Blameless by Gail Carriger

Blameless
(The Parasol Protectorate Book #3)
by Gail Carriger

Genre:  Paranormal Romance | Fantasy | Historical

Quitting her husband's house and moving back in with her horrible family, Lady Maccon becomes the scandal of the London season. Queen Victoria dismisses her from the Shadow Council, and the only person who can explain anything, Lord Akeldama, unexpectedly leaves town. To top it all off, Alexia is attacked by homicidal mechanical ladybugs, indicating, as only ladybugs can, the fact that all of London's vampires are now very much interested in seeing Alexia quite thoroughly dead. While Lord Maccon elects to get progressively more inebriated and Professor Lyall desperately tries to hold the Woolsey werewolf pack together, Alexia flees England for Italy in search of the mysterious Templars. Only they know enough about the preternatural to explain her increasingly inconvenient condition, but they may be worse than the vampires -- and they're armed with pesto.

Finding herself pregnant, without a husband by her side (Lord Maccon), without a  loyal friend near by (Lord Akeldama), and stuck within her horrendous family home again with the whole society of London ruthlessly gossiping behind her back ... Alexia almost welcomes the international adventure that occurs during Blameless.  She's on a mission to discovery the secret the vampire cults are keeping in regards to her "infant-inconvenience" destiny, while dodging death treats, imprisonment, and unexpected surprises.

If you read the series, you know they're a nice change from almost everything else out there.  Very Victorian, very scientific, and very high-brow.  Yet, it was almost too much for my taste this time.  I wanted more romance and got robotic lady bugs.  Not enough comical relief and too much Madame Lefoux.  I'm not a fan of MANY of the side characters throughout this series, thus if I get an overload of them ... I don't enjoy the story overall.  Thus, that was the problem with Blameless for me.  I couldn't connect with Alexia anywhere throughout the tale and felt the whole book was written as a rat race without a finish line.  When the ending finally does arrive, it's like BAM only four ages left.  Whaaaat?  I didn't know if I wanted more or to just be happy it was over.  Sad, but true!

Likes:  Alexia making deals with her "infant-inconvenience" to become more motherly.

Dislikes:  Lord Maccon's stubbornness didn't make him a very likable character.

Rating:

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Highland Outlaw by Monica McCarty

Highland Outlaw  
(The Campbell Trilogy Book #2)
by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Patrick MacGregor is a hunted man living on the edge. With his land stolen and clan outlawed, Patrick and his MacGregor clansmen have been forced into hiding—blame for which Patrick puts squarely on the shoulders of the hated Campbells. Patrick will stop at nothing to save his clan from destruction, and marriage to Elizabeth Campbell, whose quiet beauty he’d admired from afar, just might be the answer. Arranging an attack seems to be the perfect means to win the trust of the protected lass, but soon Patrick realizes that it isn’t just his life at stake if she discovers the truth of his identity, but something he’d thought lost long ago—his heart.

Elizabeth Campbell has never done anything reckless in her life. Shy and dutiful, Lizzie has always tried to do the right thing—even suffering through the humiliation of two broken engagements without complaint. But behind the serious façade is a passionate woman fighting to get out. So when a handsome mysterious warrior rescues her from an attack, Lizzie boldly asks him to stay. Seduced by his kiss and mesmerized by the edge of danger that surrounds him, Lizzie succumbs to the promise beckoning from behind his shadowed gaze, believing she’s found the perfect man. But soon Lizzie wonders whether in risking her heart, she’s lost everything.

Elizabeth Campbell, who has always secretly dreamed of having a large family, hasn't had the best of luck with her arranged marriages and unfortunately, her last one damaged her more than she would have liked.  Patrick MacGregor, the chief of his broken clan, is struggling to reclaim what his family had fatally stolen away.  Yet, Patrick is now falling for the enemy while working on a plan to gain lost property by hiding his true identity.  When all is revealed, will both Elizabeth and Patrick find something they've both been desiring?

I find I'm reading this series backwards and I'm loving it.  Book #3 was a nice surprise and Book #2 was even better!!! I loved how vulnerable Elizabeth came off.  She's emotionally hurt, yet remains strong in character for her family.  When she was betrayed by her third betrothed, Patrick (while on a secret mission of his own) was the only one to come to her rescue.  Years later, he does that again and he really only wants what is best for Lizzie, even if that goes against his clans wishes.  Patrick also shares the vulnerability characteristic since he has had a damaged past.  While known family enemies, both blend perfectly together. 

