Bookmail & Wrap Up

Sorry about the delay.  I've been having a few issues with the new Mojave OS ever since I updated my software from Yosemite.  It's been slow, and sluggish, and yesterday I couldn't force quit a program that was preventing me from shutting down the computer, so I had to pull the plug - oops, power outage.

Today I think I've gotten some of the kinks ironed out, but it's still so frustrating to feel like you're being held hostage by your iMac.  Finger's crossed I can actually shut down properly today.

Anyway, last week was quite a good week for me.  Two of the books I've been wanting to read - to see if I want to continue on with the series - were actually at my library.  I know it doesn't sound like a big deal, but trust me, in a small regional country town, having any of my paranormal romance or urban fantasy series on the shelves is major.

I'm still on the fence in regards to Torpedo Ink.  I enjoy the overall story, but the messed up lives, the abuse, and the extremely graphic nature of these books is starting to get to me.  It's like the Anita Blake books all over again.  If you have any thoughts on the matter, let me know in the comments.  I'd seriously love to discuss this with anyone who is having problems with the direction the series is going in.

Thanks for taking the time to watch my videos, I hope to get more up soon.  And until I see you next time,

 

Bookmail, Funko's and a New Camera!

OMG!  I can't believe I actually spent so much 😵

Yes, I am now coming to you with the Canon EOS 200D, and I am beyond excited about finally owning a DSLR.  I've been wanting one for years, but could never justify the expense (soooo expensive in Australia!), however when my old trusty Nikon Coolpix started to fail I decided I needed to invest in a quality camera that was versatile and would allow me to use it for various projects.

Do I love it?  YES!  Am I freaked out by spending so much? YEEESSS!

Anyhoo, it will take me a little while to get myself sorted out with a filming setup, so don't worry if a few video's look funky, I'm working on it.

Thanks for watching, and until I see you next time

 

Reading Wrap-up

Yep, I ended up back in bed over the weekend thanks to some heavy lifting too soon after I tweeked my hip over Easter.  I decided, in my wisdom, to move my large solid wood bookcase back down to the other end of the house to sit with all my other bookcases.  You'd think I'd have learned my lesson by now ;-D

Anyhow, I've only included the books that I physically had.  There are a handful of eBooks that I breezed through that I will be including in a separate upcoming video.

I hope you enjoy my recommendations.  Let me know in the comments if you've read any of these titles, and what you thought of them.  I'm always interested in hearing what people think of these lesser mentioned popular books.

Oops.  Have to dash.  I just remembered that my lunch is in the oven!!!

October sucked

Yep, it's true.  October sucked.

At the beginning of the month a good family friend, and our neighbour for almost 25 years, passed away.  It was expected, and unexpected at the same time, but it threw everything I had planned out the window.  There was no way on earth that I felt like reading all the Stephen King books I had planned for my Kingoween challenge, so instead I fell back to my old favourites like the In Death series by JD Robb and Nalini Singh's Guild Hunter series.

We are all slowly recovering our equilibrium after this, but it takes time.  I haven't been on the computer for almost 3 weeks, just disappearing into a book to escape and try to put all the sadness behind me for those few hours.   But I've hit the turning point where I can go for a day or two without it being in the back of my mind.

Perhaps I'll try to get to some of my Kingoween books this month.  Perhaps not.  However, I think all this time away from the TV has done me a world of good.  I think in the last month I've watched about 8 hours of TV!

Okay, that's about all that I can tell you.  I didn't do anything amazing, or travel anywhere.  Just spent the month at home, enjoying the wet weather that closed in around us and reading my favourite books.  I hope your month was better than mine.  If you discovered a great book, let me know in the comments as I'm looking for new books all the time.

So, until I see you next time,

October Wrap-up

October has been a good reading month.  

As you know, I started Gone With The Wind earlier this month.  While I don't read it every day, I have made a little bit of progress and am 152 pages into this behemoth.  If you want to know what my thoughts are so far CLICK HERE.  I will say that if I had the option, I would have prefered to read this with a book buddy.

