Sunday Wrap-Up #39
This past week my mom and friend flew across the country to visit the Mr and me. We got to show them our new location near the beach and got to see sealions and dolphins from the pier. It was non-stop action the entire week so I wasn’t online the entire time. It was fun having them here but now it’s time to play catch up on the blog.
Last week on BSA:
…nothing…
This week on BSA:
Black Moon Draw by Lizzy Ford (Review & Giveaway)
Mason Jar Salads and More by Julia Mirabella (Review)
Handcuffed in Housewares by Nikki Duncan (Review)
Fierce by L.G. Kelso (Review)
Review: Nobody’s Angel by Kallypso Masters
Nobody’s Angel
(Rescue Me Saga, #1)
By: Kallypso Masters
Publisher: Self-Published
Published: Sept. 29, 2011
Genre: Erotica
Rating:
When Marc rescued Angelina from an abusive Dom at his fetish club, he never imagined she’d upend his safe, controlled life. But his SAR partner, Luke, a widower, thinks Angelina has been sent to him by his dead wife. Marc knows only he can fulfill her sexual needs, but won’t hurt his friend. When the abusive Dom stalks her, she turns to Marc for help and learns a submissive has power too.
I will admit that Marc wasn’t one of my favorite characters in the first book. Not that he’s a bad guy but his story just didn’t interest me. He has quite a bit of money thanks to his family’s business. He’s been burned by women that he planned to marry before and has since grown detached from wanting a permanent sub. Sure, he doesn’t mind the one night stands but he’s not up to trusting anyone ever again.
Since reading BDSM romance novels, Angela has been intrigued by it. So when her date takes her to Master at Arms “kink club”, she’s excited to see what all her books talk about. However, the night quickly turns for the worse and she finds herself tied up with an abusive Dom who refuses to heed to the safe-word. So needless to say, she’s not going to be going to anymore BDSM clubs.
Luke is a new character added to the scene. He’s the guy who makes the special furniture for the club. He’s also part of the Search and Rescue team with Marc. So, on one of their SAR missions, Luke is taken back to the place where he not only lost his wife but a SAR member years ago when hiking with his wife. He’s never forgiven himself for what happened that fatal day. If they’d been more cautious and payed attention to the signs, his wife would still be alive and he wouldn’t have the death of Antonio Giardano Sr. on his hands. So imagine his turmoil when he finds himself interested in Antonio’s daughter.
Once the story started, I thought it was interesting but I still couldn’t get on board with a few things that take place. Aside from that one night at the club where Angela was abused by her Dom and then saved by the dungeon master, Marc, she’s as vanilla as they come. So why when presented with Luke and Marc, she starts getting hot and heavy with both of them? Some times separately, or while in the same room sitting next to each other, or the three of them together?!
“She was putty in their hands now. If they wanted to worship at her alter, she wasn’t about to reject their offerings.”
I just didn’t understand how she made that leap when only knowing the guys for a few hours. I mean, she had no clue that Marc was the guy who saved her that night since he was wearing a mask. So it’s not even like she had that to go off of. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me.
Aside from that, I was excited to see glimpses of Adam and Karla in this book, since after all, Karla and Angela become friends in this book. Yup, I’m definitely glad that their story is next because I’ve been dying to read up on the Marine who saved the teenage runaway from the local pimps. HaHa
“Angel. She was nobody’s angel, but she liked when Luke called her that anyway.”
Previous reviews from Rescue Me
Masters at Arms
Excerpt: The Story of Fester Cat by Paul Magrs
The Story of Fester Cat
By: Paul Magrs
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Published: Nov. 4, 2014
Genre: Non-Fiction
From when he first ambled into Paul Magrs’s yard—skinny, covered in flea bites, and missing all but one and a half teeth—Fester knew he’d found his family. Paul and his partner, Jeremy, thought it was the ragged black-and-white stray, tired from a rough life on the streets, who was in desperate need of support. But clever Fester knew better. He understood that it was his newfound owners who needed the help.