I love my male protagonists nice and hunky, but adding a little weakness really makes me smile.  I enjoyed how Patrick doubted his actions while "courting" Elizabeth and how they both shared the knowledge that they were going against their families by being together in the end.  It was a nice Romeo and Juliet twist, but each character was strong enough to carry the tale quite nicely.  I found no flaws in the side characters, the all over concept flowed wonderfully, the story kept me entertained till the end, and I loved the history thrown in as well.  I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy historical romances. Bring on Book #1.

Likes:  I liked how Elizabeth wasn't a sensitive virgin, something very rare in traditional historical romances.

Dislikes:  Nothing comes to mind.  I thoroughly enjoyed the whole story!

Rating:

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Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler

Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict

(Austen Addict Book # 2)

by Laurie Viera Rigler

Genre: Time-Travel | Contemporary Romance

Received book from Crazy Book Tours

Jane Mansfield has long wished to escape the confines of life as a gentleman's daughter in 1813 England.  But awakening in the urban madness of twenty-first-century L.A. - in the body of Courtney Stone - is not what she has in mind.  With no knowledge of Courtney's life, let alone her world, Jane is in over her head.  What is Jane to make of carriages that run without horses, lights that glow without candles, and people who talk to the air while holding a small object against their ears?  Granted, she does enjoy the shiny glass box in which tiny people act out her favorite book, Price and Prejudice.  And she savors her first taste of privacy, independence, even the chance to earn her own money.  Bot when Courtney's romantic entanglements become her own, Jane realizes that the machines of the twenty-first-century are much easier to master than its rules of love.  Can a girl from Regency England survive in a world in which flirting and kissing and even the sexual act raise no matrimonial expectations?

This second Austen Addict book continues with the flip story of Jane and Courtney: Book #1 followed Courtney's new life as Jane in 1813 England and, this one, Book #2 now follows Jane's new life as Courtney in 2009 America.  The concept of these books is simple . . . imagine waking up in the life of another. Yet, the twist is, this new life isn't in a time or place you're familiar with or even accustomed to.  Thus, Jane trades her life of a well established family, close friends, dependable servants, stable home, prearranged future for one of a single modern lady with emotional baggage in a new world of free will "with inflexible lines between different spheres of society" (pg 215); where she must now find her own way and make her own choices. 

Having already enjoyed Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, I was prepared for the comical ciaos that ensues after Jane wakes up in her new life.  Unlike Jane, who suffers a horrible fall off her horse Belle, our modern Courtney fatally knocks her head on the bottom of a swimming pool; easily convincing those surrounding her that she's suffering from amnesia.  Now Jane not only has to learn the strange futuristic ins and outs from her friends, but she also has to hide her on-going awe of her new modern surroundings while immersing herself in electronics and L.A.'s culture.  I found myself enjoying seeing the world through Jane's eyes.  Expect a lot of detailed descriptions since the names of modern devices doesn't quickly come to Jane, so it became almost a game in guessing just what she would discover next.  Unfortunately, it could be a little too descriptive at times, but never too annoying to throw off continuing with the story.  

I also enjoyed the many personal lessons Jane learned during her awakening as Courtney. From everyone deserving a second chance in life to decreasing some of her previous airs/essence of arrogance by questioning if earning an honest labor was undignified for herself.  Jane really comes out of her protected Regency-style shell throughout Rude Awakenings and does A LOT of internal debate about herself and what good, if any, she's doing in the future world.  "Why did I have to inherit such a disordered life?" (pg 170)  was a thought Jane kept going back to, but  eventually she learns the past has little consequence on her future choices and she decides to focus on the present and enjoy/accept her helpful friends, all the clever twenty-first-century devices, and her splendid book collection.

