Review: Cold Memory by Leslie A. Kelly

Format: ebook
Pub Date: January 2017
Publisher: Self Published
Length: 260 pages
FTC: Purchased myself

I was a HUGE fan of the first two books of this series, which Leslie Kelly published under the name Leslie Parrish several years back. (Cold Sight was 2010) Unfortunately, they didn't sell well enough for her publisher to continue to support the series. Thankfully, Kelly decided to bring the series back on her own.  This is book 3, but I believe they can all stand alone.

What I love about these books is that the paranormal aspects aren't too far outside of what we already consider normal. It's light on the woo woo. These are pretty much standard romantic suspense, and 3/3 the mysteries are good and compelling.

Review: Mercury Striking by Rebecca Zanetti

Format: mass market paperback
Pub Date: February 2016
Publisher: Zebra/Kensington
Length: 362 pages
POV: 3rd, past
FTC: Received for free from RT16

As much as I "enjoyed" parts of this book, it will always be the "ass spanking book." As in: non-consensual ass spanking, which is a firm DO NOT CROSS line for me. So however much the plot grew on me, that one thing still stands out.

The other problem with the book, which is not the author or book's fault, is that it is post-apocalyptic. Which, given what a shitstorm our country is experiencing, was so not the book I needed. It is bleak times 1000, and I suspect it's probably the very last book of this kind that I am able to read for at least the next four years.

TBR Challenge Review: Cold Sight by Leslie Parrish

Pub Date: July 2010
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Format: Mass Market
Length: 345 pages
FTC: Purchased from Borders (*sniffle*)

I remember hearing tons of buzz about this when it first came out, but I was on a non-paranormal kick then. I did grab it up when Borders was liquidating, though, along with the 2nd book and final book Parrish (aka Leslie Kelly and Leslie A. Kelly) published in the series. I had heard the sales of the Extrasensory Agents series were disappointing, which is too bad since I really ended up liking both books.

Quickie Review: Smart and Sexy by Jill Shalvis

Format: Mass market paperback
Pub Date: 2007, reprinted 2012 with the new cover
Publisher: Kensington
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher

This is a reprint of the first in the Sky High series by Jill Shalvis which originally came out in 2007. And while you can get echoes of her now distinctive (and hilarious) voice in it, it does not come close to her more recent works in either characterization or charm.

Part of the problem is that this is an attempt to be both a romantic suspense book and a contemporary romance. Something it doesn't quite accomplish with any real skill. In a series of madcap episodes, the hero and heroine hop in planes and fly hither and yon trying to find hidden money at the heroine's deceased husband's unfinished resort properties.

I found the whole plot a little weird, really. Nothing made sense to me, the motivations and actions of the characters didn't match with who they were supposed to be, and other than an attraction, there didn't seem to be a lot of basis for a relationship between our hero and heroine.

As always, I liked the secondary characters, and the potential is there for the rest of the series (which I have not yet read).  This one just didn't gel for me, but given how excellent Jill's recent books have been, she may have set the bar too high.

My Grade: D

The Blurb:

Noah Fisher has worked for months to make Sky High the most prestigious charter airline in California. He's long overdue for a break - something involving ski slopes, cold beers, and hot ski bunny babes. The itinerary doesn't include being hijacked by Bailey Sinclair, gorgeous widow of one of Sky High's wealthiest (ex-) clients. But here they are, and being crammed in a cockpit with the scared, stubborn, unbelievably sexy former model he's been fantasizing about invokes Superman tendencies that could get Noah in serious trouble. Bailey is desperate to find the stash of money hidden by her conniving, thieving late husband - before the bad guys he owed find her. It's a long shot, but nothing compared to the gamble she's taking by being so close to Noah. Every minute in his company has Bailey thinking about doing crazy, reckless things like touching, grabbing, kissing...and oh wow, being kissed right back.

TBR Challenge Review: Promises in the Dark by Stephanie Tyler

Format: Mass market paperback
Pub Date: 2010
Publisher: Dell (Random House)
Length: 388
FTC: Purchased myself [during the Borders shutdown clearance :( ]

This month's TBR Challenge theme is designed to whittle away at the long list of authors who elicit the  "You haven't read that author yet?!" incredulous cries from my friends. And also my 'I need to read that author someday' guilt-ridden TBR pile. It's  new-to-you author month at the Challenge, so I decided to do some serious digging into my boxed up TBR for an author I haven't read. (Go me!)

