The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley

Highland Pleasures Book 1

Published: April 2009

Pages: 336

*Squeal* Loved it, Loved it, Loved it!

If I can stop gushing long enough to form a coherent sentence, I'd actually like to say a thank you to author Emily Bryan for the introduction to this 'new to me' author. If I wasn't following Emily's blog I would have missed her interview with Jennifer Ashley & missed out on an absolute treat.

This book was almost impossible to put down, I read it overnight & I fell in love with the main characters Ian & Beth.

The infamous Lord Ian Mackenzie is a unique hero, confined in an asylum from the age of eleven because of a condition seen as 'madness' in the 1800's but known today as Asperger's Syndrome. He endured ice baths, shock therapy & other unspeakable 'treatments' until freed by his brother Hart upon the death of their father.

Jennifer Ashley does a brilliant job in conveying the many varied characteristics, positive traits, & struggles of someone with this condition - difficulty with eye contact, the struggle to understand emotions & non-verbal cues, genius intelligence, learnt socially acceptable responses as opposed to naturally occuring. Ian has a photographic memory with perfect recall but finds the chatter of crowds too much to cope with. He sees perfection in a drop of ink and can become lost in a line of a drawing. He is logical, passionate, blunt, possessive & quietly vulnerable, pulling at your heartstrings. This character's complexity is portrayed with knowledge & sensitivity.

Beth Ackerley is a widow, an enlightened woman for her time, intelligent, witty & compassionate. In short, everything I like to see in a heroine. She's not afraid to indulge in some sexual 'naughtiness' (9 years abstinence is a long time after all) or to stand toe-to-toe with the rest of the Mackenzie clan ... And as the Mackenzie's have set England & Scotland abuzz with their notoriety, Beth needs every ounce of her fortitude to survive.

The love scenes are passionate & saucy. Ian's bawdy love talk & Beth's reaction, tickled my fanny fancy & Beth's spicy diary entries amused me greatly -
I have become a truly wicked woman, Beth wrote in her journal a few days later. I find myself looking forward every day to what naughtiness Ian and I might do together.

Here's one of my favourite excerpts (of which there were many) -

“Explain to me what loving feels like, Beth. I want to understand”

“It is the most divine thing imaginable,” she tried.

“I don’t want to hear about divinity. I want to hear about flesh and bone. Is love like desire?”

“Desire is part of it,” she said slowly. “The love for another’s body. But also love for their heart and their mind, and for all the silly things they do, no matter how absurd. Your world brightens when they walk into a room, dims when they leave it again. You want to be with the beloved so you can see him and touch him and hear his voice, but you want his happiness as well. It’s selfish, but not entirely so."

As much as I'd like to keep raving about The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie, I really can't say much more without giving away major plot spoilers. This was a beautiful, romantic story with strong but vulnerable characters that I felt an emotional connection with. A unique plot with a murder/mystery element, perfect pacing & quite suspenseful which was an unexpected surprise. An absolutely delightful read!

Highland Pleasures Book 2, "Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage " (Mac & Isabella's story) is due to be released mid 2010 (wahhh!)
All I can say is "get writing Jennifer Ashley, I'm not a patient girl & I'm dying to know more about the Mackenzie men."

Book 3: The Many Sins of Lord Cameron (Cam's story)
Book 4: The Duke Takes a Wife (Hart's story)

Visit Jennifer Ashley's website to be introduced to the fascinating Mackenzie family. Jennifer also writes erotic romance under the pseudonym Allyson James & Regency mystery as Ashley Gardner.

An Eclectic Giveaway - Last Chance

If you haven't entered An Eclectic Giveaway, you still have time but you'd better HURRY! You have until midnight tonight Australian time. Winners will be announced Monday 1st June so please check back! PS if you want your extra entries as a 'follower' counted, please ensure you have actually clicked on the follow button!!

Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy # 2

Genre: YA Urban Fantasty
Copyright: April 2008

Pages: 372

"You can't force love, I realized. It's there or it isn't. If it's not there, you've got to be able to admit it. If it is there, you've got to do whatever it takes to protect the ones you love."

I made the choice to listen to Frostbite rather than read it after the issues I had with spelling errors in Vampire Academy & I'm so glad I did, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Frostbite has it all - action, suspense, emotion, laughs & tears.

