Category Archives: 3 Flames

DEMONS ARE A GIRL’S BEST FRIEND
Author: Linda Wisdom
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (April 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1402254393
ISBN-13: 978-1402254390

SUMMARY:

Feisty witch Maggie enjoys her work as a paranormal law enforcement officer—that is, until she’s assigned to protect a teenager with major attitude and a sleazy boyfriend. A group of satanic Mayans priests has decided Courtney has a drop of divine blood in her—making her just the virgin sacrifice they need to release their God and rule the world.

To prevent this catastrophe, Maggie must team up with half fire demon Declan, the proprietor of Damnation Alley, an underground club and busy demon portal. Declan will be damned if he’ll allow his demon race to be blamed for the malicious acts of some evil Mayans. So he decides to seduce the sexy witch in an effort to discover what the law enforcement agency knows about the Mayan’s plans, but then things get more than a little hot, and Declan finds himself seriously entangled with the sexiest woman he’s ever met…

MY THOUGHTS:

This is my first book I have read by this author.  I was excited to start this one since everyone raves about her writing and characters that she can come up with. 


As I started reading the book, I was sucked into the realm of demons, witches, fairies and other supernatural creatures.  I was excited to read about a heroine that not only kicks butt, but has a personality of humor and sensitivity as well.  I liked the character of Maggie.  She could kick butt with the other creatures and embraced her witch abilities to full force.  She could douse you with water with the flick of her wrist and turn you into your worst animal nightmare with a thought.  Declan, a demon with a secret, was also kick butt and had a temper to match his powers.  He was a fire demon that could light up a room faster than a gas drenched building made of old wood.  You could sense his moods with the simple feeling of the room temperature. 


While I found the two to have some great chemistry and the plot was fun, the book was not as great as I expected.  The romance so too quick and far apart with not much romance to keep it exciting.  The characters were quirky, but at times there were too many to care about.  I wanted the book to focus more on the main characters instead of the surroundings and other people in the book.  At times it felt that the plot was stalling as well.  It seemed to get moving and the action would pick up, yet once it reached a certain point, it flat lined and was left in a climatic limbo.  Then the author would have to pull us back in and get us moving with more action before starting the process all over again.


While I enjoyed the humor, witty dialogue and supernatural elements of the book,  the story as a whole was just mediocre.  I understand that this is the first in a series, and certain characters and plots had to be set up for future books, but I like my main characters to interact more than what was presented in this book.  Not a bad read, but not one of the great reads either.


MY RATING:

DEMON HUNTING IN DIXIE
Author: Lexi George
Source: Author Submission
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: BRAVA (April 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0758263090
ISBN-13: 978-0758263094

SUMMARY:

A warrior, a demon, and the girl next door. . .

Looking For Trouble

Addy Corwin is a florist with an attitude. A bad attitude, or so her mama says, ’cause she’s not looking for a man. Mama’s wrong. Addy has looked. There’s just not much to choose from in Hannah, her small Alabama hometown. Until Brand Dalvahni shows up, a supernaturally sexy, breathtakingly well-built hunk of a warrior from—well, not from around here, that’s for sure. Mama thinks he might be European or maybe even a Yankee. Brand says he’s from another dimension. 

Addy couldn’t care less where he’s from. He’s gorgeous. Serious muscles. Disturbing green eyes. Brand really gets her going. Too bad he’s a whack job. Says he’s come to rescue her from a demon. Puh-lease. But right after Brand shows up, strange things start to happen. Dogs talk and reanimated corpses stalk the quite streets of Hannah. Her mortal enemy Meredith, otherwise known as the Death Starr, breaks out in a severe and inexplicable case of butt boils. Addy might not know what’s going on, but she definitely wants a certain sexy demon hunter by her side when it all goes down. . .

MY THOUGHTS:

I have sat here all morning after finishing this book trying to figure out the right words and descriptions to summarize my reading experience of this book.  I am finding it difficult to write the review because while there were many things I enjoyed about this book, there were also some things that weren’t so great about it.

First of all, this author knows her Southern charm and manners.  The way the characters act and speak were reminiscent of Southern hospitality.  The phrases the characters would blurt out were ones you would expect and come to enjoy as you read the book.  There was the perfect amount of snark and humor that kept me laughing from one page to the next which is hard to do unless the author can create characters that can handle this type of personality.

Addy was a laugh out loud a minute character.  She always had something smart and witty to say to anyone who crossed her path.  She was not afraid to speak her mind and not one person besides her Mother was exempt from the things she would have fly out of her mouth.  I absolutely loved her personality!  Brand was just as humorous since he was from another dimension and found himself trying to figure out what Addy was saying most of the time.  Some of the things he understood, but most of the time he had to have some of the phrases broken down for him which Addy was glad to elaborate on. My favorite scene in the entire book had to be when they were at the funeral home and Shirley and Bessie Mae were fighting over a dead guys private parts!  The whole entire scene had me in tears from laughing so hard.

