I finished Mind Game, the 2nd book in the Ghost Walkers series a couple of days ago, and I have to say, as always, I was highly impressed. Christine Feehan is a master of paranormal romance and this was no exception. This book was one I hated to put down between the suspense of what was going to happen and the sizzling attraction between the main characters.

Dahlia LeBlanc is a Ghost Walker. One of Dr. Peter Whitney’s first psychic enhancement experiments, she has powers that can amaze and frighten all at once. The only problem is, as with other Ghost Walkers, her natural psychic barriers have been torn down and she can’t function near people. Nicolas Trevane is the same way - but his is a preference to be alone rather than a need in order to be safe. But when Dahlia and Nicolas meet, sparks fly and that attraction just can’t be denied. Add to this that Nicolas is an anchor and Dahlia desperately needs one, and you’ve got the makings of a great match.

But when danger strikes, it’s going to take as many resources as possible to find out what’s going on. Betrayal and murder abound - and the ending is one you’ll never guess. I couldn’t even begin to guess at the ending, and I’m usually pretty good at that.

Another five star book from Christine Feehan. This is my fourth and final book for the RIP III Challenge. I hope to participate again next year.

Tags: book reviews, Christine Feehan, Ghost Walkers

What do you get when you mix four super intelligent dogs, one trainer who has no idea how truly special they are, an old friend who is part of an elite and highly top secret Naval team, and a rogue agent from that team who is after the dogs? You get Code Name: Baby!

This was my first Christina Skye novel, and I have to say it will not be my last. I am desperate to get my hands on the other Code Name series titles. When a rogue agent from the Foxfire team goes after Kit O’ Halloran and the special dogs she’s training, they send in Wolfe Houston, and old friend of hers. But not to protect her. No, they want him to use her and the dogs as bait to lure the rogue agent to where he can be captured. But Wolfe has other ideas about what should be done, and when it comes to the Foxfire principals of never letting anything get personal, Wolfe finds that where Kit is concerned, that just isn’t a possibility.

If you’re looking for a great read with a little sex, a little romance budding, and a lot of action and suspense, Code Name: Baby is what you’re looking for!

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Now playing: Evanescence - Taking Over Me
via FoxyTunes

Tags: book reviews

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I finished The Tunnels by Michelle Gagnon. This was another book obtained through Harlequin’s Suspense club and frankly, I was surprised to note that although there was a hint of attraction between two of the characters, there was no flat out romance. Kind of disappointing when the genre of book that eHarlequin.com is famous for is romance, but this particular club doesn’t promise specifically romance books, so I guess it’s not that bad after all.

When a serial killer strikes a college, the students become terrified and rightly so. Gruesome pictures are painted in blood, and each victim is being taken quicker than the last. Add in a mental case, a priest with a frightening connection to the killer, and you’ve got an awesome story. I definitely recommend this one.

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Now playing: Nightwish - Bye Bye Beautiful
via FoxyTunes

Tags: book reviews

All I can say when it comes to Wizard’s Daughter by Catherine Coulter is WOW! You have to understand, all I’ve ever seen from Catherine Coulter are FBI romantic suspense novels and historical romance novels that are a bit on the generic side. Same old, same old. Not this one!

Yes, it’s a historical romance novel, but it’s not dealing so much with the romance as it is with a fantasy story. It comes under the guise of another Sherbrooke Family book, but let me tell you, it’s anything but. Rosalind and Nicholas are destined to meet, destined to be together. But why? Well, frankly, because Rosalind is the debt that Nicholas Vail’s family owes.

This book was delightful and so very difficult to put down, what with a girl (Rosalind) who was found half beaten to death and unable to remember her past, a book with a strange code that ONLY Rosalind can read, and a fantastical world called The Pale which is a place that exists, even if it seems far too silly for it to be true. Add in Nicholas’ step mother and half brothers who hate his guts, and you’ve got one hell of a great book.

I highly recommend this book to any Catherine Coulter fan who has fallen by the wayside after reading so many of her other books. You will surely be impressed and fall in love with this book.