Over the course of seven years, the feisty feline turned the quaint Manchester house into a loving home. Through his fierce spirit, strong will, and calming energy, Fester taught Paul and Jeremy how to listen and breathe, how to appreciate the joys of simply sitting and singing (what Fester’s purrs sounded like to his silly humans), and how to find joy and contentment in life, even when dealing with hardship.
This is the true story of an extraordinary little cat whose gentle charm and trusting soul turned two young men into a family.
His window is level with the top of his desk. The desk is a flat wooden table, with room for his laptop, a mugful of pens, and a small basket of notebooks. And there’s room enough for me to sit on. There are three basic desk positions for Fester Cat. First, there’s right in front of the laptop. I sit between Paul and his keyboard, pushing my face into his. I nudge him for attention. Somehow he snakes his arms around me and carries on typing, even as I’m kissing him. The warmth of the machine is wonderful.
Then there’s the more nonchalant positioning, on the right of the laptop. From here I can keep an eye on Paul, and lean over now and then to scratch my chin on the very corner of his computer screen. Sometimes I do this so well I leave some slobber on the glass, but he doesn’t mind.
Then—in some ways, best of all—I sit right in front of the window, with the whole of Chestnut Avenue spread before me. I have a magnificent view of the road in front of us and how it splits into two dead ends. Lots of traffic comes past here. Lots of kids in hoodies, school kids, mums with pushchairs, dodgy-looking blokes, and neighbours that I can recognise. Also, lots of cats. I watch them tracking about, hopping over walls, under gates, and brazenly down the middle of the road. Lots and lots of cats, not all of whom I recognise. And dogs and sometimes, late at night, foxes. I sit up, alert, riveted by the drama outside. To me it’s like the telly is to the boys, and I think they understand that.
Paul types away furiously for minutes and hours at a time. Then he stops abruptly. Then he does a bit more. Then he picks out a notebook and goes flipping through quickly, looking for something. Then he starts scribbling madly for page after page and then crossing things out. He uses pens that squeak against the page like baby mice. I can’t help myself hopping over and pushing my cold nose against his hand. If I really want his attention I go and sit on the pages of his notebook. If I think he’s been working too long and too hard and his attention is starting to fray, I go to interrupt him and I know it’s the right thing to do.
…
He talks to me at odd moments through the day. He takes it very seriously, knowing we’re having a proper conversation. Knowing I’m taking it all in. He tries out ideas on me.
“Spoiling you! Huh!” he says.
“Ungow,” I tell him. Surely it’s after twelve by now. Surely it’s almost time for lunch?
“You’re my first ever cat, Fester,” he tells me. “I’ve always wanted one. I always suspected that I might be a cat kind of person. But when I was a kid, Mam wouldn’t have one. She thought they were stinky, nasty things.”
“Ungow!”
“I know! And then, of course, as a student it was always about moving house each year and you couldn’t really have pets. Then it was about moving from city to city. And then me and Jeremy were living in different cities . . .
I like it when he tells me bits about their lives before I came along. I’m slowly building up a picture of who they both are. Paul uses far more words than Jeremy does, of course. He hardly ever shuts up. Only when he’s working or reading—and even then, it’s words, words, words passing through his mind.
“Really, I don’t even know the right way to carry on with a cat. I don’t know the right way to be.”
“Ungow.” I try telling him it’s fine. He doesn’t have to be any particular way. Just keep on doing his normal stuff. Cats don’t need entertaining or babysitting. If I wasn’t interested I’d be nowhere near you. I’d zip off somewhere and get on with something else. You’re okay. You sit quite still and you do some interesting stuff.
I especially like it when he goes off in one of his daydreams, between bouts of his tap-tapping at the keyboard. He stares into space out of the window just like a cat would. We sit there side by side, staring into the road, into other people’s windows, and into the sky.
Reprinted from The Story of Fester Cat by Paul Magrs by arrangement with Berkley, a member of Penguin Group (USA) LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, Copyright © 2014 by Paul Magrs.
