Book Review: Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Bella Andre

Kissing Under the Mistletoe: A Sullivan Christmas

Author: Bella Andre

Publication: Harlequin MIRA (September 24, 2013)

Description: The Sullivan siblings have captivated the hearts of readers worldwide, and this Christmas, New York Times bestselling author Bella Andre shares the love story that started it all… 

For Mary Sullivan Christmas is, and always has been, about family. And this year is no different. As she awaits the arrival of her eight children and their partners at the cottage in Lake Tahoe, she hangs the ornaments that they made for her over the years. Each decoration brings with it a tide of memories, all of which she holds dear to her heart.

But when she comes across the oldest ornament, the one her beloved husband, Jack, gave her on their very first Christmas together, Mary is immediately swept back to the first days of their whirlwind romance, to the love that would be the foundation on which they built the family she is so proud to call her own. 

Join the Sullivans this Christmas for a story that explores the wonder of the holidays, the meaning of family and a love that transcends time.

My Thoughts: While hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree and waiting for her children and their partners to arrive at the Tahoe cabin, Mary Sullivan relives her courtship with their father Jack. They had a whirlwind romance after a case of love at first sight. Mary had to get over her fear that Jack was using her to further his career before they could find happily ever after.

Jack Sullivan was an engineer who had spent 10 years developing a new product and was within sight of successfully launching it during the Christmas season but he needed something of someone to give the product some sex appeal. Mary was a very successful fashion model who was taking part in her last shoot when they ran into each other. 

Mary had been used by another man who just wanted to make his product look good and was fearful of trusting Jack. But Jack's patience, persistence, and love finally won the day with her. Having read the stories of his and Mary's eight children previously, I was pleased to see where they got their character from. Each one demonstrated pieces of what we see in Jack in this story. 

I loved this romance and can't wait to read about the Sullivan cousins. 

Favorite Quote:

She laughed again. "Remind me to look you up in two years to see how long your beard is."

"All you'll have to do is roll over in our bed to see that."

I bought this one. You can buy your copy here.

Blog Tour Review: The Stranger You Know by Andrea Kane

The Stranger You Know

Author: Andrea Kane

Publication: Harlequin MIRA (September 24, 2013)

Description: It begins with a chilling phone call to Casey Woods. And ends with another girl dead.

College-age girls with long red hair. Brutally murdered, they're posed like victims in a film noir. Each crime scene is eerily similar to the twisted fantasy of a serial offender now serving thirty years to life-a criminal brought to justice with the help of Forensic Instincts.

Call. Kill. Repeat. But the similarities are more than one psychopath's desire to outdo another. As more red-headed victims are added to the body count, it becomes clear that each one has been chosen because of a unique connection to Casey-a connection that grows closer and closer to her.

Now the Forensic Instincts team must race to uncover the identity of a serial killer before his ever-tightening circle of death closes in on Casey as the ultimate target. As the stalker methodically moves in on his prey, his actions make one thing clear: he knows everything about Casey. And Casey realizes that this psychopathic won't stop until he makes sure she's dead.

My Thoughts: This book was a well-written thriller that is a great addition to the Forensic Instincts series. It begins with the FI team investigating a case for a dying man. They are investigating the disappearance fifteen years ago of the man's daughter who was attending college at Columbia. The case brings back bad memories for Casey since her best friend was also murdered about the same time at Columbia. New information leads the team to believe that a serial killer they recently caught also killed those two young women. He also has a particular need for revenge against Casey because he was caught when she acted as a decoy.

The tension builds and builds as red-headed young woman with some connection to Casey are killed. Each death adds to the tension as the team tries to track down the killers because the serial killer - Glen Fisher - is in prison when the new killing spree begins. 

This story also also builds the relationship between Claire and Ryan who are as opposite as two people can be. She is a psychic and he is a techie. However, opposites clearly attract. Their love scenes contrast nicely with the porn scenes between Glen Fisher and his enabling wife. I liked the strong relationships among all of the Forensic Instincts crew and look forward to reading more adventures.

Meet the Author:

Andrea Kane’s psychological thriller The Girl Who Disappeared Twice became an instant New York Times bestseller, the latest in a long line of smash hits. With her acclaimed signature style of developing unforgettable characters and weaving them into carefully researched story lines, Kane has created Forensic Instincts, an eclectic team of maverick investigators. Recruited because of their special talents and dynamic personalities, the high-energy members thrive on blatantly disregarding authority. Armed with skills and talents honed by years in the FBI and Special Forces and with training in behavioral and forensic psychology, this unstoppable team solves seemingly impossible cases while walking a fine line between assisting and enraging law enforcement.

