On My Wishlist...

I am really, really, really (did I say really?) wanting to read these!
The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff (pub. Sept. 21, 2010)

From Goodreads: Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants. 

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?

 Love this cover! Don't you? Also love the description of this book. Yep, this is a book I am wishing to read!


This next book... well... I know I am far from just one fan who wants to read this. I need to continue with this series before I get this book, but I don't think that is a problem. 

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning! The cover was just revealed. Don't ya just love it? 


From Karen's Web site: 


"Evil is a completely different creature, Mac.

Evil is bad that believes it's good."



MacKayla Lane was just a child when she and her sister, Alina were given up for adoption and banished from Ireland forever.
Twenty years later, Alina is dead and Mac has returned to the country that expelled them to hunt her sister's murderer. But after discovering that she descends from a bloodline both gifted and cursed, Mac is plunged into a secret history: an ancient conflict between humans and immortals that have lived concealed among us for thousands of years.


What follows is a shocking chain of events with devastating consequences, and now Mac struggles to cope with grief, while continuing her mission to acquire and control the Sinsar Dubh--a book of dark, forbidden magic scribed by the mythical Unseelie King that contains the power to create and destroy worlds.


In an epic battle between humans and Fae, the hunter becomes the hunted when the Sinsar Dubh turns on Mac, and begins mowing a deadly path through those she loves.
Who can she turn to? Who can she trust? Who is the woman that haunts her dreams? More importantly, who is Mac and what is the destiny she glimpses in the black and crimson designs of an ancient tarot card?


From the luxury of the Lord Master's penthouse, to the sordid depths of an Unseelie nightclub, from the erotic bed of her lover, to the terrifying bed of the Unseelie King, Mac's journey will force her to face the truth of her exile, and make a choice that will either save the world...or destroy it. 


Okay... I'm wishing hard! *Finds magic well and throws coin* Can't wait to read these! :)

The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

From Goodreads:On the eve of her ninth birthday, unassuming Rose Edelstein, a girl at the periphery of schoolyard games and her distracted parents’ attention, bites into her mother’s homemade lemon-chocolate cake and discovers she has a magical gift: she can taste her mother’s emotions in the cake. She discovers this gift to her horror, for her mother—her cheerful, good-with-crafts, can-do mother—tastes of despair and desperation. Suddenly, and for the rest of her life, food becomes a peril and a threat to Rose. 

The curse her gift has bestowed is the secret knowledge all families keep hidden—her mother’s life outside the home, her father’s detachment, her brother’s clash with the world. Yet as Rose grows up she learns to harness her gift and becomes aware that there are secrets even her taste buds cannot discern. 

The publisher in this ARC had written a small forward: "Dear Reader, Maybe you're having a bad day. Maybe you're having a bad year. If so, here is the antidote: Aimee Bender's new novel. Enjoy, William J. Thomas, Publisher and Editor in Chief". So, with that and the description, I was set for a light happy novel. Well, not quite. The novel wasn't sad, but more bitter-sweet. 

The day Rose discovers her gift she realizes that not only could she taste her mother's sadness and longing but she is empathic with food in general. She can even tell where the food was processed and the emotions of the farmer or workers who handled the food. She becomes obsessed with finding food she can live with because the emotions have a lasting effect on her while her body and mind process it. Some people who find out her gift shun her and a few accept her gift as wonderful. One helps her throughout her life by just being stable and there for her when she needs him. Another uses her gift to her own advantage. So, because of the shunning and the user, Rose withdraws into her own world. Her brother is no real help and seems to have secrets and problems of his own. 

In the end of this book, Rose discovers more about herself than she thought possible. She finds a small community of acceptance and is determined to find out who she is beyond the gift. She is also the only one who understands her brother more than anyone else. It isn't a happy ending, but at least it was somewhat a satisfying one. I give this book 3 stars and recommend it to anyone who wants a interesting, odd and different type of book.

I received this ARC from the publisher, Doubleday. No compensation was received for this review. This book is due for publication June, 1, 2010.

On My Wishlist...

