Lady D's Ramblings

It's time to do a books vs. movies entry. I was at Barnes & Noble yesterday, hoping to spend some of a gift card that a good friend got me for the holiday, and I happened to come across a rack called "In the Theater." Needless to say, it was a rack of books that have recently been made into movies and are now showing in theaters. So, since I have lately noticed that lots of books are getting made into movies, I want to know if any of you have seen any of the recent movies, or are planning to, and how they are? There are several I'd like to see for sure, and I've been known in the past to go see films that have been made into books. So, let's discuss: 1. Anna Karenina- Leo Tolstoy 2. Silver Linings Playbook- Matthew Quick 3. Warm Bodies- Issac Marion 4. Beautiful Creatures- Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 5. The Host- Stephenie Meyer 6. The Hobbit- J.R.R. Tolkein 7. Les Miserables- Victor Hugo 8. On the Road- Jack Kerouac 9. City of Bones-Cassandra ...

Seduced by a Pirate by Eloisa James My rating: 5 of 5 stars This novella is a companion novella to Eloisa James' The Ugly Duchess. It follows Sir Griffin Barry, the captain of the Flying Poppy, home to his wife whom he hasn't seen in seventeen years. On his wedding night, Sir Griffin Barry, a young lad of only seventeen, found himself de-manned by his wife's extraordinary beauty. She was a few years older, and he just couldn't seem to... complete the deed. So, in his shame, he jumped out the window, went to a pub, and got rip roaring drunk. The next morning, he awoke to find himself pres-ganged onto a ship, and already at sea. His leap to piracy came shortly after that. Phoebe, the wife he left behind, started a life of her own without her husband, and adopted three young children. She enjoys her babies, and living her solitary life in a country manor. But when Griffin abruptly shows back up in her life, she's not sure she wants to be married to this gruff pirate...

The Ugly Duchess by Eloisa James My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is another great Eloisa James gem. This is part of her fairy tale series, where she takes classic fairy tails, and retells them in Recency Romance. This one, as suggested by the title, was for the Ugly Duckling. Theodora, or Theo to most everyone, and Daisy, to her closest companion James, recently debuted in the ton. She is not the most beautiful of girls, though neither her mother nor James seems to notice. She is doing what every young debutante in the ton is supposed to be: looking for a husband. James Ryburn recently learned that his father not only overspent their entire fortune and estate, but also embezzled much of Theo's dowry. James' father's solution? James must marry Theo. When Theo and James get married, the ton is scandalized. When they separate, they're even more so. Will James and Theo realize what they had before it's too late? And will the ton ever realize that Theo is so much more th...

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James My rating: 5 of 5 stars Eloisa James has done it again in this retelling of the classic fairy tail of Beauty and the Beast. Piers is the Earl of Marchant, an angry, bitter man who has a leg injury and therefore uses a cane. He's also a doctor. He has three "under" doctors, and one friend, in this case his cousin, who also helps him. If you've ever watched a certain show on FOX, this is sounding familiar to you. Eloisa James totally based the character of Piers on Dr. Gregory House. I love it! Linnet is the classic beauty, men want her, women hate her or want to be her, because she's so beautiful and perfect. But when she gets thrown over by the Prince, and she wears a gown to a ball that makes her look like she's expecting, her reputation is ruined, and no man will have her... until her Aunt shows up with an idea. Since the Earl of Marchant is reputed to be incapable of fathering children, and lo and behold, here...

Phoenix Feather by Angela Wallace My rating: 3 of 5 stars Aidan Quinn is not your typical college student. She is a phoenix, who is living her life as a human. Every 100 years, she retreats to a remote location to die and be reborn, and she has lived almost 2000 years on this planet. Aidan meets firefighter Trent McCain at work one day, and they seem to hit it off. Along with her friends, Chris and Phoebe, this life for Aidan seems pretty good... until a serial killer starts targeting red-headed victims. Bryan, Trent's brother, is assigned to the case, and he hopes to solve it before the killer comes after the woman his brother is seeming to fall in love with. This book was very interesting for me. The main character Aidan seemed very distant and aloof at the start of the book, and then seemed to become more human as she interacted more with Chris, Phoebe, and Trent. The only reason I gave this book three stars instead of four is something that happens at the end of the book, an...

How to Drive a Dragon Crazy by G.A. Aiken My rating: 5 of 5 stars About time! I have been waiting for Izzy and Eibhear's book since Briec and Tailaith's, book, which was book two. This, as all the rest, was a great story. I love having watched Iseabail grow up from being a princess into a warrior. Who she is now totally fits her. But I was surprised in the direction Ms. Aiken took Eibhear. He too is now a total warrior, and part of the Mi-Runach, which is the Dragon Queen's... as Izzy put it, berserker elite. Eibhear has become quite rough and tough, although who he was is still there... kind of. Izzy and Eibhear are headed back to Garbhan Isle, after years of being at battle, and once they get there, they immediately set off for the Desert Lands to find help for Rhianwen, Izzy's younger sister, who is having trouble controlling her magicks. While in the Desert Lands, Rhydderch Hael makes an appearance, and tasks Izzy with saving Vateria, a dragon Queen she had fough...

