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Category: Series

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Hypnotist by M.J. Rose

[ 215 ] August 5, 2010

Please join M.J. Rose, author of The Hypnotist, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

To learn more about M.J. Rose, visit her website or Facebook page!

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

Twenty years ago, Lucian Glass was unable to stop the murder of his beautiful girlfriend, a gifted young artist. Though he no longer creates original art, Lucian now works for the FBI in a specialized unit that investigates art heists. His current investigation, which involves an art collector responsible for destroying valuable masterpieces, is loosely connected to the Phoenix Foundation and Dr. Malachai Samuels. In disguise as James Ryan, Lucian’s own past memories are revealed to have a connection to the case which he is currently working.

Lucian’s past memories, which are tapped into via hypnosis, may also be linked to a recently discovered statue of the Greek god Hypnos about to go on display at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The lives of others may depend on Lucian to use what he has learned in this life to keep them all safe, including that of a troubled woman who could be the reincarnation of his past love.

M.J. Rose’s The Hypnotist is the third installment in a series that covers a topic I would love to see more of in today’s fiction: reincarnation. She is very scientific in her approach to the subject, having researched some of the leading experts in the field. Like her protagonist Lucian Glass, many readers may not put much faith into the idea of reincarnation. After reading all three of the novels in this series, I’ve decided this is a subject I’d like to personally study more.

Each of the books in this series can be read as a stand-alone novel but I would highly recommend reading them in order: The Reincarnationist, The Memorist, and The Hypnotist. Dr. Malachai Samuels is a driving force in each of these novels, and his chronological actions are slowly leading up to something that has yet to be revealed. I have really enjoyed the character development in Samuels most of all because he is the only character (with the exception of Glass, who was a minor character in The Memorist) that has been in each of the novels.

The first two books seemed very formulaic, and I was relieved that The Hypnotist had an entirely different structure. This has been my favorite of the series so far, and what has convinced me that the rest of the books will be worth my time. The main story arc of the series has been slow to take off, but I’m now beginning to see that there is a purpose and end goal in sight.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

Giveaway:
1 winner will receive a copy of The Hypnotist and an exclusive pin of the phoenix in the book (pictured on the left)!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)
- Become a fan on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 30th.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Mira Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Giveaway: Waking the Witch by Kelley Armstrong

[ 192 ] August 3, 2010

Win a copy of the brand new Waking the Witch by Kelly Armstrong!

Kelley Armstrong is the author of the New York Times bestselling Otherworld series, the young adult trilogy Darkest Powers, and many other titles. She lives in rural Ontario with her husband and three children.

With her first book, Bitten, Kelley introduced readers to her singular brand of sophisticated, fast-paced storytelling. The Otherworld, a place populated by a wide array of supernaturals with an even wider array of powers, continues to engage and enthrall readers all over the globe after more than a dozen books. Visit Kelly at www.kelleyarmstrong.com!

About Waking the Witch:

Golden girl of the supernatural world, orphaned daughter of a dark witch and a conniving sorcerer, Savannah Levine has nothing to lose and everything to prove on her first solo case as a paranormal investigator.

She’s got a wide arsenal of spells at her fingertips, many that only she knows.
She’s got a tough-as-nails attitude and an even sharper wit.
She’s got one problem though . . . no one thinks she can handle this on her own.

Savannah has the power . . . and she’s not afraid to use it.

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the end of this post (1 entry each)
- Follow Luxury Reading on Facebook (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 25th.

Giveaway copy is provided free of any obligation by Dutton. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Blog Tour & Giveaway: Three Nights with a Scoundrel by Tessa Dare

[ 207 ] August 2, 2010

Please join Tessa Dare, author of Three Nights with a Scoundrel, as she tours the blogosphere with TLC Book Tours!

To learn more about Tessa Dare and her steamy books, please visit her on her website or Facebook profile!

You can also read the first 60 pages of One Dance with a Duke online and watch Tessa’s hilarious book trailer.

Reviewed by Alice P.

Three Nights with a Scoundrel is not only heartwarming and enchanting, but also a passionate tale of two star-crossed lovers. Tessa Dare perfectly illustrates the struggles one faces when in love. One Dance with a Duke and Twice Tempted by a Rogue precede Three Nights with a Scoundrel and although I recommend reading all the books, they stand well on their own.

I rarely do this in reviews, but I would just like to commend Tessa Dare on her writing. She keeps you at the edge of your seat, your heart in your throat, butterflies fluttering in your stomach. The romance in this trilogy can truly light hearts on fire. Dare is able to clearly depict a scene, while leaving some space for the use of imagination. Moreover, she successfully blends together spices of a story line: suspense, romance, anger, fear, and love.

