Hush, Hush

Hush, Hush is the first book of Becca Fitzpatrick's series of the same name.

A sacred oath
A fallen angel
A forbidden love

Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan.  She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her.  Not until Patch comes along.  With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgement.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust.  Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know about her than her closest friends.  She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide.  And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself  near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen- and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

The Breakdown:
1. Maybe it is because I have already read Lauren Kate's Fallen series, but the concepts behind Hush, Hush feels old.  Fallen angel and girl fall in love, quickly.  I felt that the chemistry between Nora and Patch was a little lacking, so I had a hard time believing they were in love by the end.

2. At times the plot was too scatter.  By the end, it seemed that everyone was out to get Nora, and it was just too much.  While each character had a different reason, it just pulled the whole story in too many directions.

3.  I have to say, I did not like Nora's best friend Vee.  I get that Fitzpatrick was trying make her a bubbly, outgoing flirt compared to Nora's inverted personality.  For me she came off vain and self-absorbed.  She so easily brushed off Nora's concerns about the boys they meet, and tries blackmail Nora into doing things she does not want to do.

4.  Overall this book just fell flat for me.  I did not feel connected to the characters, and the story-line was convoluted at times.  I am just not sure I will continue with this series.

To Read or Not to Read:
Skip It

Sweet Ruin

Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole is the newest book in her Immortals After Dark series.

An immortal assassin is caught between desire and duty...

A foundling raised in the world of humans

Growing up, orphaned Josephine didn't know who or what she was - just that she was "bad," an outcast with strange powers. Her baby brother Thaddeus was as perfect as she was flawed; protecting him became her entire life.  The day he was taken away began Jo's transition from angry girl... to would-be superhero... to enchanting, ruthless villain

A lethally sensual enforcer on a mission

A threat to the Morior has brought archer Rune the Baneblood to the mortal realm to slay the oldest living Valkyrie.  Whether by bow in bed, he never fails to eliminate his target. Yet before he can strike, he encounters a vampiric creature whose beauty conceals a black heart.  With one bite, she pierces him with aching pleasure, taking his forbidden blood- and jeopardizing the secrets of his brethren.

A boundless passion that will lead to a sweet ruin...

Could this exquisite female be a spy sent by the very Valkyrie he hunts?  Rune knows he must nor trust Josephine, yet he's unable to turn her away.  Despite his millennia of sexual conquests, he can't ignore the unfamiliar longing she arouses deep within him.  When Jo betrays the identity of the one man she will die to protect, she and Rune become locked in a treacherous battle of wills that pits ultimate loyalty against unbridled lust.


The Breakdown:
1.  I still love this series after so many books, because Cole keeps the plots new and interesting.  She is always pushing the overall story line forward that makes me believe that there is an ultimate goal that will be accomplished.

2.  I love that she can still make her all her main characters unique from the others.  I have read too many of these longer series that the leads have so much in common that it gets hard to remember who is who, and they all start to feel the same.  Rune and Josephine definitely stand out from the other lead characters in the series.  Rune walks the line of villain, but somehow I really grow to like him.  Josephine is a strong and independent woman who knows what she whats and is not afraid to admit it.

3.  Part of my liking the book is the mystery of what kind of immortal is Josephine.  Her growing up in the human world with no contact with the Lore gives her a unique position.  I enjoyed seeing the pieces come together and seeing her remember her past.  The other part I really enjoyed is the introduction of the Morior.  It will be interesting to see what part they will play in the Accession and Nyx's plans.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Speaking in Bones

Speaking in Bones in the newest of Kathy Reichs' Temperance Brennan series.

Professionally, Temperance Brennan knows exactly what to do- test, analyze, identify.  Her personal life is another story.  She's at a loss, wondering how to answer police detective Andrew Ryan's marriage proposal.  But the matter of matrimony takes a backseat when murder rears its head.

Hazel "Lucky" Strike- a strident amateur detective who mines the Internet for cold cases- comes to Brennan with a tape recording of an unknown girl being held prisoner and terrorized.  Strike is convinced the voice is that of eighteen-year-old Cora Teague, who went missing more than three years earlier.  Strike is also certain that the teenager's remains are gathering dust in Temperance Brennan's lab.

Brennan has doubts about working with a self-styled web-sleuth.  But when the evidence seems to add up, Brennan's next stop is the treacherous backwoods where the chilling recording (and maybe Cora Teague's bones) were discovered.  Her forensic field trip only turns up more disturbing questions- along with gruesome proof of more untimely deaths.

While local legends of eerie nocturnal phenomena and sinister satanic cults abound, it's a zealous and secretive religious sect that has Brennan spooked and struggling to separate the saints from the sinners.  But there's nothing, including fire and brimstone, that can distract her from digging up the truth and taking down a killer- even as Brennan finds herself in a place where angels fear to tread, devils demand their due, and she may be damned no matter what.

The Breakdown:
1. I love that Reichs writes fast pace books that keep me guessing until the end.  I also love that she does take time to explain the science behind the findings in the book.  As a science nerd, I really do love this part.

2. I find that Tempe is a wonderfully flawed character.  She has baggage, insecurities, and weakness just life every normal person. Although, a times her impulsiveness, i.e her not waiting for back up, does make me crazy.  I would think someone as smart as her would learn after how many times she has been taken/hurt in these situations.

3. One thing that bothered me about this book, is the reference to Bones and its influence on people.  Since the show is technically based on the books and the main character has the same name in both, it just feels weird to me.

4.  I have to say that this book has one of the best twist of the series on what happened to Cora Teague and who is the killer.  I did not see that coming.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read

Manners & Mutiny

Manners & Mutiny is the final book of Gail Carriger's Finishing School series.

If one must flirt...flirt with danger.

Lessons in the art of espionage aboard Mademoiselle Geraldine's floating dirigible have become tedious without Sophronia's sweetie sootie Soap nearby.  She would much rather be using her skills to thwart the dastardly Picklemen, yet her concerns about their wicked intentions are ignored, and not she's not sure whom to trust.  What does the brusque werewolf dewan know?  On whose side is the ever-stylish vampire Lord Akeldama?  Only one this is certain: a large scale plot is under way, and when it comes to fruition,Sophronia must be ready to save her friends, her school, and all of London from disaster- in a decidedly dramatic fashion, of course. 

The Breakdown:
1. Carriger brings her fabulously witty, exciting, and fun Finishing School series to an end in this book, and she does it with such style. This series makes me want to be proficient in espionage and tea.  She makes it exciting, but all the while, following the manners and traditions of the time.

2. I just adore Sophronia's character.  She is loyal to a fault for those she truly cares about.  I love that she works hard to make sure her sooties are okay in a time of crisis, even though many at the time did not view them as valuable.  She is smart and inventive when it comes to gaining her goals.

3.  This book brought some interesting character revelations and loyalties.  True to a school of art of espionage, not everyone is what they seem, including some of Sophronia's friends and professors.  Carriger does keep me guess at times at what are some characters' goals and loyalty.

4.  One the things I loved most about this book is seeing on events in this book and the characters become tied to those in the Parasol Protectorate series.  It also explains why there are no Picklemen or mechanicals in that series.

To Read or Not to Read:
Read