Fairies in My Fireplace by R.L. Naquin
A migration of mythical creatures has begun, and more and more of them are landing on Zoey Donovan's doorstep. As the only Aegis left in the country, it falls to her to protect the Hidden and keep them safe—and her house has become a sanctuary for water sprites, goblins, harpies, djinn and more.
Keeping track of her boarders is a full-time job, and Zoey has already got her hands full trying to run her wedding planning business. Good thing she has a resident closet monster to keep her organized, and a hot Reaper boyfriend to help her relax every once in a while.
But she can't keep up monster-triage indefinitely, and as more Hidden arrive, it becomes clear that someone—or something—is hunting them. In the midst of planning an event for a notoriously difficult client, Zoey has got to figure out who's behind the hunt…and she's got to stop them before there are no Hidden left.
Rate & take
Happy am I to know that in a few short weeks the next book in this series will be out!!
Each book in this series has been a fun read that keeps the plot happenings nicely paced.
This third book was even a bit moving in a rare sad moment.
I'm so glad I found this author and series!!
Readers Note: The subject line was due to the fact that I had somehow left off doing this review! I could never imagine such a thing happening, but it did and here I am fixing my error.
Having Our Say: The Delany Sisters' First 100 Years by Sarah Delany, Elizabeth Delany, and Amy Hill Hearth
Dr. A. Elizabeth (“Bessie”) Delany and Sarah L. (“Sadie”) Delany were born in Raleigh, North Carolina, on the campus of St. Augustine's School (now College). Their father, born into slavery, was an administrator at the school and America's first elected black Episcopal bishop. Sarah received her bachelor's and master's degrees from Columbia University and was New York City's first appointed black home economics teacher at the high sool level. Elizabeth received her degree in dental surgery from Columbia University and was the second black woman licensed to practice dentistry in New York State. The two sisters spurned offers of marriage, choosing instead to pursue their careers. In 1960, they retired and bought a house in Mt. Vernon, New York, where they livechd in obscurity until 1991, when a journalist named Amy Hill Hearth tracked them down and interviewed them for a feature story in The New York Times. Ms. Hearth worked closed with the sisters for the next two years to expand her story into book form. The result was Having Our Say, a New York Times bestseller for 113 weeks that was adapted to the Broadway stage and for an award-winning telefilm. Bessie Delany died in 1995; Sadie in 1999. They are buried in Raleigh beside their parents.
My rate & take
Readers Note: Reading smut is great but lately not just any smut will do. I've found myself being crazy picky and actually wanting well written characters with a good plot too. So I've started a few books and turned my nose up at them. My GoodReads reading goal for this year can attest to this as it boldly tells me I am currently 3 books behind for my 2014 reading goal. This never happens to me! But I will catch up before years end.
Review: I first read the Delany sisters book many years ago and it stayed with me all this time, so much so that I knew I had to experience it again. This book is a solidly satisfying read, however it can also be an uncomfortable one. It is one thing to have a general idea of what Colored (a term the Delany sisters preferred) Americans went through during and after slavery was abolished, it's another thing to hear it directly from two people who lived it every day. The shameful conduct of White Americans was unforgivable.
One thing I love about the sisters and their whole family is that they kept their dignity and sense of humor no matter what life threw at them. A true example for us all.
Pooka in my Pantry by R.L. Nequin
Zoey Donovan—empath, wedding planner, go-to girl for monsters with personal problems—has been marked twice for pickup by Death. On both occasions, Riley the smoking-hot reaper has refused to follow through. For his breach of protocol, Riley is now on probation. For her refusal to die on schedule, Zoey's right to live is challenged. She will have to undergo a life-or-death trial, but she won't know when or where it will happen…
Staying alive might not be so difficult if the Leprechaun Mafia hadn't strolled into town. Now every business owner with the slightest connection to the supernatural community is being threatened with the most appalling bad luck if they don't pay up. Mirrors are smashed, bodies are dropping, and Zoey's still got clients waiting for fabric samples.
With a little luck, she might be able to save everyone and still have time for a second attempt at a decent first date with her favorite reaper.
Rate & take
These books are so fun and filled with characters that are quirky. The plot moves along very well. This series is like popcorn for me, I want more! So I am now off reading the 3rd in the series. Be back soon with a report.
Monster in My Closet by R. L. Naquin
I stopped believing in monsters long ago. But I knew I wasn't imagining things when I found one in my kitchen baking muffins. I'd seen him before: lurking in my closet, scaring the crap out of my five-year-old self. Turns out that was a misunderstanding, and now Maurice needs a place to stay. How could I say no?
After all, I've always been a magnet for the emotionally needy, and not just in my work as a wedding planner. Being able to sense the feelings of others can be a major pain. Don't get me wrong, I like helping people--and non-people. But this ability has turned me into a gourmet feast for an incubus, a demon that feeds off emotional energy. Now, brides are dropping dead all over town, and my home has become a safe house for the supernatural. I must learn to focus my powers and defeat the demon before he snacks on another innocent woman and comes looking for the main course...
