Savor the Danger by Lori Foster

Description:

The one woman he couldn't have was the only woman he desired…

She may be aloof, and more pretty than gorgeous, but Alani Rivers is the kind of woman a hot-blooded mercenary can't forget, no matter how hard he tries. So when Jackson Savor wakes up next to the naked, sleeping beauty—with no memory of what happened—he knows he's been drugged… even if Alani doesn't.  

After she was kidnapped, Alani swore she'd never trust another man again. Still, something about this strong, sexy hero with the tender touch makes her want to believe him. As Jackson hunts downs a mysterious intruder, he swears he'll move heaven and earth to keep Alani safe. But what really happened that night? And will the truth bring them closer than they ever thought possible—or put Alani squarely in harm's way again?

I got this in the mail and squeed! I so wanted to read the last book in this trilogy. I also admit with the last book, Trace of Fever, I wasn't sure I'd really connect to Jackson. His too cocky attitude really didn't fit with what I felt I knew about Alani. And for a while, I didn't like Jackson for Alani in most of the book. Alani, however, was a bit more reserved than I thought she would be, but even so, I did enjoy her character more than I did with the other females in the other stories. I should also admit I never hated Jackson, but throughout most of the book he would do something that would make me swoon and the next minute he'd open his mouth and ruin it for me. I was hoping at times that Alani would kick his ass, but considering the affect she had on him, that was good enough. lol

Of course, like the other men, I just wanted to slap them upside the head (yes, they brought out my violent side... *evil laugh) because they couldn't just admit how they felt. ARGH! However, if an overly alpha male was able to admit it that easily, it wouldn't have worked, but it still frustrated me none the less. It was more frustrating for me since he wanted her to admit it first, but how could she when he put out that he only wanted casual relationships? Men! *clears throat* Anyhoo... this also gave way to lots of humor especially when Jackson was worried that Alani only wanted him for sex. *giggles* Loved that part. Oh and I should also add that like the other books in this series there are plenty of giggles to be had... mostly at Jackson's expense. :D Oh and yes... he finally did win me over in the end. ;)

Okay, so I don't give away the story I will say I give this book 4 stars. There is a mystery that revolves around these two as there was in the first 2 stories with lots of twists involved. As frustrated I was, I admit I had a lot of fun with this book. We are also introduced to a couple of new characters that we will see in the next book from Lori Foster (I was hoping the next would be for Chris, Dare's assistant.. but oh well...). I am looking forward to meeting the new guy Spenser. *rawr!*

I was given this book for review and no compensation was given.

↑ Showing this again because I can... ;D

Review that made me want to read this:

The Unread Reader's Review and her giveaway of the book click HERE!

Look for giveaway at the Geeky Blogger's Book Blog later on...

Lost Voices by Sara Porter

Description:

Fourteen-year-old Luce has had a tough life, but she reaches the depths of despair when she is assaulted and left on the cliffs outside of a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village. She expects to die when she tumbles into the icy waves below, but instead undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid. A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: the mermaids feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks. Luce possesses an extraordinary singing talent, which makes her important to the tribe—she may even have a shot at becoming their queen. However her struggle to retain her humanity puts her at odds with her new friends. Will Luce be pressured into committing mass murder? 

The first book in a trilogy, Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

 This book is very original. Not because it deals with mermaids but how it also deals with the darker side of humans. This is the part that captured me. I saw the transformation into a mermaid as more of a metaphor for their abusive experience. For example, like some kids who go through a horrific abuse time stops for them. In the book, when the mermaid appears that is how they will always look. No hair growth, no growth at all. I felt this mirrored the emotional growth that was stunted for these girls. The deaths they caused by using their siren voices to crash ships; their pleasure at dominating the "bad humans", and the look of love and admiration from their victims all parallel their former lives as girls. They either recreated their situation for others or tried to latch on to some poor imitation of love. So, it is safe to say I found the parallels in the dark world fascinating and compelling.

I can also see their siren call, the singing parallel the voice they begin to find within themselves once they feel they have found the support they always craved. The song is often described as an animal taking over and yearns to call death. Considering all the girls have been through, perhaps it isn't taking over as it is lashing back at the pain and the death within. Luce is the only one who even considers her pain and that is perhaps the only reason she tries to conquer her voice as one would conquer the demons within.

Well, to go on, I fear I would reveal too much so I will place a starfish over my lips so I cannot say more. (ow!) Perhaps you will not quite see it the way I found fascinating, but you still may be fascinated in the way the author had with the darkness of this story. I give this dark mermaid book 4 stars. I'm also glad that this is a trilogy as it ends with... not a cliffhanger... but more a... "So? What's next? Huh? TELL ME!" Yes, I need the next one quickly. ;) This book is published today!


