Hot Reads from Dutton for the Summer

I got an email today from Dutton publicizing their hot summer titles. Are any of these on your wishlist?

Gameboard of the Gods

by Richelle Mead (on sale June 4)

Richelle Mead is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the wildly popular Vampire Academy series,and now we are thrilled to bring her legion of fans Gameboard of the Gods, her very first adult novel. Set in a dystopian near-future, the Republic of United North America (RUNA) has imposed strict laws that deny all existence of religion or the supernatural. When formerly exiled Justin March is sent back to the RUNA to investigate a string of ritualistic murders, he finds himself paired with a beautiful and unlikely partner. Action-packed and full of romance, Gameboard of the Gods is a thrilling start to what promises to be another exceptional series from Mead.

Until She Comes Home

by Lori Roy (on sale June 13) 

Following Lori Roy’s Edgar-Award winning and critically-acclaimed debut novel Bent Road comes Until She Comes Home. Set in 1958 Detroit, it is a novel of spellbinding psychological suspense in which a pair of seemingly unrelated murders crumbles the façade of a once-respectable Detroit neighborhood. Amongst her many fans is author Dennis Lehane, who declared that “Lori Roy’s voice is a welcome addition to American fiction.”

The River of No Return

by Bee Ridgway (on sale April 23) 

This imaginative novel from debut author Bee Ridgway is full of genre-bending wonder. In The River of No Return, Nick Davenant, born Lord Nicholas Falcott, is a member of an elite group of time-travelers tasked with protecting the events of the past. But when Nick returns to his past in 1815’s England and is reunited with a mysterious love interest, Julia Percy, he finds himself in the midst of a power struggle that will shape the future. The River of No Return is a fresh and fascinating story that will enthrall readers. 

Hotshot
by Julie Garwood (on sale August 6)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Julie Garwood returns with a novel of family drama, suspense, and—of course—romance. While trying to run and maintain the family resort, Peyton and her sister soon find themselves in over their heads. It becomes apparent that their efforts are being sabotaged, but she refuses to let the threats scare her—until she’s nearly killed. She calls on her childhood friend and protector, Finn MacBain, now with the FBI, and asks for his help. He saved her life once; he can do it again.

Hotshot and Gameboard of the Gods are on my wishlist already.

Teaser Tuesday: Sharp by Alex Hughes

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!

This week my teaser comes from Sharp by Alex Hughes. I got a request from Alex's publicist to read this second book in her Mindspace Investigation series. Since I enjoyed Clean, I agreed. I am on the blog tour and my stop is this Thursday. Stop back and see my review then.
Here is the description:

HISTORY HAS A WAY OF REPEATING ITSELF, EVEN FOR TELEPATHS.…

As a Level Eight telepath, I am the best police interrogator in the department. But I’m not a cop—I never will be—and my only friend on the force, Homicide Detective Isabella Cherabino, is avoiding me because of a telepathic link I created by accident.

And I might not even be an interrogator for much longer. Our boss says unless I pull out a miracle, I’ll be gone before Christmas. I need this job, damn it. It’s the only thing keeping me sane. 

Parts for illegal Tech—the same parts used to bring the world to its knees in the Tech Wars sixty years ago—are being hijacked all over the city. Plus Cherbino's longtime nemesis, a cop killer, has resurfaced with a vengeance. If I can stay alive long enough, I just might be able to prove my worth, once and for all...

Teaser:

That night I stared at my ceiling, barely visible blockish shapes attesting to the Tech still hidden in the walls—Tech I'd converted to shield me from Mindspace while I slept, a therapy, a failed attempt at normalcy. That kind of Tech was illegal, against the spirit if not the letter of the laws, but I'd tuned it to cancel out my brain waves in Mindspace so I could actually rest, so I could actually think. It was worth the trouble for my sanity, if nothing else, and the components had been here when I moved in, the old office building badly converted.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (April 15, 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.

