The Anatomy of Ghosts by Andrew Taylor



Release Date: January 25, 2011

1786, England. John Holdsworth, a bookseller and novelist fallen upon hard times, is approached by a man with an odd commission. Lady Anne Oldershaw's husband has passed away. Now a wealthy widow, she would like to hire Holdsworth to catalogue her late husband's extensive library in order to donate it to Cambridge University. However, before he undertakes that task, he must complete a more pressing one: find Lady Anne's son Frank - who is committed to a home for the mentally unstable under the claim that he has seen a ghost - and return him to London.

Once in Cambridge, Holdsworth finds Frank in a manic state that is somehow connected to the mysterious death of Sylvia Whichcote, the wife of one of Frank's colleagues at Jerusalem College. As Holdsworth tries to help Frank and unravel the mystery of Sylvia's death, he is drawn deeper into the secretive Cambridge community and encounters scholars, louche young men, enigmatic women, and street urchins in ready supply - many connected to a secret society that meets within the college walls.

My opinion: I have to say, I wasn't at all sure I was going to like this book when I started reading. The story is set in the 1700s, so the language is very proper and a lot of words and phrases were unfamiliar. It starts out with a scene involving the Holy Ghost club, an exclusive club for the well-to-do students at Jerusalem college. The girl that was to be "sacrificed" for the ritual (a virgin who was to be deflowered by the new club member) on this particular night ends up dying. On the same night, Mrs. Whichcote ends up dead, although no one knows how or why. John Holdsworth just lost his son and his wife within several months of each other, and he has almost no money to speak of. He lost his house and then is propositioned by Lady Anne Oldershaw to go to Cambridge and bring her son, Frank, home. Frank is being held there as a psychiatric patient because he claims he saw a ghost. So John gets sucked into the drama and secrets that surround Jerusalem college. It's hard to know who to trust and at the same time, he finds himself falling for a married woman. John doesn't believe in ghosts but there is definitely something suspicious going on at the college. And it does not appear that Mrs. Whichcote committed suicide, so who is the murderer? And maybe, just maybe, ghosts really do exist.
I really liked John Holdsworth; even treated everyone with respect and kept a level head. Everyone respected him too, more-so probably because he was working for Lady Anne Oldershaw. Poor people were most definitely looked down upon and made to feel inferior. I felt bad for Elinor; I'm sure at that time it was unheard of for a woman to leave her husband even if she wanted to. And even if she had been able to, she felt she had nowhere to go. But she too began to have feelings for John that she was ashamed of. I can honestly say the ending caught me by surprise, although the very end does not give much closure to the story. Basically you have to make your own assumptions about what happens to the characters, but sometimes I think that's ok because you can make up your own ideas about their fates.
All in all, not a bad story. Kind of slow reading, but I did find myself getting more and more into the story the farther I read and you get used to the style of writing. You just have to find out what really happened to Mrs. Whichcote!

My rating: 3/5 stars

Touch of Darkness by Christina Dodd

Handsome, powerful Rurik Wilder holds the power to transform himself into a fierce bird of prey-a gift that's caused death and destruction.
At last he's offered the chance to redeem himself. Only one woman stands in his way-a beautiful writer determined to wreak revenge on the assassins who murdered her family. Assassins, it's been rumored, who have powers no human should ever possess...

My opinion: I liked this book quite a bit more than the first one. My biggest problem with the first book was how mousy Ann was, and the ridiculous way she tried to seduce Jasha at the beginning. But Tasya is completely different, very strong and sure of herself...and she seems to have a love/hate relationship with Rurik Wilder. After having spent an erotic night together, TasyaTasya there. Soon the Varinskis are on their trail and the two are on the run, both trying to find one of the four missing icons. Rurik knows she is the one that he is meant to be with, the one who has to find the icon, so he is determined to protect her at any cost. The Varinskis are after Rurik, but Tasya is hiding some crucial secrets in her past. She wants nothing more than to destroy all of the Varinski family...but what will happen when she finds out Rurik is one of them?
As I said before, I really liked Tasya's character. She was a smart alec and didn't take crap from anyone, especially Rurik. And I found I liked Rurik a lot more than Jasha (from the first book) as well. I guess I was just able to connect with these two more and so I was able to enjoy the book more. As the story is progressing, I find myself so excited to get the next book to see what happens, if they find the rest of the icons to save Konstantine from eternal hell. Needless to say I'll probably be picking up the 3rd book in this series very soon!!

