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Gabriella lives in two worlds, with her dad in California most of the time, and a few precious weeks with her grandmother in Colombia. Her next trip to visit will become memorable in many ways, beginning with finding her mother's diary, a book the shows a whole new side to Helena, Gabriella's mother that passed away when she was young. Gabriella is trying to decide what to do with her life and who she really is. Her trip to Colombia introduces her to a new side of life, a dangerous and secretive side.
The story is told through the eyes of both mother and daughter, their stories beginning to run parrallel as Helena discovers a new life, and Gabriella discovers the beginning of hers. Both women are fascinating and fun, a joy to read about.
4/5
The story is told through the eyes of both mother and daughter, their stories beginning to run parrallel as Helena discovers a new life, and Gabriella discovers the beginning of hers. Both women are fascinating and fun, a joy to read about.
4/5
Alex Cross is a well known detective, known for solving difficult cases, but when the phone rings at his birthday party, he finds himself in the midst of his wildest case ever. A case that involves the grisly murder (I'm glad they didn't give more detail than they did) of his estranged niece. The investigation is full of loops and twists and eventually leads him into the highest profile case he's ever had, with ties that see to go all the way to the White House.
This is my first Alex Cross book, and I really enjoyed reading it. He is a fantastic character that many will be able to relate to. The death of his niece isn't the only tragedy he faces in this book, and the way he handles all the blows that come his way was very touching. He is the type of person I would want to have as a friend.
The only complaint I have about the mystery solving itself was there were a couple "hand of God" moments. Things seemed to break in the case at just the right time without any action on Alex's part. This held true especially in the case of the ending, where all leads seemed to die out when miraculously something happened. Up until that point, the crime solving was done quite nicely...calling in old friends, dropping words in the ears of the right people, and good old fashioned foot work.
There were a couple times the story dragged, and this coupled with the final clue, caused it to lose the 1/2 star. I would still recommend the story to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
3.5/5
This is my first Alex Cross book, and I really enjoyed reading it. He is a fantastic character that many will be able to relate to. The death of his niece isn't the only tragedy he faces in this book, and the way he handles all the blows that come his way was very touching. He is the type of person I would want to have as a friend.
The only complaint I have about the mystery solving itself was there were a couple "hand of God" moments. Things seemed to break in the case at just the right time without any action on Alex's part. This held true especially in the case of the ending, where all leads seemed to die out when miraculously something happened. Up until that point, the crime solving was done quite nicely...calling in old friends, dropping words in the ears of the right people, and good old fashioned foot work.
There were a couple times the story dragged, and this coupled with the final clue, caused it to lose the 1/2 star. I would still recommend the story to anyone who enjoys a good mystery.
3.5/5
The secret year is a story about living in the past. For a year, Colt and Julia were having a secret affair. She was from a rich family, had rich friends, and they all tended to look down on the people that lived in the area Colt lived in. Until a chance meeting down at the river changed everything. Now Julia is dead and Colt finds himself unable to publicly mourn her, because no one has any idea that they even knew each other. To top it all off, Colt feels that he is partly responsible for the car accident that killed her.
Colt finds himself in the possession of a journal that Julia wrote the year they were "together". He finds himself reliving the moments they shared and unable to truly move forward. As he lives in the past, the rest of the world is moving forward with or without him. He struggles to let go and find a place where he belongs again
The characters struggled with all the typical teenage issues, which were only compounded by the loss of Julia. At times I felt bad for Colt and others I thought he was acting like a spoiled brat. We learn about Julia through the journal entires that Colt reads, and she becomes a character that many could relate to. The story was touching and I breezed through it in two sittings. I had to make myself put it down the first night because it was 2am and I really needed to sleep.