I'm still undecided as to which book out of the two was my favorite, since each was highly enjoyable and had its funny moments, but I feel Rude Awakenings was a little more well rounded overall.  Yet, after finishing both, I felt a little sorry for the main characters since if you step back from the story itself, Jane/Courtney was never really happy with their own lives and they needed to be placed in another existence to fully develop a different point of view and acceptance.  So, they never really solved their own situations, just worked on someone else troubles by walking in a different pair of shoes.  Must be nice to escape all together, but would it be worth giving up everything you've ever known for a different life?  These ladies were given that chance, but in the end, they were stuck with it as well.  Sure the book claims "there is nothing nobler than to give up one's life in service for another" (pg 108) but  switching bodies is a high price to pay.  I'm glad our ladies ended up happy, but Jane also come off as  truly alone and always withholding secrets from those close to her throughout much of the book as well.

All in all, if you're looking for a funny romantic book that will make you smile, Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict will satisfy your desire.  Enjoy!

Likes:  All the characters throughout the story were very believable and easy to like, especially Wes.

Dislikes:  The description of modern devices by Jane got a little out of control and tedious at times.

Rating:

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Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

Demon from the Dark
(Immortals After Dark Installment #10)
by Kresley Cole

Genre: Paranormal Romance

A dangerous demon she can't resist...Malkom Slaine: tormented by his sordid past and racked by vampiric hungers, he's pushed to the brink by the green-eyed beauty under his guard.

A maddening witch he aches to claim...Carrow Graie: hiding her own sorrows, she lives only for the next party or prank. Until she meets a tortured warrior worth saving.

Trapped together in a savage prison...For them to survive, Malkom must unleash both the demon and vampire inside him. When he becomes the nightmare his own people feared, will he lose the woman he craves body and soul?

Carrow, a coven witch, has been recently captured and is being held prisoner within a secret island facility hidden from the detection of all immortal creatures.  With more immortals being caught, held captive, and brutally experimented on every day, Carrow is offered a way out for herself and her 8 year old "niece", who was newly orphaned and is being held captive as well.  Her Mission: Bring in Malkom, one of the rare demon-made-vampires (aka vamon), to the facility using whatever means possible.  Carrow considers this to be an easy task until she meets Malkom and realizes they're destined soul mates; something all immortals realize upon first meeting. Now she's stuck with the dilemma of putting her own future on the line versus the future of her niece or more personally, Malkom.

I read, somewhere, how Kresley Cole commented on how Malkom Slaine might be her favorite male immortal.  Unfortunately, he's not a favorite of mine!  I don't know, I just felt after reading this book that it was missing something.  Something that didn't connect Malkom and Carrow as much as I would have liked or something that didn't really show the true feelings between them.  My #1 pet-peeve within romance novels is rushed love and that was pretty obvious in Demon from the Dark.  I guess overall, I'm not one for the whole concept of love at first sight, thus, I'm not convinced when people only know each other for one week, have amazing sex, and then fall heads over heels in "love".  And yes, I understand the idea of mates within this series, so I don't think I'm missing the idea of chemical attraction.  To me, what Carrow and Malkom have is just lust!  Sure lust is fun to read about in Cole's books, but it doesn't make the story enjoyable for me in the end.  

Some novels can carry this rushed affection theme off well (Kiss of a Demon King was as excellent read since the two main characters had more than one week to discover each other, develop jealousy, even majorly dislike each other, etc. before popping the "L" word!), others not so much.  Maybe I'm a sucker for "hate/love" relationships, who knows?  I do know I was expecting more from Cole's new book and was, sadly, let down. I just felt none of what made KC great (example: I use to laugh out loud during her older books and her wit in writing some of the characters dialogue was brilliant) was truly evident throughout this read; majorly lacking since I didn't even laugh once!

Also, I understand Malkom was emotionally hurt in his past and that kind of personal damage can be a perk for gaining feelings toward a character, but I never got around to understanding Malkom as a man.  Maybe it's because I like my Immortals After Dark male leads to be very . . . manly (or very-whatever creature they are), not exactly a gentlemen, but at least a guy who knows what he wants.  Malkom's innocence wasn't exactly working for me.   At the beginning he's a loyal friend, then betrayer, then land defender, then brute/Neanderthal, then lover to Carrow, etc.  He was all over the place and just not someone I enjoyed reading about.  He just seemed lost throughout much of the book.  He felt lost in his own world and now even more lost in his new world with Carrow.  All in all, I love the series as a whole, but I wasn't thrilled with this one and will hold out for better books in the future!

