Category Archives: 5 Flames

Magic Strikes
Kate Daniels #3
Author: Ilona Andrews
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Ace;
(March 31, 2009)
ISBN-13: 978-0441017027

Drafted into working for the Order of Merciful Aid, mercenary Kate Daniels has more paranormal problems than she knows what to do with. And in Atlanta, where magic comes and goes like the tide, that’s saying a lot.


But when Kate’s werewolf friend Derek is discovered nearly dead, she must confront her greatest challenge yet.

This series has been such a great find to read.  Each one keeps getting better and better.  Seriously, it has been a hard choice on which one is my favorite so far, but I think this one surpassed the first two and became my new favorite of the series.

Derek was always one of my favorite secondary characters and when he is attacked in this book, I literally wanted to rip someone to pieces.  The horrific things the enemy does to Derek was just heart wrenching and I nearly collapsed just like Kate when she went to see him after the attack.  I wanted justice and I wanted it to be just as painful as what Derek had went through.  The way Jim explained his reasoning on disobeying the Beast Lord made me see Jim in a new light as well.  It showed his compassion and loyalty to his friends that I hadn’t really seen in the previous books.

This brings me to the dynamics that are evolving around Kate and Curran.  *swoon* Can this Beast Lord get any sexier?  I fell harder for this character this time around and I am sure other readers will agree that this book was the one that opened our eyes to the sexiness that is called Curran.  His compassion surfaced and showed that he does have a softer side and understands the reasoning in the way members of his Pack did what they did.  Instead of destroying them for what they had done, he surprised me and decided to fight right beside them.  He showed his loyalty back to the Pack and stood ground with them in a bloody battle that could have killed them all.

The sexual tension is stepped up a notch in this book as well.  The bet had to be the most stupid thing out of Kate’s mouth if she truly didn’t have chemistry with Curran, but I think it was one decision her subconscious really wants to happen.  That is one bet that I wouldn’t mind losing if I was betting with Curran myself! *sigh*

The scenes near the end were almost my undoing.  I was swooning with the words and actions from Curran.  I wanted a furry Beast Lord of my own.  I seriously cannot wait to start the next book and see what happens next.  This series has become a serious addiction to me and I can’t break the hold it has on me.

“His Majesty needs a can-I girl anyway. And I’m not it.”
“A can-I girl?” Andrea frowned.
I leaned back. “‘Can I fetch your food, Your Majesty? Can I tell you how strong and mighty you are, Your Majesty? Can I pick your fleas, Your Majesty? Can I kiss your ass, Your Majesty? Can I…”
It dawned on me that Raphael was sitting very still. Frozen, like a statue, his gaze fixed on the point above my head.
“He’s standing behind me, isn’t he?”
Andrea nodded slowly.
“Technically it should be ‘may I’,” Curran said, his voice deeper than I remembered. “Since you’re asking for permission.”
–page 42

“I flexed my wrist, popped a silver needle into my palm, and offered it to him.
‘What’s this?’
‘A needle.’
‘What should I do with it?’
He’d walked right into it. Too easy. ‘Please use it to pop your head. It’s obscuring my view of the room.’
– Kate & Saiman page 63

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Last Breath
Morganville Vampires #11
Author: Rachel Caine
Source: Library Loan
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: NAL Hardcover
November 1, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-0451234872

With her boss preoccupied researching the Founder Houses in Morganville, student Claire Danvers is left to her own devices when she learns that three vampires have vanished without a trace. She soon discovers that the last person seen with one of the missing vampires is someone new to town—a mysterious individual named Magnus. After an uneasy encounter with Morganville’s latest resident, Claire is certain Magnus isn’t merely human. But is he a vampire—or something else entirely?

Oh Morganville,  I have missed you!  This is one of those series that just keeps pulling you in with each story the author creates.  I just love revisiting Morganville and the town to get my vampire fix!

The book starts out with the planning of Eve and Michael’s wedding.  They are trying to get the permission needed in a vampire/human marriage from Amelie while also trying to get the humans to agree to it as well.  During the process of the planning, vampires start to disappear when a new face shows up in town named Magnus.  Magnus is not human, but he is not quite vampire either.  When Claire starts to piece together who he really is, the town is already in battle and beloved characters will be lost to the fight.  While Amelie wants the vampires to run and find a new home,  Claire and her friends are determined to save their town.