My rating: 4/5 stars

The Good, The Bad, And The Undead by Kim Harrison

Former-bounty-hunter Rachel Morgan has it pretty good. She s left the corrupt Inderland Runner Service and started her own independent service. She's survived werewolves, shape-changing demons, bad-hair days, and sharing a church with her vampire roommate Ivy. She even has a cute (if human) boyfriend-what more could a witch want?

But living with a reformed vampire isn't all it's cracked up to be, particularly when your roommate's very bad ex-boyfriend wants her back, and wouldn't mind you in the process. And especially when he's six feet of sheer supernatural seduction, and you've got a demon mark that makes vampires literally hotter than hell....

To save herself and Ivy, Rachel must confront the vampire master-and the dark secrets she s hidden even from herself.

My opinion: I thought the first book in the series was good, but wasn't sure when I would read this second book. But lo and behold it was one of the few books on my "want" list that I could actually find at my library, so I figured it was meant to be! This book finds Rachel struggling to make ends meet. Business is relatively slow and then she gets stiffed on a run she did so she can't even pay rent! She then gets pulled into a case by the FIB; someone is killing ley line witches and they think they know who. Their main suspect is a professor in ley line magic and "hire" Rachel to take her class and try to find out any information she can. One of the victims is the boyfriend of Sara Jane (the new receptionist for Trent Kalamack that he hired in the last book). She feels she owes this woman, since she was the only one who was kind to her when she was trapped as a mink at Trent's house. So she agrees to help, but it doesn't take her long to figure out that the professor is not the murderer. She becomes convinced that Trent is actually the killer, all signs point to him, but she can't prove it...yet. With the help of Ivy, Jenks, and Detective Glenn she sets out to find the truth. Will she make it through this run alive?
I thought this book was pretty good. It's easy to like the characters (especially Jenks) and it's hard not to develop a connection with them. I liked the story line; it seemed so open and shut, but I know that would have been too simple. And yeah, maybe the ending was kind of predictable, in a way. But it did keep my interest and make me want to read the next book in the series. I really don't care for Ivy too much. Hearing about her fighting her nature all of the time gets old. And Rachel gets annoying at times, she keeps making it hard for Ivy and doing things she shouldn't to provoke her, but she refuses to move somewhere else (which would basically solve her problem). Ivy attacks her a couple of times in this one and she just refuses to change the situation by moving in with her boyfriend. Very frustrating. Plus Rachel continuously puts herself in ridiculously dangerous situations without backup...who does that? Oh well, it makes the story more interesting at least. So, while not as good as some series I have read, it definitely sucks you in anyway and want to read the rest of the books!

My rating: 4/5 stars

The 8th Confession by James Patterson

As San Francisco's most glamorous millionaires mingle at the party of the year, someone is watching--waiting for a chance to take vengeance on Isa and Ethan Bailey, the city's most celebrated couple. Finally, the killer pinpoints the ideal moment, and it's the perfect murder. Not a trace of evidence is left behind in their glamorous home.

As Detective Lindsay Boxer investigates the high-profile murder, someone else is found brutally executed--a preacher with a message of hope for the homeless. His death nearly falls through the cracks, but when reporter Cindy Thomas hears about it, she knows the story could be huge. Probing deeper into the victim's history, she discovers he may not have been quite as saintly as everyone thought.

As the hunt for two criminals tests the limits of the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay sees sparks fly between Cindy and her partner, Detective Rich Conklin. The Women's Murder Club now faces its toughest challenge: will love destroy all that four friends have built?