While I have added GWTW to my Goodreads list, I have not added any of the Arcane Society and Rainshadow Island series books I've been devouring to the list.  Why?  Because I decided that I would only add new books to my Goodreads Challenge otherwise I would be forever adding and updating progress on the numerous books I reread every month.  I am a huge rereader, and love to go back into the worlds, with characters I enjoy - who have fun adventures.  For some reason October has been the month of the Jayne Ann Krentz (aka Amanda Quick and Jayne Castle) marathon.  I find these books to be quick, fast paced and fun - especially the books set on Harmony as I adore those fuzzy little dust bunnies!

Then there is this months book purchase extravaganza.  Yes, I spent waaay too much money at Book Depository this month.  I'm still waiting for about 10 books to come in the mail - yes, 10! - and have already received another 13 in the post since the start of the month (I hadn't counted until now!), as well as bought a further 4 books at my local Big W (only place to buy new books in town), and 6 used books.

OMG, I am a complete and total book tart!

Please let me know in the comments what your most extravagant book month was (so I don't feel like it's only me who does this!) ;-D

Until next time,

Book Review || Fire Bound

Fire Bound

A Sea Haven Novel #5

Christine Feehan

Published: 26 April, 2016

JOVE, mass market pbk, 367p.

ISBN: 978-0-515-15611-9

She possesses the power to inflame the most dangerous desire of all

Flame-haired Lissa Piner is a skilled glassblower whose delicate gift conceals a burning inner strength that can destroy as exquisitely as it can create.  Commissioned to design chandeliers for a string of luxury hotels, her remarkable skills have taken her to Italy.  But Lissa's real mission there is a secret.  For her entire life has been a lie, leading to a chance to avenge a terrible wrong.

Enlisted as her bodyguard is Casimir Prakenskii, a trained assassin living off the grid.  In Lissa, he sees a kindred spirit - something unexpected and wicked, mysterious and sensual.  But something more than desire is about to bring them together, because both of their pasts cry out for revenge.  And for two people with this many secrets, this much passion and this many enemies, someone is bound to get burned.

Well, we've almost reached the end of this series.  Fire Bound is the second last book in the Sea Haven novels that follow the Prakenskii brothers (Lev, Stefan, Maxim, Gavriil, Casimir and Viktor).  I have been eagerly awaiting each brothers story since finding out about Ilya's past in Turbulent Sea, but as the series has progressed I've been finding myself oddly disappointed with most of the books in the Sea Haven series, and Fire Bound was no different.

Now don't get me wrong, there were sections of this book that I did like, but I've reached the stage where I don't just want these characters to hit the sheets within a few days of meeting each other.  In Lissa and Casimir's case, they had only exchanged a handful of words, before they ended up jumping into bed with each other (p.64 and goes on for more than 20 pages!).  This bossy, dominating alpha stereotype is fine if he's a werewolf, but for a paranormal romance I want to see something other than the me-trained-assassin-you-mate-so-let's-have-sex attitude that I've been finding.  A book full of sex scenes does not equate to romance in my opinion.  I'd rather imagine somethings that have it describe in minute, and often very graphic, detail.  Is it just me?  When did author's stop leaving something to the readers imagination?

Okay, sex aside, the other major gripe that I had with Fire Bound was the ending with the Sorbacov's demise.  These two men have been the bane of the Prakenskii brothers life for over 30 years.  They are ruthless, well protected, going after them is a suicide mission and you may not be successful - according to the Prakenskii's themselves - and yet they are dispatched with ease by Lissa.  No help from Casimir, or any of the brothers, they're just set up and snuffed out by one feisty redhead.  Okay, she doesn't escape scott free, but it boggles the mind.  This was one of the places that thumbed its nose at the 'mythology' established in earlier books, and having Lissa basically assassinate two ruthless killers, pulled me out of my reading zone.