Frostbite picks up where Vampire Academy finishes; Rose Hathaway is in her senior year at St. Vladimir's & in a few months she'll be a qualified guardian to her best friend, Lissa, a Moroi Royal & last surviving member of the Dragomir family.

Rose accompanied by her instructor Dimitri leaves the academy to take her Qualifier exam with legendary guardian, Arthur Schoenberg. On arrival for her test, Rose & Dimitri are instead faced with the massacre of a royal family & their guardians & the evidence that Strigoi have banded together for the attack. On high alert St. Vladimir's organise a holiday break in an exclusive Moroi ski resort in an attempt to keep the students and their families safe. After yet another attack on a Royal house a horrifying and undeniable realisation occurs that Strigoi are teaming up with humans to destroy Royal Moroi.

As we follow Lissa & Christian's flourishing relationship, we are also entertained with the romantic tension, & angst between Rose & Dimitri, Rose & Mason, and Dimitri & Tasha (Christian's aunt.)I thought Adrian Ivashkov & Tasha were an interesting & enjoyable addition to the cast of characters. Adrian another Moroi Royal is one of the rare Moroi, like Lissa, who use the element of Spirit.

I really enjoyed seeing the growth in Rose's character over the two books & learning more about her strained relationship with Janine Hathaway, Rose's absent guardian mother. Rose's trademark smart mouth, sarcasm & impulsiveness remain in evidence which I found both believable & entertaining but there is also evidence of a growing maturity, giving the reader moments that are touching & sensitive. There was one part towards the end of the book that actually moved me to tears, & I know I'm a bit of a sook but I really did find it quite emotional & real.

A little excerpt that was particularly entertaining occured between Mia & Rose after Rose took a beating in training with her mother. (Rose had broken Mia's nose a month previous.)

Mia: "Fortunately it [my nose] was only broken by a psychopathic whore & not anyone actually related to me."

Rose: I gave her my best psychopathic smile, "Too bad, family members hit you by accident, psychopathic whores tend to come back for me."

Once again I found Mead's take on Moroi/Dhampir/Strigoi vampire society fascinating & I loved the whole exploration of elitism in the Moroi/Dhampir class structure. I hope Tasha's fiery discussion regarding the defence of the two species will bring about some significant changes for the survival of Moroi & Dhampir & I have my fingers crossed we see these changes in Shadow Kiss.

Blood Promise, the 4th Vampire Academy book will be out in August 2009. Richelle Mead's blog Even Redheads Get the Blues is a fun place to visit with news, competitions & polls & you can get information about her adult series on her website

Click on the link if you'd like to read my review of Vampire Academy

The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong

Published: July 2008 Pages: 390 Genre: YA Urban Fantasy As a huge fan of Kelley Armstrong's writing & her Women of the Otherworld series it was fun to follow Armstrong on her foray into YA fiction. This is the first novel in the new Darkest Powers trilogy. Ms Armstrong makes it clear this series is set in the same universe as the Otherworld series but states that this trilogy will not intersect with her adult novels. Chloe Saunders sees dead people...now before you go *yawn* read on, you'll love it. Her 'crazed' behaviour at school after a run in with one long dead janitor gets Chloe an all expenses paid trip to Lyle House, a home for mentally ill & troubled teens. Chloe, 15, late bloomer & typical teenager apart from the whole 'dead people' thing, quickly finds herself diagnosed with Schizophrenia, medicated & in therapy. Slowly crumbs of truth emerge about the nature of Lyle House and its residents. As the teens' paranormal, 'otherworldly' powers are revealed, we soon learn, like Chloe, mental illness may not be the reason for their confinement in the centre & Lyle House may not be what it seems! Thanks to Armstrong's writing, I found the characters entirely believable & likeable - Chloe, Derek, Liz, Rae, Simon, & of course troubled Tori, resident 'bitch' of Lyle House. The fact that Chloe stuttered, & Derek had acne & Tori was obnoxious (as well as unhinged) made the characters real to me and I'm looking forward to learning more about them in future books. Unlike Armstrong's adult series, this is a bit of a slow unfolder, suspenseful with a great plot but definitely a slower build-up. Word of warning - the ending is an absolute cliffhanger, so be prepared (unlike me) and have the next installment at your fingertips!! "Evil author" I thought but "very, very smart" I was certainly quick to put my order in for The Awakening I can tell you! Visit Chloe Saunders' blog for a free novella about Simon and Derek and events leading up to their arrival at Lyle House. It's been written in serial form & there's a new chapter posted on the 1st and 15th of every month. When it's complete it will be transferred to the locker section of Chloe’s website. Click on the links to see my reviews of Kelley Armstrong's novels Bitten & Stolen