Since I began blogging back in 2009, I've heard nothing but good things about Stephanie Tyler's books. And yet, it took the closing of Borders in 2011 to force me to buy one of her books...which promptly got boxed up when we moved my office around. Sigh. So... *drum roll*

Review: Thrill Ride by Julie Ann Walker

Format: mass market, ebook
Pub Date: April 2, 2013
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablance
Length: 352 pages
FTC: Review copy courtesy of the publisher via Netgalley

I have a soft spot for romantic suspense, but it does have its problems.  There are a lot of eyerolling conventions in the genre, and Thrill Ride seems to have used every single one of them. Headstrong heroine heading blithely into danger? Check. Nookie (or some heavy petting) while in immediate danger? Check. Series bait? Check, check, check.

Part of my problem with this book is the hilarious (and heavy-handed) use of military sayings, regional idioms, and clichéd folk sayings. This is a case where even clever language use is weakened by overuse. Too much of it yanked me out of the story on more than one occasion, sometimes even causing me to laugh out loud at the silliness of it.

TBR Challenge Review: Fragile by Shiloh Walker

Format: Trade Paperback
Pub Date: February 2009
Publisher: Berkley
Length:346 pages
FTC: Traded through Paperback Swap
Why it was in the TBR: numerous positive recommendations on Twitter

I am a format snob. I rarely ever buy something in trade paperback format.  So it takes a barrage of recommendations to get me to acquire a trade paperback to read. And back in early 2010, this series by Shiloh Walker (Broken, Book 2) was absolutely everywhere on Twitter and the romance blog circuit. Still, cautious little me just let it sit in my Paperback Swap request backlog until one was available. It took over a year. (It's now available in mass market paperback.)

For those looking for solid romantic suspense without dimwitted heroines, paranormal woo woo or inappropriate shacking up, this is for you. Fragile is grounded in the less pretty side of real life—in the ugly truths of child molestation, neglect, and emotional abuse.  Far more of a suspense novel than a romance, the focus shifts away from the central couple quite frequently. Something I know can annoy many hardcore romance readers, but didn't bother me too much.

Review: Shades of Gray by Maya Banks

Format: Mass Market Paperback
Length: 282 pages (includes an additional 100 or so pages of novella)
Pub Date: January 2013
Publisher: Berkley (Penguin)
FTC: Purchased myself

Maya Banks writes in just about every genre out there, but her KGI romantic suspense series is my favorite. Or it was until she left the straight suspense and ventured in the land of woo-woo with the last two books in the series. Don't get me wrong, I like woo-woo. I still read paranormal romance. But I intensely dislike when a series starts out as one thing and morphs into another. Thankfully, the series is back on track with Shades of Gray.

This is the story I've been waiting for. PJ, a trained sniper, and Cole have been dancing around each other for several books now. And this book dives right in with a relationship beginning in the very first few chapters.  The rest of the book isn't so much about them, as dealing with the aftermath of an op gone horribly wrong. And that's where I have some issues with the book.

[Spoilers Ahead]

TBR Challenge Review: Locked and Loaded by HelenKay Dimon

Format: ebook, mass market
Pub Date: August 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
FTC: Purchased myself

Yes, I'm nearly 2 full weeks late posting again. January was the month that turned my home into La Casa de Plague. Everyone was sick. Strep, ear infections, chest colds... I'm determined to get my groove back, though. 

January's theme was category romances.  I'm not much of a category reader anymore. I think I just got out the habit. Or had a few too many stinkers in a row. But having read and loved HelenKay Dimon's story in Holiday Kisses, I decided to try her category romantic suspense book, Locked and Loaded , that has been languishing, unread, on my digital TBR.

Waiting on Wednesday: Breaking the Rules by Suzanne Brockmann

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights books we just can't wait to get our greedy, book-loving hands on.

It's only been two years since we've had a new book in Suze Brockmann's Troubleshooters series, but I've been looking forward to Izzy's story for far longer. His book, Breaking the Rules, comes out on March 22!

ISBN: 9780345521224
Format: Hardcover
Publisher: Ballantine (Random House)
Pub Date: March 22, 2011

Blurb:

Izzy Zanella wasn't looking for another reason to butt heads
with his Navy SEAL teammate and nemesis, Danny Gillman.
But then he met Danny’s beautiful younger sister, Eden. When
she needed it most, he offered her a place to stay, a shoulder to
cry on—and more. And when she got pregnant with another
man’s child, he offered her marriage. But Eden’s devastating
miscarriage shattered their life together—and made the intense
bad blood between Izzy and Danny even worse.

