Daring the Moon by Sherrill Quinn

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Daring The Moon
Author: Sherrill Quinn
Source: Personal Purchase
Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Brava
 (February 1, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0758231888

SUMMARY:

It takes a lot of ruffle Taite Gibson, investigator with the Pima County Attorney’s Office. But the enormous, snarling werewolf that’s stalking her through the streets of Tucson? Yeah, that oughta do it. 


Those terrifying attacks convince Taite to seek out Ryder Merrick, a reclusive British horror writer reputed to know everything about werewolves, including how to kill them. 


Turns out he also knows how to leave her shaking with desire…On his remote private island, Ryder can live safely with the beast inside him, unable to harm others or himself. Then Taite arrives, her lush, sweet scent and gorgeous curves tempting him to give in to every wicked hunger. And as a full moon rises, the only way to keep Taite safe from the evil that’s followed her here is to convince her to trust in an attraction that’s deeply dangerous, and wilder than she ever guessed…

MY THOUGHTS:

I really tried to enjoy this book.  When the story even ventured from paranormal to just plain wacky, I kept pushing myself to finish it.  Do you know how hard it is to finish a book when it is not just clicking for you?  Well, this book took me much longer to read than normal because it was one of those books that just didn’t bring enjoyment to me.

The only character I truly enjoyed in this book was Cobb.  Yes, the butler is the one highlight of this book that made me even consider finishing it.  Taite was naive and at times lacking any strength.  She is described as being some tough woman but she was spineless enough times to  make me wonder how she even stood on her feet.  Declan was an okay character mainly because his accent brought out some funny dialogue.  He was protective of Taite in a big brother way that was nice.  Ryder was a bit rude to begin with but slowly started to warm up.  One main issue I had with this book was the instant attraction and love between Ryder and Taite.  Ryder barely meets her for a day and is already wanting her for a mate.  The bad guy was pretty easy to figure out as well.  I already knew who it was before the first half of the book had been read.

In my opinion, this could have been a better book if the author had progressed a little more in her writing.  I won’t say it is immature, but the writing is still in the infant stages of story instead of mastered.  I really think the author would be better off reworking some of the story to make it better.  Hopefully the authors writing has grown since this book and her next book I pick up will be much more pleasant to read.

MY RATING:

       

I did not like this book at all!

The Fireman Who Loved Me by Jennifer Bernard

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The Fireman Who Loved Me
Author: Jennifer Bernard
Source: Publisher
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Avon
 (April 24, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0062088963

SUMMARY:

Captain Brody has been badly burned by his ex-wife. When he orders Ryan, his star fireman, to participate in a bachelor auction, little does he know he’s the one who will lose his heart. 


Melissa McGuire is a brainy local news producer trying to get her career back on track. She can’t believe she’s being set up by her grandmother, who bid on a date with a fireman at the auction. She prefers the artsy type, not the tough, commanding , though clearly attractive, fire chief. 


And yet, they can’t resist each other, especially once her ambitious news anchor assigns her the “Thanksgiving with the Firefighters” news special. Add in her grandmother’s matchmaking and the combined efforts of Captain Brody’s crew…can Brody help being the first bachelor to succumb to love, and the crazy rollercoaster ride of the Curse?

MY THOUGHTS:
Need a feel good romance to read to pass the time?  Well, I needed one and this one arrived at the perfect time.  While I won’t go as far to say it was amazing,  it did help pass the time and give me a small romance to read about to tide me over.
There were some funny scenes throughout the book, but the first few chapters at the auction had to be my favorite.  What made it even more of a fun read at the beginning was the Grandmother.  She was a hoot in my opinion.  All though I did get a little impatient reading about her talking to her deceased husband at times.  Melissa was annoying at times with the way she acted, but she wasn’t too bad of a person to make me stop reading.  I have to say that the firemen at the station are what made this book easier to read about.  I loved their personalities and the fun they brought to the story.  Sometimes the side characters make the book so much more enjoyable.  The romantic scenes between Melissa and Brody were few and could have been better.  I wish that the author would have focused more on their relationship then the side stories at times.  
Overall not a bad book to pass the time with, but not one to read again.  I am going to try the next book in the series though so I can read more about the firemen.  They made the story so enjoyable that I can’t wait to see what is in store for them all!
MY RATING:
Okay book, but it left me wanting more!
*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Hunted by Cheryl Rainfield

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Hunted
Author: Cheryl Rainfield
Source: Publisher
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: WestSide Books
 (December 15, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1934813621

SUMMARY:

Caitlyn is a telepath in a world where having any Paranormal power is illegal. Caitlyn is on the run from government troopers, who can enslave, torture, or even kill her, or make her hunt other Paranormals. When Caitlyn settles down in a city, she falls for Alex, a Normal (someone without Paranormal powers), which is dangerous because he can turn her in. And she discovers renegade Paranormals who want to destroy all Normals. Caitlyn must decide whether she’s going to stay in hiding to protect herself, or take a stand to save the world.

MY THOUGHTS:

After reading the synopsis on this book,  I was intrigued by the fresh take in the supernatural.  It was different than what is out on shelves at the moment, and gives the reader a chance to step back from the norm of paranormal involving vampires and such.

