Wednesday Reads

I’m back from Dragon*Con (and still recovering) and can say I managed to catch up a bit on my reading goal. Three books this week! Yay! Anyway, here’s what I read:

Aug 27: “Undeniably Yours” by Heather Webber the 5^th book in the Lucy Valentine series, a paranormal-ish mystery. Blurb on book: While still recuperating from injuries sustained in her previous case, the last thing psychic investigator Lucy Valentine wants is to dive into another job. But when Detective Lieutenant Aiden Holliday comes calling for help in finding a missing woman, saying no is not an option. TV journalist Kira Fitzpatrick has vanished without a trace. There’s little for Lucy to go on except picking up Kira’s current investigation where she left off. The fearless reporter had been close to cracking one of the year’s biggest cases: the disappearance of a two-year-old boy. Now Lucy must use her abilities to find both of them. As she follows a twisted trail of lies and deceit, she uncovers a shocking twist to Kira’s expose that someone is desperate to keep secret. It’s a race against the clock as Lucy struggles to discover who’s telling the truth…and who’s willing to kill to keep her from solving the case. This is a mystery. In first person. Things I usually avoid. But I LOVE this series. I LOVE the characters. The story flows and keeps my interest—probably why it’s a winner for me. I gave it 5 stars on Goodreads.

Aug 31: “Syphon’s Song” by Anise Rae, a paranormal romance. Blurb from Goodreads: Legends say a syphon can drain a mage dry. He’ll brave the danger. Will she? Someone’s playing pranks. The body of the late Casteel patriarch has been stolen and gifted to the family’s enemy, the powerful Rallises. As far as Bronte Casteel is concerned, they can keep it. She hasn’t spoken to her family in thirteen years, not since they exiled her from society for her lack of mage power. But she’s a syphon mage, able to drain another mage’s power. Syphons’ destinies are always the same: death by fiery stake. She hides her secret by living among the Nons--powerless humans and the lowest class in the Republic. When her family orders her to go plead for the body’s return, she comes face to face with the one man who knows her secret. Colonel Vincent Rallis isn’t letting his syphon get away this time. Not when she’s under suspicion of body-napping and aiding anti-mage terrorists. He’ll prove her innocence whether she wants him to or not, and then convince her they belong together...forever. Vincent’s help comes with a steep price: Bronte must reveal her power. The inevitable ensuing witch-hunt and trial would be bad enough, but even a tough girl might buckle if her prosecutors are her own parents. I really enjoyed this book. The only issue I had was trying to figure out if the setting is an alternate reality or if it’s set in the distant future. No dates are given and I would have liked to have known WHEN the story was set. It’s definitely USA, though. But besides that, I loved Vincent and Bronte. Very good story. I look forward to reading more from Anise and gave this book 4 stars on Goodreads. FYI—I know this author through our Sizzle and Sass Facebook page (she’s another Sassy) and met her in person (during Dragon*Con, no less), but I bought the book because the story interested me. So glad I wasn’t disappointed!

Sep 2: “Better Than Perfect” by Kristina Mathews, a contemporary romance. Blurb from Goodreads: The woman he left behind and the son he never knew are tougher opponents than any he’s met on the field. Pitcher Johnny “The Monk” Scottsdale has won awards, been named an All-star and has a perfect game to his credit. Known for his legendary control both on and off the field, his pristine public image makes him the ideal person to work with youth players in a preseason minicamp. Except the camp is run by the one woman he can’t forget…the woman who made him a “monk.” Alice Harrison’s three strikes include an unexpected pregnancy, a marriage of convenience and young widowhood. She once traded her dreams so Johnny could have a chance at making it to the Majors. Johnny comes back into her life just as she’s ready to resign as foundation director and pursue her own dreams of finally earning her teaching credential. Her plans may go on hold, though, depending on the reaction when she confesses she may have kept a major league secret from Johnny and her son. With the minutes ticking by until Johnny will leave for spring training, they’ll need to let go of the past and work together in order to win the game of love. While I'm not a HUGE fan of contemporary romance, I love baseball and the blurb intrigued me. And yes, some parts of the book bugged me (one of the reasons I'm not a huge fan of this genre), but I loved the characters and it was a fun read, because hey, it IS a romance and I got my fill. I gave this 4 stars on Goodreads. FYI – Kristi is also a Sassy with the Sizzle and Sass Facebook page (and a Lyrical author), which is also another reason I bought this book (I try to support my author friends, really!), but my review is what it is. Again, I’m just glad I liked the story, or I wouldn’t have said ANYTHING. J

So… How do you recover from being away from home so long? I’m tempted to lie down and sleep! J

Happy reading!

Stacy