A Gaggle of Book Reviews

The Outlaw Demon Wails is the upcoming sixth book in the outstanding Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison. Rachel is a white witch who works with a living vampire and pixy as a type of paranormal bounty hunter. Harrison has created a parallel universe to ours where the Turn came in the late 60’s as humanity battled a bio-engineered tomato, and the paranormal species (weres, vampires, witches, elves, pixies) came “out of the closet”. Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks live in The Hollows, a neighborhood with a high Interlander population. They work helping protect Interlanders and humans from the bad guys, often assisting the I.S., but their techniques can be rather unorthodox, and are often misunderstood.

In The Hollows, there is very little black and white – no one is purely bad, and no one is purely good. Rachel’s main nemesis is a politician she has known since childhood – Trent Kalamack. However, Rachel has been forced to do some “bad” things, and sometimes Trent has done “good”; they are sometimes forced to work together, too. All of Harrison’s characters are so multi-dimensional it’s hard to put them into only one category. Reading her novels makes you feel as if you took a trip through to Rachel’s world; the descriptions are incredibly vivid, creating a strong mental image. Your mind holds tight to the illusion that you have been pulled into The Hollows, smelling the spells and coffee, and making it impossible to put down The Outlaw Demon Wails or any of its predecessors.

This chapter of Rachel’s life takes place a few months after the end of For a Few Demons More, during the time around Halloween. Al, a demon Rachel had bested, has found a way out of his jail, and is breaking demon laws by trying to kill Rachel, her family, and her friends – and they can’t all hide in her sanctified church home/office. Rachel needs to track down who is summoning Al, plus Rachel’s friend Ceri has a predicament that requires her help, there’s a new guy in town who’s interested in her, and there are a lot of surprises that pop up along the way.

Each of the sub-plots of The Outlaw Demon Wails is intertwined, bringing Rachel to an inevitable conclusion. This was originally planned to be the end of the series (but it’s not!), and it is the end of one segment of Rachel’s life. She is forced to accept things she never expected, and do things that are far outside of anyone’s comfort zone. It is, however, the beginning of a new life for Rachel, a time when she is growing up and realizing that her actions have consequences on the lives of her loved ones. The Outlaw Demon Wails is a very intense book, one that challenges the reader and the characters – I can’t count the number of times I was on the edge of my seat!

While I strongly recommend reading each of the Rachel Morgan novels, you could read The Outlaw Demon Wails as a compelling stand-alone book as well. Kim Harrison does a great job balancing background for a new reader or one who has forgotten aspects of earlier books without cluttering the book.

If you enjoyed her earlier books, you will love The Outlaw Demon Wails. If you were saddened by the ending of For a Few Demons More, you’ll enjoy the sense of closure in The Outlaw Demon Wails, and should also listen to this interview with Kim Harrison, and read the exclusive Kisten short story in the For a Few Demons More paperback. If you haven’t had a chance to read the other books by Kim Harrison, if you haven’t read much paranormal literature, and/or if you really enjoy mystery and suspense, you should pick up a copy of The Outlaw Demon Wails. I savored The Outlaw Demon Wails, knowing I would have a long wait until book 7. I look forward to rereading the whole series, picking up the early clues that later turn into important plot points. Kim Harrison spins a tale that catches you in its web, and you are caught in her world long after the novel ends.

This book was received from the publisher for review. Eos Books is celebrating a decade of publishing sci fi/fantasy. Check out the Eos blog and Eos Books for information, free ebooks, and previews as part of their celebration.

As much as I dislike the cold of winter, I am very happy that so many great paranormal authors had new releases in late-December and January – a great way to encourage folks to spend book store gift certificates quickly! The plus side to winter is that you can curl up under the covers with a book and pretend you’re hibernating. So go find a blanket and ignore the world while you read Any Way You Want It and Sucker Bet!