I have to say that this book in the series I think is my favorite so far.  Not only did so many things happen that the reader will not expect, but the way the author changes the Point of View around was greatly satisfying.  The series has been focused mainly on Claire’s Point of View (POV), but in Last Breath we get to read from Shane, Eve, Michael and Amelie as well.  We got to see glimpses of what each character was feeling and thinking throughout the story.  The only character that I hoped she would include was Myrnin, but we never get to see inside his crazy head. Hopefully in the next book she will explore his mind as well.

If you plan on reading this book from the series, have some tissues on hand and be prepared for your emotions to be thrown all over the place.  You will cry, gasp in suspense, cringe in fear and be yelling for your favorites to win!  One of the best in the series of eleven so far!

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

The Reckoning
The Fahllen #2
Author: M. Leighton
Source: Author Submission
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 17, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1467956598

Carson Porter thought she’d had one of her most challenging years to date when she began her transformation into a reaper, but little did she know her battle had only just begun. Faced with changes in her boyfriend, Derek, the fear of her sister being able to steal her powers through mirrors and having to fight her every step of the way to rescue even one soul, Carson was nearly ready to throw in the towel. Only she can’t. During a visit from an angel, Carson learns that her destiny is far more important than even she realized—and far more deadly. Can she dig deep within herself for the strength and the perseverance that she’ll need to carry out her mission? And will she have to do so without Derek or can she recover the man she’d once loved so desperately?

After reading the first book in this series, I became an instant fan of author M. Leighton.  I fell in love with her writing and the characters that were presented to us within the pages of her work.  While this is classified as a Young Adult story,  adults will find themselves swept into the mystical world involving Carson and the power of reaping.

Carson is back and facing even more problems than before.  She is now gifted with the job of reaping souls for Heaven.  Add in the fact that she is also struggling to beat her sister Grey in reaping souls for evil, but she is also out to steal Carson’s powers of earth and fire by killing her.  Derek is also back in this book but Carson is having problems with that relationship as well. Derek is acting strange towards Carson and she is not sure why.  In the midst of high school graduation, old prophecies, an evil twin sisters, and an aloof boyfriend and you can imagine the struggles Carson is having to deal with.

I can honestly say that this book surpassed my expectations of amazing.  The authors writing captures you from the first page with her imaginative scenes and descriptions and doesn’t let you pull out of the fantasy world.  Carson is strong and determined which is hard to find in some young adult heroine’s.  Redemption, love, and the fight over good and evil is what made this book overcome the greatness of the previous book.  I am sad the story has ended, but the author didn’t hold back in giving the readers a conclusion worth the wild ride!

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

SPELL OF THE HIGHLANDER
Highlander #7
Author: Karen Marie Moning
Source: Personal Purchase

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• Publisher:

 Dell (May 30, 2006)

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• ISBN-13:

 978-0440240976

Powerful. Sensual. Seductive. He is all that is shamelessly erotic in a man. In her sexiest Highlander novel yet, New York Times bestselling author Karen Moning stirs up a sizzling brew of ancient mystery and modern passion as she brings together a devilishly handsome Celtic warrior trapped in time . . . and the woman who’s about to pay the ultimate price for freeing him. Age-old secrets haunt them. Deadly danger and irresistible desire shadow their every move. It’s a relationship for the ages. And all that separates them is a mere thirteen hundred years. . . . 


Jessi St. James has got to get a life. Too many hours studying ancient artifacts has given the hardworking archaeology student a bad case of sex on the brain. So she figures she must be dreaming when she spies a gorgeous half-naked man staring out at her from inside the silvery glass of an ancient mirror. But when a split-second decision saves her from a terrifying attempt on her life, Jessi suddenly finds herself confronting six and a half feet of smoldering, insatiable alpha male.


Heir to the arcane magic of his Druid ancestors, eleven centuries ago Cian MacKeltar was trapped inside the Dark Glass, one of four coveted Unseelie Hallows, objects of unspeakable power. When the Dark Glass is stolen, an ancient enemy will stop at nothing to reclaim it, destroying everything in his path–including the one woman who may just hold the key to breaking the ninth-century Highlander’s dark spell. For Jessi, the muscle-bound sex god in the mirror is not only tantalizingly real, he’s offering his protection–from exactly what, Jessi doesn’t know. And all he wants in exchange is the exquisite pleasure of sharing her bed.


