Exquisite Captive by Heather Demetrios

Series: Dark Caravan Cycle #1
480 p.
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Published: Oct. 7, 14
Source: From Edelweiss and publisher for review

Forced to obey her master.Compelled to help her enemy.Determined to free herself.

Nalia is a jinni of tremendous ancient power, the only survivor of a coup that killed nearly everyone she loved. Stuffed into a bottle and sold by a slave trader, she’s now in hiding on the dark caravan, the lucrative jinni slave trade between Arjinna and Earth, where jinn are forced to grant wishes and obey their human masters’ every command. She’d give almost anything to be free of the golden shackles that bind her to Malek, her handsome, cruel master, and his lavish Hollywood lifestyle. 

Enter Raif, the enigmatic leader of Arjinna’s revolution and Nalia’s sworn enemy. He promises to free Nalia from her master so that she can return to her ravaged homeland and free her imprisoned brother—all for an unbearably high price. Nalia’s not sure she can trust him, but Raif’s her only hope of escape. With her enemies on the hunt, Earth has become more perilous than ever for Nalia. There’s just one catch: for Raif’s unbinding magic to work, Nalia must gain possession of her bottle…and convince the dangerously persuasive Malek that she truly loves him. Battling a dark past and harboring a terrible secret, Nalia soon realizes her freedom may come at a price too terrible to pay: but how far is she willing to go for it? 

Inspired by Arabian Nights, EXQUISITE CAPTIVE brings to life a deliciously seductive world where a wish can be a curse and shadows are sometimes safer than the light.

My thoughts:
I've always liked jinn stories but there are so few out there. In this story the characters aren't just one dimensional which can happen to a slave character but rich in descriptive magic. She also brings us back in Nalia's memory to a magical world lush in description. A world we know we will never experience except through Nalia's memory. We also are quite aware of the current war in that world and how it changed not just the people but the landscape as well.

As I said I did like the characters here. Nalia is a slave but finds ways to survive horrendous torture and revel in small rebellious victories. She was captured young and didn't have a sense of who she was or could become. In one way she changed the bindings of royalty for the bindings of slavery. Both denying who she is and what she could become. Then along comes Raif. His role is not to save her (although he plays a huge part) but to awaken Nalia into the person she wants to become. Now that doesn't mean it was all roses when he first comes on the scene, but you are aware he will become the romantic interest once he gets over being a total arse (even if he has good reason) and shows his true heart. :)

I don't want to give too much away, but the evil presence is quite evil and almost impossible to defeat. While this part of the story is complete there is still so much left open. So much more you want to explore and not just in the parts you know are to come. I'm curious where the author will take these characters and I'm most curious about Malek. He may have the most interesting journey ahead. He still has to choose who he wants to become.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I really enjoyed my time here and I want to see if they accomplish all their goals. The book is listed as YA since Nalia is 18 but the other characters are older. It may cross a bit over to the NA genre as well as adult. I recommend it to those that enjoy a good jinn adventure.

The Night Garden by Lisa Van Allen

Standalone
352 p.
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Published: Oct. 7, 2014
Source: Edelweiss and publisher for review

Nestled in the bucolic town of Green Valley in upstate New York, the Pennywort farm appears ordinary, yet at its center lies something remarkable: a wild maze of colorful gardens that reaches beyond the imagination. Local legend says that a visitor can gain answers to life’s most difficult problems simply by walking through its lush corridors. 

Yet the labyrinth has never helped Olivia Pennywort, the garden’s beautiful and enigmatic caretaker. She has spent her entire life on her family’s land, harboring a secret that forces her to keep everyone at arm’s length. But when her childhood best friend, Sam Van Winkle, returns to the valley, Olivia begins to question her safe, isolated world and wonders if she at last has the courage to let someone in. As she and Sam reconnect, Olivia faces a difficult question: Is the garden maze that she has nurtured all of her life a safe haven or a prison?

My thoughts:
I do like magical realism so when I saw this one up for review I jumped at the chance to read it. It does have everything we come to expect from this genre: magic without logic, romance, obstacle to overcome that has be precipitated by magic and cured by it as well. So, it is safe to say that I enjoyed most of the book. The part I had a bit of trouble with is the end.

While the ending was not horrible at all. In fact, it did make sense. What I didn't like about it was that it felt too open. It didn't have enough details. Did Olivia solve her problem? You assume so but there is no concrete evidence. I suspect it was made to feel mysterious so you are with the rest of the town wondering what is going on, but because you were so into the detail of Olivia's world it just didn't feel right. It was like we got kicked out of the inner circle. Since I'm an "ending girl" this did color my view of the rest of the book.

