Stacking the Shelves (Feb. 8, 2015)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow. 

 

I bought print copies of Demon Hunting in a Dive Bar and Demon Hunting in Dixie by Lexi George. The second book in the series was a Kindle Daily Deal a while ago but I am unable to start a series with a second book. I had to have the first book and, when I saw the third book for a reasonable price, I had to have that one too.

 

I added two other Kindle Daily Deals to my stack this week.

Hot Lead, Cold Iron by Ari Marmell is urban fantasy.

The Trouble with Magic by Patricia Rice is a historical paranormal romance. 

What did you add to your stack this week?

Book Review: Rule Breaker by Lora Leigh

Rule Breaker
Author: Lora Leigh
Series: Breed (Book 13)
Publication: Berkley; Reissue edition (November 4, 2014)

Description: Lion Breed and enforcer Rule Breaker has a few rules he doesn’t break. But having sex with a woman outside his own breed, even a human woman, is not one of them. Especially when it’s Gypsy, the party girl who’s determined to lead him on a merry chase. But she won’t be able to outrun the lion—or the man in hot pursuit.

What he suspects is mating heat may not be that at all. Just his animal instincts rioting, pacing, irritated whenever he’s away from her. What ensues is a fiery affair that breaks all the rules of mating heat and will eventually endanger his mate with the very rules designed to protect the Breeds—for she’s possibly been working against them…

My Thoughts: This was a typical Lora Leigh Breed book. There were pages upon pages of the description of the physical acts of arousal. Any emotional response to attraction was deeply buried underneath the physical.

The main characters were Gypsy Rum McQuade and Rule Breaker. Gypsy is twenty-four and is the victim of a trauma she suffered when she was fifteen. She was abducted, abused, almost raped, and watched the brother who was like a father to her killed in front of her. She was rescued by the Breeds but was deeply damaged. She was certain that her brother's death was her fault - an opinion confirmed by her family who left her alone to grieve. She has been working secretly with the Unknowns to protect the Breeds.

Rule Breaker is a lion breed and is determined never to give in to the mating heat. He watched his mother be tortured to death in the name of scientific research because she was mated to a Breed. Rule has decided to run if he should ever feel any twinge of the mating heat. However, his lion has other plans. His lion has been keeping the fact that Gypsy is his mate from him until Rule gets too close to her to run. Neither Rule nor Gypsy are going to surrender to the mating heat without a fight.

During the last couple of books, the main plot has been to find someone who can help Jonas's daughter Amber survive the injection that an evil scientist gave her. Jonas is searching for a Breed who knows the formula for the injections and, hopefully, knows a cure. Jonas, being a master manipulator, has plots within plots going on. But Rule, Gypsy, and various others also have plots and secrets.

Early on in the story, I decided to give up on trying to figure out who knew what and who was keeping what a secret. Many of the plot twists building through the last couple of books were resolved here. And, naturally, Rule and Gypsy come to terms with being mated.

If you are looking for a book with intense sexual scenes, this is one for you. It might be better to be familiar with the overall story arc from previous books. But this one can be read alone as an intensely erotic paranormal romance.

Favorite Quote:

She'd lived so many years alone, without allowing anyone close enough to her to be be harmed that she had no idea how to let anyone in anymore.

This one came from my TBR pile. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Rule Breaker by Lora Leigh

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 decided to pull Rule Breaker by Lora Leigh off TBR mountain. It has been a while since I visited the world of the Breeds and thought it was time. Here is the description from Amazon:

Lion Breed and enforcer Rule Breaker has a few rules he doesn’t break. But having sex with a woman outside his own breed, even a human woman, is not one of them. Especially when it’s Gypsy, the party girl who’s determined to lead him on a merry chase. But she won’t be able to outrun the lion—or the man in hot pursuit.

