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The Exile And the Sorcerer
Grimspace
The Strange Path
The Hunter (Parker, #1)
Give Me A Reason
Neither the romance nor the detective part stand out much. Nevertheless, the book still is a pretty good read, save for a few things bogging it down.First, as much as the author tried the main protagonist is quite far from being complex, and none too rarely she seems to have as much of compassion and sympathy as a rock does.
Second, and this is more my issue than anything else, I don't much like how it wound up, and the way things went south at the end as I've grew quite fond of Janette. Though the author was hitting on it from beginning, it still seems she tried hard to make her something(wicked?) she really isn't.
eh ... as much as I like the first two, this one was a exceptionally slow and tedious ride. It somehow feels like the author confines herself and the series to ... well I don't know to what, but it just feels ... well, just everything is pretty darn peachy. Ryan and Jammie already promised eternal love to each other both sure there is no force in the world that could split them up, and between them being completely blissful and having lunch or dinner or making love there are very few things that might keep a reader interested. The book just flows and flows to nowhere, as if the author was just merely writing her mind out without any real goal. Though it picks up a pace a bit after the first two thirds, but that's just too late.
I quite much enjoyed this book. Kerry and Dar's short 'vacation' and the bit of time they spent together in Orlando is again one of the better moments in the series, and it also makes up for a better first half of this book. Though, the next half gets shorter end of the stick. While still good, somewhat it misses a thrill of the first, and somehow the story feels like it just flows without any real incentive.More than anything else, the second half feels like some sort of an 'anchor' for the next #8 installment. Which isn't exactly a bad thing, it just could be handled better though.
My choice of books definitely doesn't ooze complexity, however, the whole love at first glance is a touch naïve and the whole plot and the story are too simple. Lex and Amanda both jump into each other literally in the very beginning on the first page and all of a sudden everything is peachy as they are head over heels with each other. That pretty much defines the mood and the tone of the book.But still, it was fun while it lasted. It's just probably me and that I love a bit of drama here and there, though shame on me—I'm going to pick up the next in the series.
Well well, this book surely stirred my feelings. Although in a more negative way.The first thing I don't like is there are just too many characters. While Drake and Sylvan's relationship is pretty great, though a touch naïve and it surely could use more writing, I couldn't care less about Jody and Becky and about Niki and another nth someone. It feels they are just a mere afterthought that the author put into her book so it has more than hundred pages.
The second there is just too much sex. The book would feel much better if the author didn't have the need to butcher it with a sex scene on a every second page. As it is, everyone is persistently aroused constantly trying to put up with a 'throbbing sex-frenzy'. In the end it just feels like the author tries to cover up lousy writing.
I would rated it with two stars, though I give it a three just because of Drake & Sylvan, who are really likable and their connection feels good.
This book is amazing. A touch unusual, though not unexpectedly after the sort of different #5. Unusual, because among other things this time the story takes place in the Caribbean and on the Virgin islands off Miami and out of the usual setting.The story begins with Dar and Ker setting off to well-deserved vacation. Unfortunately for them their plans get disrupted and soon after their departure things go south. As the story progresses things slowly escalate and for the first time and not by a chance they've to defend themselves, and try to save their very lives and lives of those they care about.
I enjoyed the book pretty much. I'd even say it's my favorite. It's quite different and much more action packed than the rest, though it's not the others in the series aren't—they are simply more relaxed than anything else.
The first thing that caught me was that this book is rather 'thin'. It's not even a half of the first, but boy, I couldn't get my eyes off it from the very beginning to the end. Most of the story takes place in Michigan and out of the usual settings, where Kerry gets caught in the maelstrom of events caused by her father's death. During this and within a number of sorrowful happenings involving Kerry's ignorant and obnoxious family her and Dar's relationship strengthens, and even more now they realize where they priorities are and how much they care for each other.
At any rate and as much inappropriate it sounds, I enjoyed every moment—probably also thanks to the fact that the book is much more paced unlike others in the series—and that's pretty great as I've been a touch worried after the #3 and the #4, which were rather tedious and well ... just ordinary.
The book is a great deal of fun, but still, I think the #2's been best so far. Maybe it's because the author used a slightly different narrative style and I didn't really care about Dar's parents. Though not that I've not liked them, they just didn't really hold my interest and sometimes there was a bit too much of them.This time Dar and Kerry have to deal with Ankow, who is the overbearing and obnoxious member of the board. His intentions are pretty clear—get rid of Alastair and Dar. Furthermore, Kery is being served papers and she has to face consequences of releasing sensitive information about her father's illegal and illegitimate activities.
The the first half of the book is great and feels much better than the second. After Kerry leaves to Washington to attend court hearings she's been subpoenaed to, it gets a touch tedious. But still, it was surely worth the time and I can only recommend it.
Those who loved the first book probably find out they like this one too. It has a touch fewer pages than its forerunner, though that's definitely a plus as my biggest grip with the first was that it's been really hard to keep attention sometimes.Yet again Dar & Kerry have to go through a number of difficulties, of which who a most unpleasant and definitely biggest is the former and obnoxious friend of Dar's. Slowly as they pass their relationship strengthens even more.
I really like how they both are truly devoted to each other. I halfly expected some tacky fightin'-and-bitchin'—following a unwritten rule of the genre—to happen. It was really nice to find out that the author doesn't adhere to it.
A good book, though sometimes it drags too much for its own good. It'd probably be better all-around if it had fewer pages and the book was more packed instead. Also, notwithstanding it's set in the real world there are quite few 'inconsistencies'. The story happens in the 1999th but it's too techie for its time though it doesn't mind much, and with a rather naïve punch to it—Kerry getting through a firewall ... etc.
