Title: Worth the Trip
Author: Penny McCall
Series: -
Genre: Romantic SuspenseRelease Date: November 2, 2010
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Edition: Mass Market Paperback
Source: Publisher
Blurb:For behavioral psychologist Norah MacArthur, relationships and family are stressful and messy. That's why she leads a quiet, clinical, solitary life. That is, until the days leading up to the release of her con artist father from jail. For fifteen years, Julius has managed to conceal the location of his stolen bank loot but now everyone, from two-bit crooks to the Feds, is scrambling to get their hands on it—and Norah is the perfect leverage.
It's a quick leap from ‘control group’ to ‘out of control’—as FBI agent Trip Jones knows all too well. He might like to strangle Norah himself, but he's been sent to protect her. Besides, behind Norah’s psycho-babble and ugly suits there’s something special. Something way more valuable than ill-gotten gains—and just maybe a real life study in love...
This was the first book I've read by Penny McCall, so I didn't know what to expect. What I got was a complicated romance with plenty of action and interesting characters.Norah is the daughter of a jailed con artist that has tried the best she can to go on with her life on her own. The problem is, her father is being released and now everyone wants to know what happened with the loot her father stole but was never found. I never understood the loyalty Norah felt towards her father, he puts her life in danger, he lies to her, he betrays her, but she never gets mad at him, and that's one of the reasons why I really didn't connect with her. Truth be told, she comes across as a smart woman, but in reality she makes a lot of stupid mistakes and does things that are unnecessary and that I don't understand. In my opinion, she never evolves as a character and she's annoying almost all the time. Those are the main problems I had with her.Then there's Trip, the FBI agent asigned to the case. He's arrogant, tricky and smart, and he always puts his job first. He has plenty of issues but the good thing is that he knows he has them and he is willing to eventually work on them. He grows a lot through the book and I like how he never lies to himself or to Norah.
The relationship between Norah and Trip is intense and hot. Both of them have trust issues and I think the happy ending between the two of them was far fetched because their personalities were so different.Memorable lines:"If someone comes at you with a gun you won't have time to psychoanalyze them, Norah. Not that you'll need to. Shoot first and ask questions later is a pretty straightforward concept.""You said the want to use me as leverage, not to kill me.""Yeah, but after a few seconds of conversation with you they'll probably change their minds."
Rating:
Title: Indulgence in Death
Author: J.D. Robb
Series: In Death #31
Genre: Futuristic Romance/Suspense
Release Date: November 2, 2010
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Blurb:First it was a limo driver shot through the neck with a crossbow. Then it was a high-priced escort stabbed through the heart with a bayonet.
Random hits, thrill kills, murderers with a taste for the finer things in life – and death – are making NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas angry. And an angry Eve can be just as an efficient and dangerous predator as the killer.
As time runs out on another innocent victim’s life, Eve’s investigation will take her into the rarified circle that her husband, Roarke, travels in – and into the perverted heart of madness…
I love the In Death series, I've read every single book and I never get tired of Roarke and Eve. That said, this probably was the worst book of the series. What makes me enjoy the book so much is Eve and Roarke's relationship, but there was almost no interaction between the two of them in this novel. The beginning of the book shows us part of their honeymoon, and in my opinion it was the best part of the book. After that, things go downhill.
We almost get no interaction with the other characters of the series, except a little Peabody and Morris, and while the mystery is interesting, I found myself skipping pages just to see if there was more character development. There wasn't. At points I was bored and couldn't stop checking how many pages were left.
Another thing, I know that Dallas is the main character in the series, but I wished we could be shown Roarke's world. Somehow, even though we are told time and time again that Roarke is a very busy man, now he always does consultant jobs for Dallas. I don't understand that. Also, why doesn't Eve ever help Roarke in his job?
On the positive side, Eve's character does evolve in this book, although it would have been better if the author could have shown us the final result of it (can't say more, it would be to spoilerific).
I would skip this one, you won't miss anything important. I do hope that Treachery in Death gets the series back on track.
Next Book:
32. Treachery in Death (February 22, 2011)
Rating:
Title: No Place To Run
Author: Maya Banks
Series: KGI #2
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: December 7, 2010
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:The last person Sam Kelly expected to save was Sophie Lundgren. Once they shared a brief, intense affair while Sam was undercover and then she vanished. She's spent the last few months on the run, knowing that any mistake would cost her both her life and that of their unborn child. Now she's resurfaced with a warning for Sam: this time, he's the one in danger.
The first thing I want to say is that the title fits the story perfectly. Sophie is a scared woman running for her life and she knows that the only person that can help her is Sam, the father of her baby. Sophie has kept a lot of secrets and most of them are dangerous ones, but the thing is, so has Sam. These two have some serious trust issues, especially on Sam's part. There's always something happening in this book, and while I loved the action and suspense I also wish Sam & Sophie could have had some down time so they could at least clear up the air.For most of the book Sophie doesn't think she belongs there, with Sam and all his family. All she has ever wanted is a family, but she believes that Sam will never completely trust her. Sam messes up real bad in that aspect, so bad that I wanted to hit him upside the head. He's suspicious for most of the book and while he has good reasons I wanted him to trust her a little more, especially at the end.The character that surprised me the most was Garrett. In The Darkest Hour we saw him as the sweet, protective brother who was always trying to take care of Rachel, the heroine in that book. Well, in this novel he's completely different. He doesn't really like Sophie and doesn't try to hide it. He is disrespectful towards her, mostly at the beginning and he's also constantly suspicious, always thinking the worst. That surprised me but it also was an interesting change. It made him feel more real, a man with different dephs. I really can't wait to read his book.There was a lot of action and suspense and that's one of the things I loved the most about the book. Apart from that, the author made me care for her characters, especially for Sophie and her struggles, which made me enjoy the book so much more. This series just keeps getting better and now I can't wait to read Garrett's book!Memorable Lines:"Sam?"His name came out breathless. A little hesitant. A little nervous. But there was no fear in her voice."Let me see her, Soph. I want to see my daughter. One moment where it's just us. No distractions. No danger. Just you and me and our child."Previous Book:1. The Darkest Hour - ReviewNext Book:3. Hidden Away (March 1, 2011)Rating:
* I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Title: The Darkest Hour
Author: Maya Banks
Series: KGI #1
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Release Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Edition: Paperback
Blurb:It’s been one year since ex-Navy SEAL Ethan Kelly last saw his wife Rachel alive. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt over his failures as a husband, Ethan shuts himself off from everything and everyone.
