Fall Animation Previews!

I love animation and had been shown several previews that, if you haven't seen them, you might enjoy!

First: Alpha and Omega (no, not the Patricia Briggs one... lol)


Legend of the Guardian (love owls!)


Megamind (looks like a funny one...)


Tangled (I hope the princess has more of a personality, but the guy looks hilarious!)


Tron: Legacy (Okay, I know it's not completely animation, but if you haven't guessed yet, I'm a bit of a nerd so I thought I'd let it totally show... lol)

Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

From Goodreads:

Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself? 

This book is a wonderful YA read. It's really about finding out who you are and finding the courage to then stand up for yourself. In other words, letting yourself be who you really are deep down inside. It's not an easy thing for a young teen to do let alone adults. In fact, I know several adults that would benefit from this message. She finds herself several times in this book. At the beginning with selfish and bullish type of "friends" and then later with Mallory and Ryland and even later the queen.

Perhaps, it's better if I just stay silent and let someone else say what I'm trying to say:

"To be one's self, and unafraid whether right or wrong, is more admirable than the easy cowardice of surrender to conformity." ~ Irving Wallace

To me, that is it in a nutshell. Thanks Mr. Wallace! :)

It is also a story to say that if things were easy in our lives. we may never truly find out who we are. We may not like the struggles in our lives, but sometimes they are necessary to push us further along with ourselves and find out who we can become. There is also a subject brought on with her boyfriend, Ryland. I think it was an interesting and unusual way of dealing with the subject of boyfriend abuse. Not the physical kind, but the more insidious type of verbal abuse.

So, while I do find the messages within this story important, I should note that the story itself is well written and the pages go fast. Phoebe's story is as fun and you do root for her especially in the end. I give this book 4 stars and recommend it to every young person or really anyone beginning their journey on finding themselves.

I'd like to thank LibraryThing early reviewers and Penguin Publishing for this ARC. No compensations for my review was received.

If you would like to find more information about this book just go HERE.  It's the page Penguin has put up for all the extra information about the book.

Follow Friday!

Two weeks in a row that I'm doing this correctly. Don't faint! ;)

While you are here, check out Blogfest, Blogmania (both coming soon) and a few Giveaways/Contests listed. Just click the links just under the header. :)

The Devil Wears Plaid by Teresa Medeiros Blog Tour

From Goodreads:
AN INNOCENT WOMAN
Emmaline Marlow is about to wed the ancient patriarch of the Hepburn clan to save her father from debtor's prison when the Hepburn's sworn enemy Jamie Sinclair bursts into the abbey on a magnificent black horse and whisks her away. Jamie is everything her bridegroom is not--young, handsome, virile...and a perilous temptation for her yearning heart.

A DANGEROUS MAN
Jamie expects Emma to be some milksop English miss, not a spirited beauty who will defy him at every turn. All of his plans to use her as a pawn in the centuries old Highland feud begin to go awry when irresistible passion flares between the two of them. A man can kidnap a bride, but is it possible for him to steal her innocence without losing his own heart? 

This book is a fun historical romance. Light and fun and full of roguish romance. It starts out in the typical way. Man steals woman to make another suffer, man finds woman surprisingly attractive, woman finds man surprisingly attractive, both find themselves in each others arms and win over the bad man she was about to be married. Now, yes, I did just basically tell you the story, but that formula is as old as perhaps the castle under contention. :) What I liked about this story is that the woman has her own mind and finds strength within her capture. Even though she does rely on Jamie's physical prowess to keep her safe, her wits and inner strength keep her up to the challenge of a bunch of burly men and the highland wilderness. Yes, I liked Emma. She was a good match for Jamie. You don't always find that within these types of stories. I also loved Jamie although there were times I could hit him over the head for being so stubborn.

All in all I give this book 4 stars. It's a fun, light historical romance. If you love a roguish man in a kilt, sexy time in an abandoned church (yes, KC... I'm borrowing your terms from you...) you will enjoy this book.

Click HERE to browse inside this book.

The Blessings of the Animals by Katrina Kittle Blog Tour

From Goodreads:

From Katrina Kittle, critically acclaimed author of The Kindness of Strangers, comes a wry and moving story of forgiveness, flexibility, happiness, and the art of moving on.

