Review: Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

Author's Website

Read an excerpt

Serena Kelley closely guards two things… a charm that keeps her invincible to the danger all around her and her virginity. If she gives up her virginity she loses the invincibility and she’ll die of the disease that was affecting her when she was given the charm to save her life at age seven.

While out hunting one night, Wraith a Seminus (sex) demon was hit with a poisonous dart. The only thing that can save him is the charm Serena holds. As he sets about seducing her he learns some unexpected things: if he dies, his two brothers also die and the Underworld hospital they run is destroyed. Plus if Serena loses the charm the gates between Heaven and Hell are destroyed and Armageddon will begin on earth.

Who will prevail when all options lead to death and destruction?

I absolutely loved this book. There are actually two sets of characters that are followed in this book that ultimately tie together in the end. Obviously the world doesn’t end and Wraith saves the day but the storyline is very unique with a couple of twists that I didn’t see coming. The sex scenes are very steamy but not at all crass which in my opinion can take away a lot from a book.

Passion Unleashed is book three in the Demonica series and I have yet to read Pleasure Unbound or Desire Unchained but I highly recommend reading them first. I wasn’t lost but the back story on a lot of the characters in this book are explained in those two books. I’m definitely reading those two and looking forward to book 4, Ecstasy Unveiled coming in February 2010.

Review: Passion Unleashed by Larissa Ione

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2009/04/review-passion-unleashed-by-larissa.html

Review: Drood by Dan Simmons

Courtesy of Hachette Audio

On June 9, 1865 Charles Dickens survived a horrible train wreck at Staplehurst. In the middle of the chaos he saved the lives on many yet watched as many more passed away right in front of his eyes. He also met the mysterious character Edmond Drood. A horrifying man who Dickens swore sucked the life out of the dying passengers right before his eyes. From that moment on Dickens became obsessed with the man and with the help of the story’s narrator, friend and fellow writer Wilkie Collins, he began a search of London’s most terrifying underworld.

For the next five years Wilkie acted as a friend, a collaborator and even a spy as he was in and out of Dickens’ life. Dickens evolved from searching out Drood to avoiding him when he learns Drood’s true intentions. Wilkie’s narration ranges from brilliant observations to laudanum induced paranoia.

Through the first half of listening to Drood I thought that I wasn’t going to enjoy it as much as I did after all. I started out with an unabridged library download and when that expired before I could finish I ended up listening to the rest on abridged cds. I think that may have been the key for me to like it more. To me the unabridged version just went on and on. I thought a lot of the narration had no place in the story and once I started listening to the abridged version the meat of the story was all that remained.

I loved the way that Simmons weaves an amazing story out of real people and real incidents. The ending was a bit unexpected but I loved the way Wilkie told it. I recommend this one on abridged audio but I’m not sold the book (784 pages) or the unabridged audio (24 parts).

Review: Drood by Dan Simmons

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2009/04/review-drood-by-dan-simmons.html

Review: Invisible by Kimber Chin

Author's Website

When Antique collector Hagen Rayner’s uncle passes away he leaves Hagen his cherished Chicago home full of antiques but there’s a catch. Hagen has fourteen business days to find the deed to the house by following clues left behind by his Uncle. If he fails the house will be passed on to his cousin Dag who plans to sell the house and its contents to support his failing business. The only help Hagen will get on his search is from Uncle Birger’s much younger friend Maeve Delaney.

Maeve Delaney knows that Birger’s family doesn’t trust her. They think she’s a gold digger that targeted Birger and she can clearly read the hostility in their eyes. Being an expert in making people disappear, her first instinct is to run but Hagen finds her in the nick of time and begs for help. Together they begin the search but can they find the deed in time with the obstacles Dag throws in their way?

Now this is what romance writing should be. Last year’s Breach of Trust was winner in my book and I was eagerly anticipating Invisible. Kimber Chin lived up to the expectation and gave us another hot story. Hagen and Maeve are remarkable characters with exceptional chemistry. The storyline was completely believable and I was quickly engrossed in the search by the first few chapters. This is a must read for romance lovers.

Review: Invisible by Kimber Chin

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2009/04/review-invisible-by-kimber-chin.html

My first one star review: A Treasure Worth Seeking by Sandra Brown

Product Description:
Erin...After years of searching for the brother she'd never known, Erin O'Shea had finally found his San Francisco address. She stood on the doorstep, unaware that she was about to walk into a shocking drama of family lies - and to meet an intriguing, infuriating man who would change her life. Lance...He was a G-man for the government's toughest cases - like the big-money scam involving Erin's long-lost brother. But although Lance was immediately attracted to her, he never dreamed that his feelings would drive him to break every rule in the book - and put his career and even Erin's future on the line.

My Review:
Be warned… I thought this book was so bad you might not even want to take the time to read my review. I’ve read and loved so many of Sandra Brown’s books so I’m surprised the story was this bad.

These are the a few of the reasons I hated it and they’re all spoilers so I’ll put my text in white. Just highlight the section below to read the text. Starting here -->

1. Within minutes of meeting Erin the FBI agent Lance forces a kiss on her. OKAY… I’ve never met a stranger who just grabbed me and kissed me. Plus Erin was still under the impression that this was her long lost brother but she still began kissing him back. YUCK

2. Erin was married before but she’s a thirty-year old virgin. YEAH RIGHT

3. Within a couple of days of meeting Lance she gives up her virginity despite the fact that she’s engaged to someone in Houston. PLEASE, YOU EXPECT ME TO BELIEVE THAT?

4. Hours after sleeping with her Lance is angry with her, manhandles her and treats her like she’s the criminal just because he heard her conversation where she told her fiancé, “I love you.” Then in the next moment he’s nice again. I WOULD HAVE PUNCHED HIS NOSE!

5. The next day she’s appeasing him by saying, “You were angry. I knew that.” and he replies with a pitiful, “That’s no excuse for what I almost did. God. Rape. I’ve never been violent with a woman, Erin. Believe me." EFF YOU BUDDY! I’M OUTTA THERE.

6. Don’t even get me started on the ending!!!! He’s all mushy on the inside thinking about how much he loves her then when he finds out she’s pregnant he’s yelling at her again. CAN YOU SAY CUCKOO?

Don’t waste your time on this one!

My first one star review: A Treasure Worth Seeking by Sandra Brown

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2009/04/my-first-one-star-review-treasure-worth.html

Review: Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

Book One - Darkfever

Book Two - Bloodfever

In this 3rd installment of the Fever series MacKayla Lane is coming ever closer to finding the Sinsar Dubh. Just when it seems like the book is within her grasp it’s quickly lost again. Pledging to help both Jericho Barrons and the Seelie prince V’lane find the dark book, Mac has her own agenda in which she risks the ire of each one. In addition, Mac gets attacked by a group of sidhe-seers causing her to question who she can really trust. Using Barrons, V’lane, Inspector Jayne, Dani and even Rowena she figures out some important new facts in her quest for the book.

There’s really not much of a description that I could give that wouldn’t have spoilers in it so I’ll stick to the short paragraph above. This is definitely not a stand alone book even with the back-story Mac fills us in on. I’ve enjoyed going from thinking the first book was good but nothing special to ANXIOUSLY awaiting the next book. Mac’s control of her abilities is growing and the story is building nicely. There is a killer cliffhanger at the end of this book and Dreamfever is definitely going to be a release date purchase.

Review: Faefever by Karen Marie Moning

https://www.readingwithmonie.com/2009/04/review-faefever-by-karen-marie-moning.html