Yet even as Cian’s insatiable hunger begins to work its dark magic on Jessi, his ancient enemy is about to obtain the final and most dangerous of the Unseelie Hallows–and the ninth-century Highlander must stop him from getting it. Nothing less than the very fabric of the universe and two passionately entwined lives are at stake–as Cian and Jessi fight to claim the kind of love that comes along but once in an ice age. . . .

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading the Fever series by this author, I just knew I was going to have to read her other books.  The only thing though is that I had never really read a book involving Highlanders.  I didn’t know what to expect because I thought a Highlander would be set in the past.  I certainly didn’t expect a Highlander to be so sexy and drool worthy!


When Jessi — who is swamped with school work and such — is asked by her professor to go sign for a package at his office while he is in the hospital, she never expects to fall into a world full of supernatural beings and a gorgeous man to protect her.  She unknowingly uncovers a mirror that is a relic of the Unseelie.  Inside this mirror is a tall and certainly sexy man.  Jessi thinks it is her overtired mind causing hallucinations and a man in the mirror is a figment of her imagination.  When she finally accepts that Cian MacKeltar is real, she has to make a choice in helping him or running for her life.


Karen Marie Moning gives us her witty humor, sexual tension and dark suspense that she has  never failed to give us.  Her writing is exceptional and definitely has me craving the other books in this series.  While this was the seventh book in the series — before spinning off into the Fever series — it can be read as a stand alone novel.  With that being said, when you meet the side characters of the book, you will be scrambling for the others like I am.  

MY RATING:

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf

For Rereading! 5 STARS

 

SIMMER
Recipes for the Teen Palate
Author: T.K. Richardson
Source: Author Submission
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Paperback: 104 pages
Publisher: Chamberton Publishing (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 061548834X
ISBN-13: 978-0615488349

Everything tastes better when it simmers. If you’re hanging out with friends and want a quick snack, or just want to eat something you have cooked, the recipes in this cookbook are simple and easy, but big on taste. A cookbook for teens and beginning cooks SIMMER is easy to follow, easy to use, and offers a variety of great recipes. Fast food is expensive and eats away money few teens have to spend. SIMMER can help! Mixed with step by step easy directions and common ingredients, these recipes will help the beginning cook prepare food that will satisfy and delight. From bacon cheeseburgers to simple spaghetti, or grilled pizza sandwiches to taco pie – these recipes are always a hit. Easy to prepare, even better to eat – the teen cook will have fun making their own meals. From my kitchen, where everything has a splash of olive oil, to your kitchen – I hope you find these dishes tasty. Simmer: Recipes for the Teen Palate contains over 70 recipes, including more than 30 vegetarian recipes.

When author T.K. Richardson contacted me about her next book releasing for review, I never expected it to be a cookbook!  She knew I had teens at home, but she had no idea I am a lousy cook.  If the instructions aren’t on the box or if I can’t order it over the phone, then my family suffers through cereal for dinner.  Yes, I am that bad and I loathe cooking!  So when she explained that it is a recipe book geared towards the teens I was all for it.  I mean, come on! If I could teach my teenager to cook through a cookbook, then I would no longer need to do that cooking chore.  Well, I know I would have to do it, but that sounded good didn’t it?


I was so surprised to find that the cookbook is set up nicely.  Not only are the dishes separated by meal time and such, but it also includes what utensils will be needed along with the ingredients.  No more searching for which pot to use or what baking dish.  Each recipe is explained clearly so that even the younger cook could understand them.  Now I picked an easy recipe to see how well a teen could accomplish it — and lets face it, I needed to start out easy!  So I picked the Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Sandwiches.  They are pretty self explanatory but I forced myself to follow the recipe as if I have never made one before.  I found it easy to follow and it tasted heavenly.  


Another thing that I enjoyed about the cookbook is that all of the recipes are easy and can be great for after school.  Tons of the recipes would be great for snacks or picnics for the weekend. If you are cooking challenged like myself, then this is a great beginner cookbook.  Not only will you learn to cook some fabulous dishes, but they are great for you to prepare with your children as well.  Great for family time and bonding!

Outstanding Book That Will Stay On My Bookshelf
For Rereading! 5 STARS