The year got off to a busy start with a raft of ebook humorous mysteries that I enjoyed and will review separately. It also started with a bunch of dead tree books that honestly could have been skipped.
OK, I know not every book is good, but seriously, some authors just phone it in these days. Janet Evanovich is famous for it, cozy writers have formulas that are so predictable, 30 pages in, you’re done. Now Julie Garwood is doing it. Yeah, yeah, I know she was hardly a great romantic suspense writer to start with, her early historicals being the best and most polished work she’s done, but seriously, she is plumbing new lows.
In Hotshot, we have a classic Garwood set up of an insanely handsome FBI agent/lawyer/former Olympic gold medalist/champion triathlete (who is likely also an organ donor and loves animals), and woman in jeopardy (who is also a trained chef) – of course it follows they were childhood neighbors and he saved her from drowning when he was a teen and she was a small child. And naturally they meet at a wedding, Finn MacBain being the older brother of the groom and Peyton Lockhart being the little girl who is now all grown up – and naturally beautiful. She’s also the woman with a serious problem. Her dream job of food critic at a well known publication came with more strings than she knew of – namely a boss who is a sexual predator. But she records him and runs, leaving him thinking he’s erased the recording, not realizing she had a back-up. So we now have the kind of lame villain of the piece – who is friends with a psycho not averse to killing and married to an equally skanky and amoral woman who is the magazine owner’s daughter.
Enter wealthy Uncle Len who offers Peyton and her two sisters a shot at owning one of his resorts if they can pull off the renovations and increase profit 20% – it’s theirs. Or they can each have $500,000. They take the resort on an island off the coast of Florida and Peyton thinks she’s free of the sleazeball former boss. Soon Finn is back in the picture and the story, which was about a lifelike as cutout dolls manages to go downhill. Finn is a alpha moron wallowing in angst of ‘I am a loner’ crap. Peyton is ……….. jeeze, not much. A quip? A bit of snark? Sadly 2 dimensional and the whole magazine thing is just ludicrous.
No real tension, flat characters, only occasionally intelligent, spritely dialogue, and so BORING it was just stupid. Honestly, there was not one memorable character in the book and the really unbelievable final scene that had me rolling my eyes. Hotshot was a waste of time, money, and paper. Only ardent Garwood fans will think this good. Save your money and buy something else. A comic book would be an improvement.
My grade is D+ (2.7*) and that’s mostly for a couple of supporting characters. Skip it. Purchased used from Amazon for $6 – which is $5.99 more than it was worth.
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And the current Queen of Phone It In strikes again. In Takedown Twenty Janet Evanovich does another feather light, plotless piece of fluff. I honestly would love to give you story highlights, but a giraffe running through the streets of Trenton and being ignored by the area residents is beyond even my wild imagination. Steph needs to bring in Morelli’s godfather and Uncle, a mob hit man, who jumped bail. His feared Gramdma Bella keeps giving Steph ‘the eye’ and even Morelli, still recovering from the gunshot wound, won’t help. He and his cohorts are busy looking for a serial killer of elderly ladies.
The elusive Uncle Lou and the giraffe are the only plot in the book – meringue has more substance. Plus it’s short. Maybe 3 hours if you read at a modest pace. Given the fact book is selling for over $15 new, and it has little to offer, you have a “Give this one a miss” recommendation. Borrow it from the library – or just sit and read it there, because it won’t take long. You’ll laugh in a couple of places, just like you would at the Three Stooges, but when it’s over it will disappear in a puff of smoke.
Takedown Twenty gets a D+ (2.7*). I got the book for free from an online book swap site. If you MUST read this, buy it super cheap used or borrow it. Even the mmpb will be over priced at $7.99. Not worth the money.
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Lisa Shearin is well known to fantasy readers for her Raine Benares series, but in The Grendel Affair, first in her new SPI series, she enters the wide world of Urban Fantasy. Combining her fantasy skills with an action/mystery element set in today’s NYC, Ms Shearin has another winner. Told in the first person by her female lead character, seer Makenna ‘Mac’ Fraser, this fast paced story weaves together a set of characters in a plot that is interesting and a bit different.