The Bite Before Christmas by Lynsay Sands My rating: 5 of 5 stars Home For the Holidays- Jeaniene Frost To be honest, I bought this book just for the Night Huntress short story. I liked the short story, for sure, but at the same time, I have some minor critiques... mainly that there wasn't enough Cat/Bones time together in said story. Cat and Bones have decided to have a good old fashioned Christmas at home, with their closest family and friends. But, when a long-lost member of Bones' blood family from when he was alive shows up, things start to get a little... strange. Cat, Ian, and Denise are left to figure out what's going on, and how to fix the problems with the rest of the guests that had been invited to the party. But can they figure out what's going on before someone gets killed... permanently? This was great for a novella/short story. It was actually a lot longer than I thought it would be, which was awesome, and it featured almost all of my favorite Night Hu...

As we move into the final month of the UTC Challenge, I find I'm almost done! I'm super excited, also super excited to start next year's! How are you all coming on your personal reading challenges for the year? Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Half-Blood- Jennifer L. Armentrout 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. The Accidental Demon Slayer- Angie Fox 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 3. Crave- J.R. Ward 4. Fallen- Lauren Kate 5. Kiss of a Demon King- Kresley Cole (reread) Category 3: Fae: 1. Bound by Darkness- Alexandra Ivy 2. Bloodfever- Karen Marie Moning 3. Grave Dance- Kalayna Price 4. Grave Witch- Kalayna Price 5. Faefever- Karen Marie Moning Category 4: Shifters and Werewolves: 1. Shift- Rachel Vincent 2. Gunmetal Magic- Ilona Andrews 3. Magic Slays- Ilona Andrews (reread) 4. Under Her Skin- Jeaniene Frost, Meljean Brooks, I...

Well, good readers, the time has come again for the UTC challenge. I'm almost done with my 2012 challenge, and they've posted the sign ups for the 2013 challenge. Yours truly is definitely taking the plunge and participating again, and I'm super excited to begin! For those of you who don't know how this works, there are several categories, and you have to read 3-5 books for each category presented. Now, this past year, I've changed my books as I've needed, based on the availability of the books I originally chose, inability to finish, ect. We'll see if I have to do the same this year or not. Re-reads are acceptable, but that's no fun. ;) So, without further ado, here's my list! Category 1: Vampires 1. Guilty Pleasures- Laurell K. Hamilton (re-read) 2. Twice Tempted- Jeaniene Frost 3. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 4. Shadow's Claim- Kresley Cole 5. Vamped- Lucienne Diver Category 2: Angels and Demons 1. Archangel's Kiss- Nalini Singh 2. T...

Under the Covers Book Blog is a blog I follow daily. I love the ladies, and they give me some great reading ideas. Now, I've had Gena Showalter on my backlist for a while, so, the fact that there's a 2013 Gena Showalter challenge is perfect! I fully intend to participate, and you can too! Click on the button at the top of this entry, and it will get you back to the sign up page where you can sign up to participate as well! As for me, well, my challenge category will be "Gena Who?" since I've never read one of her books! I know, shocking. I'm going to shoot for reading the Atlantis series, plus one separate series, the White Rabbit Chronicles series... and that's because I've wanted to start that for a while. :) Atlantis Series 1. Heart of the Dragon 2. Jewel of Atlantis 3. The Nymph King 4. The Vampire's Bride White Rabbit Chronicles 1. Alice in Zombieland 2. Through the Zombie Glass So, go, be sure to sign up, and read along with me...

Faefever by Karen Marie Moning My rating: 2 of 5 stars Ok, so, the only reason I ended up finishing this, and the only reason that I will be reading the next book is because a co-worker keeps telling me the series gets better. That's right, you're about to read a negative review from me. I started reading this series because I had previously read KMM's Highlander series and loved it. The first book was decent, the second book seemed like a filler, and this book? Well, I got through it. For me, this series just isn't going anywhere. Mac is still in Dublin, still employed by Jericho Barrons at Barron's Books and Baubles, and she's still working with/against Inspector Jayne on the case of her sister's killer. In this book, we also have V'lane vying for her attention, and now we have the Lord Master also vying for her attention. Mac in this book also meets someone named Christian MacKelter, who is a Scottish druid who is working on fighting the Unseelie, ...

Fate's Edge by Ilona Andrews My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is book three in Ilona Andrews' Edge series. While each book can almost stand alone, you will miss a lot of character development if you don't read them in order. In this book, we meet Audrey Callahan, and Edger with an interesting talent; her magic unlocks doors. And not just doors, any lock; safes, bars, Fort Knox, anything. She has distanced herself from her family due to a horrible instance that happened in her past, and now she wants nothing to do with them. Audrey is just finally getting her life together, she has a legitimate job, her own house, Ling the Merciless, her pet raccoon that she loves, when her world crashes around her and her father shows up asking for her help on a job. The job is huge, and she knows it won't end well, but she trades her skills for her family's absence in her life. After the heist takes place, we meet Kaldar Mar, whom we met in the last book. He is an operative of the M...

