What I Read Last Week

Posted May 10, 2010 by Tracy in Features | 14 Comments

I hope you all had a great week last week.  My week was relatively quiet – until my oldest daughter decided to wake me up at the butt crack of dawn on both days this past weekend.  Death to the television.  Ok, not death – but maybe some headphones so she can watch movies at 7am and I won’t have to hear them! Or earplugs for myself! lol
Not much happening in life right now so I’ll get right to the books:

This was actually a book I read week before last but forgot to mention – Silent Blade by Ilona Andrews. Very good story about an assassin and the man who falls in love with her. 4 out of 5

My first read was Tall, Dark and Wolfish by Lydia Dare.  This is book 2 in the the Westfield brothers trilogy.  Unlike book 1, where the hero lied about his Lycan side, Ben came clean pretty quickly about what he was.  He shared a bond with Elspeth and I really liked their relationship.  Good book.  You can read my review at the Book Binge here. 4.25 out of 5

Next was another free read from the GLBT Bookshelf called Crimes of Passion by Mel Keegan.  A short story about the in-laws coming to visit.  Brad and Frank are happily co-habitating when Frank gets word from his parents that they’re coming to visit.  Frank freaks out and Brad can’t seem to figure out what the hell is wrong with the ‘rents as they sound fine on paper.  Yeah, not so fine in person.  Cute, funny short.  4 out of 5

Dancing in the Dark by Jennifer Dunne is a novella I read for The Book Binge.  The story is about a woman who gets invited to a Halloween party at the opera house where she volunteers.  She decides to go as a slave girl and orders a costume online sight unseen.  She gets the costume and it’s a bdsm slave girl costume.  She wears it anyway and decides to become a slave to a man she meets at the party.  You can read my review here. 3.5 out of 5

Next up was Finding Home by Cameron Dane.  A book where I loved the first part of the book and the second part – not so much.  You can read my review here3.5 out of 5

One of my FTSP reads for the week was Pack Enforcer by Crissy Smith – book 2 in the Were Chronicles series.  This is set in the same world as book 1 but deals with people from another pack than book 1.  Unfortunately it’s been some time since I read book 1 so I had to really stop and think about who these people were.  I figured it out and enjoyed the story. Werewolf man denying his feelings toward his mate – misinterpreting something that happened while he was away and then regretting his actions.  Good story. 3.75 out of 5

Out of the Blue by Josh Lanyon was my next read and one of my Tracy’s TBR Challenge Reads.  This was a story about fighter pilots in WWI.  The story of Bat who is grieving for his love who was killed in a air fight.  Now he’s being blackmailed into having sex with another pilot.  As much as I was angered at Cowboy for blackmailing Bat I just knew that there were underlying feelings on Cowboy’s part.  The story was incredibly good.  The action and fight scenes had me on the edge of my seat and yet the stories of the other pilots dying every day had me tearing up.  Just a great novella.  4.5 out of 5

Wicked Becomes You by Meredith Duran has been a book that I’ve really been looking forward to.  Unfortunately while a good story I didn’t love it.  Gwen, jilted twice at the altar, decides that there will be no more Miss Nice Girl and decides to be Wicked.  She is aided in this by family friend Alex.  I couldn’t feel the connection with Gwen and Alex on anything more than a superficial level.  Alex was an ass most of the time until the end and by then, for me, it was too late.  I think Ana from The Book Smugglers spoke my thoughts perfectly in her review here3.5 out of 5

The Reawakened by Jeri Smth-Ready is the 3rd book in the Aspect of Crow Trilogy.  Why this book sat on my shelf for so long is beyond me.  It was so damned good!  I loved this trilogy on so many levels.  This book takes place 18 years after book 2 but is no less powerful.  We see how life has changed for Rhia and Marek, their children and their friends and family.  Just a wonderful read.  5 out of 5 (also part of my FTSP)

Another series finished! Woohoo! The Legend of the Four Soldiers series by Elizabeth Hoyt was completed this weekend by reading To Desire A Devil and loving it.  The story of Reynaud – who was thought dead. His fellow soldiers had seen him burn and when he returns after 7 years they don’t know what to make of it.  On top of that his father has died which means he’s the new Earl – but when he was presumed dead the title was given to someone else.  He’s determined to get the title back and keep his cousin (by marriage), Beatrice, with him forever.  Great end to the series.  Loved Reynaud and his possessiveness.  Sometimes that can go over the line but it didn’t in this book, at least for me, and I was digging it. 4.5 out of 5

Reasons by Tracy Fabre was a book I read for The Book Binge.  The story of a woman who goes back to a ranch in Colorado where family friends, the Laughlin’s live.  Only she’s found out that the car that hit her 9 years ago in a hit and run was driven by one of the sons of the Laughlin’s.  Good story.  Witty dialogue. An engaging read of family secrets and new love.  4 out of 5

And last was a yaoi manga – A Foreign Love Affair by Ayano Yamane.  Great graphics.  The story was ok – about the 3rd highest in a yakuza family that was on a cruise and had just gotten married to a woman who he didn’t even like and she certainly didn’t like him either.  He was old fashioned and wore kimono’s.  The ship captain had a thing for Japan so was instantly drawn to him.  I couldn’t figure out if the Italian captain liked Ranmura or just the fact that he was Japanese. 3.5 out of 5


Happy Reading!


