Wild Highland Magic by Kendra Leigh Castle (Book Review)

Title: Wild Highland Magic
Author: Kendra Leigh Castle
Publisher: Sourcebooks
ISBN: 9781402218569
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Available: May 1, 2009
This ARC was provided to me by Sourcebooks - Thanks Danielle!

First sentence: The dungeons stank of death.

Catriona MacInnes, along with her sisters Skye and Poppy, are half werewolves, half witches growing up in sunny California with their father, Freddie. Never taught how to use or control their powers, never knowing they weren't unique - they were surprised when their father announced a family trip to the Scottish Highlands. A trip to meet his brother Duncan, Alpha of the MacInnes Pack.

Upon arriving at Iargail, the ancestral home of the Macinnes', Cat could see that it was going to take some time to mend the rift between Duncan and her father. Uncle Duncan immediately warmed to the three sisters though.

Cat soon runs into Bastian an Morgaine, a wizard prince staying in a cottage on Duncan's land. Hiding out would be how Duncan sees it, but since he is his daughter-in-law's brother, he lets him stay.

Bastian is hiding things though. The first being a narial - this is a shadowy creature that only prowls in the dark and has been tormenting Bastian's family for years. He slowly takes chunks of their soul until they break. Bastian's family had this curse put upon them by the king of the daemons. He is also hiding Lucien Andrakkar, a dragon. Bastian rescued Lucien from the Blighted Kingdom where he had been held and tortured by the daemons for a year. He is hoping that this dragon will help rid him of the narial. If Lucien will just give Bastian some of his blood, by his own free will, Bastian might have a chance to defeat the curse.

Things heat up quickly between Cat and Bastian and their kisses leave "marks" on their bodies - and souls. Unbeknownst to Cat, she has mated with Bastian for life. Bastian soon realizes that by mating with Cat, he has doomed her to his fate.

I adored this book. I loved the way that it was set in the Scottish Highlands, which you immediately think "past-times" - but it is set in the present, so there are different references to pop culture which made it amusing. The characters were werewolves, or dragons, or wizards - but this didn't read like a fantasy novel. The characters were so human, the emotions so strong, that this is who I would expect to run into in the Scottish Highlands! I was 2/3rds of the way through the book, when I mentioned to Danielle that I hoped it was the beginning of a series. She told me it was actually the third book! It read very well as a stand alone. Now I can't wait to get my hands on the first two books of this series - Call of the Highland Moon and Dark Highland Fire!

To meet Kendra and read a little more about the book - please hop on over to Yankee Romance Reviewers where the celebration is just starting!

New York Debut by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Title: New York Debut

Author: Melody Carlson

Publisher: Zondervan

Available: May 1, 2009

Genre: YA Fiction/Christian

ISBN-10: 0310714931
ISBN-13: 978-0310714934

I read this for the First Wild Card Tour April 30, 2009.

First sentence: "Where is our Taylor?" asked Grandmother pleasantly.

Book 6 in the Carter House Girls series picks up as DJ is being picked up from the airport on her return from Las Vegas (see my review of book 5, Lost in Las Vegas). Taylor is noticeably absent and DJ has to share with her grandmother that she is at a rehab facility in California for alcohol abuse. Grandmother is upset and disappointed because she is afraid that Taylor won't make it back in time for Fashion Week in NYC.

As school starts up again after New Years, DJ, Rhiannon and Casey begin to notice that Kriti seems to be eating less and working out more. They do an intervention and Kriti confesses that Eliza has been influencing her to lose weight. They convince her she doesn't need to and move her in with DJ - away from Eliza.

Grandmother begins having classes on Saturday mornings to teach the girls about etiquette, manners and how to "own" the cat walk. She opens these up to the community and the Carter House girls find themselves spending time with Daisy, a new friend, and Madison and Tina, two old enemies.