Likes: I did enjoy that younger versions of the Immortals After Dark characters were being introduced (with Ruby and her gang of witches) and we got to catch up with some of the past characters in the series. That was fun! The secret facility with all the immortal creatures having to interact/bunk together was interesting as well.

Dislikes: From previous books, we've had one or more different beings from the immortal world introduced, but in Demon from the Dark, a whole mess of creatures were introduced.  I don't mind a few here and there, but once all hell broke out, it got a bit overwhelming.

Rating:
 

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Highland Scoundrel by Monica McCarty

Highland Scoundrel
(The Campbell Trilogy Book #3)
by Monica McCarty

Genre: Historical Romance

Duncan Campbell is a natural born leader, possessing all the attributes for a Highland chieftain except for one: legitimacy. Forced from the Highlands for a crime he didn’t commit, Duncan has earned a reputation as the fiercest, most skilled mercenary on the continent. Vowing to restore his name and clear the cloud of treason hanging over his head, Duncan returns to the Highlands to find the one person who might hold the key to his freedom: the woman he’d once loved who’d betrayed him. But when he surprises her swimming in a loch, he finds himself facing the bad end of a pistol. Told she was impulsive her whole life like her mother who’d destroyed their family when she’d run off with an Englishman over twenty years ago, Jeannie Grant had never believed it—until she met Duncan Campbell. The bastard born son of a chieftain was not a suitable husband for the daughter of a powerful Highland chief, but Duncan made Jeannie willing to risk everything. She gave him her innocence and he failed her, forcing Jeannie to learn the hard way what happens when you follow your heart. Now Jeannie is shocked to find that the brigand she’s shot is the same man who broke her heart all those years ago. But the hard, ruthless man is nothing like the charming young scoundrel she remembers. When their attempt to prove Duncan’s innocence uncovers a deadly secret, not only their lost love, but their lives hang in the balance.

No matter that a brutal war is brewing for Duncan's clan or that Jeannie is secretly being betrothed to another man by her father, they meet at Stirling Castle and within two weeks fall madly in love and hope to fight the odds to stay together.  Unfortunately, their last rendezvous leads to a treacherous mistake that both regret for years to come.  Since that fateful night, the two have been separated with no contact for ten years.  Now, Duncan has returned with a new reputation of being the "Black Highlander" of Ireland and Jeannie is back on the marriage market with kept secrets of her own.  Can they overcome their past mistakes and find the truth that both desperately seek?

Considering this is the first book I've read by McCarty, I was presently surprised with Highland Scoundrel and thoroughly enjoyed the story full of historical facts and fun romance.  It has some nice plot twist that I wasn't expecting and as soon as I really got into the story . . . I couldn't put it down.  Their innocent infatuation when they first meet was sweet, but their intense passion upon meeting up ten years years later was smoldering.  I got so caught up in the emotions of it all, that before I knew it - it was 3 am and I was still reading.  Signs of a great book!  

I haven't read a nice highlander story in quite awhile and once I saw the blurb on the back of this one - "If your heart belongs to the Highlands, then don't miss these novels" - I got suckered right in.  Silly, right?  Yet, I'm glad I did!  After finishing Highland Scoundrel, I found I read Book #3 in the trilogy first.  Oops!  So, I guess I'll be working my way backwards since in my TBR pile is book #2, Highland Outlaw.

Likes:  How Duncan would stand up for Jeannie, no matter how horribly disgruntled they were with each other.  Always a joy reading about a true gent, especially one that's a highlander . . . yum!

Dislikes:  About the story - The blunt reminder that women held such little power over their lives in the early 1600s of Scotland.  Poor Jeannie!  About the book itself - I found some editing mistakes (duplicate words) within the first chapter of the book, catching misprints like that while reading really messes up my feeling of getting "lost" in a tale. 

Words of Wisdom book quote: "...that we make our own destiny not by our birth, but by our actions." (pg. 331)

Rating: 

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Book Blogger Hop #3

BOOK PARTY

Do you use a rating system for your reviews and if so, what is it and why?

Who doesn't appreciate the living dead!?