My opinion: I really wish I read these books closer together. By the time I got to this one, the rest of the books were just a distant memory, and it was hard to remember what exactly had happened up to this point. Luckily the stories tend to reflect back on what happened previously, but it still was hard to catch back up. So in this 8th installment in the Women's Murder Club series, a homeless man is shot and killed; at the same time, someone is killing the wealthiest in San Francisco. The entire police force is focused on the rich people murders, but Cindy is determined to get justice for the homeless man, Bagman Jesus since no one seems to care when homeless people die or go missing. So she starts to investigate herself, interviewing people and offering a reward to anyone who could identify his killer. Most people say what a saint Bagman Jesus was, so Cindy is even more determined to find out who did it. Meanwhile, Lindsay is stuck working the murders of the wealthy people. The only problem is Claire does the autopsies and still has no idea how any of them died. Without witnesses and manner of death, there isn't much to go on. Yuki has her own side story going, working a case of an ex beauty queen accused of murdering her parents. While the trial is definitely the focal point of her story, the big news is that she falls head over heels for a doctor. She feels like it's all too good to be true, but you'll have to read to find out what happens! Also, Lindsay is still struggling with her feelings for her partner, Rich. She loves her boyfriend Joe, but she just can't let go of the chemistry she has for Rich. She notices Cindy taking an interest in Rich and starts to get jealous; she realizes she needs to figure out what she wants and fast! There is some good shocks and twists throughout the book, but I found some of them kind of ridiculous. And I just wanted to slap Lindsay; I honestly think Joe's too good for her, and wonder what he would think if he know Lindsay has kissed Rich multiple times and almost had sex with him at least once. She just came off kind of annoying in this book. Actually all of the characters were slightly annoying this time around, except maybe Claire but she didn't have a huge part in this story. I did really like the story line though, I enjoyed how it got you thinking about who's to say which life is more important, as the police seemed to make a stance that the wealthy are more important than one homeless guy. All in all, not a bad read.

My rating: 4/5 stars

Caught by Harlan Coben

Wendy is a reporter on a mission: She's chasing down the lowest of the low-sexual predators-and exposing them on national television. Her big break comes when she nails a child advocate who works with abused and underserved children. She's there, cameras rolling, when the cops cuff him and the guy realizes his life is well and truly over.

Three months later, the perp is off the grid, missing and presumed dead after the father of a victim claims to have killed him. Wendy, proud to have taken the man down in front of a shocked television audience, has moved on to the story of a missing girl, Erin, in a nearby suburb. The whole country is obsessed with finding this child, and Wendy should be well on her way to journalistic superstardom.

Then is all comes unhinged: Wendy gets a phone call that changes everything. A group of local fathers, out of work and not above vigilante justice, begins to take matters into their own hands on Erin's behalf. Secrets long-buried rise to the surface and Wendy begins to wonder if her assumptions that fateful night three months ago were based on solid investigative journalism-or if she has unwittingly been part of a grand manipulation aiming to destroy an innocent man.

My opinion: Harlan Coben definitely did not disappoint! I have loved all of his books and this is no exception. This story starts out centered around two major plots: Dan Mercer is accused of trying to have sex with a minor in one of those undercover stings (where the people pretend to be 14 year old girls in chat rooms to lure predators into getting caught), and the disappearance of a young girl, Haley McWaid. Dan goes from being an advocate for troubled teens to being the pariah of the town. Everyone is out to get him. Wendy, the reporter who helped trap Dan, goes to him to hear his side of the story, as he continues to proclaim his innocence. When she gets there however, she witnesses his murder...and as more and more of the story comes to light, she begins to wonder if maybe he was telling the truth and she instrumental in getting him killed. Haley McWaid is still missing, the parents sure that she has not run away because she is a good, happy girl with a lot going for her. They have no leads and no clues. Slowly these two stories begin to mesh together. There are so many twists and turns you won't know what to think. And the end will leave you speechless
I loved the characters, I think we can all relate. I myself have watched the show To Catch A Predator, and always think "Wow, those guys are sick. I'm so glad they caught them before they could do any harm!". But what if someone was falsely accused? It would certainly ruin their reputation and their lives. I liked Wendy because instead of just saying "Oh well he died, I guess we can all move on", she took her suspicions and ran with it, investigating what really happened even though no one else cared to look into it. And you know what made me super happy? Win makes an appearance in this book! He's always been my favorite in the Myron books, I just love how snobby he always sounds, but he's so lethal. Not to mention hilarious. I thought it was funny how Wendy was remembering the time she hooked up with him and still lusted after him; I kept thinking "Honey keep dreaming, Win will never settle down". I really enjoyed this book because it made it impossible to put down; so many mysteries and twists so that when I finally thought I had it all figured out, it threw me for a loop. Definitely read this one, you won't be disappointed!

