Beyond the Highland Mist by Karen Marie Moning

Beyond the Highland Mist

by Karen Marie Moning

March 1999
Random House
Historical/Time Travel Romance
Audio from Audible $20.97
Read by Phil Gigante


Why I read it: I wanted an audio book to listen to at work. The male reader (Phil Gigante) sold me on the audio.

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.


An alluring laird


He was known throughout the kingdom as Hawk, legendary predator of the battlefield and the boudoir. No woman could refuse his touch, but no woman ever stirred his heart - until a vengeful fairy tumbled Adrienne de Simone out of modern-day Seattle and into medieval Scotland. Captive in a century not her own, entirely too bold, too outspoken, she was an irresistible challenge to the sixteenth-century rogue. Coerced into a marriage with Hawk, Adrienne vowed to keep him at arm's length - but his sweet seduction played havoc with her resolve.

A prisoner in time

She had a perfect "no" on her perfect lips for the notorious laird, but Hawk swore she would whisper his name with desire, begging for the passion he longed to ignite within her. Not even the barriers of time and space would keep him from winning her love. Despite her uncertainty about following the promptings of her own passionate heart, Adrienne's reservations were no match for Hawk's determination to keep her by his side....

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Let me start this out by saying, "holy crap". Yep, that's how I wanted to start this! ;). I absolutely, 100% loved this book (love the whole series if I was disclosing everything). I think one of the reasons I love this so much is because I listened to the audio version. And Phil Gigante (who narrated) is PERFECT! I love it love it love it. I can never know what Mr. Gigante looks like because it will shatter the feeling I get from these books forever. Then I couldn't listen to them anymore (I listen to each of them at least once a month, in order).


I also would like to point out that this is a romance, so a big, strong, sexy, brooding highlander will get really... well not big, strong, sexy and brooding in one moment of the book. Which is a moment that I don't like because of it. He turns into a needy man. Not the usual big, strong, sexy and brooding needy, but an emo type dude. You'll understand when you read/listen (probably more listen since his voice inflection is done for you) that pivotal moment when the "s" starts hitting the fan. I don't mind what he does afterwards, because that makes sense and is what I would expect of that type of alpha character. I just felt really embarrassed for him during that one little part.


That's the only complaint I have about the book.


The cover gets a 1, because, well... there's a ripped chest and torso on it (duh!), and I'm a sucker for those kinds of books (not those kinds of men unfortunately. I like mine more slender, I don't want to feel like they can snap me in two. I know that's kinda the point with men like that, to feel like they could but know they never would... I just can't get into it, it seems too freaky. I will definitely love reading about them though!).


The beginning is pretty funny. The Scottish accent that Mr. Gigante has is really intoxicating. I envy his wife/gf/bf/husband (whatever), because I would do absolutely anything if my husband were to ask me to do it in a Scottish accent. Well, I'd probably do it anyway, but I would love doing it even more! :p. Hook for this book gets a great big 1! (Plus, the chick starts out in Seattle, so I'm totally in love with that immediately)


This book left me wanting to "read" the next, and the next, and the next. I listen to it over and over. I believe I listened to it 3 times in a row before I finally broke down and bought the second (it took even less time to buy the rest after I listened to that one). The writing is great, you really get the sense that they're in that century. That the man is really Scottish. I give it 1pt for Getting Through It and Re-Readability, 2 points for the Overall Feeling.


I suggest others to read this if you like Scotland, Highlanders, Tough guys who love really really well ;p, and if you like a little time travel. BUT! I ask only one thing, if you do decide to read this book, buy the audio. I know it's (a lot) more expensive than the book in any format, it's just such a different experience, and I've really begun to like male narrators more than I do females.


**sigh** I love this series. I love the alpha male take charge, do what I need to make other's thrive attitude/mentality/way of life.