I had only read book 5 prior to this book (other books in the series include Mixed Bags, Stealing Bradford, Homecoming Queen, and Viva Vermont). Again, it was hard to differentiate all the girls at first, and I would not have had a clue had I not read Lost in Las Vegas. I don't think it reads well as a stand alone. That being said, it does have good lessons and values for a teenage Christian girl to follow and illustrates how one can turn to God in all sorts of situations. I hope to eventually be able to go back and read the first 4 books in this series. Bikini Breakdown is book 7 of this series and it is due out in October 2009.

Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man by Claudia Mair Burney (Book Review)

Title: Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man (an Amanda Bell Brown mystery)
Author: Claudia Mair Burney
Genre: Mystery/Christian
Available: Now
ISBN-10: 1416551948
ISBN-13: 978-1416551942

I read this book for fun.

First sentence: I had every reason to be peeved, and I told Carly so.

Amanda Bell Brown was celebrating her 40th birthday with her sister Carly when it was interrupted by murder. You see, Carly is a medical examiner and she was the one on call. The victims were two men whose house Bell had been to years before when she was working/investigating cults. But if it wouldn't have been for those murders, Bell would never have met Jazz Brown - lieutenant with the Detroit Police Department.

And so begins Bell and Jazz's friendship - courtship - headlong tumble into love - whatever you want to call it. As they work together to try to solve these murders (Bell is a forensic psychologist) they learn how much they really care for each other.

One of the cult members, Susan, "escapes" and ends up at The Rock House. This is the church Bell attends, where the pastor, Rocky, is also her ex-boyfriend. Susan appears to be in a catatonic state, so Bell goes to visit her to see if she can get her to talk. After waiting hours, Susan doesn't move or speak so Bell goes home. The next day Susan writes Bell's name, so she called in again. She doesn't say much, but what she does say seems to implicate someone for the murders. Susan soon leaves the Rock House and nobody can find her.

Bell gets Rocky to tell her the addresses/phone numbers that Susan gave them when she showed up - before she went catatonic. Bell sets out to find the leader of the cult. She puts her life on the line to try to save the women and children involved. You see - 10 years earlier, she was actually in a cult where she was beaten and de-humanized - where she eventually lost a baby she was carrying. She has a hard time separating the present from these haunting memories in her past.

When the cult leader and Susan show up at her apartment, what will she risk to save Jazz, who she believes might be "The One?"

I recently read Deadly Charm (review here) which was the third Amanda Bell Brown mystery. I loved this one as much as that one and can't wait to get book 2 - Death, Deceit and Some Smooth Jazz. There is something about the way the author writes that just stays with me. I love the sarcastic flirting that goes on between these two - it keeps me smiling all the way through the book. Sometimes, reading as many books as I do, the characters can get mixed up or the plots can be confusing - but I don't find this happening when I read the Amanda Bell Brown books. Keep them coming!

Deadly Charm by Claudia Mair Burney (Book Review)

Title: Deadly Charm (an amanda bell brown mystery)
Author: Claudia Mair Burney
Publisher: Howard Books/Simon & Schuster
Genre: Christian Fiction
Available: Now

First sentence: Rocky showed up at my apartment door with an offer that, in his words, I "no coulda refuse."

Dr. Amanda Bell Brown, or Bell to her friends, has been pretty lost without her husband Jazz. He had left her the day after they got married when he found her kissing her ex-boyfriend Rocky. Well, actually Rocky had kissed her. He did not know that she had gotten married and she was trying to let him know without causing more hurt.

Rocky was the pastor of the Rock House. Ezekial Thunder and his family were staying with Rocky while Ezekial was trying to jump start his ministry again. He had made a shambles of it a few years back when he had an affair with an intern. Since then his wife had passed away and he had married the intern, Nikki. Together they had a little boy, almost 3, by the name of Zeke or Little Zeekie. Ezekial had other children - all of whom were named some form of Ezekial.

Bell does not really care for Ezekial and Nikki, especially after her "exorcism" of her "interracial dating and adultery" demon at Ezekial's Crusade. It had ended badly with her vomiting right at the feet of Ezekial. This episode made it on CNN when they began covering the Thunders after Little Zeekie accidentally dies while taking a bath at Rocky's. Or was it an accident?