I give this book 3 1/2 stars. Although I did have a few problems with the ending, I did enjoy the rest of my time amongst the magical plants and maze. I also enjoyed the main as well as the side characters. I recommend it to those that enjoy magical realism.

Animal Welfare Week: Author Guest Post and Giveaway!

Pawlease help us celebrate Animal Welfare Week (October 5-11) and National Animal Shelter and Rescue Appreciation Week (November 2-8) with DOGHOUSE and the Gin & Tonic Mystery Series by L.A. Kornetsky!

Summary of Doghouse:

Amateur sleuths Ginny Mallard and Teddy Tonica and their furry partners prove in L.A. Kornetsky’s  DOGHOUSE (PocketBooks; July 22, 2014; $7.99) that twelve legs are better than four when it comes to solving a risky new case in the third novel from the “entertaining” (Library Journal) Gin & Tonic mystery series.  At her favorite Seattle bar, professional concierge Ginny Mallard can always count on a perfectly mixed gimlet and a friendly welcome for her shar-pei, Georgie, from resident cat, Penny.  On this visit, Ginny gets an unexpected bonus.  One of the regulars asks her and her sometime partner, bartender Teddy Tonica, to save an old friend who’s facing eviction.  This is no simple landlord spat.  Rumors abound of an underground dogfighting ring on the premises—a crime guaranteed to get Gin’s hackles up. Gin and Teddy want to believe the old man is innocent of all charges, thought a new piece of evidence suggests otherwise.  Penny and Georgie keep their noses to the ground as they help their humans investigate the vicious animal rights case.  But the truth is buried deep, and digging it up will unearth dangerous complications for owners and animals alike.

Praise for the third Gin & Tonic Mystery, Doghouse:

“Infamously nosy Ginny Mallard may be unlicensed as an investigator, but she has begun to make a name for herself as the unofficial champion of the tongue-tied. In the third installment of L.A. Kornetsky’s Gin & Tonic Mystery series, Doghouse finds Ginny getting herself tied up in a possible underground dogfighting ring. With help from her bartender friend Teddy Tonica, his tabby cat and Ginny’s Shar Pei puppy, they have to figure out what’s going on before someone else gets hurt.”
—Cat Fancy Magazine, November 2014 issue

“Human and animal characters are equally appealing. A thoroughly enjoyable read.” I Love a Mystery

“Doghouse is a crafty mystery with engaging characters and countless unknowns…L.A. Kornetsky makes mysteries inventively delightful, and Doghouse entertains with wit and cleverness.” Single Titles

“I recommend it to those that really like animals and cozy mysteries.” ~Books and Things

“The third Gin & Tonic “researchtigations” is an appealing anthropomorphist amateur sleuth enhanced by life in a cheerful neighborhood bar. The lead humans and their animal owners remain fresh leads while the case proves bloody in the ring and the bar.” The Mystery Gazette

“Sniffing out clues…L.A. Kornetsky brings back Ginny Mallard and her bartender friend Teddy Tonica, along with Ginny's pet shar-pei puppy and Teddy’s tabby cat, for their third outing in Doghouse.” Library Journal

Praise for the second Gin & Tonic Mystery, Fixed:

“[Fixed] is the second foray into the lives of a very unlikely pair of investigators; unlikely and a whole lot of fun…Collared was the first title that introduced this extremely fun ‘family and friends’ grouping, and the author has come back with a sequel that will truly make Gin & Tonic a well-known duo! Very light-hearted, this is a great book. Any reader who likes the ‘cozy’ avenue will love this mystery, with a little bit of cat and dog language thrown in for fun.” Suspense Magazine

Praise for the first Gin & Tonic Mystery, Collared:

“The plot moves quickly, enhanced by smart dialog and good characterizations…Recommended for purchase where pet mysteries are popular.” Library Journal

Doghouse Excerpt

Author Guest Post: L.A. Kornesky

I’m getting ready for a move, and part of that is decluttering. Getting rid of things – objects, old paperwork – that I don’t need to haul with me any more.

But in a folder of otherwise no-longer-needed papers, there’s a sheet I’m keeping. It’s from the ASPCA, and it documents my adoption of the kitten once known as Minna, who became my beloved Pandora, gone now a little over a year.

There’s no point to keeping the sheet of paper. All it does is say that I paid x amount for a 4 month old female tiger kitten, spayed. But throwing it out isn’t an option, either. Because this was the first connection I had to Pandora, the first contract we made with each other: I would give her food, shelter, care, and a lap when she wanted it. I would give her a home. And in return, she gave me such love and companionship, letting her go at the end was no less a pain than losing a human friend.