His brothers have tried to bring Ethan into the KGI fold, tried to break through the barriers he’s built around himself, but Ethan refuses to respond …until he receives an anonymous phone call claiming Rachel is alive.
To save her, Ethan will have to dodge bullets, cross a jungle, and risk falling captive to a deadly drug cartel that threatens his own demise. And even if he succeeds, he’ll have to force Rachel to recover memories she can’t and doesn’t want to relive—the minute by minute terror of her darkest hour—for their love, and their lives, may depend on it.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I thoroughly enjoy it. I was a little hesitant when I started reading because I usually don't like the "lost memory" plot point, but it worked perfectly in this story. Rachel is a very strong character and after everything she's been through she doesn't give up and keeps fighting to get her life back. We know that Rachel was drugged and became addicted but I was hoping the book explored more her battle against it instead of only getting some brief mentions about it.I found Ethan to be too good to be true. I know that this is only a book, but personally I prefer heroes that aren't perfect. He did make some mistakes in the past regarding Rachel, but it seems like he's a completely different man since she was kidnapped. That said, I loved seeing him and Rachel reconnecting and trying to get to know one another once again. That was the best part of the book. As for the suspense, I don't think there was much of it. There were a few questions that needeed answering like why was Rachel kidnapped and what kind of consequences they were facing since they rescued her, but all of it was solved without much mystery.As for the rest of Ethan's family, they were an interesting bunch of people, but I wished the book wouldn't have shown us so much about the runaway Rusty and her relationship with Ethan's parents. Truth is I didn't like her much.I know this has nothing to do with the story, but I found that the size of the words were a little too small for me. I really hope that they make them bigger for the next book of the series.This was a great romance with some touches of suspense that keep your eyes glued to the pages. I can't wait to read about the adventures of the next Kelly brother.Memorable Lines:“Rachel,” he said soothingly. “Honey, I’m here to help you. It’s time for you to go back home. To the people who love you. Your family.” Her heart seized. Family? She couldn’t remember a family. All she could remember was Ethan, and even those images were vague. When had she forgotten? All she could remember was endless pain and fear. The haziness brought on by injections thrust upon her and the crawling need when they waited too long to give her another dose.Next Book:2. No Place To Run (December 7, 2010)3. Hidden Away (March 1, 2011)Rating:
* I received a copy of this book from the publisher for review.
Fade to Black
Black CATs #1
After transferring out of violent crimes and onto the FBI's Cyber Action Team, Special Agent Dean Taggert is shocked to encounter a case far more vicious than any he's ever seen. A cold and calculating predator dubbed "The Reaper" is auctioning off murder in the cyber world and is about to kill again-unless Dean and beautiful sheriff Stacey Rhodes can stop him.Dean Taggert joined the CATs (Cyber Action Team) to get a shared custody of his son from his ex-wife. He thought it wouldn't be so violent as his last job. He was wrong. A man called "The Reaper" kills his victims, tapes the act and then shows it on the web to a select few. When the team gets an ID of the victim, they go to her home town and then they meet sheriff Stacey Rhodes. She was a cop in the city, but something went wrong in a case and she decided to get back home and replace her father as sheriff. When she finds out that the girl that went missing 18 months ago and that everyone thought had skipped town was instead murdered, she teams up with the CAT's and especially with Taggert to bring the killer to justice.When the deaths start escalating and the killer decides to auction the method in which he will kill his next victim, the stakes get raised, and Stacey and Dean will try harder than ever to catch a killer, especially when they realize that he lives in the little town and nobody had ever notice nothing out of the otdinary.I really didn't have any expectations when I started this book. It was entertaining but sometimes I wished it would go faster. The relationship between Stacey and Dean was one of the high points of this novel. It was very well handled and also beliveable. Both of them have things to overcome to be able to be together and close the case.I knew who the killer was at the middle of the book, so it wasn't really surprising. It took me time to get into the story, and I had to force myself to keep reading until the story sped up. It was an ok debut book, and I'll probably read the next one, but it's not on my high priority list, which means that I'll read it when I don't have anything more interesting in my TBR pile.Memorable Quote:"Sheriff Rhodes?" he asked, his tone gentle. "Can you identify the woman on the photographs?"She swalloded visibly, then nodded once. "It's Lisa Zimmerman""You're sure?""Even if I didn't recognize her face inmediately, I'd know her by that bumblebee tattoo on her shoulder. She was a finalist in a statewide spelling bee in elementary school. She had that put on a couple years ago, I guess to remind herself that she'd once accomplished something." She pushed the pictures away, the tips of her nails touching the very edges, as if she couldn't bear any more contact with them. " So she's dead?""We haven't found her body," Wyatt explained. The man sounded cooly profesional, as always, but also quietly subdued in respect of the sheriff's obvious dismay. "But yes, there seems to be no doubt the woman in these pictures is dead."Rating: 
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