Rate & take
This book was a big ol' bit of fun, pure reading sunshine. I love books that feature people with extra abilities and throw in a cast of 'mythical' creatures and I am in one happy reader, AND if an author could also take this one step further and make it all into an interesting and well paced plot...that's when the sunshine happens. If you like this type of genre and find yourself needing a read to make your reality escape with you should get yourself one of these....this is book one in a series that I plan on making friends with.
The Arrangement 14 by H.M. Ward
Sean Ferro is a liar. Everything he’s ever told me melts away until only the truth remains and I don’t like what I see. Gabe tried to warn me, but I didn’t understand the depths of Sean’s corruption until he let them take me away. After everything we’ve been through, I’m crushed, but I refuse to accept this fate. Screw that, I’m not dying tonight.
Rate & Take
I have said (thirteen other times before) how much I enjoy each installment in this ever evolving series, I am loyal and glued to each one. Even so, a part of me wants to figure the end game now, 'cause I'm greedy like that...not because I wish it was over. It might have something to do with this latest one making feel like I'm in a totally dark room, I can hear things happening but I don't know where or what exactly is going on. The bad guy(s) haven't showed themselves or tipped their hand in any way so literally anything can (and probably will) happen in the next book. Wait and anticipation.....I want to shake my fist at both.
Forever & Always by Jasinda Wilder
Ever,
These letters are often all that get me through week to week. Even if it’s just random stuff, nothing important, they’re important to me. Gramps is great, and I love working on the ranch. But…I’m lonely. I feel disconnected, like I’m no one, like I don’t belong anywhere. Like I’m just here until something else happens. I don’t even know what I want with my future. But your letters, they make me feel connected to something, to someone. I had a crush on you, when we first met. I thought you were beautiful. So beautiful. It was hard to think of anything else. Then camp ended and we never got together, and now all I have of you is these letters. S**t. I just told you I have a crush on you. HAD. Had a crush. Not sure what is anymore. A letter-crush? A literary love? That’s stupid. Sorry. I just have this rule with myself that I never throw away what I write and I always send it, so hopefully this doesn’t weird you out too much. I had a dream about you too. Same kind of thing. Us, in the darkness, together. Just us. And it was like you said, a memory turned into a dream, but a memory of something that’s never happened, but in the dream it felt so real, and it was more, I don’t even know, more RIGHT than anything I’ve ever felt, in life or in dreams. I wonder what it means that we both had the same dream about each other. Maybe nothing, maybe everything. You tell me.
Cade
~ ~ ~ ~
Cade,
We’re pen pals. Maybe that’s all we’ll ever be. I don’t know. If we met IRL (in real life, in case you’re not familiar with the term) what would happen? And just FYI, the term you used, a literary love? It was beautiful. So beautiful. That term means something, between us now. We are literary loves. Lovers? I do love you, in some strange way. about you, in these letters, knowing your hurt and your joys, it means something so important to me, that I just can’t describe. I need your art, and your letters, and your literary love. If we never have anything else between us, I need this. I do. Maybe this letter will only complicate things, but like you I have a rule that I never erase or throw away what I’ve written and I always send it, no matter what I write in the letter.
Your literary love,
Ever
Rate & take
Heat Index 3 ☼☼☼
I never saw it coming, all the more traumatic collisions happen that way, and believe me when I say this book ran me right over. It started off in one direction setting a good pace, with solid writing then in a blink it zoomed into a direction that had me off balance and the end slammed me right to a stop.....because there were no more pages! I know because I stared in disbelief long enough.
Hey There, Delilah by M.D. Saperstein and Andria Large
Hi, my name is Delilah Sampson, and I am a self proclaimed “frump girl.” My world came crashing down the day I walked in on my boyfriend having sex with my boss, rendering me single and jobless. A new job fell into my lap as the secretary of the gorgeous, rich, powerful, and mighty cocky controlling partner at Santino Law Firm. I spend my days trying to please a demanding boss, keeping my lustful thoughts to myself. Until one night, when my best friend drags me to a club, and I fall for a man whose true identity I will never know.
See, at Club Masquerade, everyone wears a mask and a nametag with a fake name. Also, on your nametag is a number that you are assigned when you come into the club, which is linked to an in-house messaging system; no one is permitted to speak, which ensures that identities are kept secret. I meet my lover every Saturday at 9 pm sharp. We text and email constantly when we are not together, and I have somehow fallen in love with him.
But, then there is Nick Santino. He is the partner that I can’t keep my eyes off. Unfortunately, the only reason he hired me is because he is not attracted to me and all my frump glory. Fortunately, for me, I am a kick ass secretary, so he keeps me around. Like many men in his position, Nick is used to getting what he wants, when he wants it; all without commitment, of course.
So when he finds a woman that he is both physically and emotionally attracted to, he finds himself in unchartered territory – love. And I can do nothing but be jealous from the sidelines – lusting for a man I can’t have, and loving a man I can’t know.
Hey there, Delilah is book 1 of the Taboo Love series, in which we tackle the boss/secretary relationship. Each book will be a stand alone with a HEA, but will have a few reoccurring characters.
Rate & take
Heat Index 1 ☼
I'm kind of speechless on this one. I did have issues with the writing but I can't say I didn't find it a fun. If you're down for the genre this is a lite beach read, no big surprises just cute.