I had great plans for the past week. I was all set to go to the Spotlight on Books Conference near Grand Rapids, MN for Friday and Saturday. A friend and I were planning to leave after school on Thursday, spent the night with my brother in Duluth to celebrate his birthday, and travel on to Grand Rapids Friday morning. The weather forecast all week was threatening but should have been over by our travel time. Unfortunately the storm moved more slowly than expected. School was cancelled here on Thursday because of icy roads but my friend and I checked the road conditions map and decided that we could try to go.

We left about 10:30 Thursday morning on roads that were mainly wet or slushy. However, the further north we got, the worse the roads became. For the last 50 miles to Duluth we couldn't even see the road and wind gusts meant we couldn't see anything at else either. The usual four hour trip to Duluth took well over six hours and, once we managed to wedge my car into my brother's driveway, we were stuck. We watched it snow all the rest of Thursday and until mid-afternoon on Friday. We got over a foot of snow that was blown around by strong winds leaving more than two feet of snow in the driveway. It took my brother with his snowblower and my friend and I with shovels about two hours to clear the driveway Friday evening.

Theoretically, we could have gotten to Grand Rapids on Saturday but the roads were not good and Saturday was supposed to be the only good travel day of the weekend though more snow was expected Saturday evening. We decided to leave for home Saturday mid-morning and got back around 4 PM. We are getting a snow/sleet mixture here even as I am writing this post on Sunday afternoon.

I keep asking myself why I live in Minnesota and really haven't been able to come up with a good answer.

I did get some reading done between watching the snow fall, chatting with my friend, and playing hours and hours of Facebook games.

Sharp by Alex Hughes is a great urban fantasy novel which has a unique main character and wonderful world building. My review will be posted on April 18.

The Mystery Woman by Amanda Quick is the latest in her Ladies of Lantern Street historical paranormal romance series. It had a good mystery and a really nice romance too. My review will be posted April 24.

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd was the only YA book I finished this week. This story uses H.G. Wells' The Island of Dr. Moreau as its inspiration and is the story of his daughter. I thought the Gothic atmosphere was well done and the characters interesting. I thought the science fiction was way beyond believable. I was a little disappointed at the ending of the story too and do wonder what the rest of the trilogy will be like. My review will be posted on April 18.

Next on my stack is The Rules by Stacey Kade. This is also a science fiction story but a contemporary one. I got this eARC from NetGalley. The book will be released on April 23

Next week's list has one more April 23 release and three April 30 releases.

Adult Review Books

Behind the Lies by Robin Perini is a romantic suspense novel that I got from Amazon Vine. It will be released on April 23.

Battleship: A Daring Heiress, a Teenage Jockey, and America's Horse by Dorothy Ours came to me as part of St. Martin's Press @ NetGalley. I don't usually read nonfiction but this one sounded really good.

YA Review Books

One + One = Blue by M. J. Auch is the last of the bunch of books I got from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group's Winter 2013 titles. 

Sketchy by Olivia Samms is an eARC from Disney-Hyperion via NetGalley. This paranormal mystery sounded very interesting. 

Hopefully, this week will be much less unsettled (and unsettling) and I will be able to meet my reading goals. What do you have planned for the week?

Stacking the Shelves (April 14, 2013)

Tynga of 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.

This week I added seven books to my book collection but only one of those was a print book. Here is my haul.

A friend of mine was reviewing Pooka in my Pantry by R. L. Naquin and telling me how good it was. I decided to add both Pooka in My Pantry and the first book in the series Monster in My Closet to my Kindle. 

I reviewed both Clean and Sharp by Alex Hughes. Since I enjoyed these urban fantasy novels with a unique main characters, I decided to add finished copies to my Kindle this week too. At least these two aren't adding to my TBR mountain.

I liked the sound of Wrecked by Shiloh Walker and added the print book to my stack this week. I bought the print book because it cost 10% less than the Kindle book.

Stealing Home by Jennifer Seasons is a sports romance. I love those! I read it about it on someone's blog and saw it was available for a great price for my Kindle. 