More Blog Love

A thank you and a shout out to Jules from Jule's Book Reviews for the Lemonade award for blogs that show great attitude or gratitude. I'm going to share this one with 5 new blogs that I've begun following in the last few weeks Here are The Rules: 1) Put the Lemonade Award logo on your blog or post. 2) Nominate at least 10 blogs that show great attitude or gratitude. 3) Link to your nominees within your post. 4) Let the nominees know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog. 5) Share the love and link to the person from whom you received your award. Amanda @ The Zen Leaf Jenny @ Jenny Loves to Read Susan @ Black-Eyed Susan Brooke @ Brooke Reviews Kris @ Not Enough Books

Thanks to the fantabulous Diane from The Book Resort for this new & very charming looking award. The Literary Blogger Award acknowledges bloggers who energize & inspire reading by going the extra mile. These amazing bloggers make reading fun & enhance the delight of reading! The Rules: 1) Put the logo on your blog/post. 2) Nominate up to 9 blogs.

3) Be sure to link to your nominees within your post. 4) Let them know that they have been nominated by commenting on their blog. 5) Remember to link to the person from whom you received your award. Sharing the literary love with

Lilly @ Reading Extravaganza

Amy @ Passages to the Past

Marie @ The Burton Review

Marg @ Reading Adventures

Nely @ All about n

Blodeuedd @ Book girl of Mur-y-Castell

Missy @ Missy's Book Nook

Christine @ Romantic Crush Junkies

Jessica Marie @ Books Love Jessica Marie

Ladybug @ Escape in a Book

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event. Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers! Oh, darling did you hear? Lady Marmalade had three inches of lace on her dress instead of two. Can you imagine anything more vulgar? And her pleats were limp,my darling, absolutely limp.

Page 6 ~ The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley LOL I'm loving this one!!

Mailbox Monday

Thank you to Marcia at the Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday every week.

Only one book in my mailbox this week but it's a good one.

The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie by Jennifer Ashley It was whispered all through London society that he was a murderer, that he'd spent his youth in an asylum and was not to be trusted - especially with a lady. Any woman caught in his presence was immediately ruined. Yet Beth found herself inexorably drawn to the Scottish lord whose hint of a brogue wrapped around her like silk and whose touch could draw her into a world of ecstasy. Despite his decadence and intimidatiing intelligence she could see he needed help. Her help. Because suddenly the only thing that made sense to her was The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie. ~ back cover

What Are You Reading On Monday

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. I really do love this meme, even though I seem to divert from my reading schedule nearly every week, if I didn't do participate in this one, I would probably be wandering aimlessly on Mt TBR, becoming hopelessly lost in the forest. My week was a bit of a disaster reading wise but maybe I'm getting used to it, I wasn't quite so devastated this week... or maybe it had something to do with heading away for the weekend on scrapbook camp LOL. I don't want to jinx myself but maybe, just maybe, this week will be a HUGE reading one! ************ Books Completed Last Week: THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong (audiobook) - review coming ************ This Week's Reading List: ROYAL BLOOD by Rona Sharon - page 105 THE MADNESS OF LORD IAN MACKENZIE by Jennifer Ashley KITTY & THE MIDNIGHT HOUR by Carrie Vaughn LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel García Márquez - page 22 still DEAD TO THE WORLD by Charlaine Harris (audio book) - chapter 5 ************ See Reviews for A WORTHY LEGACY by Tomi Akinyanmi THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman Don't forget to check out my international giveaway, 1st & 2nd prize. Ends May 31st

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Genre: YA Horror
Published: October 2008
Pages: 312
Book Source: Own purchase

I listened to The Graveyard Book on audio and oh what a treat! It's narrated by the author, Neil Gaiman, who reads brilliantly, does different character voices making each totally believable, & I found his reading style & voice quite mesmerising ... warm honey comes to mind :)

I really did become completely immersed in the world of the graveyard. A truly "ageless" read.