*sigh*

So now having bitched about the cons, and while the above problems did bring down my rating, there were one or two moments that held this books head just above the 2 star waterline.  I enjoyed finding out about Lissa's past, and I was just about clapping when her uncle, and his bodyguard, got their just desserts, but by far, my favourite moment would have to be the surprise introduction of Viktor.  OMG, Viktor is one hell of a scary SOB! We find out what he's up to now (bring the series full circle with events from Hidden Currents), and got a few tidbits about his and Blythe's past - which was definitely enough to get my mouth watering for the final book in the series.  And it is for these scenes that I gave Fire Bound 3½ stars.  Major fireworks ahead.

I hope you enjoyed my review of Fire Bound by Christine Feehan.  Let me know if you have read the book - or a planning too - and if you have, what did you think of it?  

I'm hoping to get another quick review up later this week, so until next time...

Earth Bound is here!

Read Chapter 1 {HERE}

"After escaping from a cult, Lexi found refuge with her sisters on the farm that more than sustained her body—it nurtured her soul as well. But she never forgot the terror she left behind or the always present fear that the cult would find her again, and claim her. Then her nightmare came true.

Lexi was discovered and threatened—only to be suddenly saved by a stranger. He is Gavriil Prakenskii, and he’s awestruck by the woman he’s rescued. She is destined for him. He can feel it in his soul. But how can Lexi find happiness with a man steeped in secrets and shadows, one intimately acquainted with violence, and whose very love could be the death of them?"

After weeks of waiting for it, and pre-ordering it last month, I finally got my hands on the latest book in the Sea Haven series by Christine Feehan in the post this week!

Yes, I can now continue on with the Prakenskii brothers - and we're getting closer to them meeting the Drakes by what I read in Earth Bound ;-D

I'll post a review of this soon, but I just couldn't wait to tell you how much I enjoyed this book.  Full of action, magic, and a bad case of insta-love - which seems to be popping up more frequently in this series (not such a fan of that aspect), but the story of Lexi and Gavriil was very fast paced and just sucked me in.  

If this is something you would like to try, then I'm sorry but you'll have to read ALL seven Drake Sisters series books before starting on the Sea Haven (or Sisters of the Heart as it is alternatively known as in some countries) series.  There are so many references to previous books that you would miss out on a lot if you just dove into the Sea Haven series first.  

Start soon as next year will see the release of the second last book in this series... and I can't wait!

Until next time,

Book Review - A Matter of Magic

A Matter of Magic
Patricia C. Wrede

Mairelon the Magician - 1991
The Magician's Ward - 1997

ORB, paperback, 448p.
ISBN: 978-0-7653-2632-4

TOGETHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN TRADE PAPERBACK

When a stranger offers her a small fortune to breeak into a traveling magician's wagon, Kim doesn't hesitate.  A hard life and lean times as a waif on the streets of London have schooled her in one lesson: steal from them before they steal from you.  But then Kim is caught in the act and to her dismay discovers that magic isn't just smoke and mirrors.

If that weren't bad enough, the magician seems to like her and suggests she become his apprentice.  That's when the real trouble begins.  Kim finds herself entangled with murderers, thieves, and cloak-and-dagger politics, all while trying to learn how to become both a proper young lady and a magician in her own right.

Magic and intrigue go hand in hand in Mairelon the Magician and The Magician's Ward, two delightful tales of mystery and romance set against the intricate backdrop of Regency England.

Hi there all you lovely readers!  Today I'm just going to do a very quick round-up of a book that has taken me oh so long to finally get through (but actually took about 5 hours in total).  First let me just say that the cover is absolutely gorgeous - and part of the reason that I caved and bought it! - but once it was in my hands.... it feels soooo good ;-D.  It's got an almost suede feel to it which I do love and I've caught myself more than once just rubbing my fingers on the cover while I'm reading.

But onto the review.  I did have trouble getting into this book.  Perhaps I was just not in the mood for this genre but I read up till page 99, put in a bookmark, and the book then sat on my TBR bookself until last night when I decided enough was enough.  After getting in a funk about re-aquainting myself with the world, character and the slang used, I found much to my chagrin, that I really enjoyed the last half of the first story.  It is not the fastest paced story out, but it does set up the second book, The Magician's Ward, beautifully.

