Book Review: Gabriel’s Angel

Author: Nora Robers

Published: October 2005

Publisher: Silhouette

Genre: Romance/Fiction

ISBN-10: 0373285442

ISBN-13: 978-0373285440

6.5/10

Pregnant, alone and on the run to protect her unborn child, Laura Malone found herself stranded on a snowy Colorado road, at the mercy of a stranger. Fortunately, Gabriel Bradley’s only intention that fateful night was to provide her shelter.

She was an angel with midnight blue eyes and a shock of blond hair, and Gabe might have thought she had come out of the snowy night to save him — if he were the kind of man to believe in such things. But ever since he had lost his beloved brother, he had lost hope. Now the only solace Gabe took was in his solitude.

Together they weathered the storm, sharing their intimate secrets and soon powerful passion. By the time the roads had cleared, a promise had been made. For Gabe understood Laura needed protection if she hoped to keep custody of her child through the coming court battle.

For her sake, he was prepared to offer marriage. But his motives weren’t nearly so pure. Truthfully, this beautiful, vulnerable stranger had given him an invaluable gift. Life with Laura had given Gabe a reason for being — courage to hope, and the power to dream that he could have the future and the family he had once dreamed of . . .

Now MY take on it:

The cover makes you think it is going to be a Christmas story, considering the snowglobe and holly on the cover. That couldn’t be any further from the truth! It actually isn’t about Christmas or anything dealing with Christmas except for one thing- snow. Before the ending of the book, I knew what was going to happen.Of course, they fall in love. Roberts is famous for her romantic novels, this one included. But it kind of gives the ending away half-way through the book. It’s a pretty simple story of love, losing love, and fighing for what you believe. With this book, you also learn something new about yourself. Never live in the past, even if it’s a terrible one for you are stronger because of you. Learn from your past. Stand up for what you want, even if you stand alone. But Roberts paints pictures with every page and you can just see everything unfolding as if you were truly there. A lot of Moms might be able to sympathize with Laura Malone and a few husbands might sympathize with Gabriel Bradley. But I didn’t find it as enjoyable as I thought. Maybe it’s because I prefer something that makes me think or suspensful of what is to come. It’s a good read, especially if you love romance.

Book Review: The Killing Dance

Author: Laurall K. Hamilton

Published: September 2002

Publisher: Jove

Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0515134511

ISBN-13: 978-0515134513

9.5/10

Anita continues to explore her relationship with her two romantic interests, Richard, a werewolf, and Jean-Claude, a vampire, while attempting to resolve an assortment of conflicts ranging from werewolf politics to unsolved murders.

Now MY take on it:

Not having read the previous 5 books of the Anita Blake- Vampire Hunter series, I will not be biased on my review. This is what I think of THIS particular novel.

I absolutely loved it. Anita has 2 problems: the vampire and the wolf. That is, for the moment. Her friend Edward calls while she and the wolf are out at a party. He tells her that he had received a call to kill her for over $500,000. It is a race to keep her alive, until other things start popping up. It is not longer a fight for her life, but the lives of others. Even though she has to fight for her life and the lives for those around her, she is torn at whom to spend her life with- the vampire of the wolf. She certainly loves the vampire, but is pulled towards the wolf. But I promise you, you think you know how it will turn out by the time you’re halfway through. But you really have no idea! There are maybe 1 or 2 steamy scenes, but the rest is filled with the dead and shapeshifters. A frantic pace of killing, blood, and murder. I couldn’t put it down! I wanted to see whom she would end up with and who ended up “dying” in the end. I can’t wait to read the next novel in the series to see exactly how it plays out. Maybe I’ll even catch up with the first 5 so I can get a better idea of who Anita Blake truly is. But the characters have tons of personality and for you fantasy fiction fans, there are plenty of wolves, vampires, and zombies!

Book Review: Scent of Darkness

*This may contain spoilers.

Author: Christina Dodd

Published: July 2007

Publisher: Signet

Genre: Fantasy

ISBN-10: 0451221737

ISBN-13: 978-0451221735

8.5/10

Ann Smith loves her handsome, dynamic boss, Jasha Wilder, but her daring plan to seduce him goes awry when she encounters a powerful wolf who-before her horrified eyes-changes into the man she adores. She soon discovers she can’t escape her destiny, for she is the woman fated to break the curse that binds his soul.

Now MY take on it:

I FINALLY was able to read the first book of the Darkness Chosen series by Dodd.

As a self-proclaimed “dedicated secretary”, Ann has had a crush on her boss for as long as she can remember. She thought Jascha Wilder held the moon. That is, until one day she decides to take a surprise trip to his house. She decided that since he wasn’t home, she’d get nice and sexy. As she comes down the stairs, she sees Wilder turn from a man to a wolf. After that, it’s all downhill from there for her! From trying to keep Wilder getting himself killed to keeping an icon safe, life will never be the same!

I loved it, though some areas of the story were tucked in where they should have been somewhere else. But other than that, I enjoyed it. Once again, Dodd has surprised us with steamy sex scenes that aren’t raunchy but naughty in a way where you knew exactly what was happening. I wanted a man like Jascha! And I was glad to see what Ann finally stood up for herself and what she believed, even if it meant becoming the mate of a man who isn’t exactly 100% human. The end of the book leads it wide open for book 2 in the Darkness Chosen series.