Gaiman is delightful on podcast, with trademark self depreciating humour he informs of the origins of The Graveyard Book & how he made a start on it many years ago & put it aside quite a few times, believing he wasn't a good enough writer to pull it off.

Of the first chapter he states "it's the scariest thing I've ever written." It begins with the murder of a toddler's family, (violent but not graphic) by the man Jack. A midnight toddle, to a nearby graveyard means the little boy narrowly avoids the fate of his entire family. Saved by the residents of the graveyard, Nobody Owens (Bod) is adopted by the long dead, Mr & Mrs Owens & granted the Freedom of the Graveyard. His guardian Silas, neither dead nor alive, brings him food and ensures he is educated in the ways of the living & the dead.

We follow Bod as he travels through ghoul gates, attends public school, makes friends of the dead & undead variety & learns to fade & haunt. While a little scary, & definitely creepy, this story also has a sweetness & goodness that I found very touching.

The Jack of All Trades plot is quite bizarre but ultimately this is a tale about family, friendship & growing up, albeit a little strangely, but hey this is fantasy.

Chapters are structured as short stories moving through Bod's life & by the ending I had tears in my eyes. It's not a bad ending but an emotional one, it reminded me of The House At Pooh Corner, when Christopher Robin comes of age.

Favourite quotes - "What's so important that you have to go away?" Bod's six year old mind tried to imagine something that could make Silas want to leave him and failed. 'it's not fair.'

His guardian was unperturbed. "it is neither fair nor unfair, Nobody Owens. It simply is."

"Name the different kinds of people," said Miss Lupescu. "Now."

Bod thought for a moment. "The living," he said. "Er. The dead." He stopped. Then, "...Cats?" he offered, uncertainly. "Are [people] happier dead?"

"Sometimes. Mostly, no. It's like the people who believe they'll be happy if they go and live somewhere else, but who learn it doesn't work that way. Wherever you go, you take yourself with you."

Check out Neil Gaiman's website for lots of interesting & amusing info & a visit to Mr Bobo’s Remarkable Mouse Circus – Neil Gaiman’s official website for young readers is an absolute must. Here you will be able to watch the master storyteller himself read The Graveyard Book in its entirety.

Pope Joan Giveaway at Passages to the Past

Amy at Passages to the Past is hosting a giveaway to celebrate the re-release of Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross on June 9th. Amy loves her friends across the water, this one is INTERNATIONAL ~ woohoo! Ends June 8th

Royal Blood Book Trailer

Rona Sharon's new novel, Royal Blood is a romantic vampire thriller set during the reign of King Henry VIII & accompanied by all the notoriety, treachery, lust & violence of Tudor England. The book video for Royal Blood is breathtaking, it makes my heart race & the music gives me goosebumps, so of course I had to share :-) At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'd like to say another thankyou to Rona for her kindness & generosity in sending me a signed copy of Royal Blood. Be sure to check back for my review. Rona's 4th novel, featuring the Borgia family is due to be released in 2011. If you'd like to know more about this critically acclaimed author visit her website

YA Challenge

Friend & fellow blogger Alaine reminded me about this one, I don't know why I wasn't doing it already but I've now joined the 2009 Young Adult Challenge hosted by J Kaye. I've actually been reading quite a bit of YA fiction and loving it, so these books can go towards a challenge & hopefully I'll get some fantastic recommendations! Guidelines: Read 12 Young Adult novels. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed. Challenge begins January thru December, 2009. You can join anytime between now and December 31, 2009. 1. Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead 2. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne 3. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman 4. The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong 5. The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong 6. Willow by Julia Hoban 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event.

Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers!

"Appearances may deceive, words may deceive, and even actions deceive.

