Barbara's Booky Blog

I usually like foodie mysteries but this one just didn't do it for me. I hated it right from the first chapter and it just didn't get any better. Honestly there wasn't a likable character in the whole thing and the whole Jewish thing seemed overplayed to me. For the most part, the mystery kind of got swept under the rug in favor of trying to save the deli itself. Not a series I would continue.

Roughly six months have passed since the events of that fateful night and Emma is now living with Sara and her parents. She has blocked out those terrible events and refused to listen to accounts of that catastrophe. When her mother re-enters her life, Emma actually moves in with her which I find bizarre. Most people would have started by having lunch or spending a weekend so I wasn't very surprised at the outcome. Anyway, Emma meets and befriends her mother's much younger boyfriend, Jonathan. The fact that she lied to everyone about this friendship was rather upsetting to me. I understand the author has to have angst to make a good story but I totally hate the necessity of unnecessary lies and deception.

This book is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs not just for Emma, but for Evan, Sara, Rachel and even Jonathan. Rebecca Donovan has penned a terrific real life story that is sure to resonate long after you finish reading the last painful page. Emma makes some seriously bad decisions that effect everyone. I have a terrible feeling that the conclusion of this series isn't going to be the HEA I'm wanting for Emma and Evan but I'll persevere and read it anyway.

I didn't like this book right from the start. By page 8, I was already skipping paragraphs of nonsensical prose.

Tonight however I'm already getting into trouble. Tonight I've already flirted (snicker-snack!) with the woman in the Machiavellian miniskirt and the bioluminescent makeup; the woman who had a mouth like a broken promise; the ballet dancer who was so nice that it obliterated her personality; the woman I know sits around her apartment with heavily impasto makeup and Nina Simone CD playing on repeat in case a foreign dignitary or divorced heart surgeon stops by for a cup of sugar and some matrimony; the doleful aphid who, while doing her most artful Scarlett, told me about her Bad Luck with idle lotharios who have nothing to offer (like myself) and who I know will eventually marry a bumptious banker from Baltimore and settle for a pyrrhic life of sailboats and polo party invitations that read Mr. and Mrs. Not Happy but Relieved Not to Be Alone.

Though my personal favorite was this paragraph

I peel off my clothes and squat genuflectively on the floor and start wringing it out in pleasureless, workmanlike movements. It's a wank only Henry Ford could love, but it does the job. Eventually I get that familiar feeling of efflorescent wetness in my veins and a gun-shy orgasm gurgles stupidly out. As the stringy discharge of bleach and baby powder splatters onto the crumpled paper of a slush manuscript I never sent back, I can't help blurting out the same words I always do when I come: Viva la Evie.

Yup after this I was hard pressed to continue reading this crap but I persevered and finished this god-awful book but only because I needed it for a challenge otherwise I would have promptly chucked it in the trash. Unfortunately I had to wait until page 322 to do just that. Good riddance to bad rubbish!

Well at the end of [b:The Pleasure of Your Kiss|10802108|The Pleasure of Your Kiss (Burke Brothers, #1)|Teresa Medeiros|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359510036s/10802108.jpg|15715437] I was jonesing for Max's story. Here's the end of my review for that book All's well that ends well I guess. I think Max's story will be much better. He's now a bitter bitter man and has totally left off all sense on chivalry and honor. Clarinda's defection and Ashton's betrayal have set him on a path that will be interesting to see a woman turn around. I can't wait. I can honestly say that it wasn't worth the wait. I found the story to be very boring and slooooow. Heck it wasn't until almost 350 pages passed before the hero and heroine finally got together. Unfortunately there just wasn't enough action to keep me interested in the story. I so wanted Max to have a spectacular HEA (take that Ashton and Clarinda!) but alas it wasn't to be. In [b:The Pleasure of Your Kiss|10802108|The Pleasure of Your Kiss (Burke Brothers, #1)|Teresa Medeiros|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1359510036s/10802108.jpg|15715437], the secondary characters saved it from being a flop. Unfortunately there weren't really any secondary characters in this one unless you count the house and the ghost. All in all, a total disappointment. It's been years since I read anything by Teresa Medeiros but I remember her books as being fabulous (4 or 5 stars) but these last two have been terrible. It won't stop me from reading her books but she's no longer a must buy author.