Bell decides that it is up to her to find out. She teams up with her detective husband, Jazz, whom she is still separated from, to try to find out the truth.

I really enjoyed reading this book. Bell was full of quick wit and a sarcastic tongue which brought a smile to my face quite often. I loved the banter between Jazz and Bell. They clearly loved each other but were both very proud and independent. Here is an excerpt of that banter:

I didn't move. "What are you doing?"

"Opening the door for you."

"Why didn't you drive over to where your car is?"

"I'm not ready to leave yet, Bell."

"What if I've had enough of you for one day?"

"Oh, I happen to know you can take more of me than that." He said this with a wicked grin.

"Is your head always in the gutter?"

He leaned toward me, his arm resting on the top of the Love Bug. "Get out of the car, baby."

"No."

"I know you're mad. We can talk inside."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"You asked me to look into this for you, and that is what I did. Will you get out of the car so I can tell you whatI accomplished this evening?"

I took a peek at him. "You were just working?"

"I was."

"You're not attracted to that Cruella De Vil stick figure?"

"Hardly"

"And you don't think I'm too fat?"

"Bell, get out of the car. It's cold out here."

"You were supposed to say something romantic that made me believe you don't think I'm fat."

"Bell, if you don't step out of the Love Bug right now, I'm going to drag you upstairs."

"That fell way short of romantic, not to mention you still haven't said I'm not fat."

He sighed and rake his fingers through his hair. "You're not fat. I think you're stunning. You're so hot that I can hardly resist you, even though I'm still mad at you."

I grinned. "You think I'm hot?"

"Perhaps you should focus on my saying I'm still mad at you."

"You'll get over it. About me being hot. . ."

"You'll be hotter inside your apartment."

"Do you want to ravish me?"

"No. I want to throttle you. Please get out of the car."

I stepped a leg out. "I'm only letting you inside so you can report what happened with your girlfriend Nikki."

He moved back, took my hand, and helped me out of the car. "Fine."

"I don't want you getting fresh just because you're my husband. We're separated."

"You grill me about whether or not I want you, and now you insist that I not flirt with you."

"I have my standards." (pg 135-137)

This goes on all the way through the book. It cracked me up because I could so see arguing like this with my husband. Come back tomorrow for the First Wild Card Tour and read the first chapter!

The Fruit of My Lipstick by Shelley Adina (Book Review)

Title: The Fruit of My Lipstick (Book 2 in the All About Us Series)
Author: Shelley Adina
Publisher: Faith Words/Hachette Books
Genre: YA/Christian fiction

First sentence: The New Year. . . when a young girl's heart turns to new beginnings, weight loss, and a new term of chemistry!

Christmas break is over and we are back at Spencer Academy with Lissa, Gillian, Carly, and Shani. Since Lissa was able to tell her story about Callum in It's All About Us (and Carly will share her story in book 3 - Be Strong and Curvaceous) it is Gillian's turn to come clean about her infatuation with Lucas Hayes - the smartest guy at Spencer Academy.

Lucas is working towards the Physics Olympiad when he and Gillian hook up. Gillian has never had a boyfriend before and is pretty quick to get swept up in the moment. While she likes Lucas, and always looks forward to seeing him, she doesn't always feel quite happy after her time spent with him - but it is nothing that she can put her finger on, so she just chalks it up to not having anything to compare it to. At the same time, though, she needs to concentrate on her own grads or her Type A dad will be coming down on her pretty hard!

Most of the other juniors are studying hard also, except for those that have been buying exam sheets from Source10. Nobody knows who this person is - but the whole junior class is going to be punished with F's if they are not caught!

First, one of Gillian's friends is suspended for the deed - then Gillian herself is put on house arrest as a suspect! They give their problems to God and pray that the truth will come out - but will it happen in time to save the semester? And where will this leave Gillian in her relationship with Carly, Lissa and Shani - not to mention Lucas!

I enjoyed this book as much as I did the 1st and 3rd books in the series. I like the way they gradually lead you into Christianity without being preachy. I think this series would definitely be good for those teens/young adults struggling with their faith.

The fourth book in the series - Who Made You a Princess? is due out in May 2009!