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14 responses to “What I Read Last Week

  1. Oh wow! You finished the Aspect of Crow trilogy. I loved it! I'm so glad it was a great read for you too. 🙂 I also loved Silent Blade.

    I still have to finish that Hoyt series. Must dig out that book from my TBR. Great reads this week, Tracy.

  2. Tam

    I think with Out of the Blue you have to take into account their circumstances, never knowing if today you die and it made me able to live with behaviour which otherwise would have been very off-putting.

    That in-law one was cute.

  3. You had a great reading week (even with one being from before)!

    We've already talked about Finding Home and its detour into WTFery… I liked Out of the Blue a lot and while I started out cranky at Cowboy, I came around after a while.

  4. Congrats Tracy on finishing The Legend of the Four Soldiers series! I read the first book and haven't progressed, but I do like the sound of the fourth…

    So, the Aspect of the Crow trilogy is something I should investigate?

    And Out of the Blue sounds interesting.

  5. Hilcia – I did finish the Aspect of Crow and it was fab! I looked back at the discussion I had with Amy C after book 2 and saw that I was planning on reading book 3 in a couple weeks (from then). Yeah, that was 17 months ago!!!
    I really liked the Hoyt series. I need to read more of her books.

    Tam – I agree. Once I read that the life expectancy of a fighter pilot, once in the air, was about 11 days it made me view things differently. As I think it would the pilots as well.

    Anna – I wasn’t sure what to expect but it was really good.

    Chris – I could tell that Cowboy was using the angles he could but there was more feeling there than one would have expected. Just good stuff.

    Orannia – Maybe I shouldn’t say that I finished the series since I never actually finished book 1 but I’m cutting myself some slack. lol I started book 1 and couldn’t get past the first 30 or 40 pages. But book 2 was wonderful and that’s what kept me reading.
    The Aspect of Crow trilogy is just so good. At first I wasn’t sure if I’d like it but based on Amy C’s recommendation I started. It was wonderful. I’d give all 3 books 5 stars each.

  6. Looks like some great picks that you have read, looking forward to your reviews!! I really am looking forward to reading the Aspect of Crow Series!!! Thanks for posting!

  7. Another productive week my dear…

    Crissy Smith is so comfort read for me – I know what to expect and go with it..

    Isn't Jeri Smth-Ready just so good, her style, her plot – the whole thing..

    I am going to follow up on Tracy Fabre – I love that cover, I am so fickle…

    Have a good week hon..

    E.H>

  8. Wow… that is some list you have there honey! You seem to be rocking out the reading lately!

    Hope all is well honey!

  9. I have to say I'm always in awe at the number of books you read a week!! That's almost a months worth for me *g*. I'm glad to see you enjoyed the Lydia Dare book. I picked up 1 and 2 at RT.

  10. LoR – The Aspect of Crow Trilogy is just wonderful. Kind of a fantasy, animal spirit incredible romance.

    EH – Crissy Smith – I've only read her Pack books – are the others good too?
    Jeri Smith-Ready – Yep, I love her work too.
    Tracy Fabre – Ya know the cover didn't do anything for me but the back blurb made me want to pick it up – glad you like the cover! Good book.

    Cecile – you too!

    KristieJ – I did like the Dare books. I have a few issues with book 1 but I really liked book 2 a lot. I have 3 so we'll see… 🙂
    Thanks for popping by – hope you're well!

  11. Very nice list once again, Tracy!! I definitively need to read the Aspect of Crow trilogy. I mean, 5/5 for the final book?!? 😛

    Silent Blade is also on my list…

    Ayano Yamane is a great artist, but I always thought her stories were meh.

  12. Nath – Actually I gave all 3 books in the trilogy 5 stars. They were all fabulous.
    I really liked Crimson Spell that Yamane did – the story was just different enough that I found it intriguing and original. But this one? It was ok.

  13. Wew, that's a great reading week (again)!! You reminded me that I have Silent Blade on the TBR. And Finding Home as well, but I'm not too sure about wanting to read that anymore 😉

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