A Gaggle of Book Reviews

Mrs. Perfect is Jane Porter’s newest novel. If you read Odd Mom Out when it was released last fall, you will recognize several of the characters, as Mrs. Perfect is also set in a well-off Seattle neighborhood. If you didn’t have a chance to read it, the storyline in Odd Mom Out focused on Marta Zinsser, a newcomer who moved into the area as a single, working mother when the other moms in the area are well-dressed, wealthy, at-home moms with nannies. Taylor Young, the main character in Mrs. Perfect, is one of those “perfect” moms from Odd Mom Out, but now we learn the rest of the story – sometimes life isn’t as perfect as it looks. While both books can be read as stand-alone novels, I highly recommend reading both, and not just because Jane Porter’s novels are addicting; they are great reads.

Jane Porter has written more than 20 romance novels for Harlequin, and has written several wonderful chick lit novels for 5-Spot as well. Jane has taken incidents in her own life, and spun them into fiction that captures your attention and imagination, pulling you along for a fabulous ride. Jane’s writing skills help blur the line between romance and chick lit – her characters in her romance novels come alive just as much as her chick lit characters, and while she uses her memories of time spent traveling in her romances, she seems to put more of her self in her books for 5-Spot. Jane was nice enough to chat with us about the lines between fact and fiction in books today.

When Mrs. Perfect begins, we meet Taylor, and at first she is not a particularly endearing heroine; she has a nanny so she can volunteer, have drinks at the country club, and run everything the her way. Her mothering style for her three girls is not particularly hands-on, and her attitude towards other women is not particularly positive. At first, the reader wonders how we will become invested in the life of this character, her superficial nature is off-putting, and it’s hard to relate to a woman who thinks nothing of spending hundreds of dollars on a bra.

Jane Porter’s skill with characters makes the characters in Mrs. Perfect work, though. Once we peel back the superficial layers around Taylor, we learn about her history, the battles she fights within herself, and her judgemental nature about herself, which explains some of her judgemental attitude towards others. When a big financial crisis hits Taylor’s family, life changes, and Taylor is forced to rethink a big part of their lives.

Taylor Young is forced to deal with the questions every person wants to avoid. What is most important in your life? What is the worst thing that could happen to your family, and how could you cope with it? Are your friends the kind that will support you through a difficult time? When we see inside Taylor’s soul, as she has to rethink her life and her attitude, we start to think about our own lives and our own attitudes. The storyline and characters in Mrs. Perfect grip you, and you won’t be able to shake the book out of your head, even if it raises some uncomfortable questions about your own life.

I strongly recommend picking up Odd Mom Out and Mrs. Perfect. You may just want to pick up all of Jane Porter’s novels, too – or reserve them at the library! Jane doesn’t gloss over the dark parts in our lives, but she helps her characters get through those bad spots so that they come out better people at the end, people who deserve a happily ever after. This isn’t one of those dark novels that your book club might force you to read, but it will make you think about the state of your own life – can you get to “happily ever after” yourself? Enjoy Jane Porter’s perspective, and grab Mrs. Perfect as a lawn chair or beach read this spring or summer!

This book was received from the publisher for review

Megan Crane’s Names My Sisters Call Me is her newest chick lit novel. If for some reason you haven’t read Megan Crane’s novels, go do so, as she has written some fabulous novels you shouldn’t miss; they are engrossing and entertaining. With her most recent novel she revisits the theme of family dysfunction, but in Names My Sisters Call Me she focuses on the relationship between three sisters.

Courtney is our narrator and the youngest, newly engaged to Lucas, her boyfriend of three years, and at 28 still finding her own footing. Norah is 8 years older than Courtney, and embodies all the oldest child tendencies: bossy, controlling, goal-oriented, etc. Raine is the middle child, 6 years older than Courtney and 2 years younger than Norah. Courtney describes her as being the opposite of Norah, a free-spirited artistic soul, but one who “ruined” Norah’s wedding and drove off to California six years before our story begins. As an added bonus, Courtney’s first love, Matt, was also Raine’s best friend, and he drove out of her life with her sister. It’s no wonder that it’s taken years for everyone to recover. In a family where the father died decades previously, Norah has taken on a parental role, expressing her opinion on all of Courtney’s life choices.