Makeena has her degree in journalism, but the only job she can get is with a sleazy tabloid that runs stories about space invaders and leprechauns. Thing is, as a seer, Makeena does see all manner of paranormal beings for what they really are, not the human illusions they use to mask their true selves, so her stories are actually true – even though no one believes it and she can’t tell them how she knows without running the risk of getting locked up for being nuts. Many are just ordinary creatures working like anyone else, but some are not. Some are predators. Mac gets a job offer for a private security company run by a female dragon lady – that is a real dragon who looks like a very classy lady. She’s partnered with a former cop, the human Ian Byrne, who shows up just as she’s about to try and capture a nachtgnome at the slightly illegal ‘antiques’ business her sort of friend and snitch Ollie runs. The night went south when she was almost mugged then attacked by a vampire who knew her name – and chased off by the mysterious would be mugger.
A murder in the office above the shop – a gruesome murder that they should have heard – lands them in jail and then on the trial of what the creatures were after. The complex plot spins out with action and interest. A relative short book at just under 300 pages, it’s both entertaining and well written. Parts of the plot are a bit predictable, but it’s big short-coming the world building. The reader must buy into the premise that a huge paranormal security business could run in New York City, interfere in police cases, and get very publicly involved in accidents and such, and go undetected by the police and FBI. Now you either ignore this and enjoy The Grendel Affair, or it will nag at you and you won’t.
The other issue is Mac herself. Supposedly from down south, she’s a bit ‘girly’ for the role she plays. Granted, part of the book is about her getting respect for abilities beyond being a seer, a rare gift that few humans have, but part of it is the credibility gap this creates. The quality of Ms Shearin’s writing mostly covers this and allows the reader to just enjoy the book, but in retrospect, you see the holes. The dialogue is sharp and witty, the plot fast moving – which helps to hide things – and the ending rather predictable.
The Grendel Affair gets a C+ to B- (3.5*) from with a tentative suggested read. It’s not top quality, but is a fast, enjoyable read. We’ll see how she does with characters and world building issues in subsequent books. At $7.19 + tax, it’s kind of borderline, so buy it used if you can. Got it free thru a book swap site. I’ll pass it along.
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The latest in Dakota Cassidy’s Accidental series of paranormal romance set at Pack Cosmetics. Harry Ralph Emmerson calls OOPS (Out in the Open Paranormal Support) hotline and gets the anything but supportive, razor tongued vampire, Nina. The opening scene with the two of them on the phone is a highlight of the whole book. Harry took an online test that seems to indicate he’s turning into a werewolf, which is very freaky given he thinks he got it from drinking vitamin water.
Only thing is, it wasn’t vitamin water, is was a formulation created by the pack alpha’s sister and research scientist, Mara Flaherty. Mara has a crush on Harry, a human employee of the pack’s cosmetic business and she made an awkward pass at him at a company party, something that still makes her squirm in embarrassment, so she decides heck with finding a mate, she’ invent a formulation to get herself pregnant (which is without doubt the dumbest plot device ever invented) and puts it in a vitamin water bottle – the one Harry drank right before he started getting furry. And that is where I kind of lost it. Mara is a scientist who thinks she needs to drink an elixir to get pregnant? Did she miss basic biology for mammals?????? OK, it’s fantasy, but still, you don’t get to rewrite something as basic as that for the sake of a plot device.
Anyway, if you can get past that bonehead issue, the book is actually pretty decent, but that’s a BIG issue to get past. Then you have the tension created by the fact Harry is a widower with a young daughter who needs care as he very unwillingly becomes a werewolf, and the fact that Mara violated pack law by turning a human without permission, something even her pack alpha brother can’t fix. So the ladies of OOPS step up and try and help – though Nina’s idea of ‘helping’ is a half bubble off plum – and usually pretty funny.
