So, in my humble opinion, this is the best so far of the series. If the first two weren't powerful enough, this book is the HOOKER. I am hooked lovely readers ♥

Series: Elemental Assassin 
My Rating:❀❀❀❀❀
Genre: Urban Fantasy 


Please note, mild spoilers. I couldn't help myself this time.

From the opening pages, in which Gin gets herself beaten up a trio of gaints, till the end where she blows up a mansion and lets Mab Munroe know she's gunning for her, Venom is kick ass in a big way. I could not put this book down. I mean, I had to. But you know. It was a serious page turner. The action is constant, the plot development is bang on and there are finally some real mmm moments as Gin would put it.

I'll say it--I love Owen. He hasn't really done much, but he's accepted Gin for who and what she is, and that's more than Donovan Caine ever did. I love that about him. And, he strikes me as just plain hot. *Shrug* It's probably because he's something of a badboy himself. I was glad Caine wasn't in this book. Owen is much more promising romance wise. Plus, he really has Gin's back.

And, I have to say, I love that Bria is back. I mean, we hadn't met her before, but we knew she was alive, and seeing her in this book was wonderful. I was a bit disappointed with how it played out, but it did play out logically, and there is so much promise in the plot line for her character that I'm doing a little dance of joy. 

Onto Finn. Well, we knew the man was a charmer, but he's got balls too, and I really liked that about him. I think what struck me was the sense of family in this book was very strong. We knew Gin had family in Finn and the dwarven sisters before, but it all really cements in this book very strongly somehow. 

Character Development: Five stars. Plot Development: Five stars. Romance Factor: Four stars. Overall Series Development: Six stars (so shoot me, it was over the moon, really!)

Happy Reading

Jewels

Hey Everyone!

I decided to write a What's the Scoop today with no real topic in mind. It just felt like that thing to do.

So it's kinda like writing a letter with nothing to really say. Thing is, there's lots going on with me.

I'm pretty much keeping my physiotherapist employed. Nuff said there. I could wax eloquent all day about the injuries, doctors I've seen, things I've tried, but that about sums it up--I keep the man employed.

The only thing that's going on with me is I'm going back to school! One course to help with work. I know, most of you are probably groaning, but since I have fallen in love with my job for the second time in my life, I'm really excited.

What does this mean for the blog? No idea. I hope to keep things as usual. Now that I've escaped cold season *knocking on wood* and now that daylight lasts well into the evening, I'm hoping that none of this will much affect the blog.

So here's my game plan: Go to work. Do some schoolwork for my course. Find some time to eat etc and keep on reading. 

What am I reading these days? Well, that's the big question! I gotta an ARC lined up, and then some books I'm dying to get to. Namely,

Third in The Others series

Which I want to start today. Like no word of lie folks. It's gonna happen. And also,

Book Three in the Irin Chronicles

This third book will conclude the series and honestly, I might stand up my other reads for this one. Cuz this is series is amazing. Mesmerizing. Freaking fantastic. Gush worthy in a BIG way.

Ahem. I'll demonstarte some self control now, but seriously people read this series!!!

Happy Reading

Jewels

I suppose I could begin this review by saying wow. It would certainly be an apt description. This book did wow me. It was not at all what I was expecting. I was expecting something darker, with characters more broken. And this isn't a sweet romance--but there was a sweetness to it that I was not expecting, and in the end the best word to describe this novel is beautiful. 

My Rating:❀❀❀❀❀
Genre: Contemporary Romance


After the attacks of September 11th, Ambrose and his friends decided to serve their country. This decision affects the entire town in ways that are totally unexpected, and propels Ambrose and Fern into a romance that is sweet and tender, and a journey that allows them both to grow. They were already both beautiful. But by the end, they understood things about humanity, about life and goodness and beauty that just amazed me. I cried throughout this book. The suffering that's endured with such dignity was awing and humbling. These aren't characters that cry and scream at the world. Or rebel and act out and do destructive things. They accept the heartache, mourn, and learn. And to me, that's pretty amazing. This is book that ought be read over and over because it's thoughtful and touching and as the reader changes, so will the messages in this book. I think they'll become more powerful each time you read this wonderful novel.

Expect to cry. Expect some ugly moments. But know that this book really is beautiful reading. 

Happy Reading

Jewels

I really like Kristen Proby. I've read through this series now, and she's proved to be an author that's a lot of fun to read. Her stories are light, sassy and her characters are well developed and believable.

Series: Love Under the Big Sky, #3
My Rating:❀❀❀❀❀
Genre: Contemporary Romance


Zack and Jillian both carry a lot of baggage. Zack's got some war issues, but he has also has ex-wife issues. Jillian has horrible mom issues (as in she had a horrible mom) and some ex-husband issues. Baggage people. Lots of it. But that doesn't stop this couple from falling head over heels for each other, and I loved every second of their romance. It was so sweet.

Jillian is sweet and sassy, and just the perfect thing for Zack. I love the way she loves his son, Seth, and how easily the three of them fit together as a family. I loved that she was easy going, independent and totally and always stood up for herself. She was such fun to read.

Zack is over protective and has a big heart. He romances Jillian, and always lets her know that he loves her. I liked that he wasn't one of those heroes who shied away from telling his girl that he loved her. Even when he was an ass (and oh, Zack, you were an mean ass) he stood up to that, and fought for Jillian. He didn't try to tell himself it was better now to be together once his head had cleared. And what I really loved was that he was willing to let Jillian go because she wanted that--or so she thought. Zack was a real stand up guy.

Between the sweet moments, the moments that tore at my heart and the fierceness of these characters, this book really devastated me. I will be reading more by this talented author.

Happy Reading

Jewels

I have been thinking back over books I've read in the past year or so, and Written in Red stands out as a great read that I will probably read and read again. Once the TBR is defeated. 

Written in Red
Series: The Others

Author: Anne Bishop

I really loved this book. Thinking back, it was the strangeness and yet familiarity of that world that really drew me in. It's clearly our world, and yet, it's not our world. The fact that the heroine is such an oddity to the Others really stood out as well--why do they accept her when humans are food? But Meg is special. It's not just her status as a cassandra sangue that makes her special. It's her very Meg-ness. She's extraordinary--gentle, yet with a fierce determination about that I found fascinating. The Others are also fascinating--they are so not human after all. I really felt that as I read, these were not creatures similar to humans with some other primal needs. They simply were not humans. And they are dangerous, and they are the ones in control of the this world. And the ones sheltering Meg. For it's clear by the end of this book that Meg is very special to the Others. Everything about this book is compelling and totally hooks you.

The Series: The series promises us five books, with the third book releasing early in March 2015. So far, the strangeness of Written in Red is consistent and equally compelling, and I will say the plot thickened in the second book, and I'm expecting will thicken some more in the third, which I am planning on reading in March.

The Author:  

A talented sci-fi/fantasy writer, Anne Bishop began writing as a little girl. She is the winner of the William L. Crawford Memorial Fantasy Award for the Black Jewels Trilogy, and in 2013 was the winner of the RT  Book Reviews Career Achievement Award in Science Fiction/Fantasy. She is the author of fourteen novels. Anne Bishop lives in upstate New York and enjoys gardening and music.

Happy Reading

Jewels