My rating: 5/5 stars

You by Charles Benoit

 
This wasn't the way it was supposed to go.
You're just a typical fifteen-year-old sophomore, an average guy named Kyle Chase. This can't be happening to you. But then, how do you explain all the blood? How do you explain how you got here in the first place?
There had to have been signs, had to have been some clues it was coming. Did you miss them, or ignore them? Maybe if you can figure out where it all went wrong, you can still make it right. Or is it already too late? Think fast, Kyle. Time's running out. How did this happen?
You is the riveting story of fifteen-year-old Kyle and the small choices he does and doesn't make that lead to his own destruction.

This book centers around the character of Kyle Chase. He is a sophomore in high school and he considers himself a loser in a group called the Hoodies (as they always wear black hoodies). His friends all went to a different high school, but something happened to Kyle in middle school and he just stopped trying. So instead of going to Odyssey HS, he ends up at Midlands High, a place everyone else looks down on. He doesn't try in any of his classes because he doesn't see much point, doing the same thing day in and day out. His father all but ignores him and his mother only seems to nag at him, wanting him to do better in school and get a job. He is in love with a girl at his school, Ashley, but he just can't work up the nerve to tell her how he feels. Even though his entire group of "friends" has a bad rap as trouble makers, Kyle really tries to do the right thing and stay out of trouble. However people get preconceived notions about certain groups or individuals, and are quick to point fingers if something goes wrong. Kyle definitely has some issues to work on though and he's not sure when everything took a turn for the worse. Then he meets the new kid in school, Zack, and his life changes forever.

My opinion: I didn't hate this book, but I didn't exactly love it either. The book really sucks you in the first couple paragraphs by essentially describing what happens at the end of the story, without giving too much away. Then the rest of the book details what happened leading up to that event. I actually love the way the book is written. It's as if you, the reader, is this character Kyle Chase. It really helps you connect with him and you get to see everything he thinks and feels. It's very easy to relate with Kyle; not in the sense that everyone is an outcast, but the way he feels about schools and some of the cliches that come along with it are very easy to relate to. Some of them even made me laugh a bit. And certainly we can all agree that some people are stereotyped by the way they dress or wear their hair, and often become scapegoats even if they are innocent. I was kind of frustrated with him for not applying himself more in middle school and just letting himself settle for the kind of existence he found himself in. He had been a good student and then just stopped trying, for whatever reasons. The only person he really has a soft spot for is his little sister, and the way her father and mother dote over her is probably some of the reason he kind of hate his life. It seems like nothing he tries to do matters, because nothing ever works out in the end. I hated Zack as soon as he was introduced. He was incredibly annoying and arrogant. Throughout the rest of the book you find new ways to hate him. All in all, not the best book ever, but the ability to relate to Kyle and the point of view the book was written in made it easy to keep reading; I finished it in one sitting!

My rating: 3/5 stars

Kiss of Midnight by Lara Adrian

He watches her from across the crowded dance club, a sensual black-haired stranger who stirs Gabrielle Maxwell’s deepest fantasies. But nothing about this night—or this man—is what it seems. For when Gabrielle witnesses a murder outside the club, reality shifts into something dark and deadly. In that shattering instant she is thrust into a realm she never knew existed—a realm where vampires stalk the shadows and a blood war is set to ignite.
Lucan Thorne despises the violence carried out by his lawless brethren. A vampire himself, Lucan is a Breed warrior, sworn to protect his kind—and the unwitting humans existing alongside them—from the mounting threat of the Rogues. Lucan cannot risk binding himself to a mortal woman, but when Gabrielle is targeted by his enemies, he has no choice but to bring her into the dark underworld he commands.
Here, in the arms of the Breed’s formidable leader, Gabrielle will confront an extraordinary destiny of danger, seduction, and the darkest pleasures of all. . . .