The accidental series is basically lighthearted fun paranormal romance. The plots often stretch credulity to the break point, but they have good time doing it and they usually have a serious side, as this one does. If you can check you common sense at the door, they are fun reads, but the plot devices are outrageous, and this one a bit harder because the Mara is a scientist.
Something About Harry gets a C- (2.8*) from me, but gets 4.5* on Amazon. Obviously romance fans can buy into the premise more easily than I did. Dakota Cassidy writes well, and has quite a sense of humor. If you can get past the ‘pregnancy elixir’ thing, this will be a fun read with a surprising twist at the end. For hardcore fans of Cassidy and paranormal romance this is a good choice, but at $11-$12, I suggest buying it used. My copy came thru a online book swap site.
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I’m a big fan of Jenn Bennett’s Arcadia Bell series, so I didn’t hesitate to pre-order this first book in her new Roaring Twenties series. I have to admit, it is NOT what I expected, but it was still good. I honestly thought this would a 1920’s Steampunk book, but instead, I got a paranormal romance.
Aida Palmer makes her way in the world with the precarious living of a medium act in speakeasies around the country. It’s a hard living, but she’s slowly built a reputation and hopes someday she can settle down and eventually have enough private customers to stop traveling and make a home for herself. For now, a tiny apartment in San Francisco’s Chinatown new where she works is home while she performs at the Gris-Gris speakeasy in Chinatown for SF’s elite. Winter Magnusson is a bootlegger who is attracted to her. A widower with a lot of emotional baggage and someone trying to destroy his business.
The book capture’s the atmosphere, setting, and time period well enough. The bad guy was obvious to me, but then I’m a mystery reader. The characters are well drawn and like Aida’s spirit and her independence. She reminded me of two great aunts who actually WERE flappers in their youth. Well written and supporting characters were good. BUT …….. this is not anything like her far more complex world of Arcadia Bell. So, if you’re in the mood for a romance with some woo woo spiritual stuff, this will fit the bill just fine.
Bitter Spirits gets a C+ to B- (3.5*) from me, but 4.5* on Amazon. At $7.19 is is typical, so try and buy a used copy. Recommended for paranormal romance fans and those who enjoy Amanda Quick’s Ladies of Lantern Street series.
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This third book in the Weird Girls series kept up with the strong first two entries – except for dwelling on romantic angst. Cursed by Destiny finds Celia Weird in the care of Misha, the master vampire she accidentally gave a soul back to. Alpha werewolf Aric has been ordered to take a werewolf mate for the sake of the species. Celia is not just a cat, she’s a shifter and has other powers, but she isn’t part of the pack. Her gifts are a curse placed on her family and each sister is different. Two of her sisters mated to weres in Aric’s pack, but Aric is like werewolf royalty, and his line must continue – or so the elders insist. Despite refusing her entry to the pack, the elders have no trouble calling on her and her powers to help put down a demon uprising.
There is a huge problem, it seems someone is trying to kill Celia – blowing up Misha’s car, having the ‘Cathloic school girl’s’ her nickname for a group of female vamps that dislike her, and others want her dead. And there’s this collective outbreak of demons coming after her like she’s a huge threat to them. It makes no sense …………. until the very end of the book, which sends the plot down a whole new path.
Cursed by Destiny gets a B- (3.8*) rating from me and recommended reading for fans of the series and the series is suggested for fans of paranormal, like the Arcadia Bell series and the Persephone Alcmedi series. If it had been more angst free with the whole forbidden love thing it might have scored higher, but that’s one part that’s wearing on my nerves. I bought Cursed by Destiny from an online book seller for $7.19 and that’s slightly more than it’s worth, but the series is an overall good read.
Tour's Books Blog 
Finis – The Problem of the Endless Series – Part 3 THE END?