Angels' Blood by Nalini Singh My rating: 4 of 5 stars I have never read Nalini Singh before this, but man, I can't wait to continue! Meet Elena Deveraux, Guild Hunter... that is to say, she hunts vampires as part of a large organization that hunts them called the guild. Elena gets a request to do a hunt for Raphael, the archangel of New York. Elena is scared witless, because archangels aren't exactly known for their kindness. The hunt isn't for a vampire however, but an archangel who has all but turned into a vampire. Elena's fear is replaced by determination as she strives to find the archangel before he turns New York into a bloodbath... but how does one kill an archangel? This story was great! The chemistry between Elena and Raphael jumped right off the page, and at points, I was all but screaming at them to just stop fighting it, and go for it! And that is why this book doesn't get five stars. For the majority of the book, really up until the last 50 page...

The Smoke Thief by Shana Abé My rating: 4 of 5 stars I picked up this book due to the fact that it was recommended to me after reading the Dragonkin series by G.A. Aiken. And I have to say, I was NOT disappointed. This series combines two of my favorite things... historical romance... and dragons. Yes, that's right, I said dragons! Clarissa Rue Hawthorne is a half-blooded drakon who doesn't fit in in the elite world that the drakon live. So, when she finds out that she has the power to Turn, she fakes her own death in order to run from what she knows is a future with a man who will never love her. Now living in London, Clarissa uses her powers to steal from the ton, London's elite society. But when Christoff, the drakon Alpha, and the rest of the drakon hear of this mysterious "Smoke Thief," they know instantly that it's one of their own, and they decide to set a trap to catch him... or her. What Christoff didn't expect to find is a female drakon who st...

Grave Peril by Jim Butcher My rating: 4 of 5 stars Harry faces off something new in this book that he's never seen. Something in the Nevernever is getting stirred up, and ghosts are feeling the effects. Whatever this thing is, it's also getting to Harry and his friends. Harry is going to have to figure out not only what this thing is, but how to stop it before it kills someone that he loves and cares about. There's some really awesome things that happen in this book that I didn't see in the previous two, and that's more world building. We get to see more of Harry, and more of the people that he works with, and around. We meet someone in this book that I don't think we've met before, and his name is Michael. Michael works for god, and is kind of a Knight Templar. We see a lot of him in this book, as he and Harry work closely together on this case. Karrin Murphy, aka Murph, is kind of left out of this book, but that's not really a bad thing. Since she w...

Ill Wind by Rachel Caine My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is one of the most imaginative and unique series that I think I've ever read. Meet Joanne Baldwin. She's a Weather Warden... that is to say she can control the weather. But when something goes horribly wrong in her life, she finds her self on the run from other Wardens, and on her own... until she meets David, a super-hot hitch hiker who seems to want to help her out. Joanne is fighting something within that is threatening to kill her, and since time is not on her side, she is literally racing cross-country to hopefully find help. Can she make it in time? And who is David, really? This book is amazing start to finish. It is a fast-paced read, since as I mentioned, Joanne is literally racing against the clock to get help. We're introduced to an old "legend" in this book as well, the Djinn, known more commonly as "genies." I love Rachel Caine's take on the classic paranormal breed, and this is ho...

Two months to finish out the challenge. I don't have that many books left to read, so, I'm hoping that I can finish it! :) Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Half-Blood- Jennifer L. Armentrout 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. The Accidental Demon Slayer- Angie Fox 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 3. Crave- J.R. Ward 4. Fallen- Lauren Kate 5. Kiss of a Demon King- Kresley Cole (reread) 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. Shift- Rachel Vincent 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

The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox My rating: 5 of 5 stars There is one word for this book. Fun. Sheer, glorious fun. Meet Lizzie Brown. Uptight, until she meets her real family that is. She is from a long line of demon slayers, and on her 30th birthday, her long-lost grandmother has come to inform her of this fact. Now Lizzie is working with her grandma and a coven of witches called the Red Skulls to help fight a demon named Vald. Lizzie is scared, uptight, clumsy, and yet brave at the same time. It's really fun watching her learn who she is, and really come into herself. And watching her interact with a super sexy griffin doesn't hurt either. My favorite character in this whole book though is Pirate. Pirate is Lizzie's Jack Russel Terrier who just happens to talk. He's super funny, sweet, and hyper, and makes me want to know where I can get my own talking dog. This book is fun, action-packed, and man is that griffin HOT! The interaction between him and Lizzie...

