The White Queen (The Cousin’s War, #1) by Philippa Gregory

Hardcover, 416 Pages - Published August 18th 2009 by Touchstone - ISBN-13: 9781416563686

The White Queen

(The Cousin’s War, #1)

by Philippa Gregory

Philippa Gregory, “the queen of royal fiction” (USA Today) Presents the first of a new series set amid the deadly feuds of England known as the Wars of the Roses.

Brother turns on brother to win the ultimate prize, the throne of England, in this dazzling account of the wars of the Plantagenets. They are the claimants and kings who ruled England before the Tudors, and now Philippa Gregory brings them to life through the dramatic and intimate stories of the secret players: the indomitable women, starting with Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen.

The White Queen tells the story of a woman of extraordinary beauty and ambition who, catching the eye of the newly crowned boy king, marries him in secret and ascends to royalty. While Elizabeth rises to the demands of her exalted position and fights for the success of her family, her two sons become central figures in a mystery that has confounded historians for centuries: the missing princes in the Tower of London whose fate is still unknown. From her uniquely qualified perspective, Philippa Gregory explores this most famous unsolved mystery of English history, informed by impeccable research and framed by her inimitable storytelling skills.

With The White Queen, Philippa Gregory brings the artistry and intellect of a master writer and storyteller to a new era in history and begins what is sure to be another bestselling classic series from this beloved author.

**Review: This is my first experience with Philippa Gregory. I’d never heard of her before until the book, The Other Boleyn Girl was made into a movie. I was asked to read and review this book. I’m glad I was asked.

I was awestruck by the amount of history and historical facts in this book. I’ve never been much for English history, and I think I’ll leave it that way. It’s not that I didn’t like it, but I was so confused half of the time I didn’t know if I was coming or going. Why parents insist on naming their children the same names over an over, even back then, is astounding; I had a hard time remember which Edward was which, which George was which, which Richard was which. The only two names that really stuck out: John and Henry – no one else had those names! Talk about lack of imagination … good grief, LOL!

The amount of plotting, deceit, made me sick to my stomach. I can’t believe people lived that way back then: some in constant fear for their lives, some always believing they are right, some having to do things in order to keep themselves ‘above water’… I can say I’m glad the world doesn’t live like that now.

I read one reviewer’s comment that they were ‘glad the book wasn’t romanticised’. Frankly, I think I needed it to be a little more. I felt nothing for the characters, I could not associate with them in any way, I felt detached from the whole thing. Another reviewer stated that, while it wasn’t the author’s best book, it is also far from the worst. I cannot comment, as I’ve stated this is my first taste of Philippa Gregory, but I don’t think it will be my last.

Queen Elizabeth wasn’t endeering to me at all. Her ambition for the throne left a sour taste in my mouth; she pleads that she loves her husband, and yet, now that he’s dead, she continues to push, even in sanctuary. Even after being defeated, dethroned, judgement passed that her marriage was a sham, her children declared bastards, she still continued to plot and scheme, to see either her son or her daughter on the throne. By the end of the book, all I kept thinking was – why? I still don’t get the ‘why’. I’m afraid someone will have to explain that one to me; it went directly over my head by at least a dozen miles.

The plot is fast-paced, and the author leaves enough of a cliffhanger that pretty much guarantees you’ll pick up the next book.

For me, it is the history in this book that has me rating it 4 stars. I am curious to see if the Queen’s son, Edward, was ever found, if her daughter Elizabeth sits on the throne, if her son Richard does… (how can you tell I don’t know much about that history.) It’s the history in the novel, the plotting, the scheming, the deceit, that makes the book riveting.

Rating:

Seduction and Surrender by Amanda Quick

Hardcover: 710 pages - Publisher: Wings (June 1, 2004) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0517223538 - ISBN-13: 978-0517223536

Seduction and Surrender

by Amanda Quick

Surrender all prior engagements and get ready to be seduced by two deeply passionate and engaging love stories, SEDUCTION and SURRENDER. Filled with romance, history, intrigue, and adventure, these novels will instantly transform you into an Amanda Quick fan.