Three Nights with a Scoundrel is a tale of wanting and needing, and is filled with deciphering the meaning in between the words. Julian Bellamy, the bastard son of a nobleman, with rugged good looks and charms, is smitten by Lily Chatwick, a noble society woman. Their chemistry and instant connection is clear from the get go, however, this love can never truly blossom because of a tragedy that hits the family: the murder of Leo Chatwick, Lily’s twin brother.

All Julian wants to do is put aside his feelings for Lily in order to get her married to someone of his own class and stature. Julian knows that being the bastard son of a nobleman makes him unworthy of the lovely Lily. Yet, Lily has other plans in mind. She knows that Julian is seeking Leo’s murderer, resorting to his old treacherous ways. In order for Lily to win, she mustsave Julian from himself…from the man he’s becoming, before it’s too late.

Filled with anguish, pain, and passion, this book will satiate your thirst for a perfect romance novel. A must read!

Alice, a.k.a. Sunny, is a full time student at LakeLand College. She is originally from India, but has been traveling the world with her mom and sister ever since she was two.

Giveaway:
One winner will receive all three books in Tessa Dare’s trilogy!

Mandatory entry: Please comment on this post with your e-mail address.

Extra entries (please post each entry separately, i.e. 2 posts for subscribing):
- Subscribe via e-mail, follow or subscribe to the feed. You must verify the subscriptions. (1 entry each)
- Enter another current giveaway and tell me which one you entered (1 entry each)
- Share this giveaway on a social network of your choice. Click the “Share/Save” button at the bottom of this post (1 entry each)
- Follow Tessa Dare on Twitter (2 entries)

This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. Deadline to enter is midnight on August 23rd.

Review and giveaway copies were provided free of any obligation by Ballantine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: Heat Wave by Richard Castle

[ 3 ] July 31, 2010

Reviewed by Cal C.

Heat Wave, ostensibly written by Richard Castle, requires a little bit of background before I can dive into the review. Castle is a television show currently running on ABC starring Nathan Fillion as a famous crime novelist named Richard Castle. His previous series of crime novels finally came to an end with the death of beloved protagonist Derrick Storm, and Castle needs a new muse. He calls in a favor with the mayor and gets partnered with gifted homicide detective Kate Beckett. Together, they solve crimes, and it’s from there that Castle draws his inspiration for Heat Wave. ABC had Heat Wave written up and released, in large part as a promotional stunt for the show’s second season. As a marketing tool, it’s undeniably clever. The question, however, is whether or not it also works as a novel.

For fans of the TV show, the book can’t be missed. It maintains much of the show’s easy, pop-savvy banter that holds it above many standard police procedurals. The mystery is engaging, with enough potential suspects, dark pasts and seedy revelations, very much in the same vein as those on the show. Even character interactions are handled in the same manner as the show – the easy camaraderie between the two less experienced detectives who work with Heat, the semi-hot, semi-hostile back-and-forth between Heat and ride-along journalistic superstar Jameson Rook – making the book an extremely comfortable read, while the layered fictions of the show and the book give it a surprisingly complex charm.

It won’t win many converts, however. The beginning of the book is clunky as the author tries (and fails) for a pulp noir aesthetic that doesn’t read well, and while the stylistic failure is dropped relatively quickly in favor of a more successful tongue-in-cheek tone, it is nonetheless disruptive. The characterization is lacking, ripped almost fully from the more fleshed out show’s primary characters, giving much of the cast a cardboard cut-out feel. Furthermore, it’s unconscionably brief, turning it at just under 200 pages, with few unpredictable twists, and that includes the book’s steamy romance.

As a marketing stunt, Heat Wave is innovative and fun, an excellent way to expand the show’s universe and something to keep fans engaged between seasons. As a novel, however, it seems relatively anemic. Not bad, definitely enjoyable, just not all there.

Cal is a young, underemployed librarian and a frequent contributor to Read/RANT comic book reviews. He’s currently living in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, with his family and using the post-grad-school grace period to read and write as much as he can.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Hyperion. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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Review: The Betrayal of the Blood Lilly by Lauren Willig

[ 7 ] July 29, 2010

Reviewed by Dimpel P.

In her sixth book in the Pink Carnation Series, Willig takes us to the exotic setting of Hyderabad, India. In this historical romance, Penelope Deveraux marries Lord Frederick Staines and moves to India. Once there, she learns that her husband is not the faithful man she believed him to be.