Addy’s Mother was the typical stuck up snob of the group who was determined to make sure everyone spoke properly and act like ladies and gentlemen.  I wanted to strangle her at times just like Addy wanted to. Aunt Muddy was a riot.  I loved her spunk and funny entrance into the series.  Talk about bad timing for Addy when Aunt Muddy returns from her trip!  Evie, Addy’s best friend, was charming and shy which balanced the relationship between the two.  Where Addy was spontaneous and full of life, Evie was reserved and graceful.  Ansgar, Brand’s warrior brother, was cold and at times a stick in the mud.  Yet, when Ansgar meets Evie, the cold thaws and you get to see a softer side of him  My heart broke towards the end of the book for this character.  I hope he gets a story of his own.

Even though the characters were fun and I laughed through most of the book,  the story and plot were not as strong.  Brand and Ansgar are suppose to be demon hunters, but there was not a lot of action and fighting in the book.  They hardly engaged in battle and the action sort of took a backseat to the humor and personal lives of the characters.  It didn’t seem to balance well and left the story feeling a little off.  While I liked the personalities of Addy and Evie, their acceptance of demons and such was a little too accepting.  They didn’t really struggle with finding out about paranormal creatures and such, they just seemed to accept it and move on.  There is also a lot of characters in the book to keep track of.  Not only is it full of different people, but the book also created small stories involving Addy’s brother and friends as well.  While sometimes this can be a good thing, I felt the author could have toned down a little bit on the character overload and gradually paced their stories to use in future books.

Overall, I loved the characters but I wasn’t a big fan of the story and speed of the book.  Will I read the next book? Definitely!  I need my Addy fix and I am dying to know if Ansgar is going to work things out as well.

MY RATING:

ABANDON
Author: Meg Cabot
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: Point (April 26, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0545284104
ISBN-13: 978-0545284103

SUMMARY:


Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can’t help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she’s never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she’s moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can’t. Because even here, he finds her. That’s how desperately he wants her back. She knows he’s no guardian angel, and his dark world isn’t exactly heaven, yet she can’t stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

MY THOUGHTS:

I am a fairly new reader of books by this author. I have read Insatiable by her and loved it, but I haven’t read any of her other books before that one.  When Abandon arrived to me for review, I jumped into it excited to read about how she was going make a story based on Greek mythology.  Seeing how I never actually paid attention in high school — and my grades will confirm that  — my mythology is a little rusty. I did however recognize the great writing that the author used in the book!

While I am not a huge fan of the story,  I can see the appeal and desire to read the book.  I liked how the author made the characters seem so real.  While she didn’t go overboard on descriptions, I still felt the characters come alive in my head while reading the book.  Yet, while the author kept me interested in the story, I kept finding myself wishing it would have revealed some things sooner rather than later in the book.

For instance, we don’t even find out what what actually happened to Pierce and the event that is questioned through out the chapters until well over half of the book.  I can understand needing it for the wow factor, but the constant referring to it and not revealing much kept me feeling frustrated.  I also didn’t like how it was slow going for a long while, and then near the end a ton of stuff happens with not enough resolutions.  I can understand the author wanting to leave you with a cliffhanger, but I also expect some things to be resolved before I finish the last page.

Would I read the next book in the series? Absolutely. I want to see how the author is going to work out some of the problems from this book and hopefully structure the plot better to make it more appealing to the reader.
If you are a big fan of this author, you will more than likely enjoy her take on the lore and mythology that this book contains as a step up from what the author usually writes.  If you are a new reader to this author, you could enjoy it based on the fact that it has the elements that this genre is well known for as well.  You will just have to be patient with the story and be willing to see the book through and future books in the series.

MY RATING:

HOW TO FLIRT WITH A NAKED WEREWOLF
Author: Molly Harper
Source: Publisher
*I received this book free of charge 
in exchange for an honest review*

Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: Pocket (February 22, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439195862
ISBN-13: 978-1439195864

SUMMARY:

Northern Exposure 

Even in Grundy, Alaska, it’s unusual to find a naked guy with a bear trap clamped to his ankle on your porch. But when said guy turns into a wolf, recent southern transplant Mo Wenstein has no difficulty identifying the problem. Her surly neighbor Cooper Graham—who has been openly critical of Mo’s ability to adapt to life in Alaska—has trouble of his own. Werewolf trouble. 

For Cooper, an Alpha in self-imposed exile from his dysfunctional pack, it’s love at first sniff when it comes to Mo. But Cooper has an even more pressing concern on his mind. Several people around Grundy have been the victims of wolf attacks, and since Cooper has no memory of what he gets up to while in werewolf form, he’s worried that he might be the violent canine in question. 