I give this book a 10 out of 10. My one complaint about the part I felt embarrassed for him is really pale in consideration to the way the rest of the book makes me feel. It's funny though, at first I felt bad for Mr. Gigante for having to read dirty parts, then I was so thankful that he could get through them without giggling... or throwing the book at the wall and saying "this is really what women like to read?". Then I thought, wow, lucky wife/gf/bf/husband, he know's what women really like to read and in turn, he knows what women really like to have men do for them, to them, etc. Or really, just any human being wants to feel special, but now he has the tools to make it happen. 

Ratings:
1.Cover: +1
2. Hooked: +1
3. Finished the book: +1
4. Overall Feeling: Pos +2
5. Re-Readability: +1
6. Suggest to others: +2
7. Lost time: Nope +1
8. Readability:+1

Other's in series (in order):
Beyond the Highland Mist
To Tame A Highland Warrior
Highlander's Touch
Kiss of the Highlander
Dark Highlander
Immortal Highlander
Spell of the Highlander

Girls That Growl by Mari Mancusi

Girls That Growl

by Mari Mancusi

October 2007

Romantic/Paranormal Young Adult

Penguin
$9.99


Why I read it: To decide whether or not my boss should put it in our stores (along with the rest of the series).

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

Third in Mancusi's hip, sassy vampire series, featuring the heroine of Stake That!

She's a vampire. She's also a vampire slayer. (It's a long story.) And now Rayne McDonald, Goth girl, has to carry out her most deviant mission yet: trying out for the cheerleading squad.

Rayne already has enough on her plate: her twin keeps whining about whether or not to go all the way; her mom's boyfriend is moving in; and her man, Jareth, who's now allowed out in the sun, has turned from a dark, brooding hottie vamp into a surfer dude.

But this vampire slayer is still on the clock, and she has a new assignment. A member of the football team has disappeared-and her bosses at Slayer Inc. think the cheerleaders had something to do with it. Now they want her to infiltrate the squad and get the dirt. But first, she'll need an extreme prep makeover. If only they'd let her wear fishnets under that revolting uniform.

*****************************************************************************

I read this back on 4/16/10, things are starting to sort-of coming back to me since I took notes (two note cards worth!) so I may have a lot of "if I remember correctly"s and "I believe".

Rayne was doing the thinking again in this book. And now she's vamp. And a vamp slayer.

Their mom still knows how to rub me the wrong way, I swear. I believe she had a boyfriend staying for a while and he was using one of her daughter's rooms to sleep in. I had a MASSIVE problem with this. If your already sleeping with the dude (implied) then just have him stay in your room. Don't disrupt your kids' lives further by kicking one of your daughters out of her own room so that you can play house with your boyfriend. If you're not sleeping with him and you don't have an extra room, TOO BAD!! A grown man can't afford a hotel room for a couple of weeks and you're with him? I don't think she was even seeing him for very long either. Picture perfect of a stupid mom, in my humble (psh) opinion.

I asked for this in my review of "Stake That": for Rayne to lose control. And it looks like she finally did on her mother. notes literally say: "Finally, Rayne loses control. & the mother just keeps looking worse." From what I remember, Rayne confronts her mom about her boyfriend and they get into a fight. Her mom chooses boyfriend over the emotional stability of her kid. Yeah, kids don't have much to begin with, but there's a point when they need you more than normal. Sadly, that's usually when parents run away from them fastest.

Jareth and Rayne spend a lot of time together in this book. The feeling I got from Jareth is that he's an idiot. He's too easily fooled by a young girl with no extraordinary talent for mischief. I'm not very good at it myself, which leads me to the point of "Jareth is an idiot" because even I could fool him. I think Ms/Mrs. (not sure) Mancusi's idea was to make Rayne cunning and sneaky, and there were times when it really just made Jareth look bad. Their dialogue was hard to follow, they'd skip (leading) sentences. They both are in crazy-town if they can understand each others half-explanations. Which, I find myself doing in my own "babies". I make that illogical jump in my head and I don't explain the steps my mind automatically skips over for others to understand. Reading it a long time later or a few projects later helped me realize that there was no sense in what I wrote. I think using that method would have helped this book immensely.