First of all I must state that I am not the target audience for Manga; this being the first I've ever read (and the last). I have trouble deciphering the stilted English translation which makes for a poor reading experience.

This is the story of Tohru Honda, an orphaned Japanese girl who moves in with young male neighbors and discovers their family secret of transforming into the animals of the Chinese zodiac. I love the paranormal genre so this concept really appealed to me, however, the little girl feel of it was confusing. The characters are supposed to be in high school but everything seemed overly childish to me. I felt that there was a whole lot of plot thrown in here but little of it was explored and the story as a whole was left hanging. I guess that's how Manga works but I won't be experiencing anymore so I'll never know.

And WTH was with those strange side comments about what the author was doing or thinking. They had absolutely nothing to do with the story so what was the darn point? After the first few, I just ignored them completely.

On a side note, I appreciate my Goodreads friends who recommended this book. Unfortunately if this is the best that Manga has to offer, I'll have to pass.

When Jane MacGuire is finally set to return to Georgia to spend time with Eve Duncan and Joe Quinn, events happen that send her to the Caribbean instead. Events set in motion by a crazy man who kidnaps Eve to reconstruct his equally crazy son who was cremated by the guys who killed him. There are tons of things going on in this book (the first of an inter-series trilogy about Eve). Not only has Jane resurfaced but Seth Caleb and Mark Trevor have returned with her and there's quite a bit of love triangle going on between them. Joe Quinn is tangling with CIAs Venable who's doing his best to be close-mouthed about what's really going on. Assassin Lee Zander appears periodically but doesn't really do anything in this installment (a set up for book two)? And a newbie has entered the story, Margaret, the dog whisperer. Hmmm it'll be interesting to see how she fits in with Eve's gang. All in all a great start to Eve's soliloquy.

Both this short and [b:The Summer Before I Met You|15992339|The Summer Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy, #0.5)|Sarah Rees Brennan|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347127282s/15992339.jpg|21749379] are necessary to get the full impact of both Kami and Jared's childhoods. It certainly explains why they both cling to their uniqueness and bond. I liked Mariel as she tried to help Jared but poor Jared was really beyond help. When you have an "imaginary" friend people immediately think you're nuts and nothing you do or say changes their minds. I was glad to get this background to better understand Jared's dilemmas and to a lesser extent Kami's.

Rather childish for a 16 year old protagonist but fun nonetheless. I enjoyed reading more of Kami's crazy antics though Jared didn't feature at all. I'm beginning to really like Rusty though. This definitely needs to be read after [b:Unspoken|10866624|Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1)|Sarah Rees Brennan|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333397426s/10866624.jpg|15781826].

I rarely dislike a Connie Mason book but this one just didn't do it for me. Maybe it was because the theme was overused in romance and I really didn't like either main character. Lord Sin was just a horny rogue and Lady Christy just lied about everything. I didn't feel as if their "romance" was believable and it certainly wasn't entertaining. In my opinion, sex scenes without a decent plot are pointless and rarely save a book. Since I've already read the second in the series and loved it, I guess I'll finish it out eventually.

Kami Glass and Jared Lynburn have been in each others heads since forever. As with all imaginary friends, Kami and Jared share everything (every thought, every feeling, every event). Unlike other imaginary friends, both Kami and Jared are real and when they finally meet...they are leery of each other because it's vastly different to chat with someone in your head than to actually come face to face with that person, a person even you thought wasn't real.

