May Peterson’s début novel, Lord of the Last Heartbeat, is an intricately constructed gothic fantasy with an intriguing storyline, set in a world that reminded me somewhat of eighteenth century Italy where dark secrets lurk behind the scenes, political backstabbing is rife and influential families jostle for power. Adding to that particular vibe is the…
When I first heard about Spellbound, I couldn’t wait to read it. Love. Magic. Queer. Paranormal. Suspense. Prohibition-era Manhattan. First in a series. Friends, the author had me at “Love”. I couldn’t ask our publisher for this book fast enough! Ms. Therin, in her published début, almost delivers on all this promise, and Spellbound…
I’m a Santino Hassell fan, and though I don’t read much paranormal romance, I confidently opened Insight assuming I would love it. Yet while the book is compelling and entertaining, the balance of romance/paranormal/thriller didn’t thrill me. The first half of the book is a teasing, slow-burn road-trip romance between Nate and Trent, one of…
Blow Down is another delightful, witty episode in the lives of Tom Paretski, the slightly psychic plumber, and his new fiancé, P.I. Phil Morrison. Death is what happens while you’re making other plans. I loved this murder mystery and devoured its character driven plot with glee. J.L. Merrow’s observations on the quirks of English life…
I think I’ve just found my fun read for Halloween. No Conventional Miss is a pleasant debut with just a touch of the supernatural to it. It’s rough around the edges in a few spots, but still a very worthy read. <!– var browName = navigator.appName; var SiteID = 1; var ZoneID = 4; var…
I have only a handful of absolute favorite writers and Susanna Kearsley is one of them. Her novels The Shadowy Horses and Winter Sea top my DIK list. When I learned that this novel combined characters from each of those books I nearly swooned from joy. Nicola Marter has always had the ability to tell…
I have read a few of Amanda Quick’s Arcane Series books and while entertaining, those paranormal historicals were just above average for me. I have always preferred her straight historical romances. This second book in her Ladies of Lantern Street was a much better paranormal and just barely missed DIK status. <!– var browName =…
The latest entry in the author’s KGI series about a group of paramilitary operatives is an uneven read, combining hot sex with infrequent action and some downright bizarre elements. Some made my eyes pop. And some might have made me cringe. The latest assignment for the band of hunks concerns retrieving Grace Peterson,…
Jayne Ann Krentz has been a comfort read for me for years. While I’ve never hated any of her books, I haven’t enjoyed some of her more recent efforts as much as earlier books. I am happy to report that Running Hot, featuring a fantastic hero and heroine, is one of my favorite Krentz books…
Confession time: I’ve got the chef fantasy thing bad. For months and months now, I’ve been seeking out books featuring chef heroes searching in vain for one that would include the unique restaurant sensibility of Kitchen Confidential, the requisite food porn, and a hero who could evoke my wildest chef fantasies. The search, fellow readers,…