Quickie Review: Assassin's Honor by Monica Burns

Format: Trade Paperback
Pub Date: June 2010
ISBN: 9780425234167
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
FTC: Purchased myself

Most of the time, buzz on Twitter, Goodreads, and romance blogs is a good thing. And most of the time, I don't regret forking out money for a trade paperback I purchased based on overwhelming praise by my favorite sites. But...this is one of those times that I was very disappointed both in buying a new copy of a trade paperback and the highway robbery prices they charge for them and for wasting my time reading the book.

Assassin's Honor annoyed me right away by employing a spelling for archaeology that infuriates me. "Archeology" may be an "acceptable" alternate spelling, but it's not what people in the field use. Which means that if your main character is someone attached to Chicago's famed Oriental Institute, they wouldn't be using "archeology." So using it in the text and dialogue results in an immediate auto-fail with me.

So, already cranking about that spelling pet peeve, I start reading. Only to discover that what could be a fun, suspenseful story is...irritating. Our "hero" Ares likes to add little swear words to his thoughts and speech that just grated on my nerves. "Christus" this and "Deus" that. And let's not forget "Fotte" or "Merda" either. It felt hokey and unbelievable. Like a cheap ploy to add something exotic without expending any real effort. And, since they're in a different language, they are set off in italics. To make them even more irritating.

I guess my problem with this book is that it never felt real. The premise was fine, but I had serious problems with the execution. The characters felt phony and the plot seemed canned for something that was supposed to be fresh and different. Spelling pet peeves and style issues aside, I wish the author had taken a different approach with the plot. This felt too derivative and at times made absolutely no sense. Add in a TSTL heroine and my lack of enjoyment was sealed.

My Grade: D+

Review: Sea of Suspicion by Toni Anderson

Format: ebook
Publisher: Carina Press
FTC Disclaimer: Book received from author for review

The Blurb:

Marine biologist Susie Cooper traded her life in America for a dream job on the rugged Scottish coast. Now all she lacks is the right man to start a family with. After their first meeting, she knows sexy Detective Inspector Nick Archer isn't what she's looking for. He's the type of guy whose idea of commitment is staying the whole night.

Nick has returned to St. Andrews for one reason only—to fulfill his vow to find his wife's killer. Relentless in his twelve-year quest for justice, he has no problem using Susie to get close to his primary suspect: her boss. But the passion between them smolders, and as it ignites, Nick finds himself torn between his past and his present—with Susie.

When one of her boss's students is murdered, Nick's investigation draws Susie into a web of madness and betrayal. They will have to learn to trust each other if they're going to catch a killer...and come out of this alive.

Sea of Suspicion is definitely different from anything else I've read in the romance or romantic suspense genres lately. It has a distinctly British flair--just filled with idioms that scream 'from the UK'.  And while the British slang occasionally threw me out of the narrative, it also helped cement the believability of our hero, Nick Archer, a Detective Inspector working in the area of the Gatty--a world renown research facility in Scotland.

I found the mystery aspects compelling and enjoyed all of the characters. But at times, it seemed as if the story was overwhelmed with marine biology and research details that bordered on info dumping. There's no doubt that the author knows her stuff, and that someone with a Ph.d (our heroine) would think in technical terms while dealing with her job, but the Susie's thoughts seemed a bit too clinical for a romance novel. Almost as if she were composing a journal article or giving a lecture than thinking to herself.

The primary mystery surrounding the deaths of Archer's wife and the most recent death of a research assistant were very well done, compelling and suspenseful. Too often, I figure out who did what halfway through the novel, but this one kept me guessing.

The dialogue between Nick and Susie is snappy and often funny.

"One of these days you're going to admit you're attracted--"
"When hell freezes over."
"Temperature is dropping. The devil's wearing thermals."

Susie's focus on permanence seemed a bit odd to me. I know many women in science professions are forced to postpone having a family until their careers are established, but it seemed weird to have Susie so focused on "a relationship, a future, and a family" at the very beginning of exploring her attraction to Nick.

I really enjoyed how unique and refreshing this book was. I'm a big fan of BBC mysteries, but can't recall watching one set in modern day Scotland. And I know I've never read a suspense novel set there.
I would recommend this book for fans of mysteries or suspense novels with romantic elements. The Scottish setting and British language set this book apart from others of its kind.

My Grade: B-

Sea of Suspicion is available in ebook format only and can be purchased directly through Carina, at BN.com, and other ebook retailers.

Review: Skin Game by Ava Gray

Although not my particular cup of tea, Ava Gray's Skin Game is a compelling piece of suspense writing. Excellent (if unsympathetic) characters, a fast moving plot, and plenty of "action"--both violence and sex.