SEDUCTION

Meet Julian, Earl of Revenwood, an untamable man with a legendary temper, and country lass Sophy Dorring, the strong young lady determined to conquer him.

People in town thought Julian was the devil – his first wife’s untimely death aroused suspicions of foul plan and it was rumored that Julian had drowned her in Ravenwood Pond. Now indomitable Sophy is to wed Julian in a marriage of convenience. While Julian is marrying so that he can produce an heir, Sophy has more passionate goals in mind: vengeance and love. Sophy hopes she can use him to find the man responsible for her sister’s murder while she teaches the dreaded devil Julian to love again.

SURRENDER

The allure of a moonlit escapade can be impossible to resist, especially when accompanied by a striking new suitor. For Victoria Huntington, who longs for risk and adventure, Lucas Colebrook, Earl of Stonevale, seemed like the perfect match. Unlike the fortune hunters who had previously tried to woo Victoria, Lucas appeared disinterested in Victoria’s vast fortune. Their wild, midnight rendezvous gave way to love, but love soon gave way to danger. After a hasty marriage, Victoria finds herself being stalked by dark secrets from her past. Now these ghosts from long-ago threaten to ruin her life, her honor, and the one man she truly loves.

Review: You’ll definitely become a fan!

SEDUCTION: Justin needs to marry again; he needs an heir for Ravenwood. Sophy, now twenty-three, has been in love with Justin, from afar, since she was eighteen. But Sophy is no fool – she knows what marriage entitles, and she refuses to lose her independence. But if she was to be married to Justin, with his name attached to hers, she just may be able to flush out the man who seduced, impregnated her sister, then left her, causing her sister to take her own life. For Sophy, that’s the same as murder, and she’s determined to find out who it is. Barganing with Justin, she agrees to marry him. Only, things don’t go as planned for either of them. Justin does not want a repeat of his first marriage – his first wife had married him for convenience and did everything to make his life miserable, including infidelity. He doesn’t want another wild woman on his hands and does everything he can to tame Sophy. What he ends up realizing – Sophy is nowhere like Elizabeth, and comes close to losing her to the man who’d murdered Elizabeth. Sophy believes she made a mistake when she admitted to Justin that she loved him. She vows to be the dutiful wife Justin wants, even if her love isn’t reciprocated. But can Justin now convince Sophy that he loves her the way she is?

**A beautiful story. I loved the history and the intrigue. Justin, domineering alpha male, wants everything out of Sophy while giving nothing in return. Sophy wants equal ground with her husband, and fights hard to get it, much to Justin’s dismay. I loved watching them come together, to love each other and accept each other for who they truly are. While Justin’s dominance bugged me a little, I could understand it. For in that era, that’s the way it was. LOL, I can say I’m glad I don’t live in those times – I’d resent being ordered about.

SURRENDER: Heiress Victoria Huntington refuses to be married. After her father died while she was still a child, her mother had remarried to a man who only wanted her money, one who became violent when he was drunk. Her mother’s death while out riding had been deemed an accident, but Vicky was convinced that her stepfather murdererd her and did the unthinkable to get a confession: pretending to be a ghost, she flitted about the estate in her mother’s gown, driving her stepfather to come after her. While he did so, with a knife, and a confession, another accident occured, and he died after falling down the stairs while chasing her. She’s kept this her secret and vowed never to be married. Meanwhile, having been hurt and left for dead on battle grounds, Lucas Colebrook has recently inherited Stonevale and the title of Earl. The only problem? His uncle drove the estate into the ground. Lucas desperately needs to marry and heiress, and sets his sights on Victoria. Vicky loves her life the way it is; she loves to take risks unbecoming a lady, and Lucas appoints himself the one to help her. But Vicky has fallen in love with him, and after being caught after their one night of passion, a hasty marriage ensues, and Vicky finds out the truth: Lucas wants her money. Now Lucas is trying to convince her that she can no longer take the risks she was taking. Vicky is furious, for all the reasons she’d refused to get married are being thrown at her. And now, her past is coming back to haunt her; for little things are starting to pop up, convincing her that her stepfather is back from the dead. Both want to find out who it is that is trying to drive Vicky mad. And while Vicky is still in love with Lucas, she refuses to acknowledge it. And now Lucas has to convince her that he’s just as in love with her.

