Lady D's Ramblings

Valentine's Day...

2012-02-14T09:56:00.000-05:00

Ok readers, it's Valentine's Day. I used to be horribly cynical about Valentine's Day, mainly because I was so often alone on Valentine's Day. Now, what I should've done, instead of being broken hearted and cynical is to get out there and read some awesome romance novels. So, stealing this idea from an author I follow on facebook, who is your favorite romance couple?

I answered mine as either Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth from Jane Austen's Persuasion, or Cathy and Heathcliff from Emily Bronte's Wuthering Heights. But there are so many other awesome couples out there as well! Cat and Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, Curran and Kate from Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, and so many more! So, I want you guys to weigh in! Who's your favorite romance novel couple?

~♥~
Lady D

Literary rant

2012-02-12T00:34:00.000-05:00

Ok, I need to go on a bit of a rant here. This is a book blog, so, I truly think that this rant fits on this blog.

Ok, so, at work, we listen to a "Top 40's" style station, and one of the songs frequently played is "Love Song" by Taylor Swift. Now, don't get me wrong, the song is ok, if you like the sort of pop-country crossover thing, but that's not what I find wrong with the song. If you've never listened to the song, here it is:

Now what I really think is wrong with this song is this line: "You were Romeo I was the Scarlet Letter." Now, I don't know about you, but I think it's rather disturbing for this supposedly young girl singing about being an adulteress who got pregnant by a married man while she was married... by a MINISTER no less! Now, if you've never read the Scarlet Letter, well, sorry, I just let the end of the book out. Oh well. But I mean, come on! Has Talor Swift ever even READ the Scarlet Letter? Obviously not, by that line alone.

So, I've decided that three things have happened here. One: Taylor Swift has never read the Scarlet Letter. Two: Taylor Swift hopes that none of her fans/listeners has ever read the Scarlet Letter. Three: The person who wrote the song (does Taylor Swift write her own music?) hopes that neither Taylor nor her fans have ever nor will ever read the Scarlet Letter.

I mean, I might just be being a bit nit-picky here, but REALLY? REALLY? DO SOME RESEARCH! Ok, sorry. End of rant. Please, feel free to comment, and tell me what you think.

~♥~
Lady D

Father Mine

2012-02-08T12:54:00.002-05:00

Father Mine: Zsadist and Bella's Story by J.R. Ward
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Father Mine is a short story that is a continuation of Zsadist and Bella's story. It picks up sometime after Lover Enshrined, but going on at the same time as well.

This story starts after Nalla is born, about three months after, in fact. Zsadist is still having a hard time dealing with his past as a blood slave, and it's taking a toll on his mating, and with his relationship with his daughter.

This is a sweet, romantic story that I was hoping for, having finished Lover Awakened and almost feeling cheated by the ending. This book gives Bella and Z their HEA, and it really makes me love Z more. Great short story, and a must-read for any BDB fans. :)

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

A Breath of Snow and Ashes

2012-02-06T12:06:00.001-05:00

A Breath of Snow and Ashes by Diana Gabaldon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

With the revolutionary war coming to a head, life is turbulent for those in Fraser's Ridge. Jamie, Claire, Roger, Bree, and Ian make some tough choices in this book that will end up changing their lives forever. And as the time draws nearer for that newspaper clipping claiming that Jamie and Claire die in a fire, everyone holds their breaths to see what is going to happen.

I loved this book just as I loved the others. My only problem with Ms. Gabaldon's books is that because they're so long, if I don't keep my facts straight, the books start running together. This book got a bit slow for me in the middle, I don't know why, but I had to put it down for a while, and ended up reading another book, but as soon as I picked it back up, I finished it in two days. Go figure.

The writing style is as always, genius. Ms. Gabaldon knows her history, and it really shines through in her work. Pick up this series if you haven't yet. As I said, the books are a bit long, about 1000 pages each, but you won't be sorry!!!