With a worldwide following and novels published in more than twenty languages, Kane is also the author of numerous romantic thrillers and historical romances. She lives in New Jersey with her family, where she is busily crafting a new challenge for Forensic Instincts.

Visit her at www.AndreaKane.com

I got this eARC from Lisa at TLC Tours. You can buy your copy here. 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Oct. 14, 2013)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is a meme hosted by Sheila at Book Journey.

It’s Monday!  What Are You Reading, is where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.  It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

On the Personal Front:

The Red Balloon on Oct. 9, 2013

My road trip to meet Cinda Williams Chima was a lot of fun. I loved hearing her speak, chatting with her, and getting all of my books autographed. Now, I just have to find time to actually read them. They sound like just the sort of books I enjoy too.

However, when I got home I was sick again. The flu made a reappearance and kept me out of work for both Thursday and Friday. I didn't even get much reading done as I didn't feel well enough to concentrate.

Next week, we have a short week at school but we also have long days. Monday and Tuesday there are parent-teacher conferences after school stretching our work day from 7:30 AM to 7 PM. Wednesday is a half day of conferences and then I am heading home to Duluth for the first time since the end of July.

I am eager to get away and have a bag of books to take with me.

Last Week:

I did read three books last week despite being ill.

A Study in Darkness by Emma Jane Holloway was the second book in this steampunk mystery series. I got my review copy at NetGalley. I can't wait for the concluding book in the trilogy which will be out in December. My review will be posted on Oct. 19.

Horde by Ann Aguirre concludes her Razorland YA trilogy. I thought this story was excellent. I loved the characters and the world Aguirre built. I also liked that this post-Apocalyptic story had a happy ending. My review will be posted on Oct. 24.

The Perfect Match by Kristan Higgins was a sweet romance filled with quirky characters. I loved the main characters and really enjoyed the secondary characters too. My review will be posted on Oct. 24.

Currently:

I am currently reading my eARC of The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa. I love her writing style and the fantasy world that she has created.

Next Week:

Because I am traveling this week and won't be home until Sunday, I thought I'd plan for two weeks of reading. On the YA side, it is all review books again. My YA calendar is full of review books through November.

Altered by Gennifer Albin is the sequel to Crewel and is a post-Apocalyptic fantasy. I liked the first book and am curious to find out what happens next.

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes is a contemporary mystery I got from NetGalley. 

Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger was one of the ARCs I was most excited to get at ALA. It has finally made its way to the top of the review stack. 

Extracted by Sherry Ficklin was a surprise in my mailbox. It sounds like an interesting science fiction/time travel book. 

Uncrashable Dakota by Andy Marino is alternate history taking place in 1862 but with the invention of large airships. I got this one from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group. 

I have only three review books on my adult stack so I can finally browse my own TBR shelves for most of my November and December reading. It is so hard to pick when you have 1295 unread books to choose from but I am going to be concentrating on physical books (because it will look like I am making more progress).

Adult Review Books

Fortune's Pawn by Rachel Bach is science fiction. I got it from NetGalley.

Foreplay by Sophie Jordan will be my first New Adult romance. I got this one through Amazon Vine.

The Widow File by S. G. Redling was also an Amazon Vine pick. This one is a thriller. 

I have wanted to read Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson since it arrived at my house. This is the 3rd book in her urban fantasy series set in New Orleans.

The Eldritch Conspiracy and The Isis Collar by Cat Adams are also urban fantasy and are the fourth and fifth books in the Blood Song series.

In honor of Tom Clancy's death, I thought I would try to catch up on his Jack Ryan series. Dead or Alive has been on my stack since 2010 mainly because of its huge size. Reading one of Clancy's books is a MAJOR COMMITMENT! But I look forward to catching up on what Jack Ryan is doing. Is it strange that I always picture Harrison Ford when I read that series?

Reviews Posted This Week:

• Beauty's Daughter by Carolyn Meyer (MMtM)
• Slayers: Friends and Traitors by C. J. Hill (MMtM)
• Deception Cove by Jayne Castle (IoD)
• Captive by A. D. Robertson (IoD)
• The Russian Endgame by Allan Topol (IoD)

That was my week. How was yours? Leave a link and I would be glad to visit.

