Monday 30 September 2013

Out of Control by Suzanne Brockmann

Out of Control (2002) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: short of hot
Source: library
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

Ken ‘Wildcard’ Karmody might be Navy SEAL Team Sixteen’s new Petty Officer and resident computer geek, but there’s a reason his nickname is ‘Wildcard’. He’s a quick thinker, adaptable and resourceful, but also prone to think outside the box, hence the unpredictability of his wildcard status. He might be brilliant, but that’s not always an advantage – especially when his big mouth gets the better of his brain.


Saturday 28 September 2013

How I Live Now - The Film

With the Brighton Shakedown Festival still pounding on outside my windows, and tons of environmental law reading to do on my desk, finding out about the How I Live Now film was the second best thing of my day (losing out narrowly to watching the latest episode of Scandal).

According to Shelfari, I last read How I Live Now in 2007, with my first reading several years prior. I love this book. Testament to this is the fact that I actually remember most of the salient points about the plot, which I normally don't with the majority of books I read. Basically, fifteen-year-old Daisy is sent from America to live with the aunt and four cousins that she's never met (one cousin is cut from the film). Her aunt goes away on business shortly after Daisy arrives, and it's the beginning of a summer that she'll never forget, that changes her life irrevocably forever. Alongside falling in love, World War Three breaks out and despite being tucked away in the English countryside, Daisy and her cousins aren't immune from harm. Unfortunately, I don't remember how the book ends, but now I'm itching to get my hands on a copy and find out all over again.

This is a beautiful book. Strange, yes, it's got that in bucketloads, but beautiful all the same. Now, nine years after it was first published, the film is being released. I'm curious about how they tackled the film. From the trailer, it looks like that for the most part, it's a fairly accurate adaptation; one thing I don't remember is Daisy being so tomboy-ish. That said, for practical reasons (i.e. not having more hours in the day, and already being behind on work despite only having had one week back at uni) I'm highly unlikely to actually see it in the cinema, for which I'm really sad about. Let me know if you've seen it, and what you think!

Image courtesy of Fantastic Fiction.

Thursday 26 September 2013

Timeless by Gail Carriger

Timeless (2012) (Orbit)
Gail Carriger
Grade: A+
Genre: steampunk / historical
Sex scenes: very mild
Source: own 
Parasol Protectorate: (1) Soulless, (2) Changeless, (3) Blameless, (4) Heartless, (5) Timeless

Alexia Tarrabotti Maccon and her husband, Conall Maccon, have gotten used to their new home in Lord Akeldama’s third closet. A household of vampires and werewolves living next door to each other might theoretically be a recipe for disaster, but Akeldama’s drones (wannabe vampires in waiting) have acclimated well and serve their resident pack without complaint.


Monday 23 September 2013

Lord of Darkness by Elizabeth Hoyt

Lord of Darkness (2013) (Piatkus)
Elizabeth Hoyt
Grade: A
Genre: historical romance
Sex scenes: HOT
Source: library 
Maiden Lane: (1) Wicked Intentions, (2) Notorious Pleasures, (3) Scandalous Desires, (4) Thief of Shadows 

Godric St. John was blissfully married to the love of his life, Clara, for one short year before she contracted a fatal illness. He was forced to watch helplessly as she disintegrated a slow death before his eyes. His life lost all meaning and he became the Ghost of St. Giles, protecting the vulnerable people of London at the risk of his own life.


Thursday 19 September 2013

Gone Too Far by Suzanne Brockmann

This is a special one, because it's my 100th book review! Whoop! As luck would have it, Gone Too Far has been one of my favourite/most anticipated books, which makes this review doubly-special. Hope you enjoy reading it!

Gone Too Far (2003) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: A
Genre: adventure / romantic suspense
Sex scenes: hot
Source: library 
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far ... (15) Hot Pursuit

Lieutenant Roger ‘Sam’ Starrett is a Navy SEAL in the elite Team Sixteen, and is very good at his job. But, while his career is soaring, his personal life sucks. He’s taken leave to visit his soon-to-be-ex-wife, Mary Lou to see why she still hasn’t signed the divorce papers, only to find her dead on her kitchen floor. His two-year-old daughter Haley is nowhere to be found.


