Smexy Books

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3) by Darynda Jones
Urban Fantasy
Hardcover
January 31, 2012
St. Martins Press

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Scene: “Oh my god!”

“What?”

“You’re naked.”

“I’m not naked.”

“I’m blind.”

“You’re not blind. I’m wearing pants.”

“Oh.”

At the end of Second Grave On The Left, Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, did the unthinkable and bound the sexy supermodel son of Satan to his physical body when he was about to off himself and exist only in his metaphysical form. That left super sexy man a not so very happy camper. So unhappy that super sexy man refuses to see or talk to Charley. Now Charley is now drinking copious amounts of stolen coffee (cause that’s the best tasting) to avoid sleep because Reyes comes to her in her dreams and does some remarkably blush worthy things to her body. His visits leave her exhausted and hurt. Charley senses the anger Reyes feels and she knows that he doesn’t want to be there with her, doing the things they do. When Charley is given a new missing persons case she figures this is the best way to get Reyes out of her head but when he breaks out of prison with a crazy story that the man he supposedly killed isn’t dead and he wants Charley to find him she realizes that coffee isn’t going to cut it anymore. All the while she is dealing with her guilt ridden father, a nun who “eavesdrops” on the voices in her head, hot scruffy bikers, and a knife welding ghost who likes to pose as a hood ornament.

If you read no other books this year, you must stop and pick up Darynda Jones’s Third Grave Dead Ahead. A hilarious, wickedly sexy, action packed, mystery that will have you howling with laughter as you follow Charley and her overqualified, underpaid receptionist/ and bff Cookie into the exciting world of private investigation, coffee thievery, and boundary challenged ghosts. A strong character driven series, this urban fantasy takes you on a crazy laugh filled adventure with strong emotional story lines, multiple subplots, charismatic characters, and witty dialogue. Our heroine, Charley Davidson, is the Grim Reaper. She has spent her entire life solving mysteries; first for her father and uncle and then for herself. It’s only recently that she began to accept her duties and help the dead cross over. She is still unsure exactly what her place is in the universe but according to Reyes she is a portal to heaven that if breached will in able Hell to reign on earth. Not to put pressure on her or anything.

Charley’s character grows in here. There is an edge to her that is more apparent; horned by the events in book two. She’s standing up more for herself and not allowing her family ties to strangle her as much. Still wonderfully sassy and snarky, she balances business and pleasure with some of the most brilliant one liners out there. Noone is safe from her mouth. I love how she doesn’t take herself to seriously. Armed with lattes and her jeep Misery, she jumps head first into the world and takes it by storm. Things happen pretty fast in here and there is a lot going on that changes the direction in which Charley has been going. I really can’t say much without spoiling but lets just say that the war between heaven and hell is closer then you think and Charley doesn’t have much time left to figure out her powers.

Plenty of secondary characters help round out the book, adding depth and deception. Each one so well defined you can easily imagine them with their own story. We see old and new in here, expanding on the storyline and provide clues towards the rest of the series. They are all as every bit as crazy as Charley. Donovan, the biker gang leader who now owns the land and asylum where Rocket lives, is an interesting new character and I look forward to seeing more of him in Charley’s future. They have something in common, unknown to either of them, that promises much fun and hijinks. Charley and her sister Grace don’t have a lot of bonding time in here but they are steady becoming closer since revelations helped overcome some serious issues that kept them at odds.

“Before I tell you anything, I have to know three things.”

“Okay.”

“One, are you sitting down.”

“Yes.”

“Two, are you mentally stable.”

“More then you’ll ever be.”

“Well, that was uncalled for. And three, how so you spell schizophrenia?”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothing. I just wanted to see if you’d tell me.”

The best relationship in here is between Charley and her receptionist slash business partner slash bff, Cookie. The dialogue between them had me crying from laughing so hard.

”We need to talk.”

“Does this have anything to do with the mustache I drew on you while you were sleeping the other night?”