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

Under Her Skin

2012-02-02T10:22:00.000-05:00

Under Her Skin by Jeaniene Frost
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

"Pack" by Jeaniene Frost- 3.5 stars

In Pack, we meet Marlee who, while hiking alone, gets attacked by werewolves. She's rescued from her attackers by Daniel, who also happens to be a werewolf. Marlee is taken back to the town the pack lives in while they wait to see if Marlee is going to change at the full moon.

While she's stuck waiting, Daniel is guarding her to make sure she doesn't escape. There is attraction between the two, which Marlee attributes to Stockholm syndrome, but Daniel thinks is because of something else.

This short story was very different from what Ms. Frost normally writes. It was good, But seemed too short to develop the story properly. If Ms. Frost were to take it and make it into a full length novel, I think it would do very well.

"In Sheep's Clothing" by Meljean Brooks- 4 stars

Here we meet Emma, who left Pine Bluff six years ago after she was attacked and turned into a werewolf. She's returning now, having gained control over her wolf so that she can tell her former flame, Nathan, that she's a werewolf, and so she can settle back into the town.

Unfortunately, Emma is attacked by serial murderer who has been plaguing the town, and bites him. Now she and Sheriff Nathan need to find the murderer before he becomes even more dangerous as a new werewolf.

This story is great. Even though it is short, it allows for romance, suspense, and action. The characters were lacking a bit of development, but they were truly likable anyways. Great story overall.

"A Grace of Magic" by Ilona Andrews- 5 stars

Everything that Ilona Andrews writes is amazing, and this story continues that trend. Meet Grace, who recently learned that her family is indebted to another. She is called upon due to the debt to help the other family in place of her mother.

Grace meets Nassar, who is a revenant, or someone who has taken over someone else's body. Grace does not like that her family is indebted to this other family, but is willing to do whatever she has to to keep her family safe.

This story may be short, but it is complex, riveting, and keeps you entranced to the end. I sincerely hope that Ilona Andrews does more with this world, because it is a gem.

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

One for the Money

2012-02-01T00:32:00.001-05:00

One for the Money by Janet Evanovich
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the first book in the Stephanie Plum series. Now, I normally shy away from crime books, but my aunt has been trying to get me to read this series for years, and so I finally picked it up after seeing the trailer for the movie. All I have to say is WOW.

Stephanie Plum is amazing! She's smart mouthed, funny, and clumsy. She's extremely easy to relate to! She is newly divorced, and recently laid-off. She's in desperate need of cash, and so she seeks out a job at her cousin's bail bond company. As luck has it, one of the bondsmen recently came down ill, and so she weasels her way into the position.

Reading about her trying to learn the ropes is hilarious. She's afraid of her gun, and completely out of her league with this job. The secondary characters provide great laughs as well. You have Ranger, who is another bondsman for Vinnie, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's grandmother who provides great comic relief, and you have Joe Morelli.

Any time that Stephanie and Joe are on the page together is great. He's a former... fling for Stephanie, and the sexual tension that leaks from these two is great. Joe also kind of wronged Stephanie in the past, so, she tried to run him over with her father's Buick. So, needless to say, there's also just general tension between the two. It's awesome.

And then there is the main antagonist, a boxer named Rodriguez. He plagues Stephanie this whole book, and to be honest, some of the dialogue between the two got a bit uncomfortable for me. There is some mention of rape, and that's a subject that I'm really uncomfortable with. But Janet Evanovich did a great job with the subject, and she never really let it get too uncomfortable.

The plot I thought was a bit predictable at times, but at the end, I completely got thrown for a loop. Ms. Evanovich did a great job with this ending!

In the end One for the Money is a fun, fast-paced, breezy read that's great for anyone. I can't wait for the next book to see what's going to happen to Stephanie!!