What he suspects is mating heat may not be that at all. Just his animal instincts rioting, pacing, irritated whenever he’s away from her. What ensues is a fiery affair that breaks all the rules of mating heat and will eventually endanger his mate with the very rules designed to protect the Breeds—for she’s possibly been working against them…

Beginning:

Gypsy stared at the file her Coyote abductors had possessed. Stained by dirty fingers, the edges wrinkled, pictures half sticking out of it. The file lay on the wood box in front of the rough pallet of sleeping bags she sat on, its very presence a testament that what had happened had not been a mistake.

Friday 56:

His lips tilted into a half grin as he watched her closely while tucking his thumbs into the band of his pants, as though trying to find something to do with them besides touch her.

Book Review: Deadly Obsession by Maggie Shayne

Deadly Obsession
Author: Maggie Shayne
Series: Brown and DeLuca (Book 4)
Publication: Harlequin MIRA (November 25, 2014)

Description: A cold-blooded killer with a burning obsession… 

Rachel de Luca has a bad feeling about the new woman in Detective Mason Brown's life, the nurse taking care of him after he's injured in the line of duty. She'd like to think it's just jealousy, but intuition tells her it's something more, maybe something dangerous.

Mason knows Rachel's wary of commitment, and asking her to stay when he's in this condition would be the worst thing for their relationship. Then they receive chilling news that drives everything else from their minds.

Mason's psychotic sister-in-law has escaped from custody, putting her sons—the nephews he's raising—in the crosshairs. When his house is burned to the ground, he and Rachel are relieved that there are no bodies in the smoldering rubble, but now his nephews are missing and the clock is ticking.

As Mason and Rachel try to find the boys, she senses a new and unexpected danger stalking them. Soon, everyone close to Mason is in deadly peril—Rachel more than anyone….

My Thoughts: In this fourth Brown and DeLuca novel, Rachel and Mason have advanced their relationship enough that they are sleeping together frequently but neither is ready to admit to any emotional commitment. But, after Mason runs into a burning home to save two children and is burned himself, Rachel acknowledges - to herself at least - that she loves him. The fire is arson and Mason begins investigating.

The arsonist has done this before, when a man breaks up with her she uses fire to attempt to regain her place in his life. To her thinking, if she takes away everyone else he loves, he will naturally turn to her. She sees news footage of Mason running into the house and decides that Mason is her true love. But there are a couple of obstacles in her way - Rachel and his nephews.

Add in that the arsonist is a nurse at the facility where the boys' mother has been committed and that Marie recognizes the evil in her eyes. But Marie, heavily medicated and psychotic as she is, can't communicate what she believes. However, the nurse makes it possible for her to escape which just adds more chaos to the situation.

There are fires, graduation parties, kidnappings, and a cute new bulldog puppy in this wonderful story. There is also love - finally spoken - for each other and for the family they are building together. This was a great story.

Favorite Quote:

"I'm a work in progress. We all are. The trick isn't to be perfect, the trick is to recognize where there's room for improvement and then to improve."

I bought this one for my Kindle. You can buy your copy here.

Teaser Tuesday: Deadly Obsession by Maggie Shayne

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Teaser:

Why fix what isn't broken? Why move things to another place when the place they're in is so damned wonderful? Why risk screwing it up? Why?

My teaser this week comes from Deadly Obsession by Maggie Shayne. This is the 4th Brown and DeLuca novel. These are romantic suspense novels with some paranormal elements. Here is the description:

A cold-blooded killer with a burning obsession… 

Rachel de Luca has a bad feeling about the new woman in Detective Mason Brown's life, the nurse taking care of him after he's injured in the line of duty. She'd like to think it's just jealousy, but intuition tells her it's something more, maybe something dangerous.

Mason knows Rachel's wary of commitment, and asking her to stay when he's in this condition would be the worst thing for their relationship. Then they receive chilling news that drives everything else from their minds.

Mason's psychotic sister-in-law has escaped from custody, putting her sons—the nephews he's raising—in the crosshairs. When his house is burned to the ground, he and Rachel are relieved that there are no bodies in the smoldering rubble, but now his nephews are missing and the clock is ticking.