I received this eARC from Harcourt and NetGalley and no compensation was received.

Psst... Ashley... TEAM MERMAID! ;D
Other reviews:
Books With Bite
I Swim for Oceans

A Ghost of a Flea by John Brinling: Review by AimeeKay

Greetings and Salutations from the deck of the Rusty Dagger. We are currently sailing through the Arabian Sea, in search of that elusive Narwal. Before leaving the last port I received from Melissa a copy of The Ghost of A Flea for review. Well I just finished reading it, so here's the review, I hope it reaches you all in one piece, and with limited water damage or chew marks, we've had a little trouble with some sea monsters.

The Ghost of A Flea
(Murder In The Big Apple)
By: John Brinling
Amazon
Smashwords
ebook currantly .99cents

Description from Smashwords:

Time: 1975.
Location: New York City.

The murder of Roger’s musician friend, Gideon Whiting, turns Roger’s world up-side-down. His wife, Natalie, lies to him. His best friend, Ted, lies to him. His boss and U.S. Senate candidate, Charlie Holt, lies to him. And Lieutenant Tarrington, a homicide detective, is convinced Roger killed Gideon—but is Tarrington who he claims to be, or is he lying, too?
Peggy Curtis, the blond bombshell who dropped into Roger’s life one snowy night after he left Gideon’s apartment, might be the only person who can unravel the Gordian knot facing Roger, yet she has serious credibility problems, and is the last person he would want to rely on with his life and freedom on the line.
The drug cartel masterminding much of the chaos seeks an address book it thinks Roger took from Gideon. As their ruthless pursuit intensifies, the police learn of the book and join the chase. The problem is, Roger doesn’t have what they want and
he must get it before they decide he is expendable.

Ok. I was going to use the short description from smashwords, but honestly I don't think it REALLY says anything about the story. So you'all are stuck with the long one. First I would like to provide you with two things, neither of which you will get from the book

1) The Definition of the term Red Herring:
Dictionary.com - (noun)-
1. something intended to distract attention
from the real problem or issue .
(This is not to be confused with a blue mackerel)

2)

The definition? Because there are a lot of Red Herrings in this book, as well as plot twists, and I wanted to make it clear exactly what one was. The picture? Because it is the title of the book and while you get a description of it, you never actually get to see it.

When I first read the description of the book on Smashwords I wasn't sure if I would like it or not. It's a murder/mystery novel, not usually my first choice of genre, but not my last, so I decided to give it a fair shot. At first it was a bit slow going, and it took me until about the 3rd or 4th chapter to really get into it. But then the story started getting interesting. Every time I thought I had an idea about what was going on there was another twist. No one is quite who they seem, with every page their true self seems to come out, only to change again. The story itself drew me in, I found myself not wanting to put it down because I wanted to finally find out what the truth really was. Plus there were tons of action scenes and even a little romance thrown in.

I only had two real problems with this book. The first problem is that after a certain point the plot twists and red herrings began to get in the way of the story. I understand they were part of the story, and the story itself was excellent, but after a while I just wanted to know the truth and find out what was really going on. And it went from "Oh My what a twist", to "oh, what now". Even up until the very end I was still kind of waiting for another shoe to drop and change everything. Again. Fortunately the shoes finally stopped falling. The second problem, was that I had a hard time connecting/caring for the main character. Roger is you average everyday guy, who just happens to walk straight into a seedy drug cartels world. I get he's an average guy, he's not, to quote the book, a "comic book hero". I get that, really, but sometimes he just came across as being so annoying. He just lets things happen to him and then does nothing about them. Especially in the beginning of the book. He obviously has problems with his wife, but instead of going home to here he goes out to get high with his buddies and then wonders why she is angry. (I know this is common male behavior, so maybe that's why I got annoyed by it, but still) But at the same time he seems to let people just manipulate him. He's not so bad by the end of the story, and maybe that's what the author intended, but by the end of the book I just wanted to find out the end of the story and have all the puzzle pieces fit together. I really didn't care what happened to the characters themselves.

Overall I'd give this story 4 out of 5 stars. Its a good story. If you like intrigue and mysteries. If you like action and adventure. The Ghost of a Flea has all that. It will definitely keep you interested, and in the end the questions are answered and the end itself is satisfying. I give it four stars because while I didn't connect with the character that doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't. If I had been able to maybe I wouldn't have gotten so frustrated with all the plot twists.That being said, I reiterate I did like the story itself and if I came across another one of Mr. Brinling's books I would read it. So if you are looking for a good mystery with a lot of intrigue and some surprising twists, to take to the beach or pool this summer, go check out The Ghost of a Flea.