So, I recently came across another book that I need to add to my Did Not Finish, or DNF list. I tried to read this book across several months, but, honestly, I just couldn't finish it. So, here's the updated list. 1. Two for the Dough- Janet Evanovich 2. Dead Zone- Stephen King 3. Insomnia- Stephen King 4. Witch- Marie Brennan 5. Memoirs of Cleopatra- Margaret George 6. Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll 7. Go Ask Alice- Anonymous 8. Diary of Anne Frank- Anne Frank 9. Band of Brothers- Stephen E. Ambrose 10. Dragon Wytch- Yasmine Galenorn 11. Forbidden Magic- Cheyenne McCray 12. The Scot, The Witch, and the Wardrobe- Annette Blair 13. A Girl's Guide to Vampires- Katie MacAlister 14. Granuaile: Ireland's Pirate Queen- Anne Chambers 15. Boudicca: Warrior Queen- Alan Gold 16. Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe- Fannie Flagg 17. The Freedom Writers Diary- Erin Gruwell 18. Valley of Silence- Nora Roberts 19. One Bite with a Stranger- Christine Wa...

Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout My rating: 4 of 5 stars While this book wasn't nearly as action-packed as the short story that preceded it, I still really liked this book. Half-Blood picks up immediately where Daimon leaves off. Alex gets picked up by the Covenant, and it is decided that she is going to train there over the summer with her former crush, Aiden, in order for her to try and catch up to where she needs to be. If she doesn't progress quickly enough, however, she'll be sentenced to a fate worse than death for her: servitude to the Pures. But everything is not as it seems in Alex's life. Something is going to come to light that will change her life forever. Will Alex be able to cope with everything going on with her past as well as what her future holds? And will she be able to deal with training with Aiden day in and day out knowing that she has the hots for him? This was a great beginning to the series. We get to see a bit more into the world that th...

So, we all have our favorite book series, and from those series, we have our favorite characters. I really love a good heroine that I can relate to, and want to be like, but I also love a good leading male that makes me want him. So, I thought it would be fun to compile a Book Boyfriends list so that we can dish on who we all love. And guys, not to leave you out, I want to hear about your book girlfriends! Here's my list of book boyfriends. 1. Curran: Kate Daniels Series- Ilona Andrews 2. Bones: Night Huntress Series- Jeaniene Frost 3. Lothaire: Immortals After Dark- Kresley Cole 4. Conrad Wroth: Immortals After Dark- Kresley Cole 5. Adam: Mercy Thompson Series- Patricia Briggs 6. Charles: Alpha and Omega- Patricia Briggs 7. Jamie Fraser: Outlander Series- Diana Gabaldon 8. Zsadist: Black Dagger Brotherhood- J.R. Ward 9. Vishous: Black Dagger Brotherhood- J.R. Ward 10. Viper: Guardians of Eternity- Alexandra Ivy 11. Fearghus: Dragonkin Series- G.A. Aiken 12. Nathaniel B...

So, I'm pretty sure that I've said this on this blog before, but I'm a HUGE Ilona Andrews fan. I've tried time and again to shamelessly promote them, but I know what some of you are thinking; "What if I buy their book and don't like their style?" or "What if they're not for me?" Well guess what? Now you can try them out without having to buy their books (Although I still think you should go buy them all!!!) Ilona Andrews is publishing a new "Serial Novel" called Clean Sweep on their blog. What is a serial novel you ask? Well, it's a novel, but it's published in parts. For example, they're publishing one to two parts of chapters a week. Now yes, that does mean that you'll have to wait for it as it comes out, but trust me, it's totally worth it! Plus, it's free! So, you literally have nothing to lose! So, what're you waiting for? Click on the words "Clean Sweep" above, or click on them just be...

Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the prequel to the Covenant series. I picked it up after reading a review of book one in the series, and I wasn't disappointed. While this is technically a YA series, it doesn't really read that way so far. Yes the character is seventeen, but she is very much older and wiser than her years. This short story was filled with lots of action, and a good introduction into the world that Ms. Armentrout is building. In this story we meet Alexandria, a seventeen year old girl who is anything but normal. Her mother is descended from gods, and they're both on the run from the world they hail from. They're doing their best to fit in when they're found by their enemies and everything goes wrong. Now Alexandria must find her way back to the world her mom took her away from before it's too late. Will she be accepted once she gets there? I hated how this ended on a cliffhanger, but I see why she did it, and I ...

Shift by Rachel Vincent My rating: 4 of 5 stars I had some trouble with this book, personally, even though it's an amazing book. In this book, Faythe and the Pride are forced to face off against an ancient enemy race, the Thunderbirds. They are put in a position where they face life and death, and the heart wrenching grief of their losses hits you right in the chest. SPOILER FROM THE LAST BOOK The problem I had with this book actually started with something that happened in the last book, and that's where Faythe ends up sleeping with Jace right after her brother's death. Marc is missing, her brother just died, and she and Jace both get a little drunk, and fall into a passion that neither knew was there. The problem I have with this is that I'm not a fan of cheating in books or movies with characters that I love. I also am not a fan of poly-amorous relationships in my books or movies, and I tend to stay away from them. So when I saw that in the last book, I was a lit...

Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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. Shift- Rachel Vincent 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

My Life As a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book started really strong for me, kind of trailed off in the middle, and then really picked up at the end again. It left me wanting more, and I can't wait to pick up the next book in the series. Meet Angel, a real "white-trash" low-life; addicted to drugs and alcohol, no job, a high school drop out, a real winner. But when she wakes up in the hospital after an overdose, she finds someone has given her a second chance at life. A mysterious person wrote her a letter which got her a job at a morgue. Angel can't waste this chance, because if she does, this mysterious person will tell her Parole Officer about drugs and such, and she'll end up in jail. What Angel comes to learn is that she's been turned into a zombie, and she needs her job for her survival. I really fell in love with the character of Angel. She was down on her luck, and at first when she got the second chance, she almo...

Bound By Darkness by Alexandra Ivy My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is the 11th book in the Guardians of Eternity series. This is Jaelyn and Ariyal's story. Jaelyn is a vampire assassin known as a Hunter. Hunter's are revered and feared by the rest of their race. They live solitary lives, and with little luxury. Ariyal is the prince of the Sylvermyst, who pledged to serve the demon Morgana le Fey, instead of being banished behind the veil with their master the Dark Lord. They suffered terribly in her hands, and with her death, the Sylvermyst are divided. With the plot of the children that is continued from the last full-length book, we find ourselves once again racing against time along with the main characters, as those who plot to resurrect the Dark Lord move forth with their plans. Jaelyn is put on assignment from the Commission, a powerful group of oracles that no demon race messes with. And what is her assignment? Being close to Ariyal. I had a few problems with this story ...

Sorry it's a bit later than usual... just moved to a new state, so, that put me a bit off my game... Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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

Deep Kiss of Winter by Kresley Cole My rating: 4 of 5 stars Untouchable Daniela the Ice Maiden is part Icere, and part Valkyrie. Since she is part ice fae, she cannot touch another (unless they're an ice fae as well), without excruciating pain. Murdoch Wroth is an Estonian Warlord who was once a massive rake. After saving Daniela from assassins, Murdoch learns that Danii is his Bride. But since they can never touch, will their frustration be enough to drive them apart? Untouchable is a story of utter frustration and sexual desire. It actually takes place a lot earlier than the last few IAD books, and once again with a Wroth brother. It's a novella in the book Deep Kiss of Winter. Even though it's a novella, it's still 300 pages, and well worth the read. The sexual tension between Danii and Murdoch all but lights the pages on fire, and the sex scenes between the two are scorching. Kresley Cole has, as always, delivered a steamy, passionate couple who make your hearts ...

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole My rating: 4 of 5 stars Meet Sabine, sorceress, and the Queen of Illusions. She's evil, and the sister to Omort the Deathless, a sorcerer who took over the rage demon kingdom of Rothkalina. Meet Rydstrom, rage demon, and the rightful King to Rothkalina. Also, he's Sabine's fated mate. Sabine is working with her half brother Omort on some prophecy where she bears Rydstrom's heir, and opens the Well of Souls, a well in the throne room of Tornin, Rothkalina's castle. Rydstrom is captured, and held prisoner by Sabine, where she wants a vow to make her his Queen, them married, and then she would be able to bear his heir. But the problem is, as fate often intends, even when couples seem so different from each other, they're often perfect. Sabine and Rydstrom start falling for each other. However, since they've both laid deceptions, will they be able to overcome the lies and fall in love? Kresley Cole has done it again in thi...

Moonlight and Shadow by Isolde Martyn My rating: 3 of 5 stars This story follows one Heloise Ballaster, a silver haired young woman with a touch of precognition. She gets forced into a marriage with the very wonderful Sir Miles Rushden, and they mutually decide to work on getting the marriage annulled so that they can go their separate ways... not to mention that Sir Miles is previously betrothed. But before they can manage it, Heloise is kicked from her father's home, and decides to follow Miles to get him to accept her... or at least protect her until they get their annulment. The historical accuracy in this book is pretty well straight on. I know that the author takes some liberties, but all the liberties that she took were based in fact. It was really fun "Seeing" Miles deal with what he feels for Heloise, and what he thinks he should feel for her. The same goes for Heloise. Their banter is witty, and wonderful, and sparks off each other. The one thing I didn't...

A Kiss at Midnight by Eloisa James My rating: 5 of 5 stars I bought this after one of the authors I follow gave it a rave review. I am so glad I did! I had never read Ms. James' work before, but now I'm going to dive in head first to the rest of her works. This book is a retelling/reinvention of the Cinderella fairy tail. Cinderella's name in this book is Kate, and Kate has to pretend to be her step-sister since her stepsister has found herself in a compromising situation with her betrothed, and the only way she can marry him is if he gets permission from his cousin, the prince. Well, needless to say, since Kate has been working as a servant in her own home for several years, she is discovered, and she and the prince manage to fall in love. This book is charming, witty, and the sex scenes will make you weak in the knees. Ms. James makes her scenes so intimate, and so romantic, it just makes you want to sigh. The book is also really funny. All of her characters have their...