Shakespeare Undead by Lori Handeland (Pub. June 8, 2010)

From Goodreads: Something wicked this way comes ... and it keeps coming and coming and coming... 

William Shakespeare was one of history’s greatest writers, a master of words with a body of work that is truly impressive... some may say a little too impressive for a single man to accomplish in one lifetime. Perhaps, as many have speculated, he had assistance. Or perhaps the explanation is more ... unusual.

Who was William Shakespeare?

Who was the Dark Lady of the Sonnets?

Why are the undead stalking the alleyways of London?

And can they be stopped?

Something is definitely rotten in the state of Denmark. So brace yourself for a wild ride through twisted streets and shadowed graveyards of Elizabethan London, where you’ll discover how the Bard got his Bite.

Dark and Stormy Knights by Various (Pub. July 20, 2010)

From Goodreads: They’re the last defenders of humanity, the lone wolf bad boys— and girls—who do dark deeds for the right reasons. Modern day knights who are sexy, funny, mad, bad and dangerous to know because they do what most of us only dream about…and get away with it. In this all-star collection, nine of today’s hottest urban fantasy authors bring us original stories of supernatural, modern day knights that will have readers clamoring for more!

Eternal Kiss of Darkness (Night Huntress World #2) by Jeaniene Frost (Pub. Aug, 1, 2010)

From Goodreads: An immortal war has been brewing in the darkness…and now one woman has stumbled into the shadows. 

Chicago private investigator Kira Graceling should have just kept on walking. But her sense of duty refused to let her ignore the moans of pain coming from inside a warehouse just before dawn. Suddenly she finds herself in a world she’s only imagined in her worst nightmares.

At the center is Mencheres, a breathtaking Master Vampire who thought he’d seen it all. Then Kira appears—this fearless, beautiful…human who braved death to rescue him. Though he burns for her, keeping Kira in his world means risking her life, yet sending her away is unthinkable.

But with danger closing in, Mencheres must choose between the woman he craves, or embracing the darkest magic to defeat an enemy bent on his eternal destruction.

So, what are you impatient, waiting, or wishing for this week? :)

Amazon Queen by Lori Devoti Blog Tour

From the book: Amazon queen Zery Kostovska has never questioned tribe traditions. After all, these rules have kept the tribe strong for millennia and enabled them to live undetected, even in modern-day America. Zery is tough, fair, commanding–the perfect Amazon leader. 

At least, she was. A new high priestess with a penchant for secrecy and technology is threatening Zery’s rule. Plus, with the discovery of the Amazon sons, males with the same skills as their female counterparts, even Zery can’t deny that the tribe must change. But how? Some want to cooperate with the sons. Others believe brutal new leadership is needed–and are willing to kill to make it happen.  

Once, Zery’s word was law. Now, she had no idea who to trust, especially with one powerful Amazon son making her question all her instincts. For Zery, tribe comes first, but the battle drawing near is unlike any she’s faced before…and losing might cost her both the tribe and her life.

This is actually the second book in this series. "Amazon Ink" is the first book. I had not read that first book, but this book was written well with just enough background in the preface. In this book, Zery is a very traditional Amazon warrior Queen. However, the threat she thought she would have to face is not the one she will have to fight. Things nag at her especially with her new priestess, but are quickly thrown away. If you can't trust the tribe you pour your life into, then who can you trust? However, she finds that her blind devotion is just that, blind. As things start to unravel, she learns that a new greater threat has nothing to do with centuries bound tradition changing. In fact, those traditions changing could be the key to winning.

In some ways this paranormal also reads as a mystery with action, twists and turns. It's a fast paced read and one I enjoyed. Even though the mystery was solved before the players solved it, it still was very entertaining. You could even imagine that there might be Amazons living amongst us today. I'd even try twirling a staff after reading this one if I wasn't sure I wouldn't either knock my self silly or give myself one heck of a migraine. So, I give this book 4 warrior cries. I think I will even try to locate that first book to read. 