Until the next time!

AimeeKay

My Book Wishlist

The Hum and the Shiver by Alex Bledsoe
TBP: Sept. 27, 2011

Description:
No one knows where the Tufa came from, or how they ended up in the Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee, yet when the first Europeans arrived, they were already there. Dark-haired, enigmatic, and suspicious of outsiders, the Tufa live quiet lives in the hills and valleys of Cloud County. While their origins may be lost to history, there are clues in their music—hints of their true nature buried in the songs they have passed down for generations.

Private Bronwyn Hyatt returns from Iraq wounded in body and in spirit, only to face the very things that drove her away in the first place: her family, her obligations to the Tufa, and her dangerous ex-boyfriend. But more trouble lurks in the mountains and hollows of her childhood home. Cryptic omens warn of impending tragedy, and a restless “haint” lurks nearby, waiting to reveal Bronwyn’s darkest secrets. Worst of all, Bronwyn has lost touch with the music that was once a vital part of her identity.

With death stalking her family, Bronwyn will need to summon the strength to take her place among the true Tufa and once again fly on the night winds. . . .

Eyes to See by Joseph Nassise
TBP: Oct. 11, 2011
Description:
In an urban fantasy that charts daring new territory in the field, Jeremiah Hunt has been broken by a malevolent force that has taken his young daughter and everything else of value in his life: his marriage, his career, his reputation. Desperate to reclaim what he has lost, Hunt finally turns to the supernatural for justice.

Abandoning all hope for a normal life, he enters the world of ghosts and even more dangerous entities from beyond the grave. Sacrificing his normal sight so that he can see the souls of the dead and the powers that stalk his worst nightmares, Hunt embarks upon a strange new career—a pariah among the living; a scourge among the dead; doomed to walk between the light of day and the deepest darkness beyond night.

His love for his departed daughter sustains him when all is most hopeless, but Hunt is cursed by something more evil than he can possibly imagine. As he descends into the maelstrom of his terrifying quest, he discovers that even his deepest fears are but prelude to yet darker deeds by a powerful entity from beyond the grave…that will not let him go until it has used him for its own nefarious purposes.

So, what is on your wishlist this week?

Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer: An Early Review

From Goodreads:

You're an alpha, a leader. That's what we need. It's what we've always needed. When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she's certain her days are numbered. Then the Searchers make her an offer, one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save her pack ? and the boy ? she left behind.Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? Will Shay stand by her side no matter what?Now in control of her destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials love can endure.

Since I agreed to post this before the July 26, publishing date, I will try to keep this spoiler-free. I know a lot of people are wanting to read this book. Oh and excuse the cover... it was my favorite out of all the covers for the book. :)

Where to begin? Well, I will say this... those that have read Nightshade and don't remember everything, go back and read it. It took me a bit to catch up to things that had happened and remember people who were involved. This way you don't have to spend that time catching up. Also, prepare some time for reading. There are parts of this book that make it hard to put down.

There were parts of this book I didn't like. I do admit that there were times where I got frustrated with the Searchers. They were slow to reveal secrets and I felt those were needed for Shay and Calla to trust them. However, this slow reveal also had you turning pages just to find out what those secrets were; what lies the Keepers told, and what were the truths. So I had a hard time adjusting to who you needed to trust. However, in a way it was perfect because you were right along with Calla doing the same thing.

Now I will turn to teams. I was total Team Ren in my review of Nightshade. I just didn't like the way Shay would assume how their society worked. He judged too much, in my opinion, based on facts he did not seek out. So did I switch sides? Yes and no. *evil laugh* To explain would reveal too much and I already promised I would do no such thing. *evil laugh again* Let's just say that each has a chance at my heart.

I give this book 4 1/2 stars. I had to take off a bit for the frustration since it didn't gel with a couple of characters. I also had to take off a bit for the CLIFFHANGER that Ms. Cremer gives us in the end. Oh death to cliffhangers! *sigh* I am anxiously awaiting the next book Bloodrose to be published Feb, 21, 2012. Anxiously!!! I cannot say more. *cries* *evil laugh on all of us!*

Here is a bit of a vid by Ms. Cremer which gives us an idea of what to expect in her own way.

You can also visit NightShadebook.com for excerpts, the Shay Doran Days vids and more!
I received this ARC from Book It Forward Tours and no compensation was given.