Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding.

Series: Dreg City Series (#1)

Dell 2009

$7.99

Some favorite quotes:

"...it's not every day a person becomes a reanimated corpse. My day was decidedly much worse, so I did the most sensible thing that came to mind. I stole her tennis shoes." pg. 6

"I can do a better job of ripping him a new asshole when I don't feel so much like death on cracker" pg. 106. (pst.. not sure what death on cracker means... but I heart the blunt badass-ness :D)

"I could have stayed like that for the rest of my afterlife... only I had to pee." pg 296 (hehehehe)

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

They’ll never see her coming. . . .


When Evangeline Stone wakes up naked and bruised on a cold slab at the morgue—in a stranger’s body, with no memory of who she is and how she got there—her troubles are only just beginning. Before that night she and the two other members of her Triad were the city’s star bounty hunters, mercilessly cleansing the city of the murderous creatures living in the shadows, from vampires to shape-shifters to trolls. Then something terrible happened that not only cost all three of them their lives but also convinced the city’s other Hunters that Evy was a traitor—and she can’t even remember what it was.


Now she’s a fugitive, piecing together her memory, trying to deal some serious justice—and discovering that she has only three days to solve her own murder before the reincarnation spell wears off. Because in three days Evy will die again—but this time there’s no second chance. . . .

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Wow... this was a fantastic read. Especially for a debut book! Well, maybe especially is the wrong word. I know that most authors spend up to years on one single book with edits and what not before it's picked up by agents.... but you know what I mean.. I hope?!

So it starts out with one of my favorite quotes from the book: "I don't recall the first time I died, but I do remember the second time I was born" I hope it hit you the same way it did me... which was "whoa! what?! second birth? first death? who gets that!? what's going on?" Or something like that.

So already, it starts out with a catch. The way things happened and fell into place were things that I wouldn't think of, but they held merit and I couldn't deny it (about 98% of the time). Besides the "who" behind all the bad stuff happening.. I guessed that one pretty quickly. The "dregs" were interesting creatures.. some of them. Some were like the ones you have no idea what they look like, you just know they're scary and you would not want to cross paths with one any day of the week.

I'd put this more in the Urban Fantasy section, if they had it at major book stores (get with the times already! Not every Sci-Fi/Fantasy/or Romance belongs there!!) since there's some sexual tension, but it's not this passionate love affair or anything. It's more along the lines of fighting bad guys and solving mystery, and then there's the sexual tension. But as a lover of sex (*cough* i mean romance novels) I was left wanting more. I mean, sure there was one incident that was so sweet i almost cried (j/k, I don't cry) but I never got that ease of the tension. Which, even though I'd consider it Urban Fantasy, I think it'd be okay to add one extra awesome part for readers like me. Maybe Kelly Meding just didn't think it was appropriate to include, which is her prerogative, but I definitely don't think it would have taken away from her awesome book.

So, as much as I L-O-V-E this book, there were some parts that didn't quite make sense. Like... and without giving it away... the decisions made on page 138... I think that the thought might have crossed their mind as being...... un.. safe? okay, that's good, didn't give away ANYTHING!

Back to the love stuff. There was one character who had the power to make or break Kelly. And I'm so glad she got it right. I believe in coincidence, but I don't believe in easy persuasion and altering a person's choice. Especially if you want that person to be strong, caring and loyal. So out of it all, this character became a favorite because of how Kelly allowed them to speak rather than making it easier on her writing. So what happens to this character is so devastating I think I actually did start to tear up for a little bit. I wish it could have been different, but I'm sure it was just as hard for Kelly to do as it is for me to even think about doing it to my non-important characters.

I know, I know... this pretty much tells you nothing. That's the point. Sort of. I want you to know how I felt while reading this book so you can choose for yourself if you want to go on the ride. (Which I REALLY recommend for this one!).

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: :D +2

5. Re-readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +9 [obsessive series readers only]

7. Lost time: nope! +1

8. Readability: +1

9 out of 10!!! :D Here's why:

If you're looking for an action packed, mind game, sort of Memento feel, and an Urban Fantasy book all wrapped up in one neat package... READ THIS!!!

Not for the ones who like sex... I mean romance... though you get a brief tumble with our favorite thing ;). Definitely worth the read anyway :D... but I can't suggest it to that type of reader with absolute conviction that they'll enjoy it (we all wish) as much as I have.

2nd book in the Dreg City Series: As Lie the Dead

Author Website

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Other Reviews:

Paranormal Fantasies (Thanks for showing me the second book! I was hoping for it!)

My Reading Addiction

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Caught! by Lori Foster

TAKEN

Things are heating up between security expert Dillon Jones and the notorious Virginia Johnson! They're trying to find out who framed Dillon's brother for embezzlement. As they search for the truth, Dillon can't help but draw closer to feisty Virginia. His code of honor is barely keeping him in check…but leave it to a take-charge woman to take what she wants!

SAY YES

After finding her—now former—fiancé in bed with another woman, Sara Simmons decides that love and marriage just aren't for her. What she needs is a hot fling. Enter hunky next-door neighbor Gavin Blake. But Gavin is playing for keeps, and he's vowed to hold out for more than sex. Begging isn't Sara's style…but she will if he won't!

This is another two book... book =) So it's double the pleasure and double the FUN!

Once again, I loved Lori Foster. She managed in such a short book to build a great foundation for the characters, giving them a realistic edge without overdoing it. The way she writes so simply, but... well, not is spectacular.

And so far... not two characters are the same. Sure they all end up the same way... tangled in bed sheets and sweating their skin off, but their stories, their passions, their values, how they get to that same ending... they're different. One thing I noticed in SAY YES was that she took the profession of the character and used that (and of course their upbringing) to form their thoughts and feelings and motives.

And just in case you didn't think that was enough of a praise, in TAKEN she made it easy for me to feel the love of a man when being overweight. I know you know what I mean girls ;). In all the romances (at least that I've read) and movies (besides maybe Shallow Hal) it's always the skinny chick who's being played down to be ugly, then all they have to do to show her "inner beauty" ignite is have her be her normal self... and that's just not all that realistic. That's why I stopped watching chick flicks too... well, part of it.

So I've mentioned the good, the great, and the excellent. Now on to the bad. This book is the size of a normal book, but it's a two in one. Meaning... they're very short stories. In fact...

TAKEN, though I loved it, was too long compared to the whole book size. It took me three (very busy days) to complete it and only one to complete SAY YES. I would have loved for SAY YES to be longer, even if the book had to be longer. That's why I'm only giving this one a four stars...

She's a very talented writer and I know she could have been exceptional with just a little more on Sara and Gavin.

Count Down for Pride