Veterinarian Cami Anderson has hit a rough patch. Stymied by her recent divorce, she wonders if there are secret ingredients to a happy, long-lasting marriage or if the entire institution is outdated and obsolete. Couples all around her are approaching important milestones. Her parents are preparing to celebrate their fiftieth anniversary. Her brother and his partner find their marriage dreams legally blocked. Her former sister-in-law—still her best friend—is newly engaged. The youthfully exuberant romance of her teenage daughter is developing complications. And three separate men—including her ex-husband—are becoming entangled in Cami's messy post-marital love life.

But as she struggles to come to terms with her own doubts amid this chaotic circus of relationships, Cami finds strange comfort in an unexpected confidant: an angry, unpredictable horse in her care. With the help of her equine soul mate, she begins to make sense of marriage's great mysteries—and its disconnects.

 This book reminds me of a quote I have that rotates in my sidebar. The quote is:

"Furthermore, we have not even to risk the adventure alone; for the heroes of all time have one before us, the labyrinth is fully known; we have only to follow the thread of the hero-path. And where we had thought to find an abomination, we shall find a god; where we had thought to slay another, we shall slay ourselves; where we had thought to travel outward, we shall come to the center of our own existence; where we had thought to be alone, we shall be with all the world." — Joseph Campbell (The Hero with a Thousand Faces) 

The quote really does sum up Cami's journey through this book. And it really is her journey and her story which is the central theme of this book. Of course, as the title suggests, the animals play an important role through her hero journey. The animals in the story are really made 3 dimensional and of course, play a pivotal role in Cami's story. You end up really love these highly visual animal characters in this story and there is at least one tear jerking scene (but it isn't about death, to relax those like me who hate those stories). 


Not only is this story about Cami's journey through divorce and how she is saved by her animals and friends, but it is a comment on marriage and love in general. It comments on those, like Cami, who learn that marriage is hard work and can be worth that work. It's also about those that want to be married just for the sake of marriage. This is not only on the part of the woman, but the man as well. There is even a bit about arranged marriage. Plus, there is also a big commentary on gay marriage and adoption. All of this seems like a lot to put in a book, but the way it was done it fits well because it follows Cami's discoveries of those issues. 


My only complaint is about her boyfriends. They are wonderful characters until she dates them. Then, they start to become one-dimensional caricatures of themselves. For example, I didn't believe that Vijay, her childhood best friend, was such an insightful person and true friend only to become a totally blind and selfish boyfriend so quickly and throughly. Vijay was my biggest disappointment. 


I give this book 4 stars and I do recommend this book. I'm also glad that this book is based on animals that she knew in real life. A short interview below explaining the animals importance in the book.

The author, Katrina will be on Blog Talk Radio today (Aug. 26) at 7pm ET. Just go HERE to listen in! :)

Radiance by Alyson Noel

From Goodreads:
Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she's summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can't quite figure out.

Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he's never met Riley... 

Review:
This book is a fun MG read. It is told completely from a first person POV. Even though she has no contact with Ever, it is Riley's own story learning her place and purpose in this after-life. She is spunky, a bit bratty, and finds herself in the end a bit wiser than she thought she could become. Buttercup is adorable and although Bodhi is a bit one dimensional (probably due to seeing him through only on POV) he is interesting enough to see where the story takes him.

The beginning of the story is a big slow, but really picks up in the middle of the book. At the end, you are met with Riley's epiphanies and the book feels complete with only being 178 pages. You do get a teaser with the next book, but I warn you... you will be left wondering or demanding what happens next if you read the excerpt.

I give this book 4 stars. Remember this is a MG read and those that are expecting YA might be disappointed. This book is to be published Aug. 31.

I'd like to thank Square Fish/Macmillan Publishing for this ARC. No compensation for my review was given.



Have a Review of Radiance you'd like to share? Link it below....

The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

From Goodreads:

Divorced mother of one, Charlie Madigan, lives in a world where the beings of heaven and hell exist among us, and they aren't the things of Sunday school lessons and Hallmark figurines. In the years since the Revelation, they've become our co-workers, neighbors, and fellow citizens.