“No. This has to do with drugs.”

“You’re on drugs?!?”

“No. You are.”

“I’m on drugs?!?”

They are two peas in a pod and the love between them is readily felt. Cookie is the only one who Charley truly believes loves her for who she is. Cookie doesn’t want anything from Charley and always has her back. They have a wonderful friendship that translates well in the storyline. I love seeing Cookie and watching her help Charley. She is such a spaz yet so adorable you can’t help but laugh and cheer her on. She is a great sidekick for Charley.

Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the super sexy, mucho yummy, supermodel son of Satan; Reyes. Reyes has been a part of Charley’s life since she was born. Referred to as “dark and scary”, he paid a horrible price for trying to circumvent fate and arrange for he and Charley to live happily ever after. The sexual tension and chemistry between them literally burns up the pages, enhanced by the sense of danger and death that surrounds Reyes. As the son of Satan he is the ultimate temptation. He is also a demon and he warns Charley repeatedly that he will kill her to prevent world domination by his father. Your never really sure where he stands. Part him wants the fairytale ending and yet part of him sees her as the enemy. It’s hard to get a good fix because we don’t get his POV. He will love up on her one minute then threaten her the next. He’s a hand full.

There are three story lines in here that twist and turn around each other, coming together and resolving themselves towards the end. None of them are related to one another yet they all blend together fantastically. The ending is a high speed chase of action, suspense, and a quite a bit of intrigue as everything comes to a head and Charley is left once again holding the bag and trying to survive. All in all, Ms. Jones’s Third Grave Dead Ahead is a home run for 2012 and takes this series to a whole new level. I can’t wait for book four. I do not recommend reading this out of order as these books are not standalones.

Overall Rating: B+

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The Rogue Who Loved Me by Ingela F. Hyatt
Historical Romance
Ebook
December 2011
Mundania Press

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “What would it be like to love and be loved?”

The Rogue Who Loved Me is a straight forward historical romance set in the 16th century. A virgin innocent and a jaded rake mix business with pleasure when they embark on a dangerous game that could end with broken hearts or worse…death. Alexande, the Marquis Of Ravenspur has come home to ferret out a murderer and a spy at his king’s command. When he meets the lovely and very innocent Aubriana Welbrey, he is intrigued but he has no time for playful interludes. When Aubriana’s brother is implicated in a smuggling ring, the sheriff gives Aubriana a choice-help him spy on Alexande and find evidence he is the head of the smuggling ring or her brother faces charges. Aubriana is given a place in Alexande’s household as a maid but when he offers her the position of his mistress, she sees a way to complete her mission.

As Alex and Aubri begin their affair, their passion is instantaneous and explodes from their first touch but the love comes slowly. Neither were prepared for the intensity that affects them. Alex is a true rake and we are given hints of this through his POV. He has spent his life going from bed to bed, giving and receiving pleasure, but keeping his heart firmly sequestered. With Aubri he begins to experience the joy of being with a woman for the simple pleasure of her company. Her happiness soon outweighs his own needs. I enjoyed watching his heart thaw and his possessiveness take hold. He is embarrassed by how he’s acted in the past and it shows in how he begins to view his relationship with Aubri.

Aubri comes across as frail in the beginning but soon you realize how wrong you are. Caught in an impossible position because of her brother and her station in life, she holds to her dignity and pride in the best way she can. She doesn’t instantly try and jump in Alex’s bed. She weighs the pros and cons of being his mistress and is honest that part of the attraction is him himself and she is curious to the explore the sexual feeling she invokes in her. You can feel her conflict between wanting to be with Alex and her reluctance to spy on him.

The passion between them is quite steamy and Ms. Hyatt leaves nothing to the imagination. Yet, for all its erotic propensity, it never comes across as cheap or vulgar. As their relationship goes from sexual to more emotional, the result is noted in their reactions to one another. I found that more enchanting then anything else. Watching and being able to see not only the elation but the heartaches as they try to figure out where to go from here elevated the storyline in my eyes.