I don’t have documentation from Indy-J, who was found on the street as a weeks-old kitten, and lived a long and adventurous life before cancer took her in 2000. But Pandora’s adoption paper will go in the current file, along with the papers for our current residents, Boomerang (aka Boomer you idiot), and Castiel the Kitten of Thursday (aka DamnitCas).

Because you keep the important moments, the documents that say “this is how you changed my life.”

(and some of you may note that I invite disaster in the renaming of my cats. You would not be wrong. But where’s the fun of living with Sir Napsalot?)

About the author:

L. A. Kornetsky is the author of two previous Gin & Tonic mysteries. She lives in New York City with two cats and a time-share dog, and also writes fantasy under the name Laura Anne Gilman. She welcomes visitors to www.lauraannegilman.net, @LAGilman and Facebook L-A-Kornetsky.

Giveaway!

There will be 2 winners of her most recent book, Doghouse. You do not have to read the other 2 books. It can be read as a standalone. My review is HERE. Since I'm sending these out myself the giveaway is open to those with US only snail mail addys. Just fill out the rafflecopter form below to enter. Good luck!

AimeeKay: Readers for Rett Awareness

***Thank you so much for letting us take over your blog today for Readers for Rett's Awareness! Before we get started, to all your wonderful readers. Our Event, Readers for Rett's Awareness, is being held on Facebook here. We have three wonderful girls and their families who were able to take the time out of their crazy schedules to let us take a peek into their lives. We also have some wonderful sponsors who have donated awesome prizes for each of the girls to give away AND a grand prize. The contests will be open until Sunday, October 6th at midnight, so please feel free to come join us! Meet the girls, learn about Retts, and have some fun at the same time!***

Hi! My name's Aimee.  My friend, Rae, and I wanted to help spread awareness about Rett's Syndrome and introduce people to girls and their families who live with it every day. (To find out more about Rett's Syndrome click here and check out our event.) Please also understand that because of the debilitating effects of Retts the girls are unable to answer directly for themselves. So their family has been kind enough to answer for them. 

I'd like to introduce Gabby and her family!

Crystal what is Gabby's favorite movie? 

She likes brave But lately has been watching Charlettes Web a lot!

Who is Gabby's favorite Disney Princess? Mine is Aurora from sleeping beauty!

Merida from Brave, of course!

What is a typical day like for your family and Gabby?

I wake up at 5:30 and talk to the nurse about what happened overnight. Now I take our new puppy outside too! I then get Toms lunch ready, feed Caroline (The new puppy!), and get the nurse off at 6am. Tom leaves. Meadow, one of Gabby's older sisters wakes up and gets ready for school. I get Meadows medications ready for her. Mead leaves for school. At 7:45 I start to get Gabby's first set of medications ready. They are due at 8am. The nurse for day shift comes in. Gabby gets meds or something at:

 9 am

10 am

11 am

12:30

2 pm

3:30 pm

5 pm

6:30 pm

8 pm

9 pm 

10 pm

11 pm 

Midnight

1 am

2 am

3 am

4 am

5 am

and

6 am

And those are just regular meds or water flushes. Then she gets her inhaler, which is given through an extension in the hose of her CPAP machine and her vest treatment. Sometimes she doesn't always tolerate it all at one time and we break it up. She gets a total of an hour a day. Sometimes we end up doing ten minutes an hour. Then she gets the coughalator treatment, and, if necessary, after each time the vest is used. She hates this. Then the suction machine. Every 4 hours her formula needs to be refilled. Once a day it is mixed. The formula is very exact. It's mixed down to the milliliter. The bag that holds it is changed every day. It's rinsed out 12 hours after being opened. Her tube is flushed twice a day. The extension as well.

Then at 4 the day nurse leaves and some days the CNA comes in, some days not.  Then homework, dinner, dishes, normal stuff. After the overnight nurse comes in at 10, I set things up for the following day. 7 syringes of medications. I set them up the night before because all of Gabbys meds are pills. Most kids with feeding tubes use liquid medicine but she can't because of the specialized diet she is on. The Ketogentic formula is low sugar and low carbs. Liquid forms of medicine have lots of both sugar and carbs. So since the pills need time to dissolve, that's why I set everything up the night before.

Now that's just the routine stuff.