You will see what others cannot." P.11 Royal Blood by Rona Sharon

What Are You Reading On Monday

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. I had a better reading week last week but with family staying this week, I don't have much time to read and when I do have time I can't seem to settle into just one book. Hence the reason I have 4 or 5 on the go this week. ************ Books Completed Last Week: THE MANE EVENT by Shelly Laurenston THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman - review coming A WORTHY LEGACY by Tomi Akinyanmi - review coming ************ This Week's Reading List: ROYAL BLOOD by Rona Sharon KITTY & THE MIDNIGHT HOUR by Carrie Vaughn THE SUMMONING by Kelley Armstrong (audiobook) - chapter 4 LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel García Márquez - page 22 still ************ Don't forget to check out my international giveaway, 1st & 2nd prize. Ends May 31st

The Mane Event by Shelly Laurenston

Published: 2007 Pages: 391 My Rating: 3.5 stars The Mane Event is a two-novella book, consisting of the linked stories Christmas Pride & Shaw's Tail. I had high expectations for this one after thoroughly enjoying Shelly Laurenston's Pack Challenge but unfortunately it fell a little short. A fun read, but disappointing in the lack of substance to go with the sizzle! In Christmas Pride we meet up with Desiree, 'Dez' MacDermot & Mace Llewellyn, childhood buddies whose lives diverged for twenty years. Mace, former Navy SEAL, & sexy specimen of lion shapeshifting perfection, is under pressure to resume responsibilities within his Pride. Dez is a 'kick ass' NY cop & when these two meet again during an investigation into the murder of one of Mace's pride members, the chemistry sizzles. The murder is a weak sub-plot; most of the action in the book is in the bedroom (or the shower, the stairs, the kitchen ... get the picture), with a brief but interesting 'Turf War' altercation between Lion, Wolf & Hyena species. In Shaw's Tail, we catch up again with Brendon Shaw, a lion shifter injured at the end of Christmas Pride. Ronnie Lee Read is a wolf from the Smith wolf pack, asked to care for Brendon during his 'fever' & recovery. It's a sexy, fun ride as we follow free-spirited Ronnie as she ditches her committment issues & wild lifestyle & moves from lust to LOVE with self professed King of the Jungle, Brendon. "Look at that. Your heart can stop in your chest but you keep on breathing." page 299 *Sigh* Admittedly all the action is once again of the horizontal variety (actually that may be a little bit of an understatement, I'm sure this couple tried horizontal, vertical & every which way in between.) We also take a hilarious look at all the irritating & fascinating facets of family. The scene where Brendon's brother, Mitch, puts Ronnie's wolf brothers to bed after an evening of moonshine, had me in stitches. Shaw's Tale outshone Christmas Pride in character development & smoothness of plot, & I really enjoyed Laurenston's take on pride and pack dynamics in the 2nd story; for me it was just a far more enjoyable story. There is plenty of Laurenston's trademark amusing banter, hilarity & comedic situations & at the risk of stating the obvious, plenty of sex in both novellas. Sex with sizzle & even though boy gets girl, if you're looking for a romantic love story this one probably isn't for you.

Teaser Tuesday

MizB of Should Be Reading hosts this cool weekly event. Grab your current read. Let the book fall open to a random page. Share (2) “teaser” sentences from that page. Share the title & author of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR list if they like your teaser. Please avoid spoilers! Dr Juvenal Urbino did not sleep at all on the night of his return; he was frightened by the darkness and the silence, and he said three rosaries to the Holy Spirit and all the prayers he could remember to ward off calamities and shipwrecks and all manner of night terrors, while a curfew that had come in through a half-closed door sang every hour on the hour in his bedroom. He was tormented by the hallucinating screams of the madwomen in the Divine Shepherdess Asylum next door, the harsh dripping from the water jar into the washbasin which resonated throughout the house, the long-leggged steps of the curlew wandering in his bedroom, his congenital fear of the dark, and the invisible presence of his dead father in the vast, sleeping mansion. P.127 Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez Phew that wasn't a teaser that was a saga in two sentences!

Royal's Romance Reading Challenge

At Royal Reviews we are running a few challenges that commence June 1st.
For the Royal's Romance Reading Challenge you will need to read seven books in six months. To complete the challenge the title or author's name will need to begin with the letters R-O-M-A-N-C-E and must be classified as a romance novel (this includes romance sub genres including contemporary, historical or paranormal). Click on the challenge button above to sign up

Here's my tentative challenge list:

R - Bed of Roses by Nora Roberts
O - HeartMate by Robin D Owens
M - Magic in the Wind by Christine Feehan
A - Tempt the Devil by Anna Campbell
N - Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
C - Dark Desire by Christine Feehan
E - Tempting Danger by Eileen Wilks

Mailbox Monday

Thank you to Marcia at the Printed Page for hosting Mailbox Monday every week.