Penelope’s husband accepts a position as Governor General Wellesley’s Special Envoy to the Court of Hyderabad. He gambles away her dowry and has affairs with local bibi’s, the Indian counterpart of a mistress. Penelope, on the other hand, is a a brilliantly bold character.

The Betrayal of the Blood Lily starts slow and takes place during the Napoleonic Wars between Britain and France. It is filled with spies, emissaries and espionage, rich history and romance. It is a well-paced book with characters that are creative and vibrant. All the characters in this book are faced with questions of honor and principles. It is a novel that will keep readers who are mesmerized by romantic history interested from beginning to end.

Check out Lauren Willig’s website for more information about the Pink Carnation books!

Dimpel enjoys writing about Health &Medicine, Addiction & Recovery, and Self-Help. She previously worked as a medical assistant and did transcription and coding for medical and legal practices.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Berkley Trade. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“Jane Bites Back” by Michael Thomas Ford

[ 4 ] July 19, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

Even 200 years after her death, Jane Austen’s works are just as influential and meaningful to readers of today as those who lived during Jane’s lifetime. Anyone who doubts that her novels could possibly mean something to today’s readers needs to look no further than his or her nearest bookstore or novelty shop where items such as Jane Austen action figures, finger puppets, and even paper dolls are sold. Austen’s works are still made into big screen movies and performed as live theatre. Her classics are re-published with an extra spice: zombies, sea monsters, and now vampires.

In Jane Bites Back, Michael Thomas Ford brings Jane back to life as the undead. Living a quiet and unassuming existence as a bookstore proprietor, Jane Austen is thinly veiling her identity as Jane Fairfax. Like any other vampire, Jane must live off of blood to survive. Instead of taking the lives of her “victims”, she only takes what she needs to get by. The abilities and limitations of Ford’s vampires have yet to be fully defined, though it is hinted that future books in this series will further explore Jane discovering just what she is capable of.

Jane wants nothing more than to publish her newest manuscript, but after 116 rejections, she is just about to give up hope. Things begin to look up for Jane when her manuscript is finally accepted for publication. As she is thrust into the media limelight, Jane attracts the negative attention of Bronte enthusiast Violet Grey. Jane’s true identity is at risk when Violet sets out to prove that Jane’s manuscript is plagiarized. And just when she thought life couldn’t be more complicated, a vampire from her past resurfaces to woo her. Will Jane get the credit for the novel she deserves? Can vampires even have a happily ever after to rival one of Jane’s own novels?

No story involving Jane Austen would be complete if it didn’t involve sweet romance. Jane must choose between two enticingly handsome men, one a vampire and one a human. The choice Jane will make is obvious from the start, but I could not help feeling that Jane chose entirely with her head rather than even a little bit with her heart. Since this is the start of a new series, complications in Jane’s love life are certain to rise and there is no guarantee that she will end up with either of her current pursuers. Though I’m not a fan of Jane’s current romance, I’m eager to see what challenges Jane must overcome in matters of the heart.

Many of Austen’s literary works now feature all sorts of paranormal creatures, but this was my first encounter with Jane Austen herself as one. In addition to Jane, several other well recognized classical authors make their own appearances as creatures of the night. I felt the inclusion of those characters in the novel dulled the thrill of having Jane cast as one. Overall, though, Jane Bites Back is an entertaining read for those who have an affection for classical authors. Those with a more extensive knowledge of Jane Austen’s life history might find Ford’s vision of Jane just a little out of character.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Ballantine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“Insatiable” by Meg Cabot

[ 3 ] June 22, 2010

Reviewed by Jennifer J.

Meena Harper is a dialogue writer for the popular daytime soap Insatiable, whose biggest rival soap is Lust. Now that Lust features a dangerously sexy vampire played by Gregory Bane, the producers of Insatiable feel the need to raise their own ratings by also including a vampire in their cast ensemble. Meena is sick of the popularity of vampires in the media, and starts brainstorming ways to write the newest cast member out of the show and earn actress Cheryl Trent the Daytime Emmy she deserves. Mysterious and handsome Lucien Atonescu is just the inspiration she needs for the Romanian vampire slayer she hopes to write into the show. Little does Meena know that Lucien, a modern day prince, is more accurately the Prince of Darkness.