“Why does she cry? It broke his heart to see her thus. Did she too realize they had gone between lord and mistress? Did she understand they could never anything more than they were now? Sorrow squeezed his heart.”

“His heart mourned-for what they both could never be.”

The main conflict is interesting though predictable. You know from the beginning who is the villain of the story is though it’s not until the end do we find out the reasons why. Misdirection and intrigue are prevalent as we watch Alex and Aubri circle around each other, trying to figure out what the other knows without giving themselves away. Molly and Wiggins were my favorite characters in that they truly love their master and mistress and try hard to help from the sidelines. Plus, neither has a true servant mentality and the barbs and comments they made were humorous. The requisite “misunderstanding” is present but it isn’t dragged out nor outlandish in it’s presentation. The conclusion wraps everything up nicely in a dramatic fashion that resolves our main conflict yet leaves us an opening to proceed to book two of this series.

Overall rating: B-

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Fated Hour by Samantha McHargue
Time Travel Romance
December 2011
Self Published

Reviewed by Tori

Favorite Quote: “I came two hundred years for the feel of your heart against my lips, telling me you love me…”

Fated Hour is the sequel to Ms. McHargue’s Timeless. At the end of Timeless, Alexandra (Lexi) Kane was transported back in time by a jealous rival. Her lover, Lance Reed, defies space and time to find her and bring her back. What seems to be only a short 4 month time span to those in the present, Lance and Lexi are gone for almost 4 years. What occurred in those 4 years changes Lexi’s and Lance’s life and only with the help of the Genesis team, a pair of gifted twins, and a trip to the past will help these two lovers find themselves and their love again.

While Timeless thrilled me, Fated Hour blew me away. Fated Hour is an beautiful emotionally gripping story that takes you to the very edge. A time traveling version of Romeo and Juliet; only here it’s not family but time that drives them apart. Intrigue, mystery, and a bittersweet romance will have you racing to see how this ends. I found myself having to put it down and walk away several times in order to deal with the emotional avalanche that tumbled over me.

Ms McHargue’s world is both vivid and enthralling in storyline and characters. From Lexi’s and Lance’s turbulent relationship in the past to the thrilling adventure of Genesis’s current mission you are taken on a journey in to a rich paranormal world fueled by imagination and fantasy. Character driven, this book tells the story of what happened in the past in conjunction with what is happening in the present. The transition between the two story lines is smooth and flawlessly executed. They travel together in sync until they blend together seamlessly at the end.

Lexi Kane has been back in the present with Lance for a few months. She is tired and finds herself at a loss; caught in her misery between the past and the present. When the owner of Genesis informs them of a new mission, Lexi feels she is not ready but obligated to go along. It’s only after she is committed is it that Lance and Alan (Genesis’s owner) tell her what the mission entails. They will be financing and teaming with a pair of brilliant twins who are are going to explore and raise the Fleur de lies. The Fleur de lies was a navel war ship that sank hundreds of years ago. Captained by Admiral Gabriel Sauvageau, a frenchman who served under Napoleon Bonaparte, the Fleur de Lies sunk during a vicious storm and is rumored to be a treasure trove of information and wealth. Lexi is livid that Lance and the owner Alan kept this mission a secret from her; especially Lance. He knows what happened during the 4 years they were trapped in the past and her traumatic history with Gabriel.

The emotions of our protagonists in this book overwhelm you as watch their story unfold. Pain, loneliness, loss, and betrayal all surround you and batter at your heart. Lexi’s pain robs you of your breath as she is called to bare witness to what was an unbearably heartbreaking time in her life while Lance’s pain and concern for Lexi further intensifies your already fragile emotional state. At first, I couldn’t believe Lexi would fall in love with another. She and Lance are two halves of a whole. When they came together in Timeless you couldn’t argue with the feeling that this was how it was meant to be. At times I felt her selfish for her treatment of Lance in here. She blames him for her predicament. Yet, who can blame her for feeling that way. She was trapped, once again, in the past and had no way of knowing if she would be rescued. But as you submerge deeper into their story of what happened in the past and her times with Gabriel, you find yourself no longer asking how could she love him..but how could she not.