Notes: "Rayne's a bitch". hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. She just kept torturing everyone around her (minus her mom) and when Jareth FINALLY scolds her, she responds by crying like the world is out to get her. Hey, I know how it is to be a bitch. Grew up being one in fact. But the one thing I noticed when I lessened my bitch was that: hey! The world was only out to get me because I was out to get it! Crying for a hard ass after getting just one scolding doesn't seem authentic to me. Especially if it's made to believe that she's feeling the hardship of it and has remorse. It all felt like guilt-play to me.

Once again, Mancusi wraps the story up in some expensive paper and a huge bow. All of her plans go so smoothly it makes me wonder why she's "goth". She was supposed to have Jareth as backup and still everything went smoothly. I needed a glass of wine to go with all that cheese! K, not really, I can only drink wine if I chase it with coke (yeah, not joking). The comment still means the same thing though, I can't handle all that fakeness! The supposed challenges that aren't challenges when Rayne can get through it without sweating. If she's supposed to be so smart then make her challenges harder. That's easy enough if you throw in a failure or two. Make it so she fails and someone else has to save her. Or even that she's getting tired and then up the ante by bringing in another bad guy. who's holding someone she loves by the neck. at knife point. Add tension. Add curiosity. What would she do if her arm was dislocated? Would she give up and run or stay and fight? Would she be able to handle the pain or lose consciousness? We don't know this about Rayne because nothing bad ever happens to her. I think the worst thing in her life is her mother (Yes, I know she's a vampire and a vampire hunter, but sooooooo what compared to her mom. She can deal with every other dead thing, her mom is.... stupid)

All that being said, there was a bit of drama towards the end again that made me keep reading. I think I would have loved it if she would have left some opening or tension or unanswered questions in the end (especially since there's still another book in the series). Alas, it did not happen.

Favorite Quote? I giggled when I read it in my notes too, so it's good!

"Does one shake hands with a werewolf? or do they, I don't know, sniff butts to get to know one another? Ew, I so don't want to go there" 

hehe, good right? Which leads me to comment that Mancusi's writing reminds me of shows like 30 Rock and Parks and Recreation (no, not the office). A fast paced sitcom with random silly-ness and dialogue. Which I love. They're great mindless things to watch. Reading isn't so mindless, but it helps to read something that you like watching. No matter how mean that sounds I really mean it as a compliment. I'm the beginning of the "youtube generation" where we like things moving and fast and short. Mancusi does a great job with that audience.


Should you read it?: I definitely think you should read Boys that Bite and Stake That first so you can get the gist of where the characters have been. This one isn't as good as Stake That but it's still nice to read about characters you've put some time in to.

Would I read it again?: Probably not. Just because it's too short and it didn't leave a lasting impression on my mind. I was interested in the well being of the characters, but it was just too neatly wrapped I think. And the passion in there was lacking a bit. (same as the Stake That review)




Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +0

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +1

5. Re-Readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+0. 5

(also the same as the Stake That review)
so it looks like this gets a 5.5 out of 10.

Others in series:

Boys That Bite

Stake That

Girls that Growl

Bad Blood

One Bite With a Stranger by Christine Warren

One Bite With A Stranger

by Christine Warren

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: The Others

St Martins Press Oct. '08


**Favorite Quote**

My God. I think I'm dead, she mused, too tired to get worked up about it. He fucked me to death


Not yet, milaya, he chuckled. But there's always next time.


Back of the book:


When Regina's friends insist on setting her up  on a "Fantasy Fix" to help her get over her cheating ex, she dreams up some kinky out-of-this-world encounters that they could never possibly bring to life. But the next thing Regina knows, her friends have got her laced into a shiny black corset, tight leather pants, and a sexy pair of stilettos. It's time for some downtown vampire-fantasy fun...


The Vampire Ball in Manhattan's East Village isn't really Dmitri Vidame's idea of a good time, but as a member of the Council that governs The Others, he has to keep an eye on all the young vamps who prey on the pretenders. After he feasts his dark eyes on the fiery Regina at the bar, he knows that he must have her. But for the first time Dmitri meets a woman who is more than a match for his indomitable will. And he may be the fantasy Regina hoped for...until she-and her feisty friends--discover her sexy new lover's bloodsucking secret...

