Buddy Review: High Risk by Vivian Arend

One of the reasons we dropped the ball with Breezing Through last year is that Ames and I have simply not been reading the same books. Hard to write any buddy reviews in such circumstance ^_^; So to make sure it wouldn't happen anymore, we decided that each month, we should choose a book from our New Releases post that we both look forward to, read and buddy review it. Here's our choice for March :)

High Risk by Vivian Arend
published by Berkley in March 2013

LIFELINE: an elite search-and-rescue squad based out of Banff, Alberta. Specializing in high-risk rescue missions, this team goes wherever the job takes them…

Rebecca James was once revered for her devil-may-care attitude and backcountry survival skills. But ever since she lost her partner in a fatal accident, patches of her memory have been missing. And until she can recall those final, tragic moments before the accident, she can’t move on.

Since Marcus Landers was permanently injured during a mission, all his energies have been focused on his Lifeline team. When Becki—whom he had an intense affair with seven years ago—arrives in Banff, he’s inspired to reignite the spark they once had. Their mutual ardor slowly awakens Becki’s dormant, haunting memories.

New truths surface until Becki must at last confront her greatest fear. Remembering the past might mean a future without the man she loves…

Genre: Contemporary romance/Romantic suspense (?)
Series: Adrenaline Search & Rescue, Book #1

The Story:  Becki James is trying to get back into the swing of mountain climbing after an accident that cost her a loved one and a few hours of her memory.  Because of those lost hours, she's also lost confidence in her ability.  But she takes a job in Banff, Alberta because it's a teaching job and she figures she can slowly ease her way back into things.

Marcus Landers is the leader of a search-and-rescue team in Banff.  His brother runs the S&R training school and he's hired Becki on to teach.  Marcus, who had a brief affair with Becki a few years ago, is interested in having Becki give his squad a refresher course.  And after seeing her again and realizing she has some demons and that he still wants her, he decides that he'll help her get her confidence back.  And he also hopes that she'll want to stay around in Banff instead of returning to Yellowstone.


Nath: So what did you think of High Risk, Ames?

Ames: I really enjoyed it! I wasn’t expecting it to be so steamy, but I liked it. I loved the Canadian setting and I found the whole thing interesting - the mountain rescue stuff and getting prepared for it.

What did you think?

Nath: Same as you, Ames :) I thought High Risk was very enjoyable and very hot LOL. It is a romantic suspense I think, but at the same time, not the kind we are used to, so that was a nice change :)

I know we picked it up because of the Canadian setting :P However, I don’t think it played such a big part...

Ames: Well for a mountain town, I don’t think there could much differentiation between Canadian and American. LOL I’m not familiar with Banff or Alberta at all so who knows? But still, it took place in Canada. That’s a good thing.

I don’t consider it a suspense...because it was an internal conflict. There weren’t villains out to get them or anything. It was the demons in Becki’s head that drove the plot.

Nath: You’re right, there’s probably not a big difference between a Canadian and American mountain town and LOL, I’m not familiar with Banff either. But it was nice to read a book set in Canada for a change :)

As for High Risk being a romantic suspense or not, I hear what you’re saying about the plot being driven by Becki’s demons. But at the same time, you have a “what happened?/who did it?” which is why I considered a RS. LOL, someone wants to weigh in, be the tiebreaker?

In any case, it doesn’t really matter what genre the book is so long as it’s a good book :) What did you like the most about High Risk, Ames? While I thought the mountain rescue stuff was interesting, what won me over were the characters, especially Becki and Marcus. I loved how self-confident the two were, going after what they wanted and not letting setbacks dictate their lives.

Ames: I agree! Becki and Marcus totally made this book for me. First, I liked that they had a past. And not a horrible one either. They had one weekend of crazy hot passion and then they went their separate ways. And both of them were doing what they loved. They weren’t pining for each other. Becki had even fallen in love with someone else during that time. And I liked how they came back together. Marcus runs a search and rescue team and his brother runs the training school. Becki’s hired on to train at the school. It was very organic the way that happened.

And Marcus. I loved him! He has some ghosts of his own to deal with but here’s this alpha guy who doesn’t let something hold him back. And he goes after what he wants. What got me about him was that he was alpha all the way, but he treated Becki equally. They were really balanced as a couple. And that made their bedroom shenanigans super hot when she ceded control over to him. Rowr.

Nath: I’m with you :) I liked that Becki and Marcus had that hot week-end and then, each went in their own direction, did their own things, without hurt and hard feelings, just good and hot memories! Just that simple thing made this couple refreshing already :) I also enjoyed the maturity with which they both handled the rekindling of this fling :) Becki had her doubts because her lover has just recently passed away and she feels disloyal, but she talked it out and came to a conclusion without it being too big of an issue. The only thing about this romance that bothered me a bit was how repetitive the sex scenes were ^_^; Yes, they were hot... but it seemed to be very similar after a while. However, kudos to Ms Arend for sticking with her style. I liked that she didn’t tone down the sex scenes simply because she got published by a more mainstream line :)

As for Marcus, once again, I have to agree with you :) He had an alpha attitude, but wasn’t over-bearing. LOL, at least with Becki! Not sure his team would agree :P I thought he was a great leader and mentor and just had a good attitude. There’s something big about Marcus that isn’t mentioned in the blurb and we want to keep it as a secret in this review, because it’s a nice element of surprise... but I just want to say that I liked his attitude towards it. Very positive and accepting. So it kind of surprised me that he still hadn’t dealt with the events that had caused it :(

Ames: I agree - I felt like his stuff was still a bit unresolved. I don’t want to call them black-outs, but when he retreated into himself? I felt that was kind of overlooked at the end. And I was pleasantly surprised by that particular element of Marcus’ that isn’t mentioned. I would like to see more characters like that.