Charlie works for ITF (Integration Task Force). It's her job to see that the continued integration of our new "friends" goes smoothly and everyone obeys the law, but when a new off-world drug is released in Underground Atlanta, her daughter is targeted, and her ex-husband makes a fateful bargain to win her back, there's nothing in heaven or earth (or hell for that matter) that Charlie won't do to set things right.

This book has been on my wishlist for quite a while now. FINALLY I got the book! YaY! Good thing too since I'm going to do the blog tour for the next book in this series, "The Darkest Edge of Dawn" on Sept. 2. This book was also exactly what I wanted in a UF book. It was gritty, kick-ass, dark, and fun with a little almost sexy action. There is also a good measure of emotions throughout this book which is perfect to get into and care about the main character, Charlie. The one way this book is unusual is that Charlie is a mom. And as most of us kick-ass women know (even those like me who have no kids) you don't get in between a mom and her kid(s). A threatened mother is the most dangerous being on the planet and several almost impossibly powerful bad guys find out. What is also great about this book is that you find a good group of unusual characters that will carry over to the next book. One I can't wait to start. Good thing it's here on my tbr!

As for this book, I give it 4 stars. It's a great UF series to start especially when the next one is just about to be published! Can't wait to review that one!


In case you want to see that great cover I thought I'd give you a sneak peek!

Winner of Digital Keychain!

The winner of the Digital Keychain is Stacey! She has been contacted and now I'm just waiting for her to get back to me! :)

Thanks to everyone who entered. I must say this is the first time random.org hit #1 for a winner. Fun. :)

Sneak post for Blogmania!

I just got a picture of the ghost plushie that is going to be offered for Blogmania! It's just too cute! I'm so sad I can't enter it myself!

Here's the pic:

Please do be prepared to join and enter this contest. She really is a great artist! The page I have on Blogmania is below my header.

Ooooooo you SO need to check out the stuff she has up for this giveaway! It's amazing!! Just click on the picture above to go to the page. I'm already jealous of the winner.... :(

Oh, and closer to the giveaway I'll have an interview with the artist herself!! Don't miss that one! :)

What I've been Up to Lately...

Well, I've been into making some jewelry pieces I've been wanting for myself. Thought I'd show what I've been up to lately. Sadly, yes... it was wholesome. :) LOL

Anyhoo...

First I made myself a bee bracelet. In case you don't know Melissa means Honeybee so that is why you see so many bees on different Melissa pages (not just mine.. and there is actually only one on this blog!). I made it so I have magnetic links on either side of the bee centerpiece. The round "coins" are honey colored fake pearls interspaced by black crystals. The magnets make it easy to put on and take off.

Well, since I made this bracelet, my mom was going to a school reunion. She wanted to give her friends something special. She looked at me with those sad eyes (I hate it when parents learn from their kid!). So... I came up with:

I call it the 4 Roses Bracelet. There were 4 best friends and there nickname was... the 4 Roses (bet you didn't see that one coming... lol).

The roses are gold and silver I've alternated with a jet bead in between. The flat beads are glass and this one has a magnetic clasp for it to be easy to put on.

What do you think? I made an extra since I had enough beads and I might put it up in my Etsy store. Hmm....

Well, this watch was my next project. I've seen those watches where you have the leather wrapped a couple of times around the wrist. I thought they were very pretty, but I'm too cheap to spend $80 to $100 for a watch, so I decided to try to make it myself. Looking at the watches, there were 2 ways to do it. The one where you only had one long strap looked like the easiest to make. I didn't find the leather I wanted with the length I needed. so I used the jewelry leather and made it more like I would a bracelet. I added the chain so I could tighten or loosen the band because the smaller leather will either stretch (more likely) or shrink because it is a natural product.

Oh and guess what? I found the watch face on sale! Yay! My inner cheapskate was happy. :)

This is the last project I'm showing here. It's my mermaid necklace. I love mermaids and found the pendant (here) that I loved. So, I found a couple of chains that I wanted to put together. When I did, I thought it needed some interesting color. I had some silk ribbon in purple and green and wove it though the large chain. I then added real pearl dangles and one crystal dangle (next to the pendant) to the necklace. I'm quite happy with it and the bead I got to go with it (I decided against it) I was going to make into a matching bracelet, but I've just changed my mind and I'm going to make a different necklace. One that I can wear for more everyday.