Sought by Evangeline Anderson My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is the third book in the Kindred series, and it is about Kat O'Connor, and her Twin Kindred, Lock and Deep. All Twin Kindred are born as twins, as the name suggests, but not just twins, as there is a dark twin, and a light twin. These don't mean evil and good, but rather describe the twins as a whole. For example, Deep, the dark twin is dark of hair and eyes, and he does have a darker personality overall, but I for one, fell in love with him. Lock, the light twin, is pale, in looks, and has a charming and uplifting personality. Kat, in the last book, attempted to be the focus for Lock and Deep's finder/seeker relationship. It worked wonderfully, but left them with a partial kindred bond. This book is her dealing with this partial bond, and learning to deal with Lock and Deep as well. This book is not my favorite of the series to be honest, but that's only because I don't like M/F/M relationships. I'm ...

Gunmetal Magic by Ilona Andrews My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book is another great example why Ilona Andrews is a wonderful author. This is Andrea Nash, beastkin extraordinaire and Kate Daniels' best friend's book. Andrea is called upon by Jim to help on a case dealing with her ex-boyfriend's business, and in the process, deal with her own demons, as well as the issues with ex. Andrea runs across some interesting snakes, and a Russian volhv that has the hots for her. Andrea struggles against who she is, and it's really fun watching her discover herself, and realize that she likes her true self. It's also fun to see the romance that is in there, and the sub-romance plot that makes its way into the story. This book will not leave you disappointed. It takes place in the Kate Daniels world, but it stars Andrea, not Kate. Ilona Andrews once again plays on her readers' emotions, and we are all pulling for Andrea to succeed. While you don't see a lot of Kate and...

Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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

Well, this is the most recent book in the Kate Daniels series to come out. I had read it before (the day it came out, actually), but I recently re-read it, and thought I'd make a post about it. As I've said before, I love Ilona Andrews, so, my review may be a tad biased, but, it is what it is. :D Kate is facing something that could potentially kill most if not all of the citizens of Atlanta. She needs her best friend's help, as well as that of her main squeeze, and his 1500+ shapeshifters that he has control over. Will Kate be able to stop the evil before it kills them all? This book is great, just like the others. In this one, Kate and Curran are mated, Julie is in the picture a lot more, since she's now living at the Keep, and we get to have Andrea as her usual charming self. Grendel also makes appearances, which is great, because, frankly, I love that shaved poodle. I would not recommend starting this book if you haven't read the others. You could, but you...

Ok, so, I think that most people out there by this time have read Harry Potter. I'm on my um, I'm not sure what time re-reading it, but regardless, I thought I'd write reviews on it. So, here goes: Harry Potter was orphaned as a child in a horrible accident, and left for his aunt and uncle, who treat him horribly. He finds out he's a wizard, and goes off to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. While there, he learns of a plot to steal something called the Sorcerer's Stone, and he and his friends, Ron and Hermione, set out to stop the thief. All in all, even though Harry Potter was written for young adults/children, everyone who reads it seems to enjoy it. I'm no different. I love the idea of a world of witches and wizards just beyond our sight. All the new things that Ms. Rowling brings with their world, such as chocolate frogs, wizard's chess, pictures that move, are ingenious. I think that while most people have read the book, everyone has see...

Well, I only managed one book on the list this month, although I'm halfway through a second. The good news is that Gunmetal Magic comes out this month, so, there's another book that I'll get to cross off my list. I've kind of been re-reading again, as well as throwing random historical fiction in there as well. Go figure. Right now, I'm on book 3 of the Harry Potter series for the 3rd, 4th, 5th... um, yeah, I have no idea how many times. Oh well. Hey, maybe I'll review those! :) Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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 Witc...

Reckoning by Jeaniene Frost My rating: 3 of 5 stars I'm honestly surprised, being how much I love Jeaniene Frost, that I'm not giving this book higher marks. I love Bones, and I love seeing him do his thing, but for me, this book just missed the mark. Honestly, I think it's because he was with a woman other than Cat. Bones, an undead hitman, is called to New Orleans to take care of a pair of ghouls who like to torture and eat innocent humans. Once in New Orleans, he also manages to pick up a hitman who is after him. Jeaniene Frost's characters are always great, and in this, Bones is no exception. We also meet Jelani, servant/devotee to Marie Laveau, voodoo queen of New Orleans, and a ghoul herself. The world that Ms. Frost spins is also delightful. As I said, I think the reason this book fell short for me was the fact that in it, Bones is with another woman, and I just don't like him being away from Cat. I had the same feelings during part of another of her novel...