Overall, I thought High Risk was very enjoyable. I like that the conflict was almost all internally driven. The characters were very well rounded and had healthy attitudes about sex. Yay. LOL

Nath: Yes, I would have liked a bit more closure about Marcus’ issue. It seemed like it was included so Marcus would understand what’s Becki is going through and then, it was swept under the rug, forgotten. I mean, sure, Becki’s issue was more current... but does that mean that Marcus will still have those moments in the future and they will just deal? I mean, I’m fine with it. I don’t need everything to be tied in a nice bow, but I like everything to be addressed ^_^;

You’ve summed it up really well for High Risk. I think it was a good first installment. There was a good balance between a nice romance with an unique couple and the setting up of the series, the introduction of the search and rescue and the rest of the team. I think Ms Arend did a good job at not overwhelming us, but I do hope there’ll be more search and rescue in the future books :)

So how are you grading High Risk? For me, it’s a B-. It was a very enjoyable book with a few good surprises :) However, I think there was a bit too much sex and those pages could have been used towards making the internal conflict a wee stronger.

Ames: I am giving High Risk a B. Like I said, I really enjoyed it. I didn’t have any complaints about the love scenes. :P Just Marcus’ stuff getting swept under the rug, like you said. And I also agree that a bit more search and rescue will be good in future books. Becki wasn’t part of the team so I can understand why it wasn’t focused on heavily in this book. But I look forward to it in the next book for sure.

Buddy Review: Don't Tell by Karen Rose

Zeek:  A couple weeks ago Ames, whom I’ve “known” for a couple of years now, noticed I was reading Don’t Tell by Karen Rose. When she asked if I would want to do a buddy review with this book, I leapt at the chance! See, I love talking about books with people who love the same genres I do, but alas, the opportunity to do so in the non-cyber world is almost non-existent. Having met Ames online over our mutual passion for reading, I knew it would be fun way of sharing the love, while doing a review without much effort. I was right- and I killed two birds with one stone. Nothing more satisfying in life. :D

Ames:  I love when things just fall into place like that. I had decided to read more Karen Rose this year and lo and behold, I notice Zeek reading the same thing. And how odd that we've never done a buddy review before in all the years of us being blog buddies?! I'm glad you enjoyed the experience. :P

Don't Tell by Karen Rose
Published by Warner Forever in 2006
Genre:  Romantic Suspense

It was a desperate plan. But Mary Grace Winters knew the only way to save herself and her child from her abusive cop husband was to stage their own death. Now all that remains of their former life is at the bottom of a lake. Armed with a new identity in a new town, she and her son have found refuge hundreds of miles away. As Caroline Stewart, she has almost forgotten the nightmare she left behind nine years ago. She is even taking a chance on love with Max Hunter, a man with wounds of his own. But her past is about to collide with the present when her husband uncovers her trail and threatens her hard-won peace. Step by step, he's closing in on her- and everything and everyone she loves.

Zeek: So what did you think??

ames: I’ve read Karen Rose before and Count to Ten is my favorite book ever. So I kind of compare every KR book to that one. I thought Don't Tell was really good! Especially for a debut novel. What about you? Have you read her before? What did you think?

Zeek: Yes Die For Me was the first one I read by her and I’ve only ever read Count To Ten as well- both were top notch, as well as better written novels technically. That said, Don’t Tell totally engaged my emotions- I think more so than the first two I read, although it has been a number of years since I’ve read them and I may be forgetting.


I have a love/hate relatioinship with suspense-thrillers. I love a book that makes me want to scream from tension and rise to the defense of the characters. But I could hardly sit still reading the Bad Guy’s inner thoughts- I wanted to beat the crap out of him so bad- And that’s why I hate them. I feel as helpless as the heroine.


Still it’s the mark of a good author to be able to engage the readers’ passions with such ease!

ames: Yes it is the mark of a good author. Right from the get go I was sucked into Caroline's story.


And I have said for years and years that I do not like romantic suspense as a genre. But I'll always make the exception for Karen Rose. Kind of like my feelings towards mystery, I can't handle the suspense sometimes! I know I was on the edge of my seat a few times when we were in the villain's POV and we realize how close he was to Caroline. I couldn't put the book down.


I also have to agree with something you said when we first started reading this book, that it was more romance-y. I agree and it's in a good way. It set up a nice tension between the romance and suspense. I found Don't Tell very balanced that way. And it wasn't corny romance either - something I've found with other romantic suspenses.

Zeek: Yeah- she had me immediately too. LOATHED the bad guy from the beginning. (I believe some of my comments were- "geeze this guy better die a bloody horrible death." "dickwad a-hole bully. DIE.” To be specific! Haha!)


I’ve gotten bored with most romantic suspense, serial killer/psycho plotlines because frankly, Linda Howard did it best with Dream Man way back in the day and ever since it’s been downhill. But I‘ve left Karen Rose as one of the exceptions to that rule. She does do it so well and if I hadn’t had such a busy couple weeks I would have read it in one sitting!


As far as the romance, I liked it very much. This one was definitely more romancey than her later ones, which, as you’ve said, is not a bad thing at all! But the romance felt very germane to the story, in that she kept Max, Caroline’s new love interest, feel damn real. He had flaws- and not in a broody, tortured kinda way which is so rampant right now. Rose didn’t gloss over those flaws- I love that. I love that Max was not perfect- he totally blew it still wallowing in his pity over not being a big basketball star- but he saw the error of his ways and made it right. Love. That.