We meet Gabrielle who is an up-and-coming photographer that has real talent (even though she doesn't really get what everyone sees in her work). To celebrate her success, she and her friends head out to a new club in town. While there she spots a mysterious stranger watching, but thinks nothing of it. Not being into the whole club scene, Gabrielle decides to catch a taxi and head home...however when she gets out of the bar she sees 6 large men tearing apart another man. She is able to take some pictures of them on her cell phone, but the police just can't believe her story. She can barely believe it, did she really see people eating a live person. Could vampires exist? But when the police go to the scene to find the body, there is nothing to find. The police promise to give her some protection just in case, but she knows they're just trying to pacify her for the moment. She assumes the man that shows up at her apartment is a cop, but Lucan Thorne is far from it. He is a member of the Breed (vampires). He is one of the oldest, and part of the Warriors, who take out the Rogue vampires and protect the humans from them. Rogue vampires are vamps that get a disease called Bloodlust, where they need blood constantly and can't control themselves. Gabrielle falls hard for Lucan and to his surprise, she is a Breedmate (the only humans that vampires can mate with and produce new generations of vampires). He knows he must protect her at all costs, but his feelings for her keep getting in the way of his duties to protect his brothers and all of humankind. He does not want to be tied down with a mate, but will Lucan be able to resist the passion he feels for Gabrielle? And will he ultimately be able to keep her safe from the Rogues?

My opinion: So I started reading this series because I heard a lot of people say it was similar to the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward. In a lot of ways I can see the similarities, but it was also very different. Lucan was the leader of the Warriors and of course incredibly handsome. The story itself was very good, definitely kept you guessing and there were some shocks that I never saw coming. Gabrielle was an ok character, although she had only met Lucan about one time and she was already basically telling her friends that they were dating. That's kind of crazy (can someone say "stalker"?). But I guess it was kind of like these two were meant to be together and somewhere deep down she knew that. Lucan was sexy and mysterious, but he just went back and forth too many times. One minute he would act madly in love with her and the next he would push her away. That was kind of annoying at times. I actually liked the concept of the first vampires being not of this planet; I like to see new theories as to how the vampires came to be and this was interesting. This book was definitely worth reading and the other Warriors really intrigued me, so I can't wait to read their stories and get to know them all better!

My rating: 4/5 stars

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Ever since her parents were killed in a car accident when she was five, Elena Michaels has longed for a normal family life. Smart, beautiful, and engaged to be married, Elena hopes to fulfill that dream when disaster strikes. Not only has her fiancé lied about his secret life as a werewolf, but he's made her one, too. She has no choice but to join him at Stonehaven, the upstate New York home of an elite pack of werewolves. In an attempt to break away, she moves to Toronto to lead a normal life. Working as a journalist, Elena now lives with her new architect boyfriend, works out in the basement gym of their high-rise apartment, lunches with girlfriends from the office, and—once a week, at four in the morning—runs naked and furred through a downtown Toronto ravine, ripping out the throats of her animal prey. But when a band of outlaw werewolves threatens the Stonehaven pack, Elena's feral instincts drive her back there to join the defense. What follows is a war for territory, for pride, and ultimately for Elena herself.

Elena had a rough childhood. Her parents were killed when she was very young, and she was ushered from foster home to foster home where she continually had to endure abuse. Somehow she survived and met a young man by the name of Clay and the two fell for each other hard. They became engaged, but there was something Elena didn't know about the man she loved...he was a werewolf! She found out too late, when he bit her and turned her. After she was bitten, Jeremy (the Alpha of the Pack) took her in as part of the Pack. This was unusual because to be a part of it you had to be a born werewolf, but since Clay was in the care of Jeremy and the situation was forced on her, they made an exception. She lived with them for awhile, but she decided she wanted to try a different life. Years later, she is dating a new man, Philip, and keeping her distance from the Pack. She wants nothing more than to have a normal life and for the most part she is succeeding; except for the fact that she changes into a wolf every so often! She hides all of this from Philip, she even has a normal human job as a journalist. But then Jeremy calls her back for an emergency: a mutt (werewolf who was bitten as opposed to born) is killing humans on the Pack's estate and they have to eliminate the threat immediately before any more people are killed and before suspicion is raised. So Elena grudgingly goes back where she has to face all of her demons, Clay being the biggest one of all. She still isn't able to forgive him for what he did to her, even though inside she still has feelings for him. She has every intention of going back to her human life, but will her love of her werewolf family and the passion for being a werewolf be enough to bring her back to the Pack? Or will the mutt destroy everything they have worked for first?

