Anna Dressed in Blood (Anna #1) by Kendare Blake

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. This reading challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

 When this all started I chose Peril the First, which asked me to read 4 books. And I’m proud to say I finished them all! Just in time too, given this last post is happening on Halloween. I found that I really enjoyed all of my reads and I’m super happy that it pushed a scaredy cat like me to read a few things outside my comfort zone. Though I’ll admit I’m happy to get back to my normal fare…as well as a few Christmas reads to get in the mood for the next season.

So, Without Further Ado, My 4th Book…Anna Dressed in Blood

BookTalk

Theseus Cassio Lowood has inherited his father’s job. His duty is to rid the world of ghosts that kill humans. Note: the word “rid” Yep, you can’t “kill” a ghost, they’re already dead. And don’t even think about calling Cas something as demeaning as a Ghostbuster. The kid has killed over 20 ghosts in a few short years. Traveling across the country to perform his duty.

And while everyone agrees that Cas is doing an excellent job of banishing ghosts, it’s something that’s left him friendless and fatherless. But all of this is about to change in Thunder Bay. Cas is about to find an unlikely group of friends including a Prom Queen and a geeky wizard. He’ll witness terrifying ghosts, at least one murder, and the very being that killed his father. And not everyone will make it out alive…

Review

This was not the scariest of all my reads. At points it freaked me out a little…like the final ghost or when Anna scares up all of her previous kills to drive Cas away. There were times where I could just picture the image of this terrifying being *shiver*. But Cas is so calm and collected about it all. Constantly reassuring the reader that it’s all under control. So this book never really built up the suspense to become truly terrifying. Not that the book needed that extra element. Nope. This read is all about Cas facing his fears…like making friends, falling in love, and taking down the demons of his past. The way the plot flowed offered up surprises. Super surprises. Like Holy killing Batman! Someone dies in the beginning of this. Did not see that coming. Honestly read it and thought I was going to wake up from a dream of some kind.

I think at this point I need to say a thing or two about the cover of the book. First, Love It. I love this cover, it has so much movement, it’s pretty and creepy all at the same time…and is it just me or does it fade in lots of red/little red/lots of red? Just me? *sigh* I stare at computer screens for too much of my day! But, I want to yell at the publishers…”This book is about a boy! Do you know how hard it is to get a guy to pick up a cover like this?!” It’s like 13 Reasons Why all over again. It’s hardest to get boys to read and then we have to stymie a perfectly acceptable boy protagonist with a beautiful dress cover. Yep, this is the world of Librarianship.

However, I really should get back to my love of this book. I read the bulk of it in about 2 hours or so. Once I really got into the story I couldn’t stop! What’s great is that one of the major plot points end roughly 3/4 of the way through the book…opening up that last fourth for a surprise plot ending you didn’t even realize was going to happen. And it all flowed so well, not nearly as awkward as I’ve just made it sound.

Also, this book is the beginning of a series. Though, I’m not quite sure where it’s going. There seem to be some mortality issues in succeeding with Cas’s desires. But my doubts aside I’ll be standing in line for the next installment. I have to see where all this is headed. The ghost killing, the friendships, and the romance. Sooo obvious that this book was just the beginning.

Rating: 4/5 Ghost story full of Ghosts but not scary enough to sleep with the light on. 

 

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Monday’s Bite (18)…Breaking Dawn Ch. 34 – End

The Twilight ReRead Finishes! 

Bookgoonie and I are forging ahead through the final book of the Twilight Series. Since it’s been a long road you’ll notice we switched up our format from questions to subject topics…You can only ask about the love triangle so many times…lol.

I just have to say that this Re-Read was tough. I loved doing it with Bookgoonie. I’m so happy I finished the books pre-Breaking Dawn movie time. But man, that’s a hefty lot of books we worked out way through! I think we both deserved a little pat on the back and extra butter on our movie popcorn, lol.

As always remember to head over to for Bookgoonie for her take on Ch. 34-End. If you don’t have a blog you can comment through Twitter with #mondaybites.