When Courtney and Lucas become engaged, Courtney wants to have her middle sister at the wedding. After speaking with Raine, she speaks with Norah,

And when I hung up a moment later, awash in guilt and formless anger, i realized that I was destined to feel about thirteen years old no matter which side of the country I was on.
Apparently all it required was a conversation with one of my sisters

While I don’t have sisters, I can relate to the idea of feeling thirteen whenever you’re with family! Each of the characters goes beyond the sterotype, Norah is much more than the oldest, Raine is much more than the estranged wild child, and Courtney is much more than the youngest. The insecurities, the love, the guilt, and their spirits are all so unique, and create vivid characters with whom I felt an instant connection. Megan Crane has fabulous character development skills, which she utilizes to create characters real enough that you feel like you are joining them for their weekly Family Dinner.

I was interested in reading another one of Megan Crane’s novels, yet I was also drawn to Names My Sisters Call Me because I have three daughters. I grew up with brothers and boys, and wasn’t really prepared for the sisterly love/dislike relationship that waxes and wanes each day. I am hoping that our family is less dysfunctional than the Cassel family in Names My Sisters Call Me, and I also hope that I can show each of my daughters that I love each one individually, as Courtney’s mom has done. As much as there is a lot of sisterly rivalry, there’s also a lot of sisterly love and motherly love in Names My Sisters Call Me. One thing the mom did to show how much she understood each daughter is that when there was a celebration, she made 3 cakes, as each daughter had very different tastes! Now that’s a show of love!

As much as Names My Sisters Call Me is a chick lit novel about a woman, her fiancé, and her ex-boyfriend, it is also a beautiful novel about the many different faces and types of love. We see sisterly love, romantic love, parental love, and crushes, each with their own strengths and weaknesses.

Names My Sisters Call Me is a book you won’t quickly forget, and one you will want to share with your sisters and sisterly friends, though you’ll want to make sure you get it back! I loved this book by Megan Crane, it was the best book in the Chick Lit genre I’ve read in quite a while. Names My Sisters Call Me is definitely one book you should go pick up!

This book was received from the publisher for review

Blood Moon is an intense soon-to-be released novel by A. W. Gryphon. Blood Moon is Gryphon’s first book, and it is also the first novel in the planned Witches Moon Trilogy. As with several other books I’ve read recently, this one is hard to categorize. It deals with Wicca and Witchcraft, so it could be paranormal or urban fantasy, yetBlood Moon is also a mystery, and it could also fit as a women’s fiction novel as we uncover a woman’s childhood and the facts of her mother’s life. Regardless, this is a book that will capture your interest from the beginning, and it will be hard to put down before the story is complete.

Blood Moon begins with a preface which educates the reader about the practices of Wicca, and then spins into a “fairy tale” about “The One” who was descended from the High Priestess Maeve and High Priest Domhall, and who would inheirit an incredible set of powers on her 28th birthday, which coincided with a full Blood Moon (aka harvest moon). When Maeve gave birth to boy/girl twins during a Blood Moon, the witches had split into two factions: Maeve, her daughter, and the women forming the “good” witches; Domhall, his son, and the men forming the “bad” witches. There has been strife between the two factions in the hundreds of years since that occurred, as well as from The Organization, a faith-based group who wanted to eliminate all witches.

The introduction and first few chapters of Blood Moon help the reader become accostomed to the Wiccan life, introducing the tools and philosophies as well as the characters. Gryphon does an amazing job of describing a Wiccan ritual, she is both accurate and fascinating as she explains what went right and what happened that was horribly wrong. The storyline pulls us in quickly as we learn about the young and powerful witch Amelia, her family, and the possibility that she is “The One” who will inherit the power on her 28th birthday.

As Amelia’s life drifts out of her control, we follow her as she moves to England with her father, and while parts of her life are wonderful, including a beautiful romance, there are threads that start to pull her apart, leaving her without support. In Blood Moon, Gryphon deftly uses third person narration to switch perspective from one character to another. We can see inside Amelia’s head, understand her motivations, and cry with her as her life appears to fall apart. We can also see into the minds of her confidants and rivals, and begin to understand their motivations. Despite all that we learn about Amelia and the others, we don’t understand everything, Gryphon keeps us on the edge of our seats, eager to find out what will happen next.

At its heart, Blood Moon follows the life of a woman for 21 of her 28 years. We see her love for her family and her work, as well as her need for revenge after so much has gone wrong. I spent the last section of the book wondering which would win out, love or revenge. The love experienced by Amelia is the kind that inspires ballads, while the pain she endured is more than most of us could take. Amelia is an amazing character, and it took great skill to create a character so conflicted and yet so endearing.

Let yourself be pulled into the Wiccan world inside Blood Moon. It’s the type of book that you will long to read in one sitting, though you might need to take breaks for food and drink! This story gripped me, and several parts completely surprised me, I never saw parts of the mystery’s solution coming. I really enjoyed Blood Moon, and highly recommend picking it up when it’s released at the end of April! If you adored Kim Harrison’s newest Rachel Morgan novel, you’ll love Blood Moon! I can’t wait to see the next book in the Witches Moon trilogy!