Magic Dreams by Ilona Andrews My rating: 5 of 5 stars I read this novella very quickly, even for a novella. I love Ilona Andrews' Kate Daniels series, and therefore, anything related to it, I tend to devour. Magic Dreams centers around Dali and Jim, a white tiger shifter, and a panther shifter. Jim is also Curran's chief of security type person, and the alpha of the cat clan. In this novella, we see Dali openly lusting (in her mind) after Jim (this story is told from her perspective), and being torn up over the fact that he doesn't lust after her as well. All that gets put on hold however, when Jim runs into some type of magic, and comes out badly. Dali immediately works to save him, enlisting the help of her mother and family to do it. This novella was great. Everything that Ilona Andrews writes has this sharp wit to it that you can't help but laugh at. This novella was no different. Especially when it came to Dali's mom, and the barbs that Dali and Jim trade. E...

Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well, considering I finished this book in less than 24 hours after I started it, that should say something... but, if it doesn't, let me just speak plainly... IT. IS. AWESOME. I am a Jeaniene Frost fan, and have been ever since I picked up the first book in her Night Huntress series. This book does not center around Cat or Bones, but rather Vlad, and a woman he meets named Leila. I loved Vlad from the moment he made an appearance in the NH series, and he did not disappoint here. Being able to see more into him, and who he is made me fall in love with him even more. Leila is a new comer, a woman who suffered a horrible accident as a teen that left her scarred both physically and emotionally. But beyond her scars, she is also left with some new abilities. She essentially turned into a human taser, and she can see peoples' past, present, and sometimes future when she touches them with her right hand. The sparks between Leila...

Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati My rating: 5 of 5 stars I found this book when it was recommended to me by my taste preferences in Diana Gabaldon's work. I purchased the book, and then I let it sit on my shelf for a good while. Well, after reading it, I wish I would have picked it up a whole lot sooner! This book is absolutely amazing. It is a wonderful retelling of part of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales, mixed with the author's amazing wit, and writing talent. She incorporates a brief glimpse as well of some of Diana Gabaldon's characters from her Outlander series. Lovers of Diana Gabaldon should NOT pass this series up! Into the Wilderness is book one in the Wilderness series. In it, we meet Elizabeth Middleton, a recent immigrant to America's frontier from England. She and her brother have come to make a home here with their father, and neither of them are overly pleased by it. I loved the character of Elizabeth. She is 29, and claims herself...

An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon My rating: 5 of 5 stars I finished this book late last night, after getting to a point where I couldn't put it down. As with all Ms. Gabaldon's books, this one is very long, but very very good. This book picks up right where the last one left off; Bree and Roger and the kids went back to their own time, Claire and Jamie are dealing with the repercussions of the big house burning down, and Murdina Bug's death, and Ian is just dealing with all the trouble's that he's been faced with. We get to see quite a bit more of William in this book, as well as Lord John, but that's ok, because their stories are intertwined with Jamie and Claire's. The Revolutionary War sets into full swing in this book, and Ms. Gabaldon does a very good job with her historical facts, and people. The only big problem that I had with this book is how much time (which to say isn't very much at all) is spent with Roger and Bree. I mean, I know the...

Well, since most of the books left on my list aren't out yet, I actually don't think I read any of the books on this list in the last month. Huh, go figure. ;) I'm kind of excited, because Once Burned comes out this month! Gunmetal Magic comes out next month, too, so, I'm going to find myself very busy reading for a while. :) Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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 S...

Hey guys, Sorry that this blog has been a bit stagnant as of late, but, I recently got a new job, and haven't had too much time to read, to be honest. I'm still finding time to read at least 30 mins a day, so, the posts will keep coming, but, I haven't finished any books lately. So, there's that. I hope everything is going well with you all! ~♥~ Lady D

So, there's a new book series I just heard about, called "The Taker" series by Alma Katsu. I was reading a review of the newest book, The Reckoning , which comes out June 19th (go pick it up!!! Nao!!!! ;)), in which it was compared to Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I'm officially intrigued, and I think I'm going to have to go pick this series up. Anything that blends history with fantasy is right up my alley. And since anyone who follows this blog would possibly tend to read the same things, this is why I'm posting about this great new author I've discovered. :) ~♥~ Lady D

Have you ever had a book that you started that you just couldn't finish? Either the plot was too slow, or you just didn't like the author's style of writing, or something? Well, I think that we all have that, and so I'm going to start a reoccuring DNF list on here, or my "Did Not Finish" list. It's going to be books that I've started that... yeah, just didn't do it for me. If you've read these, and think they're awesome, tell me! Get me to change my mind! And something funny that I'm noticing about this list, is that when it comes to certain authors, i.e. Yasmine Galenorn, and Stephen E. Ambrose, other books of theirs I love! But these I just couldn't do. 1. Two for the Dough- Janet Evanovich 2. Dead Zone- Stephen King 3. Insomnia- Stephen King 4. Witch- Marie Brennan 5. Memoirs of Cleopatra- Margaret George 6. Alice in Wonderland- Lewis Carroll 7. Go Ask Alice- Anonymous 8. Diary of Anne Frank- Anne Frank 9. Band of Brothe...