Without further ado…Topics…

Creeps. Bookgoonie was creeped out by all the Vampires. I’m gonna disagree. I loved meeting all the wild Vampires. It was cool to hear how they all connected over the years, how other Vampires lived their lives. Up until now we’ve only been acquainted with the puritan-like Cullens or the nasty eat-everyone type. I thought it was cool that Meyer filled in the Vampire grey spectrum with others who were different but not all bad.

Plan B. I hated having to watch Bella figure out a contingency plan for Reneseme and Jacob. This takes about 2 chapters of this section of the book. That’s a lot of time spent calmly and sadly figuring out how to leave her daughter if she and Edward die. I know that it was realistic, the need to do something like this. But I hated watching it. Felt more like Bella had given up rather than amping up for this final battle. This may be why we were all so disappointed in the big climax.

Epic Battle. I’m torn about the Epic Battle. First off, it’s not going to film well. It only barely provided the tension we needed to end the series. Ultimately, they never really even fought! Given the entire battle/tension happens in Bella mind…I’m predicting a big Hollywood re-do (a la, Edward’s fight in Volturi that never happened in the book) or maybe a really cool special effect…?

But then there is a large part of me, as a reader, that understands why this is Bella’s gift and that it really does save the day…just not in an action packed/judo kick kinda way. I liked how Bella’s human personality and gifts were amplified when she turned Vampire, it worked for her character…just doesn’t make for a blockbuster ending.

The Re-Appearance of Alice. This ending was the one I felt was totally fulfilling. Alice coming in at the 11th hour, heck more like 11:59, with the answer to the Reneseme problem. Not only can Alice prove their innocence she can show them another vampire/human offspring that proves Reneseme will get to live…not just age rapidly and die. This is why Alice is one of my favorite characters. She always comes through in the end…with pizzazz!

The Wolves Aren’t really Werewolves?! I mean I get it, seriously, I get it. It doesn’t really make sense for Jacob and his pack to be werewolves. Meyer never played into any traditional were lore. In fact, she went out of her way to give this pack their own story. Still doesn’t change the fact that for 4 HUGE books we all thought we were dealing with werewolves and then 3 pages from the end Meyer pulls the rug out from under us. So I get it, really I do…just makes me want to scratch my head and ask Why?…

The Happy Ever After. I have to give a shout out to Bella hefting away her mental super shield and showing Edward all of her memories. I loved that she does it to show him her love.

“”Now you know,” I said lightly, and shrugged “No one’s ever loved anyone as much as I love you”

*sigh* I do love that ending to the book. Because Epic Battle Fail or not this was and always has been a love story…A very successful one at that…

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TGIF (14)…Putting the ‘Spooky’ in Spooktacular

TGIF is hosted by Ginger at Greads. It’s about answering/asking our readers a random book related question. The question posted by Ginger today is…

Spooktacular Reads: Which books do you consider festive Halloween reads? Which stories have chilled you to the bone?

Well, as I’ve admitted over the course of my R.I.P. Reading Challenge that I’m a pretty big scaredy-cat when it comes to scary stories. But I’m learning to enjoy a fright or two and the three books I’ve already done for the challenge are great Halloween reads:

Ashes by Ilsa Bick

All about a girl who survives an apocalyptic electromagnetic charge that kills or turns people into zombies…The tension in this kept me on the edge of my seat, murmuring things like “Run, Run, Run!” or “Shh! be quiet” or “Eek, grab the gun!!!” Ok, so maybe I was slightly more forceful than a murmurer but I’m pretty sure I was only actually shouting in my head! lol.

The Shining by Stephen King

Boy with way more than a 6th sense gets snowed into a Hotel with only his mother and slowly-losing-his-mind father. Too bad the boy’s extrasensory ability only fuels the evil Hotels fire…needless to say, not everyone makes it out alive…Redrum anyone?

The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

I liked this one best of all. Gothic read, creepy ghost, an evil Housekeeper, and whispers of murder. The perfect Halloween read set in Victorian England. So spooked by the book I had to stop reading at one point! Loved it.