This book is part of a Blog Tour. Some of the other participants are: 
Book Junkie
Books Gardens & Dogs
Taking Time For Mommy
Readaholic
Jeanne's Ramblings
See Michelle Read
My Five Monkeys
Gnostalgia

Glimmerglass by Jenna Black

From Goodreads: Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, Dana decides she’s had it with being her mother’s keeper, so she packs her bags and heads to stay with her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl—she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie. 

Soon, she finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone wants something from her, even her newfound friends and family. Suddenly, life with her alcoholic mom doesn't sound half bad, and Dana would do anything to escape Avalon and get back home. Too bad both her friends and her enemies alike are determined not to let her go . . 

I really enjoyed this book, but I honestly think it was too short. I would have loved to have seen more about Dana's life before with her alcoholic mother because it is such an important topic. Not only that, but you could have understood more deeply her coping mechanisms when brought to life/death situations in Avalon. It just seemed that there needed to be more of a build up, not as to why she left, but how she was able to get through things by herself when it looked like she couldn't trust anyone. I also wanted it longer because when the book ends, I just wanted to read more! Is this really a bad criticism? Not really. I do believe it does touch on that subject well enough.

We also are blind as Dana is as to why she is important and what everyone is wanting from her. While this is deeply frustrating, it makes sense. You get the same sense that Dana must be feeling. This is why I think we don't get to see the intricacies of Avalon politics. We will learn about them as she learns. Plus, even by the end of the book, you are not sure who you could fully trust as Dana is not sure. This is where I believe that her foray into parental alcoholism plays. This is why she is able to cope as well as she does throughout the book. Otherwise, I would have questioned how she could have had her world turned upside down with no one to lean on and still come through in tact, mentally.

So, do I recommend this book? Oh yes. I give it 4 stars and I'm looking forward to the next book in this series already. I got this ARC from the Goodreads first reads program. It is due to be published on May 25, 2010.

Web of Lies by Jennifer Estep (Elemental Assassin #2)

From Goodreads:
Curiosity is definitely going to get me dead one of these days. Probably real soon. 


I'm Gin Blanco. 

You might know me as the Spider, the most feared assassin in the South. I’m retired now, but trouble still has a way of finding me. Like the other day when two punks tried to rob my popular barbecue joint, the Pork Pit. Then there was the barrage of gunfire on the restaurant. Only, for once, those kill shots weren’t aimed at me. They were meant for Violet Fox. Ever since I agreed to help Violet and her grandfather protect their property from an evil coalmining tycoon, I’m beginning to wonder if I’m really retired. So is Detective Donovan Caine. The only honest cop in Ashland is having a real hard time reconciling his attraction to me with his Boy Scout mentality. And I can barely keep my hands off his sexy body. What can I say? I’m a Stone elemental with a little Ice magic thrown in, but my heart isn’t made of solid rock. Luckily, Gin Blanco always gets her man . . . dead or alive.


Oh, this is going to be a hard review for me to write. Why? Because I want to say so much but I can't or I'll spoil parts of this book. It's one of those you just want to talk about because of what happens. Rest assured, I will not spoil anything for you. There might be a small spoiler for the last book, but I'll even try to keep those to a minimum. Mostly because I know many of you have this on your tbr, and haven't quite gotten to the first book yet.


As you know, at the end of the first book, Gin is looking forward to retirement. She is haunted by the file Fletcher has left her and she is bored, even though she loves to cook and has made her life as the Pork Pit's owner. Events happen in her life, as Gin's life will never be static and she gets thrown into one problem after another. At first, I'd say that everything she had to deal with would be too much for one book, but even those things that don't fit neatly together seem to fit enough in the end you aren't left feeling as though it didn't get enough attention. Gin is still her feisty self and still has the same attitude about life in general. There are also some hot scenes as there were in the first book. All of this action, sex, and mystery as there was in the first one with just enough surprise thrown in the end makes this book a great second book in the series. This book can also be read as a stand-alone because she provides enough background to have the book make sense. It is also not a cliff-hanger, but provides you with enough mystery that you are going to clamor for the 3rd book shortly after you read this one.