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

UTC Reading Challenge Update #2

2012-01-31T11:38:00.000-05:00

This is the second reading update I'm making. I think I'm going to post the reading update right around the end of the month/start of a new month, just so you guys can keep an eye on me. I finished my second book for the challenge, and I changed one of the books in the Angels/Demons category. I might be doing that, changing some books around as the year goes on, but meh, other than that, I plan to take this challenge down! How about you all? Anyone participating in any reading challenges? I also am participating in the 2012 reading challenges on both Goodreads, as well as Shelfari, my goal is 60 books for this year, as by Dec. 31, 2011, I had read 56 last year. So far, I'm on track. :)

Category 1: Vampires:
1. Touch the Dark- Karen Chance (reread)
2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost
3. One Grave At A Time- Jeaniene Frost (reread)
4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward
5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole

Category 2: Angels and Demons:
1. Envy- J.R. Ward
2. Torment- Lauren Kate
3. ~~Crave- J.R. Ward~~
4. ~~Fallen- Lauren Kate~~
5. Speak of the Devil- Jenna Black

Category 3: Fae:
1. Bound by Darkness- Alexandra Ivy
2. Bloodfever- Karen Marie Moning
3. Night Seeker- Yasmine Galenorn
4. Grave Witch- Kalayna Price
5. Faefever- Karen Marie Moning

Category 4: Shifters and Werewolves:
1. Fair Game- Patricia Briggs
2. Gunmetal Magic- Ilona Andrews
3. Magic Slays- Ilona Andrews (reread)
4. Under Her Skin- Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brooks, Ilona Andrews
5. The Dragon Who Loved Me- G.A. Aiken

~♥~
Lady D

"Fallen" by Lauren Kate

2012-01-28T15:09:00.002-05:00

Fallen by Lauren Kate
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I don't normally go for young adult novels, but this book's synopsis piqued my interest. Then, I had several friends recommend it to me, so, I ended up picking it up. I was very very happy I did.

Fallen is the story of Lucinda "Luce" Price, and her time at Sword & Cross reform school. She landed here because of something that happened to her at her last school, and with a boy. But she is feeling horrible about this school. The school is part jail, part boarding school, and all horrid for Luce. Until she meets Daniel Grigori.

Now, I will admit, this book plays out the romance of Daniel and Luce strangely, especially since there's another party involved named Cam, who is also into Luce. I can't delve too much into the love triangle without giving away too much of the story.

The twist at the end is one that I kind of saw coming, but kind of not. Obviously, Daniel is a fallen angel, which is something that the synopsis states, but there's something else to the characters that just threw me for a bit of a loop.

Overall, the secondary characters are interesting: Penn, Gabbe, and Arriane, and some of the other students at Sword and Cross, but while this book is set into a semi-high school setting, if an adult were to read it, they would also find themselves being able to relate.

The one problem that I have with this story is the unresolved, or rather, really, untouched issue of Luce's past. While the ending of the book kind of resolves it in a roundabout way, you really have to pay attention to catch it. I'm talking about the past that lands her in the school, and what happens while she's at the school. There is a suggestion of what happens, and that one of the other characters caused these issues, but it really wasn't soundly resolved.

Needless to say, this book touches the heart of romantics everywhere, and it does have a bit of a Gothic feel to it, as the cover suggests. I would definitely recommend picking up this book for a light and fast read, and I personally can't wait to delve into the second in the series!

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

UTC Challenge Update

2012-01-13T13:13:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try to update my reading challenge list as I finish the books. Since I have a ton of books that I'm going to be reading, this will be updated probably less frequently than I'd like. :( Oh well. So, here goes... I finished Crave, by J.R. Ward, from Category 2, Angels and Demons. You can find my review of it below this post. :)

Category 1: Vampires:
1. Touch the Dark- Karen Chance (reread)
2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost
3. One Grave At A Time- Jeaniene Frost (reread)
4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward
5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole

Category 2: Angels and Demons:
1. Envy- J.R. Ward
2. Kiss of a Demon King- Kresley Cole (reread)
3. ~~Crave- J.R. Ward~~
4. Fallen- Lauren Kate
5. Speak of the Devil- Jenna Black