4/5
Colt finds himself in the possession of a journal that Julia wrote the year they were "together". He finds himself reliving the moments they shared and unable to truly move forward. As he lives in the past, the rest of the world is moving forward with or without him. He struggles to let go and find a place where he belongs again
The characters struggled with all the typical teenage issues, which were only compounded by the loss of Julia. At times I felt bad for Colt and others I thought he was acting like a spoiled brat. We learn about Julia through the journal entires that Colt reads, and she becomes a character that many could relate to. The story was touching and I breezed through it in two sittings. I had to make myself put it down the first night because it was 2am and I really needed to sleep.
4/5
In interesting look at the Renaissance architect Filippo Brunelleschi. A man who was known for his temper, holding grudges, and his wonderful and imaginative designs not only in architecture but ways to make the building of them easier. It was interesting to read how designs were selected and plans carried out "way back then". I can't fully comprehend how anything ever got done. The storyline tended to meaner a bit, which through me off a bit and made it a bit more difficult to follow.
3.5/5
3.5/5
Chloe Biddleton has a quite a suprise coming with JT Flannery show up on her ranch. He's recently acquired the rights to half her ranch...winning them from her scalawag of a brother in a game of cards. It would be an understatement to say that the Chloe, who has been running the ranch since her father's death, is furious. As the two are trying to get used to their new business arrangement a gang of cattle rustlers show up and starts stealing thieves from several of the ranches in the area...including Chloe's precious Double B. And the suprises keep coming...along with a marriage proposal.
I loved Chloe. She was outspoken and not afraid to voice her opinions. She fights tooth and nail to maintain her place as co-owner of the Double B. JT is a gentleman all the way. A gentleman that sees his future finally lined up before him when he wins the rights to half the ranch. He's ready to settle down and he thinks Chloe will be the best part of it.
The romance takes second stage to the daily goings on at the Double B Ranch, which is why I enjoyed this story so much. The characters interact in a very real way and their emotions come off the page very well. This book was a great read.
4/5
I loved Chloe. She was outspoken and not afraid to voice her opinions. She fights tooth and nail to maintain her place as co-owner of the Double B. JT is a gentleman all the way. A gentleman that sees his future finally lined up before him when he wins the rights to half the ranch. He's ready to settle down and he thinks Chloe will be the best part of it.
The romance takes second stage to the daily goings on at the Double B Ranch, which is why I enjoyed this story so much. The characters interact in a very real way and their emotions come off the page very well. This book was a great read.
4/5
Atlantis exists! It is guarded by a race of shapeshifting dragon of unbeilevable fighting skill and hunkiness (even if they do sprout scales when provoked). Darius is the head man...er dragon, and is entrusted with guarding the portal that separates our world from his. His duty is to slay everyone that comes from our side and he takes his duty seriously, never letting any pass. Then one day Grace stumbles through and something changes. He breaks his sacred vow for the first time, intrigued by the fiery red head that dares to defy him.
But this isn't the only change heading towards Darius. As he runs around after Grace, trying to keep her from getting killed by the other dragonmen, he discovers that she isn't the only human in Atlantis after all. There is a second portal, guarded by his mentor and father-figure that becomes strangely silent, and suddenly Grace finds herself caught in the middle of a battle to save a world that most still think is mere myth and legend.
As Grace and Darius rush to save not only Atlantis, but all the people they hold dear, they find themselves plunged into a very heated romance. And wow...do I mean heated. This is not a book for any who blush easily. While the romance plays second fiddle to the fight for Atlantis, it is definately there and wants you to know it!
Grace is a fantastic female character. Not only is she not stick thin and model georgous, she actually has a head on her shoulders and isn't afraid to fight to get what she wants and protect those she cares about. It isn't suprising that Darius struggled to resist her.
Darius is a lean mean fightig machine...with the additional abitilities you would commonly associate with dragons as well. While his character is hard and ferocious, we occasssionally are allowed glimpses into the inner-Darius and can easily see why Grace would fall head over heals for him.
This is the first book in the Atlantis series by Gena Showalter and I have the next two sitting in my filing cabinet drawer (I ran out of room on the TBR shelf) and I can harldy wait til their turn comes up to read more about this fascinating new world, Atlantis.