I have loved escaping to the worlds created by both of these authors. I am focusing on the new releases, but I highly recommend you check out the other books by Erin McCarthy and Kathy Love – they are all fun, engaging novels that will help you forget your problems (or pain) for a little while. Winter is a wonderful time to escape into a romance (especially great vampire romances!) enjoying the heat from the book! Sucker Bet and Any Way You Want It have been connected by a New Orleans group named The Impalers – what a great name for a vampire band!

Any Way You Want It is the newest novel by Kathy Love. Kathy has written two wonderful series, but this is an unrelated new book (and maybe a new series?) about a recently jilted woman from Washington DC and a lampir from New Orleans. Maggie works researching and authenticating pieces of classical music, and has pushed fun aside after her recent breakup. Her friends bring her to New Orleans, where an old composition fosters a link between her and Ren, a singer in a Bourbon St. band called The Impalers. Ren had been a court musician and composer in the 1700s, and now he’s a lampir – a vampire who feeds off energy rather than blood. He has been cursed by his mother, and exists in a world of singing cover songs and having one-night stands, afraid of love.

Kathy switches perspective frequently between Maggie and Ren, which fleshes out both characters, and leaves us with a little smile that we know more than they do. While we know that this novel is a romance, Kathy seems to take her cue from the characters, and lets them move slowly in the beginning. As they alternate between pushing away and pulling towards each other, you learn what is in their hearts and heads, and can feel the build up of emotions.

One of the things I liked best about her Young Brothers series was how truly unique each character was – no stereotype vampires, and the secondary characters aren’t cardboard cutouts, either. The characters in Any Way You Want It continue in that vein, and right now I could easily imagine walking into a club on Bourbon Street and watching The Impalers play, complete with Ren singing the wrong line because Maggie distracted him. Maggie and Ren develop as interesting people, and the unexpected similarities in their lives draws them together.

Kathy’s abilities to write steamy love scenes are very impressive – these words will absolutely keep you warm this winter! However, these are more than just sex, there’s the sensual and truly romantic involved, too. Kathy has also done a beautiful job of writing how sensual and loving little gestures can be, and explores how you can make someone feel safe after they’ve been hurt. I hadn’t read anything previously about the lampir, so I hope she will write further novels exploring them. I also want to learn more about the rest of the band…

Sucker Bet, by Erin McCarthy is the newest release in her Vegas Vampires series. Glenna is the sister of the Vampire Nation’s president, and ex-wife to the Vice President. She has appeared as a secondary character in the earlier novels, and I came into the story thinking of her as a gentle, protected woman who at the same time seemed older than the other vampires. This mix of naïvité and maturity fascinated me, and I’m so glad to see her as the heroine of her own novel.

Gwenna is trying to learn more about the people on a Vampire Slayers email list, and as a result ends up at a crime scene where police detective Nick is working. They both feel a connection, but deaths and exes keep them apart at first. As their lives move closer and closer to each other, Erin gives us glimpses into both of their heads, smoothly switching perspectives. Nick’s personality pops from the page, and his first impressions of Gwenna are very funny. In fact, I am happy to pick up one of Erin’s books, because I know that in addition to the romance there will be plenty of laughs!

The other characters from the Vegas Vampires series are also involved in the storyline, and well-written supportive characters helps the novel keep you engrossed. The Impalers that also appear in Any Way You Want It show up for a few concerts, and through a friend of Gwenna’s we meet the bassist, Dave. Gwenna’s mix of boldness and shyness make for a really interesting combination when she gets drunk at an Impalers concert with her sister-in-law and a friend – especially since she’s supposed to be gathering information for an investigation with Nick!

Erin McCarthy brings us through a developing romance, a jealous ex-husband, a murder investigation, and the world of vampires, and does it with fabulous characters who catch your interest from the beginning. This book kept me up well past my bedtime – I couldn’t put it down! While I think that the Sucker Bet is a great read on its own, it will be an even better if you read the first three books of the Vegas Vampires series.