He also was not the typical “alpha” hero- which I usually need in a romantic plot- but still had strength of will and an innate nobility that I can’t resist. I agree that the romance vs. stalker plot felt well balanced and dare I say necessary to show the heroine’s growth?


The only time I was a bit exasperated was unfortunately when Rose chose to give Caroline and Max’s their first time together. She juxtaposed it with the douchewad finally tracking her down and rummaging through her apartment. By then I wanted the confrontation to happen and the jump back to Caro and Max irritated me. Plus that feeling of aggression doesn’t work with enjoying a love scene…. however- I got over it fast because they were HOT together! :)

ames: I have a confession to make, I've never read Dream Man yet. I've read a few LH's but not her older novels, so I can't really compare. But if KR makes me read a genre I don't like, then she must be exceptional. LOL


I like how Max did have his flaws but so did Caroline. As much as Caroline was a survivor, Rose didn't make her a saint/martyr and she showed how Caroline's stubbornness (for example) grated on her friends nerves and even Max's. This was what made it real. I liked how she portrayed Max.


Actually, Rose did an excellent job with all the characters, wouldn't you say? Dana, Tom, even Evie (oooh I wanted to smack her!) and David. I liked seeing David here, I know he was a character that I enjoyed in Count to Ten as well.


I agree with that juxtaposition of the love scene. But oh so hot. I was also wondering how Rose was going to get around Caroline's son on that one. The makeout sessions on the couch could only go on so long before they got interrupted. haha

Zeek: All of the characters were fantastic and I kept going back to her booklist to see if (or when) she was going to write their stories. I was happy to see that she has done so already for most of them! For some reason I don’t remember David in the other books but let me tell ya, I surely wont forget him now and am anxious to get to his book, and Dana’s too! Evie? Yeah I wasn’t so much interested in getting to her story (I Can See You) until I read the blurb. MAN does that look good!


One thing I had a hard time with? Ben Jolly turning green after realizing he was wrong about the bad guy. That I don’t buy. A-hole like that would have rationalized it away imo, especially because he assisted him in covering up his deeds. But what is that compared to the rest of the book? Nothing really! :)


For a book to really hit big for me I need it to be character driven-and Don’t Tell certainly was- but I gotta tell ya, the plot in this one isn’t bad either. I could almost see the circle of danger winding tighter and tighter around Caroline. I was almost pulling my hair out watching the bad guy get closer and closer to finding Caroline.

ames: I have a thing for jealous heroes and I only remember David because Reed was jealous of him and Mia's friendship in Count to Ten. hehe And also that he falls for Dana. I love David's character, so I'm pleased to see that he gets a book as well.


I know what you mean about Ben Jolly. But I think KR did a good job of making him get some comeuppance by being so torn up about it. The jerk. The only person who didn't really get their just desserts imo was Monica Shaw, the uppity b*tch that Caroline didn't like. Yeah David pulled a good one on her, but her character kind of petered out.


Oh I mean to ask you, what made you pick up Don't Tell? For myself, when I recapped 2011 I realized I hadn't read anything by KR and I decided to remedy that in 2012 by reading all her books.

Zeek: Ohhh see I don’t remember that and I’m usually all over something like that because I like the heroes to get jealous too! ::guiltypleasure::


Monica Shaw did just sort of disappear now that you mention it- sure the way they handled it was ok, but, as a woman, I wouldn’t have minded her seeing Max choose Caro over her!


What made me pick it up? It was released free on kindle awhile back. :P


Wait- I didn’t really answer that right- I bought it because it was free, I picked it up because, well I’m not sure? Perhaps because I was in the mood for something other than paranormal romance which is my usual go to?


Was there anything you didn’t particularly like about the book?

ames: Ooh that's a good deal, getting it for free. Will you continue on with her books after this?


I didn't like that I couldn't put the book down! LOL


But really, I thought this book was so well done, if anything did bother me, I completely overlooked it. I was sucked into it right away. What about you?

Zeek: Most definitely I’ll continue on- I have Steven Thatcher’s book and also the ones after Count to Ten. I had already planned to go back and hit them all- when this came up as a Kindle freebie I was like, YES!!


Was there anything I didn’t like? Like you said, the things that might have bothered me a little were easily overlooked because- what I loved about the book- I loved!


Still, I have to go back to my love/hate thing with thrillers once again. I love it when an author makes me care about the characters so much I cant stand to see them hurt- but I hate the anxiety it makes me feel when they’re in danger! In fact I literally have to stop myself from skimming because I’m so anxious to get through it. (I rarely watch thriller movies anymore either because I end up fast forwarding til I know they are safe! Haha!) I was the same way with another recent read of mine- The Girl Who Played With Fire. I was biting my nails and pulling my hair out because I could hardly stand the violence coming down on the main character- but I couldn’t stop reading either because I so wanted to see her safe- and avenged! I felt the same way while reading this one.

ames: I agree. I did skim a few pages ahead just to see what was going to happen within a scene. Like when Caroline comes home from spending the night at Max's and she's wandering her apartment. I couldn't resist!! LOL

Zeek: Don’t Tell was about domestic violence as much as anything else- how did you feel about that aspect of the novel? (for the record, as disgusting, bile inducing and gut wrenching as it is to look at in fiction, I know it happens in real life-worse- didn’t want you to think I don’t realize that.)

ames: I thought KR handled it very well. It's the little things, like Dana and Caroline discussing the women that eventually return to their husbands. And Caroline knowing she had to not judge them. I also felt that Caroline's experience and the aftermath, even 7 years later, seemed realistic. It wasn't over the top or pushed under the rug. I think Max was a bit dense for not figuring it out on his own. Just that he knew someone hurt her in the past.