**An excellent story! I liked the history and intrigue in this one more than the first. And while I felt the ‘distaste’ between two of the charactes, I never concluded who it was that was after Vicky until it happened. I really felt for Vicky, for after she and Lucas married, everything she didn’t want was being thrown at her, and I could feel her anger and frustration. I loved how Lucas indulged her when he could, doing what was necessary to protect her, but I did find him a little unfair at times. Even if that was how it was back then, I still felt that Lucas could have gone about it in a different way. I loved watching them together. And the synopsis was right: once you read Seduction and Surrender, you will definitely become a fan of Amanda Quick’s historical romances.

Rating:

Tall, Dark and Texan by Jodi Thomas (“Whispering Mountain” series Book #3)

Mass Market Paperback: 304 pages - Publisher: Jove (October 28, 2008 ) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0515145432 - ISBN-13: 978-0515145434

 

Tall, Dark and Texan

by Jodi Thomas

“Whispering Mountain” series Book #3

He can’t hide from love forever.

Teagen McMurray would ride to hell and back to protect his land. He’d certainly never felt that way about a woman. At least not until Jessie Barton showed up with her three little girls, desperate for a place to stay. Suddenly he finds himself proposing marriage, telling himself it is only to protect her and her children…

Jessie had no place to go except Whispering Mountain – and to Teagen, the one person who couldn’t deny her, thanks to the correspondence he shared with her dead husband. But what will happen once the man she’s loved through his letters discovers her tangle of lies?

Review: A little too tame for my liking.

When Jessie’s husband dies, she’s certain of two things: the bookstore will not be hers even after her husband’s promise before his death, and that her husband’s mother will stop at nothing to get her hands on the one living connection she has to her son – his children. Jessie refuses to allow that to happen, and fleas Chicago with her three daughters, Emily, Rose, and Bethie. She has only one hope – that once she reaches Texas, she’ll be able to hide behind her lies and that Teagen McMurray will take them in.

When Teagen goes into town for supplies, a mother and her three young daughters are waiting for him. A letter from Eli Barton, Jessie’s now dead husband, asking him to take them in. Believing the letter is from the only friend he has, he takes them home.

Both feel an attraction, but neither wants to acknowledge it. For Teagen, his land and ranch should come first. He distanced himself way from civilized nature that he wouldn’t believe Jessie could ever feel something for him. Jessie’s unsure of her feelings; the only man she’s ever known physically was her husband, and after her parents death, her life wasn’t all that great.

However, Teagen soon learns of Jessie’s lies when a judge, a lawyer and the sheriff arrive with the legal right to take her children back to their grandmother; with no family or means to support herself and the girls, the judge has no choice but to grant the petition. Jessie doesn’t have any relatives from California coming to get them. However, if Jessie was to be remarried…

Teagen marries her, if only to protect Jessie and the girls. But it would be in name only. He’s determined that nothing will ever happen between them, and he’ll find a house for them closer to town. And Jessie learns she’s pregnant once again. But she’s still holding more lies from Teagen. How will Teagen react when he finds out?

**There’s a reason I don’t read straight romance anymore. I need more “oomph” in my story, more substance, and this one lacked what I usually look for in a good book. If you’re a pure romantic at heart, this is a book for you. Otherwise…

When Teagen first brings Jessie home, it’s uncomfortable, but the more they talk, the more a friendship begins to form. That friendship is torn apart when one of her lies is revealed, and even though strained, later the relationship starts to rebuild.

Teagen is a strong rancher, devoted to his horses and the McMurray land. He’s so far removed in a civilized manner, I can understand why he acts the way he does, but that’s about it.

Jessie is stronger than she believes herself to be. And she really does love Teagen, even if he refuses to believe it. It’s just that – I didn’t feel it. Yes, I felt a physical attraction, a spark between them, but that’s about it.