ARC Review: The Russian Endgame by Allan Topol

The Russian Endgame

Author: Allan Topol

Publication: SelectBooks; 1 edition (September 10, 2013)

Description: When former KGB agent Dimitri Orlov orchestrates an alliance between two world powers bent on domination, he unleashes a powerful chain of events that will rock the Western World. The agenda? Eliminate the President of the United States and seize classified military weaponry capable of shifting the balance of world power. But before this nefarious scheme can reach fruition, Craig Page is on the scene, joined by companion Elizabeth Crowder, ready to confront a painful past and the enemies that helped create it. But can the indomitable Director of Counterterrorism emerge victorious? Finding himself facing an old enemy unexpectedly catapulted into a lethal position of power, Craig is pushed to the limit in an effort to foil his enemy's deadly plans and keep potentially devastating military technology out of the hands of those prepared to destroy the world as he knows it. 

Filled with thrills, twists, and danger, The Russian Endgame showcases best-selling author Allan Topol's talent for delivering electrifying, gripping expeditions into the world of international intrigue.

My Thoughts: This is the conclusion of the Craig Page trilogy and brings all the hanging plot threads to a satisfying conclusion. The story is told from multiple viewpoints - Dimitri Orlov, Craig Page and General Zhou - which lets us see the plot unfolding. General Zhou is plotting to become the leader of China and lead China to world domination. Dimitri Orlov, whose sister is the mistress of General Zhou, is plotting for power in Russia. He is being used by both the Russian President and General Zhou to further their plots. Craig Page is still focused - maybe even obsessed - with bring General Zhou to justice because he had Craig's daughter killed.

This one had all the elements to make a heart-pounding thriller but, somehow, it missed for me. I don't know if it was the viewpoint switches or the fact that enough plot for 800 pages was condensed into 300 pages that did it. It felt, to me, that the story needed a lot more detail to build the suspense.

I was also not a big fan of the main character - Craig Page. Others in the intelligence community describe him as a "cowboy" and a "loose cannon" which aren't characteristics that endeared him to me. His obsession with revenge on General Zhou caused him to run roughshod over fellow intelligence people and to make decisions without consulting anyone. It seemed that he was apologizing to the President every couple of pages for his activities. 

Readers who started the series will want to read this one to find out how the story finishes. Fans looking for a thriller might want to look elsewhere.

Favorite Quote:

Watching her walk away, he had no second thoughts about what he planned to do. Yes, he loved Elizabeth, but he rejected her opinion on this issue. She never had a child. She couldn't understand the pain of losing one. Perhaps he was a fanatic. And obsessive. Call it what yo want, but all that mattered to him right now was getting Zhou for Francesca's murder.

I was sent this ARC by a publicist. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: The Russian Endgame by Allan Topol

Happy Friday everybody!

Book Beginnings on Friday is now hosted by Rose City Reader. The Friday 56 is hosted at Freda's Voice. Check out the links above for the rules and for the posts of the participants each week. Don’t dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.

This week I am spotlighting The Russian Endgame by Allan Topol. This is the third and final book in the Craig Paige series and is a thriller. I got two copies of this one for review from two different sources. Here is the description of this September 10 release:

When former KGB agent Dimitri Orlov orchestrates an alliance between two world powers bent on domination, he unleashes a powerful chain of events that will rock the Western World. The agenda? Eliminate the President of the United States and seize classified military weaponry capable of shifting the balance of world power. But before this nefarious scheme can reach fruition, Craig Page is on the scene, joined by companion Elizabeth Crowder, ready to confront a painful past and the enemies that helped create it. But can the indomitable Director of Counterterrorism emerge victorious? Finding himself facing an old enemy unexpectedly catapulted into a lethal position of power, Craig is pushed to the limit in an effort to foil his enemy's deadly plans and keep potentially devastating military technology out of the hands of those prepared to destroy the world as he knows it. 

Filled with thrills, twists, and danger, The Russian Endgame showcases best-selling author Allan Topol's talent for delivering electrifying, gripping expeditions into the world of international intrigue.

Beginning:

Craig Page, Director of the EU Counterterrorism Agency, leaned back in the chair in his Paris office and closed his eyes. It had only been ten days since his successful defense of the Vatican and the battle for Southern Spain, and he was still emotionally strung out.

Friday 56:

On her return to Paris, Elizabeth was a media star. No one else had the story about President Li's death and Chinese troops in the streets and Tiananmen Square. 

Book Review: Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade by A. D. Robertson

Captive: The Forbidden Side of Nightshade
Author: A. D. Robertson
Publication: Dutton Adult (October 22, 2013)

Description: The first adult novel set in the world of the New York Times bestselling Nightshade series, Captive delivers a steamy, forbidden romance between sworn enemies drawn together by an irrepressible desire.

Twenty-five-year-old Tristan Doran enjoys a life of incredible power and privilege. As a direct descendant of the Keepers—witches who have embraced dark magic—he defers to no one but his overlord, Lord Bosque Mar. For most of his life, Tristan has been kept out of the centuries-old Witches War, his bloodline too valuable to risk in battle.