Kami is a female of worth (as J.R. Ward would say). She's strong, determined, very responsible and flawed (which is important in a heroine as I hate those perfect Barbie females). Jared is your typical tortured hero who isn't typical at all. Admittedly he's had a rough go of it - his father is dead and his mother actively blames him. His mother is a nasty piece of work and you can't help but feel sorry for Jared and totally understand why he lives in his head with Kami. To really get a feel for both Kami and Jared's personalities and emotional situations, read their prequels [b:The Spring Before I Met You|16002855|The Spring Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy, #0.25)|Sarah Rees Brennan|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347361443s/16002855.jpg|21765429] (Jared's) and [b:The Summer Before I Met You|15992339|The Summer Before I Met You (The Lynburn Legacy, #0.5)|Sarah Rees Brennan|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1347127282s/15992339.jpg|21749379] (Kami's). They will be more effective if you read them after you read [b:Unspoken|10866624|Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1)|Sarah Rees Brennan|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1333397426s/10866624.jpg|15781826] as they will completely be out of context if you read them first.

I really liked the fact that Kami and Jared weren't soul mates and didn't immediately fall into each others arms. I liked how Ms. Brennan stuck to her guns and kept both Kami and Jared individualistic. I enjoyed their clever banter (heck the clever banter of all the characters, except the Lynburns of course, who were too damn gloomy to actually be clever.) It wasn't really snark as much as a humorous way of looking at things (well everything actually). Even Kami's family was unusual in that respect. Jon Glass had a way of double talking to his wife and kids that was funny and kept he kids on their toes. I really liked this aspect of Ms. Brennan's writing style. It provided some much needed comic relief from the dark (and sometimes dangerous) events of the story.

This isn't your typical young adult book. Oh yeah, there is the outcast heroine, lots of angst, the new bad boy in town and a love triangle (or is it a quadrilateral - four sided triangle?). This is more an awkward, unromantic romance with a gang of friends (Kami, Jared, Ash, Holly, Angela and Rusty). I thoroughly enjoyed this story and will definitely be continuing the series as the cliff hanger ending made me want to scream and I have to see where this goes next. Poor Jared what will he do now?

A superbly written tale of love, friendship, betrayal and war. It's been years since I've read the previous two books in the series (2009) so I had to reacquaint myself with Fortriu and it's characters before I could get back into the story but I'm so glad I persevered. I've always like Faolan and so wanted his HEA but knowing it wasn't going to be Ana figured he'd have to go a traveling again.

After [b:Blade of Fortriu|13923|Blade of Fortriu (The Bridei Chronicles, #2)|Juliet Marillier|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1312065001s/13923.jpg|861353], it was apparent that Faolan was going on another mission - partly King's business and partly personal. First off Faolan must inform Deord's kin of his heroic actions and his passing. Upon doing this, he rescues Deord's daughter, Eile and granddaughter, Saraid from imminent danger. Of course, Eile is his soul mate and the journey of discovery is long and romantic.

Secondly, Faolan must deal with his dark past and reconnect with his family regardless of past events. This turns out to be the hardest thing Faolan has to accomplish on this trip. I loved how Eile was the catalyst in this encounter. Both Eile and Faolan have tragic pasts and must overcome their individual difficulties and in order to heal, must begin to rely on each other.

Though Faolan and his journey are the main focus of the book, there are quite a few other ongoing plots that draw the reader away from Faolan and his troubles. King Bridei, Tuala, Derelei and the newest babe have their own crosses to bear including possible rebellion by a trusted friend, various conspiracies, Broichan's disappearance at such an important time, Derelei's untrained magic, the King of the Light Isles and his cousin making trouble and of course, the whole Druid versus Christian religions in Fortriu. And we cannot forget about Drustan and Ana who have their own trials and tribulations to overcome.

This is a well-written story that ties up all the loose ends in the Bridei Chronicle as well as leave it open for a possible sequel or spin-off. At some point, I'd love to read Derelei's story as well as Saraid's. I sincerely hope that Ms. Marillier doesn't leave these two terrific children without a story of their own.

This is an exciting romantic suspense set in Sierra Leone (West Africa), Washington, D.C. and the wilds of Minnesota. Mean Joe Green is racked with survivors guilt over the death of his friend Bryan (his girl friends brother who was killed on a mission). Of course, big bad Joe thinks he should have been able to save Bryan though that would have been impossible. Regardless Joe cuts all ties with Stephanie (Bryan's sister) and fellow BOIs and heads back to Sierra Leone for revenge and justice. Fortunately for Joe, Stephanie sees through his BS and follows him. Good thing as he's in a nasty prison and getting the crap beat out of him daily. Stephanie hooks up with Suah, a young boy who Joe has twice rescued from danger. Suah has unbelievable connections and at this point the suspense is unreal. Former desk jockey Stephanie, finally finds her calling and comes into her own when Joe is unable to rescue himself.