Category 3: Fae:
1. Bound by Darkness- Alexandra Ivy
2. Bloodfever- Karen Marie Moning
3. Night Seeker- Yasmine Galenorn
4. Grave Witch- Kalayna Price
5. Faefever- Karen Marie Moning

Category 4: Shifters and Werewolves:
1. Fair Game- Patricia Briggs
2. Gunmetal Magic- Ilona Andrews
3. Magic Slays- Ilona Andrews (reread)
4. Pleasure of a Dark Prince- Kresley Cole(reread)
5. The Dragon Who Loved Me- G.A. Aiken

~♥~
Lady D

J.R. Ward's "Crave"

2012-01-13T13:05:00.002-05:00

Crave by J.R. Ward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I definitely liked this book better than the first, although I'm not quite sure why. This story focuses on Issac Rothe and one Grier Childe, with Jim, Eddie, Adrian, Dog, and of course, Matthias in the backdrop.

The writing is classic J.R. Ward writing- gritty, with that touch of maleness to it that just makes it pop. I love the character of Issac Rothe. Bad boy who tries to right his wrongs. He ends up falling for Grier Childe, his upper class, straight-laced defense attorney who just doesn't want to give up on him. As always, Ms. Ward's sex scenes are steamy, and wonderful!

Jim is back in this novel, since the continuing storyline is centered on him saving seven souls. He is fighting with Rothe to help save him, as well as Matthias, who is just bound and determined to destroy Rothe. We get to see a bit more about Jim as an angel in this book, which is intriguing, but there's a twist at the end that I ended up seeing coming, but was a bit of a shock when I realized what it was.

Overall, this series seems to be getting better and better, and I can't wait to see what happens next!

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

Kresley Cole's Lothaire

2012-01-09T14:43:00.001-05:00

Well, friends and followers, I have some exciting news... Kresley Cole's Lothaire comes out this week! Who's excited? This girl right here. As the proud owner of all but one (I still need The Warlord Wants Forever) of her IAD books, I am eagerly awaiting my chance to snag the new book.

Lothaire is a character that I've been waiting for. I always wondered who his Bride would be or even if he would have a book and a Bride. He is intriguing to me, since he's kind of the on the fence guy in the series... you never know if he's good or bad. Well, I'm hoping his character will come to light in the new book, and I know that Ms. Cole will not disappoint us.

So, be sure to go out and pick up your copy of Lothaire, by Kresley Cole.

~♥~
Lady D

Club Shadowlands Review

2012-01-09T11:34:00.001-05:00

Club Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is a great peek into the world of BDSM. Ms. Sinclair does a wonderful job of explaining terms and showing a side of BDSM that most people not familiar with scene tend to think about which is dominance and submission versus just the sadochism and masochism side of the scene.

The characters in this book were slightly unbelievable, well, Master Z wasn't, but Jessica was. When she's introduced to the club, she just seems to take things too easily. I know that Ms. Sinclair gave a disclaimer about this at the beginning of the book, but it still feels like Jessica came to terms with her needs far too quickly. For someone to admit something like that about themselves generally takes a lot longer than a few hours, or even days. Other than that, this book was great! :)

The book is very graphic in its scenes, which if you enjoy erotica, this book will not disappoint. Very good read, couldn't put it down. Look forward to reading the next in the series.

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

Connie Suttle's "Blood Passage"

2011-12-22T01:06:00.000-05:00

Blood Passage by Connie Suttle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the continuation of Lissa Beth's story as a new vampire. Connie Suttle is a wonderful writer. Her stories flow, and they just have great, lovable, and memorable characters. The only problem with this book is the fickleness of Lissa when it comes to men. Gavin, Winkler, and Tony all show her affection, which she shows back. It's also mentioned in this book that she has a minor thing for her sire. This is the only thing that bothers me about the character of Lissa.