4/5 (would have been more, a bit too steamy in places for me)
But this isn't the only change heading towards Darius. As he runs around after Grace, trying to keep her from getting killed by the other dragonmen, he discovers that she isn't the only human in Atlantis after all. There is a second portal, guarded by his mentor and father-figure that becomes strangely silent, and suddenly Grace finds herself caught in the middle of a battle to save a world that most still think is mere myth and legend.
As Grace and Darius rush to save not only Atlantis, but all the people they hold dear, they find themselves plunged into a very heated romance. And wow...do I mean heated. This is not a book for any who blush easily. While the romance plays second fiddle to the fight for Atlantis, it is definately there and wants you to know it!
Grace is a fantastic female character. Not only is she not stick thin and model georgous, she actually has a head on her shoulders and isn't afraid to fight to get what she wants and protect those she cares about. It isn't suprising that Darius struggled to resist her.
Darius is a lean mean fightig machine...with the additional abitilities you would commonly associate with dragons as well. While his character is hard and ferocious, we occasssionally are allowed glimpses into the inner-Darius and can easily see why Grace would fall head over heals for him.
This is the first book in the Atlantis series by Gena Showalter and I have the next two sitting in my filing cabinet drawer (I ran out of room on the TBR shelf) and I can harldy wait til their turn comes up to read more about this fascinating new world, Atlantis.
4/5 (would have been more, a bit too steamy in places for me)
The evil Lord Arawn is creating mindless, undieing cauldron-born. The familiar companions from The Book of Three join forces with the greatest lords of the land with a plan to steal the cauldron and destroy it. Plans like this never seem to go well, and this one seems to be foiled from the very beginning. We are intruduced to a handful of new characters, I'm not sure if they will continue throughout the rest of the series or not.
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Alexander has slowed the pace down, without losing momentum. I felt like I was able to settle into the scenes and enjoy them before I was suddenly rushed on. It gave many of the scenes more of a atmosphere that I enjoyed very much. I also felt as if I was able to get to know the characters much better by being able to listen to conversations.
I think that my favorite character this time around, has to be the dwarf, Doli. He was honorable, brave, complaining, and funny. Everything that a real person seems to have in varying degrees. I was glad to see that Taran had developed and grown, as has Eilonwy. The two still argue almost non-stop, but you can see that they have learned to rely on each other for advice and guidance.
I can't wait to read the third book. The series is exciting and I look forward to seeing how the furture pans out for everyone.
4/5
I enjoyed this book more than the first in the series. Alexander has slowed the pace down, without losing momentum. I felt like I was able to settle into the scenes and enjoy them before I was suddenly rushed on. It gave many of the scenes more of a atmosphere that I enjoyed very much. I also felt as if I was able to get to know the characters much better by being able to listen to conversations.
I think that my favorite character this time around, has to be the dwarf, Doli. He was honorable, brave, complaining, and funny. Everything that a real person seems to have in varying degrees. I was glad to see that Taran had developed and grown, as has Eilonwy. The two still argue almost non-stop, but you can see that they have learned to rely on each other for advice and guidance.
I can't wait to read the third book. The series is exciting and I look forward to seeing how the furture pans out for everyone.
4/5
There's not much more you could ask for from a second book in a series. We return to the watch the brothers Caramon and Raistlin Majere in the next step in their adventures through time. Only now things are really starting to get interesting. Crysania and Tasslehoff haven't gone anywhere...in fact all four friends seem to be going everywhere and everywhen! We travel backwards and forwards through time as they desparately try to alter the past and there's even a trip or two into the depths of the the Dark Queen's real, The Abyss.
As this story of loyalty and betrayal comes to a point at the end of this book and I can't wait to dive into the next. Throughout the building up of the atmosphere, our characters continue to develope and progess, although if they are going in the right direction is still up for discussion. After all, what would a pure cleric of good be doing working with the black robed evil mage?