But there is no need to stick to these new reads…In the past some of my faves have been:

Dracula by Bram Stoker

The Cruciable by Arthur Miller

The Physic Book of Deliverance Dane by Katherine Howe

Those are my Spooktacular picks. I can’t wait to see what everyone else chose…I still need my 4th R.I.P. read! Wish me happy hunting. And leave suggestions in my comments! I’ll love you forever 😉

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The Poisoned House by Michael Ford…(R.I.P. 3)

The blog Stainless Steel Droppings has hosted this reading challenge for the past 6 years. This reading challenge asks you to read books that fall into the following genres:

Mystery
Suspense
Thriller
Dark Fantasy
Gothic
Horror
Supernatural

 If you’d like to join up just click the image above to find more info. Know that if you’re new to challenges (or just really busy reading other things) this challenge comes with levels. Including one that asks you to read just one book. I’ve chosen Peril the First, which means I’ve signed up for 4 books! That’s a lot of scary for a scaredy-cat like me, lol.

Without Further Ado, My 3rd Book…The Poisoned House

BookTalk

Roughly a year since her mother’s death Abi Tamper has decided to run away. Abi is a serving girl at Greave Hall, an elegant estate in which Abi spent the first 10 years of her life in relative bliss. Abi was treated as ‘almost’ one of the family, given privileges normally denied a servant because of her mother’s nurse position in the household.

But a year after her mother’s death finds Greave Hall a cold and imposing place. The master of the Hall is slowly losing his mind, his son returned from war ill and broken, and the Housekeeper wages a personal war against Abi forcing abuse of all kinds. This is the house Abi tried to leave. But fate didn’t allow such a wish. Something in the house wants Abi back. A ghost is beginning to haunt Abi’s dreams, and her waking hours…hand prints appear, books are burned, and rooms destroyed…but most chilling of all is the whispered word…Murder…

Review

Ooooh, this book was exactly what I wanted in an R.I.P. read. I killed about half the book in one late night read and had to stay up an extra half an hour with a trashy romance to avoid the nightmares that would come from the ghosts of The Poisoned House.

Side Note about the scary-ness:

Oh, the ghost hand! eek, coming through the window…shut the book right there. I swear, couldn’t read any further even with the hubby sleeping next to me and the dog at the foot of the bed; because dogs always know when something is up…it’s a sixth sense, you know.

The next night, again armed with my dog and my husband, I managed to finish the book. Luckily the ending was quite happy. I’m beginning to see this as a trend in horror/suspense novels. The happy ending. I think the authors put you through so much, get you to question every motive, every creak in the house, they have to overly assure you that once the story is told the characters are safe.

First off, I loved the beginning and the ending. The book opens with the warning that the following story was found amongst forgotten papers in an attic. Score 1 for creepy. Also, the first chapter was foreshadowing at it’s finest…scared Victorian serving girl running away screaming that the house was evil. Score 2 for creepy. But the ending…that happy ending I told you about…it’s written in obituary form. Yep, obituary. LOVED it.

Really, what keeps you going is the lovely writing (yeah, it’s well written to boot!) and the suspense. If you wanted a little sleep-with-the-lights-on-have-to-start-a-trashy-romance-slam-the-book-shut kinda read, this is it. I found Abi to be a little ‘young’ I won’t go as far as to say immature, she’s seen too much and been abused too many times to seem immature, but she exudes a youngness that had me reminding myself of her age. I think this added to the creepy factor. Abi is young enough to believe it all while still being old enough to realize ramifications and to piece the mystery together.

Oh and P.S. bookish peeps…there really is a ghost. Ooooh, Score 3 for creepy!

Finally we have our supporting characters. The half mad Lord Greave. The man is running around in his Victorian underwear (revealing I’m sure, lol) calling people the wrong names and staring at things in the fireplace. A medium actually connects with the dead and our ghost is an active soul…lots of ruined rooms, books, clothing, and dirty hand prints *chill*. Ahh, but our final and greatest supporting character is the Housekeeper Mrs. Cotton. Evil incarnate. Loved her character and I loved the role her character played in the final plot.