If a wolf cries wolf, it makes sense to listen, yet Mo is convinced that Cooper is not the culprit. Except if he’s not responsible, then who is? And when a werewolf falls head over haunches in love with you, what are you supposed to do anyway? The rules of dating just got a whole lot more complicated. . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

Just look at that cute cover!  I love the fun look it has even if the male on the front is a little different that what I thought Cooper looked like.  The cover portrays the fun and sometimes hilarious feel of the book! While I have the Nice Girls series by the author, I haven’t had a chance to read them yet.  So I was excited to finally get to sit down and read at least this series by her!

Mo was brought up by hippies that were a little out there.  She has struggled her entire life to break free of their beliefs and such.  When she breaks up with her boyfriend Tim, she heads off to the great town of Grundy, Alaska.  The book begins with Mo finally arriving in Grundy after leaving her roots in the South.  To say she was in for a shock is speaking lightly.

After landing a job at the local bar/restaurant  in Grundy, she meets Cooper.  Cooper is the typical brooding and surly Alpha of the book.  Mo quickly discovers his secret of being a werewolf and quickly adapts to the discovery.

While I enjoyed the book, I found parts of it not as exciting.  I felt that Mo was too quick to accept what Cooper was and felt she should have had at least one or two panic scenes.  Cooper was broody but his past problems were not really a plausible excuse for his actions.  He would be lovey and sweet one minute, and then just as quickly he is snapping his mouth at everything.  Some parts of the book would be fast paced, yet some parts seemed to drag.  Just when it would start to get going at a nice pace, either it would jump ahead in the time line too quick or slow down to the point of wanting to put the book down.

After finishing the book, I was still pleased with it.  It had flaws, but the book was still enjoyable and was exactly how I expected it to be by looking at the cover.  I knew I would be getting a fun and humorous read.  I knew it wasn’t going to be a serious themed book but a book that leaves you with a smile and feel good feeling when finishing. Not one of my favorite books, but definitely not the worst.  I would recommend this read if you are looking for a feel good read.  Furry and fun with a cute romance in between!

FAVORITE QUOTE:

“You know how some people just rub you the wrong way?  Well. Cooper’s my own personal sandpaper.”

“He’s like that with everybody,” Darby assured me.  “Don’t take it personally.  Some people were just born with a pinecone shoved up their butts.  In Cooper’s case, it’s lodged sideways.”

MY RATING:

RICH AND MAD
Author: William Nicholson
Source: Library

Reading level: Young Adult
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: EgmontUSA (September 14, 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1606841203
ISBN-13: 978-1606841204

SUMMARY:

This is a compelling and beautifully written novel about first love, first sex, and everything in between. Maddy Fisher has decided to fall in love. And not just any sort of love: can’t-eat can’t-sleep crazy in love. Rich Ross is after the same thing. He’s set his sights high, and he’s going to make it happen. The problem is, in life’s messy whirlwind of friends and lies and sex and porn, the real thing can be hard to fine. But there’s always a first time for everything. . .

MY THOUGHTS:

I have had this book on my radar for a while now even though many readers have found this book less than great.  Maybe the cover kept appealing to me, maybe the summary had me hooked, but I just knew I wanted to read this book.  


First of all, let me say that a lot of people have had a hard time reading this book due to certain sexual scenes that can come across offensive.  That is fine and I agree that some of it didn’t really need to be in the book to make the point.  What I will add to that though is I am well past my teen years, but I have children who are just entering this stage.  I don’t censor their reading at all because that is my parenting style.  I would have no problem with my daughter reading this book even with the talk of porn, sex, virginity, physical abuse and sexual orientation.  I feel what is the book going to hurt when they hear about this stuff from friends anyway.  Besides, I have been that age and I remember that books were not the source of info on this stuff–my friends were.  Not trying to sound preachy here in my review, but if you don’t feel the same way, be cautious of your teen reading it.


With all of that being said, the book was still just an okay book for me.  I loved the character of Rich, even though at times his though process made no sense.  Who thinks writing a letter from the pope is going to help get a girl to like them?  I found that funny and less than attractive.  Rich just didn’t think that one through.  Maddy was a great character that you would like for a friend.  She is naive in many things, but she still gives a person the benefit of the doubt.  These two were so naive in ways of thinking love should be.  


Some of the side characters were great.  I loved Cathy and Max.  They were funny and what you would expect in normal teenagers for friends.  Grace was a piece of work who needed serious help, but I can also understand part of the problem she has.  Without going into spoilers, I hope teenagers have learned that this way of thinking by Grace is not love. Joe was up and down for me.  At first he was sweet, then I despised him, and then the author does a complete turn around that redeemed him and made him the good guy again or all along.  


I loved parts of the books, but there were little things that added up to negatives for the book as well.  While I enjoyed it, I didn’t fall in love with it like I thought I would.  I love the cover the most!  It seems romantic and gives you hint at the tenderness that can be found with certain characters of the book. 


MY RATING: