Storm of Shadows

Title: Storm of Shadows
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: The Chosen Ones (Book 2)
Genre: Paranormal



Aaron is one of the Chosen Ones. His gift is that he can turn himself into a dark mist and basically be invisible and get through anything. Awfully helpful in his job as a thief.

Rosamund is a librarian, who studies ancient texts and artifacts. As we find out later, her parents were both murdered by the Others.

Aaron meets Rosamund when he goes to her for help on finding a prophecy. When he finds out that the Others have also made contact with her to help THEM find the same prophecy, he whisks her away to Irving's house and the rest of the Chosen Ones.

From their they are led on a wild chase around the world: Casablanca, Paris, and the Sacred Cave. They eventually do find the prophecy, and it sets up the rest of the series.

I enjoyed this book more then the first one in the series. I don't know if it was the characters, my personal state of mind or the fact that I already knew the characters and had an easier time getting into this book. I usually find that I like the first book in a series the best out of all of them, this will not be the case in this series.

If they continue to get better as it goes on, I am anxiously awaiting the next in the series - which as of current I can find no information on.

Storm of Visions

Title: Storm of Visions
Author: Christina Dodd
Series: The Chosen Ones (Book 1)
Genre: Paranormal



Sometime around the early years of mankind, a pair of twins were born. Their parents were perfect, and when the parents found out their babies were far from it they abandoned them and left them for dead. Fortunately both babies were saved, although by different people. One grew up to be good and one grew up to be the dark side.

From then on, all abandoned babies are brought either to the good side, the Chosen, or the bad side, the Others. This had been going on for hundreds of years until we are in present day.

The most recent group of the Chosens are prepping to be basically inducted into the group. They all have different abilities such as mind control, a seer, and many others. As they are meeting each other a huge explosion happens at the center building of the Chosen ones. All die with the exception of the newbies who have no idea what they are up against.

While learning all about this new world and the new Chosen group, we meet Jacqueline, the seer, and Caleb, who is not a Chosen one, but one of their bodyguards. The two have quite a crazy history together and seem to have a love hate relationship.

I've read many other Christina Dodd books before and I've always liked them, this one, however, I felt a bit disappointed with. I thought the story line didn't have a very high dramatic point and we didn't really get to know the main characters. I also felt like I was thrown a few too many new characters initially, and even now after I'm done with the book I'm having a hard time knowing who is who.

I will most likely finish the series (which is currently being written) for no other reason then I already own the first two. I had Borders Bucks to spend, and felt like I couldn't go wrong with a Christina Dodd. Maybe the second book will be better since I've some handle on who the characters are.

To Beguile A Beast

Title: To Beguile A Beast
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Series: The Four Soldiers (Book 3)
Genre: Historical Fiction



Helen is on the run from a Duke, she was his former mistress. The Duke isn't too happy that Helen has taken their 2 children, even though he has never acknowledged them before. She enlists in the help of her friend Lady Vale and is sent to a decrepit castle with a grumpy owner, Alistair. He is slightly disfigured and is missing an eye due to his time in America during the war.

Helen and her two children slowly fit themselves into Alistair's heart and home and they make a lovely little family. Eventually, the Duke finds them and kidnaps the children. Alistair leaves his castle for the first time in years to help put the family he has come to love back together.

Although it was a typical Beauty and Beast story, this has been my favorite book in the series so far. It could be because there was next to none of the story about finding the traitor from Spinner's Falls. I just thought it was beautifully written and there is so much tenderness and love in the book.

Tempted

Title: Tempted
Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast
Series: House of Night (Book 6)
Genre: Young Adult



Finally! We meet up again with Zoey and friends after they have battled Kalona and sent him and Neferet away from the Abby. They need to start picking things up and putting their lives back together now that the two are gone.

Steve Rae happens to find a barely alive Raven Mocker, and for some unknown reason (even to her) she decides to secretly save him. She sees humanity in him, even though he is Kalona's favorite son and the first of the Raven Mockers to exist. She also finally shares her secret about the bad red fledglings with Zoey.

Zoey has more boy drama, but it seems to be getting better. She makes some decisions that make her life in the boy area a bit better.

Kalona and Neferet are not gone for good, they have only run away. Their influence still is at the House of Night. Near the end of the book Zoey and her circle decide to go to Venice, where Kalona and Neferet are, as well as the Vampyre High Council. They need to convince them that Kalona and Neferet are evil and not Nyx and Erebus like they are trying to convince everyone.

I felt that although this book didn't have as much action as the previous books had, it really helped to develop the characters further. There were several events that I didn't see coming and I really feel like the end of the book was one crazy cliff hanger. I can't wait for book 7, Burned, to be released April 27th.

Quillan Games

Title: Quillan Games
Author: D.J. MacHale
Series: Pendragon (Book 7)
Genre: Young Adult



Bobby has received an "invitation" to come to Quillan. Quillan is a territory where Blok rules. They own everything, including some of the people. There is no competition, everything is Blok. The one store that sells food is simply entitled, "Food" because there is only the one store. Same with "Drink" and anything else that you may want to buy. Everything is grey, and there is no freedom of expression. No music, no paintings, no individuality. Quillan is a pretty grim place.

One thing that does get the inhabitants excited are the games. They wager for food, shelter, and even their lives. Of course when they loose it can mean things as bad as death, or essentially getting a life back.

Bobby somehow finds himself to be a Challenger. One of the select few who compete in the games. It sounds like an honor, and it almost is, except that this honor usually ends in death. The games are deadly, and you loose eventually because you are basically a prisoner.

The Traveler of this territory is Nevva Winters, who is a secretary of sorts to the trustees of Blok. She is also part of a revolution against them with a main component being Bobby.