Strictly speaking, I'm not so sure this qualifies as a romance. Sure, there's a semblance of romance, here, but when you have one of the main characters STILL contemplating murdering the other in the second half of the book, I'd say that isn't particularly romantic.

Review: Hunter's Need by Shiloh Walker

I've never read Shiloh Walker before, but the premise of her Hunter's series intrigued me. Hunter's Need is part of an extensive series, but it stands alone just fine. In fact, it's probably one of the best paranormal romantic suspense books I've read in a long time.

I'm usually a little leery about starting a book that's part of an established series. As a series progresses, it always becomes really difficult to explain some of the important back story necessary for the plot without doing it in info dumps. Or doing the opposite and leaving out important information so that fans who have followed the series don't get annoyed with all of the rehashing of events. As a first time reader of Shiloh Walker, I can say she handled that dilemma with expertise.

Review: Talk Me Down by Victoria Dahl

This book should come with a disclaimer. Something along the lines of this:

WARNING: Do Not Read this Book when you are a) in a public place (you'll laugh too hard and draw attention to yourself) or b)drinking anything (you may end up spraying your drink on yourself when you read some of the passages).

Victoria Dahl's contemporary romance, Talk Me Down,
is easily the funniest contemporary title I've read in years.

Review: Captive of Sin by Anna Campbell

It's always an adventure starting a book by a new-to-me author. I never know quite what to expect. I would like to say that I loved Captive of Sin, but unfortunately, the writer's voice just didn't connect with me. Her writing style REALLY bothered me.

The characters start the book as interesting, believable characters, but show very little growth during the course of the novel. Instead of feeling as if the characters were more real, they became less so as the narrative progressed.

Part of the problem lies in their almost overwhelming self analysis. We spend way too much time in the heads of the hero and heroine. And there is a huge reliance on telling rather than showing. It's also painfully melodramatic.

There were parts of the book that really connected with me, but they were buried under a mountain of empty, pretty phrases and inward castigation by the characters. The plot seemed unevenly paced, the finale rushed.

Most egregious to me was the insta-cure for Gideon's psychological trauma. I just didn't buy that he would be fixed by getting it on with the heroine for a week or two. Not realistic at all.

Overall, I felt it was a tad worse than your standard Avon fare.
My grade: C-

Make Her Pay by Roxanne St. Claire

Make Her Pay is romantic suspense at its best: fascinating characters, intriguing locales, danger, steamy sex. Roxanne St. Claire just keeps getting better!

Part of what really works in this book is the hero: Constantine Xenakis. He had a supporting role in Hunt Her Down, but he's given his own story here despite his prior naughty antics.  He's not just a little bit naughty, either. He's a newly reformed, highly talented thief trying to work his way back into the good graces of the Bullet Catchers. He lies with impunity and has no compunctions about taking stuff from others. But what makes me adore Con's character is that he's aware of his personal failings. And he has certain codes, certain innate behaviors, that make him seem more like a good guy caught in the wrong century than a truly bad guy. He would likely have fit right in fighting bad guys in the wild west.

That is not to say that the heroine is a light weight. Lizzie couldn't be wimpy and survive any sort of relationship with Con. Although I liked Lizzie more than the heroine of St. Claire's last book, I still feel like the hero gets more depth than the heroine. I don't dislike her, and she is believable, but she doesn't have the same complexity.

I found the historical backstory very compelling. Treasure, insanity, pirates, exotic islands... It was very well done and obviously well researched. It didn't weigh the story down with details, and it was woven throughout the story seamlessly.

My Grade: B+

Hunt Her Down by Roxanne St. Claire

I love romantic suspense. There's something about the blend of mystery, danger, and romance that just does it for me. The exact ratio seems to be what determines whether something gets shelved in the fiction, mystery or romance sections, but any book with that combination is welcome on my TBR pile. And I must say the cover of Ms. St. Claire's novel helped put it on the tippy top of said pile.

Hunt Her Down is typical beach-read romantic suspense. Tropical location, sex scenes, danger. I sometimes felt like I was reading an episode from CSI: Miami.

I found it difficult to connect with the heroine of the story. Her life experience should have resulted in a corresponding depth of character, but I found her rather shallow. The same could not be said of the hero, who I thought was intriguing, mysterious, and just a bit of a jerk.  The best character in the entire novel was the heroine's son, Quinn. The author captured the angst of being a teenager with some serious identity problems quite believably.

The suspense was top-notch, too. I figured out the plot well ahead of time, but the peril faced by the characters in the story was extremely well done and the plot moved at a frantic clip.

While the characters could have used just a bit more depth, this was well worth reading. Compelling enough to have me searching the shelves for backlist titles in the Bullet Catcher series.