Monday 16 September 2013

Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

Crystal Cove (2013) (Piatkus)
Lisa Kleypas
Grade: B
Genre: contemporary romance
Sex scenes: hot
Source: library 
Friday Harbour: (1) Christmas Eve at Friday Harbour, (2) Rainshadow Road, (3) Dream Lake

Justine Hoffmann runs a little B&B with her best friend, Zoe, in Friday Harbour. Artist’s Point is doing well and Justine is content with her life – with one exception: she’s yet to find love. When she finds out that someone cast a spell on her at birth, preventing her from meeting her soul mate, she’s determined to change her fate with the help of her Grimoire. Justine is a natural born witch – she may have decided against joining her mother’s coven and practising her magic regularly, but she’s determined to work with what she’s got so that she can find true happiness.


Thursday 12 September 2013

The Guild by Felicia Day and Jim Rugg

The Guild (2010) (Dark Horse)
Felicia Day and Jim Rugg
Grade: A-
Genre: graphic novel
Source: library

Cyd Sherman is a violinist in an orchestra (she sits right at the back) with a boyfriend in a band who spends more time trying to make his band ‘unique’ than with her. As if her life wasn’t depressing enough, her gay father has guilt-tripped her into therapy and her therapist thinks that she’s anti-social. The day that she buys her first computer game changes her life irreparably.

Online, Cyd is a whole different person – literally. Under the name of Codex, Cyd can battle dragons, rescue princesses and win gold to buy herself a snazzy new outfit or weapons. With her new friends, Zaboo, Vork, Bladezz, Clara and Tink, they form a Guild called the Knights of Good. As Priestess, Codex can do anything and before long, she becomes immersed in this fantasy world.

Monday 9 September 2013

Over the Edge by Suzanne Brockmann

Over the Edge (2001) (Headline)
Suzanne Brockmann
Grade: B+
Genre: romantic suspense / adventure
Sex scenes: hot
Source: own
Troubleshooters: (1) The Unsung Hero, (2) The Defiant Hero, (3) Over the Edge, (4) Out of Control, (5) Into the Night, (6) Gone Too Far .... (15) Hot Pursuit

As Senior Chief of the SEAL Team Sixteen Troubleshooters Squad, Stan Wolchonok is used to solving everyone’s problems. This time, however, he’s faced with a bit of a problem of his own. Lieutenant Teri Howe is finding herself the unwelcome recipient of a fellow officer’s sexual advances, and she’s powerless to do anything about it. This should be easy enough for Stan to handle and deal with, but he finds himself uncomfortably attracted to Teri himself.

Thursday 5 September 2013

Just One Night Part One: The Stranger by Kyra Davis

Just One Night Part One: The Stranger (2013) (Pocket Star)
Kyra Davis
Grade: C
Genre: contemporary romance / erotica
Sex scenes: not quite hot
Source: NetGalley
Just One Night: (1) The Stranger

Everything about Kasie Fitzgerald’s life is sensible and boring. She’s been in her adult relationship with Dave for six years. She works in PR for a blue-chip firm, while Dave is a tax attorney. Kasie has achieved everything she has wanted, and everything her family wants for her, but she’s got the nagging feeling that it’s not enough.


Monday 2 September 2013

You Had Me at Hello by Mhairi McFarlane

You Had Me at Hello (2012) (Avon)
Mhairi McFarlane
Grade: A
Genre: chick lit
Sex scenes: kisses
Source: library

Rachel Woodford and Ben Morgan. Met (whilst sober) during Fresher’s Week and inseparable for the next three years of their English course at Manchester University. Rachel is already in a relationship with Rhys, a guy from home, otherwise she would totally act on these feelings she’s got harbouring for her best friend. Ben, on the other hand, is carefree and single, with a new girlfriend every few months, cruising the relationship lane as is expected of university undergraduates. Yet, despite being thick as thieves for three years, the night after their graduation ball, all contact is severed completely.