Both protagonist, Dar and Kerry are pretty sweet and likeable. It was nice for a change to read about someone who's not a total butch and yet still can take care about oneself.
Furthermore the story is pretty good and a notch higher than it's usual in the genre. But still, I can't give it four stars. Its length just felt kinda artificial and there was too much makes-me-yawn moments.
I liked the first book better. Although this one was actually pretty fun—though a touch on the naïve side—by half of the book it somehow lost its charm and started to feel more and more like a cliché.Most irritating is the whole Lily alcoholism thing—that's or at least gives that impression—the central theme of the book. Nevertheless, it just feels like a random thought that popped out of the author's head. If that's how she thinks of alcoholics and alcoholism she has yet to see one, and by those standards there is a great deal of population amongst them.
Furthermore the advice about enabler and 'she truly has to face the consequences' is kinda ... well ridiculous. It'd probably took months or more likely even years for Lily to 'face to the consequences'. And then another months or years for her to pull through. Still, if she'd be able to do so by then.
The book is very slow paced this time. Maybe it's because of the theme, which is now more focused on Micky and Cordelia, their relationship and the difficulties Cordelia goes through that puts the usual sleuthing a bit more aside. It's not bad by any means. It's actually opposite as it gives a chance to see how they happen to realize how much they mean for and how far they'd go for each other.That said, the book still couldn't hold my attention. Maybe it's because the actual 'detectiving' part feels kinda forced or perhaps it's the very investigation. The plot of which is now rather bland and that makes the usual filler even more noticeable and harder to get through.
Overall, I like how their relationship evolves but in the end it leaves me afraid of its real destination. Back when I was reading the second book Cordelia didn't struck me as a right choice, but somehow they've made their relationship work, and although the theme of the series is more grim than bright I'd like to see Micky and her happy and not broken again. Which sadly brings me to the end of this book wherein Cordelia is more death than alive. Though I hope not it seems the author has decided she has to die, perhaps just for the sake of dying and keeping up an 'atmosphere'. Nevertheless it'd be better to wait and judge until after the next installment in the series.
I already noticed when I was reading through the third book that the series as the whole has slowly begun to take a different course. But while I'm not fond of it, somehow the series has and still does manage to keep the atmosphere and the feeling of the first two books, or at least a part of it.The big issue for me is to get over Micky aging so fast and over the time vacuum between the individual books. But while I don't like it I can understand it. I realize that the first book was published more than twenty years ago. I didn't read it back then. Hell, I wasn't even born yet. But I understand that there are a lot of people who read it all these years ago and as slowly they've grown older also Micky has. The series's been with them pretty much all this time and that may means a lot. Likewise, perhaps the author tries to stay in the present time or at least so close as she can.
This aside there are still some things I don't like. Mostly Micky has been through a lot. I believe she deserves some happiness, sort of resemblance of it. All of the love 'drama' of Cordelia and her feels pretty unnecessary. Though I probably read too much, I don't like her getting broken over and over again and even more now as their separation looks rather petty and forced.
Moreover, I don't like how the author puts rest of characters so much aside. It almost seems she tries to get rid of them. I know the series was always mostly about Micky, but they used to have their place in it. As it is now, Joanna is mentioned twice, Danna the same and what's sad Cordelia who plays or at least should important role in Micky's life is also quite absent, and those few occasions when she appears are kinda unfortunate.
The book starts off almost three years after the events of its predecessor. Cordelia and Micky are still together happy and rolling, something Micky never thought would be possible, which is pretty easy to understand as her previous relationships rarely lasted more than a week and even rarer more than a day. Story is pretty much focused on Micky, her personal life and again her past. Side characters like Joanna and Danny doesn't get much space and only appears on a few occasions, which made me a bit sad. Even appearances of Cordelia, considering she's her lover, are rather rare.
Overall, after the third that felt rather 'awkward', I enjoyed reading this one very much. Though, in future I'd be happy to see more of Joanna, Danny and rest of the characters.
PS. I also quite dislike gaps between the individual books. She was 29 in the first, around 35-37 now in the fourth and as far as I know she should be around 44 in the fifth and the sixth book.
I don't mind she gets older, but there is so much unspoken and leaving it so feels like unused potential.
After the two preceding books I have finally got my hands on this one, which while still great, misses some of the punch that they have.I guess if it got cut in half it'd not really matter for almost nothing happens until after 40% into the book. To put it simply, the first half feels like the filler of fillers. Also there is rather big shift from detective-story ridden, the previous two have been to mediocre-romance book, which I'm not really fond of.
It'd not be so bad and neither is, but Micky's and Cordelia's relationship feels kinda tacky and out of place. It somehow misses all the thrill and gives impression that there is no passion between them. From all of the "potential partners" she feels like a rather unfortunate choice.
But overall, I enjoyed it. The book still has that dark tint in its story and the portent atmosphere that I've loved in the first two. It's just that some things—like the romance—feel forced, and I don't like sacrifices that there are and may have been made because of it.
Main protagonist "Micky" (Michele) is P.I. (private investigator) and kind of a person, that is hard to like, but when you do it's even harder to stop. At first glance she may seems like reckless and cocky hotshot, who goes from one extreme to another, often with bottle of scotch, mostly empty, in her hand. But in reality there is much more into her and she has pretty good reasons for her actions.
After many years, she still tries to cope with rueful events of her past, murder of her father when she was 10, abandonment by her very mother when she was 5 and on top of it lurking memories from period she was forced to live with her self-righteous and fanatical aunt, often misunderstood by her own friends.
Story, while not so at the beginning, quickly turns out to have much more serious and darker tone than it appears. In something that should be more favor to her police friend than anything else Michele finds herself involved in investigation during which she must fight for her life, against her own nightmares and for love of her friends.