*******************************************************************************************

Right off, this book reminds me of the good ol' days when I actually had girl friends. Then I remember all the drama of having girl friends and I see once again, why it's best if I don't mingle with other females :P. But I did like the idea of the "fantasy fix" I actually think that would have made for a better series than including or starting off The Others Series.

I couldn't ever get a good read on Regina. She seemed a little like me, but too flimsy. So, she was stubborn and thought her friends were crazy (that'd be the me-relating part) but she just turned to absolute putty around Dmitri (--the not me part). She just seemed to be so conflicting. I think the thing I enjoyed most about her was that she had red hair... i believe. (hahaha... I read it somewhere in the book, but then it never mentioned it again. So... I may have made her a redhead.)

Dmitri was ... well, a vampire. He was the suave and dangerous type as would be expected. He could read minds, some more clearly than others. He can also put his thoughts in yours too... which also means that he can mind rape you. Now, I don't consider pulling psychological bullsh*t on another "mind raping" like most others do. If that were the case, every female would be at fault. With all the games they play with both men and women, if that were turned into a legal offense.. then we'd all be guilty and sent to jail. So, when I speak  of "mind rape" in this instance, I'm talking about him actually putting a thought (literally) into someones mind and coaxing it mentally. Not with words or actions... but he's using his mind connection to do that. That's what I consider "mind rape". At the end of the book of course he claims that he could never do such a thing, but what he can do is take something that's already there and make it stronger or less in that person's mind. So he can't force you to do something you never considered doing. Like trying clams... Or stabbing myself in the stomach. etc. 

But where Dmitri screws himself with the mind reading, he makes up for a very tiny bit in his nick name. I LOVE nicknames, especially the ones of a different language. "Misha" is his nickname.. and as you saw above, he calls Regina: Milaya. Nothing particularly pretty about either name, but it just makes me happy. It did make me a little uncomfortable when other people outside of their lovers embrace called him Misha. It kind of dulled it down a little bit, thus, bringing him back to square one with the mind reading.

The only way to sort of redeem himself is through the sex though. Holy cow was the first "sex scene" hot! In fact, on my cheat note card, I wrote: "1st sex scene-Holy Moly!" They're hot, and of course, as present in this book as they are in the others of the Other series.

My FAVORITE scene of the whole book, has to go to one of the almost very last ones. When I read through it, all I could think of were her friends looking disheveled and crazy-eyed holding pitchforks and fire-lit torches.... :D

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh +1

5. Re-readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: +.5

8. Readability: +1

So, I give this a 6.5 out of 10. I would only suggest this to those that have already started or would like to read all of the Others' series. Or if you just love series. It's not a bad read, but it's not amazing. And besides trying to figure out the actual order this series goes in, I don't think I would read it again. This book does feel like it's first (as says Barnes and Noble)

Moon Craving by Lucy Monroe

Moon Craving by Lucy Monroe

Series: Children of the Moon

Urban Fantasy/Romance/Highlander

February 2010

Dell

$7.99

Why I read: I saw a comment by Lucy [author] on Babbling About Books and More blog saying that people believed her Alpha wolves were too Alpha. As if there were such a thing!!! So, I said I was going to have to put that statement to the test.

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

When Talorc-laird of the Sinclair clan and leader of his werewolf pack- must wed an Englishwoman, he's shocked to find that she is his mate. Deaf since childhood, Abigail hopes to keep her affliction from Talorc as long as possible, just as he has no intention of telling her that he's a werewolf. But when Abigail learns that the husband she's begun to love has deceived her, it will take all his warrior's strength-and his wolf's cunning-to win his wife back.  

***********************************************************************

My Review: **some minor spoilers**

Like always, I'll start with the bad. I like getting that out of the way so I can tackle all the good!!! Because there is a lot of that :D. FYI... I couldn't find the first in the series, Moon Awakening, at the bookstore so I had to skip it until I order it online =).