This is a terrific romance with just the right amount of danger (well maybe a little more than that). It will keep the reader on the edge of their seats, rapidly turning pages to see how Joe and Stephanie (and a few others) anticipate (and defeat) the bad guy. Great book and excellent conclusion to the Black Ops series. I particularly enjoyed the epilogue where we got to revisit all the characters from the first six books and learn about their marital bliss since their adventures ended. This series might be over but I got the distinct impression that a spinoff was in the making. Yay!

Honestly I didn't expect to like this book and I didn't particularly care for it. I thought it started well (the first third had me turning pages) but about halfway through I found myself bored and really didn't care where the story was headed. Stories with vampire hunters are usually very exciting and action-packed, this was not. It seemed choppy to me (too much available information condensed into too few pages). The plethora of historical details made this feel more real than it was intended to be. I'm not much of a history buff but even so, I found myself wincing at Lincoln's supposed thoughts and actions as they varied greatly from reality and my impressions of Abe Lincoln. I was more disconcerted than entertained. I won't be reading any more of Mr. Smith's "alternate" reality fiction as it's just not to my taste.

I absolutely loved [b:How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf|8182682|How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf, #1)|Molly Harper|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348417258s/8182682.jpg|13029341] and picked this one up with great expectations. I was not disappointed in the least. I loved nerdy Nicholas Thatcher and though I felt Maggie was a little too bitchy at times, I loved her anyway. Molly Harper has a way of making her characters real - they go grocery shopping, they cook dinner, they clean, etc. It makes it much simpler to connect with them and draw you into the every day life of over-the-top characters (like werewolves). This is a series I will definitely be continuing.

In this installment, we have adrenaline junkie, rock climber extraordinaire Gabriel "Gabe" Rossiter and Native American journalist Katharine "Kat" James. Kat falls into Gabe's life (literally) and turns everything upside-down. Gabe has a painful past and has sworn off love and marriage but sex? yup that he has lots and lots of with any available woman looking for a good time with no commitment. On the other hand, Kat has old fashioned ideals and is saving herself for her soul mate and marriage. Sounds like two totally different philosophies doesn't it? The journey to their HEA is wonderfully romantic and rather dangerous and exciting.

I loved both Kat and Gabe and felt that Pamela Clare did a terrific job with the cultural elements as well as the suspenseful. This is the first book I've read in the I-Team series (it's #4 not the first) but I never felt lost or confused. Now I have to start on [b:Extreme Exposure|159767|Extreme Exposure (I-Team, #1)|Pamela Clare|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1290456764s/159767.jpg|154204] and get the complete I-Team experience.

I've pretty much enjoyed all the books in this series but though this one started good, it ended flat. Kinsey is hired by the ex-wife of Dr. Dowan Purcell who has been missing for 9 weeks. Kinsey dislikes Fiona but takes the case anyway. This shows in Kinsey's attitude toward the case and the participants. A decided lack of feeling or even interest in a resolution. There really isn't a single person in this investigation that is likable which makes caring about the ending difficult. This actually morphs into a second investigation involving medicare fraud and Dr. Purcell - which also wasn't very interesting. On the other hand, Kinsey is looking for new office space and rents cheap space from the Hevener brothers who turn out to be rather shady and dangerous. To me, this was the only exciting story line in the entire book.

Unlike the other alphabet books, this one ends very abruptly and leaves the reading hanging. Yeah sure Kinsey found Dr. Purcell but she didn't explain the whole Leila/Paulie/money thing or the Jaffe/Broadus medicare fraud investigation. I don't like when all the storylines aren't tied up with a neat bow at the end. What's the point of introducing all these little plots, if you're not going to bring them to a conclusion. Usually Kinsey writes a note for her files or talks the whole case out with Henry but not this time. It just ends.