I enjoyed the use of the Regency era, and there is just something about mixing 19th century English settings with magic that really works for me.  It doesn't have to be Steampunk per se, but I do love the juxtapositions {yes, I know big words too!} of fantastical elements being found in the seedy underbelly of London.

In Wrede's version of Pygmalion, Kim is a girl who has taken on the guise of a boy so as to move around unfettered, and not to fall prey to the unpleasant elements of her home streets.  Orphaned, and with the woman she looked upon as a mother-type figure dead, Kim has found her niche in the local hierarchy as a thief for hire.  Until the night she is caught red-handed by a magician.  This starts a series of events - oh, how Lemony Snickets ;-D - that will take Kim away from the only life she's ever known and into the drawing rooms and ballrooms of London's elite.

I really did enjoy this bind up of both books.  The language is very easy to digest once you get into the rythm of things, and with no graphic violence, sex or very salty language, it is a refreshing change.  The world building is minimal, relying I think on the readers knowledge of this time period to construct there own ideas of the cityscape.  In all, I can't believe that it took me 4 or so weeks to pick this book back up and finish it as it is a great bit of escapism.

If you love paranormal romance, Regency romance, or like your historical fiction spiced up with a little bit of magic, then A Matter of Magic might just be what you're looking for.

I hope you've enjoyed this review.  If you have and questions or comments you know what to do.

Until next time,

 

Review: Dark Wolf

Dark Wolf
A Carpathian Novel, Book #25
Christine Feehan

Published: 2014

Piatkus, Hardcover, 358p.
ISBN: 978-0-349-40216-1

Skyler Daratrazanoff always recognised the miracle that was Mimitri Tirunul, a man beyond any dream that had ever engaged her nigths.  But she is human.  Vulnerable.  He is Carpathian.  Nearly immortal.  She is nineteen.  He is an ancient.  Yet she holds half of his soul, the light to his darkness.  Without her, he will not survive.  Caught between the two arring species, Dimitri has spent centuries fighting to keep his people free and humans safe.  He has survived honourably when others have chosen to give up their souls.  Now, marked for extermination by the Lycans, Dimitri finds himself alone, and fearing for his life.  But salvation is coming . . .

No Lycan would ever suspect someone like Skyler to mount a secret rescue operation.  A teenage girl.  A human of untested abilities.  But she has something no one else has.  She is predestined for Dimitri - as he is for her.  And there is nothing stronger for Skyler than her desire to see her life-dream come true.  However dangerous it might be . . .

Review: Rule Breaker

Rule Breaker

Breeds, Books 29

Lora Leigh

Published: February 4, 2014

Hardcover: 448 pages
Berkley, Hardcover, 448p
ISBN: 978-0425-26545-1

Lion Breed and enforcer Rule Breaker has just a few rules he doesn’t break. Not for anything. Not for anyone—like never have sex with a woman outside his own breed, especially a human woman. Especially someone too helpless, too fun loving and too full of life to ever be able to protect herself, let alone help him to protect her.

If the damned animal inside him insists on a mate, then why pick her? A woman who is an easy target and who can be used as a weapon against him at any time.

But what he suspects is mating heat may not be that at all. Just his animal instincts rioting, pacing, irritated whenever he's away from her.

Okay, he can handle that.

What ensues is a fiery affair that breaks all the rules of mating heat and will eventually endanger his mate with the very rules designed to protect the Breeds—for she’s possibly been working against them…

I just love these Breed books!  I have been following the series since it all began at Ellora's Cave (oh so many years ago) with Callan & Merinus, and now, even though I'm not too keen on e-formats, I'm getting the eBook as soon as possible just so I can get my fix ;-D

Okay, so what can I tell you about Rule Breaker?... Well, we're still in the Navajo Nation, and only a few weeks seem to have passed since Stygian and Liza (aka Honor) mated. But, time is running out for our manipulation maestro, Jonas, in his hunt for the Breeds who may hold the key to saving his daughter, Amber.  In the desperate search for Gideon - who actually makes an appearance! - he's still digging into the rituals of the Navajo, trying to find out what happened to the four Breed children who disappeared 12 years ago.  Children who hold the answers that Jonas and Rachel so desperately need.

