Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop

I am pleased to be taking part in the Love in Bloom Giveaway Hop hosted by BookHounds.

Enter to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card. You must be a follower of this blog to enter. The entry period runs through May 29. Winner will be notified by email.

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Check out the other participants too:

Book Review: Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

Midnight Marked
Author: Chloe Neill
Series: Chicagoland Vampires (Book 12)
Publication: NAL (March 1, 2016)

Description: As the Chicagoland Vampires series continues, Merit and Ethan find themselves in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where winning may require the ultimate sacrifice...

A vampire’s grudges don’t stay dead long...

Merit is one of Chicago's most skilled vampire warriors; these days, she doesn't scare easily. But she and Master vampire Ethan have made a new and powerful enemy, and he won't give up until he owns the Windy City.

With his last plan thwarted, he's more determined than ever to watch Cadogan burn. Ethan has put the House's vampires on high alert, but their enemy will stop at nothing, including pitting supernatural against supernatural...

In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the stakes are life or death—and winning might mean sacrificing everything...

My Thoughts: This review will likely contain spoilers for earlier books in this long-running series.

Merit and Ethan are dealing with Adrien Reed who wants to take over Chicago. Reed is a crimelord but to many of the people in Chicago is a person to be admired, a benefactor noted for his good deeds and business acumen. Merit and Ethan know that he has an agenda that won't be good for the city and especially bad for any supernaturals who live in it.

After stumbling over a murder on their way to a Cubs' night game, they find evidence of some sort of alchemical formula. Mallory, Paige and Catcher assist in trying to translate it to find out what the secret alchemist is trying to accomplish. Soon they learn that there are more pieces of the formula scattered around Chicago. Merit also confronts one of her past enemies in this one.

I love the relationship between Ethan and Merit. They are both strong people which means that they butt heads frequently because each is so determined to protect the other and keep them from harm.

I can't wait to read the next book in this series.

Favorite Quote:

Mallory nodded. "He gave you an alphapology."

"What now?"

"An alphapology. The apology made by the alpha male, which isn't really an apology, but more a reason for insane behavior. Catcher does it all the damn time. Drives me up the wall."

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

Friday Memes: Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill

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.

Beginning:

I stood at the corner of Clark and Addison in jeans and a Cubs T-shirt, my long hair pulled into a ponytail through a vintage Cubs cap.

Friday 56:

He'd respond even if he was pissed with me, because that was the kind of guy he was. Or the kind of guy I thought he was. We'd see either way.

This week I am spotlighting Midnight Marked by Chloe Neill. This is the twelfth book in the Chicagoland Vampires series. Here is the description from Amazon:

As the Chicagoland Vampires series continues, Merit and Ethan find themselves in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, where winning may require the ultimate sacrifice...

A vampire’s grudges don’t stay dead long...

Merit is one of Chicago's most skilled vampire warriors; these days, she doesn't scare easily. But she and Master vampire Ethan have made a new and powerful enemy, and he won't give up until he owns the Windy City.

With his last plan thwarted, he's more determined than ever to watch Cadogan burn. Ethan has put the House's vampires on high alert, but their enemy will stop at nothing, including pitting supernatural against supernatural...

In this deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the stakes are life or death—and winning might mean sacrificing everything...

Book Review: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Second Grave on the Left
Author: Darynda Jones
Series: Charley Davidson Series (Book 2)
Publication: St. Martin's Paperbacks; Reprint edition (April 24, 2012)

Description: If you hang around with dead people, life can deliver a whole world of trouble.

Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time P.I. and full-time Grim Reaper. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible…

When Charley and Cookie, her best friend slash receptionist, have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally.) has left his corporeal body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.

Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?

My Thoughts: This second book in the Charley Davidson series was as funny and chaotic as the first. Charlie is working on a case for her best friend/receptionist Cookie. Her best friend Mimi is missing. She is also trying to find out about the dead guy in Cookie's car trunk. But, most of all, she is trying to find Reyes body before he dies. Reyes is determined to let his human body die; Charley doesn't want that to happen. And, also, Charley's father is being threatened by someone who wants to kill him or, at least, kill his family.

All of those cases intertwine in this investigation. Charley is her usual fear-free self. She doesn't seem to have any sense of self-preservation as she confronts criminals of all sorts of descriptions on her quest to find Mimi and save Reyes.

This book was laugh out loud funny which is unusual in the urban fantasy genre. I enjoyed every minute of this story and can't wait to read more of Charley's adventures. 


Favorite Quote:

She shook her head, then took off again, and I found myself struggling to keep up with her in my bunny slippers. With a sigh, I realized I was getting way too much exercise. I'd just have to counter it later with cake.

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

Book Review: Archangel's Enigma by Nalini Singh

Archangel's Enigma
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: Guild Hunter (Book 8)
Publication: Jove (September 1, 2015)

Description: Naasir is the most feral of the powerful group of vampires and angels known as the Seven, his loyalty pledged to the Archangel Raphael. When rumors surface of a plot to murder the former Archangel of Persia, now lost in the Sleep of the Ancients, Naasir is dispatched to find him. For only he possesses the tracking skills required - those more common to predatory animals than to man.