Zeek: Agreed. :D

ames: Was there anything else you wanted to add? A grade?


I really enjoyed this one and gave it an A rating - but only 4 stars on goodreads. But it's closer to 4.5 for me.

Zeek: Yep 4.5 for me- very good! I know what you mean about GR- Sometimes I put 4 for my 4.5 but this one is more on the 5 side of 4.5 for me! :)

Review: Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb

The book being reviewed today is part of one of the longest series being written in the romance field. Seriously, if someone had told me that I'd still be hooked after 35 books, I'd be very doubtful. Let see, I made it to book #6/7 in the Stephanie Plums series, book #15 of the Dark Hunter series before giving up/being more selective. So yes, 35 books in the In Death series and I'm still loving it. I do admit that around book #20 (Divided/Visions in Death), I did consider stopping... but Ms Roberts just came back strong afterwards.

So what is so special about this series? Aside from great characters, well developed relationships, good plots and excellent writing? I don't know LOL. You can't help but love Eve, be drawn to Roarke and be curious and interested in their relationship and what the future holds for them and their friends :D

Today, joining me for this buddy review is Tabitha, from Tabz, Just another Readeraholic :) Tabz has been around blogland for a while, but has only recently started her own blog... and good thing she did, because I didn't know that she was a fan of this series too!! :) When I saw that she was eagerly waiting for Kindred in Death, I asked her if she was interested to buddy review it with me... and she was :D

A big hand of applause for Tabz's first buddy review :D

***Warning: Review contains spoilers!***


Kindred in Death by J.D. Robb
published by Putnam in November 2009 (HC)

When the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD and his wife return a day early from their vacation, they were looking forward to spending time with their bright and vivacious sixteen-year-old daughter who had stayed behind.

Not even their worst nightmares could have prepared them for the crime scene that awaited them instead. Brutally murdered in her bedroom, Deena's body showed signs of trauma that horrified even the toughest of cops; including our own Lieutenant Eve Dallas, who was specifically requested by the captain to investigate.

When the evidence starts to pile up, Dallas and her team think they are about to arrest their perpetrator; little do they know yet that someone has gone to great lengths to tease and taunt them by using a variety of identities. Overconfidence can lead to careless mistakes. But for Dallas, one mistake might be all she needs to bring justice.

Genre: romantic suspense, futuristic
Series: In Death series, book #35

The Story: Eve and Peabody thought that after the last case in Promises in Death involving the death of a colleague, it could not get worse. They were wrong. In Kindred in Death, Eve finds herself primary on top priority and very delicate case: the murder of the newly promoted captain of the NYPSD's daughter. It's not only who she was: a vibrant teenager with great dreams, but also how she was killed: beaten, tortured and repeatedly raped before being choked to death. Now it's up to Eve to find out who and why.

After some work, Eve and her team find out that the homicide is related to a case the new captain worked on years ago. Then, when the second body is found, Eve quickly realizes that they have to work against the watch to find out the killer... because he has many more victims line up.

Tabitha: Hey Nath! How did you like it?

Nath: Overall? I thought Kindred in Death was pretty good and I enjoyed it :)

The thing that surprised me most when I read the synopsis was that the case was so closely related to cops again, especially after the events of Promises in Death. I was worried that it'd be a bit redundant, but it turned out to be an interesting case.

Tabitha: I enjoyed the novel too but some things were off with this book. Some behaviors and comments appeared too formulaic, for lack of a better word? No, maybe redundant is the better word? Especially the opening scene when Eve and Roarke were relaxing on her day off. Maybe not exact scenes in previous books but similarities.

Nath: You think that opening scene was redundant? I thought it was actually a nice change, to see Eve and Roarke enjoy a day off. Although I think I know what you mean... Although the settings were different, the scene felt familiar because of their action and the writing... But that's inevitable after 35 books! I think it's actually a good thing because it keeps this consistency in Eve and Roarke's characters. Plus, what do you want them to do? LOL I mean, as a married couple with healthy libido... :P

Tabitha: No, the scene itself was not redundant. I like Roarke/Eve moments together. It was the way it was written, something, was familiar. I can't point my finger on it. But then again I can barely recall what I read from last week so...maybe I'm just imagining things? haha

Another thing is that I found Kindred in Death to be similar to both Promises in Death and Judgment in Death. KiD is more focused on the case than on the relationship of Eve and Roarke as similar to Promises; while the connection to how the victims were picked parallels Judgment.

Nath: Yes, there were some similarities between KiD and PiD, but it wasn't a bad thing - it could have been far more redundant.

In Death books usually fall into two categories: 1) more case-focused and 2) more relationship-focus. Everyone loves the relationship-focused books, but seriously, how many argument/fight/discovery can Eve and Roarke go through?

Tabitha: I like both type of categories. I've always preferred to watch crime TV shows so the more case-focus books gives me just as much pleasure as the relationship-focus. The cop killer theme is similar to JiD but I just realized something...I got the wrong author mixed up! It was in Karen Rose's Count to Ten and how the victims were connected that gave me pause in similarity. The villain targeted people he believes wronged him and his family.

Nath: I enjoy both too :) I just think though it's more realistic to have more books case-focused than relationship-focus :D It'd be tedious if something happened to the relationships (either Eve/Roarke, Louise/Charles, Peabody/McNab, etc.) in every book, especially given the timeline of the series. In the books, from Naked in Death up to now, a bit more than 2 years have gone by, right? For readers, it's been long, but for the characters, not really. To see so much growth already in the characters (Peabody/McNab relationship, etc.), it's pretty impressive.