If you’re on the lookout for a good, fast, gothic read this Halloween…look no further, you’ve found the book.

Rating: 5/5 Creepy Victorian Gothic tale about things that go bump in the night.

*Book received for review from Albert Whitman & Company via NetGalley…Thanks!*

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*Spoilers*…The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa…*Spoilers*

So I very much-loved The Iron Fey Series. Thus my month-long Tuesday reviews of the entire series…even those novellas…I was pretty proud of myself running through the whole text without giving away too many spoilers. But, Oh, the restrictions of keeping my beans contained! It’s like being given chocolate cake and just having a bite a week…No chance to savor the whole slice that is The Iron Fey.

Well I’m off the No-Spoiler Wagon my friends. The beans are being spilt…

Shield your eyes…

Read no more if you’d like to keep the mystery that is Ash intact…

Without Further Ado…My Thoughts

*Spoiler Alert*

Ash’s Dream-Real-Fake Life

Oh my gosh, stop my bleeding heart. While I was reading this section all I could think of was how adult Kagawa played it. She held nothing back…Ash had this bittersweet life. True, he got to be with Meghan and his son, but he also experienced old age, jealousy, etc. And still he chose that life. Even I was wavering after that trial…but Ash just stuck with it. He felt such love and longing for his former/fake/dream life that he’d do it all again, knowing he’d be doing it as a human rather than a fey.

The human in me appreciates the potential sacrifice Ash is making. Loved him for it. And I don’t know that I would have been that strong…

The Puck Situation

My heart aches for Puck. ACHES. He’s a good guy, really he is! But he gets totally shafted in this series. No supernatural Jacob/Reneseme ending for this guy. Throughout the series he’s been a stalwart friend, even to his enemy, and a faithful lover of Meghan. Yet, at the end of this series Puck is still in love with Meghan, he’s formed a bromance again with Ash…There was a fleeting moment in which I thought he might get a shot with the back-from-the-dead Ariella…but nope, he’s still alone!

Seriously…anyone else screaming for a Puck spin-off? One in which he gets the girl? Maybe the glory too? Give Puck a chance! lol. I feel as though this is the only lose end I see. Puck’s story just didn’t feel complete. I’m just not quite sure how he moves on with it all…

The Ex-Girlfriend

WTF?! Did anyone else see Ariella coming back from the dead? Not even recently back from the dead…she’d been alive (sorta) the whole time!

What about her ghost dancing in the flowers? What was that? Color me baffled.

Again I give props to Kagawa for playing this all in a very adult way. Ash spends a lot of thought choosing between his lost dream of Ariella and his new relationship with Meghan. Kagawa fleshes out this situation in such a real way that there were times in which I thought Ash just might choose Ariella. I was nervous, I was kinda angry, and then once Ariella did all the right things…I was kinda sad. Ok, really sad. Weepy sad. Maybe they shoulda given her to Puck…Just saying…

The Lack of Meghan

I think this made the book strong, and yet at times I felt like something was missing. I know, bipolar much?

I guess I loved this book because it was just Ash’s story. His voice was strong, and one that we didn’t see too much of in earlier books. I think the single voice made the story powerful. It harkened back to legends of a time long past. A time before multiple narrators and dystopian-teen-fiction. Loved it.

But like I said. There was some part of me that missed Meghan. I wanted to see her view. Her thoughts and worries for her love. Her reaction during Ash’s real-life-dream-life. Every previous book has shown her P.O.V. and I missed her. I think because we never heard from her it kinda felt like she was too busy ruling to think about Ash. And while I know it’s not true…I just got a sense of that ever now and then. Anyone else?

*sigh*

Maybe I’m just sad it’s all over. True, this was one of the best endings to a series I’ve ever done. I felt really satisfied that Ash and Meghan’s story was complete. Except for my hope for a Puck spin-off I’m quite content to let this faery tale rest.

