Books I loved.

Okay,I’ve been reading a lot. A week or so ago I talked about how some books have been so disappointing..but in this post I’m going to talk about some that I really enjoyed.

TWILIGHT FALL by Lynn Viehl

In a market flooded with vampires, Lynn Viehl’s Darkyn stand out head and shoulders above the rest.

I started reading the Darkyn books with IF ANGELS BURN, mostly because I loved the title so much. Full of tension, I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough. Intrigue, suspense, romance and history, IF ANGELS BURN lived up to its title, as has every Darkyn novel since.

TWILIGHT FALL is Valentin’s story….but to me, it was more Liling’s story. The female lead who is one of the Brethren’s “˜experiments’ all grown up. I can’t say a lot because honestly, so much enjoyment comes form reading the book and learning as you go…I hate to even hint at what might become spoilers. Dr. Alex is back, as are many others who make this book the wonderful story it is.

I do think readers will enjoy it more if they’ve read other Darkyn books, but the author does a wonderful job of leaking it the backstory a bit at a time, so that you’ll never feel out of the loop, and you’ll still fall for the characters.

FEARLESS FOURTEEN by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum is back, and there has been talk. Before I read the book I read a bunch of online reviews, many of them not good. I Disagree.

Was it fantastic? Not exceptionally so.
Was it a good read? Yes. If you like any of the Stephanie Plum novels, you’ll enjoy this one too.
And that sort of sums up what I think was lacking for me. I love Stephanie Plum, and all that comes along in her stories, but this particular one, was lacking the ‘magic’ for me.

I can’t really pinpoint why, but I think it might be a combination of things.
~I missed Grandma Mazure. She wasn’t involved in this caper much, and I missed her.
~I also missed the tension between Steph and Ranger (Because personally I’d be all over Ranger, not Joe…*drool*)

I do love Stephanie, and this was classic Stephanie Plum. I enjoyed it, and am still a fan, will still buy the next one on the day it comes out, but I hope to see a bit more of the magic back next time.

THE GRIPPING BEAST by Charlene Teglia

This is a time travel story with hot Vikings.

The premise of the story is nothing too surprising – a modern woman thrown back in time and all the complications that come with that. The story is again, nothing really surprising or twisted. But Charlene Teglia does a great job with her character development, and she had me engaged from the beginning.

It’s not surprising that the book won several nominations and awards:
* 2006 Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award Nominee, Best Erotic Romance
* Romantic Times 4 1/2 Star Top Pick
* Love Romances Reviewer’s Choice Golden Rose Award

Ms. Teglia draws a clear picture with her words, and keeps the tension hot and the sex hotter. With The Gripping Beast Teglia proves that if the author knows what they are doing, there is no such thing as a story that has been told too often. If you’ve ever had a Viking fantasy of your own, you’ll Love THE GRIPPING BEAST.

GABRIEL’S HORN
ROGUE ANGEL Series

GABRIELS HORN is book 13 in the ROGUE ANGEL series. This is a series that I saw in bookstores many many times before I actually picked one up. The title caught my eye, and the consistent and intriguing cover art kept catching my eye. But I just wasn’t ready to delve into another series. I know many readers love to delve into a series, but that’s never been me. I like stand alone books…at least I used to.

The first series that hooked me was Stephanie Plum books, then the Dark-Hunters, and the Darkyn, then Kitty the were-wolf and Mercy the shifter. And finally Annja Creed and the ROGUE ANGEL series.

The first book I picked up was PROVENANCE, and I’ve gotten every one since, and ordered the backlist online.

Annja Creed is an archeologist, and sometimes host of a TV show called CHASING HISTORY’S MONSTERS. Think female Indiana Jones or Relic hunter, but with a fantastic twist. She has Joan Of Arc’s sword.

Yep, at the start of each book there’s a bit about legend of Joan of Arc, and how her sword was shattered while she burned at the stake, and thrown to the crowds. I’m not sure how Annja got the sword (I haven’t read the first books yet) but she has it. It is always with her, in what she calls ‘the otherwhere’. All she has to do is concentrate, and she can pull it out of thin air, and use it. And she does. This is one kick ass heroine. She’s smart, and tough, and fights. Oh, and did I mention that she’s beautiful? Yet she doesn’t ever focus on her looks. And while there are sometimes men she’s attracted to, these are definitely not romance stories. I know who *I* want her to get together with, but I have no idea if that will ever happen.

Each book is packed with action, adventure, history, intrigue and suspense. I love Annja Creed and this series!

Oh, and the last two books that were released have the exact same price in US and CDN dollars on the back of the book…which thrills me. It’s nice to know that there is A publisher out there paying attention to the dollar value, and making sure their Canadian readers can keep up with the books.

Surprisingly, I’ve learned that Gold Eagle, who publishes the Rogue Angel series, is part of Harlequin. LOL Anyway, You can read more about the books here at the Gold Eagle blog.