Sorry about the pictures. I need to dig out my better camera, but the one I used is so much easier. Yea.. I know... excuses... ;) So, that is what else I've been up to besides reading in my spare time. How about you. Do anything fun lately?

On My Wishlist...

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (published March 22, 2011)
From Goodreads:
Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. 

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home. 

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant she trusts, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.


Firelight by Sophie Jordan (published Sept. 7, 2010)
From Goodreads:
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.




So what are you wishing for this week?

Follow Friday!

Hey, I'm actually doing this correctly... can you believe it??? ;)

What free stuff gets your motor revving?

BOOKS! ;)

And I'll be giving free books away during Blogfest and Blogmania!

Of course there are going to be some other great giveaways during Blogmania too! :)

Another Award!

Here's how this award works:
1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.
2. Share 7 things about yourself.
3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)
4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Thanks to Missy of Missy's Reads and Reviews.

7 Things about Me...

I have a large extended family

I am an only child

I used to have a Datsun 280 Z (I loved that car)

I like to decorate cakes

I hate to cook

I love to play music even though I'm bad at it. ;)

I pass this award to:

Books with Bite

Spinecracker

Book Faery

Breathless Books

For What it's Worth

That's What I'm Talking About

Wordsmithonia

Chasing Words

I Swim for Oceans

Intense Whisper

J'adore Happy Endings

My World in Words and Pages

Parajunkee's View

Lovin' and Livin' Life Reviews

Blkosiner's Book Blog

Award!

The rules are simple thank the person who gave it to you with a link back in your post, and send this on to fellow bloggers who rock this summer. List 4 rocking bloggers to share this with, and post a note to them through their comments.

Thanks to Savanna of Books with Bite for the award!

I pass the award to:

Missy's Reads and Reviews

My Neurotic Book Affair

All Consuming Books Reviews by Tiger

Pirate Penguin Reads

Digital Keychain Review and Giveaway!

I was able to do a review and giveaway for a digital keychain from Wholesalekeychain.com. In the mail I received what you see pictured at the left. Of course, without a good camera, I could not get an accurate picture of MY keychain, but it really looks exactly like the picture from their digital keychain page.

First, I'd like to say that the picture quality is decent and quite good for a keychain. The product has a battery that is recharged when you connect it to the computer with the cable provided. Mine also had an engraving on the back in which I simply put, "Mel's Pictures" on it. Sweet and to the point. :)

Main Features:

The instructions that came with the keychain were very tiny. I mean my eyes are good and I don't need glasses, but it was too tiny for me to really look and even try to read. However, it wasn't necessary and things are very easy to understand. Basically after I connected it to my Mac (yes, it's Mac compatible!) I just clicked on the CD symbol and got the program that you need to input and crop your pictures to the device. Just click on the illustration to get a better view. Oh, and those that are PC... don't worry, of course it is compatible with your comp.

The only "problem" I had really wasn't a problem. I had to install my rosetta program. For those that don't know, it is a program that allows intel Macs to run PPC programs (aka before intel Mac comp). I don't like rosetta because it makes my comp run slow after I've shut the program down. The comp just needs a bit of time to realize you are no longer running PPC programs. A reboot will usually clear this up quickly. Those on PC most likely won't have to worry about this at all.

My other criticism is that it only holds 5 pictures with good quality pictures. Not bad for the size and cost of the device. I could probably get more pictures but I don't see you getting 72 as stated. Well, let me say it another way. I don't think you could get 72 GOOD pictures within the device. If you want to try it, you should use another programs and reduce the number of pixels with the picture. Remember with this reduction you lose quality. With me, I prefer to get a few pictures of good quality than a ton of "what is that?" quality. I'll have to play with it some more to see if I can up the number of pictures and still be satisfactory for me.

All in all, if you like to have a few fun pictures with you at all times, then a digital keychain is one cheap and easy way to go!