Tight Quarters by Samantha Hunter was another book I saw on someone's Teaser Tuesday post. I thought it sounded like a nice romance and the price was right for my Kindle. 

What couldn't you resist this week? Leave me a link and I'd be glad to stop by and admire your new additions (editions). 

ARC Review: Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright

Wicked Cravings

Author: Suzanne Wright

Publication: Montlake Romance; Unabridged edition (April 16, 2013)

Description: For years, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow has harbored a not-so-secret crush on gorgeous Dante Garcea. But the time has come for Jaime to face facts: despite her best efforts, Dante just isn’t interested. And that’s probably for the best. The last thing Jaime needs is for anyone—particularly Dante—to find out about her little “problem.” The one that haunts her past and threatens to destroy her and everyone she loves…

As the pack Beta, workaholic Dante Garcea doesn’t have time for distractions—especially the kind promised by Jaime Farrow. It’s all he can do to keep her at arm’s length and his desire at bay. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante becomes suspicious. She’s hiding something, something big, and unless he can convince her to trust him, their entire pack could be in danger. He knows hot-headed Jaime will resist him…but Dante never takes no for an answer.

This book contains explicit content and is recommended for mature readers.

My Thoughts: WICKED CRAVINGS was an entertaining paranormal romance that was decidedly erotic. It follows FERAL SINS and focuses on a different pair of characters. This time Beta Dante Garcea has to deal with Jaime Farrow. 

Jaime and her brother have recently joined the pack and Jaime is keeping a big secret. She isn't the submissive wolf that she is pretending to be. She is actually dominant but her wolf has been traumatized by events Jaime witnessed when she was younger. Jaime is keeping her wolf in a mental cage because it is likely to attack any other wolves it she lets it free. She is afraid that, if her wolf gets control, she won't be able to regain control and will turn rogue. Rogue wolves are killed.

One thing she isn't keeping secret is her attraction to pack Beta Dante Garcea. Dante has been ignoring her because he had a really bad break-up earlier and also doesn't have relationships with fellow pack members. Dante is also a world-class workaholic.

But when a wolf from another pack says that Dante is her mate and has rejected her, problems start for both Dante and Jaime. Glory involves her pack's Alpha and her brothers in forcing her claim. The Alpha knows that Glory is a liar but her brothers want revenge for her imagined slight. They decide to attack Jaime after Glory confronts her about staying away from Dante and Jaime beats her up.

An added complication in the person of the woman who threw Dante over for his brother just adds to the mix. Laurie is determined to get Dante back despite the fact that he has now formed a relationship with Jaime.

I had some question about the whole werewolf mythology in this book that I think were probably answered in the first book. I didn't quite understand how they found their true mates or how they imprinted on each other. I'll have to read FERAL SINS to see if my questions are answered.

I also had a little bit of trouble with the explicit nature of the sexual relationships in the story. The sex was graphic and borderline kinky. It just stayed on the right side of the line between consensual and non-consensual. Dante was very dominant and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Jaime, being dominant herself, wasn't a pushover though. I liked that they both had issues to overcome before they could form a relationship. And I liked that once they did, they still had to be conscious of their issues and work at them.

Fans of darker, grittier paranormal romances will enjoy this story. 

Favorite Quote:

Although he had always been aware that he was without the other half of his soul, he hadn't truly understood what that meant until he mated with Jaime and felt their bond begin to form. He hadn't known there were so many hollow spaces inside him until she came and filled them, hadn't realized just how incomplete he was until her soul fused with his. 

I chose this ARC from the Amazon Vine newsletter. You can buy your copy here.