Then there are the times when Gabby's pulse ox goes off continually for HOURS. Someone has to be at her bedside stimulating her, patting or rubbing her chest or her back constantly. If you stop, she drops even more. It is horrible to watch. For those that don't know, the best rate you can have is 100. Docs usually get concerned if you drop under 90 for a few seconds. Gabby has dropped to 1, then we lost signal and had to use an Ambu bag to bring her back up. It was for a total of almost 5 minutes. Two weekends ago she dropped to 3. Yesterday it was 16. These are numbers that aren't supposed to happen. Some of her nurses have never seen seen them. Some actually don't even believe that she does it, at least until she does do it. Oh and then I also have to mention her seizures. Which she has everyday. She takes three different seizure meds twice a day, plus the keto diet. And a rescue med, another medication that could be considered somewhat for that.

Gabby is not only home bound but bed bound. Since June she has been home under hospice care. She also has a DNR. We just went on Gabbys Make A Wish trip. To Disney!!! It was wonderful. But, I fear it may be the last she leaves the house. She has struggled a lot since coming home. She has seizures almost daily. She would not have even come home from the hospital if not for the CPAP machine and oxygen. And I, nor does anyone else know how much longer those will help.

We keep her as calm as we can. We spend as much time as we can with her.

You just got a dog! What kind of dog is it? What's its name?

Caroline is a poodle mix (I don't know what's she's mixed with). She's a year old (Sept 25, 2013) she's all black. She's been great so far!

If there was one thing that you really wish you could tell people about Gabby or about your family and how Rett's effects it, or just about your family in general what would it be? 

Gabby understands! Everything! She may not speak with her mouth, but she knows. When you talk, she understands. Not to talk to her like she doesn't. Hell any kid, or adult for that matter, that is disabled shouldn't be talked down to or around like they aren't there. They get it. She is 11, not 1. If you look at her you would understand. 

 I know sometimes people are unsure of what it is ok to say or ask when they meet Gabby or other children with Rett's, or other disabilities in public. How would you prefer people to react? Is there anything you wish they would ask? or Wouldn't ask? 

I personally would rather people ask...ask anything. I will answer any question, anytime. I can't stand when people stare and then just walk away. I've gone up to people and handed them Gabbys purple card, waited for them to read it and then asked if they have any questions. Some do, some just walk away. Some people don't know how to ask, or what to ask. Just ask, that's how you learn. Gabbys sisters go up to other children and bring them to meet Gabby...they are truly wonderful sisters. 

You just got back from Disney for Make-A-Wish? What was Gabby's favorite part?

Disney was wonderful!!! Give Kids The World is simply amazing. I can't begin to put words to what trip meant to us. Universal. The minions. She loves them!!

Thank you so much Crystal and Gabby for answering all my questions and letting us get a look into your lives. To get to know more about Gabby and her family come stop by the event and say hi!

As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre

Series: 2B Trilogy #2
352 p.
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 9/30/14
Source: NetGalley and publisher for review

Most people dream about getting out of Sharon, Nebraska, but after three years away, Lauren Barrett is coming home. There are the justifications she gives to everyone else—missing her family, losing her college scholarship. And then there’s the reason Lauren can’t admit to anyone: Rob Conrad, her best friend’s older brother. 

Football prowess and jaw-dropping good looks made Rob a star in high school. Out in the real world, his job and his relationships are going nowhere. He can’t pinpoint exactly what’s missing until Lauren comes back to town, bringing old feelings and new dreams with her. But he’s the guy that women love and leave—not the one who makes them think of forever. 

Though she’s terrified of opening up, Lauren’s ready to take that chance. Because the only thing more important than figuring out where you truly belong is finding the person you were meant to be with.

My thoughts:
I really enjoyed this addition to the series. I was curious about Lauren and Rob from the first book and was very curious as to how they became a couple. I really enjoyed both characters and how they took a infatuation and turned it into a mature relationship.

I did have a couple of unanswered questions that bugged me. Not so much to draw me out of the story, but enough I really wanted the answer. Mostly it was about Rob. People treated him like he was dumb as a box of rocks but no explanation as to why. They way it read it sounded like he had a learning difference but those things can be worked around with the proper technique. Still, even if he never got a proper diagnosis and family that helped instead of hurt I have a hard time believing that his sister who studies education wouldn't have tried to piece it together and help him out. Yes, I am nosey and want to know! :)

My favorite part of the book is how mature Lauren becomes. She takes responsibility for her panic attacks and really starts to do something about it. She also seems very mature when she gets into the relationship with Rob. The best part is when she befriends Rob's ex and helps her with her deep dark secrets. Yes, in this book Lauren shines.

I give this book 4 stars. I really enjoyed the relationship and romance within the pages. Yes, it is very hot at times so make sure the fire extinguisher is available. :) I recommend it to those that enjoy contemporary romance.