If you like romances or vampires, or if you just want a few hours to escape the mundane world into a fun read with great characters, go pick up Sucker Bet and Any Way You Want It. Grab a fleece blanket and a cozy spot and enjoy the winter the right way – inside with books! You should also visit The Impalers‘ website, and read the free serial about lead guitarist Drake!

There are a growing number of vampire and paranormal books out there, and so many of them are wonderful. I’ve written reviews of several, read a lot more, and even have a category devoted to the genre. However, most paranormal novels that include romance have a strong male lead and a woman who makes compromises, but ends up changing him as much as he changes her. A lot of people who read of these stories think that the women are weak. I disagree, but yet look for great paranormal novels where the woman is a strong lead without an immediate romance (I’m not knocking romance, though!). Anyone who agrees with me should definitely check out Jennifer Rardin’s Jaz Parks series!

In Once Bitten, Twice Shy (Jaz Parks, #1), we meet Jaz Parks. Jaz is an assassin who works as a partner/assistant to the government’s chief assassin, a vampire named Vayl who is over 250 years old. In this world, vampires and others are known to exist. Vamps and others are both law-abiding and not – Jaz and Vayl are one of the teams sent to deal with the non-law-abiding set. Jaz is dealing with some major emotional trauma after her boyfriend and previous team were slaughtered, and only she and her brother survived, her best friend and sister-in-law was one of the casualties. As a result of that event, she and her brother aren’t on speaking terms. Her sister is living a decidedly non-CIA life and is happily pregnant, while her dad is retired and bored, pestering anyone around him. Is it any wonder Jaz throws herself into her work?

Vayl and Jaz are assigned to assassinate a top Miami plastic surgeon with ties to terrorist organizations in Once Bitten, Twice Shy. Of course, things are always more complicated than you first expect! Jaz is a “Sensitive”, which means she can smell vampires and identify others. This comes in very handy when the Miami plastic surgeon is discovered to be connected to paranormals in addition to the terrorists. The ensuing story is filled with twists and turns that aren’t expected – the connections between individuals, and the rationale behind them are also surprising. The mystery alone will keep you reading, even if you aren’t a big fan of paranormals!

Jaz is a strong character, and while she develops a crush on her vampire partner, she is first and foremost a CIA employee and assassin. Sure, she gets trapped on the top of a building with her partner’s late wife (can you say awkward?), but she maintains her strength of character throughout. It was heartening to see such a strong character as Jaz break down in tears, or be sidelined for a bit due to an injury – we need strong female role models, but they can’t be infallible! Jaz feels so real, a very multi-faceted character with strong secondary characters to back her up.

Vayl, and Jennifer Rardin’s other vampires require absolutely no sunlight. They also require blood, but do not have to kill or turn their “donors”. They are difficult to kill, but a stake (or other wood) through the heart or beheading will work. Vayl himself is claustrophobic (so he has a tent over his bed rather than a coffin), and a very private man. He has picked Jaz to be his partner to help her develop her Gifts as a Sensitive, as well as for other reasons we will uncover. He is an enigma who manages to make toes curl with just a brush of his hand against Jaz’s cheek. It is a nice change to see a series in which there are both “good” and “bad” vampires, rather than a fully romanticized version of the paranormal world.

I loved Once Bitten, Twice Shy so much that I was thrilled I had Another One Bites the Dust (Jaz Parks #2) on hand to read immediately. I highly recommend ordering both books – once you’ve started reading about Jaz and Vayl, you won’t want to stop! The end of Once Bitten, Twice Shy has an interview with Jaz – I strongly suggest reading that as well, it’s a lot of fun!