First [in order of book]... I got all the way to page 106-ish before I found something I wasn't too sure I liked. Awesome right?! I thought so. The "Chrechte mating" ritual threw me for a loop. All the sudden there's these random nakie people, in a random place, with an Englishwoman... who's also nakie. It just didn't seem to fit. Especially with the response that Abigail [main character] had. As an Englishwoman, she's predetermined to be more modest... but in this instance... she doesn't care. Now, I'm a young, I-don't-give-a-damn kind of girl, and even I would have freaked out and covered my awesome parts if that were to happen to me. The only thing I can assume [and it's what got me through that part] is that she was just completely caught in the moment and everything just seemed right. Which could happen... but with me, it'd only be after I downed more alcohol than usual... and normal is about 1-1/2 bitch-beers [I know.. I'm a light-weight].

Also, there were a lot of random things that happened. The wedding baggage, the fight scene about 30 pages after the "Chrechte mating", a couple attacks towards Abigail and the way she finds "stuff" out about her husband. I was thinking it'd be something more... dramatic, or the how she found out would make a big scene about her not knowing. That's as covert I can be about it without ruining it for everyone :D

Then, there's the ending... If you didn't know before, you know now... I don't like it when things just "work out". I like a little conflict and insecurity, then reassurance or compromise. And Lucy Monroe was so much closer to that than I've seen in a while. It was still a tad too fluffy for my 100% approval. But that's my problem and I wouldn't hold anyone back from reading it just because of that.

NOW THE GOOD!!!! I love the good part :D The hook was AMAZING! I felt drawn in to the story in the very first sentence. The rest of the first paragraph in the prologue told me I was in for a delicious treat.

Lucy Monroe is a fantastic writer. If we were in Harry Potter world, I'd say her writing put me under the Imperius Curse since I couldn't put the book down. I read it in less than a day, which has been difficult to do lately with such a "GO!-GO!-GO!" schedule. If I had to describe her writing in 1 word, it would be enthralling. Or maybe enchanting.

I absolutely loved Talorc and Abigail's first meeting. It was so sweet the way he took care of her, though the marriage was last on his to do list. And how lucky are they both that an arranged marriage actually brings you a decent person?! Talorc's protective nature pops in constantly, and I love, love, love it. Then, when her secret is out in the open, he has such an affectionate way of getting her attention. 

I do wish I could have read more about Niall and... his mate [I don't want to ruin everything!]. But it made me happy to know that... "stuff" happened [hehehe].

So, to answer the reason for why I read the book... No, Lucy's Alpha's are not too Alpha. That's just ridiculous. They definitely are in their own league, but if you love Alpha's like I do [they're always at the top of my list of fictional hunky men] then you'll love her Alpha. At least Talorc, Niall, and Barr since I have yet to read Moon Awakening [sadface].

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +1

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: mmmm: +2

5. Re-readability: +1

6. Suggest to others: +2

7. Lost time: +1

8. Readability: +1

yay! Another 10 out of 10!! Despite the random weird parts, I loved this book. I noticed that on the front of the cover Susan Wiggs is quoted: "Lucy Monroe will capture your heart." and she's not joking. I've added her to my favorite authors =) I was so happy to find that she was writing another in the series :D


Author Website
Author Blog


Other Review:
Babbling About Books and More
Demon Lovers Book Reviews and More


I would recommend this to anyone who can read. That's all the criteria you need :D

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

Wolf at the Door by Christine Warren

Series: The Others

Paranormal/Romance

March 2006

St Martin's

$6.99

Why I read: I was looking for a new series to start and enjoy, and this one had several done already.


One Favorite Quote: "Did you just call me Benji?"