My opinion: What can I say, I LOVED this book! I loved Elena, she was so smart, funny, and sassy. She's the only female werewolf, but the guys acknowledge that she's just as tough as they are. At first I was confused on who she had dated previously; she seemed really close to Jeremy and obviously had feelings for him, but then it became clear that he was more like a father figure for her. He cared for her when no one else would. The details of her relationship with Clay come more slowly, but he definitely still has big feelings for Elena. Throughout the book their relationship has major ups, and major downs. Sometimes I wish I could just shake her and say "You idiot, he's really sorry for what he did but it's not like he can take it back. All he can do is apologize. Get over it already!". But I'm sure it was traumatic and she had to get over it on her own time. There were a lot of parts that made me laugh, a lot that made me gasp because they were so unexpected. One thing I can say for sure, I am definitely going to be reading the other books in this series VERY SOON! Everyone who loves supernatural books should read this one, you won't be disappointed!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd

A thousand years ago, a brutal warrior roamed the Russian steppes and struck a sinister bargain. In return for the ability to change at will into a coldhearted predator, Konstantine promised his soul - and the souls of his descendants - to the devil. Then one day a dangerous prophecy reveals the truth: One family has been chosen to battle the darkness - or face damnation.

Ann Smith loves her dynamic boss, Jasha Wilder, but her daring plan to seduce him goes awry when she encounters a powerful wolf who, before her horrified eyes, changes into the man she adores. She soon discovers that she can't escape her destiny, for Jasha is Konstantine's descendant, and Ann is the woman fated to break the curse that binds his soul...

This book starts out giving background on the Varinski family. Long ago, Konstantine Varinski made a deal with the devil that if he would help him defeat his enemies, he would give the devil his soul. He was given powers and abilities that helped him crush his rivals. The pact didn't just affect Konstantine, it affected all of the sons born into the family as well. Until one of those sons finally broke from "tradition"; he married, moved to America (where he changed their surname to Wilder) and had kids. Jasha Wilder is one of his sons, very successful in the wine industry. His father wants him to marry and give him grandchildren, but Jasha hasn't found the right woman yet. Ann Smith is Jasha's administrative assistant. She has been in love with Jasha for years but she is meek and timid, having been raised by nuns. Finally she decides it's now or never and goes to his vacation house to try and seduce him. When she gets there, she runs into a large wolf...and sees it transform into Jasha! She tries to run away but he stops her and she is overcome by desire even she can't explain. No sooner do they meet but they're on the run together from people who would love nothing more than to exterminate the Wilders, other descendants of Konstantine who resent the way the family is living. Ann plays a bigger part of the puzzle than she ever would have guessed after she finds a priceless relic, one very important to the Wilder family. Jasha knows he must keep her safe, but are his feelings for her just a product of needing to ensure the survival of his family, or because he is falling in love with her?

My opinion: When I first started reading, I wasn't sure I was going to be able to get into this book. This mouse of a woman just up and decides to do something WAY out of character for her and go to her boss's house uninvited and try and seduce him? When he has no idea of her feelings for him (or so she thinks)? I thought it was crazy, but I guess she figured she had nothing to lose...oh except her job! Anyway, kudos to her for having the guts to do something like that. She had a lot of chemistry with Jasha right away and although they had a lot of ups and downs, he really helped bring her out of her shell. Her parents had given her away when she was born and she was raised by nuns, so she didn't know much outside what she had been taught. She was virgin until she met Jasha! She is shocked by the fact that Jasha can shapeshift into a wolf, but she also has a secret of her own that she takes great strides to hide. I liked how this book set the scene for the books to follow, and I look forward to reading all of them to see what happens to the Wilder family.