Age Before Beauty by Virginia Smith (Book Review)

Title: Age Before Beauty (Book 2 in the Sister to Sister Series)
Author: Virginia Smith
Publisher: Revell (Baker Publishing Group)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Christian

First sentence: The mirror had to be warped.

How many times have we said that to ourselves? Or moved the bathroom scale because it must not be level to read that much? This book touched home with me greatly - as I became a stay-at-home mom after my third child (current ages 16,14,and 4). I kept telling myself - why did I work so hard to get those A's? Why did I go to college if I was just going to stay at home? Like Allie from the book, I researched some work-from-home "deals". I even cross-stitched for a company out of New York and was paid as an independent contractor. So after 4 1/2 years of being at home - what do I do? I love every minute with my son and I blog about books! :)

Allie helped to drive the point home with me, that staying at home was me doing my part for our own little team. I had struggled with the some of the same issues - losing that post-baby weight, earning my share, being okay with someone else watching my baby, and wondering if my husband was trustworthy. I have conquered some of these, still struggle with others but daily have been learning that if I trust in God, my Father, that the worries seem less and the blessings more.

Hmmm.. this has turned into not so much a book review but a review of my past 5 years! To the book - Allie and her husband Eric are parents to 2 month old Joanie Leigh (named after her two sisters Joan and Tori - and this is where it gets weird - my oldest daughter's name is Tori Leigh. . .). Allie is due to go back to work in a few weeks and is struggling with the decision to put her daughter in daycare. She attends a Varie Cose party and thinks she has found the answer to her problems - she will start her own Varie Cose business! (Think Amway). About this time Eric's mother, Betty, shows up on their porch needing a place to stay as she has moved out on her husband because "he did not appreciate her" anymore. Not what Allie needed - she dislikes her mother-in-law as much as her mother-in-law dislikes her.

Come and see how Allie progresses with her business, deals with her mother-in-law, and makes it all work - and who helps her in the end!

This was a quick read that I really could relate to and enjoyed immensely. Even though it is the 2nd book in the Sister to Sister series, it read absolutely wonderfully as a stand alone. Highly recommend this book for any new mom!

It's All About Us by Shelley Adina - Book Review

Title: It's All About Us - (Book 1 in the All About Us series)
Author: Shelley Adina
Publisher: Faith Words
Genre: YA fiction

First sentence: Some things you just know without being told.

Lissa Mansfield is having a tough time adjusting to her junior year at Spencer Academy. She had agreed to attend boarding school as her parents were going to be doing a lot of traveling for business. Her dad is a famous movie director and her mom is currently working on a charity campaign with Angelina Jolie. So she left behind her best friend Kaz, her ex-boyfriend, and the popular crowd that knew she was a Christian and accepted it.

She gets paired with Gillian Chang for a roommate and it doesn't take long for them to clash. Before long though, they discover that they are each Christians. Gillian wants to organize a weekly prayer circle. Lissa reluctantly goes along, hoping that Vanessa (most popular girl in school) or Callum (the hottest guy she has ever seen) won't see her there.

Without trying too much she wins the attention of Callum -but will she submit to his pressure and compromise her beliefs? Vanessa soon targets her to bring in a big celebrity for the Benefactor's Day Dance. Does that mean they are finally accepting her? And will her and Gillian ever become the friends that roommates should be?

Trying hard to find where she belongs and wanting to be accepted, Lissa and her faith hit some stumbling blocks. With the help of Gillian and bestfriend from back home, Kaz, they get her back on track. Great read for teen girls!

Side note: I read the 3rd book (Be Strong and Curvaceous) as part of a First Wild Card Tour. You can go here to read my review and here to read the first chapter of Be Strong and Curvaceous.

Lost in Las Vegas by Melody Carlson (Book Review)

Title: Lost in Las Vegas (Book 5 in the Carter House Girls series)
Author: Melody Carlson
Publisher: Zondervan
Genre: Christian/teen fiction
Available: Feb 2009

First sentence: "Remind me to never, ever star in another high school musical again."