Caitlyn  and her mother are Paras.  Any type of paranormal power is illegal and comes with dire consequences if discovered.  Para Troopers hunt them and get rid of anyone with any sort of paranormal powers.  Caitlyn has already lost her Dad to the Para Troopers and her brother was taken as well.  The only difference is that her brother wasn’t killed like they thought he was.

This book did have some plot points that could be touchy to some people, but having an open mind reading this book makes it so much better.  Things included are interracial relationships, lesbian relationships (not graphic), and touches also on the subject of prejudice in what people are or could be.  The author did wonderful though in telling this story with a supernatural twist.  Yes, some of the plot and story was predictable, but it did not deter from the point the author was trying to make with the book.

If you want to step out of the normal in young adult paranormal, then give this book a chance.  You might be surprised on how much you would enjoy it as well.

MY RATING:

Very Good! I would recommend this book!

*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James

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Forbidden
Author(s): Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Source: Wunderkind PR
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Publisher: HarperTeen
 (January 24, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0062027894

SUMMARY:

She should not exist.


He should not love her.


Claire Brennan has been attending Emerson Academy for two years now (the longest she and her mom have remained anywhere) and she’s desperate to stay put for the rest of high school. So there’s no way she’s going to tell her mom about the psychic visions she’s been having or the creepy warnings that she’s in danger.


Alec MacKenzie is fed up with his duties to watch and, when necessary, eliminate the descendants of his angelic forefathers. He chose Emerson as the ideal hiding place where he could be normal for once. He hadn’t factored Claire into his plans. . . .


Their love is forbidden, going against everything Alec has been taught to believe. But when the reason behind Claire’s unusual powers is revealed and the threat to her life becomes clear, how far will Alec go to protect her?

MY THOUGHTS:

Forbidden is written by a Mother and Son.  Both contribute to the works in the book and give us perspective from Alec and Claire’s point of view.

While the book started out with strength,  as I read further into the book it started to falter.  I personally enjoyed the side characters better than the main characters.  Claire’s friends were refreshing and humorous.  I loved their witty comments and they brought much more to the story than Claire and Alec.

Claire is always on the move with her mother.  They never seem to stay in one place long enough and Claire has no idea why.  They have lived in their current residence for two years now and Claire really enjoys her school.  It is a private school so she has to keep up her GPA and grades to attend.  This isn’t really much of a problem though since she is super smart and works hard to keep her grades from slipping.

Alec is a mystery in this story.  He has a secret past that he is running from and wants to attend high school for the first time.  He meets Claire and her friends during registration day and becomes part of their group.  He has the instant attraction to Claire even if she has hopes of becoming better friends with another boy at school.

I wasn’t a fan of the instant love between the two main characters.  At times it even felt forced.  I also couldn’t  get attached to Alec because of his personality.  At times he would be mature and act his age.  Other times it was like he was reverted back to middle school with some of his actions and personality change.  Claire was also a little dense at times.  She couldn’t figure out why Alec would get so depressed or moody whenever she would mention the other boy Neil that she had a crush on.  It was obvious Alec loved her, but she couldn’t seem to see the obvious signs.

When some of the mystery starts to unravel and things start to clear up a little, you finally think you are going to get some answers.  While some things are clear,  there were other things that were left open that needed closure for this book to be better.  To me the book felt a little incomplete by the last page.

While I can see the younger teens enjoying this book,  I feel that the older teens and adults will have some issues with it.  If there is going to be more books in this series, I do hope the authors can work together at getting the actions and personalities straight for the ages their characters are.

MY RATING:

If the library doesn’t have it, don’t worry about reading it!

*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*

Life Is But A Dream by Brian James

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Life Is But A Dream
Author: Brian James
Source: Amazon Vine
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
 (March 27, 2012)
ISBN-13: 978-0312610043

SUMMARY:

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced that it’s the world that’s crazy, not them. But when Alex starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries she’ll lose hold of her dreams and herself.

MY THOUGHTS:

I don’t know what to say about this book.  Was it intriguing? Yes.  Did it have great writing? Most of the time, yes.  Beautiful cover? Check.  Maybe I am in a reading funk lately and the young adult stories are just not as refreshing.  I really wanted to enjoy this book — which I did — but not as much as I was hoping.

Sabrina is in Wellness Center or psychiatric hospital.  She has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and her parents put her their for treatment.  The author takes us inside Sabrina’s mind and lets us get a glimpse at schizophrenia from her mind.  When she meets Alec, he tries to convince her that they aren’t crazy.  He thinks that the outside world is messed up and not them.  During the duration of the book, we get to read more about Alec and Sabrina dealing with their problems and relationship.  This book is a little darker that what I am used to reading in the young adult world.  It is a little heavy and some teens might not like the depressed feel of the story.

Not a bad book, but it wasn’t one that had me excited to read more after I finished it.  I am curious to see how the author would do with a lighthearted teen book instead of such a serious one.

MY RATING:

Okay book, but it left me wanting more!

*I received this book free of charge in exchange for an honest review*