Another One Bites the Dust adds some of the secondary characters from Once Bitten, Twice Shy to Jaz and Vayl’s team. These characters had been brought to life in book 1, and are now fleshed out even more – Jennifer Rardin’s writing helps me play out the story in my mind’s eye. I can clearly visualize Jaz, Vayl, Cole, Cassandra, and Bergman in their RV as they set up as a sideshow at the Corpus Christi Winter festival as a cover for rescuing some unique biotechnology stolen by a power-hungry vampire. Picturing Jaz, the CIA assassin and Black Belt as a belly-dancer makes me giggle. Especially when I read her descriptions of all the places she hides weapons in her costume! (We don’t need to mention how much I’d like to be in Corpus Christi in the winter…)

Another One Bites the Dust delves further into each character, and we watch Jaz begin to heal from the earlier events in her life. Jaz’s initiative, strength, and her sense of teamwork make her a character whose story I really enjoy following. The world of Jaz Parks feels so real, as if Jennifer Rardin had been a fly on the wall as these adventures took place. Jaz’s story is told in the first person, by Jaz, so we see into her thoughts and know only what she knows. Thankfully, she’s very clever, and the insights are not made exclusively by her male counterparts. By the end of Another One Bites the Dust, I’m anxiously awaiting a romance, and can feel the sexual tension in the book. It’s so great to read novels by an author who takes things slow and deals with Jaz’s recovery from her trauma as well as her feelings for her partner. Jaz’s father also returns, and is seen in a different light, helping Jaz heal.

Once Bitten, Twice Shy was listed as one of the Top 13 Books of 2007 by SciFi Chick!

I’m really looking forward to the February release of Biting the Bullet (Jaz Parks #3) and the following release of Bitten to Death (Jaz Parks #4)! I’m really curious what will come next for Jaz, Vayl, and their friends – and if romance is in the offing!

Check out my review of book 3 – Biting the Bullet 

These books were received from the publisher for review.

Kitty and the Silver Bullet is the newly released fourth werewolf mystery by Carrie Vaughn. Have you read the first 3 books of the Kitty Norville series by Carrie Vaughn? If you somehow missed them, go pick them up, and then read the newest release! These books have a wonderful mix of humor (a werewolf named Kitty?), romance, suspense, paranormal creatures, and the realities of the mundane world. If you aren’t one of those people who must read all books in exact order (ahem), each Kitty Norville book is a great stand-alone novel and will fill you in on the prior happenings without boring readers who have been following the series.

The basic concept of the series is that Kitty Norville is the first publicly “outed” werewolf. She creates a supernatural call-in show in her first book Kitty and the Midnight Hour, and in doing so has to leave her Pack in Denver. Kitty moves from city to city with her weekly radio show, and is summoned to Washington DC to testify in front of Congress about werewolves and vampires in book two – Kitty Goes to Washington. In book three Kitty takes a vacation from her radio show to write a book and hang out with nature (a la Walden). Things don’t go exactly according to plan, and she ends up with a supernatural mystery, a romance, her own small Pack, and proof of the adage that “you need a vacation after your vacation” in Kitty Takes a Holiday.

In Kitty and the Silver Bullet (Kitty Norville, Book 4), Kitty’s mother is ill, and she needs to return to her home, Denver. When Kitty left Denver, it was not entirely her idea – if she wanted to leave the Pack, she to leave the area, just like someone leaving an abusive spouse. In fact, Kitty gets involved in Pack politics again when a new werewolf comes to her for help escaping the clutches of Carl and Meg (the dysfunctional and abusive Denver Pack alphas), and things don’t end well. Kitty is determined to right the wrongs that she feels she should have prevented, and gets sucked into the world of paranormal politics.

We have gotten peeks into werewolf and vampire politics in earlier books, and it isn’t all that different from human politics – other than the amount of death involved. Opponents aren’t just beaten, they are permanently removed. In Kitty and the Silver Bullet, we delve deep into the politics and intrigue that is under the polite veneer of the paranormal world. Kitty finds herself challenging her former Pack leaders in an attempt to stabilize the paranormal community in Denver. At first, though, the world becomes completely unstable, and Kitty has to protect her small new Pack, as well as her biological family.