Lance is unbelievable here. Gone is his ineptness and somewhat cold nature concerning Lexi in Timeless. He knows what she has endured and depths of her despair. While he is angry at first that she has fallen love with someone else he understands and accepts which only makes the situation more poignant as he tries to help her deal with her emotions-putting his own pain aside. He knows that he may lose her in the end, but as long as she is taken care of, then none of that matters.

Gabriel, the other half of our love triangle is a delicious delight. I fell in love with him myself. Handsome, debonair, and deeply in love with Lexi. He knows of her history with Lance and while he despairs he will lose her, he offers her nothing less but his whole a heart and soul while she is with him.

The past historical storyline is interesting as Ms. McHargue takes liberties with the Napoleonic Wars and uses it as a base to show us Lexi’s and Gabriel’s story. Very romantic and tense as their friendship and love unfolds under the shadow of war, treason, and death. I enjoyed that Lexi and Gabriel aren’t immediately tossed into a romantic affair. Ms. McHargue does well in reminding us that this all occurs over a 4 year time frame and builds it slowly in accordance to that.

Our present day storyline is also well done as we are introduced to two new characters. Krislyn and Christian Blair. Brilliant archaeologists, they are also able to commune with the dead. Christan accepts this but Krislyn closed that door years ago. But Krislyn has dreamed of the Fleur de lies and Gabriel since she was a small child and now will stop at nothing to find out what and why the Fleur de lies sunk. I enjoyed the qualities Ms. McHague installed in the Blair twins, especially Krislyn. She and Lexi butt heads from day one but Lexi is unable to cower Krislyn as she does the others. Krislyn has no idea of Lexi’s tragic past and frankly doesn’t care. She too has a need that drives her and it’s her gift that in the end helps Lexi and Lance begin to heal.

The ending is bittersweet as we see exactly the last few moments of Lexi’s, Lance’s and Gabriel’s lives in the past. Questions are answered and our protagonists are given a wonderful gift the enables them to cross that final hurdle that kept them from reconnecting in the present. Part of me sighed in happiness and cried in grief as Lexi finally realized what sacrifices Lance and Gabriel had made in ensure her happiness.

All in all a beautiful paranormal romance that will enchant all readers who love an emotionally turbulent time travel story that pushes all the right buttons. I do not recommend reading Fated Hour without reading Timeless first. It is a continuation with no back story to bring you up to speed.

Rating: B+

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Sugar Rush by Donna Kauffman
Contemporary Romance
December 27, 2011
Brava

Reviewed by May

Favorite Quote: I made cinnamon rolls, then needed something to occupy me until Tyler Florence. Ultimate cheesecakes today. Tyler. And cheesecake.” Charlotte took a moment, hand to chest, sighed. “It’s the closest I’ve been to multiple orgasms since February.”

Lani moved away from her career as a head pastry chef in New York to a small island off the coast of Georgia called Sugarberry Island to open her own shop. A cupcake shop called Cakes by the Cup that was all hers, in a small peaceful town where she sets her own pace and creates treats that the locals will love and enjoy. The shop is still new to her, but she’s happy and setting up with a strong business plan and moving on from her unrequited feelings for her former boss Baxter.

No one had been more surprised than Lani when she discovered that, at some point during the crazy intense time it took her to choose the name of the shop, install the kitchen equipment, line the shelves and cabinets with the tools of her trade, and set up her pastry displays… she’d fallen in love. Head over heels, hopelessly, completely, stupidly in love. With her own little shop.