I recommend this book and this series highly. I gave this book 5 stars. This book will be published on May 25, 2010. Also check out her web site. She has some short stories posted here about this series. She also just opened a twitter account, so follow her tweets!


Also, come back to my blog on June 10th for a bit of a surprise! ;)
I received this ebook from the author for review. No compensation was received for this honest review. 

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

This is the sequel to The Iron King which I reviewed recently (just click on the title to see that review).  In this book Meghan finds herself at the winter court, not too long after the first book. She finds herself very alone and not knowing who to trust. A new threat looms and it is up to her to figure out what is really going on at court and within the faerie realm.

In this book, we see more of what court is like for Ash and how he survives. We also get to see Meghan grow up a bit more and mature. And those that love Puck, need not worry. He is there in all his mischief glory. And I was happy when Grimalkin shows up. You know I just love that cat. We also find new enemies and old as well as a few new friends all told from Meghan's point of view. The adventure they embark on is exciting and had me glued to the book until the end. This is also a very emotional book, so those wishing to stay stoic when reading a good book, be warned.

I'd have to say that I actually enjoyed this book more than I did the first one. I give it 4 1/2 stars and highly recommend this book! The publication date is Aug 1, 2010. If you can't wait that long, remember that Winter's Passage is due out shortly. So, maybe it will tide some over for a while. I can't wait for the Iron Queen. Julie Kagawa has a fan in me for this series.

I received this galley from netgalley.

Impatiently Waiting for Winter's Passage and The Clockwork Angel

I think this title most resembles how I feel when I see books out there that I'd love to have and yet still have to wait for it to be published. Yes, this is like the Waiting on Wednesday by Jill of Breaking the Spine started. I just felt it was more like being impatient than just waiting. Not trying to start a new meme, just making the name more appropriate to me. ;) This week...

Winter's Passage by Julie Kagawa (June 1, 2010)
From Julie Kagawa's site: WINTER'S PASSAGE,a free novella in the Iron Fey series will be available for download June 1st. It takes place between THE IRON KING and THE IRON DAUGHTER and follows Meghan and Ash on their perilous journey deep into the heart of Winter. 

Yes, you read correctly, this one will be free! How's that for the first listing of the book? Oh, and I will be having the review of Iron Daughter up shortly.






The Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices, Book 1) by Cassandra Clare (Aug. 31, 2010)
From Goodreads: Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still. 

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos. 

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own. 

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

So, what books are you impatient to read? :) 

Play Dead by Ryan Brown Blog Tour

From the book: For the first time in Killington High School history, the Jackrabbits football team is one win away from the district championship where it will face its most vicious rival, the Elmwood Heights Badgers. On the way to the game, the Jackrabbits’s bus plunges into a river, killing every player except for bad-boy quarterback Cole Logan who is certain the crash was no accident—given that Cole himself was severely injured in a brutal attack by three ski-masked men earlier that day. Bent on payback, Cole turns to a mysterious fan skilled in black magic to resurrect his teammates. But unless the undead Jackrabbits defeat their murderous rival on the field, the team is destined for hell. In a desperate race against time, with only his coach’s clever daughter, Savannah Hickman, to assist him, Cole must lead his zombie team to victory. . . in a final showdown where the stakes aren’t just life or death—but damnation or salvation. 

 This is one entertaining book. I quickly became interested even in the football aspects of this book, mainly because he referenced two good QB players. Elway (hey, I am a die-hard Bronco's fan!) and Flutie (my second fave team is the Patriots). So, right there, I knew I would enjoy this book.  I also love the cover of this book. Zombie football players. Heh... 101 jokes here people! Oh, and for those not that into football, do not worry. There really is a story around football more than the football game itself. So, yes, this book could have fallen flat and become something that tried to be too serious or too scary, but Ryan Brown pulls it off and gives us a very smart, funny, and interesting book. It also has a strong female lead in Savannah and a small bit of romance thrown into the mix. ;)