What I liked was Teagen’s interaction with Jessie’s girls. He had a difficult time getting through to the oldest, Emily, and we learn the reasons, and I truly fell in love with him for that alone.

But that’s it. There was a plot, there is supposed to be an attack, but it wasn’t that great an attack – over just as fast as it begins, and meanwhile, Teagen learns that all that correspondence with his friend Eli wasn’t Eli at all, but with Jessie. When Teagen leaves to deal with the man who wants his land and horses, he’s gone for months, and yet, not a word from him. It brought back the disconnection that you feel in the beginning and even when he returns, the contact between them was too brief for you to really feel anything between them but words.

Not a bad novel, but I won’t be reading it again.

Rating:

Knight of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor (‘Lords of Avalon’ series Book #2)

Format: Trade Paperback - Published: October 12, 2006 - 384 Pages - ISBN: 0060796626 - Published By: Avon Books

 

Knight of Darkness

by Kinley MacGregor (pseudonym of Sherrilyn Kenyon)

‘Lords of Avalon’ series Book #2

For countless centuries, I’ve been the assassin for the infamous Merlin, even though the woman who birthed me sits at the right hand of our enemy, Morgen le Fey. Now both omy mother and Morgen have decided that it’s time I take my place on their side of this conflict.

Normally, telling them no wouldn’t be a problem, except for the fact that the good guys I protect think that I’m an even worse demon than the ones we fight. Hmm, maybe they’re right. I have to say that I do enjoy maiming anyone who gets in my way.

At least until my mother gives me a simple choice: join Morgen’s Circle of the Damned or see an innocent woman die. I’m all for saving the innocent, but Merewyn isn’t as innocent as she seems. And she’s none too fond of the fact that her fate is in my dubious hands. Personally I’m all for taking the easy way out, but leaving her to Morgen is rough, even for me. Now the only way to save both ourlives is to face the evilest forces ever known – my mother and Morgen. And two people who know nothing of trust must learn to rely on each other or die: provided we don’t kill each other first.

Review: Finished Saturday, November 18th, 2006. Absolutely loved it! To quote again: Unputdownable! In the first chapter, I was instantly hooked, and I had a damn hard time trying to put this book down! The characters have distinct personalities, especially Varian, and I loved the banter between characters. I loved his ‘take shit from no one’ attitude, it suited him well. And the way he instigates… this book makes you laugh while holding your breath to see what happens next. And darn it, after checking out her website, I didn’t realize that she’d put an anthology in between Sword of Darkness and Knight of Darkness, titled Elemental. Looks like I’m hunting for another book! To the gang at Coles, see you Friday! LOL! As much as I’ve loved Angela Knight’s version of Avalon and Camelot, I adore Kinley’s just as much! This is definitely an awesome series!

Rating:

Swords of Darkness by Kinley MacGregor (‘Lords of Avalon’ series Book #1)

Format: Trade Paperback - Published: March 9, 2006 - 384 Pages - ISBN: 0060565446 - Published By: Avon

 

Swords of Avalon

by Kinley MacGregor (pseudonym of Sherrilyn Kenyon)

‘Lords of Avalon’ series Book #1

The new king of Camelot wears no shining armor: Arthur and his knights have fallen and a new king rules.

In the darkest forest…

A scared, forsaken youth has become the most powerful – and feared – man in the world. Ruthless and unrestrained, Kerrigan has long ceased to be human.

In the heart of London…

A spririted peasant mired in drudgery, Seren dreams of becoming her own woman, but never expects that by fleeing her fate, she will meet her destiny.

Their worlds are forever changed…

Kerrigan’s goal is simple: barter or kill Seren to claim Arthur’s Round Table. Yet she is the one person who holds no fear of him. More than that, her nobility sparks something foreign inside him. In his nether realm, kindness is weakness and a king who harbors any sort of compassion loses his throne.

Four countless centuries, Kerrigan has lived alone in the shadows. Now Seren’s courage has forced him into the light that will bring either salvation to both of them … or death.

