Tag: Melissa Marr

What I Read Last Week

Posted November 29, 2011 by Tracy in Features | 9 Comments

I hope you all had a great weekend. Because of the Thanksgiving holiday here in the states I got a long 4 day weekend (that’s just never long enough! lol) that I thoroughly enjoyed. I got a lot of reading done, lots of game playing, movie watching and bowling were done as well.

On Thanksgiving we went to my hubby’s parent’s house with one of his brothers and his 5 children. I was also quite lucky in that my parents, brother, niece and sister-in-law also came along so it was one big happy family.

On Saturday I also got a great text from my 27 year old niece that her boyfriend asked her to marry him. All together now, “Awwwwww.” She of course said yes and sent me a picture of the ring. sigh Ah, young love. lol

The giveaway by Brita Addams is still open until the 30th. Just leave a comment on this post to enter to win. (see details about what books are up for grabs on the post)

So what did I read last week?

I started off with Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh. This is book 4 of the Royal House of Shadows series – all by different authors – and I have to say it was my favorite. I liked all the books but the series got better with each book, imho. I know they were Nocturnes but I think they all would have been better had they just been a bit longer. You can read my review here. 4 out of 5

Next was Her Christmas Pleasure by Karen Erickson. This was a historical novella that had the son of a servant who was practically raised with a nobleman’s family in love with his friends’ widow. It was my first historical read by this author but I liked it. You can read my review here. 3.5 out of 5

My next book was a short called Reckless night by Lisa Marie Rice. This was story about a time in the life of a couple from a previous book. It was really good though and definitely made me want to go back and read the other stories. You can read my review here. 3.75 out of 5

Next was A Beginner’s Guide to Rakes by Suzanne Enoch. First off let’s talk about the title – not a think to do with the story. Who comes up with these? Anyway, the story itself was about a woman who’s dead husband was an inveterate gambler and died and left her penniless. She’s decided to get it all back by starting a gentleman’s club in London. She gets money from the one man who she can blackmail into playing along but their past can’t be laid to rest that easily. I liked this book a lot. I thought that there wasn’t enough romance in it but I liked the other parts so well that I almost didn’t mind. Definitely a good start to the series. 4 out of 5 (read for The Book Binge)

Snow on the Mountain by PD Singer was next and this is the continuing story of Kurt and Jake from Fire on the Mountain. It’s now winter and Jake is working as a lift operator while Kurt is working at a prestigious ski school. Kurt however discovers that there’s more to the ski school than he knew while Jake is playing babysitter to the resort owners kids. This one has action, suspense, sex, misunderstandings and lots of snow. lol I really liked this one and will definitely keep reading this series. 4 out of 5

The Comforts of Home by Jodi Thomas is book 3 in the Harmony series. This book brought us back to Harmony to visit people we’ve met in previous books as well as introduce us to new and interesting characters. It was a really great story with a bit of unfulfilled love which I didn’t like at all. I want my HEA’s dammit! lol Still definitely worth the read. 4.5 out of 5 (read for The Book Binge)

Simple Gifts by LB Gregg is her newest book in the Cornwall series. This story introduced us to Jason who had a relationship with Robb years before. Now Robb is back from the service and not looking so good. Jason’s not quite sure how to act but before he can get his shit together enough to figure it out he gets hurt. Robb is there to care for him. The pair get to discuss their lives but what does this mean for the future? This was a short sweet novella that I really loved. There’s no sex in the book (which is a bummer since LB writes it so well) but the story was so good that I just didn’t mind. 4.5 out of 5

My next read was To Wed A Wild Lord by Sabrina Jeffries. This is book 4 in the Hellions of Halstead Hall series and I really liked this one as well. I guess I just really like the Sharpe family because their story is just really appealing to me. This was Gabe’s story and was about him, his guilt, his desire to assuage that guilt (and gain an inheritance) by marrying his best friend’s sister. His best friend died 7 years prior though and the guilt is because of the way he died. The sister doesn’t want to have anything to do with Gabe because she thinks he’s responsible for Roger’s death. When truths start to come out the pair come together. Just a good story. 4.25 out of 5 (read for The Book Binge)

My Tracy’s TBR Challenge read for the week was Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr. This is a fantasy/paranormal story about the King of the Dark Court (Faerie), Irial, who manages to get his blood into Leslie while she’s getting a tattoo so that he can siphon feelings through her to feed his court. Only he’s not the horrible person that you would think and truly ends up falling in love with her. She is already in love with Niall, however, who was once part of the Dark Court and is now a guardian of the King of the Summer Court. She can’t be with him though because he’s the type of faerie that can make humans addicted to him. I think I make it sound more complicated than it is. Don’t get me wrong it’s not an easy read but there’s so much more going on than that. The love triangle between Leslie, Niall and Irial is really good but there ends up being some unfulfilled love in this book as well and I just wanted it to work out for everyone. 4 out of 5

Stopping Time by Melissa Marr is a novella that is a continuation of the love triangle between Leslie, Niall and Irial. It really shed some much needed light on the relationship between Niall and Irial that I didn’t get at all from Ink Exchange. I was a bit disappointed that the love between the two men wasn’t explored or explained more in IE. It also showed more between the men and Leslie which while still sad was very good. 4.25 out of 5

My Book Binge Reviews that posted last week:
Heartbreak Creek by Kaki Warner

Happy Reading!