Paul Magrs is the author of many books, written for all ages and in many different genres, but this is his first foray into memoir. He taught novel writing in the MA program in Creative Writing at UEA, and then at Manchester Metropolitan. Paul lives in Manchester, England, with his partner, Jeremy, and is now a full-time writer.
Website
Review: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones
Third Grave Dead Ahead
(Charley Davidson, #3)
By: Darynda Jones
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Published: January 1, 2012
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Rating:
Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she’s drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. How is she supposed to solve a missing persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil’s son just won’t give up?
Review: Echoes of Scotland Street by Samantha Young
Echoes of Scotland Street
(On Dublin Street, #5)
By: Samantha Young
Publisher: NAL
Published: Oct. 7, 2014
Genre: New Adult Romance
Rating:
Shannon MacLeod has always gone for the wrong type of man. After she drifted from one toxic relationship to the next, her last boyfriend gave her a wakeup call in the worst possible way. With her world shattered, she’s sworn off men—especially those of the bad-boy variety.
Cole Walker is exactly the sort that Shannon wants to avoid—gorgeous, tattooed, charming, and cocky. But his rough exterior hides a good man who’s ready to find “the one.” He’s determined to pull Shannon from her self-imposed solitude and win her heart.
As Shannon opens up in the face of Cole’s steady devotion, the passion between them ignites to blazing levels. But when Shannon’s past comes back to haunt her, her fears may destroy the trust Cole has built between them—and tear them apart for good…
Shannon has always been into the “bad-boy”. Not the bad-boy appearance but literally the kind of guy you don’t want to be in a relationship with. The ones that cheat on you, abuse you, hit you, she’s dated them all. So when she moves away to start her life over, she’s not too thrilled to have a boss who comes on to her at every corner. Sure they may have met once when they were kids but that is not enough reason to flirt with her at work. Not to mention that Shannon is convinced he’s just another bad-boy to add to her list. However, as she spends time with him and her co-workers, she is brought to the realization that looks can be deceiving.
I will admit that when I first started reading this story I felt a little left out. Every review I read gushed about Cole, but in the beginning of the story, he’s a little too much. I mean, right off the bat he’s flirting with Shannon. Sure, they may have met briefly when they were kids but surely that’s not enough reason to hit on your new employee. He crowded her at every turn and gave her “panty dropping” looks every chance he got. I was getting ready to throw in the towel when I realized that Cole was a character from the second book in the series. So I grabbed a copy of Down London Road and started reading that to familiarize myself with Cole. I will admit that after reading DLR I wasn’t so turned off by Cole anymore. I mean, he was still extremely unprofessional and it wasn’t okay or even remotely “sexy” but I felt like I knew the creep. So to those of you haven’t read DLR, I suggest it before going into this one.
I like that if you are a fan of the series, the author makes sure to bring back all of the characters and secondary characters from those stories. So it’s like a reunion in every book. I have not actually read every book in the series but after reading DLR I was familiar with who they were.
This was a great story that deals a lot with close knit friends and family. There was always some event or gathering taking place to where Cole and Shannon would be brought together. I liked that, for Shannon at least, the romance was slow building. It took her a long while to be able to trust Cole. She’d been burned a lot and was very cautious around guys. Considering the childhood that Cole had, I’m surprised he wasn’t a bit more stand-offish. He wasn’t reserved at all and I thought that a little odd given the abuse he endured from his mother.
I also found that this series seems to be a bit repetitive. Someone jumps to conclusions thinking the worst of the other. So that person backs off and distances themselves from said person. Only to have the other person realize they were wrong and then come graveling back for forgiveness. I’ve only read 3 books for the series but they’ve all followed that theme. I mean Shannon literally looked at EVERY male in this book and thought “player” “bad-boy”… mind you, one of them was gay, the others were happily married and Cole was well, Cole. I just wish there was something different in this story.
Don’t get me wrong, this was still an enjoyable read but you definitely wouldn’t want to go into these reading them back to back like I did with DLR and this one. I loved On Dublin Street but I don’t think I will be continuing with this series.