I read an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC), which still needed some editing, I’ve noticed that other reviewers have focused on that issue, but I have been assured that the author was beside herself, and that the finished book will not have the editing issues. As a result, I chose to focus on the plot and characters rather than the editing issues. When I “bleeped” over editing issues, I adored the story. I definitely want to read the edited version, and I truly believe that anyone with an interest in women’s literature, art appreciation, Wicca, or Paranormal ideas will adore this book – and that’s an eclectic mix for sure!

If you’re impatiently awaiting the April 28 book launch, you can pre-order Blood Moon at Barnes & Noble, and then you’ll get it as soon as it’s released!

Have you ever read any books in the Urban Fantasy genre? Some mystery fans may be leery of reading paranormals or vampire books. However, there are some very intense mysteries published that are also paranormal/urban fantasy/vampire books as well. A Rush of Wings, by Adrian Phoenix is one of those hybrids, containing an intensely suspenseful mystery, vampires, as well as a touch of romance.

Unlike many urban fantasy novels, in A Rush of Wings, the world at large is not knowledgeable about vampires and other paranormal beings. With this one difference, the storyline’s very realistic feel becomes even more intense. FBI agent Heather Wallace is tracking the Cross Country Killer (CCK) when she arrives in New Orleans to see if a recent murder fits the CCK profile. Heather’s investigation brings her to the club next to where the body was dumped, Club Hell, owned by a mysterious young man named Dante. The elusive Dante is a member of the band Inferno, but doesn’t grant interviews or photographs, and mysteriously appears to have no last name, birth date, or social security number; the only links to his past are the 60 foster homes he lived in before reaching maturity. At first, Dante’s friends block Heather from meeting him, but soon she is conversing with the Cajun sweet-talker.

Heather quickly comes to the conclusion that Dante isn’t the CCK, but why are the most recent murders focused on his club, and why is the FBI trying to pull her away from New Orleans when that’s where she’s finding clues? Dante’s looks and personality pull people to him, his attachment to his friends and his compassion are just as close to the surface as his universal sex appeal. As A Rush of Wings continues we meet fallen angels, more of the Nightkind (aka vampires, who do not need to kill to feed, but can kill during feeding), and learn more about Dante and his headaches caused by his missing memories of the past. There are so many layers to each person, Heather is much more than an agent, Dante is much more than a vampire, and each layer is uncovered as the book takes flight.

While we are pulled into the lives of Heather and Dante, we also meet a mix of police officers, FBI agents, killers, and Nightkind. Adrian Phoenix has done a wonderful job with the characters. A Rush of Wings has a large cast, but it isn’t unwieldy, and the author’s talent for creating fleshed out characters makes it easier for the reader to remember everyone. There are also sub-plots mixed in with the murder mystery, everything is intertwined, and the suspense builds as we learn a tidbit here and a tidbit there.

At the beginning of A Rush of Wings, I was a little confused, as Adrian Phoenix drops us right into the lives of Heather and Dante, without much of an introduction to their worlds. However, I quickly started to piece things together, and I was learning about the characters, their worlds, and the mystery of the killings all at once. Many authors have used New Orleans as a setting for their vampire novels, so it has a familiar feel, but with a unique twist; the Cajun French interspersed with the English reinforces that connection. This is a book that keeps you anxious to turn the next page, and even when you know who the killer is, you are so fascinated learn why that you can’t put it down until the last words are read. Add in the growing relationship between Dante and Heather, and you really want to see what’s on the next page! A Rush of Wings is a book that is both plot and character driven, and with great characters and an incredibly intense plot, it’s a compelling read that deserves more attention!

If you enjoy murder mysteries, suspense, urban fantasy, and/or great vampire novels, you’ll really enjoy A Rush of Wings. Urban fantasy is rarely stocked on your library shelves, though, so if you want to try before you buy, you can read chapter one at the author’s website. Get ready to be carried away by the story, it will take you on quite an intense ride. After you’ve let A Rush of Wings fly you to another world, you’ll be eagerly anticipating the January ‘09 sequel, In the Blood!

This book was received from the publisher for review

The girls of the Gaggle of Girls love dogs. We have 2 dogs, both of whom are good with the kids, and one that loves playing fetch with tennis balls and frisbees. But yet they begged for a new dog and/or a puppy regularly. We check out breed books and research training techiques, but there’s nothing quite like a real puppy. Imagine the joy when I got a puppy for my birthday!