Yes, you can read about my official rating scale here, but I prefer to use a "bury" theme throughout, including my zombie hands.  Why? I love to read about zombies and find I highly enjoy zombie flicks best out of all horror/paranormal genres.  Also, I find I use this rating system more for myself than anyone else, since I read so many series with books coming out years apart from each other . . . it's nice to check back on my first impressions.  If my followers enjoy my rating style as well, even better! :)  

Thanks for hopping by! Go Zombies!!!

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Passing Strange by Daniel Waters

Passing Strange
(Generation Dead Book #3)
by Daniel Waters

Genre: Young Adult  | Urban Fantasy | Paranormal Romance

Karen DeSonne is used to pretending to be something she’s not.  All her life, she’s passed as a normal all-American teenager; with her friends, with her family, and at school.  Passing cost her the love of her life.  And now that Karen’s dead, she’s still passing – this time, as alive.  Meanwhile, Karen’s dead friends have been fingered in a high-profile murder, causing a new round of anti-zombie regulations that have forced nearly all of Oakvale’s undead into hiding. Karen soon learns that the “murder” was a hoax, staged by Pete Martinsburg and his bioist zealots. Obtaining enough evidence to expose the fraud and prove her friends’ innocence means doing the unthinkable: betraying her love by becoming Pete’s girlfriend. Karen’s only hope is that the enemy never realizes who she really is – because the consequences would be even worse than death.

Karen has always been considered one of the "fast" zombies and the most caring and beautiful as well.  She has dear friends who are both living-impaired and heart-beaters, but in the beginning of Passing Strange she learns something about herself that both fascinates and frightens her immensely.  Thus, she decides to keep it a secret.  Her world has also turned up-side-down, funny thinking that she's a rare zombie to begin with, but seriously . . . her fellow dead-walking friends are now in hiding on the bottom of the local frozen lake for a crime they didn't commit, her family is beginning to emotionally reach out to her in ways she never imagined since her suicide, the government has passed new strict laws where her kind are no longer allowed out without certain authorization, and she was able to pass as being "alive" long enough to get a job at the mall. Strange, right?  Now she's taken it upon herself to help her friends, both living and dead, to overcome the injustice being dealt to them by falsely dating (ie. being an undercover agent) the main reason for most of their problems, Pete.

Like all readers following the Generation Dead series, Passing Strange created a twist for it's fans by getting new POVs.  The previous two books where told from Tommy, Adam, and Phoebe's perspective, but now we're getting into the thoughts of Karen, Takuyaki, and Pete.  Sadly, none of the new three narrators were my favorite in the series, but it was interesting to see the post-zombie world through their eyes.  If you read the books, you know the whole concept of how everyone deals with these zombies is really one big metaphor for racism (aka "bioism" in the book). Some people deal with it a lot better than others, but overall it points out the ugliness of prejudices in society.  Karen had some really touching moments throughout this book and even had me tearing up as times.  Tak really learned about having to step up and take the spot of Tommy as the new leader of the local zombies.  Pete was just as dark and evil throughout and didn't really convince me of his actions near the end when his conscious caught up with him, but could someone please explain what exactly was happening to him on page 369?

Also, Passing Strange ends in a why that has the reader really questioning just WHERE the series is headed.  Karen's secret becomes even juicer at the end and the last sentence is a major turning point for Generation Dead, even though there seems to be a lot of foreshadowing hidden throughout the text.  That's what I find so fasinating throughout these books, there's so many similarities to the past and it's a perfect example of the saying "those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it".

Lastly, I'm so shocked this series hasn't become as popular as I would have liked it too.  I was obsessed from book one and I know all these books will be a permanent fixture in my library.  Yet, I would like more of the reading public to check them out as well since they're a delight and are definitely one of my favorites!!!  Check out my reviews of Book 1 - Generation Dead and Book 2 - Kiss of Life

Likes: Tak and his gang (Popeye & Tayshawn) were really funny together. 

Dislikes:  I would have liked to see more of Tommy, but I know he's off doing better and brighter things right now and we'll be seeing more of him in the future of the series.  Yet, if you think about who he's starting to become, that's just another huge foreshadowing of what will happen in the next couple of books.  Just think about which historical figure he most resembles right now and sadly, I think they'll share the same fate!

Rating:

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