My rating: 5/5 stars

Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

In a place where ecstasy can cost you your life . . .
She's a demon-slayer who hungers for sensual pleasure-but fears it will always be denied her. Until Tayla Mancuso lands in a hospital run by demons in disguise, and the head doctor, Eidolon, makes her body burn with unslakable desire. But to prove her ultimate loyalty to her peers, she must betray the surgeon who saved her life.
Two lovers will dare to risk all.
Eidolon cannot resist this fiery, dangerous woman who fills him with both rage and passion. Not only is she his avowed enemy, but she could very well be the hunter who has been preying upon his people. Torn between his need for the truth and his quest to find his perfect mate before a horrific transformation claims him forever, Eidolon will dare the unthinkable-and let Tayla possess him, body and soul . . .

This story starts off at a fast pace. We meet Eidolon, a Seminus demon, who is a doctor at a demon run hospital along with his brothers Shade and Wraith. Tayla, a demon slayer (a Guardian in the extremist group Aegis), is brought in to the hospital with severe wounds. For their own safety, Eidolon knows he should destroy her so she can't lead any of the other Guardians to the hospital. But he just can't stand to kill a woman with such charisma and will to live. He not only saves her life but also, for reasons unknown to either of them, he feels the need to protect her. They both have a lot of trouble trusting each other which leads to betrayal. However they are continuously drawn to each other and find it hard to fight their feelings, even though they are sworn enemies. Eidolon is running out of time; he is about to complete his final maturation stage (s'genesis) that all Seminus demons go through. If he does not find a lifemate by that time, he may lose every bit of humanity he possesses. Could Tayla be the one to save him or is he doomed to become a monster?

My opinion: Love, love, LOVED this book! Right away you fall in love with Eidolon because he goes against everything in his nature. He wants nothing more than to find a lifemate and spend the rest of his life with them (once mated, the only way out of the pairing is to kill your partner). His brothers, Shade and Wraith, don't share his point of view but Shade at least seems to be tolerant of Eidolon's different views. Wraith is very volatile; he is half Seminus demon, half vampire and kills a lot of innocent people. I liked Tayla, she was very witty and strong. She never liked to get close to people due to things that happened in her childhood. Her relationship with Eidolon definitely does not get off to a great start; she wakes up in a demon hospital surrounded by her enemies, and after Eidolon saves her they keep her tied up for several days. Even though he saved her life, she still has trouble believing that a demon can be good; Eidolon also has trouble believing that someone that is part of a group that kills his kind can be trusted. There are quite a few steamy scenes between them, which actually reveal a lot about Tayla and the pain she's experience in the past. This book really kept me on the edge of my seat and I literally couldn't put it down. There were happy moments, sad moments; some parts just plain shocked me. But I definitely fell in love with the characters; it was impossible not to. It reminded me a lot of The Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward which I also love. I am definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the Demonica novels!!!

My rating: 5/5 stars

Red Fire by Deidre Knight

Eternity has become a prison for Ajax Petrakos. Centuries after he and his Spartan brothers made their bargain for immortality, Ajax struggles to maintain his warrior's discipline. His only source of strength is his hope that he will soon meet the woman once foretold to him--the other half of his soul, Shay Angel.

Ajax searches for his destined mate on the haunted streets of modern-day Savannah, but he isn't the first to find her. Shay, the youngest of a powerful demon-hunting clan, can see the monsters that stalk the steamy Southern nights--an ability that draws the deadly attention of Ajax's worst enemy. As Shay and Ajax race to solve a chilling prophecy--one that could spell Ajax's death if they don't succeed--a fated passion arises, threating to sweep away everything in its path.

Ajax Petrakos is a Spartan. When the Spartans lost their epic battle, Jax and six other of his brethren were given the choice by Ares to become immortal and continue to serve their country and be protectors. They accepted and now it is a couple of thousand years later. Ajax struggles with his immortal life, not sure that he wants to continue with this existence. The Oracle has foretold a battle, a mission; one that Jax must complete alone. She has also foretold of his one great love, Shayanna Angel, but he has no idea when or if he will ever find her. The one with whom he must battle is a nasty demon by the name of Elblas (or Sable, as he likes to be called). Sable destroyed Jax's life long ago, so Jax got his revenge by way of removing his once beautiful wings. Sable is very bitter and angry about the fact that he is no longer beautiful, so he comes after Jax full force. But Jax has finally found his Shay, the love of his life. Now that he's found her, can he protect her so that they can be together always?