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I just finished reading Dragons of Autumn Twilight, and I have to say I loved this book. I was told to read this book first before all the others in the Dragonlance series, although frankly, I’d already read The Legend of Huma a few years ago. And since Dragons of Autumn Twilight makes mention of events in that book, to me it would have made sense if that book had already been read.

You have several main characters - Tanis a half-elf/half-human warrior type, Flint - a dwarf, Tasslehoff Burrfoot - a kender, Raistlin - a mage, Caramon - a warrior and Raistlin’s twin brother, and Sturm Brightblade - a Solamnic Knight. Other characters get added to the mix as time goes on, such as Goldmoon & Riverwind who are Plainsmen. Goldmoon is the keeper of a blue crystal staff which has healing powers. Their first quest is to find out the origins of the blue crystal staff. Other quests follow with much danger coming with them.

All in all the book was quite captivating and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes to read the fantasy genre of fiction. You’ll be amazed at this one. Now it’s on to read Dragons of Winter Night,  the second book in the trilogy.

I give this 5 stars out of 5.

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Into the Woods did NOT make me happy at all. The timelines were all messed up, with Willow’s mother Grace speaking of listening to CDs and sending e-mail to people she had to leave behind when her father was killed. Now if you remember, the previous book, which would be at the very least 34 years later (Willow was 18 in the first book, and Hannah, Willow’s daughter, is 16 in the third book), but yet Grace has the EXACT same things Willow & Hannah do. How is that possible?

The ghost writer who put this series together was clearly not paying attention to what they were doing and it shows. Unfortunately, the rest of the series was wonderful and I’m now having to pan this particular book. I’m hoping beyond hope that Hidden Leaves will be much better. After all, it’s the diary that made everyone need to know how Grace ended up in that mental hospital.

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I recently finished reading Twisted Roots by VC Andrews. I have to say, I was mildly disappointed that it actually told Willow’s daughter Hannah’s story. Granted, it wasn’t a bad book at all, but there were things in it that to me, did not typically go with the rest of the series and frankly, the book didn’t really seem to fit that well into it. I realize that it is ghost writers writing these books, but the least they could have done was made it a bit more in keeping with the rest of the series. It’s easy to see why some VC Andrews fans have stopped reading the more recent series that are being released under her name.

The basic gist of Twisted Roots is that Hannah feels a unwanted and unloved when her baby brother is born, then dies. She takes off with her boyfriend and uncle to head for New Orleans to start a singing career, but her boyfriend takes off and she ends up having to go home. The entire book is much less dramatic than I would have expected and I’m honestly not as fond of the book as I was of Willow and Wicked Forest.

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Amazingly enough, Wicked Forest picked up precisely where Willow left off. I was surprised as VC Andrews seems to go back and forth between starting the next book in a series right where the last one left off, and starting the next book months, even years after the last one left off. So it was nice to see that this book started where Willow left off.

This was another great book by VC Andrews. The storyline was great, and although I have to admit, most of her series have the same general plot line, I really enjoyed this book. It had a few surprising twists, including one that I wasn’t expecting to tell the truth. I can’t wait to get further into the next book in the series, Twisted Roots. I started it yesterday but I’m not too far into it. You’ll be getting a review of that book as well.

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It took me years, and I mean that literally to finish this book. V.C. Andrews is one of my absolute favorite authors. So the very fact that it took this long to finish this book was amazing. Usually I tear through her books like they were water. But alas, there were mitigating circumstances at work and I kept losing my place in this wonderful read.

Despite the fact that ghost writers have been writing V.C. Andrews’ books for years (one would hope since she IS deceased) I haven’t seen too much deviance from the books that were written solely by her before her death. This particular series was no exception. The De Beers series starts out with Willow, the tale of a young woman who discovers her true beginnings after her “adoptive father” passes away. It’s a great read and I can’t wait to get further into Wicked Forest, the second book in the series.

Between a half-brother who started falling for her, a man that she’s falling in love with, and her real mother, this series promises to be one of Andrews’ best. But of course, Andrews’ Dollenganger series is the absolute best.

I’d give it 4 out of 5 stars.

Tags: book reviews