Tags: commentary, List, paranormal, series, urban fantasy, vampire, werewolf/shifter, Witches
I find I can only do so many series before my head explodes. Honestly, authors resurrect characters and series, like soap operas, recycle characters. There are so many epic fantasy series out there, some starting life as a stand alone – or as an outgrowth of early works where and author developed ideas. Dune was such as book. I recall how blown away I was by it when I read back when it first came out. I never did make it to the end of the series, just book 1 and 2, because book 3 was published nearly 7 years after book 2 and I’d moved on. It would take 5 more years for book 4 and 3 more for book 5 and then book 6 followed and was the last. Sort of. Now his son, Brian, along with Kevin Anderson, have continued Dune stories as prequels and sequels to the original series.
The unique universal appeal of Dune is surprising. It’s themes and characters carry well into other cultures making it one of the best selling science fiction novels of all time at 20 million copies. But to put that in context, the Harry Potter series sold over 400 million copies and (Lord help us) Fifty Shades of Gray eclipsed that number at over 450 million. Of course Dune, Harry Potter, and many other books will still be popular long after Fifty Shades is lost in time. But it does prove one thing, SEX SELLS! Trust me, Fifty Shades isn’t selling based on it’s unforgettable characters, original plot, and brilliant writing. It’s selling for the same reason Peyton Place sold in the 1950’s, SEX and the lure of the forbidden, in this case, BDSM. (Quick, who wrote Peyton Place and what was the lead character’s name?) Yeah, I remembered the author’s name, but in all fairness, I couldn’t get past page 50 in that book either, though it was decades after publication when I actually tried, and I can’t even recall a plot. Was there one?
Will most of the series so beloved of readers stand the test of time? Unlikely. Anyone over 40 would be hard put to find titles popular in their teens and 20’s still on the shelves in print. Dune? Yup, that’s there. So is everything by Tolkien. But those ARE classics. I’ll bet in 20 years you’ll still find Harry Potter for the simple reason that his story is one we can all identify with – and the reason adults read so much YA fiction. Like The Hobbit, Harry will age well. Some experiences just continue to resonate over time, long after the cheap, voyeuristic thrills of Fifty Shades has been supplanted by the next hot item.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m all in favor of good, cheap voyeuristic thrills, just not a fan of BDSM. Which segues nicely into another niche market, erotic paranormal romance and futuristic paranormal romance. Kaitlyn O’Connor writes a lot of futuristic si-fi/paranormal erotic romance, spiced with humor. She writes modern shifter romance as Madeline Montague. I’ve kind of been avoiding this stuff because it is a small market, but I’ll include a few here, with fair warning, it’s for adults only. Like most romance, alpha males abound, there is often some BDSM or at least D/s going on, but not the level of kink you get with true BDSM.
Si-fi and fantasy are no strangers to sex. No less an icon than Robert A Heinlein got his book, Stranger in a Strange Land, pulled from school library shelves for a host of reasons including ‘cheap eroticism’. Hey, if you can slog thru 160,000+ words and find a bit of ‘cheap eroticism’ along the way, more power to you! Boy, did you earn it!
(Suggestion – if you actually enjoy reading BDSM, try Maya Banks (also writes mainstream), Shayla Black (also rites as Shelly Bradley), Sylvia Day, and Lorelei James among others. All are light-years better than E.L. James.)
Joey W. Hill (living) – Vampire Queen series now up to book 13, future status unknown, paranormal vampire erotic romance. Hill writes mostly in the BDSM vein, but does some more mainstream series, and stand alones in paranormal, historical, and contemporary genres; Arcane Shot series centers on witches (2 books so far), and she has a paranormal romance series based on mermaids.
Kaitlyn O’Connor (Madeline Montague) (living) – small press author that has gained a loyal following for her humorous ménage Cyberolution series futuristic si-fi romances, 6 books and complete, but as they were written out of chronological order, they can be read as stand alones; as Madeline Montague she writes Wolfen series, a loosely related group of werewolf shifter books, with some, but less humor. 3 books – status unknown. Hard to find author. Short books. Buy the e-books.