Vampires are running rampant in New York, victimizing attractive women and leaving telling evidence that vampires are indeed real. Lucien’s presence in New York has attracted the interest of a vampire slaying sect called the Palatine, who wish to rid the world of all vampires, starting with Lucien. Meena shouldn’t be so surprised that they exist, considering she is no stranger herself to the supernatural. Meena possesses the ability to see how a person will die. Part of her attraction to Lucien is because she can’t foresee his death. Unfortunately, she is already head over heels in love with him before finding out the truth of his undead nature. Now the Palatine is demanding Meena’s help in destroying Lucien, and she must decide what’s more important: retaining her mortality or joining the ranks of the undead as Lucien’s vampire bride.

Insatiable is quite the departure for Meg Cabot, whose books are typically hilarious and lighthearted with quirky, lovable heroines and drool-worthy man candy. Insatiable is her first adult paranormal novel, containing all the trademarks I love from her previous novels and introducing a new variable: vampires. Insatiable, inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula, features a strong-willed heroine, and two delectable males that encompass all things masculine and romantic. The supporting characters include her charming (but lazy) brother Jon, eccentric socialite neighbors Emil and Mary Lou Atonescu, pregnant best friend Leisha, and love-to-hate-her co-worker rival Shosona. Meena and her gang are sure to win over those who already love Meg Cabot’s novels, and will definitely appeal to readers who have already consumed just about every romantic paranormal vampire novel out there.

Though filled with darker themes and plot points, Insatiable still has plenty of Meg Cabot’s charm and humor. She good-naturedly pokes fun at recognizable vampire novels and films, while still staking her own claim in the vampire genre. Meena’s story will continue in a sequel, scheduled to be released in the summer of 2011.

Please visit the official website to learn more about Meg Cabot and her books.

Jennifer graduated from the University of Utah with a BA in English. She occasionally dabbles with her own fiction writing, particularly with the Young Adult and Paranormal genres. She currently resides in Utah with her husband and daughter.

This book was provided free of any obligation by Meg Cabot. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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“The Passage” by Justin Cronin

[ 12 ] June 8, 2010

Reviewed by Claudia R.

“I know that science is your god, Paul, but would it be too much to ask for you to pray for us? All of us.” Jonas Abbot Lear, PhD (USA Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases)

The Military needs a Super Soldier. A human that is not only invincible but immortal. Intelligent. Strong. Healthy. Capable of anything. Invincible.

The Military needs ‘volunteers’, people willing to be injected with this new, untested ‘super virus’.

One problem.

There are none. And previous ‘testing’ attempts have returned less than desirable results.

Enter the Twelve.

Convicts on death row, only too happy to sign over their death sentence for the promise of a eternal life. Even with limited information, each willingly offer themselves ‘for the greater good’.

Only something goes horribly and inexplicably wrong, and civilization, as we know it, as anyone has ever known it, ceases to exist. Completely.

Fast forward to First year A.V. (after virus). Some semblance of life exists in pockets across the country, and it is there, that The Passage takes it’s readers on a fast paced, exquisitely detailed, heart pounding, palm sweating journey into the lives of the kin of survivors of B.V. (before virus).

It sounds like a tale that’s been spun before. Conspiracy theory makeover ad nauseam.

Except, it’s not. At all.

The Passage isn’t just another ‘good read’, it’s a commitment and a subsequent addiction. For a week there was never a moment when I was home that I didn’t have the book with me. Justin Cronin writes brilliantly and his words bring this futuristic doomsday story to life with painstaking detail and unrivaled passion. Every character jumps off the page, vivid and real. Cronin culls emotions from his readers like a snake charmer seduces his serpents. I was laughing, crying and screaming along with Michael, Sarah, Amy, Lish, Maus, Lacey, Auntie, Hollis, Theo & Peter as they battled the ‘jumpers’ in a fight for survival.

Every time I thought I knew where Justin was about to take the story I realized didn’t. Expertly, Justin pens an other-world tale of doom and gloom that is anything but at the same time as being completely, just that. Frightening. Realistic. Edge of your seat titillation. Perfection. One word of caution, clear all and any plans for at least 4 days if you intend to read The Passage, it’s like literary heroin. No exaggerating.

If you love Stephen King, Michael Crichton, Dean Koontz or Peter Straub you will absolutely adore, adore, adore Justin Cronin. It is with baited breath that I anticipate his next literary performance. The Passage is PURE genius and one of the FEW books I hope they DO make in to a movie. Maybe Tarantino needs a new project?

Visit the official website to learn more about Justin Cronin and The Passage.

Claudia lives on Cape Cod with her husband and two children. She entertains her passion for reading in between providing services to help empower and improve the lives of low-income residents.

This book was provided free of any obligation by  Ballantine Books. No monetary or any other form of compensation was received.

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