My opinion: Right away when I started reading this book, I knew I would like it. Anyway that knows me can attest that I LOVE the movie 300. So when I found out this book was about Spartan warriors I was all in! I mean, who wouldn't be? I had great visuals in my head the whole time I was reading the book; you remember what those men looked like right?

When Jax was given immortality, he was also given abilities. He is able to change into a hawk-like creature with big beautiful wings; this shape-shifting is something he has always had trouble controlling. The way he is described in this book, he sounds absolutely gorgeous! Of course, every time they mention Leonidas, all I can think about is the movie and so when I read the book all I can picture is Gerard Butler...which is definitely not a bad thing! I liked Shayanna, she was very tough. I hated the way her brothers kept the family secrets from her, I didn't blame her for getting so frustrated with them. Especially when the information was so crucial! It really was a special moment when Jax finally realizes he has found her, you could feel the love he already felt for her even though this was the first time they had met face to face. And although it took awhile for Shay to be able to fully trust him, you could tell she felt connected to him instantly too. There was a part where they are talking later on in the book that actually made me tear up a little, but I'm not giving anything away! You'll just have to read it for yourself!!

My rating: 4/5 stars

Tutored by Allison Whittenberg

Available for purchase 12/14/2010

Wendy Anderson and Hakiam Powell are at opposite ends of the spectrum—the social spectrum, the financial spectrum, the opportunity spectrum, you name it. Wendy lives in an all-white suburb of Philadelphia, where she’s always felt like the only chip in the cookie. Her dad, who fought his way out of the ghetto, doesn’t want her mingling with “those people.” In fact, all Wendy’s life, her father has told her how terrible “those people” are. He even objects to Wendy’s plan to attend a historically black college. But Wendy feels that her race is more than just the color of her skin, and she takes a job tutoring at an inner-city community center to get a more diverse perspective on life.

Hakiam has never lived in one place for more than a couple of years. When he aged out of foster care in Ohio, he hopped a bus to Philly to start over, but now he’s broke, stuck taking care of his cousin’s premature baby for no pay, and finding it harder than ever to stay out of trouble. When he meets Wendy at the tutoring center, he thinks she’s an uppity snob—she can’t possibly understand his life. But as he gets to know her better, he sees a softer side. And eventually—much to the chagrin of Wendy’s father and Hakiam’s cousin—they begin a rocky, but ultimately enlightening, romance.

Wendy and Hakiam certainly don't hit it off right away - in fact, they seem to annoy each other. They're preconceived notions about the other play a big part in their attitudes. Wendy sees Hakiam as a lazy hoodlum and Hakiam sees Wendy as a stuck up snob. There's no way for Wendy to know that Hakiam has a lot of responsibility; he has to watch his cousin, Leesa's, premature daughter. And Wendy has a father who lived in the ghetto as a child and has become successful; he doesn't not want to associate, nor does he want her to associate, with anyone of a lower social class. Against all odds the two become friends and learn a lot about each other, which helps them both grow as people.

My opinion: As I first started reading this book, I kept thinking "I just KNOW I'm not going to like it!" But I pushed on and about 2/3 of the way through I really started liking it more and more. I really had a hard time grasping why Wendy agreed to have coffee with him that first time, they hadn't exactly been on good terms up to that point. I guess we can assume that she wanted to see if there was more to Hakiam than his rough exterior. And of course there was. It was really easy to see Hakiam grow through the story; his cousin Leesa was very irresponsible, not interested in her tiny premature baby, or really anything for that matter besides having parties. He was expected to take care of that poor baby most of the time and as Wendy taught him more and more about childcare he really took a renewed interest in the little girl's well being. There were a couple of passages in the book that made me chuckle, which was a good surprise. Not to give too much away, but the ending, I'm sure, will disappoint some people. PLEASE do not let this dissuade you from reading this book; I actually happen to like books that let the reader come to their own conclusions. It's nice to let your imagination fill in the blanks sometimes!

My rating: 3/5 stars