I have to admit, Judgment in Death is one that I've only skimmed, so I wouldn't be able to tell you how similar they are to one another, although if I remember correctly, JiD was internal no?

And LOL, we read too many books, Tabz! It's no wonder we get authors and books mix up. However, you're right, in Count to Ten and Kindred in Death, both killers were seeking revenge against people they believed have "wronged" them. Although there are still some differences. In Count to Ten, the killer was definitively bad and psychotic. He was already hurting people before he decided to take revenge (all those women he raped), etc. Also, in Count to Ten, there was a trigger to the killer's action... which I thought was missing in this book.

Anyway, you know what they say right? Great minds think alike... I guess twisted minds do too ^_^;

Tabitha: Yes, JiD was internal. It was the fact that the murdered victim involved a cop / his family and the emphasis on the search for a cop killer, so to speak, was the similarity that ding for me.

Yep, definitely, the killer was twisted. The order of how the victims were selected is was really unique and I find it amazing how Eve was able to pick up on that. In fact, it astounds me altogether how she fit all the clues and narrow on one suspect considering how far back she had to search to find the case. By the way, do cops and social workers really have such good memories? Okay, cops should have a good memory but social workers? I can barely remember what I did last week versus something that happened last year or five years ago. Geez.

Nath: It's really great to see Eve's mind at work, that's why the In Death books are so successful in my opinion. I mean, besides the relationship. What I like most about the In Death series is that the clues are not too convenient. Like the characters don't always get lucky or get strikes of genius or stuff like that. I mean, sometimes, yes, they do get lucky... like in this one, they got two witnesses that saw the subject. However, a lot of time, it's based on investigative work.

And yes, I do believe that some people such as cops and social workers have such good memory. Especially cops. I mean, in their line of work, it's important for them to pay attention to details and stuff. Also, they deal with people and people can make a very strong impression. It just depends on line of work... Do I remember how my gel looked 2 months ago or how much yield I got? No. But then, my gels never spoke to me. I never had to "break" my yield.

Tabitha: Lol, you’re right. If cops don’t have a good memory and pay attention to details, they wouldn’t be able to do their job right.

So, I find the way Eve's mind work is hilarious. Her comment when she saw someone dressed up as a peace sign on Peace Day? Funny. Then her reaction to the "noise" when she and Roarke were in Alabama had me cracking up even more. It was so typical of Eve to make more out of a frog ribbiting. haha

Another thing I found Kindred in Death unique is that NR was able to combine the pasts of all three people into one case. It is not as heartbreaking anymore for me when Eve reenact a crime scene that involves rape because it’s been used frequently in recent books. Another frequency is the dreams -- though not as frequent in Kindred in Death.

Nath: Actually, this was one of my issues with this book. I do agree that Ms. Roberts combined the past of Eve, Roarke and Summerset well in this book with the case, but at the same time, I felt she was trying a bit too hard to reach out to all the characters. First, the nature of the case made Eve's past resurfaced, but also, it stirred up some old memories in Roarke and Summerset's past about Magdalena. I don't know, I just felt it was too much for one book. Also, she gave the readers updates on all the "recurring" past characters, which is weird since we haven't heard from many in a few books. It just seemed to me she was trying too hard with only one book and missed the opportunity to make it more powerful.

My other complaint is about Darrin's motive for seeking revenge - I just don't get it. Or perhaps, I should say, Vance's motive for all this. I mean, I understand that Darrin's been brainwashed by his father and would seek revenge in his twisted mind... But why did Vance agree to let Darrin takes revenge? It doesn't seem to me that he loved his wife. Also, wouldn't he lose something if Darrin was arrested?

Tabitha: I don't get either why Vance allowed Darrin to take revenge but I think I can picture how it came about. Darrin probably wondered what happened to his mother and Vance had to reinvent his version of the story in order to avert any blame off of him. And I think the more a curious little boy push for answers; the easier it was for Vance to vindicate someone else. You know, the more complex the situation the easier it is to shift blames away from him as it would be too far out of his hands to do anything. I can't say that Vance thought about being caught. He probably figured he's a pro doing it for so many years now. Besides, he had money hidden away so even if Darrin was arrested he would still be comfortable financially. And maybe he would be able to find someone else to mold as another Darrin?

Nath: Oh, I understand what happened to Darrin. I'm not questioning his motives really. It's more the father. Why trained/turned your son into a killer. What benefit does that bring to you?

Tabitha: The power and satisfaction of being able to "create" a certain person and to mold that person to doing what he wants? Some people get off on that stuff. Also, Vance may not have cared for his wife but she did bring him money and because the cops put her away they "ruined" her, so to speak, because she did come out of a jail a harsher person.

Nath: I don't think Vance cared if she was changed after her time in prison. As long as she was able to work for him, he was fine. She didn't die because she was ruined in prison, she died because he betrayed her.

While the case was interesting, I have to say that the strength of this book was once again the interactions between the characters. For example, it was fun to see the difference in personalities between Eve and Peabody. LOL :) Peabody being sooo girly, always going on a diet and stuff. It's funny.

Tabitha: I really love Eve and Peabody's interactions. I like to think that their personalities complement each other, almost like opposites attract in a relationship. Despite seeing all the crazy stuff since being Eve's partner, Peabody hasn't lost her personality and I think that helps lighten Eve a bit.

Oh! And another thing I found funny is when Roarke and McNabb both yelled at Eve when she interrupted them while they were working their computer magic.