Wow did I have a great mailbox week. Yes, I did buy a couple of books but I also had 2 books arrive from authors :-) & I won a copy of Left to Die by Lisa Jackson at J.Kaye's Book Blog; thanks J.Kaye {hugs}

Thank you so much to Rona Sharon & Tomi Akinyanmi for their generosity & kindness. I received a signed copy of their new books in the mail this week. Looking forward to reading both of them so please check back for reviews.

Royal Blood by Rona Sharon - (from author)

A vampire is on the prowl at the court of King Henry VIII’s. When one of the queen’s ladies is found dead with bite marks on her neck, Cardinal Wolsey assigns the Court’s tournament champion Sir Michael Devereux to hunt down the killer—and for personal reasons neglects to inform Michael it is a vampire they are after. But Michael has his own secrets—and now all the clues are leading straight to him! In a desperate race against time, Michael battles through an intricate web of court intrigue to get to the truth… but the truth is more bloodcurdling than he imagines - goodreads

A Worthy Legacy by Tomi Akinyanmi - (from author)

The Harmattan wind scorches across Nigeria, and an old man lies dying. His community gathers to pay its respects; their haunting songs echoing in the warm twilight. Tomi Akinyanmi, his eldest granddaughter, is present along with the rest of the family, and as she listens to Grandpa’s last words, she feels a resonance deep within her heart. For Grandpa doesn’t talk of regrets, or petty grievances, instead he talks softly about life; how to survive, how to be happy, how to achieve self-respect - book jacket

The Midwife by Jennifer Worth

An unforgettable story of the joy of motherhood, the bravery of a community, and the hope of one extraordinary womanAt the age of twenty-two, Jennifer Worth leaves her comfortable home to move into a convent and become a midwife in post war London’s East End slums. The colorful characters she meets while delivering babies all over London—from the plucky, warm-hearted nuns with whom she lives to the woman with twenty-four children who can’t speak English to the prostitutes and dockers of the city’s seedier side—illuminate a fascinating time in history. Beautifully written and utterly moving, The Midwife will touch the hearts of anyone who is, and everyone who has, a mother - Goodreads Afraid by Jack Kilborn

Welcome to Safe Haven, Wisconsin. Miles from everything, with one road in and out, this peaceful town has never needed a full-time police force. Until now... A helicopter has crashed near Safe Haven and unleashed something horrifying. Now this merciless force is about to do what it does best. Isolate. Terrorize. Annihilate. As residents begin dying in a storm of gory violence, Safe Haven's only chance for survival will rest with an aging county sheriff, a firefighter, and a single mom. And each will have this harrowing thought: Maybe death hasn't come to their town by accident - book jacket

Witch Fire by Anya Bast -

After a chaotic marriage and a rough divorce, all Mira Hoskins wants is stability and normality. But when sexy Jack McAllister enters her life, she discovers that what you want isn't always what you need. Jack is a powerful witch with the ability to command fire and is anything but normal. As the head of a security detail for The Coven, a national organization that governs national witches, Jack has been assigned to watch over Mira. She is a natural born witch with the ability to call the air. And although she is unaware of her talent, a group of renegade witches has discovered her existence and are determined to steal her power - and her life - Goodreads

This Pen For Hire by Laura Levine

In the first novel in her wickedly witty new mystery series, Laura Levine introduces Jaine Austen, a hip, jack-of-all trades writer who spends her days penning smarmy personal ads and daring declarations of passion--and her nights looking for Mr. Right in Hollywood's swinging singles scene - Goodreads

What Are You Reading On Monday

A weekly event hosted by J. Kaye’s Book Blog to discuss your reading week ~ the books you've read and those you plan on reading in the coming week. I didn't seem to do much reading this week but I did get caught up on reviews & blog posts etc so I still feel like I had a productive week. But I'm struggling with sticking with my choices each week, something better or different seems to come along & off I head on a completely new path. ************ Books Completed Last Week: FANTASY LOVER by Sherrilyn Kenyon ************ This Week's Reading List: A WORTHY LEGACY by Tomi Akinyanmi LOVE IN THE TIME OF CHOLERA by Gabriel García Márquez THE MANE EVENT by Shelly Laurenston - page 122 THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman (audiobook) - chapter 4 ************ See Review for: HANDLE WITH CARE by Jodi Picoult ABSOLUTE FEAR by Lisa Jackson