[update: I realized recently *cough*today*cough* that I read the series out of order... I thought this was the first in the series. But no, it's the 4th. I'm going back to read the 1st! Of course, I also read the 6th before realizing this, so I'm all mixed up. Please note that if there were any inconsistencies that I noticed, it's probably due to coming in to the stories in the middle of the series. I can't change what I said because it was how I felt. It also proves that you should start at the beginning of every series! Bummer, I know. I can't believe I messed up! Ugh]

Barnes and Noble Synopsis:

Christine Warren’s spellbinding new series takes you into the enthralling world of The Others—mystical creatures who have long kept their true natures hidden from human eyes. Now, these werekin, shapeshifters, vampires, and witches must choose between revealing their powers or fighting a sinister sect hell-bent on their destruction…

WHEN DANGER MEETS DESIRE…
Sullivan Quinn didn’t travel 3,000 miles from his native Ireland and his wolf pack just to chase rabidly after the most delectable quarry he’s ever seen. Quinn is in America on a mission—to warn his Other brethren of a shadowy group willing to use murder and mayhem to bring them down. But one whiff of this Foxwoman’s delicious honeysuckle fragrance and he knows that she is more than a colleague or a conquest…she is his mate.

THEY’LL DISCOVER…
Anthropologist Cassidy Poe is a world-renowned authority on social interaction, but the overpowering desire she feels around Quinn defies every ounce of her expertise. Working by his side to uncover The Others’ enemies poses risks she never expected—to her own safety, to those she loves, and to her heart, as every encounter with Quinn proves more blissfully erotic than the last…

THE ANIMAL WITHIN…
Now, with no one to trust but each other, Quinn and Cassidy face a foe that’s edging closer every day, threatening to destroy the life they’ve always known, and the passion they’ve just discovered…

****************************************************************************************************

My review:

It took a while for me to get in to the book. Even the initial contact between the two main characters kind of bothered me. Quinn seemed really stalker-ish. Given enough time, I found that not to be the case, but that initial feeling was uncomfortable.

I felt that plot took a distant second place after a while. Or maybe I misunderstood the plot. Which is very possible! They have to find who is trying to "out" the Others before they do, and it felt slow getting to the finding part. In fact, I don't even know if they did find the who/what. They found the root cause, just not the who/what [does that make sense? you're probably staring at this thinking "what the hell are you talking about crazy]. wAt this point, I keep telling myself.. who cares? They got to the root of it, what more do you need? But I felt like this whole time I wanted to know who the puppet was and I all I got was a sort of puppeteer. Maybe I need to re-read the last few pages to make sure I'm not being an idiot.

I did something really weird with this book though. I stopped reading it for about a month at the very end... What?! Who does that? I think I was in a reading slump and I just was hung up on the root cause and who the Light of Truth that's trying to expose them is, and the fact that I didn't understand what was going on. Once again, my problem. I'm sure Christine Warren explained it perfectly for the non-challenged people.

The only honest and true complaint I have is that the resolution to the conflict of exposure ended too suddenly for it to be normal. But the ending for me is huge. I understand the need for the fluff at the end, but nothing is wrapped up in neat little packages in real life, and I just feel that books should portray that sometimes [yes... i know it's not real, but for it to be relatively believable even in a fictional world, I don't like neat endings--that's one reason I hate chick flicks]. 

OKAY! That was the bad.. Here's the good:

Christine Warren's writing was great! Most of it flowed together flawlessly [I say mostly, because as with all books, some sentences had to be re-read several times to understand what she was saying].  Their romance, though it had a rough start... a really awkward rough start, it was believable. Some parts were fluffed, but whatever. I could believe that they actually had a connection to each other. Their foreplay and/or sexual encounters were.... awesome! :D Very blush worthy if someone catches you reading those pages. ;)-

Another really neat thing she did was that she didn't make Quinn an Alpha. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Alphas [mmmmmmm]. But he didn't need to be an Alpha to be dominant. He also had a great and unique role in his pack that I haven't heard of before. I think it might have been too much, so that was a perfect decision made by Christine Warren.