Carrie Vaughn has created a world in which the paranormal community is beginning to interact openly with the mundane world. Vampires and weres are known to exist, and while some people are superstitious or antagonistic, a lot of people are accepting. Each of the characters – even characters you only see a few times – come to life in such a way that you wonder for a moment if Carrie has become a ghostwriter for a real werewolf…

I really like the way Carrie mixes the paranormal with the mundane. Kitty may be a werewolf, but she still has jealous feelings of her sister’s life – married with 2 kids. Her mother is still nosy, and asks polite questions about her daughter’s full moon nights as if Kitty had joined some type of club. Kitty has the reality of needing the income from her radio show, and maintaining a good face for the public. There are problems as Kitty has to balance the paranormal and the mundane, which makes the characters and story Carrie has written come to life even more.

I’ve read many other werewolf books, and each one accepts and rejects different parts of the mythology surrounding weres. This series continues the sense of reality by not idealizing the paranormals. Carrie’s lycanthropes can’t tolerate silver, are very sexual creatures, are very loyal to their Pack, only have vague memories of what the wolf does, and can change at times other than the full moon (but they must change on that night). In the previous books in the Kitty series, she had explored more of her sexual side, but in Kitty and the Silver Bullet, she has found a mate. We wonder, along with Kitty, if this mating is on the human side as well, or if it is just for the good of the Pack… Carrie had foreshadowed this pairing starting from the first book, but the build-up was so slow that I didn’t expect the relationship, even though it felt right.

Kitty’s world, as created by Carrie, is fascinating. Each mystery has twists and turns that even a chronic mystery-reader can’t predict. The stories are engrossing, and it is easy to become so involved in the novel that you forget to eat! Carrie’s weres and vampires aren’t perfect beings- this isn’t an idealized view of the paranormal world. This world is made all the more real because there are pluses and negatives to everything – you can’t get sick as a werewolf, but you can’t maintain a pregnancy, either. The novels are filled with tough choices, and moral ambiguities, all of which contributes to how real it feels. Each character plays an integral part, and they all help develop both the plot and each other’s personalities. It is amazing how surprised you can be by a character, only to look back in the story and see where the path started towards that event. Carrie’s sense of foreshadowing and hidden clues to the mystery is incredible.

I highly recommend Kitty and the Silver Bullet, as well as the rest of the Kitty series to anyone with an interest in mysteries, suspense, werewolves, or just a good, engrossing read. If you haven’t read a werewolf or paranormal book yet, this series is a good place to start, because of the verisimilitude. Give it a try – you’ll end up reading the rest of the series, and then looking for more good paranormal reads!

If you’re still wavering on whether to read Kitty and the Silver Bullet, check out the great storyline and Carrie’s gripping writing in chapter 1 of Kitty and the Silver Bullet, posted as an entry in Carrie’s blog! Excerpts are tricky, though – I just read the excerpt in the back of Kitty and the Silver Bullet, and now I don’t want to wait until Fall 2008 for the next book!

This book was received from the publisher for review, but I bought the first three books myself.

The Third Eye, by Mahtab Narsimhan is a beautiful story that intertwines village life, religion, and magic in India. The young adult genre is filled with books that fit into specific niches, and I wasn’t quite sure where The Third Eye would fit – its description of Hindu Gods, fantasy, and rural Indian village life seemed very unusual.

Once I opened The Third Eye, I didn’t care what niche it fit, I just cared what happened next! There is really no way to do justice to such a unique, beautiful, intense, and mysterious novel except to strongly suggest that you read it. Mahtab Narsimhan has created a world of wonderful characters who leap off the pages. In her Acknowledgments, she thanks her son and his group of book-loving friends for reading her book – if it could pass muster with a group of adolescent boys, it has already passed the most impressive impressive test!

The Third Eye starts as a man from a village named Morni is trying to escape something that is chasing him in the forest outside the village. He doesn’t make it back to the village alive, and his body is deformed by whatever had hidden in the shadows.

In Morni, there is a lot of uncertainty – they lost their healer a year ago, along with his daughter, who left her two children. Tara and Suraj are left with their father, who is now a very different, quiet man who doesn’t say anything when his new wife Kali mistreats his children. Tara is an older sister very devoted to her family, and makes sure she takes care of the house, her step-mother, and spoiled step-sister so that she will be able to keep her brother from being beaten or losing a meal.

