Book Reviews

Three Girls and a Baby

three girls and a baby

Three Girls and a Baby (Three Girls #1) By: Rachel Schurig

Plot:

Ginny McKensie’s life is spiraling out of control. Finished with college, she should have been planning her wedding. After all, Ginny and Josh were made for each other—everyone said so. Except the love of her life didn’t agree. Now Ginny is back in her hometown, unwillingly single, and stuck in a dead-end job. When she discovers she’s pregnant, Ginny is convinced her life is ending. Instead of planning a future with Josh, she’s learning the truth about morning sickness, juggling bills, and seeing just how far designer jeans can stretch. Her life-plan never included dating again (not even with her too-hot new boss), or being a single mother at 23. Now, with the help of her best friends, Annie and Jen, Ginny must try to re-imagine—and rebuild—a life she never wanted.

Review:

I thought this was going to be a romance but it wasn’t. It had romantic elements but it was more of a story about a girl who started to finally grow up. There were parts, especially at the beginning, where I just wanted to scream at her. I had a hard time relating to her, mainly because when I got pregnant I was so desperately happy but her pregnancy was a mistake. So I didn’t have much in common with the main character.

Her character developed though and by the end she wasn’t that same self absorbed little girl that didn’t know what she wanted in life. She had a purpose and it wasn’t just being a mom, she hadn’t jumped from burying herself from one person to her baby. She had a job that she really enjoyed and was moving up in it.

I did have a hard time taking someone seriously that thought being a bookstore clerk was a good career decision but whatever, it worked out for her. It’s a book.

4/5

Delusion in Death

delusion-in-death

Delusion in Death (In Death #35) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

It was just another after-work happy-hour bar downtown, where business professionals unwound with a few drinks, complained about the boss, maybe hooked up with someone for the night. Until something went terribly wrong. At first it was just a friction in the air. The noise intensified. The crowd seemed oppressive. some sharp words were exchanged, some pushing and shoving. Then the madness descended. And after twelve minutes of chaos and violence, eighty people lay dead. Eve Dallas is trying to sort out the inexplicable events. Surviving witnesses talk about seeing things—monsters and swarms of bees. They describe sudden, overwhelming feelings of fear and rage and paranoia. When forensics makes its report, the mass delusions make more sense: it appears the bar patrons were exposed to a cocktail of chemicals and illegal drugs that could drive people to temporary insanity—if not kill them outright. But that doesn’t explain who would unleash such horror—or why. Eve’s husband, Roarke, happens to own the bar, yet he’s convinced the attack wasn’t directed at him. It’s bigger than that. And if Eve can’t figure it out fast, it could happen again, anytime, anywhere. Because it’s airborne….

Review:

You’d think after thirty-five books things would start to get boring or maybe a bit formulaic. But other than a few things here and there they haven’t. Eve does tend to get gut feelings that don’t seem to be based in anything that’s been written up to that point but that’s what makes her Eve.

This story had a high body count and was pretty interesting. It’s always nice to put women hating sociopaths away. Eve finally talked to Mira about her dreams and they started to get better immediately. Peabody wasn’t in this one much it was just a lot of Eve, though she did finally tell her what happened in Dallas.

Even though there wasn’t much character development for anyone, and normally that’s my favorite part, I still really liked this book. Though I am taking a break from the In Death Series, too many back to back are making my dreams weird.

4/5

Celebrity in Death

Celebrity in Death

Celebrity in Death (In Death #34) By J.D. Robb

Plot:

Lieutenant Eve Dallas is no party girl, but she’s managing to have a good time at the celebrity-packed bash celebrating ‘The Icove Agenda’, a film based on one of her cases. What comes as a surprise however is seeing the actress who plays Peabody drowned in the pool on the roof of the director’s luxury building.

Review:

After the awesomeness of New York to Dallas this was a bit of a letdown. It wasn’t awful by any means it was just another In Death novel. Nothing really set it apart. Though I did find it difficult to guess who done it. Honestly I wouldn’t have picked the person that did because I just don’t have the gut that Eve Dallas does. It wasn’t until she started digging that it became obvious. I didn’t notice any clues in the wording that really pointed to the dude, except that he lied to her during interview and almost all of the suspects did.

Oh well it was a nice installment in the series. Nothing made it stand out but if you’re looking for an In Death novel this is certainly it.

I did enjoy the bits with Mavis and Bella. Eve with Bella is so cute.

3/5

New York to Dallas

new york to dallas

New York to Dallas (In Death #33) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

When a monster named Isaac McQueen-taken down by Eve back in her uniform days-escapes from Rikers, he has two things in mind. One is to pick up where he left off, abducting young victims and leaving them scarred in both mind and body. The other is to get revenge on the woman who stopped him all those years ago.

Review:

***Warning***

This book is about a serial child rapist so be forewarned.

Now that was a good J.D. Robb book. I did guess who Sylvia/Stella/some other ‘S’ name was before Eve did so I guess that makes me a better detective. :-p

You got to hear about the first case that put Eve on the map and got her on the way to being a great detective. There was suspense and I was if I didn’t know there were books after this one I could have been in fear for Eve’s life.

Great story, good mystery, excellent character development.

4/5

Treachery in Death

Treachery in Death

Treachery in Death (In Death #32) By: J.D. Robb

Plot:

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless crime — an elderly grocery owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody’s first case as primary detective — good thing she learned from the master. But Peabody soon stumbles upon a trickier situation. After a hard workout, she’s all alone in the locker room when the gym door clatters open; and — while hiding inside a shower stall trying not to make a sound — she overhears two fellow officers, Garnet and Oberman, arguing. It doesn’t take long to realize they’re both crooked — guilty not just of corruption but of murder. Now Peabody, Eve, and Eve’s husband, Roarke, are trying to get the hard evidence they need to bring the dirty cops down — knowing all the while that the two are willing to kill to keep their secret

Review:

So at number thirty-two I think it’s safe to say I like the In Death series. There have been some hit or misses, some I’ve really liked, and some I’ve thought were just eh.

Treachery in Death could be described the same way. There were parts I liked, there were parts I didn’t, and there were parts that were just eh. Overall the good parts outweighed the bad, there was a particularly horrible scene in an arcade that I felt was so bad I had to read out loud to my husband.

The story was great, though I didn’t think the villain was up to a battle with Eve Dallas. Eve expertly maneuvered everything and I never really thought there was a moment things were out of her control. On one hand it’s nice to have a hero that much in control on the other hand it kind of dulls the impact of what is being accomplished in story. It makes it seem kind of easy.

3.5/5