For those of you who also have dog and puppy-loving kids, weve found two great puppy/dog themed picture books that you’ll love. We love Amy E. Sklansky’s books, including The Duck who Played the kazoo, so we were thrilled to find From the Doghouse: Poems to Chew On. We’ve loved the Fancy Nancy books by Jane O’Connor (as well as her adult novel), so we were eager to read The Perfect Puppy for Me. Both books celebrate the joy of dogs and puppies in a unique way, and in a way that will enchant the adult reading the story as well as the listening kids.

From the Doghouse: Poems to Chew On is a collection of dog-themed poems by Amy E. Sklansky, and illustrated by a team of 4 beaders: Karla Firehammer, Karen Dismukes, Sandy Koeser, and Cathy McQuitty. Each page has a poem, often one that will make you grin. Each of the poems is beautifully illustrated by using small beads on fabric to create an image. The poems are in a variety of styles, which encourages the inner poet in children by making poetry so accessible. Each illustration took 40-120 hours, a lot of work, and with an end result that makes a huge impact!

One sweet poem is called “Into Your Loving Arms I Leap:

Into your loving arms I leap –
Please scratch between my ears.
I love the way you cuddle me
And ease my dogy fears.

The mix of sweet and funny poems plus bead-iful illustrations makes From the Doghouse a great read. Even if you’re leery of poetry, give this a try! Sklansky writes poems that are really enjoyable and accessible, this is a fun read for the adult as well as for the kids!

Jane O’Connor and Jessie Hartland teamed up to write The Perfect Puppy for Me, with Jessie Hartland also providing the illustrations. This book is about a boy who loves dogs as he looks at the dogs around him, trying to find the perfect dog/puppy for himself. (A warning to parents – the boy is getting a puppy for his birthday – be prepared with an answer about puppies and your own child’s birthday!) Each two-page spread is about one of the dogs the boy knows, each one highlighting a different breed. When looking at the dogs and breeds, you learn the pros and cons of each type of dog, and why a certain breed may or may not be the perfect dog for your family. (They don’t include the type of dog in our family, though – Australian Cattle Dogs.

My daughters were excited to learn the little tidbits of information and trivia on the pages, and found some of the listings very funny. For example, when talking about his friend’s basset hound, the boy says, “Here is what Poker likes to do: sleep, nap, snooze, rest”. The assessments of each dog breed seem very accurate, and my girls quickly realized that some breeds would be a better fit for our family than others. Now that we have a puppy, they are especially curious to know the answer to a question posed by the book, is there a dog tooth fairy? The combination of cute illustrations, real breed information, and a story where the boy gets a puppy at the end made this book a winner in our family!

If your kids love dogs and puppies, and you’re looking for picture books youll enjoy reading, pick up The Perfect Puppy for Me and From the Doghouse. If you get a new puppy, good luck! You might also want to pick up How to Talk to Your Dog, by Jean Craighead George and illustrated by Sue Truesdell, a good read that also has some really useful information, and is one of the best non-fiction puppy picture books I’ve seen. Go enjoy some puppy books with your favorite puppy lover!

Some authors use the same main character for all the books in a series. Other authors use one book’s minor character as the next book’s main character. It’s rare, though, to find a series where the first two books focus on the same character, yet the third book makes main characters out of people who were on the sidelines. Michelle Rowen manages that feat in her newly released book in the Immortality Bites series, Lady & the Vamp, which follows her hits Bitten & Smitten and Fanged & Fabulous.

Rowen’s vampires are brooding, romantic kind who do not need to kill to feed, and most of them live off donated blood, without much need for biting. Their feeding style makes these handsome vampires all the more appealing, especially as we start to enter tick season (ticks, the repulsive blood suckers). In Bitten & Smitten and Fanged & Fabulous, Rowen’s novels focused on new vampire Sarah Dearly, who was torn romantically between former vampire hunter turned vamp Michael Quinn and the mysterious 600+ year old vampire Thierry. When that situation was resolved in the end of Fanged & Fabulous, I wondered what would happen in the series – books that follow happy endings are often dull or create unnecessary strife between the couple for plot development. How many times do we really need to see the same two characters breaking up and getting back together? Now that Quinn is out of that romantic triangle, he is open pickings for being a main character, and for a woman who is ok with dating vampires who carry excess baggage.

In Lady & the Vamp, readers who are not already familiar with the emotionally tormented Quinn are brought up to date efficiently. Rowen fills them in on his history being raised as a vampire hunter, and now a new, reluctant vampire, as well as his relationship availability status. Quinn takes the “reluctant vamp” label to new levels – he’s out of town, so he doesn’t know where the closest vampire bar is located. Since he’s never bitten anyone and wants to keep it that way, he starts to become the first vampire anorexic I’ve ever seen! Fans will also remember Janie Parker as the bodyguard/assassin from Fanged & Fabulous, and the woman who grew up with a crush on Quinn. Rowen switches perspectives between Janie and Quinn, so we are quickly up-to-date on their lives without fans feeling overwhelmed by too many details.