During the New Year celebration of Diwali, Tara and Suraj sit on the edges of the excitement, watching the villagers. A new healer arrives named Zarku, and while he seems to be able to know what is in the hearts and minds of the villagers, he makes Tara and Suraj very uncomfortable. Tara feels that Zarku’s black eyes are evil – all three of them. His third eye is what gives him his evil powers, and through those powers he can control more and more of the village. The number of signs that something is wrong in the village increase as time passes – men who disagree with the healer go missing, there are rumors of Vetalas (ghosts) wandering the forests, and life gets wore for Tara and Suraj.

Tara and Suraj leave the village on a quest to find their mother and grandfather, the powerful healer, so they can help the villagers. As they journey through the forests and around villages they have many challenges, several of which would make adults turn back. Tara does not give up, she prays to Ganesh, and finds help. She bargains with Yuma, the lord of death, as she faces one hurdle after another. Will Tara gain the courage and self-confidence to help herself?

I love novels with female lead characters, especially novels aimed at the young adult fantasy set. Like Max in Maximum Ride, Tara has put the burden of caring for others on her own shoulders, and she pulls on her own inner strengths to overcome challenges – even when she thinks the challenge is too great. The Third Eye shows women and girls in varying levels of power – heading a household, healing illnesses, helping others, and yet also shows the old custom of Sati, pushing a young widow toward her husband’s funeral pyre.

The Third Eye is a beautifully written look at rural life and mystical powers, and should appeal to most tween/young adult readers. There are several scenes which might be too intense and violent for younger tweens, however – I would suggest it for ages 12+ at least. I am going to hang on to my copy for a couple years so that my daughters can read such an inspiring story of a teenage girl’s courage as she tries to save her family and her village from evil.

I highly recommend The Third Eye for anyone with an eye for adventure. Add in mysticism, and magic, mix with the world of rural India, and you have a novel even adults can’t put down!

This book was received from the publisher, The Dundurn Group for review

In the winter, there’s a sure-fire way to warm up: grab a couple of quilts and a romance novel. Trust me – you’ll be warm in no time! But which novel to choose? I just finished two great ones – the historical romance Laird of the Mist, by Paula Quinn and the vampire romance Lord of the Night by Robin T. Popp. The main characters have each written letters to readers of the other books, tying these two books together. I started reading romances after cutting my teeth with vampire and supernatural novels, which referred me to vampire romances, which then led me to historical romances. If you’ve enjoyed chick lit books, don’t dismiss these novels because they are romances – you’ll enjoy a well-written romance, with or without fangs.

There are formulas used in all romances – but even given that romances follow a formula, there are books where a touch of the unexpected takes the book from formulaic to engrossing. With the number of romantic novels I’ve read, you would think that I would have seen all the possible story lines, but no – both of these novels have that unexpected twist. In Lord of the Night, Erik Winslow is a vampire who trains the decedents of his brother how to become vampire slayers. In Laird of the Mist, Callum MacGregor is a Scottish Laird whose clan has been proscribed – they can’t own land nor speak or use their given surname. Each of these Lords is really a lord with naught but a castle. Callum and Erik are both dark heroes who really need someone to lighten them up a bit – but what will help them change?

Lord of the Night is book four of Robin T. Popp’s Night Slayer series. I am sure that reading the rest of the series would help you understand the background from the beginning, but I read and enjoyed Lord of the Night without having read the first three books. Popp gives the reader the background you would have gained from reading the first three novels, and yet she does it in a way that feels natural, rather than by rote. The Night Slayer series also introduced me to a new world of vampires – Robin Popp has a mix of good and bad vampires as well as vampire slayers all coexisting in a way I haven’t seen before.