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is book two in the Harry Dresden series. Harry is still working with Lt. Karrin Murphy over the fact that he had hidden some facts from her on the last case that they worked together on. He was also still dating Susan, the reporter for the Arcane tabloid. All of a sudden, some murders start up, and Murphy needs his help. What Harry and Murphy discover is that the murders seem to be werewolf murders. But what kind of werewolves? The next victim is one that Harry knew, and Murphy thinks that he's hiding something, so, she arrests him. With the help of a woman he thought to be a suspect, Harry escapes, and hopes to find out who's murdering people before things can get worse. Will Harry find the murderer before too many more people die? This book was great. I liked it a lot more than the first book, and I will definitely keep reading this series. I love the character of Harry Dresden. He's smart, witty, and less than char...

Only read a couple of books towards the challenge this month. Still think I'm going strong. :) I guess we'll see what this new month has in store for me! Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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

Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland My rating: 4 of 5 stars I picked this book up on a whim after reading the synopsis, and I'm glad I did. Ms. Rowland does a magnificent job of combining a crime novel with an urban fantasy. Kara Gillian is a detective with the Beaulac PD. She's also a demon summoner. After years of working financial crimes, she finally got the break she needed, and was assigned to homicide. But so far, there have been no homicides for her to work on. So, she picked up the case files for an old cold case, and began studying those. The case involved the arcane, which, as a demon summoner, was kind of her specialty. As soon as she starts working on this case, sure enough, murders start happening, and they appear to be related to the cold case! The Symbol Man, as he's called, because of the symbol he carves into his victims' flesh, appears to be back, and Kara is assigned to the case. Also, Kara decides to do a demon summoning to help her figure out part...

Bloodfever by Karen Marie Moning My rating: 3 of 5 stars Ok, so, I was reading this book, and I just kind of got bored. The overall storyline of the series is great, but this book kind of seemed like a filler to me. In this book, Mac is continuing her search for the Sinsar Dubh, with Barrons' help, but the book just kind of seems all over the place to me. It doesn't really have a solid plot line, which kind of turned me off of the book. I did end up finishing it, and towards the end, I really started to get into it. In this book we learn a little more about several of the characters that had been presented in the last book, including Jericho Barrons. We also learn a bit more about Rowena, and get to meet a new character named Dani. We see whether or not Malluce is really dead, and the Lord Master makes another appearance, so does V'lane. So, it's continuing the story, but it's just kind of filling the gap. Now, as I mentioned there are some tasty tidbits that hap...

Dragon Actually by G.A. Aiken My rating: 5 of 5 stars Dragon Actually is the story of Annwyl the Bloody, and Fearghus the Destroyer. Annwyl is my type of heroine. She's a kick-butt, take no-nonsense battle lord, who is fighting to kill her brother, Lorcan, the ruler of Garbhan Isle. But when Annwyl meets Fearghus, she thinks she's about to die, from an attack of some of Lorcan's men. Fearghus, who normally wants nothing of humans but a late night snack surprises even himself by saving Annwyl. Annwyl awakes in Fearghus' cave, and learns to care for her dragon. But the dragon has a trick up his sleeve. He has decided to help Annwyl learn to fight so that she can take on her brother without dying. So he shifts into his human form to teach her how to fight. But, before he can explain to Annwyl that he and the dragon are one in the same, she decides she wants to know nothing about the knight who helps train her. Will Fearghus be able to explain to Annwyl who he is, and wi...

Sorry that I'm a bit late on the update for this month guys, I kind of forgot about it. *grins sheepishly* Anyways, without further ado, here it is! Category 1: Vampires: 1. Twilight-Stephenie Meyer (reread) 2. Once Burned- Jeaniene Frost 3. Hunted- Evangeline Anderson 4. Lover Reborn- J.R. Ward 5. Lothaire- Kresley Cole Category 2: Angels and Demons: 1. Envy- J.R. Ward 2. Mark of the Demon- Diana Rowland 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

The Dragon Who Loved Me by G.A. Aiken My rating: 5 of 5 stars This is Rhona and Vigholf's book. Rhona is a Cadwaldr female dragon, which means she fights, she is far from lady-like, and she doesn't let anyone stand in her way. Vigholf is a lightning dragon from the North, which means when he sees a female, he thinks she should be as far from danger as possible, since female dragons are so scarce in the North. Rhona and Vigholf get sent on a mission to find Annwyl, the missing Mad Queen of Garbhan Isle. Annwyl has apparently gone off into the heart of the enemies her country is fighting, in hopes of finding a rebel King to help them defeat the evil dragons of the Provinces and end the five years' war they've been in the middle of. This book was better than the last book, which I had a hard time getting through, but it still wasn't the caliber of the first three books. G.A. Aiken writes steamy scenes, but her books aren't only about sex. They're gritty semi...