Nath: LOL, funny scene indeed. Always fun to see Roarke's geeky side! Peabody sure hasn't lost her personality. Actually, it seemed to have expanded LOL :)

Last month, I re-read a couple of In Death books and it was great to re-visit them in the early days :) You can see how much most the characters have grown. LOL, you know one person I want to see? Feeney's wife! LOL :)

While re-reading the books, I was actually wondering about some recurring characters that we haven't seen in a while... like Jaime. So it was weird to see him suddenly appearing in this novel. Weird, but in a good way. I love Jaime, he's so funny and adds a nice touch to this cast. One of my favorite pairing in the series, Charles and Louise, has finally tied the knot. I was also glad to get news from other characters such as the reconstituted DeBlass family (Richard, Elise, Kevin and Nikki). However, to see Ms. Roberts allude to so many characters... Did you have the feeling that she was wrapping up some loose ends? I wonder if it's a sign that perhaps Ms Roberts is going to wrap up the series in the near future?

Tabitha: Noooo, take that back please. The series is NOT ending in the near future. Like you, this is the only series that have me so hooked after so many books so I don’t want to see it end yet. It hasn’t even been 2 years since I discovered the series! Lol.

I like the recurring characters but to be honest, I can't recall who Elise and Nikki are. I like that we got to see Jamie again because he made such an impression on me in the previous novels. But as for Charles and Louise, I wasn't really excited to read about their wedding. I guess because they're too tame -- too normal as compared to how Eve is? Lol, if that makes sense. But there were so little scenes with McNabb and Peabody. I guess with the case being a high priority one, everything and everyone had to be serious and busy working the case.

Nath: I don't think it's a matter of the case being a high priority one, but more being realistic and balancing all the characters' "screentime" well. McNabb and Peabody had had a lot of time in the past books. I think a mistake Ms Roberts did was dragged Charles and Louise's engagement and wedding a bit too long. As a result, it lost a bit of the excitement.

I was so glad to see Jaime! It amuses me to see Roarke trying to lure him into working for him LOL :P As for Elise, she first appeared in Naked in Death as the mother of the first LC that was murdered. She and her husband later adopted Kevin, a boy that reminded Roarke of his past (in Vengeance in Death), and Nikki, the little survivor girl in Survivor in Death.

Tabitha: Thanks for refreshing my memory. I still can't recall Elise but I remember Nikki now. Her name doesn't ring a bell but the little girl in that story stuck with me.

Nath: LOL, it's okay. They're not really important characters anyway.

Kindred in Death is a A- for me. It wasn't perfect, but close enough for me :) What about you? I hope you did enjoy it as much as me :D

Tabitha: I can't decide between B+/A-. I love the uniqueness of how the victims were picked. Btw, only three more months until the next full length In Death novel, Fantasy in Death, is released!

Review: Danger in a Red Dress by Christina Dodd

First, I'd like to start this post by begging for forgiveness!! Jill, please forgive my laziness!! Basically, Jill contacted me back in the beginning of June and within 2 days, we were done... but I never got around putting the review together before today ^_^; Yes, I know! My bad!! But it is done and I think it's a great one :) So enjoy everyone!!


Danger in a Red Dress by Christina Dodd
published by New American Library (Signet) in March 2009

Home care nurse Hannah Grey is dedicated to her patient, an aging widow still tainted by the financial scandal her late husband perpetrated. She makes Hannah promise that upon her death, she'll right the family's wrongs, and gives Hannah her offshore account's access codes.

But Carrick Manly will do anything to discover where his family's fortunes lie- including kill his own mother. Fearing for her life, and desperate not to betray the widow, Hannah flees. And when Carrick's half-brother, Gabriel, tracks her down in Houston, Hannah must trust her own instincts-and her heart-to survive.

Genre: romantic suspense
Series: Fortune Hunter series/The Lost Texas Heart, book #4

Nath: Hmmm, it’s been a while since I read this book. I will need to refresh my memory about it. What did you think of it, Jill?

Jill: Okay, I had some major issues with Danger in a Red Dress, most of them stemming from Gabriel. The main stumbling block was Gabriel's complete distrust of Hannah and yet still being attracted to and lusting after her. I didn't understand his motivation. If he thought that Hannah was a killer and a whore, why on earth would he be attracted to her? What made it even worse was that after he watched hours upon hours of security footage of Hannah, he still couldn't decide if Hannah was a good person or not. What a dolt! I also didn't like that he was always lying to Hannah and never felt compelled to tell her the truth.

Nath: What can I say. A man is a man – Gabriel was simply not thinking with the right part of his body, LOL. However, I got to agree with you about Gabriel. I actually thought he was really bland – that he didn’t have much of a personality. Like you, the fact that he was attracted to someone he thought was a murderer and a whore annoyed me. What was the most frustrating was that he watched the videos, he saw how Mrs Manly treated Hannah. Mrs Manly actually liked Hannah... I mean, seriously, Gabe, how dumb can you be?

Jill: You describe Gabe perfectly - BLAND. Exactly. He just didn't work for me at all in any way. He was a complete idiot to believe the lies about Hannah, even when the truth is slapping him in the face. He was the worst part of the book for me.

Nath: Nod nod. Gabe just went through the motion. For an action man, it took it lots and lots of time :(

What did you think of the heroine then? I liked Hannah and I loved the way she handled herself. At the same time, I think that she took some bad decisions and should have been more cautious. You might not care about what others think about you, but no matter what, it’ll have repercussions on you.