But I’d love to keep rehashing…Thoughts? Questions? Concerns? I’d love to hear it 😉

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Monday’s Bite (17)…Breaking Dawn Ch. 26-33

The Twilight ReRead Continues 

Bookgoonie and I are forging ahead through the final book of the Twilight Series. Since it’s been a long road you’ll notice we switched up our format from questions to subject topics…You can only ask about the love triangle so many times…lol.

I’m sorry that for the second time this ReRead I’ve missed a Monday. My Hubby’s father passed away suddenly last week and we flew to our hometown to be with family. Needless to say I’ve lost all track of the days, my books, and any post that wasn’t fully written and finished. Again, I have to thank Bookgoonie for forging ahead and keeping the Twilight Read right on track!

As always remember to head over to for Bookgoonie for her take on Ch. 26-33. If you don’t have a blog you can comment through Twitter with #mondaybites.

Without further ado…Topics…

Mediocrity. Bella muses about her 18 years of mediocrity. No talents brag about. No trophies for reading books. Share some of your areas of mediocrity and what could you win a trophy for.

Well, I may win a little gold star for reading. But this award would have to be ongoing…I imagine something along the lines of those little charts we had in Elementary School; those ones where you would get a star a week or something…and I want the multi-colored metallic stars…not just gold. I’m picky like that.

But what else? Hmm…I’m not really sure what else I’d win a trophy for? The ability to fall asleep anywhere maybe? Never having missed an episode of Project Runway? I can count to twenty in French? Yeah, not very good mediocrity.

Competitive. It cracks me up that Jacob is having to make a game out of drinking animal blood for Reneseme. Are you competitive about anything or ever coaxed anyone for their good?

I’m all about slipping pills and such into cheese or warm french fries to give them to my dog. Total coaxing for her own good. As weird as it sounds, I’ve always thought Jacob was kinda cute in doing this. It worked, and is sweet in a blood sucking kinda way.

As far as being competitive. I’m super competitive with myself. Weird, I know. But my assistant did all this testing on me during graduate school and as it turns out I’m not competitive with other people. I’m willing to help, give them time to figure it out, hint…but when I had to answer something on my own…I piled on the pressure for myself super competitive between the test and myself…I hate being wrong!

Dystopia? Is the Volturi the dystopian government of YA?

Hmm…Can you be dystopian if you’ve been around since, uhm, forever? I’m going to say I think of them more as a medieval government. This ultimate ruling system where the head of state is untouchable. You have to throw yourself on their mercy (like Edward a la Breaking Dawn) to get anything done. There is no Democracy in that society, lol.  

Stop by next week for the ultimate face off & end of the reread.

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The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kawaga

The final book in Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey Series comes out today, Whoo Hoo! I’ve gone through the entire series and fallen in love with Meghan and Ash…and maybe Puck just a little too 😉

I’ve become addicted to the series, so whether this is your first time with the books or you’re eagerly awaiting The Iron Knight‘s debut, a little trip to the Nevernever is good for everyone!

Without further Ado…The Iron Knight

BookTalk

Ash is again banished. This time his Queen, the woman he’s pledged his eternal devotion to has cast him from her kingdom. This is not a lover’s quarrel…but a measure of safety for the Winter Prince.

You see, Meghan Chase is now the Iron Queen. She has given herself unto the land that is the Iron Kingdom and the Iron Kingdom has brought her back to life. The binding of the land and it’s Queen was always Meghan’s destiny. But to embrace the change meant forever seperating Meghan from her lover Ash.

To Ash the Iron of Meghan’s world is the ultimate kryptonite. Mere hours within the kingdom’s borders will kill Ash’s Winter fey body. What Ash needs is a soul. If Ash had a soul, he’d be human, he’d be able to enter the Iron Realm without the slightest discomfort.

But the quest for Ash’s soul will take him and his band of friends beyond the Nevernever, beyond the deep Wylde, beyond the edges of this world and beyond even life itself…into the shades of death.

Review

I Loved this book.

Did you catch that? Loved-with-a-capital-L

I cried, twice. This from the girl who made it through Titanic without shedding a tear. Yep, I watched Rose pry off Jack’s frozen hand simply held the tissues for my friends (one of whom was RachelKiwi by the way). So needless to say this book got me good.