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Tagged: Jodi Thomas, Karen Erickson, LB Gregg, Lisa Marie Rice, Melissa Marr, Nalini Singh, PD Singer, Sabrina Jeffries, Suzanne Enoch, The Book Binge, What I Read Last Week, What I've Been Reading This Week

Review: Graveminder by Melissa Marr.

Posted July 7, 2011 by Rowena in Reviews | 1 Comment

Genres: Paranormal Romance

Rowena’s review of Graveminder by Melissa Marr.

Hero: Byron Montgomery
Heroine: Rebekkah Barrows

Three sips to mind the dead . . .

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the attention her grandmother Maylene bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the small town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each one Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: She took three sips from a silver flask and spoke the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead, and Bek must go back to the place she left a decade earlier. She soon discovers that Claysville is not just the sleepy town she remembers, and that Maylene had good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in Claysville the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected; beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D. If the dead are not properly cared for, they will come back to satiate themselves with food, drink, and stories from the land of the living. Only the Graveminder, by tradition a Barrow woman, and her Undertaker—in this case Byron Montgomery, with whom Bek shares a complicated past—can set things right once the dead begin to walk.

Although she is still grieving for Maylene, Rebekkah will soon find that she has more than a funeral to attend to in Claysville, and that what awaits her may be far worse: dark secrets, a centuries-old bargain, a romance that still haunts her, and a frightening new responsibility—to stop a monster and put the dead to rest where they belong.

Melissa Marr is an author that I’ve been itching to try but haven’t ever gotten around to it. When this book came up for review, I had to have it and I had to read it. I’m not at all unhappy with my decision.

This book is about two people with a shared history, coming together after years apart to take on the jobs that they were both destined for. Byron Montgomery is back in Claysville to take over the job of Undertaker for his Dad. Rebekkah Barrow is back in town because her grandmother is dead. Things work a lot differently in Claysville than they do anywhere else on the globe. If you’re born in Claysville, you stay in Claysville. Byron and Rebekkah are linked together through the jobs that they took over for Rebekkah’s grandmother and Byron’s Dad.

Back when they were younger, Byron dated Rebekkah’s cousin. Byron developed feelings for Rebekkah (and she for him) but after the cousin dies, Rebekkah’s guilt keeps her far away from Byron. Byron has loved Rebekkah for most of his life and knows that he won’t ever love any other woman the way he loves her. When they’re back in Claysville together, Byron does his best to be there for Rebekkah because she has no one left, the only family that claimed her was Maylene and with Maylene gone now, it’s up to Rebekkah to take over the task of being Claysville Graveminder.

The job of Graveminder is passed on generation after generation to a Barrow’s woman and Rebekkah’s next up in line. Every Graveminder has an Undertaker that stays by their side through thick and thin and Rebekkah’s Undertaker is none other than Byron Montgomery. The only man she’s ever loved and the only man she’ll never allow herself to love because of the memory of her cousin (which to my dismay, I have forgotten her name).

The story was an interesting story and while it is a romance, it’ s not a romance that I usually read. The story does revolve around Bekkah and Byron but for the most part, the story revolves around the Graveminders, the Undertakers and the mystery surrounding who’s killing the good citizens of Claysville. While I did enjoy the book, I found myself wanting more from the romance building between Byron and Bekkah. I also found that Bekkah’s stubbornness at not wanting to be with Byron because of this, that and the other had me frustrated throughout most of the book because goodness, get over yourself and get with him already. The way that she stringed him along made me want to smack some damn sense into her.

The ending for this book came about quickly as well and that’s a testament to how well Melissa Marr is with weaving a story. The world she created for Claysville was dark and gritty but still enjoyable to get acquainted with. The people were interesting and I really enjoyed getting to know Byron. Rebekkah ended up being a strong heroine that I came to admire and the story leaves off, dangling the possibility of a second book so I’m mighty intrigued to see what happens next.

Overall, it was an enjoyable way to spend a few hours but the romance left me wanting more.

Grade: 3.5 out of 5

This book is available from Harper Collins. You can buy it here or here in e-format.