HEARTS AT STAKE
Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Source: Library

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers; 1 edition (December 22, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0802720749
  • ISBN-13: 978-0802720740

SYNOPSIS:

On Solange’s sixteenth birthday, she is going to wake up dead. As if that’s not bad enough, she also has to outwit her seven overprotective older brothers, avoid the politics involved with being the only daughter born to an ancient vampire dynasty, and elude Kieran Black—agent of an anti-vampire league who is searching for his father’s killer and is intent on staking Solange and her entire family.
Luckily she has her own secret weapon—her human best friend Lucy—who is willing to defend Solange’s right to a normal life, whether she’s being smothered by her well-intentioned brothers or abducted by a power-hungry queen. Two unlikely alliances are formed in a race to save Solange’s eternal life—Lucy and Solange’s brother Nicholas, and Solange and Kieran Black—in a dual romance that is guaranteed to jump start any romance-lover’s heart.

MY THOUGHTS:

This was an exciting read from the young adult genre that I was looking forward to reading. It has all the great potential to be a great series with great characters.

I loved the friendship between Lucy and Solange. Then when you enter her ass kicking Mom, her treaty loving Dad, 7 over protective and gorgeous brothers, and a kidnapper who is cute to boot, well you get a funny and witty read that you end up finishing before you even know it!

I loved the romance between Lucy and Nicholas, even if it was kind of rushed. I feel the author could have given us more of them connecting and less of a History lesson in the whole vampire world. I loved the witty humor that all the characters have, and I love that there is going to be a follow up to this book soon.

Overall, a great read and I look forward to reading more from this author.

MY RATING:


Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

COCKED & FULLY LOADED (Western Anthology)
Authors:GR Bretz, Bryl R. Tyne, Rie McGaha

Release Date: 12/14/2009

Author’s websites: http://bryltyne.com http://www.riemcgaha.com http://delightfullydisturbing.wordpress.com/

Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing


Publisher Link: http://www.nobleromance.com/

Genre: Western, erotic romance, M/M, M/F, Transgender, menage

SYNOPSIS:

Gunmetal Blue by G. R. Bretz:
Meet Blue—an ex-Confederate cavalry officer living off his wits and his guns in Reconstruction era Texas—and Sally—a young woman stuck in a loveless marriage to a man who only married her for her family name. When Sally’s stage is attacked by robbers, Blue comes to her rescue. Together, they make their way across the Lone Star state. But when they reach a crossroads, the direction they choose will change the course of their lives forever.
Outlaw by Rie McGaha:
Colt has a bullet in his thigh and his face on a wanted poster, but when he rode into the mountains to lay low for a while, he never expected to see a lone woman swimming naked in the river. Hidden in the tree line, he watches her and as desire grows, he takes matters into his own hands, but even that doesn’t assuage his need to touch her.
Cynthia hasn’t seen her husband in several months since he left her alone to go into town for supplies, but the man she wakes up to find lying on top of her with his hand over her mouth isn’t the man she married. He demands she feed him and suggests if she doesn’t, he won’t have a problem taking what he really wants whether she consents or not.
As Colt watches her make biscuits and gravy, he finds he isn’t just enticed by her body, something about her appeals to him on a deeper level and as the two come to know one another, it’s apparent the attraction isn’t one-sided.
Tengo Una Pistola by Bryl R. Tyne:
After ten days in the saddle, Chuck just wants a hot meal and hotter bath water. He knows exactly where to find both too — at home, with his lover, Mitch. But what Chuck finds instead is that Mitch has taken in Carmen, one of the town whores . . . and not only is she sharing Mitch’s bed, she’s using Chuck’s tub. The situation irks Chuck to no end, but not as badly as the images of those wet and soapy feminine thighs that are stuck in his craw and driving him crazy. What the hell is going on? As far as Chuck’s concerned, somebody had better start talking and talking soon!

MY THOUGHTS:

I am not much for westerns. I just can’t seem to get into them that much. Of course if you throw in some hot erotic scenes, then of course I will read them!

In this book, you get the western theme, the erotic sex, the suspense and everything in between. This was a short read but had three different stories in it from three different authors. Each story was unique and kept me interested from page one until the end. Not bad for my first western! I actually was interested in it enough to finish it!

If you like the western genre with lots of spice, the this one will keep you hotter than a western sunrise! Even if you don’t like the western genre that much, you might be surprised to like this one!
MY RATING:


Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!

BITE ME!
Author: Melissa Francis
Source: Library

  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Paperback: 304 pages
  • Publisher: HarperTeen (July 28, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0061430986
  • ISBN-13: 978-0061430985

SYNOPSIS:

AJ Ashe isn’t your typical seventeen-year-old vampire—as if there is such a thing! She’s stuck in the middle of a huge fight between her two BFFs. Her ex-boyfriend—whom she’s still totally in love with, by the way—is now her stepbrother. A former classmate—who, um, she may or may not have turned into a vampire—is stalking her. And now, apparently, the fate of humankind lies in her little undead hands. What ever happened to the good old days, when all a vampire girl had to worry about was the occasional zit and hiding her taste for blood?
MY THOUGHTS:

This was a good read but something about it keeps me from giving it a 5 flame rating. I can’t really put my finger on one thing. I laughed at times, I was interested in the story, and the characters weren’t too bad either. I think it was mainly that at the end, everything came together too fast and ended too early. The book does leave it open for the next book, but it did wrap up most of the plot before the last page. A great rainy day read for adults and teens, with new twists on some of the vampire myths.

MY RATING:


Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!


DECODING THE LOST SYMBOL
Author: Simon Cox
* I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*
Source: FSB Associates

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: Touchstone (November 3, 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0743287274
  • ISBN-13: 978-0743287272

SYNOPSIS:
Dan Brown’s new novel once again features Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon, this time in the United States, racing to uncover clues and crack codes involving secrets that are perpetuated to this day. But how much of the novel is true and what is pure fiction? Simon Cox, bestselling author of Cracking the Da Vinci Code and Illuminating Angels & Demons, offers the first definitive guide to all the mysteries featured in The Lost Symbol.

Based on extensive research, this A-to-Z guide lists the real people, organizations, and themes featured in Dan Brown’s latest novel, explains their histories and their meanings, reproduces and analyzes the symbols themselves, and provides insider knowledge gleaned from years of exhaustive study. From the monuments of Washington, D.C., to the secrets of Salt Lake City and the hidden enclaves in Langley, Virginia, Cox knows where the facts are hidden about the Freemasons, Albert Pike, the Rosicrucians, the Founding Fathers, and more.

This is the only resource you’ll need to understand and enjoy the complex new world of The Lost Symbol.

MY THOUGHTS:

I was one of those people that didn’t like The Da Vinci Code or Angels & Demons. You had to think to much to understand what was going on and when I read or watch a movie I want to enjoy, not to cause brain overload. So I knew I was not going to be a fan of The Lost Symbol.

Now that I have read this book, I understand things more clearly and have gotten an idea of secret meanings and conspiracies. This book explains things easily for some of us that like to just enjoy, not think too much. It explains the meaning of symbols, The Great Pyramids and even the symbolism of the dollar bill. I received a history lesson while reading it and I actually enjoyed the lesson!

This is a great book for fans of the movies and books. It gives you the insider track on everything!

MY RATING:


Very Good! Worth Spending Your Money on!