Jill: I actually liked Hannah. She wasn't afraid to speak her mind. I loved how she handles the family of the man whom she nursed after he leaves her an inheritance. I also have to give Dodd credit for making Hannah's ears stick out. I love that Hannah had some flaws and wasn't just picture perfect or a supermodel.

Nath: I really hated how people just assumed that because Hannah was given a part of the inheritance, it must be because she performed sexual favors or manipulated these old people. I mean, it's obvious that if you treat someone badly and here comes a nurse who really takes care of you, she'll get something. Actually, the family should give them something... 25$?!? Seriously, that's how much you value your father?!?! Shame on you!!! So that bothered me a whole lot.

Jill: I wasn't as bothered by the first family’s reaction to Hannah. I just brushed them off. I mean they were just a bunch of jerks, greedy and arrogant. But yes, Hannah should have handled it smarter than she did.

Nath: One of the characters worth mentioning was Mrs Manly. I loved Carrick's mother. She was a hard person and unapologetic for it. She was also very cunning, LOL :)

Jill: Mrs. Manly was a hoot. I also like her a lot and enjoyed reading her scenes. She was not afraid to speak her mind nor was she ever going to apologize for it. I was completely surprised by the truth about Carrick's father. I didn't see that one coming!

Nath: I certainly didn't expect what happened to Mr. Manly. That was a pleasant surprise I have to admit. I mean, not only was Mrs Manly a hoot, but she was clever and smart - imagine, all the people she tricked... her husband, the feds, her son. Just unfortunate she had to die... but then, at the same time, I don't think a character like her believes in redemption.

I have to admit, my biggest disappointment was that Carrick turned out to be a bad guy and an ass :( He looked/sounded cute in the first book and there weren't really any foreshadowing that his character would be bad, so it was a major bummer.

Jill: I had never met Carrick before. I guess I missed reading the book he showed up in. Actually, I know I haven't read all the books in both series, so that is partly why I was lost.

Nath: Anyway, I think that Carrick appeared only in book 1, Trouble in High Heels... and he was mention in others.

I was also kind of disappointed at how it ended it. I thought the ending with all the family members showing up… well, it kind of sucked. Not only was it confusing, but a bit unnecessary at this point. Was it ever told how Gabe found his foster sisters?

Jill: You bring up a very valid point - It wasn't really touched on in any details of how Gabe reunited with his sisters. What I remember is that he was adopted into that family when he was 11 - 13 and then the parents died and he went into foster care. As to how he found his sisters I can't remember. I think I only read one of the books from that series and I can't remember which sister's story it was.

I thought the end was a little confusing with all the extended family members. I couldn't for the life of me figure out who was who. I know that this book was a wrap up of two series. It just seemed a little confusing at times.

Nath: For a second, I was wondering why you said "both" series... but now I get it. Ohhhhhh! LOL, the lightbulb just went on! I didn't realize this was a wrap-up to another series! Ah well, I guess now I understand why Ms. Dodd didn't really touch on Gabe reuniting with the sisters - it probably took place in the other series. In which case, it makes for an even messier ending.

Ugh, it’s so unfortunate that I didn’t really like Danger in a Red Dress because I do enjoy Ms. Dodd’s writing. I have to say though the storylines are just not working for me. Nothing is clear-cut... She likes writing ambiguous characters - male and female, but most of the time, it's missing this likable factor. I mean, seriously, no matter how good the storyline is, if the readers don't like the characters... It feels to me that she is trying too hard to revive the "jerk" factor à la Anne Stuart and Linda Howard...

Jill: I didn't look at it like that, but if you do compare her to Anne Stuart or Linda Howard, you’re right. Her heroes just don't measure up, at least not in this book. But I do like that her characters are ambiguous, it can make for a more interesting read.

I will say that even though the last few of Dodd's books I’ve read haven't been great, I keep coming back for more. I really do like her writing style. It's fast paced, and usually the characters are captivating. Danger in a Red Dress had very good pacing and there was a lot to keep me turning the pages, but I HATED Gabriel and that was a killer for me.

I think I am going with a C- for this one.

Nath: I agree with your grade, C- it is for me as well.

Review: Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb

For today's review, I have the pleasure to have Kristie from Rambling on Romance, Etcetera, Etcetera as my buddy reviewer :) I'm really glad that she accepted to my partner, because I love Kristie a huge deal and she's one of the first blogger I've ever met - online and in real life :P Knowing that she's a fan of the series and already received her copy, I e-mailed her :)

So, what did we think of this book?

***Spoilers warning: I think this review is spoilers-free; however, do read at your own risks :P ***


Salvation in Death by J.D. Robb aka Nora Roberts
published by Putnam in November 2008

In the year 2060, sophisticated investigative tools can help catch a killer. But there are some questions even the most advanced technologies cannot answer.

Salvation in Death opens with a priest at a Catholic funeral mass brings the chalice to his lips—and falls over dead.

When Detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas confirms that the consecrated wine contained potassium cyanide, she’s determined to solve the murder of Father Miguel Flores, despite her discomfort with her surroundings. It’s not the bodegas and pawnshops of East Harlem that bother her, though the neighborhood is a long way from the stone mansion she shares with her billionaire husband, Roarke. It’s all that holiness flying around at St. Christobal’s that makes her uneasy.

A search of the victim’s sparsely furnished room reveals little— except for a carefully hidden religious medal with a mysterious inscription, and a couple of underlined Bible passages. The autopsy reveals more: faint scars of knife wounds, a removed tattoo—and evidence of plastic surgery, suggesting that “Father Flores” may not have been the man his parishioners had thought. Now, as Eve pieces together clues that hint at gang connections and a deeply personal act of revenge, she believes she’s making progress on the case. Until a second murder—in front of an even larger crowd of worshippers—knocks the whole investigation sideways. And Eve is left to figure out who committed these unholy acts—and why.