“That’s how people describe me. ‘Oh, Shannon, you look cute in that picture.’ et cetera. I suppose it’s better than ‘You look like you’ve been pulled through the bushes backwards,’ so I’m not complaining.”
Previous reviews from On Dublin Street
On Dublin Street
Down London Road
Review: The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter
The Darkest Passion
(Lords of the Underworld, #5)
By: Gena Showalter
Publisher: Mira
Published: May 21, 2010
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating:
For weeks, the immortal warrior Aeron has sensed an invisible female presence. An angel-demon-assassin has been sent to kill him. Or has she? Olivia claims she fell from the heavens, giving up immortality because she couldn’t bear to harm him. But trusting – and falling for – Olivia will endanger them all. So how has this mortal with the huge blue eyes already unleashed Aeron’s darkest passion?
With an enemy hot on his trail and his faithful demon companion determined to remove Olivia from his life, Aeron is trapped between duty and consuming desire. Worse still, a new executioner has been sent to do the job Olivia wouldn’t…
I will admit that Aeron was never really on my radar. Yes he had Legion, and was a little crazed with wrath but I just didn’t gravitate towards him in the previous books. However, this one grabbed my attention and didn’t let go until the very end.
Olivia who was once an angel of Joy but was recently hired to kill Aeron by her higher-ups decides to “fall” from the heavens. You see, when she was sent to kill him, she followed him around a lot and in doing so wound up developing feelings for him. So when she shows up at the fortress, bloody, emotionally beaten down and screaming out Aeron’s name, he immediately thinks that she is bait sent by the hunters. But he soon finds out that she is an angel, and not just any angel but THE angel that has been randomly popping in and she has turned her back on everything just for a chance to be with him. But their chance is short lived when they are given only 9 days. Nine days for Aeron to change Olivia’s mind and send her back to the heavens, nine days for Aeron to come to terms with what he has to do in order to not only save Legion’s life but the lives of his brethren as well.
Olivia is a very gentle character however she is strong willed and isn’t a pushover. So she was easily to relate to. When she fell, she went straight to hell and had to literally dig her way up through the earth to the surface. That will leave a lasting mark on anyone. So it was no surprise that she was terrified by all of the Lords except for her Aeron. Since they are demons, and demons are exactly what had just tortured her in hell. However, when she comes across a pissed off territorial Legion who is non too happy about the Angel trying to steal Aeron, Olivia asserts herself and doesn’t back down.
I had no idea that Aeron was so selfless. He was originally introduced as this guy possessed by his blood thirsty demon but you really start to see how he does everything he can to help ease the other Lords’ pain. He does a lot of things for the Lords and it is brought to the forefront in this book. Not only that, but both he and his demon have claimed Olivia as their mate. However, knowing that life on earth would constantly put her in danger, he tries to convince her to leave him and go back to heaven.
This story was great and I LOVED the addition of Scarlet and her introduction to Gideon (Lies). As well as a little inside look to Galen. Do I sense a story about him in the future? I know he is supposed to be the bad guy and all but the tiny glimpse you get definitely made me interested in him.
Olivia stumbles across Gideon in his room. She sits down and starts talking to him about everything that is bothering her.
G- “Oh and Olivia? In that position, I can’t see you’re panties.” clearly amused
O- “Do you like them?
He blinked in surprise, clearly having expected her to change positions.. “I hate them.”
“Really? Would you like them as a souvenir? Since I plan to take your advise and crawl into Aeron’s bed naked, I’m not going to need them anymore.”
Gideon laughed outright. “Nope. I wouldn’t. I would hate to have them as a souvenir. And not just because I’m sure Aeron will be thrilled to know I have his girlfriends panties.”