For those into the fear aspects of the book, yes there are some scary bits, but surprisingly I did not feel that it came from the zombies (aside from a wayward kitty) but from the rival team, the Badgers. It wasn't so scary it kept me up at night, but it was enough that I wouldn't want to drive into Elmwood at night. For those interested in the funny aspects of the story you are introduced to Mona. Mona, the rare gypsy lady who performs the magic, was one of those eccentric ladies who has a million cats. She is the scary lady everyone in town is afraid of, but in this case, she is the comic relief of the story. You'll just have to read the story to find out how. :D

So, do I recommend this book? Yes, I do. I give it 4 stars. It is even being made into a movie. Since I know a lot of females read my blog and may not be interested in football even if it is a zombie football team, I'd like to show you the author and his cute son. I also know that has been talked about in the blog-o-sphere. So, here he is, talking about the book and a bit about the movie. Get ready for the awws when the son comes on...

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

From Goodreads: Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

I have the next book in this series ready to be read, but I thought I'd better get the first book read before I picked up that ARC. I am so glad that I did. This book, for me, seemed like a bit of a recipe. One part Labyrinth ("take back the child you have stolen"), a pinch of Shakespeare's Midsummer Night's Dream (Robin Goodfellow/ Puck), and a small dash of Alice in Wonderland (Grimalkin so reminds me of the Cheshire cat). Add in a generous helping of a handsome fey prince who's heart has been "frozen" from a heartache and add a bad "guy" who cannot be killed and made by technology but only transformed by our heroine who has just discovered her heritage and power. This recipe adds up to a fun YA read by Julie Kagawa.

I give this first book 4 stars. We have only begun to find the possibilities within this story and I am anxious to find out what more is in store for Meghan Chase. Oh, and in this first book, many people have taken up sides of either Ash, the fey prince, or Puck, the prankster. Team Ash or Team Puck has been the cry. Unfortunately with this first book, I am neither. If I were to chose, I'd be Team Grimalkin! Hey, in faerie not everything is as it seems, so who knows? Maybe Grim is not a cat at all. Besides, he has been the only one besides the Dryads that have been the most helpful to Megan's adventure.

Go Grim! :)

Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran Blog Tour

From the book: She’s been burned not once but twice by London’s so-called gentlemen Gwen Maudsley is pretty enough to be popular, and plenty wealthy, too. But what she’s best known and loved for is being so very, very nice. When a cad jilts her at the altar—again—the scandal has her outraged friends calling for blood. Only Gwen has a different plan. If nice no longer works for her, then it’s time to learn to be naughty. Happily, she knows the perfect tutor—Alexander Ramsey, her late brother’s best friend and a notorious rogue.

So why won’t a confirmed scoundrel let her be as bad as she wants to be?Unbeknownst to Gwen, Alex’s aloof demeanor veils his deepest unspoken desire. He has no wish to see her change, nor to tempt himself with her presence when his own secrets make any future between them impossible. But on a wild romp from Paris to the Riviera, their friendship gives way to something hotter, darker, and altogether more dangerous. With Alex’s past and Gwen’s newly unleashed wildness on a collision course, Gwen must convince Alex that his wickedest intentions are exactly what she needs.

 I decided to be a part of this tour because it looked like it was a story where a woman bound by convention and society breaks free to find out her true strength. This book did not disappoint. Upon her second jilting, Gwen decides to throw out her family's wishes to marry for title and find out what she truly wants out of life. The only way she knew to do this is to become utterly "wicked" for a woman of those times so she could finally be free to act how she wants. Alex, her brother's best friend, knows that this undertaking will have consequences that she may not recover and so tries to steer her away from her own destruction while finding himself more intrigued than he had ever had been in the past. He had always admired her quick wit even if it was mostly hidden by convention. This new Gwen shows him a part of himself he never thought existed. As she grows in spirit and self, so does Alex. That was the surprising part in this book. Not that he found it within himself to love her fully since romance books are full of those aspects, but he also grew as a human being. Finding that he was not at all as sure of himself as he pretended.

This book was a short fast read with a couple of good steamy bits. However, this book is more on the heavy side of romance and not erotica. I give this book 3 1/2 stars and recommend it to anyone wanting a light read with a bit of fun in the romance.