Enlisted to accompany Naasir, Andromeda, a young angelic scholar with dangerous secrets is fascinated by his nature - at once playful and brilliant, sensual and brutal. As they race to find the Sleeping archangel before it's too late, Naasir will force her to question all she knows...and tempt her to walk into the magnificent, feral darkness of his world. But first they must survive an enemy vicious enough to shatter the greatest taboo of the angelic race and plunge the world into a screaming nightmare...

My Thoughts: This is Naasir's story. He is the most unique of all of Raphael's seven. Almost feral, but able to put on a civilized veneer, Naasir had decided that it is time to find a mate of his own. However, he will have to work his mate hunt around a task given him by Raphael. The evil Archangel Lijuan has decided that she needs to kill the sleeping Ancient Alexander if she is to conquer the world. Raphael doesn't want that to happen. So he sends Naasir, along with a young angel named Andromeda who is a noted scholar, to find Alexander's hidden resting place and wake him before Lijuan finds him and kills him.

Andromeda is on borrowed time. She is soon facing her 400th birthday which means that she will have to return home to her grandfather Charisemnon's court for 500 years because of a blood vow. Andromeda doesn't want to do that because she despises and fears the depravity of her grandfather's court. When she and Naasir meet, they form an immediate connection because she seems him as he is and likes him as himself. He has no need to put on a civilized veneer for her.

What I especially liked about this episode was that Naasir has a unique viewpoint and we see it clearly in the writing. He sees the world much differently than any of the other characters in the series. His determination to win Andi's heart and make her his mate guides him. However, he wants to woo her rather than force her and he respects who she is and the promises she has made. I also really like the descriptions of the places in this book. Andi's love for the African savanna shines through. As does Naasir's dislike of anyplace that is cold.

This book fits into a wider story arc. The bigger political issue about Lijuan and her aims isn't settled in this story. However, her actions are helping gather current rivals into a coalition against her. Meanwhile, the angelic society is also going through a Cascade which is giving some of them unpredictable powers which is also driving the plot.

Fans of the series won't want to miss this episode. Naasir and Andi's romance was an excellent addition to the series.

Favorite Quote:

She folded her arms and stood in place. "I'm not stripping off unless you turn your back."

He bared his teeth at her, but did as she asked. Dmitri had taught him that he must never take what a woman didn't want to give.

Do not steal what only has value if freely given.

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

Teaser Tuesday: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. 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:

I reached past the curtain for a towel and noticed droplets of crimson sliding down my arm. I looked back up at a dark red circle on my ceiling, slowly spreading like the bloodstain of someone who was still bleeding. Before I had time to say "What the f—," someone fell through. Someone large. And heavy. And he landed pretty much right on top of me.

This week my teaser comes from Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones. It is the 2nd in the Charley Davidson series. Here is the description from Amazon:

If you hang around with dead people, life can deliver a whole world of trouble.

Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time P.I. and full-time Grim Reaper. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible…

When Charley and Cookie, her best friend slash receptionist, have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally.) has left his corporeal body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.

Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (May 9, 2016)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? is now hosted by Kathryn at The Book Date.

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.

Other Than Reading...

Other than a little medication drama, this was a quiet week. It is hard to get a prescription renewed when your doctor is out of the country! I got my refill with three days to spare but worried for a week that I was going to run out of medicine. Since it was for my Crohn's disease which is exacerbated by stress, it wasn't a very fun few days. I'm really glad that I usually have a two week supply of medicine when I try to refill.

The weather is improving though and the trees are finally leafing out. Yesterday the air conditioning ran at my house. The weekend is looking a little cooler but still very pleasant.

This week has the final day that I will be evicted from my Media Center for testing. Then it should be smooth sailing until the end of the school year. Smooth at least if you don't mind rearranging calendars. There are music programs, field trips, track and field days and other disruptions but they aren't bad to work around when the end of the year is in sight.

Read Last Week

To Love a Wolf by Paige Tyler was a fun paranormal romantic suspense title in the SWAT: Special Wolf Alpha Team series. My review will be posted on June 4.

Written Off by E. J. Copperman was a cozy mystery starring a writer and her imaginary character who turns out not to be very imaginary. It was a fun mystery. I really liked the author who was all kinds of snarky. My review will be posted on June 8.

Currently

I am currently reading Magic & Manners by C. E. Murphy which is subtitled an Austen Chronicle. While it is a little wordy for my taste (which is why I don't read Jane Austen), it is also filled with sly comments within the prose. I am a big fan of Regency fiction with infusions of magic which this one has.

Next Week

I have dug The Masque of the Black Tulip by Lauren Willig from the depths of TBR mountain. I bought the next four in the series after reading The Secret History of the Pink Carnation in 2011 but never got around to reading them.

I am also planning to read Boundary Lines by Melissa F. Olson. I bought it after reading Boundary Crossed last May and need to read it before I read the third book Boundary Born which is on my review stack.

Reviews Posted

• Heart of Brass by Kate Cross
• Oath Bound by Rachel Vincent
• Of Noble Family by Mary Robinette Kowal

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

I got City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong.

State of TBR Mountain

• New in May: 11
• Unread May: 11
• New in 2016: 136
• Unread 2016: 82
• Total Unread: 1934
• Total Review: 24

To see what Young Adult books I have been reading and plan to read, check out Ms. Martin Teaches Media - my other blog.