But when a beautiful, young human Searcher named Sarah is captured and made a prisoner in his Irish castle, Tristan’s infatuation with her flings him headlong into the fray. Captive and captor, unable to contain their longing, embark on a passionate, forbidden romance together—only to learn that their love is at the heart of a prophecy predicting the downfall of the Keepers’ ages-old reign.

Captive explores the darker side of the richly imagined Nightshade universe, a fantasy world of powerful dark witches, shape-shifting wolf warriors, and fascinating history. The first of three erotic novels, Captive delves deeply into the fiery, illicit romance of two young lovers whose very desires invite their doom.

My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this story in the Nightshade universe. The author's transition to adult paranormal fiction from young adult fiction does let her include more adult themes.

Sarah is a young Searcher who is given a mission to go to an island off the coast of Scotland to find out why the Keepers are guarding it closely and keeping it secret. When she arrives, she is quickly captured by an incubus and a succubus and taken to the Keeper who is a young man named Tristan. 

Tristan and Sarah begin the story as enemies because Searchers and Keepers are on opposite sides of a war. The Keepers use dark magic and magical creatures like incubi and succubi and wraiths. They also have Guardians who, in this case at least, are wolf shifters. Keepers are under the command of Lord Bosque Mar. The Searchers are opposed to the Keepers and determined to find a way to defeat Bosque Mar.

It doesn't take long for Tristan and Sarah to fall in love. I thought the romance was well done. The sex scenes were present but weren't gratuitous or kinky. When Bosque Mar hears that Tristan might be forming a relationship with a Searcher, he threatens her life. Their only possible option is to flee the island. They enlist the aid of Sarah's young maid Moira and Seamus who is the Guardian who just about raised Tristan. 

This story was a nice look at the Nightshade universe from the adult perspective. I believe that there are two more books planned in this series and I look forward to reading them. 

Favorite Quote:

Tristan's jaw clenched, but Sarah's gaze was unrelenting. "Why are they your favorites?"

"Because they both manage to escape." When Sarah didn't say anything, Tristan added, "I mean Peter and Edmond."

"I know who you mean," Sarah said quietly.

They both manage to escape.

I got this finished copy for review from a publicist at Dutton. You can buy your copy here.

Book Review: Deception Cove by Jayne Castle

Deception Cove

Author: Jayne Castle

Publication: Jove (August 27, 2013)

Description: In the world of Harmony, Rainshadow Island is home to a mysterious preserve, secrets that have been kept for centuries, and a treasure worth killing for…
 
As a light-talent, Alice North has the rare ability to make things disappear, including herself—a gift that comes in handy during her magic act with her dust bunny Houdini.
 
Business mogul Drake Sebastian is day-blind, since his sight was nearly destroyed in a lab accident. But he’s the one man who can see Alice when she disappears—and he needs her.
 
On Rainshadow Island, two dangerous Old World crystals are missing, igniting a paranormal storm. Drake thinks Alice is the key to finding them, and proposes they head there, but only after a Marriage of Convenience.
 
Alice’s honeymoon on Rainshadow is guaranteed to be memorable, as the island—and the passion between her and Drake—is about to explode…

My Thoughts: How can you go wrong with a book that has dust bunnies? Alice's dust bunny companion is Houdini which a quite an appropriate name for a bunny that is part of a magic act. Alice has been trying to make a go of it as a magician using her light talent which lets her disappear. She is being harassed by the mother of the man she entered into a Marriage of Convenience with. When he was found dead, his mother blamed Alice. Really, he had tried to kill her on their honeymoon on Rainshadow Island. 

Now Drake Sebastian has found her. He wants her to go with him to Rainshadow Island because paranormal forces are going out of control and he hopes they will be able to stop them. Drake also convinces Alice to enter into a Marriage of Convenience. This one is quite different though because they both fall in love. 

I like the Rainshadow series by Jayne Castle because it is futuristic romance. I like the world that she has created with psychic talents, strong family bonds, and all sorts of alien ruins and artifacts. I also like the romances which pair up strong characters who are lucky enough to find their perfect mates.

For a fun futuristic romance, Jayne Castle can't be beat.

Favorite Quote:

"I do realize that, as honeymoons go, this one is probably not going to make any woman's top-ten list," he said.

"Now, see, that's where you're wrong," Alice said. "It's all a matter of perspective. I can promise you that this honeymoon is a lot more fun than my last one."

"Yeah?"

"Hey, this time my husband isn't trying to murder me. He's saving me from giant cockroaches."

"I like your glass-half-full attitude."

I bought this book. You can buy your copy here.