New Order for February

I just couldn't help myself, and ordered 3 new books from Book Depository (I really should get a discount card for all the books I buy there!)

Can't wait to get them in the mail next week.  Thought I'd better grab Twice as Hot by Gena Showalter as soon as possible - I've waited nearly 12 months for it to come back into stock - and I just couldn't go past Accidentally Dead by Dakota Cassidy.  I love her Accidental series!

Finally, I couldn't go past another Tea Shop Mystery book, so I grabbed Oolong Dead.  This might fill in a few blanks I've had as I skipped books 9 and 10 to read The Teaberry Strangler, Scone & Bones, and Agony of the Leaves.  Turns out I missed a quite a bit ;-P

Review: Dark Witch (or Three Sisters Island v2.0)

Dark Witch

Book One of the Cousins O'Dwyer Trilogy

Nora Roberts

Published: October, 2013

Piatkus, Trade Paperback, 342p.

ISBN: 978-0-7499-5859-6

Three cousins inherit a gift that will tranform their lives...

Iona Sheehan has just taken the biggest gamble of her life.  Leaving her job, her home and her family in Baltimore, she has come to Ireland in search of adventure - and answers.

Iona has always felt a powerful connection to the home of her ancestors.  So when her beloved grandmother confesses an extraordinary family secret, she can't resist visiting County Mayo to discover the truth for herself.  Arriving at the beautiful and atmospheric Castle Ashford, Iona is excited to meet her cousins, Connor and Branna O'Dwyer, for the first time.  And when she lands a job at the local riding school she finds herself drawn against her will to its owner - the hot-tempered but charismatic Boyle McGrath.  Perhaps in County Mayo she has found her true home at last.

What Iona doesn't realise is that her cousins have been expecting her for a long time.  Connor, Branna and Iona have all inherited a powerful but dangerous gift from an ancestor known as the Dark Witch.  And they are about to discover that some old legends can return to haunt the present...

My library emailed me to let me know that Dark Witch was waiting for me and I was so happy - good reading material has been scarce around here lately - so the next time I went into town I made sure to pick it up.  It sat for a day, staring at me from the arm of the couch, until I finally gave in last night and headed off to bed early (had a big thunderstorm - perfect for witchy reading).

Yeah! It's here!

After the crappy day I've had, I was amazed when a knock at my front door revealed a postman bearing gifts ;-P.  For in his hands was my much awaited for copy of Archangel's Legion by Nalini Singh.

The cover is fabulous, and as much as I want to devour it right now, I'll be good, and wait till after my appointment so I won't have to put it down for any reason.

This series has turned out to be one of my all-time favourites.  There is just something about the relationship of Elena and Raphael's that to totally sucks me in.

Quick update

I have been so behind lately it isn't funny.  The newest book on my reading pile was 'Dark Currents' by Jacqueline Carey.  It's the first book in a new series and I thoroughly enjoyed it.  Health issues - as well as a continually absent Wi-Fi signal - have meant that between that and the few hours of casual work I do a week, that I'm often too sore, frustrated, or just too darn tired to put up my thoughts on some of the fabulous books I've read lately.  So, my apologies - I'll try to get my butt in gear this month ;-D

I'm still waiting on my postie to deliver 'Archangel's Legion'.  I love this series and have been eagerly awaiting the next Elena/Raphael story.

Review: Cry Wolf

Cry Wolf
Alpha & Omega, Book 1
Patricia Briggs

Published August, 2008

ACE, Mass Market paperback, 294 p.
ISBN: 978-0-441-01615-0

From the back....

Anna never knew werewolves existed, until the night she survived a violent attack...and became one herself. After three years at the bottom of the pack, she's learned to keep her head down and never, ever trust dominant males. Then Charles Cornick, the enforcer--and son--of the leader of the North American werewolves, came into her life. Charles insists that not only is Anna his mate, but she is also a rare and valued Omega wolf. And it is Anna's inner strength and calming presence that will prove invaluable as she and Charles go on the hunt in search of a rogue werewolf--a creature bound in magic so dark that it could threaten all the pack...