The book starts out with the 6 girls getting ready to go to the Winter Ball - this preparation includes actually confirming their dates, shopping for new dresses and accessories, and for Taylor and DJ (roommates, but not necessarily BFFs) a day at a posh new day spa.

DJ and Rhiannon are the Christian girls of the bunch with Eliza and Taylor being the self-professed party girls. Kriti and Casey fall somewhere in between. DJ and Rhiannon have the best time at the ball, without the alcohol offered to them and without compromising their beliefs.

Christmas break is on the horizon and DJ is looking forward to "alone" time, away from the other girls. They are leaving soon to travel to various places to stay with family and friends. DJ is staying at Carter House with her grandmother. She as decided not to go to her dad and stepmom's house, as she feels she will just become the babysitter for her twin sisters. When Taylor calls from Las Vegas (where she is spending Christmas with her mom who is performing there) claiming she is lonely and could use some company, DJ prays that if that is where God wants her to go, then he will clear the way. She is ready for some company herself!

Once in Vegas, DJ questions why God has brought her here. Is she supposed to keep Taylor out of trouble? And when Eliza arrives, will she be able to? DJ questions why she is in Vegas at all and Taylor puts her faith to the test.

Lost in Las Vegas is Book 5 in the Carter House Girls series (Mixed Bags; Stealing Bradford; Homecoming Queen; and Viva Vermont). It read okay as a stand alone, but it was hard to keep the girls straight at first. I am going to try to find the first 4 so that I can get caught up - because books 6-8 are coming out soon!

This was a very quick read for me and I would highly recommend it - especially for teen girls struggling with their faith in the real world!

Scream for Me - Karen Rose (Book Review)

Title: Scream for Me

Author: Karen Rose

Genre: Romantic Suspense Fiction

Publisher: Hachette Books - Thanks Renee and Hachette!

First sentence: A bell dinged.

This was book 2 in a series with Agent Daniel Vartanian, but it read well as a stand alone. The first book, Die For Me, I have on reserve at our library, so that should tell you that I really enjoyed this book!

Daniel Vartanian is a Special Agent with the GBI, Georgia Bureau of Investigation. He has just returned from a case which involved his parents and his brother (I have a sneaky suspicion that this is what Die For Me is about...) He isn't even home a day before a murdered girl is discovered in a ditch and the investigation lands in his lap. It appears to be a copycat murder from 13 years earlier.

Alex Fallon is the twin sister of Alicia Tremaine, who was killed 13 years ago. She has received a call that her stepsister, Bailey, is missing and she is listed as the emergency contact for her 4 year old niece, Hope. This comes as quite a shock, as she didn't even know she had a niece. The last time she saw Bailey was to get her into a rehab program 5 years earlier.

Daniel's investigation and Alex's missing stepsister lead them on a collision course to each other - and the sparks start to fly. As the bodies pile up, will Alex ever find Bailey? Can Daniel catch the murderer? And can they both confront the ghosts of their past so that they can move into a better future?

This was a quick read for me, even at 569 pages! It was great the way all the suspects fell into place one-by-one. It was like watching dominoes fall in slow motion. I almost just typed a spoiler here - so I will just end on that note! Great book!

The Red Siren by M.L. Tyndall (Book Review)

Title: The Red Siren (Charles Towne Belles/Book 1)

Author: M.L. Tyndall

Genre: Christian fiction/Romance

Publisher: Barbour Publishing Inc.

Available: January 2009

First sentence: This was Dajon Waite's last chance.

I thought twice about giving you more than the first sentence - but I want you to read the book! So now you are thinking... last chance for what? Love? Life? the Lottery? (ok.. so that last one is a little corny.. I was going for some alliteration.. )

The Red Siren is the name of a pirate ship, and also the lady pirate that commands her. She has a dual identity as the daughter, Faith (1 of 4) of an Admiral by day - and the captain of the Red Siren whenever there is a ship to plunder.

After her father married off her older sister Charity to a vile man, and Faith's mother died, Faith vowed to protect her 2 remaining sisters Hope and Grace from the same fate. She feels that she needs to acquire enough wealth, so that they will not need to rely on men to take care of them. So Faith becomes a pirate.