Want another opinion? Those are always good when picking a book. A few of the other participants:
The Bibliophilic Book Blog
A Journey of Books
My Book Addiction and More
Just Another New Blog
The Book Girl
Poisoned Rationality
She Reads
Taking Time For Mommy
Avid Reader

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday. A meme that showcases books we can't wait to read. This week on my list is...

Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn (July, 6 2010)

From Goodreads: When Evie Walker goes home to spend time with her dying father, she discovers that his creaky old house in Hope’s Fort, Colorado is not the only legacy she stands to inherit. Hidden behind the old basement door is a secret and magical storeroom where wondrous treasures from myth and legend are kept safe unit they are needed again. The magic of the storeroom prevents access to any who are not intended to use the items. 

Evie must guard the storeroom against ancient and malicious forces, protecting the past and the future even as the present unravels around them. Old heroes and notorious villains alike will rise to fight on her side or to undermine her most desperate gambits. At stake is the fate of the world, and the prevention of nothing less than the apocalypse.

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater (July, 20, 2010)
(okay, I've been wanting this for a bit, but the recent release of her trailer really makes me want it more)

From Goodreads: In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, inLinger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past...and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabel, who already lost her brother to the wolves...and is nonetheless drawn to Cole. At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love--the light and the dark, the warm and the cold--in a way you will never forget.


So, what are you waiting for this week?

My Name is Memory by Ann Brashares

From Goodreads: Daniel has spent centuries falling in love with the same girl. Life after life, crossing continents and dynasties, he and Sophia (despite her changing name and form) have been drawn together-and he remembers it all. Daniel has "the memory", the ability to recall past lives and recognize souls of those he's previously known. It is a gift and a curse. For all the times that he and Sophia have been drawn together throughout history, they have also been torn painfully, fatally, apart. A love always too short. 

Interwoven through Sophia and Daniel's unfolding present day relationship are glimpses of their expansive history together. From 552 Asia Minor to 1918 England and 1972 Virginia, the two souls share a long and sometimes torturous path of seeking each other time and time again. But just when young Sophia (now "Lucy" in the present) finally begins to awaken to the secret of their shared past, to understand the true reason for the strength of their attraction, the mysterious force that has always torn them apart reappears. Ultimately, they must come to understand what stands in the way of their love if they are ever to spend a lifetime together. 

This is an unusual love story written by Ann Brashares author of the well known, "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants". In this story, you follow important events from mostly one character's life, Daniel. You find out how he first finds the one who strikes him as someone he wants to know to eventually the one he wants to spend all of eternity loving. Although he finds and loses her throughout the centuries, he keeps looking for her and trying to find a way to love her in whatever body he finds himself. Unfortunately, this leaves Daniel with a very one dimension type of character. This makes sense because he is not spending his time developing himself, but finding another.

 You also get glimpses of Lucy in her present life, who is a more rounded character since she has spent this life in developing herself. As things finally make their way together a climatic scene develops that transforms Daniels view of life and the lives he has lived. He must then find a way to keep from being haunted by another who shares the memories of past lives, or they may never be together no matter what life they are living. This person is intent on destroying him and now Lucy in whatever way he can. Unfortunately, I have to say that the ending is not satisfying and I warn you, it will not answer the lingering questions you have left. I do not know if there is a series potential, but I do understand this book has already been optioned for a movie.

 I give this book 3 1/2 stars. It is great to get a book that has fully observed how reincarnation is often understood and seen by various cultures. It is well written and I do hope that there is another book in the works for Lucy and Daniel. I'd love to read it. The book will be published June 1st, 2010.


I received this ARC from Lydia Hirt from Riverhead Books. No compensation was received for my honest review.  

Linger Trailer

Anyone want to see the new "Linger" trailer made by Maggie Stiefvater? Here ya go! :)

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started by Jill from Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases. I don't usually do memes since I'm not sure I'll keep it up consistently. I'm still not sure. I did spy these books and (here we go with the cover again) this time the covers made me pause. Might be partly because I had been on my YA binge recently and my mind was still wandering there when I spied these.