4.5/5
As this story of loyalty and betrayal comes to a point at the end of this book and I can't wait to dive into the next. Throughout the building up of the atmosphere, our characters continue to develope and progess, although if they are going in the right direction is still up for discussion. After all, what would a pure cleric of good be doing working with the black robed evil mage?
4.5/5
Vampires abound in this book...vampires of all types, including the so powerful Master. He is back at full strength and on the hunt. A hunt that starts with wild parties to lure in the innocents and feast. Jessica Fraser finds herself drawn into the Master's schemes in a most unusual way. She is hunting him...but how does she know of his existance and how can she expect to stand a chance against his power. The answer to this lies in an unexpected blast from the past (the very very distant past), in the form of Bryan MacAllister. Who is the man that shows up knowing more than he should at just the right moment?
The book got off to great start. We jump right in and meet Jessica and her group of freinds as she is saying good bye to them. She's going to a conference in Transylvania of all places. The action starts here at one of the Master's notorious parties. After this things began to get a little confusing for me. There is much we don't learn about Jessica until at least half way through the book. And what we don't know isn't explained in a very good way...it's just suddenly tossed out there. It left me with a "what the hell is going on" feeling. I actually went back and reread part because I thought I had missed something.
Once we have this sudden change in our main character under control, things begin to develop rapidly. They develop...and develop...and develop some more. There were at least three times I thought I was reading the final scene only to encounter a "but wait" moment. One, even two of these is fine to throw a surprise the reader's way, but this ended with a few too many.
When the ending finally did come, it seemed very disappointing after all the repeated hype. If the author had worked the ending in about 50 pages sooner, it would have had a fantastic finish. Unfortunately, it just left me feeling a bit let down.
The book got off to great start. We jump right in and meet Jessica and her group of freinds as she is saying good bye to them. She's going to a conference in Transylvania of all places. The action starts here at one of the Master's notorious parties. After this things began to get a little confusing for me. There is much we don't learn about Jessica until at least half way through the book. And what we don't know isn't explained in a very good way...it's just suddenly tossed out there. It left me with a "what the hell is going on" feeling. I actually went back and reread part because I thought I had missed something.
Once we have this sudden change in our main character under control, things begin to develop rapidly. They develop...and develop...and develop some more. There were at least three times I thought I was reading the final scene only to encounter a "but wait" moment. One, even two of these is fine to throw a surprise the reader's way, but this ended with a few too many.
When the ending finally did come, it seemed very disappointing after all the repeated hype. If the author had worked the ending in about 50 pages sooner, it would have had a fantastic finish. Unfortunately, it just left me feeling a bit let down.
An interesting look at time travel. We explore an ancient Egytian religion that possesses powerful magic capable of crossing distance and time. We see just what might happen to modern people if they find themselves suddenly thrust back unprepared to a different time period.
I didn't particularly care for the main character, he seemed very self centered most of the time. I was intrigued enough to continue to follow his adventures through old England and Egypt. The Doctors Romany and Romanelli I found the most interesting. The concepts behind them were great, and their blunders seemed somewhat humorous at times.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was it's brief look into consequences. What happens when we go back in time? Do we change the future? Would we know it if we did...or would our memories corrent themselves since all this has already happened anyways? It's a circular arguement that the book brushed on through most of its pages. I enjoyed it.
I didn't particularly care for the main character, he seemed very self centered most of the time. I was intrigued enough to continue to follow his adventures through old England and Egypt. The Doctors Romany and Romanelli I found the most interesting. The concepts behind them were great, and their blunders seemed somewhat humorous at times.
What I enjoyed the most about this book was it's brief look into consequences. What happens when we go back in time? Do we change the future? Would we know it if we did...or would our memories corrent themselves since all this has already happened anyways? It's a circular arguement that the book brushed on through most of its pages. I enjoyed it.