Review: June 6th, 2006. I agree, Trina, that she did spend a lot of time on background info, but I believed it was necessary. I don’t think the second book, which will be out in November 2006, will have much, considering how much Sword of Darkness gave us about the past. She might recap, but not full out.

I adore Sherrilyn, love her writing style. She creates colourful characters that you love to love and love to hate. As any of the best authors that I love, she makes me laugh, cry, and get right down pissed, and I adore her for that. 

LOL, what I found funny was the quote on the cover of the book. She explains that she had said it to her editor as a joke, and since the editor thought it was a brilliant idea, they put her quote on the cover. LMAO, I burst out laughing when I read it.

I adore every single one of Sherrilyn’s books, whether she writes as Sherrilyn or Kinley, and I can’t wait for the next installment of Lords of Avalon.

(My fave part is in the ending ~ the mischief Kerrigan causes Agravain. LOL, I loved it!)

Rating:

Highland Champion by Hannah Howell (‘Camerons’ series Book #2)

Format: Mass Market Paperbound - Published: November 9, 2005 384 Pages - ISBN: 0821777580 - Published By: Kensington

 

Highland Champion

by Hannah Howell

‘Camerons’ series Book #2

Liam Cameron is certain he’s died and gone to heaven when he opens his eyes to the angel before him. But the pain that wracks his body proves he sstill earth-bound. Keira Murray MacKail saved Liam’s life – and he has some enticing ways he would like to thank her. Soon, lust gives way to a feeling much more p rofound for a woman whose battles he wants to fight … though he fears the most difficult one will be for her heart. Keira quickly learns that Liam has danger chasing him. As her healing kindness frees him to tell his tale, she confides the trouble that plagues her: she is a laird’s widow now responsible for saving a small village pillaged by cruel invaders. But even as Liam makes the crusade to reclaim her lands his own, he will face a far greater challenge to win her trust – and her love – for all time.

Review: I finished this novel on Thursday, July 12th, 2007. Book #2 of the series, and I’m hooked!

I adore the series. The characters seem completely real. You can’t help but feel for Keira, and can’t help but love Liam. Howell describes the surroundings so well that you feel like you’re there, back in time, watching all of it unfold before you.

The action was great in all scenes, whether a fight or between Liam and Keira. Excellent novel, can’t wait to get #3, Highland Lover!

Rating:

Highland Conqueror by Hannah Howell (‘Camerons’ series Book #1)

Format: Mass Market Paperbound - Published: March 1, 2005 - 352 Pages - ISBN: 0821777572 - Published By: Kensington

 

Highland Conqueror

by Hannah Howell

‘Camerons’ series Book #1

Lady Jolene Gerard is running out of time – each moment she remains within the walls of Drumwich Castle she is in jeopardy. Her only chance lies with a prisoner chained to the dungeon walls, a Scotsman who, in return for freedom, helps Jolene and her young nephew escape her cousin’s deadly snare. Pursued by murderous villians, Jolene is prepared to fight for her life. But in the arms of rugged Sigimor Cameron, she soon surrenders her heart. He was too late to save the Englishman to whom he owed a blood debt, but not the man’s lovely sister. Stunned by his desire for the spirited English lass, Sigimor presses them on to safety, his enemies in dogged pursuit. And while sweet desire speaks a thousand words, the secret they long to share remains locked in a battle of stubborn pride. But when saving Jolene from his enemy leaves Sigimor no choice but to make her his wife, a bargain born of passion can only be sealed by the kiss of true love.

Review: I finished this novel on Thursday, June 28th, 2007. It was a great first book to Howell’s ‘Camerons’ series.

Jolene, no matter how petite and delicate she looked, she gave back as good as she got – and then some. The more I read, the more proud of her I became. She made tough decisions, decisions I would never want to make. She had a backbone, didn’t take crap from anyone, stood up for herself and listened to her common sense when arguing wouldn’t solve anything. She is a female character one can admire without feeling guilty.

And Sigimor… (sigh) now, why can’t more men be like him? Strong, brave, courteous, with a head filled with common sense, and enough nerve to admit how he feels. What I wouldn’t do to be loved like that.

