Goddess Games by Niki Burnham *YA*

ISBN:  9781416927723

Publisher:  Simon & Schuster Children’s

Rating:  B

Claire, Seneca, and Drew are three girls from different worlds who end up living together as they work at an exclusive resort in Colorado.  Seneca is the daughter of an Oscar Winning Actress, Drew is a runner who is there to escape and Claire is the towny who is trying to make sense out of her life.  Can there possibly be a common thread between these 3 young ladies?

I was at the library and I saw the title of the book and it intrigued me.  Very rarely is a title something that lures me in, but this one did.  I went in to the library to pick up books that came in for me and that I was eagerly anticipating reading, but I had to peruse the new releases and I decided I had to read this one.  Goddess Games is the story of 3 different girls learning more about themselves in this one summer than a lifetime spent trying to figure it out.  Young fans of The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants will enjoy reading Goddess Games.  There is a similar bond that begins to form between these girls and how they learn to trust each other and themselves.  I am not sure if this will be a series, but I think it could make a really cute one.

As an adult reading a book that is classified as young adult, I felt that the writing was age appropriate and the author didn’t write as if she knew only teens would read it.  

The characters really do come to life and although the “love story” aspect was minimal as a reader I found myself hoping they’d find it and see what was in front of them.  Seneca and Drew were real for me from the beginning, but Claire seemed slightly forced and off center.   Even though she was the towny I felt that her character was an after thought for most of the book.

I will be looking into some of Niki Burnham’s back list both her young adult writings  and her writings as Nicole Burnham as well.

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Mercedes Thompson book #3

ISBN:  9780441015665

Publisher:  Penguin Group USA

Rating:  A-

Zee asks Mercy to aid the Fae in a murder investigation on the reservation, but Mercy doesn’t know the whole story because the Fae don’t want you to see too much.  

Mercy is loyal to a fault, it is absolutely one of her best qualities.  However, her loyalty could end up costing her more than she can afford.  Mercy needs to decide between her past and her present in order to figure out her future, should she choose Samuel or Adam.  This decision goes deeper than just whom she loves, every choice she makes has repercussions.

I adore the way that Briggs writes her characters; flawed and real.  I admit that I was quite upset with how Blood Bound ended, but I feel like I was vindicated in Iron Kissed.  As readers I am sure we know better than the author does with how our favorite series should play out, but I admit that I am glad that Briggs brought Mercy back to her roots and allowed us to see her again.  After finishing Iron Kissed, I realized that I felt like Mercy was missing. 

The politics in this series are fascinating, but not overt and I love watching He-Man Werewolves learn to treat women as equals not only has property.    I was touched beyond measure with a scene between Ben and Adam and had me feeling that my reaction to Ben was the correct one, so as a reader I am even more impressed with the way Briggs writes because she was able to convey to me his true nature while his actions give way to something more sinister.

I just went to Briggs website and found out thankfully that the Mercedes Thompson series will be at least 7 books long and that means I still have 4 more book to read and I am eagerly anticipating Bone Crossed.

Sunset Bay by Susan Mallery

ISBN:  9781416567172

Publisher:  Simon and Schuster Adult Publishing Group

Rating:  A

Eighteen year old Megan Greene is gawky, awkward and as her mother says not pretty enough.  The only boy she’s ever dated, Travis,  ended up in prison which only gives her mother more fuel to add to the fire.  Megan’s relationship with her sister, Leanne, is strenuous to say the least.  While her relationship with her parents is one of unmistakable confusion, her mother berates her and her father reveres her.  Twenty eight year old Megan is a successful account on her way to making partner in her firm.  She’s engaged to the blonde adonis cardiologist and life couldn’t be better.  However, life in Megan’s world was about to be flipped upside down and there is nothing she can do to stop it.  Who will be there for her when she is lost and falling apart?  The answers will surprise you.

Susan Mallery writes absolutely believable characters even when they are characters you are meant to hate.  Mallery is an author that I know I can depend on to find enriching characters, after all she did create one of my all time top 10 heroes in Walker Buchanan.  

Sunset Bay was an emotional rollercoaster and I wasn’t sure how I would feel once I closed it because I really was mad at Megans sister Leanne, and to be honest I think that was like 20 pages in which should explain how intensely Mallery can write her characters.  I’ve never had a sister, let alone a younger sister so I shouldn’t feel a need to band together and protect Megan from Leanne’s manipulations, but there was.  Ultimately once Mallery moved on to current day Megan, 10 years later, I was comfortable with characters if not a bit disappointed in Megan’s strength.  I need my heroines to be strong in any sense of the word, physically or emotionally and in Sunset Bay I was looking for a strong character with a sense of herself and that is not how it started.  Mallery wrote a story of depth and growth and the mantra of what doesn’t kill you only makes you stronger.  Megan lived inside her own little bubble for most of her life until something came along and burst that bubble.  How was Megan we met 10 years ago going to survive having her life ripped out from under her?

I would recommend this book for anyone who loves a good family novel with lots of personality.  I really enjoyed this book and I could probably babble about it for a long while and give away lots of spoilers, but I just can’t do that.

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur: Riley Jenson #1

ISBN:  9780553588453

Publisher:  Dell Publishing

Rating:  B

Riley Jenson is a dhampire; half vampire and half werewolf.  Her affliction is one that she shares with her twin brother Rhoan and once they reached adulthood they were ceremoniously removed from the pack they were raised in and forced to find their own way in life.  Rhoan is a Guardian or assassin for the Directorate of Other Races while Riley is an admin in charge of setting the assignments for the Guardians.  The Directorate was created to protect humans from the less than pleasant supernatural issues.  When Rhoan goes missing on a mission, Riley finds herself thrust into a world she has been fighting for most of her life;the life of a Guardian.  Rhoan’s disappearance comes at the time when the moon is riding high and wreaks havoc on Riley and other wolves due to their hyper sensitive need to mate.  Riley learns that she may not be able to trust those she allowed close to her, and ultimately may have to trust the naked Vampire with no memory, Quinn, who shows up at her door and says he is friends with Rhoan.  Riley must learn to trust in Quinn and her own instincts if she will be able to save Rhoan.

It took me a while to be comfortable with the overall storyline of Riley and her hyper sensitive need for mating, not because I’m prude, but because one of her partners, Talon,  just gave me the creeps.  Which in the end is the point and Arthur did an amazing job creating that creep factor.  The characters are very diverse and each has a distinct quality that separates them from each other and since there were a lot of characters to keep track of in this debut novel of the series, it helped to feel who the characters were as well as remembering their names.

There was a lot of action and tiers of the plot and I wasn’t sure how it was all going to tie together at the end and ultimately the overall plot will carry over to the future books of this series, but Arthur was able to resolve the issues that were specific to Full Moon Rising and make me a fan.  

Full Moon Rising is full of heat and passion and a lot of sex and for those who dont’ like a lot of voracious sex in your books this is definitely not the book for you.  

Arthur took a particularly sensitive issue involving a date rape type drug and wrote it with clarity and feeling which allowed me as a reader to experience the anger, resentment, disbelief and betrayal that Riley felt.  Arthur’s writing exceeds the words on the page as she translates these words into real emotions which for me as a reader is the mark of a favorite.