As Mason and Rachel try to find the boys, she senses a new and unexpected danger stalking them. Soon, everyone close to Mason is in deadly peril—Rachel more than anyone….

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (Feb. 2, 2015)

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.

The first week of the new semester has gone well. All my classes are filled with nice, cooperative kids (so far!). However, with four extra classes this semester, I am busier than ever. It doesn't help that two of my groups of 6th graders managed to have two short classes this week. Wednesday is always shorter than the rest of the week because we begin our day with an hour for professional development. You wouldn't think that a class of 37 minutes was much shorter than a class of 44 but, when you work until the bell, those missing minutes really matter. The same groups also caught a short day on Friday because we compressed the classes to have time for a Snow Ball pepfest at the end of the day. Friday they only had 35 minutes.

I really don't want two of my groups of sixth graders to be behind the other two. Teaching five grade levels this semester means I really need to keep all of the groups on the same lesson or I will go crazy trying to remember which class is where. I hope we can catch up this week.

We have been having really unseasonable weather for the past week with nice warm temperatures (for Minnesota in January). However, Sunday morning I woke up to snow. We are just getting the edge of the storm that is causing more problems south and east of us. I should be grateful that we only have 3 inches on the ground. And it does make it look pretty. The snow just gives me another excuse to stay inside and read.

Read Last Week

 

The Winner's Crime by Marie Rutkoski is the second book in a series and was an exciting fantasy. My review will be posted on March 5 for this March 3 release.

Trace of Magic by Diana Pharaoh Francis was an engaging urban fantasy story with an interesting magic system and fun characters. My review will be posted on March 7 for this book from my TBR mountain.

Lost Boy by Tim Green was a great story about unexpected heroes and a young boy searching for a way to save his mother's life. My review will be posted on March 7 for this March 3 release.

Bridged by Kendra Elliot is a review book I got from NetGalley. It is the second book in a romantic suspense series and was very suspenseful. My review will be posted on February 11 for this February 10 release. I've already ordered a keeper copy for my Kindle.

Currently

Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman showed up on NetGalley this week and I had to have it despite my already full calendar.

Next Week

Here are the next books on my YA Review stack.

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows (March 10)

Blackbird Fly by Erin Entrada Kelly (March 24)

Boys Don't Knit by T. S. Easton (March 24)

I have two from my TBR mountain and one review book on my stack this week for my adult book choices.

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

The Dragon Conspiracy by Lisa Shearin

First Time in Forever by Sarah Morgan (Blog Tour on March 19)

Reviews Posted

• Cut Me Free by S. R. Johansson
• Beastkeeper by Cat Hellisen
• The Stolen Moon by Rachel Searles
• Innocent Prey by Maggie Shayne
• Dream of Danger by Maggie Shayne
• Dirty Magic by Jaye Wells

Want to See What I Added to My Stack Last Week?

• Inside of a Dog
• Ms. Martin Teaches Media

I hope everyone has a wonderful week filled with lots of reading time and great books. Leave me a link and I'll be sure to visit.

Stacking the Shelves (Feb. 1, 2015)

Tynga of Team Tynga's Reviews has a meme to spotlight the books we receive each week. Visit her site to check out the linky and see what everyone gets. I guarantee that your TBR pile will grow. 

I fed my Kindle this week. All of my books were ebooks.

 

These two are the latest books in series I enjoy.

Bound by Flames by Jeaniene Frost

The Dragon Conspiracy by Lisa Shearin

 

Demon Hunting in the Deep South by Lexi George was a Kindle Daily Deal that was compared to the Sookie Stackhouse books which I enjoyed. It is also the middle book in a trilogy.

Bridged by Kendra Elliot is my only review book this week. I got this eARC from Montlake Romance through NetGalley. It is a February 10 release.

 

These two were also Kindle Daily Deals.

The Midnight Mayor by Kate Griffin which I have learned is the second book in this urban fantasy series which is supposed to be like the Harry Dresden series.

Thrown by Colette Auclair just sounded like a nice romance. 

What did you add to your stack this week?