Friday Memes: Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright

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 Wicked Cravings by Suzanne Wright. I chose this one from the Amazon Vine newsletter when I saw the wolf on the cover. I am a huge fan of wolf shifters. This paranormal will be released on April 16. Here is the description:

For years, wolf shifter Jaime Farrow has harbored a not-so-secret crush on gorgeous Dante Garcea. But the time has come for Jaime to face facts: despite her best efforts, Dante just isn’t interested. And that’s probably for the best. The last thing Jaime needs is for anyone—particularly Dante—to find out about her little “problem.” The one that haunts her past and threatens to destroy her and everyone she loves…

As the pack Beta, workaholic Dante Garcea doesn’t have time for distractions—especially the kind promised by Jaime Farrow. It’s all he can do to keep her at arm’s length and his desire at bay. Yet when her flirtations abruptly end, Dante becomes suspicious. She’s hiding something, something big, and unless he can convince her to trust him, their entire pack could be in danger. He knows hot-headed Jaime will resist him…but Dante never takes no for an answer.

This book contains explicit content and is recommended for mature readers.

Beginning:

Dante shot a fierce scowl over his coffee mug at Dominic, Tao, Trick, and Marcus. "She's not my mate," he repeated for the tenth time. 

Friday 56:

"I came to take you to lunch." And interrogate the hell out of you, he wisely didn't add. Although he'd be lying if he said he wouldn't enjoy spending time with her. 

Book Review: Frost Burned by Patricia Briggs

Frost Burned

Author: Patricia Briggs

Publication: Ace Hardcover; First Edition edition (March 5, 2013)

Description: Mercy Thompson returns in the seventh novel in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

Mercy Thompson’s life has undergone a seismic change. Becoming the mate of Adam Hauptman—the charismatic Alpha of the local werewolf pack—has made her a stepmother to his daughter Jesse, a relationship that brings moments of blissful normalcy to Mercy’s life. But on the edges of humanity, what passes for a minor mishap on an ordinary day can turn into so much more…

After an accident in bumper-to-bumper traffic, Mercy and Jesse can’t reach Adam—or anyone else in the pack for that matter. They’ve all been abducted.

Through their mating bond, all Mercy knows is that Adam is angry and in pain. With the werewolves fighting a political battle to gain acceptance from the public, Mercy fears Adam’s disappearance may be related—and that he and the pack are in serious danger. Outclassed and on her own, Mercy may be forced to seek assistance from any ally she can get, no matter how unlikely.

My Thoughts: This seventh story about Mercy Thompson, coyote shifter, is filled will the action, adventure, and excitement that is a trademark of this series. Mercy and her step-daughter Jesse are out catching the early Black Friday deals when someone manages to capture Adam and the rest of the pack. Mercy doesn't know about it until a car accident that causes her to call home for a ride doesn't get answered. Nor can she contact anyone else from the Pack.

Ben is the only werewolf from the Pack that manages to get away, though he was shot with the silver solution invented by a villain in one of the earlier books in the series, and is in bad shape. Together they contact Jesse's boyfriend Gabriel and make their way to Mercy's shop. Mercy's mate bond lets her know that Adam is still alive but that he and the rest of the Pack have all been poisoned with silver and are in great danger. 

After attempting and failing to contact Samuel, Mercy stashes Jesse and Gabriel with Gabriel's estranged family and then sets about checking on the few pack members who were not captured. One of the first she checks on is Kyle who is the human mate of third in command Warren. She learns that he is being held captive by the some members of the same group who got the Pack in the hopes of luring her in to try for a rescue.

Mercy is quite short of allies with Samuel away and with Zee back on the hidden reservations of the Fae. She contacts her vampire friend Stefan, and after managing to call Zee and get some hints, Zee's son Tad.  And Bran has sent Asil, also known as the Moor, the assist. All werewolves are scary but old werewolves who have gotten the taste for killing are the scariest. Asil is a very old werewolf. All of her allies are scary dudes and Mercy is just the one to lead them. 

This story has Mercy developing new talents that even scare her and doing all sorts of risky things because they are the right thing to do. It includes conflicts with government agents, rogue government agents, mercenaries, and vampires with agendas.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this strong series entry. 

Favorite Quote:

"'Obstreperous,' huh," said Tad. "I see you've been using that Big Word of the Day calendar I got you last Christmas."

"That is irrefragable," I told him solemnly.

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