Warning!! This book ends with a cliffhanger, so, be ready to grab the next as soon as you can!!!

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

Review of "Waves of Seduction" by Cathryn Fox

2011-12-03T01:05:00.000-05:00

Waves of Seduction by Cathryn Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The idea of the plot line is great. It's essentially a retelling of the little mermaid in a modern day setting... plus erotica. The problem was, it was far too short! The author left the story at a point that made me go, "wait, that's it?!" I was hoping to possibly see a continuation, and maybe there will be. But as of right now, from what I can tell, there is not. Be prepared for some steamy scenes, and a want for more, and this book will leave you aching for more.

View all my reviews

~♥~
Lady D

UTC Immortals Reading Challenge

2011-11-28T11:24:00.001-05:00

Vampires, angels, demons, werewolves and fae. If you can’t pick a favourite, then that’s okay!

At UTC, we love them all! So let’s celebrate our love for all things immortal with 2012’s Immortal Reading Challenge.

Here’s the rundown:
1. The Immortals Reading Challenge runs from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012. You can join at anytime from now and throughout the year. This is a 2012 challenge, so books read before January 1 will not count to your progress.

2. You pick your goal! Read as many books as you’d like for each species. This means that you can do just one category or all five or a combination of. The choice depends on you and your reading pace.

*We have chosen to have a three book per species standard. However, if this is a breeze for you, then feel free to tackle on the additional bonus entries of two more books of the same level.

3. Re-reads are acceptable.

4. Books chosen can be of any genre.

5. To participate, copy and paste this post on your blog along with the challenge button. We ask that you provide a link back to the sign-up page in case others wish to participate.

6. Readers without blogs can still participate! Keep track of your progress with Goodreads, Shelfari or LibraryThing.

Link back

Happy Reading Maidens!

Well, I'm going to go for five of each I guess, as I'm a speedy reader, and I do the yearly reading challenges from Goodreads as well! (so yes, I'm double dipping. ;)) I guess I'll make my list from each and go from there.

Category 1: Vampires:
1. Touch the Dark- Karen Chance (reread)
2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost
3. One Grave At A Time- Jeaniene Frost (reread)
4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward
5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole

Category 2: Angels and Demons:
1. Envy- J.R. Ward
2. Kiss of a Demon King- Kresley Cole (reread)
3. ~~Demon from the Dark- Kresley Cole (reread)~~ Crave- J.R. Ward
4. Fallen- Lauren Kate
5. Speak of the Devil- Jenna Black

Category 3: Fae:
1. Bound by Darkness- Alexandra Ivy
2. Bloodfever- Karen Marie Moning
3. Night Seeker- Yasmine Galenorn
4. Grave Witch- Kalayna Price
5. Faefever- Karen Marie Moning

Category 4: Shifters and Werewolves:
1. Fair Game- Patricia Briggs
2. Gunmetal Magic- Ilona Andrews
3. Magic Slays- Ilona Andrews (reread)
4. Pleasure of a Dark Prince- Kresley Cole(reread)
5. The Dragon Who Loved Me- G.A. Aiken

So there you have it. That's my list of Immortal reading for 2012. It seems that my blog, thanks to UTC, has started turning into a book blog. I honestly don't mind, since books are one of my biggest passions. So, maybe it's time for a rename? We'll just have to see... :)

~♥~
Lady D

Under the Covers' Dirty Little Secret #22

2011-11-23T22:38:00.001-05:00

Ok, so the question posed is: "Which paranormal creature do you wish would "come out of the closet" and reveal themselves to the real world?"

Well, I'd have to give my answer as vampires... or shifters.... Hm. That's a toughie. I think I'd go with shifters. I've fallen in love with Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, and while I love her bestie Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, Ilona has taken first place in my fave book series now. &hearts. Just love it. So, when I think of sexy shifters, I think of Curran... Yum... *drools* So, shifters. Final answer. :)

~&hearts~
Lady D