Erik Wilson is a Prime, a vampire created when a chupacabra bit and killed him four hundred years ago. As a prime, he was able to retain his personality, and when his brother Angus was bitten by a chupacabra but not killed, they worked to protect their family and town from progeny (vampires created by other vampires – mindless killing machines) and bad Primes. Erik has continued to train his brother’s descendants, but twenty years ago, a small army of progeny attacked his home, killing most of his remaining family, leaving only his nephew Gerard, Gerard’s young daughter, and the young daughter of a good friend.

Kacie Renault was one of those young girls, and she grew up learning to fight vampires, taught by Gerard and Erik. She has become estranged from Gerard, who had adopted her after her parents were killed, and her hatred of vampires includes Erik. When one of Erik’s friends since childhood, a Prime named Sedrik, is killed, Kacie is thought to have been the vampire slayer who killed him. Erik’s other two friends (Ty and Michael) were Sedrik’s brothers, and now he is caught between a woman he has vowed to protect and his friends of four hundred years.

Lord of the Night continues with secrets, warring loyalties, and a budding romance fighting for center stage. Is Kacie’s attraction to Erik strong enough to protect him, or will her hatred of vampires harm him? How will Erik choose between his friends and Kacie, or will they relent? Unexpected twists happen everywhere – who is betraying Erik’s confidences? What is Erik hiding in his lower level of the castle? What secrets will be revealed from Kacie’s short life and Erik’s long one?

Popp keeps us on our toes throughout Lord of the Night, as we plumb the depths of the small town of Hocksley, England. There’s a psychic link between vampires created by the same chupacabra, which helps us connect quickly with Erik’s friends. Michael and Ty manage to be mysterious, yet well fleshed-out characters. They want to avenge the death of their brother, so there isn’t much interaction between the friends once Erik starts protecting Kacie. We look into the past and get a peek at the world from their point of view – there aren’t any wooden secondary characters.

And oh-my-gosh how hot can the romance get? Popp can definitely write scenes that will have you fanning yourself, and you won’t be able to to put the book down. She takes things slow, especially because Kacie is involved with someone when she arrives. The waiting creates a simmering tension between the characters that is fun to watch, and very enjoyable when it bursts into flame! I’m not sure I’d recommend reading this in a doctor’s waiting room – I ended up blushing furiously a few times when I did that. However, the storyline and romance kept my mind off any pain or nerves because of the doctor!

Laird of the Mist is Paula Quinn’s fourth historical romance. While I’ve only read a few other historical romances, her writing captured my attention and I look forward to reading Paula Quinn’s other books. Quinn has set her story in the Scottish Highlands in the seventeenth century, and it’s clear that she has researched the beautiful scenery, the regional dialects, as well as the history. The Clan MacGregor really was proscribed during that time period, though it’s unlikely that the events in Laird of the Mist actually happened.

The two main characters are pitted against each other from the start. Kate Campbell is a lady who has been taught by her brother and guardians how to fight after her parents were killed by the MacGregors. Her much-disliked uncle took her brother to is castle for training, and has now come back to take her home with him. While he is there, a raiding party from the hills arrives, her uncle’s guard engages them in battle, and the fighting becomes fierce. Kate begins to fear for her life when a handsome man in MacGregor plaid rescues her. The MacGregors and the Campbells have been feuding for generations, and the MacGregors are looking for Kate’s uncle, who disappeared either before or during the fighting.

Callum MacGregor is instantly attracted to Kate, but he knows that he can’t get involved with her because of the feud between their families. Instead he “captures” her to hold for ransom – he will release Kate to her family once he has been given the opportunity to fight her uncle. Because the clan is proscribed, Callum and his men must return to their safe haven (the Mist of Laird of the Mist) as quickly as possible, so they ride despite their injuries. Kate’s satus as a captive and her injuries require her to ride with Callum, his arm holding her to him. Neither one seems particularly upset by this turn of events, though they are both quick to deny it!