I sometimes wish I had a time machine. I’d love to go back and visit that era, to really know what it truly was like. Without so many people and buildings and cars… the land must have been really beautiful . The action in the story put you right there with the characters. For the bad ones, you could feel their anger, their hate, their desperation, their greed… And you cheer when the ‘bad’ is defeated. A few times, there are tears, chuckles and laughter.

For a historical romance that has an added bit of suspense, a great story.

Rating: .5

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (‘Outlander’ series Book #1)

Format: Mass Market Paperbound - Published: July 2005 - 896 Pages - ISBN: 0770429882 - Published By: Seal

 

Outlander

by Diana Gabaldon

‘Outlander’ series Book #1

Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another…

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war and reunited with her husband on a second honeymoon – when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach – an “outlander” – in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord … 1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire’s destiny is soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life … and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire … and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives.

Review: Finished Saturday, September 23rd, 2006. I liked it. I found the characters genuine enough, and I liked Claire’s attitude. I felt the connection between Claire and Jamie, and I liked Diana’s description of not only the characters but the surroundings as well. If felt like you were there, watching it all unfold. I felt the characters sorrows, terrors, hopes and desperations, just like a good book should make you feel. I was worried that 850 pages were too long for such a story, but was delighted to being proven wrong. The book was intriguing, and I kept going back for more. I’ve already called Coles, they have Dragonfly In Amber waiting behind the counter for me on Friday. But I think I’ll hold onto it a little longer than read it right away. Just to build the anticipation…

Rating:

New Blood by Gail Dayton

Mass Market Paperback: 512 pages - Publisher: Tor Paranormal Romance (March 3, 2009) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0765362503 - ISBN-13: 978-0765362506

 

New Blood

by Gail Dayton

BOUND  BY  BLOOD…

More than two hundres years after the last blood sorceress was burned at the stake, her magically bound servant, Jax, has found her successor. When Amanusa unleashes her newfound magic upon those who harmed her, she and Jax must flee across a troubled Europe in an effort to escape their ruthless enemies.

Their journey from Austria to France takes them through zones where everything – including magic – has died, and only threatening mechanical creatures remain. Those possessing magic cannot survive int he magical voids, but Jax and Amanusa quickly discover that by merging their abilities, they can cling to life.

Needing each ohter for their very survival, Amanusa and Jax arrive in Paris eager to discover what’s causing the mysterious dead zones. But more important, they’re eager to explore the connections – magical, emotional, and physical – between them.

Review: A good start to, I’m hoping, a new series.

Jax has been looking endlessly for the previous blood sorceress’s successor, one who would unleash the knowledge Yvaine had stored in his mind, the magic in his body.

Amanusa lost her family at a very young age, was raped and beated repeatedly since, and has lost a huge chunk of herself. When Jax approaches, she doesn’t believe him and sends him on his way, for a woman in Romania is forbidden to perform any sort of magic. Jax has to find a way to convince Amanusa that she is a blood sorceress, and when she unknowingly uses the biggest of spells against the men who hurt her, killing them, she has no choice now but to flee to France with Jax.

Between “dead zones” and having to dodge those would wish them dead, arriving in France should be a means of safety. But none of it ends there. From performing magic to contain a “dead zone” from becoming bigger, to being face to face with the one man, above all others, who want her dead, Amanuza and Jax face their biggest threat and challenge yet.

I’d have to agree with new_user’s review (to read her review, click here.) The relationship between Jax and Amanusa builds slowly, with Amanusa needing to learn how to trust a man. Period. Jax learns that Amanusa is in no way like Yvaine, who treated him as most treated servants. Amanusa treats him with more kindness than he even believes he deserves.

Watching their relationship grow was, I think, the highest point in the book. They learn about themselves as well as each other, and it grows from trust, grudgingly to love, until both realize they can’t live without the other, regardless of a blood bond. What they feel is incredibly much deeper, and both deserve to feel that way. And Amanusa teeters on that fine line between justice and revenge.

