved over and over again that he is willing to go to the ends of the Otherworld for Eugenie and her children. He loved her so much that he was willing to raise the children as his own. He may be a kinky freak, but he has a pure heart when if comes to Eugenie.

My feelings for Kiyo are a bit more muddled. I loved him in the beginning of the series. On the surface, he seemed to be everything that Eugenie needed. He was also willing to be there for the child he had with Maywin, even though they were no longer together. Over time he did grow controlling, selfish, and irrational. He has his good and bad parts. I’m just happy, that in the end that he was willing to come forward with the truth.

I really enjoyed this book up until the last few pages. I was very happy that Kiyo had revealed his big secret. That actually gave me hope. What upset me was how Eugenie handled the news. Even though Dorian loved her and gave her every reason to trust him, she didn’t trust him enough to tell him the true. I just don’t get this! Eugenie finally understands how much Dorian loved her, and how she loves him just as much. WHAT’S THE PROBLEM? Maybe she might tell him eventually…really??? How can she live with herself? This isn’t how you end a series. I’m extremely frustrated by this cliffhanger ending of the Dark Swan series. I almost feel cheated.

Jennifer Van Dyck 's narration of the Dark Swan series, and this book, was spectacular. She had an amazing ability to convey the deep passion, happiness, and sorrow of this story holds. She was able to create very distinct voices for each character, male and female. Her pacing and emotion was perfect, and she really brought this book to life for me. She is and always will be the voice of series.

This was a great story and an amazing series, with an unfortunate final chapter. Would I recommend this book to a friend? Probably. This is mostly due to my love for the series' smart characters, unique storyline, and fantastical worlds. This series is, at it’s root, a story of trust, love, and family. I will truly miss Eugenie and her cast of crazy friends.


Dark Swan Series
#1 Storm Born
#2 Thorn Queen
#3 Iron Crowned
#4 Shadow Heir


Author's Websites

http://www.richellemead.com/

http://twitter.com/RichelleMead
http://www.facebook.com/richellemeadfanpage?ref=ts

http://blue-succubus.livejournal.com/

Sunday, February 5, 2012

REVIEW: Susan Mallery's ONLY YOURS (Fool's Gold bk 5)



Title: ONLY YOURS
Series: A Fool's Gold Romance (Book 5)
Author: Susan Mallery
List Price: $7.99
Publisher: Harlequin
Imprint: HQN Books
Release Date: August 30, 2011
ISBN: 9780373775941




My Ratings


Plot: 4.5/5
Setting: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Originality of Plot: 4.5/5
Characters Development: 5/5
Ending: 4.5/5
Cover Art: 3.5/5
Likelihood to Recommend: 5/5

Overall: 37/40 = 92%



Synopsis

Man’s best…matchmaker?

Montana Hendrix has found her calling—working with therapy dogs. With a career she loves in a hometown she adores, she’s finally ready to look for her own happily ever after. Could one of her dogs help her find Mr. Right… or maybe Dr. Right?

Surgeon Simon Bradley prefers the sterility of the hospital to the messiness of real life, especially when real life includes an accident-prone mutt and a woman whose kisses make him want what he knows he can’t have. Scarred since childhood, he avoids emotional entanglement by moving from place to place to heal children who need his skillful touch. Can his growing feelings for Montana lead him to find a home in Fool’s Gold, or will he walk away, taking her broken heart with him? (from Goodreads)



My Review

(Review contains minor spoilers)
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Montana Hendrix has finally found the perfect job training therapy dogs to help people in need. She thinks that she’s doing a great job, until one exuberant puppy changed her life forever. I think that Montana’s choice in jobs, really says a lot about who she is as a person. She is sweet, caring, and loving. She has difficulty with men and relationships, due to past issues. I was glad to see that she was finally able to bring down her walls to let Simon into her life. Overtime, she was able to help Simon heal his broken, tattered heart. I also enjoyed her interaction with the therapy dogs and the burn patients. It was heart-warming!

Simon Bradley comes off as a tough, short-tempered, and brilliant doctor. His childhood was both scary and traumatizing, which was tough for a brilliant, caring child. He poured his pain into schooling, and then into a career helping other burn victims. In his past, Simon was used to pushing people away and never staying in one place for long. Once he met Montana, his life would never be the same. She was able to help him see what loving someone truly means. She helped him become whole again.

One of the best parts of this series is the amazing cast of characters. In this book, I really enjoyed discovering the romance between Max and Denise. I have always thought of Denise Hendrix as this straight laced June Cleaver-type mother, and then you find out that she was a wild child with her lovers name tattooed on her hip. It was hysterical and sweet to read about their past and present. This storyline makes the series more full and rich. Most series gloss over romance when dealing with the over 50 crowd. Kudos, to Susan Mallery for telling their story!

I found ONLY YOURS to be one of most touching and heart-felt books in the series so far. It was a story of person growth and selflessness. A Beauty and the Beast type of tale, with the gruff, loner-type doctor meeting the girl with a heart of gold. This book made me laugh and cry, sometimes all at the same time. It was great to see something so wonderful coming from something so terrible. My favorite part of this book is the fact that Montana and Simon didn’t get their Happily-Ever-After easily. They had to fight every step of the way, making the story all the better for it.

If you haven’t picked up Susan Mallery’s Fool’s Gold series, you don’t know what you are missing! This series is uplifting, sweet, funny, and sexy. Put this series on the top of you to-be-read pile for the new year. It’s a must have for all Contemporary Romance readers. I can’t wait for the next installment and Nevada's story!



Fool's Gold Series

#1 CHASING PERFECT
#2 ALMOST PERFECT
#3 FINDING PERFECT
#4 ONLY MINE
#5 ONLY YOURS
#6 ONLY HIS



Websites

Purchase ONLY YOURS arch
Susan Mallery’s Website
Susan Mallery’s Twitter
Harlequin’s Website



ONLY YOURS - Video