When Janie and Quinn are brought together in Lady & the Vamp, they both search for a mysterious hidden object called the “Eye”, though for different purposes. Legend says that the Eye can be used once every thousand years to fulfill a wish, but there are mysteries in how to find it and how to properly use it. Quinn is wish for return to humanity, desperate to stop being a vampire. Janie, however, is tracking the Eye as a job for her boss, who requires contracts be signed in blood. Real blood, with very few out-clauses. As they search for the Eye, the stories of other characters from the Immortality Bites series are brought up to date, and we meet new characters and new life-and-death challenges. Quinn and Janie are vibrant characters who could’ve easily stolen the spotlight in the earlier books, so it isn’t hard for the reader to quickly become enamored of them, and eager to know what happens next. Even during suspenseful, mysterious segments of the book, Rowen’s humor shines through and some of the tension is eased.

If you loved Bitten & Smitten and Fanged & Fabulous, you will not be disappointed with Lady & the Vamp. Rowen has a great touch with her characters, both the major and minor characters are well-developed, with plenty of personality and quirks. Additionally, the storyline has plenty of twists and turns that squiggle into an unexpected direction. While we know in advance about the romantic ending, the how, why, and when is a surprise, as is uncovering the other relationships along the way. Lady & the Vamp far exceeded my expectations, and I had a very hard time putting it down in order to make dinner!

You’ll definitely want to pick up Lady & the Vamp, it’s a great read for “spring” that is masquerading as winter, and also for the beach when the snow melts! If you like romance, chick lit, paranormals, or a bit of suspense, you should definitely give the Immortality Bites series by Michelle Rowen a try! Grab the great vampire novels Bitten & Smitten and Fanged & Fabulous in addition to the new Lady & the Vamp!

Notorious is Michele Martinez’s newest suspense mystery novel. An intense mix of thriller, suspense, legal mystery, and some sexy bits, Notorious is a novel you should only pick up if you don’t have any pressing engagements. I recommend a nice cup of tea, a cozy chair, a fleece blanket, and a dog to warm your toes while you read about federal prosecutor Melanie Vargus’s latest case.

Whether you’re a long-time fan or a newcomer to Martinez’s writing, Notorious pull you into the plot within moments. I haven’t (yet) read the earlier books, and yet I felt completely caught up on the life of prosecutor Melanie Vargus and the threads that intertwine her with the other characters. Personally and professionally, Melanie has a lot going on in this novel. She’s working a very high profile case, the opposing counsel is a man she’s long admired and considered dating, there are links to drug lords and terrorism in her case, she’s still trying to get over her last relationship, and she’s trying to find more time in her schedule for her 2 year old daughter.

While the plot is what engages everyone in a mystery, sometimes with a large cast you can get lost, confused which character did what. In Notorious, Martinez has created a large cast, but she has written each character with depth and skill, so their personalities shine through quickly. Martinez uses the third person to help us get a feeling for each character, and get a peek into their minds. While that perspective can be used to keep the reader at a distance, in this case it makes us care for each character, and see why some of them have taken wrong turns. Martinez has an incredible skill for character, I felt as if I had known all of her charactes for years as soon as I “met” them. I’m now impatient to read their extended backstories in the other novels.

Have you started to feel that some of your former favorite mystery authors aren’t writing as well as they used to? Or perhaps you just need a fresh take on female characters and crime? If you’ve been disappointed recently by another mystery, don’t worry about this one. The pace of Notorious is fast, filled with drama in the courtroom, out-of-court investigations, and you’re on the edge of your seat, wracking your brain to try to figure out who dunnit and how they did it. Martinez weaves suspicion between several characters, with red herrings and coincidences conspiring to keep the reader guessing. She plays fair, though, there are dots you can check back on, no deus ex machina plot resolutions here! I will be reading Michele Martinez’s earlier novels as soon as I can, she has created plots and characters in Notorious that blew me away.

I’ve been chatting up Notorious to everyone I see since I read it, but I’m totally serious that if you haven’t read any of Michele Martinez’s novels, you’re missing out. If you’re familiar with her work, why haven’t you picked up her newest release? Go grab it now! While I strongly recommend checking out Notorious, you don’t have to take my word for it that Notorious is going to pull you in quickly; read the first two chapters of Notorious and see for yourself!

This book was received from the publisher for review