Book Reviews

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme

The Diva Runs Out of Thyme (A Domestic Diva Mystery) By: Krista Davis

Plot:

Few can compete with Natasha Smith when it comes to entertaining, but her childhood rival, Sophie Winston, certainly tries. Natasha may have stolen the spotlight–and Sophie’s husband–but Sophie is determined to rob her of the prize for the Stupendous Stuffing Shakedown. She just needs the right ingredient. But Sophie’s search for the perfect turkey takes a basting when she stumbles across a corpse. And when the police find her name and photo inside the victim’s car, Sophie will have to set her trussing aside to solve the murder–or she’ll be serving up prison grub.

Review:

Those librarians saw me coming a mile away. This book was on display when I went to the library to just pick up one book. I have so many books on my kindle that I need to get to, but I keep getting hold books ready to pick up.

Anyway, I liked this book enough to read the next but I wouldn’t mark it as one of my favorite cozy mysteries. Mainly because of the supporting cast. The main chick was fine but her mother and sister drove me crazy! My life could be a cozy mystery if I had that woman for a mother, only I’d be the murderer trying not to be caught. She was annoying and constantly trying to hook her daughter up with any man available. Davis was able to resolve two murders and a poisoning but not the fact that the mother told some delusional man that her daughter had a crush on him in grade school.

The book was fine, like I said, just not as good as the Jenn McKinlay books I’ve read.

3/5

Styxx

Styxx

Styxx (Dark-Hunter #12) By: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Plot:

Centuries ago Acheron saved the human race by imprisoning an ancient evil bent on absolute destruction. Now that evil has been unleashed and it is out for revenge. As the twin to Acheron, Styxx hasn’t always been on his brother’s side. They’ve spent more centuries going at each other’s throats than protecting their backs. Now Styxx has a chance to prove his loyalty to his brother, but only if he’s willing to trade his life and future for Acheron’s. The Atlantean goddess of Wrath and Misery, Bethany was born to right wrongs. But it was never a task she relished. Until now. She owes Acheron a debt that she vows to repay, no matter what it takes. He will join their fellow gods in hell and nothing is going to stop her. But things are never what they seem, and Acheron is no longer the last of his line. Styxx and Acheron must put aside their past and learn to trust each other or more will suffer. Yet it’s hard to risk your own life for someone who once tried to take yours, even when it’s your own twin, and when loyalties are skewed and no one can be trusted, not even yourself, how do you find a way back from the darkness that wants to consume the entire world? One that wants to start by devouring your very soul?

Review:

If I was rating this book on the first six hundred pages it would not get a good rating. It was a continuous stream of torture. The titular character was physically, psychologically, and emotionally abused, by everyone around him. There were only two people in his entire life that didn’t treat him like absolute crap, so naturally they were taken from him.

The blurb above is really just about the last three hundred or so pages and not nearly as climactic as it sounds. The only reason I felt into the last part of the story was because I’d spent six hundred freakin pages seeing all the horribleness that was done to Styxx. If I hadn’t gotten to finally see Acheron realize that his brother wasn’t evil I would have imploded.

That’s another thing, I do not recommend reading this book in hardback, it is huge and unwieldy and just not something you want to lug around.

I’ve read the Dark Hunter series for a while now and I miss how the characters back story was briefly explained. We knew they’d been tortured and put through a ton but we didn’t have to read every excruciating detail. It was all about the romance. There was plenty of romance in this book but I felt that the bigger story was the relationship between Styxx and Acheron. I feel like Kenyon really wants you to know that she can create an intricate world and that she’s a history buff, but ultimately I don’t care. I want an epic romance. I like the world she’s created but she’s started going into too much detail for me. It’s impressive but not what I’m looking for in her Dark Hunter series.

3/5

Side Note: This review is not a reflection of the writing quality. Styxx was amazingly well written, it was just not something I plan on re-reading or ever owning.

For All Time

For All Time

For All Time (Nantucket Brides Trilogy #2) By: Jude Deveraux

Plot:

The wedding of Alix Madsen and Jared Montgomery is a glorious affair at an elegant little chapel in the woods, followed by dinner and dancing, all while moonlight blankets the festivities in a romantic glow. While most guests are fixed on the happy couple, Jared’s cousin Graydon can’t look away from a bridesmaid, Toby Wyndam. It’s not just her quiet beauty that enthralls him or the way she makes him laugh. Toby possesses the truly remarkable ability of being able to distinguish Graydon from his identical twin brother, Rory. According to family legend, such a gift marks her as Graydon’s True Love.   But Graydon knows there is no possible way that they can ever be together, for he is heir to the Lanconian throne and is to marry a noble woman who has been chosen for him. Yet, intrigued by Toby, he asks her to help him hide on Nantuck for a week away from regal responsibilities. In exchange, he’ll assist her with planning acclaimed novelist Victoria Madsen’s lavish wedding. Since they both know their union is impossible, the pair promises that they will never be more than just friends.   But there’s more going on between Graydon and Toby than her unique power to tell him apart from his twin. At work are forces beyond their control, which are ruled by time itself. Combine that with the magical island of Nantucket, and a seductive spell is cast over Graydon and Toby. If they are to be together, they must change what once was, as well as what will be.