So, would you like to win your own digital keychain? Here is your chance. Just fill out the form below to enter. Simple, sweet. :) The giveaway will end on Aug. 23rd. The giveaway is open to those in the US and Canada only.
GIVEAWAY CLOSED

The Secret of the Scarlet Stone by TL Clarke

From Goodreads:

Can You Help the Gabby Girls Solve the Clues?The Gabby Girls Adventure begins at the Vineswell Academy a very formal and strict elite all-girls school located just outside of upstate New York. The Gabby Girls, Gabrielle who is street-smart and very opinionated, Zora who is super-smart, Jessica who is painfully shy and a bit clumsy; and Rosalinda who is a diva and daddy's little-girl. They are drawn together by the only thing that they have in common, which is the mysterious scarlet pendant they each possess. But things seem even stranger when they find a clue that tempts them with the answer to the question they have longed to know. This unlikely bunch struggle to navigate through solving clue-after-clue. Each clue brings them closer to the key to unlocking their future and the answer to the mysterious deaths of their mothers. After all, Gabby Girls always stick together and everyday is an.........Gabby Girls Adventure! 

This book is a cute book that I'd have to say is more for the middle grade than YA set. Within this book you meet 4 girls who all seem to have things in common. All have lost their mothers, have "gifts" and have been passed down a pendant with a secret. Within this book you help the girls find adventure and solve clues as the adventure they find themselves on brings the group closer together. The questions become; can you help them solve the clues? What does the adventure reveal? What is the purpose to the adventure? It's a story kids will have fun solving while learning with the girls.

My main criticism is with Gabrielle (the leader) and Rosalinda. Both got on my nerves quite a bit. In fact, I was hoping that Zora would take total control of the group and become leader. I really enjoyed Zora and she seemed the most grounded and level-headed of the group. This is part of a series of adventures for kids and perhaps Zora will have her turn in the limelight as time goes on. On the positive side, the clues were interesting and not totally obvious. So there is some thinking that must happen to solve the clues. Just because it's a kids book doesn't mean that kids are simple and the author seems to know that very well.

I give this book 3 stars and recommend it for those that have young kids. I think they will enjoy the adventure.

I'd like to thank the author TL Clarke for providing the ebook for review. No compensation was given for my review.

On My Wishlist...

The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa (to be published Feb 1, 2011)

Anyone who enjoyed the Iron Daughter and the Iron King (my reviews are linked on the title) as I enjoyed them will be wanting the Iron Queen. Can't wait! I'm crossing my fingers that this one will also be at netgalley for reviews. :)

The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong (to be published April, 2011)
I had mentioned this one quite a while ago along with Angelic. Looks like it's finally almost here! :)

From Kelley's site:

Maya lives in a small medical-research town on Vancouver Island. How small? You can’t find it on the map. It has less than two-hundred people, and her school has only sixty-eight students—for every grade from kindergarten to twelve.

Now, strange things are happening in this claustrophobic town, and Maya’s determined to get to the bottom of them. First, the captain of the swim team drowns mysteriously in the middle of a calm lake. A year later, mountain lions start appearing around Maya’s home, and they won’t go away. Her best friend, Daniel, starts experiencing “bad vibes” about certain people and things. It doesn’t help that the new bad boy in town, Rafe, has a dangerous secret—and he’s interested in one special part of Maya’s anatomy: Her paw-print birthmark.

So, what's on your wishlist this week?

In My Mailbox!

I just had to show what came in my mailbox today! I had won a Linger tank top from the tweet-up with Maggie Stiefvater and The Story Siren. Just thought I'd share. Thought it was too cute. :) Now where is my book? Still needing to come to me. I finally got to order it thanks to Melissa of My World in Words and Pages. I won a gc at her web site and bought the book! :)

Oh, and please don't be jealous... I found something for you too... I have this book on my tbr and will hopefully get to it soon. Guess what? It's free at B&N for those with Nooks and the app.
So, here is a look at the cover and the direct link (no I don't get any credit for it...) is HERE! It's only for a limited time so hurry!









I also just found out that for Free Friday (today only) at B&N they are giving away this ebook for free as well. The direct link for that one is HERE! Woo! Two free books! Me like! :)

I also just found this book by Ilona Andrews at Smashwords. The link is HERE. It's a collection of companion stories to go with the Kate Daniels series. In fact the description at Smashwords is:
This isn't a short story or a novella. This is a collection of scenes written by Gordon Andrews as a companion to our Kate Daniels series of books. These scenes illustrate the point of view of Curran, the Beast Lord of Atlanta and are provided in gratitude to our readers for all of their support. This collection isn't meant to stand on its own as an independent work of fiction.  