Baxter Dunne, aka Chef Hot Cakes is a UK transplant who worked his way up to being one of the premier pastry chefs in the United States, so much so that not only does he own his own New York shop, but he also has his own television show. He’s decided to take his show and bake on the road, most specifically so he can visit his former employee Lani and sweep her off her feet. Nothing has been quite right since she walked out of his kitchen and life.

The setup is that he wants to shoot his show at her cupcake shop for a week, and she doesn’t want him to. She’s proud, she wants success to be her own, and she doesn’t want him mucking up what is hers. Immediately he puts his cards on the table and lets her know he has missed her and is interested. She lets him know where he can put his interest, and really doesn’t let him just walk in and waltz over her. He can’t believe he sees his former head pastry chef working on (god forbid) cupcakes, she calls him out on his snobbery. The battle to win Lani’s heart, and get to know the real her, is on!

The one thread that continues through the story, is that this relationship can’t work. She’s happy and doesn’t want to go back to NYC or give up her new business. She wants to have her cupcake shop and remain on Sugarberry Island. Baxter has well-established shop in NYC and a hit TV show he films, so he can’t sit around and watch her bake mere cupcakes either. It just won’t work without someone changing their life completely.

This fact is mentioned so many times, so frequently, and all the way until the final pages of the book, that it really affected my feelings on the story.

Baxter is a smug bastard, always calling Lani “luv” and charging ahead without regard for the feelings of others. Determined to get what he wants, however he needs to. Ah, but the author shows us why he is this way, and as the story progresses so does Baxter. I really liked his character development, so the earlier jerk moments are in time forgiven.

I also appreciated that Lani, except for a moment of weakness near the end and her inexplicable need to make only cupcakes for her shop, is a strong and talented woman. She has figured out some happiness in life, and she’s grabbed onto it. I loved watching her stand up to the man she fell so hard for, letting him know that he doesn’t know all aspects of her, and watching her female friendships develop as well.

Though they tape a weeks worth of episodes for a TV show during this book, very little TV production time is focused on or detailed as to what they’re actually making for the show. That’s pretty vague and I would have liked some more about that.

I got bored of the running in circles about how they couldn’t be together because they can’t make it work conversations, and generic dialogue that I would have been happy to cut altogether in favor of more action. With the lead characters walking into this book in love (but ‘can’t make it work’) there was very little relationship to develop. This frustrated me a lot.

For the female friendships, for the food TV references, and for the baking scenes I’d recommend this book to someone who loves sweet treats and food/chef inspired tropes. It’s a cute set up, and if read as more general fiction (vs for the romance) it’s pretty satisfying.

Grade: C+

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Continuing our Authors After Dark Spotlights, today we are featuring Lara Adrian. She published her first Breeds book, Kiss of Midnight in 2007, and tomorrow will release the tenth book in that series.

Lara Adrian’s Breed series is a dark, convoluted PNR world filled with non stop action, blood curling suspense, and hot smexy characters that will hold you hostage to the very end. The Breed is a group of otherworldly warriors, descended from aliens who landed on our world thousands of years ago, who have chosen to stand between humanity and rogue breeds who prey on those weaker then they. Imbibed with powers that are determined by their genetic similarity to their ancestors, these warriors have a similarity to vampires but only in the fact they require blood to live. They have a strict code though that they NEVER take from a human, least they succumb to the bloodlust and become what they are fighting against. Mates are found through humans who are predisposed with a genetic marker that allows them compatibility. Each breedmate is determined through a birthmark they carry. Each book gives us the story of one Breed member’s search and finding of their one true love. It’s not a easy journey for either and that’s one reason I love this series. Ms. Adrian doesn’t guarantee that our heroes and heroines will have an easy time of it and she often makes them work very hard even after mate to ensure their HEA.

Earlier today, Helyce reviewed Darker After Midnight. We happen to have an extra, brand new copy (hardcover) to give away today!

To enter, leave a comment and tell us what your favorite thing about the Breed series is. If you are new to this series, tell us why you want to read it.

Contest open through tomorrow (January 24th) and open to everyone.