I did find that the scene at the rebellion camp to be a bit much – it lasted way too long, and I feared that the entire book was going to play out there. While I could understand that their journey through “dead zones” were played out to keep themselves alive, I wished there was more sexual tension between Amanusa and Jax, especially on her part. Knowing what had happened to her until Jax came along, I wanted to see a bigger fight of her feeling towards Jax in that aspect, not just her heart and mind.

And while I could understand that, in the past, women had a much bigger fight to being equal to men, in all aspects and not just magic, I thing her speach at the end was a little overdone. I think the story would have been just as good with a shorter speech.

And the “dead zones”. I really liked that twist. How not just magic, but life, seems to be sucked away until there is nothing left except mechanical machines that want to destroy everything that crosses their path, and that seem to be created by something other than man; no bolts, nuts, soldering are keeping them together. They are seemless . While all sorts of magicks and spells are worked to contain the zones, it took Amanusa’s blood magic to combine them, to make the containment spell work.

All in all, I enjoyed the story and I sure do hope that this is the beginning of a series. I’d snag the second book, just to see what else Amanusa learns of her magic and more about the “dead zones”, like who, how and what created them. Ms. Dayton, I look forward to reading more from you!

Rating: .5

Suite 606 (anthology) by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan, Mary Kay McComas

Paperback: 352 pages - Publisher: Berkley (November 4, 2008) - Language: English - ISBN-10: 0425224449 - ISBN-13: 978-0425224441

Suite 606 (anthology)

by J.D. Robb, Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan Langan and Mary Kay McComas

FOUR NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHORS UNLOCK THE SECRETS OF DESIRE…

J.D. ROBB plunges Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the violent aftermath of a ritualistic murder – and into the mind of an alleged witness who can’t remember a thing to save his life.

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Love endures for MARY BLAYNEY, who investigates the connection between a ghost, a magic coin, and a deliberate deception that has kept two lovers apart for years.

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RUTH RYAN LANGAN brings a lost man out of a pounding storm and into the arms of a welcoming woman for a breathtaking twist of fate.

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And MARY KAY McCOMAS follows a mother and son lost in the threads of history and an impaired wizard who must return them to their own world to fullfill his own destiny – in time.

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15-Nov-08 to 17-Nov-08

Review: A great anthology!

Ritual in Death by J.D. Robb ~ While attending a fancy party, Eve and Roarke are thrown into another mystery when a stranger, naked and covered in blood head to toe, holding a knife in his hand, stumbles into the room from down the hall. But Jackson Pike doesn’t remember what happened, and the more he tries, the more the pain in his head becomes intolerable. Other witnesses are like Pike: unable to remember and too much pain. But that doesn’t stop the team from bringing down the murderers.

Another incredible story in the series, even if it is shorter than usual. I really like how Eve follows her instincts, and no matter the argument between her and Roarke, they still manage to come to the same conclusion. What I liked in this one was how Eve was forced, once again, to think outside the conventional box. Excellent mystery and decisive detective work along with colourful, believable and incredible characters make for one hell of a story.

Love Endures by Mary Blayney ~ A man is robbed and murdered after winning a large some at betting. Grieving, his widow and daughter take off for the country for a few months, only to return to find his ghost is haunting his room, and the one way he can leave, at least by way of Heaven, he needs to right his past wrongs. But can trusts and broken hearts be mended?

Oh, you bet! I loved how this story came about. I truly adored Summer’s ‘I’ll be damned – come hell or high water’ attitude when she finds the ghost of her husband talking to her daughter. She’s known that he’s lied, even worse with the dire enough situations he’s left her in. Having lied to even his own brother, now he won’t trust Summer either. But the worst was finding out that he lied to both, Summer, and his best friend, Lord Stephen Bradley. Summer and Stephen had fallen in love right before her wedding to Reggie, but he wanted the money their marriage could bring him, and lied to them both. To him, it was a bet and nothing more – he liked to win. I was truly glad that, although they butted heads, Summer and Stephen finally found the truth and sent Reggie on his way.