Lara Santiago (living) – small press author; two futuristic stand alones – one intended as a possible series that never happened, Menagerie -is a clever apparently poly-amorous story that begins and ends in present day. Rogue’s Run is an intersteller m/f/m ménage. Reads like the start of a series, but she went from futuristic to Western.
Suzanne Collins (living) – Hunger Games – best-selling YA trilogy set in Dystopian future. Complete. Before writing Hunger Games, she authored a series of children’s fantasy books about Gregor the Overlander in her Underland series, 5 books, complete.
Veronica Roth (living) – Divergent trilogy – 3 books plus numbers short stories, novellas, complete, YA si-fi Dystopian; kind of a Hunger Games knock-off with shades of Twilight Zone
Pittacus Lore (living) – Lorien Legacies (5 books but on-going to 9?) and Lost Files (12 books complete); YA futuristic alien invasion; Another variation on Hunger Games type tropes
Jaye Wells (living) – Sabina Kane, 5 books, complete, UF, vampire, mage, assassin – worthwhile read; Prospero’s War – 2 books complete another under contract. Status of additional books – unknown, UF/magic
Kelly Meding (living) – Dreg City – 5 books, complete, Dark UF, si-fi, horror; about a bounty hunter who is killed, loses her memory, is resurrected, and has 3 days to live, but sometimes, you get to die more than once; Meta Wars – futuristic UF/superhero, 4 books, complete, each book focuses on a specific ‘talent’ of a group/
Linda Robertson (living) – Persephone Alcmedi – 6 books so far and 1 more due this year. Completion status unknown. UF, witches, vamps, weres, Fey. Young witch finds she might be one that was in a prophesy, making her a target for her coven and the only one that change the outcome of a potential war.
Harry Connolly(Living) – Twenty Places, 3 books – series cancelled by publisher; UF/Paranormal/fantasy mystery; well liked by those who read it, but not enough readers.
Rachel Caine (living) – Morganville Vampires – 15 books, complete, YA/UF/vampires; Weather Warden – 9 books, complete; UF/paranormal/magic/romance – weather warden (magic worker) is unjustly accused of crimes and goes on the run to look for the one that can offer proof of her innocence. Outcast Season – spin off of Weather Warden, 4 books, status complete.
M. J. Scott (living) – Half-Light City, 4 books, complete, Fantasy/UF/Fae/Vampires – a new author who seemed to be improving with each book. Watch for more from her.
Marjorie M. Liu (living) – Hunter’s Kiss, 5 books and several short stories/novellas, complete, Paranormal Romance/shifters/magic; Dirk & Steele, 13 books – status unknown, paranormal romance, can be read as stand alone books.
Lisa Shearin (living) – Raine Benares, 6 books, complete 2012, fantasy/magic/high fantasy/some romance; kind of a classic fantasy adventure series featuring a female thief; SPI Files – 1 book released this year, one on order, UF/modern paranormal; author has engaging humorous writing style that makes for quick easy reading.
Jeanne C. Stein (living) – Anna Strong, 9 books, novellas, shorts stories, Plus 1 to complete?, paranormal/UF/shapeahifter/vamp/ romance …. If anyone has any comments on this series. let me know
Richelle Mead (living) – Dark Swan, 4 books complete, UF/paranormal/magic/romance; Vampire Academy, 6 books, complete, YA paranormal/supernatural/magic; popular with adult paranormal fans; Bloodlines – spin-off of Vampire Academy, 6 books, ongoing, YA/paranormal/fantasy
Rachel Vincent (living) – Shifters, 6 books, complete; UF/paranormal/paranormal romance, power plays and life among shifters; Soul Screamers, 7 books, plus novellas and short stories, complete, YA/paranormal/fantasy – school taken over by Hellions and the fight to take it back OK, that is a wrap.
And I know a missed a WHOLE LOT OF SERIES, but I’ll try and update Finis every so often. But seriously, too many hours on Goodreads, Amazon, hunting for author websites and I’m DONE. So for those who hate waiting, you now have a place to start. Anyone wants me to add a series they really liked, just post a comment. I review them all.