Ratings:

1. Cover +1

2. Hooked: +.5

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: meh: +1

5. Re-readability: +.5--might skim through

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: ... not really +1

8. Readability: +1

Looks like it's a 7 out of 10. Which makes me happy that I have my rating system. I would have felt that after the month of a break [from all books really] that I should rate it lower.

Website

Stake That! by Mari Mancusi

Stake That

by Mari Mancusi

December 2006

Romantic/Paranormal Young Adult

Penguin
$9.99


Why I read it: To decide whether or not my boss should put it in our stores (along with the rest of the series).

Synopsis from Barnesandnoble[dot]com.

The edgy young vampire series continues!

A fresh voice and fresh blood-it adds up to one very sassy vampire series...

Sisters. They'll swipe your clothes, your boyfriends, your destiny. But it wasn't exactly Rayne's twin Sunny's fault. Magnus, a vamp hottie and coven leader, mistook Sunny for Rayne last month and bit her instead. Now they're doing the inter-species dating thing.

Turns out that for every generation, there's a Vampire Slayer-and this time around, it just happens to be Rayne MacDonald. Her first mission: infiltrate a seedy vamp bar downtown and expose its vampire owner for purposely spreading a blood disease he created himself-a task almost harder than passing trig.

After going it alone once, Rayne realizes she needs help. So Magnus sends his sexy Goth buddy Jareth to go undercover with her. And, frankly, Rayne wouldn't mind going under the covers with him. Maybe fate doesn't bite after all...

*****************************************************************************

This time with this series, I actually couldn't wait to keep reading this book. Once you get past the valley-girl language (which I never thought I'd say... what's next? Gray hairs?), and the sometimes hard to follow sentences, it's a great story. Oh, and once you got past the slow start and a money hungry troll... Okay, the troll wasn't real, I made it up. She started it out in a blog format, which I thought was really neat! It tied in the last book with this second one. But then she stopped because stuff got hard for Rayne. The comments at the end were the best part. They were witty and showed a bit more of the character and how she deals with other people that aren't so close to her. Plus, just about every blog of hers was commented on! That's something I don't know much about ;).


Along with the slow beginning, there was way too quick of an end. And for the 2nd time, I will complain about the 1 thing I had a problem with... cute, neat packaging at the end. Everything in their plan works semi perfectly. The only hiccup didn't seem as detrimental as I would have thought it would be. Once again, she left me wanting more from her. Rayne's not made of stone! Let her feelings seep through!!!! Because I would love to see it, read about it, hear it. I dunno, it just seems cheesy to me. And I don't do well with cheese :(. [I don't mean the delicious dairy product that tastes like a slice of heaven... no!]


The difficulty I had with the characters where the same as before. Mom's out of her flippin' mind. Those girls deserve better than her. The dad is a pathetic loser. I'm sorry, I have  no sympathy for selfish parents. But that's a hot button with me already... and Mari pushed the button! hehe. Rayne seems even more dramatic and illogical. She doesn't make good decisions, and she doesn't know how to be responsible for her bad decisions. She has that sense of entitlement sweating out of her pores. I think Jareth was my favorite. Magnus had a few cameos in the book,


There was a surprise at the end! I won't spoil it, but it is neat :D Oh, and it's not the very very end... it's the end of the trouble that was wrapped up nicely ;)


Should you read it?: I definitely think you should read Boys that Bite first! But in this instance, the sequel is better than the original. If you liked the first one, you'll love this one better. If you didn't like the first one... read this one anyway to give it another shot.

Would I read it again?: Probably not. Just because it's too short and it didn't leave a lasting impression on my mind. I was interested in the well being of the characters, but it was just too neatly wrapped I think. And the passion in there was lacking a bit.




Ratings:

1.Cover: +1

2. Hooked: +0

3. Finished the book: +1

4. Overall Feeling: Pos +1

5. Re-Readability: +0

6. Suggest to others: +1

7. Lost time: Nope +1

8. Readability:+0. 5

so it looks like this gets a 5.5 out of 10.

Others in series:

Boys That Bite

Stake That

Girls that Growl

Bad Blood

City Of Glass

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