This was by far my favorite of the series. I know that the first 3 books are Meghan’s journey, the legend of the Iron Queen. But I think with Meghan it was different. I connected with Meghan as a human. She was someone in a love triangle, someone who at times wanted to return to her human life. Her journey was longer, drawn out. It didn’t feel as seamless as I expect legends or myths to be.

Now don’t misunderstand me. The rest of the series was great. Loved it too. But it was complicated, complex, involved real-world sticky emotions. The first three books handle the story realisticially…well as realistically as you can get for a story involving a world of fey and a character I can’t help but think of as the Cheshire Cat (grim, sorry buddy). Anyway this last book is what I think of as a fairy tale, or legend, or myth. A story of a man who goes to the End of the World to be with the woman he loves.

At the end of the book when Ash says he went to the End of the World, beyond the Deep Wylde, endured the Gauntlet…ahh he means it! Seriously, it’s like watching Gone with the Wind and then reading it…you know Rhett leaves but when you read it you’re like *gasp* he leaves. This ending is just like that. Ash is recapping his trials and you’re like *gasp* *tear* he really did!

I’m explaining this all so horribly! I’m trying to be elequent about my love and it’s coming out sloppy, lol. What made this book special was Ash finally dealing with his emotions and his past. The Ariella/Puck history we’ve been watching for the last three books is finally dealt with. Ash has always been such a reserved character and it’s so cool to see this tale from only his point of view. And to see him navigate feelings that are very deep and complex is touching.

This is an old fashioned quest. A journey to the ends of the earth for love. There will be battles and villains and impossible tasks. Friends will remain steadfast and enemies will become allies. It’s a beautiful end to the series.

Rating: 5/5 Loved it. Simply, loved it.

Check back tomorrow for my spoiler report on the book! I enjoyed it far too much not to dish…

*Book received for review from Harlequin via NetGalley…Thanks!*

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Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins

BookTalk

Posey Osterhagen is not a hottie. She’s about 107 pounds soaking wet, with a cow-lick that refuses to be tamed, and a complete inability to dress like a girl. This is a slight improvement over her high school self. Now, no need to feel sorry for Posey. She’s a completely happy, business-owning, big dog loving woman who has had a wonderful childhood and is still surrounded by a loving family and group of friends.

Really, the only thing she’s ever pined for was Liam Murphy…and maybe, occasionally boobs, lol.

But, *Sigh* Liam…A man built like God’s Gift to women. In high school he arrived fresh out of juvie as a motorcycle riding, leather jacket wearing, player. Who’s bad boy traits were revered by young Posey. And to everyone’s surprise he was tamed…by Emma Tate.

Now years later Liam is back in town. A widower with a 14-year-old daughter, Liam has moved to be closer to his wife’s parents. What he failed to remember was his life before his wife…All those girls he loved and left are now the women of the town, their husbands none too happy to see the still sinfully hot Liam back in town. Posey thought she had convinced herself she was over her first crush…

Both are about to find that while High School never dies…sometimes you just need a fresh perspective to find love…

Review

I loved this book so much I could eat it up…again and again.

It was addictive.

One of those girly-chick-lit-trashy-romance types that get me hooked…a gateway drug if you will. It’s like ignoring McDonald’s double quarter pounder for six months, giving in, then craving that damn burger for weeks afterward! The kicker being that while McDonald’s is staring at me from every corner…I’m probably gonna have to wait at least a year for Higgins’s next book! Boo.

True, I could pick up an oldie of hers…but I have to say, this author has gotten better with time. Her latest two books were grand slams for me, while reaching back into her older titles I sometimes feel like something is missing. Like settling for Burger King instead of Mickey-D’s (hmm…craving much? Note: I’m writing this around lunch-time…please forgive the fast food references, lol)

But back to the story. It’s a slow romance, and while Posey is cute, she isn’t a hottie. And Liam doesn’t immediately see her as some beauty. This is a good thing! Instead, he likes her the way she is but the attraction isn’t instant. And nobody ever pretends that it is. Liam falls in love with Posey as a person rather than through lust first. What I loved so much was that the characters were different…not really quirky-different just very real.