Review:

Loved this book! So happy. I’m writing this review while I’m still on the high the book gave me. There’s a prince, and I’m so happy that they didn’t do the whole thing where he doesn’t tell her what he is and she finds out and get betrayed. So over that. He told her straight off who he was and that he had a duty to his country.

Great romance, even though the ghost’s issue was resolved in the previous book there was still some ghostly stuff going on, great characters, really everything that’s needed for an awesome romance.

Liked that the woman wasn’t the typical romance heroine that’s stupid and automatically assumes stuff and gets into trouble all the time. I burnt myself out on those books. This was great, very happy with it.

The only problem I had with the book was how the mother was treated. You thought she was a total harpy and then nope she was just doing that for her children. It wasn’t too consistent but oh well.

4.5/5

Shadow Spell

shadow spell

Shadow Spell (The Cousins of O’Dwyer #2) By: Nora Roberts

Plot:

With the legends and lore of Ireland running through his blood, falconer Connor O’Dwyer is proud to call County Mayo home. It’s where his sister, Branna, lives and works, where his cousin, Iona, has found true love, and where his childhood friends form a circle that can’t be broken… A circle that is about to be stretched out of shape—by a long-awaited kiss. Meara Quinn is Branna’s best friend, a sister in all but blood. Her and Connor’s paths cross almost daily, as Connor takes tourists on hawk walks and Meara guides them on horseback across the lush countryside. She has the eyes of a gypsy and the body of a goddess…things Connor has always taken for granted—until his brush with death propels them into a quick, hot tangle. Plenty of women have found their way to Connor’s bed, but none to his heart until now. Frustratingly, Meara is okay with just the heat, afraid to lose herself—and their friendship—to something more. But soon, Connor will see the full force and fury of what runs in his blood. And he will need his family and friends around him when his past rolls in like the fog, threatening an end to all he loves…

Review:

This one was definitely better than the last. I felt like it had more structure and was clearly defined as a paranormal romance. The first one suffered from being too light on romance but not heavy enough on the paranormal and just seemed confused on what it wanted to be. I didn’t get that from this one and it was better because of that.

The heroes and heroines have too much going on to worry about stupid things, which I like. So even though the blurb makes you think Connor’s a dog and that Meara might get caught up on all the women he’s bedded, there’s no time wasted on that at all. She recognizes that she’s had other men and it ultimately it doesn’t matter.

Meara didn’t come off as strong as I would have liked. It was mainly just the other characters telling her that she was but she always had to have Connor save her. It was frustrating. In the battle at the end of the book she didn’t get hurt and she didn’t do something stupid, but the rest of the book she was always susceptible to the evil magic.

Still I liked the book for the most part. It was a nice return to a Nora Roberts trilogy. As a side note it could have been shorter but it was written in Irish. Meaning that almost everyone spoke with an Irish accent so the syntax was longer. It got a bit tiring.

3/5

Dream Eyes

dream eyes

Dream Eyes (Dark Legacy #2) By: Jayne Ann Krentz

Plot:

The death of her friend and mentor, Evelyn Ballinger, brings psychic counselor Gwen Frazier back to the small town of Wilby, Oregon, and brings back memories she would rather forget. Two years earlier, a killer stalked the members of one of Ballinger’s research studies including Gwen. And though she survived while two others didn’t, Gwen knows that Ballinger’s death is related. Sent by a friend to help Gwen, psychic investigator Judson Coppersmith arrives in Wilby barely in control of his own talent and his own life, haunted by urgent dreams. His attraction to Gwen is primal, but there are secrets he must keep to protect himself from surrendering to her completely, even as their investigation draws them into dreamscapes, into decades of deception, and into the paranormal fires of a desire too strong to resist. . . .

Review:

Krentz has created such an interesting world with the Arcane and her just plain old psychic series. Its been a while since I’ve read a Dark Legacy book so there was a little catching up to do with the side characters but since the previous characters played such a minor role it wasn’t a big deal.

The mystery was kind of puzzling and while she did give you enough facts to figure it out on your own, I didn’t. I was too caught up in the romance and psychic parts to really pay attention to the subtle clues.

If you aren’t familiar with her books I don’t think this one would be a good place to jump in. At this point she’s developed a language unique to her world and it could be too distracting to new reader. If you’re in to psychic abilities, though, I would highly recommend starting at the beginning cause her books are a real treat.

4/5