May 28, 2012

Review: Sidney Sheldon's Angel of the Dark by Tilly Bagshawe



In 1996 LAPD Homicide Detective Danny McGuire gets a case that will change his life forever. The wealthy Andrew Jakes is murdered and his much younger wife Angela was brutally raped. Haunted by the look in Angela's eyes Danny works at solving the brutal murder. When Danny finds out Angela lied about a something small he goes back to confront her and finds out Angela disappeared. All of Andrew's money was donated to children's charities and she's no where to be found. 

Now 10 years later Danny is working with Interpol in France and has put Angela Jakes out of his mind and has found happiness with a fellow officer named Celine.  But when he's contacted by Matt Daley his world us turned upside down again. Matt is Andrew Jake's son from a previous marriage and he has evidence that there were more killings just like his father's and each time the young and suddenly wealthy widows disappear. Can Danny convince his boss to re-open the case and will he ever learn what really happened to Angela all those years ago?

I am or should I say was a huge fan of Sidney Sheldon and I have to agree with my initial thoughts on reading Tilly Bagshawe's first Sheldon inspired book, Mistress of the Game. Bagshawe comes close to Sheldon's level but doesn't quite capture the same intensity that he had. 

Angel of the Dark had a lot of suspense and pulled me into the story but it fizzled out in the end. It was a little too over the top and I grew to loathe Matt and his obsession. I just wanted to yell at him to get over it already. I do recommend this read if you're a fan of either author but just don't set the bar to high before you turn the first page. 


May 22, 2012

Review: Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep



The day before reporting back to Mythos Academy after the winter break, Gwen and quite a few of her classmates are visiting a coliseum filled with artifacts to complete a report Professor Mentis assigned them over the break. The next thing you know Reapers are invading the coliseum looking for the Helheim Dagger which will release the God of Chaos, Loki, from his imprisonment. In their search for the dagger the Reapers kill quite a few of Gwen’s classmates but the so-called Reaper Girl, Loki’s Champion, makes a mistake and drops a map that shows another possible location of the dagger, the library where Gwen works.

As Gwen begins searching for the dagger things with the Spartan Logan have taken a turn for the better but just when she feels that things might be getting back on track with Logan her psychometry magic drives a big wedge between them. Will things work themselves out before the Reapers make another appearance or will it be too late for Gwen and the other Mythos students?

I’ve been one Estep's biggest fans since her Big Time series. My favorite series in 2011 was her Elemental Assassin series. With that being said I had the hardest time getting through book one of this series,Touch of Frost. Maybe it was the fact that the series was YA and I wasn't having too much luck with my YA reads but there was just something about the book that I couldn't put my finger on. I was almost about to give up on the series when I read Halloween Frost in the Entangled Anthology. There was just enough intrigue to get me hooked on the series and eagerly awaiting the next installment Kiss of Frost.

Now in Dark Frost Estep once again has me hooked. This latest book pulled me in from the opening pages and I eagerly sped through the rest of the book. The characters come to life with such authenticity that I can't help but feel like they are my friends and I'm rooting for them every step of the way. The storyline itself took a totally unexpected turn in Dark Frost and I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment. I highly recommend this one for all YA and urban fantasy readers. And be sure to read the rest of Estep's books. She is an amazing writer and I can't wait until she reaches Nora Roberts or James Patterson's status where a new book is cranked out every few months that way I can get my fixes faster. LOL


May 20, 2012

Review: Real Vampires Hate Skinny Jeans by Gerry Barttlett







Product Description: 


Someone is eating for two...


Full-figured vampire Glory St. Clair thinks things are finally going her way. She's no longer possessed by a demon, the legions of hell aren't on her tail, and her love life is heating up since she managed to reconnect with her maker-and longtime lover-Jeremy Blade.

When a pregnant demon shows up on her doorstep, Glory knows that everything is about to go to hell. Alesa is claiming that the baby she's carrying is Rafe's, conceived while she was inhabiting Glory's body. A clever trap? Or could it be true?

Booties and bibs are the last thing on Glory's mind when she discovers dark secrets from her own forgotten past. Who is she? What is she? And how will the men in her life deal with the fact that she may be more powerful than she knew? One thing is certain. Glory has way more to worry about than fitting into her favorite pair of jeans...

My Review:

When I read book seven in the series I was pretty disappointed (read my review) and swore that if book eight didn't wow me then I would give up on the series. Well now that I've read book eight I have to say that while the book didn't wow me it will keep me in the series at least until the next book. 

There was more of Glory flip-flopping with the men in her life which I hate but the story lines in this one were pretty interesting. First Glory has to deal with the return of the demon Alesa then she learns that before she was turned she wasn't a human. Now in addition to figuring out what she is, she's learning to control all these awesome new powers that she now has and taking back control of her life. 

Book nine in the series has Glory traveling to Scotland to save her relationship with Jeremy so I hope Real Vampires Know Hips Happen is as much fun as the first six books that I loved so much. I recommend this series for all paranormal romance lovers.