In her letter to the reader Higgins notes that this was one of the first times she really gave the man a fleshed out point of view. In this romance we learn (and see) as much of Liam’s past and present feelings as we do Posey’s. Which is necessary because he was part of a pretty big life altering incident in Posey’s past. Liam was her first love crush and also part of a very “Carrie-like” prom scenario. Luckily, one that Posey chooses to see as a definitive mark of character in her background rather than something she carries a grudge for over the years.

I saw the big ending surprise coming…but not that last gift from Liam, and not the third act twist with the old lady. Look for all of Higgin’s hallmarks, the animal love, the fun and unusual jobs, the dysfunctional family love, friendship with the elderly, and a girl who is realistically enjoyable.

In the end I can’t completely put a finger on why I loved this Higgins book head and shoulders above others. It made me laugh, it made me cry, and I couldn’t put it down. Pick this one up for a fun weekend read. You won’t be disappointed.

Rating: 5/5 I want more Higgins right now!!! 

*Book received for review from Harlequin via NetGalley…Thanks!*

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Summer’s Crossing (Iron Fey #3.5) by Julie Kagawa

The final book in Julie Kagawa’s Iron Fey Series comes out Tuesday October, 25th. Each week until the release date I’ll Book Talk and Review a book in the series…including those novellas!

I’ve become addicted to the series, so whether this is your first time with the books or you’re eagerly awaiting The Iron Knight‘s debut, a little trip to the Nevernever is good for everyone!

Without further Ado…Summer’s Crossing

BookTalk

Ash and Puck are on a mission. Ash has granted one too many favors during the course of the series. Someone was bound to collect…

Queen Titania and Leanansidhe have a long-standing feud. One that forced Leanansidhe into her own kingdom of the in-between. Two very beautiful and very powerful women, determined to fight over any crumb they can find.

Enter “The Violin” A beautiful instrument Queen Titania has stolen from Leanansidhe. Obviously, Leanansidhe wants it back…And she wants it back now. Leanansidhe sends Ash into the realm of the summer court to retrieve the instrument capable of making such glorious music.

Puck is Ash’s best bet at retrieving “The Violin”. But can Ash trust Puck to fulfill his end of the bargain?…Can Puck remain stalwart to an old friend? or will he fall prey to the perfect crime; expose Ash and Puck gets Meghan all for himself…And neither of them saw that “The Violin” was never really an instrument at all…

Review

I’m reviewing this book after having read the final book of the series. So my view on why I liked this novella is a little different. You see, looking back on the read, I find that the best part of this story is getting to see the relationship between Puck and Ash. This continues into The Iron Knight, but having such a focused story centering around just the two characters really exposes the intricacies of their relationship.

I think at times I forget how close Ash and Puck once were. We see peeks into this past in other books, but here we get a taste of how much they once enjoyed working together. Best Friends in the fullest sense. These boys had fun! They pulled pranks, they fought, and hunted, and fell for the same girl (again and again apparently, lol). It’s just so sad to think that they lost that…

And then we have Puck…and Puck’s issues. In the novella you get the feeling Puck is hiding a lot of deep emotion behind the facade of wit and sarcasm. And I honestly couldn’t blame him for considering feeding Ash to the Lion that is Queen Titania. It would solve all of his problems. No more rival…Meghan would be all his…a perfect storm of double-crossing. And, much as I like Puck, I don’t think he’d have a problem carrying off the lie that it was all an accident.

This was such a well done preview of the final book. Even though technically you don’t have to read the novellas to enjoy the main books in the series. I suggest this one as the perfect background to make the reading of The Iron Knight that much more enjoyable.

Rating: 4.5/5 Action packed novella exposing the history of the most famous Faery Bromance

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Monday’s Bite (16)…Breaking Dawn Ch. 19-25

The Twilight ReRead Continues 

Bookgoonie and I are forging ahead through the final book of the Twilight Series. Since it’s been a long road you’ll notice we switched up our format from questions to subject topics…You can only ask about the love triangle so many times…lol.

