What I Read the Last 2 Weeks

Oh my gosh! This is my 400th posting! How crazy is that? Three years ago on Thanksgiving I started doing this thing. Time sure flies, doesn't it?

Last week I was on a ship enjoying a cruise and didn't post anything, so basically the following is what I read in the past two weeks. Most of them read on that cruise, by the way.

 

Nov 24: "Blood Deep" by Sharon Page. This book is a historical paranormal romance, toward the erotic side. Blurb on back: Going to her lover, Miranda Bond speeds through the night, headless of danger. Then her carriage is captured by two daring and mysterious highwaymen – two devastatingly handsome men determined to share her in fantastic games of erotic titillation… Miranda's captors are deadly and dangerous vampires, who have escaped from a hellish prison to seek revenge. She cannot resist as Zayan and Lukos take her to the precipice of surrender – for it may be her innocence that brings them all release… I read the first book of this series and liked it well enough so when I saw the author at a convention, I wanted to buy the next and get her autograph. But she had the third book. I asked her if I needed to read the second to understand the third. She said no. I think she was wrong. I felt confused at times (especially in the beginning) and never really connected with the characters. I enjoyed the first book a whole bunch better and not so sure I want to go back and read the second. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads.

 

Nov 26: "666 Park Avenue" by Gabriella Pierce. This book is a paranormal, but not a romance. Might even be considered horror (but not in the Stephen King or Dean Koontz kind of way - is there such a thing as light horror?). Blurb on back: Ever since fabulously wealthy Malcolm Doran walked into her life and swept her off her feet, fledgling architect Jane Boyle has been living a fairy tale. When he proposes with a stunning diamond to seal the deal, Jane can't believe her incredible luck and decides to leave her Paris-based job to make a new start with Malcolm in New York. But when Malcolm introduces Jane to the esteemed Doran clan, one of Manhattan's most feared and revered families, Jane's fairy tale takes a darker turn. Soon everything she thought she knew about the world – and herself – is upended. Now Jane must struggle with newfound magical abilities and the threat of those who will stop at nothing to get them. I got this book for free at RT this year. The cover and blurb intrigued me. Wasn't sure what to expect, but it kept my attention. I just wish the ending was a little better, but apparently it's the beginning of a series (one I might look into some more). I gave it 4 stars on Goodreads.

 

Nov 28: "Ghost Walk" by Heather Graham. This book is a paranormal romance. Believe it or not, I've never read any of her books before. I got this one at the 2010 RT for free and finally found a time to read it. Technically, I read it in a day (less than 24 hours), even though I started it on the 27 and finished it at 1 a.m. on the 28. Blurb on back: Nikki DuMonde's newest employee is standing at the end of her bed at four o'clock in the morning begging for help. It's a joke, right? Besides, as manager of a successful New Orleans haunted-tour company, Nikki doesn't scare easily. But in the light of day, harsh reality sets in as a police officer informs her that Andy was brutally murdered – at the exact time Nikki swears the distraught woman was in her room. No one believes her except Brent Blackhawk, a paranormal investigator desperately trying to forget his tragic past. Half Irish, half Lakota – and able to communicate with the dead – Brent is used to living in two worlds. Bur when he realizes the ghost of a slain government agent is also trying to reach out to Nikki, he knows that she, too, must listen to the dead…if she wants to keep living. I really liked the book (which told some New Orleans stories) and connected with the characters very easy. Loved the romance! I'll definitely check out more of her work. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

 

Dec 1: "Virtually His" by Gennita Low. This book is marked as a romantic suspense. It should say "This book will PISS YOU OFF!" Blurb: Chosen to be the ultimate secret operative, Helen Roston has become the most dangerous woman in the world. Two years of training and she's now ready for the final phase – a risky combination of virtual reality and a mind-altering serum. When her mysterious and faceless "trainer" syncs his mind to hers using the program, she's amazed at her sizzling response to his virtual touch. But Helen likes to be in control. She's not going to beg for more. Helen's final test is a challenge mission, picked by the other government agencies whose candidates lost out to her. To succeed, she has to put herself completely in the hands of her trainer, a man she's not sure she can trust. But all of COS Command are counting on her. She cannot fail. I struggled with this book from the beginning, but stuck with it hoping for a payoff I never received. I had no idea this was the first book of a series (no where on the cover does it state anything like that). Even so, it should have had some kind of ending. It did not. Next – If a book is marked as a ROMANTIC anything, it should better have some romance in it. This one had sex – soooo not the same thing. Finally – I had no idea who the trainer was (even in his POV), and it was only assumed at the end. Hated that! I will NOT read the next book, since I no longer trust this author. I gave it 2 stars on Goodreads.

 

So, two hits and two misses. I need to read more hits. I find I read them faster, too. If I can put a book down because I don't want to read it (as opposed to putting it down so I'm not wasting all my time reading instead of writing, like I should be), then I should seriously consider whether or not I should finish the darn thing. Doubt I'll do it, though. I'm stubborn that way, I guess (or would that be hopeful??).

 

Hope you're reading something good!