This book ended up just not for me at all. I suppose I found the combination of the three story lines – romance (and I use that term VERY loosely – really it was closer to small vignettes of erotica), pirates and supernatural – disparate enough to each distract from the other. It just felt too scattered for me to enjoy completely as one story. I would have liked to have seen the connection between Phaeton and Jason Exeter explored in more detail; the possibilities there intrigued me. I liked Phaeton’s protector, Edvard the Sneaky too. And I was very disappointed that America Jones’ abilities as a witch were completely ignored. Had more attention been paid to any or all of these, I’d have enjoyed the book so much more. I will also add that for anyone out there who is uncomfortable about romance that goes beyond innuendo, this book is most definitely not for you.
Tag: paranormal
Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs (Jane Jameson Series #1)
I had so much fun reading this book! The author’s wit and humour clicked with me and I absolutely loved the dialogue.
The mystery was, while not the main focus of the story, well thought out and not obvious. The only part of this story I didn’t like was just how nasty the women in her family are to her but at least the author allowed the main character, Jane, to have a spine and she didn’t take being treated like crap as though she deserved it. Jane gives as good as she gets and I love reading about her. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book.
Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)
Third Grave Dead Aheadby Darynda Jones
Rating: ★★★★★
isbn: 9781250001542
Series: Charlie Davidson #3
Publication Date: February 4, 2012
Pages: 310
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up?
2021 Re-read: Wow, I can’t believe I didn’t have anything to say in my original post about how dark this one is, and how hard to read at least one scene was. Re-reading it, even knowing it was coming up, was still incredibly difficult, and I found I couldn’t let myself do more than skim read said scene. It’s the sharp contrast of the often dark plots, to the snarky humour woven throughout the narrative that makes these books readable for me.
Original Thoughts: What a great book. I started it and couldn’t put it down until it was finished. I was hesitant about the premise – Charley can’t go to sleep. I was afraid it would be painful to read – but that wasn’t the case in the slightest. I found myself holding my breath during parts of the story, and although there were places where the reading of the story was difficult – truly painful for the characters at times – the humour never lets up and I love Charley’s sense of humour. The comedic banter she exchanges with many of the characters – especially her BFF Cookie, makes me laugh out loud.
I truly hope I do not have to wait another year for the fourth one. I’ll be re-reading the three I have in the meantime.
Hard Magic (Paranormal Scene Investigations Series #1)
A bit of a slow starter, as it seemed to take almost a third of the book to set the scene and introduce the characters. But after that, I found it to be a very fast paced, exciting plot with a genuinely likeable protagonist. While the ending is fitting with the premise of the series: finding out the facts of a paranormal incident, not catching the killer, it still left me feeling a bit like the story didn’t really end – or at least not in a satisfying manner. Still, I’ll look for the second one, as I am interested in the characters enough to want to know what happens next.
Crimes by Moonlight: Mysteries from the Dark Side
Not a bad collection, but not the best one I’ve read. I liked about half the stories, found most of the rest just ‘ok’ and completely disliked one. Still, there are a few here that I’ll probably re-read again in the future when I’m looking for a quick Supernatural fix.
First Grave on the Right (Grim Reaper #1)
First Grave on the Rightby Darynda Jones
Rating: ★★★★
isbn: 9780312662752
Series: Charlie Davidson #1
Publication Date: February 4, 2011
Pages: 309
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.
Well, based on the blurb I read, this is not the book I expected it to be. But it’s MUCH better.
While Charlie is a smart mouth with a bad attitude, the book is far more mature than it’s ‘chick-lit’ blurb description would lead you to believe. Or at least the one I read. Great humour, a few sincere moments and very good plot lines kept me reading this book until I was finished.
Luckily I was smart enough to buy the second one at the same time, so I can get right to reading it. Instant gratification. Oh yeah…
Ghost of a Chance (Chintz and China Mystery Series #1)
There are really two stories in this book: one strictly paranormal and one involving the murder mystery. I really liked the paranormal one – just spooky enough to make me wonder if I shouldn’t have avoided reading it right before bed. The murder mystery part, I’m not sure – it was a bit psychotic for my personal tastes – a bit too darkish. And I really didn’t care for her romantic interest in this book. Overall, I’m not sure if I’ll read another or not – I really liked her and her friends, but I’ll have to take a peek at further books to see if she sticks with this love interest or finds another before deciding.
Ghost a la Mode (Ghost of Granny Apples Series #1)
Loved this book! Really fun characters, great setting and a plot with an ending I didn’t see coming. Can’t wait to get the next one.
Side Jobs: Stories from the Dresden Files
I’ve only read the first three books of the Dresden Files – I intend to continue the series on Audio as I’ve heard James Marsters does an excellent job. However, I still really enjoyed this anthology of short stories and novellas. Jim Butcher does an excellent job of introducing each story and the stories themselves are excellent.
Hallowed Bones (Sarah Booth Delaney Series #5)
The more I read of this series, the more I truly like it and admire the author. The stories have elements of fun, humour, sincerity, and depth. They are intelligently written and the plots are intricately woven. This book is probably her best in the series so far. I look forward to continuing with the series.