Shadow Bound by Erin Kellison (6/29/2010)
From Erin's Web site:
Death
Some people will do anything to avoid it. Even trade their immortal souls for endless existence.

Wraiths

Secretly, inexorably, they are infiltrating our world, sucking the essence out of unsuspecting victims with their hideous parody of a kiss.

Segue

Adam Thorne founded the Institute to study and destroy his monster of a brother, but the key to its success is held in the pale, slender hand of a woman on the run. There is something hauntingly different about Talia O’Brien, her unknowing sensuality, her uncanny way of slipping into Shadow.

Twilight

This is the place between life and what comes after - a dark forest of fantasy, filled with beauty, peril, mystery. And Talia is about to open the door.

Shadow Fall by Erin Kellison (7/27/2010)

From Erin's web site:

Sacrifice
Custo Santovari accepted pain, blood, even death, to save his best friend. But a man with all his sins just isn't cut out to be an angel.

Mystery

One moment he's fleeing Heaven; the next, he's waking up stark naked in Manhattan. In the middle of a war. Called there by a woman who's desperately afraid of the dark.

Shadow

It gathers around Annabella as she performs, filled with fantastic images of another world, bringing both a golden hero and a nightmare lover.

Wolf

He pursues her relentlessly, twisting her desires even as she gives herself to the man she loves. Because each of us has a wild side, and Annabella is about to unleash the beast.

His Darkest Hunger by Juliana Stone

From the book:
Jaxon Castille: jaguar shifter, warrior, assassin. He has long hungered for the chance to make his former lover, Libby Jamieson, pay for her deadly betrayal. After three long years he’s finally found her. The hunt is over… 

But the Libby that he finds is not what he expected. She has no memory of their tumultuous affair; of her treachery; of anything beyond her own name. A shadowy and deadly clan has marked them both for death, and in an instant the game changes: the hunter has become the hunted. 

On the run, with the ghosts of their past between them and a dark, desperate hunger quickly reclaiming their bodies and souls, Libby and Jaxon must discover the truth behind the dark forces working against them. Together, they must grab hold of a destiny that has the power to either heal them or destroy them. 

But the truth is far more shattering than anyone could imagine…

I have to admit it, but I probably wouldn't have picked up this book because of the cover. I know, don't judge a book by it's cover, right? Other than the black panther, I may not have really given it a second look. It looked like a bodice ripper and although I don't mind reading one once in a long while, it's just not really my thing. However, after reading Fiction Vixen's review of this book, I became interested. Then I actually won the book! Luckily those things happened and I now admit I really enjoyed this book. I'm still no fan of the book's cover as Jaxon is darker and his tats are SO much more interesting. Okay, I'm done talking about the cover since it really doesn't do this book justice. 


In this book Jaxon is alpha male all the way. He decides to give Libby a chance at explaining her treachery before he kills her and that is where the story really gets going. After finding out she was not the woman he expected to find, he sees a shell of a woman she used to be. It tugs at him and he has to protect her and now himself to find out what happened. The simple betrayal has now become a action filled mystery that he must solve to find the real truth of what happened. He finds out more than he bargained for and also finds that he has found his true mate. One who can awaken the love within the hard shell of man/beast. The ending in this book also sets things up for the next in the series. It's not a cliffhanger, but it really makes you want to see what is going to happen next. 


Oh yea, there are a lot of hot lusty scenes in this book, but it doesn't take over. The action in this book is really what takes over and had me turning the pages to see what was going to happen. What I really loved about this book that even in Libby's weakened state, she finds that being a victim is a choice, and it is one that she no longer is willing to choose. She found her strength within herself before she even knew who she was! She was stripped of her dignity, health (both mental and physical), and memory and yet still found the strength to no longer be victimized! To me, that is a strong person.


Do I recommend this adult book? Yes I do. Despite the cover... ;) I give this book 4 stars.  


I won this signed book from Fiction Vixen's blog.