My thoughts...

I'm in a bit of a quandary over Cry Wolf.  The short story (in the On the Prowl anthology) was fabulous.  Quick paced and full of all the action I've come to expect from the Mercy-verse.  However, in Cry Wolf the pace seemed to lag.  Don't get me wrong.  I loved seeing more of Bran and Charles, but it became predictable in places.

Take Leah for example.  We first come across her royal bitchiness in Moon Called - as she's chasing Mercy through the woods - and from what had been said, we knew that she was motivated by her hatred of Mercy because a) she's a coyote, b) Mercy has a special place in Bran, Charles and Samuel's life, and c) she can still have children.  Simple, and sticks with what we know of her.  In Cry Wolf though, she could have been so much more.  Instead Leah was wasted in just furthering Anna and Charles' inner anxieties.  She's Bran's mate/wife for goodness sakes, yet she's used as no more than a footnote in the book.

But despite the annoying use of Leah, we did get to encounter the wonderfully complex Asil.  He's quickly became one of my favourite characters in the Mercy-verse.  The backstory Ms. Briggs established for him, and his involvement in the action are vital to whether or not this story worked.  Congratulations all round for giving us such a wounded warrior!

In Moon Called we only saw Charles for brief moments yet it was obvious that he was a much different wolf to Samuel.  And thank God!  Portrayed as the ultimate assassin for the Marrock, Charles' displays of vulnerability are very much unexpected yet appreciated.  Anna delves below the facade that Charles puts up between himself and the world - even Bran - and in return we see Anna slowly blossom as she discovers her own strengths and worth.  It is beautiful to watch this wounded wolf discover herself.

Bran is the real surprise in Cry Wolf.  Seemingly invincible, we explore the secret past that Bran has been struggling to hide - even from himself - and how this has led to his relationship with Leah.  There is a reason for her presence in their pack, and Bran's bed.  And Samuel makes a brief return to the fold and even though he's only around for a few scenes, he's always a welcome addition.

There are a few surprises for everyone, including what happens on the remote mountainside in Montana. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so I'll just say that we meet a fallen warrior who redeems himself, and a nasty piece of work from Asil's past that threatens to set off a chain of events that could have tragic consequences for all the Marrock pack.

So, while I have grouched about some aspects of the book, I still consider it a great book.  If you loved reading Mercy, then you'll have to include this in your reading pile.  A great start to a spin-off series.

A Werewolf Weekend

Even though I was supposed to be studying, I couldn't resist reading the three werewolf books that arrived in the post late last week.  I would have posted the reviews earlier in the week, however a quick visit to family left me in a wireless (and mobile phone) blackspot.  But now I'm back and unpacked, so without further delay, here are my fav furry reads for the month.

A Werewolf in Manhattan

A Wild About You Novel Bk 1

Vicki Lewis Thompson

Published: 04 January, 2011

Signet Eclipse, Mass Market Paperback, 324 p.

ISBN: 987-0-451-23247-2

 

A FANTASY COME TO LIFE - LITERALLY.

Emma Gavin writes bestselling novles about werewolves, but that doesn't mean she believes in them - and she certainly doesn't think she'll ever meet one.  But that's exactly what happens when her books catch the attention of a rich and powerful pack of Manhattan Weres, who have kept their extistence hidden for centuries.  Alarmed by the accuracy of her novels, they're determined to findout if a renegage is acting as her informant.

Aidan Wallace, the pack leader's son and heir, knows he's the wolf for the job, but when he gets close to Emma, they rea both surprised by an attraction too strong to deny.  To surrender to it, Aidan will have to risk everything - including the security of the pack he's sworn to protect ...

 

 

 ******

I wasn't sure what to expect when I started this book.  Like most of you, I love a good werewolf romance, but I'm finding it harder to locate books that offer something new.  A Werewolf in Manhattan did.  I found the idea that an author could accidentally spill pack secrets - and be under pack surveillence - rather interesting.  Especially when the wolf heading the investigation becomes emotionally involved with the naive, and innocent, author.

