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Your Turn Friday the 13th
June 13, 2008
Great, Friday the 13th, what a way to end this week. Actually it is perfect, because anything else that goes wrong won't really feel like Friday the 13th bad luck, it will just feel like a normal day. <grin> And, there have been some great moments this week. The emails, good thoughts and wishes sent my way have more than made up for it. So, here's the books that have kept me entertained (and somewhat sane) this week. As always, leave a comment on what you're reading.
First up is Pleasuring the Pirate by Emily Bryan. I've said it before and I'll say it again, Emily has some of the best first lines of books. ‘The next time I decide to kill a man,’ Jacquelyn thought, ‘I really need to find better help.’ And so begins Jacquelyn (Jack) Wren's plans to do anything to protect her town from the pirate who inherited it. Gabriel Drake returns home from the sea to take his family's title, he knows he'll have to settle down, but he doesn't have to like it.
Emily had me with Distracting the Duchess (first line, "I'm going to have to shorten his willie.") Since pirates are a weakness of mine, the title and cover just about did me in. Add great dialog, interesting side characters (the nieces who are out of control and the crusty, pirate sidekick) and an author who clearly loves her subject matter and I'm there. For me, you could call this book, Pleasuring the Reader.
Next up is Lover Enshrined by J. R. Ward. This latest book in the Black Dagger Brotherhood features Phury, who had become the Primale (this means he has to live in a paradise, having sex with beautiful women who are the Chosen ones, in order to propagate the brotherhood). He's not thrilled with the prospect as he fights his own inner demons that include a drug addiction and feelings of inadequacy. Cormia is his Chosen First Mate, but he hasn't done the deed with her yet, so add confusion of that to her learning of how things work here in the real world. Meanwhile, the bad guys (the Lessening Society) are emerging with a new leader and coming to age Brotherhood members grapple with their growing strength.
Whew, I've read all the Brotherhood books and while it's a very dark series, it grabs you and dares you to try to close the book. Impossible! You just have to know what's going to happen next and while each book does end with some sense of closure, JR leaves enough there so you want to go over to her house and demand to know what she'll put her poor characters through next. If you like meat in your stories, there's lots to chew in this series.
Finally I read Rescue Me an anthology. Tropical Heat by Cherry Adair has Dr. Elizabeth Goodall kidnapped in the African jungle and Sam Pelton, secret government agent as her rescuer. She knows him from back home, but doesn't know his secret identity.
Atlanta Heat by Lora Leigh. Emerson Delaney's godfather is Navy SEAL Macey March's boss, so even though she wants him, it's a no go situation until a kidnapping situation throws them together.
Desert Heat by Cindy Gerard. Detective Seth King and Assistant DA Elena Martinez are teamed up for a hike in the Grand Canyon, but a drug lord out for revenge throws cold water on their hot attraction.
Anthologies are great for getting to know new authors or just getting a quick fix from a familiar one. These short stories were a perfect diversion while waiting in the doctor's office and gave me the chance to talk to people about 3 authors at the same time. Yes, I'm into multitasking, people.
For my long drives this week I was fortunate enough to listen to The Third Circle by Amanda Quick. Leona Hewitt has the ability to channel energy in special crystals. While trying to obtain a relic stolen from her family, she meets Thaddeus Ware, a mesmerist with psychic abilities. His hypnotic talent puts most off, but Leona understands and accepts it. Meanwhile, the Midnight Monster is busy killing women and a dark society called the Third Circle is somehow all tied together.
The Arcane Society books are delightfully entertaining, but even more so when on audio. Read by Anne Flosnik, it just adds so much more to the atmosphere of the story and I'm a goner with the whole British accent thing. There's plenty of mystery, suspense and romance to go around. I want to join to Arcane Society. There you go Jayne, start one up and you can have really cool pins made to identify the members, secretly, of course.
Now it's your turn to let everyone know what you've been reading (or listening to) this week.
Bottom Line: As I've been saying for over a year now, read a good book and all the yucking stuff in life fades away, at least for a little while. And isn't that the best part.
Posted by Barbara Vey on June 13, 2008 | Comments (27)