Cold Case by Ruth Ryan Langan ~ When his partner is shot and killed by a bullet meant for him, Sam Hunter quits the force and decides to revisit a small a town in Vermont where he spent a long-ago college semester. But it seems his hotel room was given to someone else and he’s forced out into a storm, in search of a bed & breakfast he remembered. A flash of something looking like a woman forces him to slam on his brakes and straight into a ditch. Slightly wounded, he gets out of the car in search of the woman he saw when he stumbles onto a house named Storm Hill. He’s invited in by Mary Catherine McGivern and her younger sister, Anna. While her stepfather has allowed him to stay until the storm passes, he becomes more and more agitated – seems that their mother, his wife, had supposedly run off with a hired hand, and he’s refused to keep a stranger in his house for long since then. But unexpectedly, Sam and Mary Catherine fall in love, with a sad, and happy, ending?

I have to say it even if it hurts me to: I wasn’t impressed with this one. And I have never, ever, said that about a Ruth Langan story in my life! While I really felt Sam and his pain, I felt nothing for Mary Catherine or her sister. None, nada, zip, zilch. I didn’t feel them falling in love whatsoever, and the ending infuriated me. Why she would push him out of the way of a blow meant for him, ending her own life, the same as his partner did, had me upset and angry in disbelief. To give a man who endured so much a second blow was enough to make me livid. And while he learns the truth about their mother and what Hoag has done, not once now but twice, he’s thrown out into the ice storm by Hoag who intends for him to disappear and die in it. But then Sam comes to, a woman helps him out of the car, onto a snowmobile and into the bed and breakfast, Storm Hill. It seems that Kate is related to the family who has owned the land for centuries. Seems Anna had managed to escape Hoag, and once Hoag died, the land was returned to the McGiverns. But then we’re left with speculation as to what Sam is going to do next. Seems that Kate is just as beautiful as Mary Catherine. But I got the willies when it’s suggested that he may fall in love with Kate and stay – when shortly before, he had been in love with her great-great-aunt. Only one word came to mind with that: Ewe! Sorry, Ms. Langan, but I just didn’t feel it this time, and that almost makes me want to cry! I’ve never disliked any of your stories, but this one just didn’t cut it for me.

Wayward Wizard by Mary Kay McComas ~ On an unsupervised visit with her son, Marie Barnett takes her son Hugh to a baseball exhibit at a museum. Once done there, they vist another exhibit when lightening from a storm raging outside plays havoc with the lights and security system. Hugh touches, fiddles with one of the exhibits and disappears. Having seen what he son had done, Marie does the same, and ends up where he is, several centuries before their time, in the home of Nester Baraka of Viator, a wizard who supposedly can displace time with the help of two stone, Petroleon and Sellithos. But Sellithos had been stolen from him long ago. He wants to get it back, and he’s hoping he can jump with them through time and find it, returning them to their rightful place. Meanwhile, Marie and Hugh grow closer, his anger at his mother slowly ebbing. And Marie and Nester seem to be falling in love, dispite how badly they fight it, for he needs to return to his time, while she must stay in hers.

Oh, I loved this story! We hear the explanation from Marie about why her son is angry with her. Now only do we feel that anger towards her as well, but we feel a great deal of empathy for Marie as well. For Marie has gone to hell and back, not once, but twice. An accident that causes her to lose her unborn baby, an addiction to prescription meds, rehab, a relapse, and a longer time in rehab. While her now ex-husband is understanding enough to help her with rehab the second time around, her son is resentful, for Marie was supposed to get better the first time around and come back for him. But this time, she’s kicked her habit and has promised herself and her son that she’ll never go back to who she was. But it’s taking more time than she’d like. It was great to see them jumping to different time periods, the details are spectacular. And I loved watching Nester become aquainted with they way we speak, our phrases and sayings. Watching the banter back and forth between the three is excellent. 

What I thought was great: how Nester, Marie and Hugh are tied into all four stories. We get a glimpse of them in the first three, and it’s fun watching them pop up into the stories while McComas is telling hers. I got a kick out of that. Ladies, I hope you collaborate again – this was fun!

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