Previous reviews from the LOTU series
The Darkest Night
The Darkest Kiss
The Darkest Pleasure
The Darkest Whisper
Review: Cipher by Aileen Erin
Cipher
(The Shadow Ravens, #1)
By: Aileen Erin
Publisher: Ink Monster
Published: Oct. 14, 2014
Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Rating:
In the not-too-distant future, the color of your helix tattoo shows exactly how your DNA was modified—green for super-smart scientists, black for pumped-up warriors, white for the immortal Seligo—but Cipher’s red helix is a death sentence. It’s a sign of unstable DNA, which is probably the reason she can manipulate electricity.
When she was eight years old, Cipher made the mistake of showing her uncle the tattoo. In return, he killed her parents and tried to kidnap her.
She’s been on the run ever since, and twelve long years later, Cipher is tired of hiding. Survival isn’t enough anymore. She wants her life back.
Hacking into the Citadel mainframe is a huge risk, but it pays off when she finds a database on red helixes. Before she can copy it, she loses control of her power, charring her last processor, and the only person in the Arizona Voids that can get her back online is her oldest friend, Knightly. She hasn’t seen him in person since she started running, and Knight 2.0 is fully upgraded with a six-pack and knee-melting smile.
For a girl like Cipher, trust doesn’t come easily, but Knight makes her yearn for a life she knows she can’t have, especially when every secret she reveals endangers them both.
Cipher’s helix tattoo is red which means that since she was little, she’s been on the run. She’s learned a lot of tricks that have kept her alive over the years. But when a hacking job calls too much attention to herself she has to put her trust in a group of guys who are not only part of the military that hunts her kind, but they also share the same mysterious raven tattoo that Cipher has.
I thought this was going to be a sci-fi young adult story but it’s really more of a romance novel that’s set in the near future. There isn’t a lot that’s actually futuristic, aside for the whole helix tattoo thing. I was also a little disappointed that the romance overshadows everything. The story is in both Cipher and Knight’s POV. These two met when they were little kids and unknowingly kept in contact via online. Knight has been Cipher’s computer part supplier. Meanwhile, Knight has actually been looking for Cipher (aka Emma) because his secret mission is to save the red helix’s and he’s had a soft spot for his childhood friend throughout the years. So when they meet each other they instantly fall in love. I mean, we are like two days in and there’s talk about marriage. I don’t know. I was really thinking there would be more sci-fi but that was not the case.
If you are looking for a kick-ass sci-fi story, this is not it. I think those who would enjoy the story the most would be anyone who’s looking for a young adult romance. Unfortunately for me, when I picked this book up, I was looking for a kick-ass sci-fi story.
“Well, why don’t you shit in one hand and wish in the other. Let’s see which fills up faster.”
Review: Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Poison Study
(Study, #1)
By: Maria V. Snyder
Publisher: Mira
Published: Nov. 18, 2008
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating:
About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She’ll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace—and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.
And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly’s Dust—and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison.
As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can’t control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren’t so clear…
Yelena is charged with murder and is awaiting noose. When a guard comes and leads her to the chief of security’s office, she is expecting the end. What she doesn’t expect is for Valek to offer her a job instead. If she accepts his offer, she will be the food taster for the commander making sure that his food isn’t poisoned, and if it is identifying it in time so that Valek can find the culprit. For her “services” her life will be spared from the noose and she will live a rather comfortable life in comparison.
I really enjoyed this story and the magical world the the author has created. There are magician, spies and Valek… someone whom cannot be effected by magic. I liked the addition of the secondary characters and the author did a great job keeping them interactive throughout the duration of the story.
Another aspect of the story that I really enjoyed was the connection between Yelena and Valek. They don’t start off on good terms. In fact, he is very cold and distant to her. Which is understandable since she is someone who he pulled from deathrow only to be the food tester for the Commander. So her chance of survival is pretty low. As the story progresses though you start to notice Valek softening around Yelena but when he is around her he tries to maintain an uninterested demeanor. Their relationship was definitely a slow building interesting one. There is no insta-love. This was definitely an interesting story.
“Yelena, you’ve driven me crazy. You’ve caused me considerable trouble and I’ve contemplated ending your life twice since I’ve known you. But you’ve slipped under my skin, invaded my blood and seized my heart.” -Valek