As Laird of the Mist continues, we learn more about why Callum is called “The Devil”, what transpired between the MacGregors and the Campbells, and about the lives of the MacGregors on their misty island. There’s a dance between Kate and Callum, how can they remain true to their family while falling in love with their enemy? Quinn changes perspectives, as well – showing us what is happening with Kate’s brother and uncle as they ride to rescue her – this leads the reader to question who is good and who is evil, and when is killing necessary?

I shouldn’t neglect the romance part of a review of a romance, should I? After I tried to write romance scenes, I developed a strong admiration for anyone who can write them, especially those who can write them well. Quinn writes romance scenes that are steamy without crossing the line into p0rn0graphic. She uses vivid descriptions that may make your toes curl, but you won’t be feeling the wind-chill! As with Lord of the Night, I don’t recommend reading Laird of the Mist in waiting rooms, though it is very distracting!

I loved meeting all the MacGregors – Quinn does a wonderful job creating fleshed-out secondary characters, all of whom create vivid mental pictures, and speak in a unique voice. Once you, too, have fallen for the MacGregor clan, you’ll be happy to know that Paula Quinn has a second book about the clan coming out in August, 2008 – A Highlander Never Surrenders. It’s not even available for Amazon pre-order right now, but keep your eyes on her news page for updates.

When we open a romance novel, we are expecting a happy ending. We know from the beginning that Erik and Kacie’s story will end happily in Lord of the Night and Callum and Kate will find happiness in Laird of the Mist, the paths they travel are filled with ups, downs, and surprises. Go pick up these two romances and find out what happens in the middle of the books!

These novels were received from the publisher for review.

I had to go to the ER recently. I had just finished a great book, so I grabbed what looked like a good book from my library stack. I wanted one I had received in large print, as it makes it easier to read when I’m in pain. In my mind, any book (or series of books) that can take your mind off shortness of breath, pain, and an ER visit is worth a review!

Julie Kenner has written other bestselling books, but the Demon series (Carpe Demon and California Demon, plus the newest Demons Are Forever) stands out as spectacular. In this series you have a mother who at first seems to be completely normal – she has a husband, a teenager, a toddler, and all the joys and problems that go with those. And then you find out she has a past as a Demon Hunter trained by the Vatican! Unlike most books, she is written to truly interact with her kids, who are actually written as normal children. The people seem real, and Kate’s dilemmas about Demon Hunting include her angst about putting her toddler in day care – it’s a welcome change from the many books where the kids are magically cared for in the background while the mom is the center of attention. These kids get their fair share of mom’s time. The depth of emotion behind the character of Kate is also unusual. Her first husband (and Demon Hunting partner) died, and she is now married to a wonderful man – but she and her daughter cannot forget their love for her first husband.

Carpe Demon introduces us to Kate, teenage daughter Allie, late husband Eric, second husband Stuart, toddler son Tim, and best friend Laura. We learn of her history as a Demon Hunter raised in the Vatican as an orphan. We watch her dilemma between keeping her family together (and her son out of day care) and saving her town from Demons. This is a page turner of the best kind! Julie Kenner builds her characters into people we want to go have coffee with – all the major characters have depth, and the twists she builds into the plot aren’t what you expect.

California Demon picks up a few months after the first book left off. The theme of the book is secrets – the secret Kate is keeping from her husband, the secrets Kate and her daughter find out her first husband was keeping from her, the problems in her best friend’s marriage, and others. The story is gripping, yet has some wonderful funny parts. Plus the parts that make you teary – Kate’s love for her late husband, as well as her daughter’s love for her late father are superbly written. As with Carpe Demon, the characters are all incredibly well fleshed out and real. The twists and turns of the plot keep you fascinated, and then surprised. I am left wondering if the author knows something about the world that we don’t know… are there really Demon Hunters and Demons out there?

I have one nit-picky problem – the subtitles of all 3 books is “The Secret Life of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom”. And yet no one plays soccer. I understand that “soccer mom” is used to describe stay-at-home moms in suburbia, especially those with minivans, but still. It’s one of my pet peeves. But that’s really my only problem with the books.

When Demons Are Forever was released, it definitely lived up to the wait – check out the series!