Remember to head over to for Bookgoonie for her take on Ch. 19-25. As always, if you don’t have a blog you can comment through Twitter with #mondaybites.

Without further ado…Topics…

Guilt.  “It was like he’d never kissed me–like this was our first kiss. And, in truth, he’d never kissed me this way before. It almost made me feel guilty. Surely I was in breach of the contract. I couldn’t be allowed to have this, too.” –pg. 394

I can see where Bella’s guilt is coming from. In her decision to go vampire she knew she’d be disappointing a lot of people, as well as cutting ties with those she loves. Also, Bella was prepared to be pretty out of it for years, years…I think she was banking on those she was leaving behind to be old or dead by the time she was rational again.

So for Bella to find herself fully rational right after the change, with a baby daughter, a beautiful husband, a beautiful new body, and great sex. She probably feels like she got all the good stuff and has to endure none of the penance for choosing to be a vampire.

Fairy Tales. [the cottage] “It was a place where anyone could believe magic existed. A place where you just expected Snow White to walk right in with her apple in hand, or a unicorn to stop and nibble at the rose bushes. Edward had always thought he belonged tot he world of horror stories. Of course, I’d known he was dead wrong. It was obvious that he belonged here. In a fairy tale. And now I was in the story with him.” –pg. 479

Ok, so I grew up in the world of Disney Fairy tales and I always wanted to be Ariel of the Little Mermaid. Note: I’m choosing Disney Ariel, not the Brother’s Grimm. Their Ariel dies in a burst of sea-foam pining for her love. Not Cool. I’m taking my man and running. No need for death and dying in my tales 😉 At least the ones I’m choosing to live in. Bella doesn’t get all the good!

Mundane Needs.  “I was never going to get tired, and neither was he. We didn’t have to catch our breath or rest or eat or even use the bathroom; we had no more mundane human needs.” –pg. 483

What mundane human needs could you do without?

I’d never want to give up sleep. I enjoy it too much! Can you imagine a life without rainy day naps? You’d have to watch every moment of Sunday football…that’s a lot of football. I could probably do without tired-ness though. I know, I’m just full of contradictions, lol. Sleep but no exhaustion. I hate going through my day tired. That I could def. do without.

But really, I love eating, exercising, sleeping, all that filler is enjoyable…whatever would I do with my time without it?

Family. Bella has to prep quickly for Charlie’s arrival. It made me think of the holidays and people frantically cleaning to get ready for their mothers and mother-in-law’s arrival. Do you have any frantic prepping?

Haha, I’m a huge straightener-upper. I love to run around the house fixing blankets, fluffing pillows, swiftering. I always do some type of bigger clean before I have house guests. And I always cook. Even just an appetizer for when they arrive. I always light candles. I just like the house to smell, look, and feel welcoming.

Hopefully it’s not a frantic experience…depends on how well I’ve prepped!

The Change. What was changed in Bella…what was amplified. How do you think it would change you.

Well, I’ll sign up for the model-like looks. I’ll take that air brushing of my looks for eternity. I don’t know that I’d have Bella’s logic. My husband calls me a “good eater” something tells me turning Vampire would only increase my hunger for this new food…Humans watch out!

I think I’d end up like Esme. Homemaker extraordinaire. And with all that Cullen money I’d buy lots of homes and redecorate…*sigh* I could do a few decades like that…

Childhood. How quickly Renesemee’s goes by…the involvement of the Cullen family.

I’ve always been a bit bothered by how late a start Bella gets in Renesmee’s life. That little girl grows up so quick! Plus Bella’s pregnancy was not a happy/easy time. I just feel like, even though Bella gets the gift of having a natural child…she doesn’t get to enjoy any of it…

Maybe this harkens back to the first topic of Guilt. Bella really doesn’t get it all. She misses out and has to share quite a bit of her child’s childhood. She does have to pay a price…maybe one I consider heftier than Bella does.

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