One of her first conquests is a ship captained by Dajon Waite. Not only does she take all of his goods, but his ship as well. This changes the course of Dajon's life and puts them back on a collision course 5 years into the future.

Can Faith save herself and her 2 sisters from Charity's fate? When Dajon reenters her life, as a captain in the British Royal Navy, will he be forced to arrest her for being a pirate? Or can the God-fearing Dajon Waite help the faithless Faith Westcott rediscover the God she thought had abandoned her?

I really liked the way the author named the daughter's Charity, Faith, Grace and Hope. We don't learn a lot about Charity in this book - just that she has been married to someone the other sisters do not like (for good reason.. ). Faith is the main character in The Red Siren, and is the one that has lost her faith. Grace is full of God's grace and does much to help the less fortunate. Hope is the youngest, and though she has been through some terrible travesties, she still has hope that there is love for her - either the love she is yearning for from her father, or from Lord Falkland.

I enjoyed reading The Red Siren - it grabbed me quick, kept up the pace throughout the book and wrapped the main story up nicely, but also left a hanger for the second book - The Blue Enchantress coming in the fall of 2009! For a peek at the cover of the Blue Enchantress - visit the author's blog here.

Come back on Monday, Jan 19 for the First Wild Card Tour!

Serial Readers Challenge 2009

It will never end - yes, I just signed up for this challenge - but the good news is that I have already read one book! Yeah! Go here to sign up - rules are just to read series/trilogies related by author - but all titles must be read in 2009 (but don't have to read in order!)

Here is my list so far:

• All About Us series

1. It's All About Us - Shelley Adina

2. Be Strong and Curvaceous - Shelley Adina

3. The Fruit of My Lipstick - Shelley Adina

• Charles Towne Belle Books

1. The Red Siren - M.L. Tyndall

• Daniel Vartanian series

1. Scream for Me - Karen Rose

• Carter House Girls series

1. Lost in Las Vegas - Melody Carlson

2. New York Debut - Melody Carlson

• Sister to Sister series

1. Age Before Beauty - Virginia Smith

• An Amanda Bell Brown Mystery

1. Deadly Charm - Claudia Mair Burney

2. Murder, Mayhem and a Fine Man - Claudia Mair Burney

• Highland Series

1. Wild Highland Magic - Kendra Leigh Castle

Be Strong and Curvaceous by Shelley Adina (Book Review)

Title: Be Strong and Curvaceous (an all about us novel)
Author: Shelley Adina
Publisher: Faith Words a division of Hachette Books
Genre: YA/Christian Fiction
Available: January 2009

First sentence: Be careful what you wish for.

I read this book for First Wild Card Tour and I loved it! I am hoping (and praying) that my daughters will read these books. I have requested the first one in the series from our public library's interlibrary loan service. But I am getting ahead of myself - let me tell you a little about this book.

Be Strong and Curvaceous is the third book in the 'all about us' series - but it was also very good as a stand alone. The hardest thing about reading it first was just getting the cast of characters set in my mind. Carly, Lissa and Gillian are all students (juniors) at Spencer Academy in San Francisco. They have just started the spring term and upon arriving back at school, Carly discovers that she has a new roommate - "Mac" who we later discover is Lady Lindsay MacPhail, daughter of the Earl of Strathcairn. Mac isn't at the school long before she publicly humiliates Vanessa Talbot (the "it" girl at the school) and puts up a wall that Carly isn't sure she wants to negotiate. Adding to Carly's confusion is that she just became a Christian and is sure that this isn't the Christian thing to do! Mac could also help her reach her goal of designing a dress in the Design Your Dream Event - if only she hadn't taken on Vanessa. To make matters worse, in seems like Mac also has her eyes on Brett, Carly's crush!

This book has romance, rivalry, responsibility, friendship, adventure, and most importantly God! I want my daughter to read it so that she can see that she can talk with God in any and all circumstances - even boys! This would be a great read for a teenage girl. I can't wait to get the first book!