Genre: Romantic Suspense, futuristic
Series: In Death, book #31 (I think)

Nath: So, Kristie, what did you think of the latest installment in the series? I thought it was a good and interesting case. It was quite clever and very well thought out. I'm glad that this book focused a bit more on Roarke and Eve. I mean, yes, the author brings back the other characters, but not as much and not in so much details. So I thought that was a plus :) I'm also glad that Charles and Louise's wedding did not occur in this book.

Kristie: Actually, unlike you *g* I didn't feel it did focus much on the relationship between Eve and Roarke, although I see what you mean. We didn't see that much of the other characters did we, except for Peabody? I was a bit disappointed in that. However, I did like that Eve was pretty excepting of Roarke's past - and even used his insight as a con man himself without judging him for it.

I think the In Death books fall into two categories - the first where the mystery is the number one focus and the second where relationships takes a larger role and move the characters forward. I didn't see that happening in this one; it was more mystery focused. We didn't learn any more secrets from either Roarke or Eve's past.

Nath: Yes, you're right. The book did not focus on their relationship... although there were those dreams Eve had… I guess I meant it focused on Eve and Roarke. We just got to see them more, hear them more than usual... as opposed for them being surrounded and invaded by secondary characters' relationships, problems or cops.

I'm actually happy that we didn't get to see too many secondary characters. I know that readers like to see past them, catch up and see what they are up to. For that, Ms Robert does it like no others. She knows how much of them to include and every time, Eve and Roarke are still the main characters... However, no matter how well she does, it's fun from time to time not to have them too much. We got an update from everyone and it was enough.

Kristie:I like seeing past characters too, but I agree - it is refreshing when 'relationship' time is just spent with Eve and Roarke. We did get enough of the 'gang' to see how they all were doing though. And I'm an odd one. I was always slightly uncomfortable with Charles and Louise's relationship - not unlike Eve *g*. So it didn't bother me that although their upcoming nuptials were mentioned, they weren't this book.

I do feel like some of it is getting a bit old though - like Nadine bringing in donuts etc. What about you?

Nath: Yes, things are getting a bit old... but it's to Ms Robert's credit that we only feel it's old now after more than 30 books in the series. In which case, how can it be avoided? At least, Eve doesn't have her car destroyed in every book :P I don't know how Ms Robert could go around that though...

LOL, also, unlike you, I’m fine with Charles and Louise’s relationship. He’s given up his profession for marriage, so I think the biggest hurdle is out for them.

What did you think of the case? Like you said, this one was definitively mystery-focused. It seems to me it's been a while since Eve has been handling more than one case at the same time. I think it’s good to see her in action again.

I thought the case was very interesting. I have to say I was disappointed that Lino turned out to be such a nasty character... I was actually hoping for him to be noble, especially at the beginning. Deceiving people for a good cause you know?

Kristie: I know I'm approaching *spoiler* territory here, but I'm the opposite. I appreciated the fact that the more we got to see of Lino, the worse he got. So often the murdered victims are such nice people that I feel so bad that they met whatever end they did. I'm thinking particularly of the teacher in Innocent in Death. I felt so bad for his widow. In Salvation in Death, I felt sorrier for those who were deceived then I did for the victim.

Nath: It seems that at the beginning, he wasn’t such a bad guy. However, I don't see how Lino think he was making up for his bad action in the past... remember, he discussed with the other father how his bad actions from the past should be balanced by his good actions in the present? Well if your good actions are only done with a purpose, it defies the whole thing... I guess I was hoping Lino was redeeming himself. Those kind of characters are always interesting and attractive :P

Kristie: The more we got to know about Lino, the less I got the feeling he cared two hoots about trying to 'make good.' At first I kind of felt sorry for him but as more and more was uncovered, I didn't. He got nastier as a character.

I did like that this wasn't a 'gruesome' mystery with a high body count. While it's not going to stop me from reading this series; I love it just as much with this book as I did Naked in Death - if not more still *g* it was a nice change that good and decent people didn't meet a grizzly and tortured end.

Nath: True, true. In addition, it was interesting to see the “ethics” of this case. Perhaps ethics is not the right word, but I liked that it involved conscience. Loved the ending where Eve nailed the "real" culprit :) In addition, one thing that I liked is Ms Robert didn't go overboard with religion which was one of my initial worries when I read the blurb. I thought it was refreshing that Eve didn't push Father Lopez to get an answer... which was a bit surprising to tell the truth :P

Kristie: I was also impressed that JD Robb handled the religious aspect with, I thought, a good deal of carefulness. I'm not Catholic but I was wondering when I first started reading it, what those who are would think. But I think the author dealt with it very well and I don't think anyone will be offended. Even though she disagreed with Father Lopez, she still respected his stance. And I can't help but thinking he might be a character that we see more of - I hope so anyway, I really liked his character.

Nath: You know what, it’s very possible! I bet he’s going to marry Charles and Louise! LOL :)

I’m giving this book a B. Salvation in Death was definitively a solid and interesting case, but without the book being a wowzer.

Kristie: I agree. I thought it was good without being a Wowzer too. So while I normally give numbers, I'll convert this one to a grade and give it a B. I enjoyed the mystery angle but since the thing I enjoy most about the In Death books is the relationship building and there wasn't much, I can't give it higher. But if mystery is the hook that other readers enjoy more, they might grade it higher.