Much in the same style as her Nerds series, it's a fast paced story that keeps your interest till the end.  A definite must have if you love MaryJanice Davidson or Dakota Cassidy's books.

 

Werewolf in the North Wood

A Wild About You Novel Bk 2
Vicki Lewis Thompson

Published: 04 October, 2011
Signet Eclipse, Mass Market Paperback, 320 p.
ISBN: 978-0-451-23498-8

EVERYONE KNOWS BIGFOOT DOESN'T EXIST,

JUST AS A WEREWOLF.

When she used to walk around her grandfather's property outside Portland, Abby Winchell loved the idea that Bigfoot was somewhere out there too.  Now her grandfather swears he's seen two creatures that fit the legendary description - and he has the evidence.  Sort of.  Grandpa Earl may be a bit dotty, but when his neighbors invite a renowned anthropologist to disprove his theory, Abby decides to send the man packing ... until she sees how hot he is.

 

Anthropology professor Roarke Wallace can't risk news being made of a Bigfoot sighting in the north woods - not with a local pack of werewolves to protect.  Disproving the evidence should be easy, but ignoring Abby is not.  Her fiery red hair makes him want to sit up and beg, and his obvious attraction is making the pack suspicious ...

****

From werewolves to Sasquatch?  This was a little bit of stretch even for me.  However, when I put aside the hunt for the Sasquatches - what is the plural of Sasquatch anyway? - and concentrate on the romance between Abby and Roarke, I found it to be your average paranormal romance. 

In the first book, you get more of a sense of a relationship between Aidan and Emma, as he'd been watching her for months.  However, I find the whole concept of instant bonding more than a bit tedious now.  As a story device it's been used and abused as a way to throw two characters together without trying to put the effort.  Can't quite make your heroine fall for your hero?  Hey, she gets bitten and now it's love at first bite - or 'first sniff' according to the cover.

Werewolf in the North Woods is a decent book to have when you need to take something with you on the bus, but I found that my attention wandered throughout.  Perhaps the next book in the series will pick up the slack?

 

The Accidental Werewolf

Dakota Cassidy

Published: 01 November, 2011 (reprint)

Berkley Sensation, Mass Market Paperback, 321 p.

ISBN: 987-0-425-24271-1

 

 

COLOR ME BITTEN. . .

Marty Andrews is having a bad week.  First, she's bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle.  As a result, her salon-perfect blonde hair begins to darkening by the day to something that's sooo not in her color wheel.  Her mood swings have turned her into The Hormonal Hulk.  Worse yet, the hair on her legs is growing at a rate evan a body slam into an entire vat of wax couldn't cure.  Last, and most important, her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics is going to hell in a handbasket...

 

The only high point is Keegan Flaherty, the drool-worth man who shows up at her door.  Of course, he's clearly insane.  Keegan claims that he accidentally bit Marty, and since he's a werewolf, she is now, too.  Red meat cravings aside, Marty refuses to believe a word until a kidnapping makes her realize there's more at stake than her highlights.  And she must put her out-of-control life in the hands of the man who makes her blood run wild in more ways than one...

 

****

I first picked this book up, years ago, at my local library - and I'm so glad I did.

Usually an author has their character being nearly mauled to death, then having to come to terms with their new 'condition'.  It is done in the most traumatic and emotionally draining fashion, but  Dakota Cassidy has made becoming a werewolf a fun lesson in how it could really put a crimp in a gal's life.  I got the giggles when I read about the constantly regrowing leg hair, and the trauma of Marty having to deal with the regrowth from hell. 

Every other book I've read with werewolves, they turn furry at the drop of a hat.  No problems.  But not our girl, Marty.  Her stubby little tail problem made me laugh even as I cringed in sympathy.

This is a great take on the classic werewolf tail (sorry Marty, couldn't resist :-P ).  If you like your paranormal romance books with an edge of sarcastic humor and wet-yourself-laughing moments, then Dakota Cassidy's books are for you.  Will definitely be buying the rest of the books in the series :-P