I've been so wanting to get to that series. Now I'll have the companion book when I do! :)

The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller

From Goodreads:

Haven Moore can’t control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother’s house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was. 

 In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

Reincarnation, visions, teenage and small town prejudices and a strange pull. Something needs to be done, but not quite understanding of what needs to be done. Add a bit of youthful impatience with a large push of small minded prejudice and you have the beginning of this book. As the book goes on Haven tries to put together a puzzle where parts seem to fit and then don't. It's a struggle for her to find out what she is supposed to do and who to trust. Plus, with only a few snippets of former memory at a time it's not easy. Does she find out who is the evil force and who just wants to see good done? Can she trust anyone but her best friend? These are answers only Haven can find out for herself.

I have to say that this book holds an interesting concept for me. I was a bit disappointed on how it was handled within her own religion. I would have found that aspect more interesting if within her quest she was to also find out that Christianity has also had debates throughout the centuries with this concept. It wouldn't have been necessary at all to the book, but just more interesting since so much of the book was dedicated to the statement that Christianity and reincarnation do not go together. Another disappointment I had was with Haven. Her ability to quickly trust and mistrust Iain (often within the same hour) really irritated me. In fact it irritated her best friend who asked her if she was done with the roller coaster ride referring to her inability to pin how she felt about Iain. Also, Iain might have had good intentions, but the lack of information and the way he handled it really annoyed me as well. However, the one bright spot was Beau, her gay best friend. He was always there ready to have her back and was a true friend. 

Despite those criticisms I stated above, I will say that the book kept me interested and wanting to find out what happens next. How the pieces were to fall together and who did what kept me reading. I also believe that this is a series and I'm curious as to where the author will lead us. I find the antagonist intriguing even if a bit one dimensional at this point. I think that this concept could be taken into interesting territory. Especially since the big issue for Haven should be solved. As long as that issue is solved, I want to read the next book. I give this one 3 stars.

For some on-line fun you can goto the web site of the Ouroboros Society.

I'd like to thank Razorbill for this ARC. No compensation was given for this review.


You have a review? List it below. 

Sins of the Heart by Eve Silver

From Goodreads

As the son of Sutekh, the lord of evil, Dagan Krayle is one of the most powerful soul reapers. Dagan intends to use every ounce of his power to find his brother's remains and punish those responsible for his brutal death. But he must move swiftly-and carefully-if he is to have any chance of bringing his brother back to this world, because his enemy is on the hunt. 

Otherkin Roxy Tam will stop at nothing to keep the soul reapers from resurrecting Dagan's brother. To allow Sutekh access to his remains would wreak havoc and destruction on the mortal world...and would be her unforgivable failure.

Neither Dagan nor Roxy expect to join forces for the sake of mankind. Or have their loyalties tested as they struggle against the potent desire that threatens to consume them both....

Dagan is a soul reaper and son of Sutekh, god of chaos and one of the major players in the underworld. Roxy Tam was just a girl he saves one faithful day from being raped and killed. Something about her haunted Dagan, but thought that by saving her and leaving her to her life was doing the one good thing in his life. Unfortunately that  meeting had an effect on both for 11 years until they meet once again. This time, when meeting each other they are both trying to piece together a mystery in which they are trying to find a body, a killer as well as a motive. Even though misunderstandings and mysteries stand in the way, neither can afford to have this inexplicable attraction to one another, but denying it is much worse. And like all good PNRs, they cannot resist. Each has a piece of the puzzle. Each has their own agenda. Can they put aside their emotions long enough to put the puzzle together?

I give this book 4 stars. This story really had me captured at the beginning. Loved Roxy's snarkyness and Dagan's dry humor. And if you are like me... you will shake your fist at the end. Why? Well, since it is a trilogy, it ends with the one thing I hate most in books... the cliff hanger! This book just came out at the beginning of this month and yes... wait for it... the next installment, "Sins of the Soul" will be out Sept. 1, 2010.  

Here's the look of the cover of the next book.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Harlequin for giving me this copy for review. No compensation was given for my review.