Barbara Vey

WW Ladies Book Blurbs

Don't you just love picking up your mail after being gone for a week?  After throwing away the junk mail, I was left with a summons for jury duty.  Great.  It falls during RWA, so I went online and asked to change the date.  I've done jury duty before and liked it (we sent him up the river), so I look forward to the blog fodder I'll get from a trial.  I wonder if they'll let me do Drive By Videos there.

But now, the moment you've been waiting for...here's the WW Ladies with their reads of the week.

Hot Property by Carly Phillips

Read by Ann

Amy Stone jumps at the opportunity to escape her crazy family and begin a new life starting with a new job at Hot Zone, New York's premiere sports marketing firm.  She doesn't expect her first assignment to be John Roper, sports hero having a run of really bad luck.  Amy and John first met at her cousin's wedding...she thought they hit it off, but his date had other ideas.  Amy's a professional determined to get Roper's life back on track without it getting personal.

Hot Property is the fourth and final installment in the Hot Zone series.  Maybe it's because I'm the daughter of a baseball and football coach, I really enjoy strong, sexy athletes.  I love the Hot Zone team...especially Yank!  And Carly always includes a great supporting cast.  This book is definitely a home run!


Playing with Fire by Katie MacAlister

Read by Emily

May Northcott is a doppelganger. For those of you who don't know what that is, it's a twin that is made by giving up some part of yourself. For May, her twin is a naiad, and she gave up her common sense. After meeting Gabriel Tauhou, wyvern of the silver dragons, she is very thankful of that fact that she was made. The silver dragons are in the midst of a feud, and May might be the one to end it. It was once said that no mate to a silver dragon would be born, but since May wasn't born there shouldn't be a problem, right? During their first kiss he realizes that she can take his dragon fire, so she is destined to be the mate of a dragon. His mate. But there are forces that pull the couple apart. Forces that could be deadly for any who go against it.

Playing with Fire is the first book in the Silver Dragon series. Katie MacAlister includes characters from her previous Aisling Grey series in this book. I loved that series, and was excited to read this new book. I have to say that it did not disappoint, I enjoyed it enormously. It's a great book, and I read it all in one sitting. Look for the second book, Up in Smoke October 2008.

Left to Die  by Lisa Jackson
  

Read by Loretta

 

This is a book "to die" for!  It is the first in a series by Lisa Jackson.  The two main characters are female detectives who unearth one clue after another to stop this demented killer!

 

Lisa Jackson is an artist who paints a picture of her characters with words - the bitterness of former spouses, teenagers and their rudeness, the waittress at the local eatery -  you know them!  The intensity of the story builds with each page and the most unexpected ending reveals itself all too soon.

 

This exciting read leaves you looking forward to the next book in this series.
                  
                            

Dragonsblood by Todd McCaffrey  (Brilliance Audiobook read by Dick Hill)

Read by Joysann
 

Since Anne McCaffrey gave readers the planet Pern in 1968, she has written nearly 20 novels, novellas, and short stories about this fantasy world, with or without another writer. In recent years her son Todd has taken up the stories so those of us who are addicted can continue getting new and fresh infusions. His writing seems to be much as hers and his stories are just as fulfilling; I can't tell a difference. Writing about this particular book doesn't make much sense, since it can't stand alone without the many years of background (I highly recommend starting at the beginning with Dragonflight). Also, I hate writing anything that could remotely be a spoiler, but a brief series synopsis may work:

 

The inhabitants of the planet Pern have an agricultural feudal society. Predominantly overshadowing their lives is the threat to their survival when Thread falls. Coming around every couple hundred years, the stringy material that rains from the sky destroys any organic matter it touches. The greatest defenses Pern has against the incursion are the dragons that can burn Thread before it reaches the ground, and the men who ride them. Generation upon generation, the stories are told of greater and lesser folk, with all their heroism, strengths, fears, frailties and love. Dragonsblood is another rich chapter in the ongoing story.

 

Dick Hill has performed every Pern book I've found on audio, and I can't imagine them being read by anyone else. If it's a book I'll enjoy, I'll enjoy listening to him read it. And if I can listen while doing whatever crummy household task needs doing, it goes a lot easier when I'm flying with dragons. 

The Bad Boys Guide to the Galaxy by Karen Kelley

Read by Ann

Lara is sent to Earth to find the cure to a potentially deadly disease that has stricken an Elder.  Suddenly, Sam Jones finds that his fishing vacation includes babysitting Lara while she searches for a cure so that she can return.  Lara's search includes a few new experiences...chocolate, pizza, slot machines, alcohol and sex with a man.  Will she return to Nerak or stay on Earth like her sister and cousin?

Another funny story from Karen Kelley!  This is the third book in the series, but can stand alone.  I love the unique perspectives that her characters bring.  Neither Earth nor Nerak will ever be the same again!!

The Novice Bride by Carol Townend

Read by Emily

 

Lady Cecily of Fulford has spent the last few years as a novice in a convent; it was what her father wanted. She was the second daughter, and had no real worth, but her sister arrives with the news of her mother's death and the birth of her brother. She finds her only way home is to become the bride of their family's enemy, Sir Adam Wymark. He is new to the land coming from the land of Brittney, and has found no love among the Saxons, especially after the battle of Hastings. Getting married to his intended brides' sister wasn't in the plan, but how could he resist the woman. She was an innocent and had no real knowledge of men. Suspicion and distrust run rampant between the pair. Her sister has fled, joining the ranks of men who want to rid their land of the Normans, and Cecily is scared for her sisters' life and her brother's if Adam finds out she is harboring the true heir to her father's land.

 

This book is the first in the Wessex Wedding series. If you're looking for a fast and enjoyable read, this book is for you. It has an extraordinary plot, and fascinating characters.
                         
                           

Wages of Sin by Jenna Maclaine

Read by Joysann

 

Cin Craven descended from a long maternal line of powerful witches, and is magically strong.  But she is still just a human, and with the innate magic in her blood, she's a tasty treat for vampires, for her blood and submission would enhance her master's power.  When a demon in vampire form takes a serious interest in her, she decides her only choice to protect those she loves is to become undead herself.  She joins with The Righteous, three powerful vampires who are committed to protecting the world from the viciousness of their own kind.

 

An historical paranormal romance, Cin's narrative tells of her human life in the early 19th century as one of England's high society.  It is an interesting take on vampire stories, and I liked it.  I'll want to see where the story goes as it progresses in the next book.

 

 Bottom Line:  "When you go into court, you are putting your fate into the hands of twelve people who weren't smart enough to get out of jury duty."  ~ Norm Crosby
  

Posted by Barbara Vey on July 16, 2008 | Comments (10)