Saint Dane makes another brief interference, but I feel like he isn't as prevalent in this story. Don't mistake that to mean that he's not manipulating and trying to take down the territory, this time it is just a little more subtle.

Although I love the Pendragon series as a whole, this is not one of my favorite books. For some reason it reminds me of Harry Potter 4, which could be because of the games. I didn't care for HP4, and Quillan Games falls in a similar ho hum category. Overall the story is good, but something about it just doesn't spark me the way the rest of the books in the series do.

To Seduce A Sinner

Title: To Seduce a Sinner
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Series: The Four Soldiers (Book 2)
Genre: Historical Romance


At the end of To Taste Temptation Melisande was sent by Emeline to watch over Lord Vale, Jasper. Melisande, of course, has been in love with Jasper for years, yet nobody knows (but maybe could guess).

The beginning of To Seduce a Sinner finds Jasper getting ready to get married. Unfortunately his betrothed, has decided that she is in love with someone else, so he lets her go. He wasn't in love with her, but viewed it as more of a marriage of convenience. He is still in the church when he is approached by Melisande. She proposes marriage to him. He figures why not, and a scant three weeks later the two are married.

Melisande cannot wait for their wedding night, but is left a bit disappointed at Jasper's lack of finesse. It's another story about the upper class man worrying about hurting his pure wife. Melisande decides that this simply will not do, and sets about to seduce her husband.

I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters and their sparring. One thing I could have done without was the story of Spinner's Falls. After two books in the series I've figured that this need to find out who had betrayed them must be the common thread. Honestly, I'm done with that. I could care less who the traitor is (well, I guess I'd like to know eventually). I skimmed over these parts because it seems to be the same thing over and over. Thinking about the traitor and never really getting any further along.

It was another decent book that isn't too stand out aside from being slightly above average. I do enjoy, however, Elizabeth Hoyt's writing and am looking forward to the third book in the series, minus the Spinner's Falls portion.

To Taste Temptation

Title: To Taste Temptation
Author: Elizabeth Hoyt
Series: The Four Soldiers (Book 1)
Genre: Historical Romance



Lady Emeline is a widow with a young son Daniel. She has an agreement with her deceased brother's best friend that they are going to get married. They aren't passionately in love, but view it as more of a marriage of convenience. This works best for Emeline considering she feels like all the men in her life: her brother, her husband and her father, have died and left her. She is afraid of trusting another man with her heart and having him die and leave her as well.

Samuel is a soldier from America who is looking for another soldier who sold out his company during battle. They were ambushed and just about everyone died, including Emeline's brother. Samuel is on a mission to find out who the traitor was and is not leaving England until he does. He has brought along his younger sister Rebecca, who needs a chaperone. Since Emeline lives next door, she's the perfect choice.

Samuel and Emeline seem drawn to each other from the start. Emeline has a wonderful relationship with Rebecca and Samuel becomes a favorite of Daniel's. It seems like everything is falling into place. But it is never that easy, with both main characters refusing the show their true feelings and many confusions on feelings it takes a drastic act for the two to see how much they truly mean to each other.

The first in a series of four, this book was decent. It wasn't one that made me think it was the best thing I've ever written, but I don't necessarily think that there was anything wrong with it. If I had to do it over, I would read it again and I am looking forward to the next book in the series. This book does, however, see to be just another book that is just above averagely good.

Just Desserts

Title: Just Desserts
Author: Barbara Bretton
Series: None
Genre: Contemporary Romance


Hayley is a single Mom who is trying to raise her 15 year old daughter, Lizzie, while owning and running a bakery. Boy is she surprised when she is contacted to create a cake for rockstar Tommy Stiles (an equivalent to the Beatles). She's a notorious worrier and can't help but think that something else is up.

Finn is Tommy's lawyer and pseudo-son. He meets Hayley when he goes to her bakery to request the cake for Tommy. He knows the real reason that he's there to order a cake, instead of letting someone else do it is because Hayley may very well be Tommy's daughter and she doesn't know it.

Being a romance novel, the two fall in love and hit a bumpy patch (as expected) when Hayley finds out she's Tommy's daughter and that Finn knew the whole time and never told her.

I enjoyed the book - anything about baking/desserts count me in. I do feel, however that the plot was a little anti-climatic. There wasn't really much of a conflict in the story, it just keep going forward at the same speed.

Laced With Magic

Title: Laced with Magic
Author: Barbara Bretton
Series: Sugar Maple Series (Book 2)
Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Romance



Luke and Chloe are together and happy now that they've banished Isadora in Casting Spells. They have only 2 things to worry about: Is Luke staying in Sugar Maple? and Is Chloe going to have a baby so she can keep the town safe.

Then Luke's ex-wife Karen shows up into town claiming to be making contact with she and Luke's dead daughter. Luke doesn't buy it and the goal is to get her out of town ASAP. The villagers of Sugar Maple don't like too many humans around and Karen makes 2, which is too many.

Unfortunately, they find out that Karen is seeing Steffie (the daughter). It's Isadora's doing. She's taken Steffie's spirit and put her in a little box and is going to torture her soul forever unless Chloe reverses her banishment. Since that's not happening they need to find another way to save Steffie and Sugar Maple.

I thought that this was a good second book to the first, and boy does it have a shocking ending. I'm thinking there must be more Sugar Maple books in the works because there is no way that this could be the end.

Chloe and Luke really seem to come far in their relationship and I was glad to see Chloe make a connection with Karen through their knitting. More secrets about Sugar Maple were also unfolded, such as why the Inn is always booked - which I'd been wondering for the whole first book.