Blade Bound by Chloe Neill

****

The thrilling final installment of Chloe Neill’s New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series sees sinister sorcery advancing across Chicago, and it might usher in the fall of Cadogan House.... 
 
 
Since the night of her brutal attack and unwilling transformation into a vampire, Merit has stood as Sentinel and protector of Chicago’s Cadogan House. She’s saved the Windy City from the forces of darkness time and again with her liege and lover, Ethan Sullivan, by her side.
 
When the House is infiltrated and Merit is attacked by a vampire who seems to be under the sway of dark magic, Merit and Ethan realize the danger is closer than they could have imagined. As malign sorcery spreads throughout the city, Merit must go to war against supernatural powers beyond her comprehension. It is her last chance to save everything—and everyone—she loves.


Source:  Advance e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book friends! I'm soooo freaking sad that the Chicagoland Vampires are over and done!  Reading this ARC was so hard.  I love Merit, Ethan, Mallory, Gabe and the rest of the gang, so saying good-bye is breaking my heart!  

It's also incredibly difficult to write this review without giving anything away and I definitely don't want to spoil your journey through Blade Bound.  I have three things to say that hopefully won't give anything away.  

(1)  I really think this story arc should have been two books.  And not just because I want more CV books, I swear!  There's a lot that happens in Blade Bound and I would have loved some additional depth to it.  But I get it, Chloe's ending the series and wanted to make sure she got everything in, but still...  *heart-breaking*

(2)  I am satisfied with how the series ended, even if I wish the arc had been split into two books and that it hadn't ended at all.  *sobs uncontrollably*

(3)  I need to know more information about the spin-off series, like now.  

I read the last half of Blade Bound in a public place and I am happy to say that I avoided crying like a baby... mostly.  

If you are a Chicagoland Vampire fan, then let me know what you think of the last book!  Neither of my fellow BiblioJunkies love the series like I do, so they are waaay behind and I can't talk to them about it!  I NEED to talk about it!  

If you haven't read the Chicagoland Vampires yet - WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!  GO BUY SOME GIRLS BITE RIGHT NOW!!!  And once you've binged this awesome series, come back and talk with me about it, please!  

~Shel

A Shattered Moment by Tiffany King

****

From Penguin:

In the new series by the bestselling author of the Woodfalls Girls novels, six friends—fresh from high school graduation—discover that the future can come at you from out of nowhere.

This is Mackenzie’s story…

Mackenzie Wilson once had hope for what life had to offer, but everything changed on the night of her graduation. A year later, the only way she can find comfort is by keeping her head down and hoping she remains unnoticed at college.

When Bentley James discovered Mac in that twisted SUV, he was just a newbie EMT on his first call. It was a gut-wrenching moment that made him realize not everyone can be saved—and sometimes they don’t want to be.

A chance encounter on campus brings Bentley back into Mac’s life. Despite her initial resistance, he sets out to discover the girl hiding beneath a shield of seclusion. He evokes painful memories in Mac—but also feelings. As the spark between them grows, Mac must decide if she can let go of the past and believe in something as fragile as love…

A Shattered Moment is a beautifully tragic story about grief, survival, and love.  Mac is recovering from a nightmare.  Unfortunately, Bentley was there and reminds her of the horror she faced - at least at first.  As Mac learns to live again, if Bentley truly wants her, he will have to put his exceptional patience to the test.  Mac and Bentley's journey is touching and a little bit heartbreaking.  

ASM was my first Tiffany King and I'm hooked.  The emotional books aren't really my thing, but King may have converted me with this wonderful book.  I really cannot recommend this book enough and it may make an appearance on my Top Ten of 2015 list.  :-)

~ Shel

Tryst by Alex Rosa

***

In this sensational New Adult debut by Alex Rosa, boyfriends are too much trouble. So what’s the harm in a little fun?

With an abusive relationship behind her, Skyler moves out of her Orange County apartment, changes her phone number, cuts ties with her friends, and moves in with her brother Josh, a talent agent with a spare room in his incredible house in Hollywood.

Josh is happy to take Skyler under his wing, but he has one rule: she can’t sleep with his roommate, Blake. That’s fine by Skyler. She doesn’t want a man in her life right now—and certainly not cocky Blake who’s with a different girl every night. But his all-American boy charm and his ripped model physique are difficult to refuse. Josh will never know if no one ever tells him. And a little secret now and then never hurt anyone…

I have mixed feelings about Tryst...  I enjoyed Blake, the uber-hot bad boy.  Skyler's best friend, Tucker was a hoot.  The brother, Josh felt fairly irrelevant, except as a road block to Skyler and Blake's relationship.  My mixed feelings stem from the fact that the story felt unfinished.  There seems to be unfinished business with Skyler's abusive ex; with Blake's career and the relationship between Blake and Josh after the events of Tryst.  

Notwithstanding the unfinished business, Tryst was a decent love story.  The brother's best friend theme is common in romances - an easy impediment to the burgeoning relationship of our hero and heroine - so it is easy for the books to run together.  Tryst stands out, because, in addition to this, there are the lasting ramifications of an abusive relationship and how a victim moves forward with relationships after removing him-or-herself from the abusive relationship.  Here, Skyler clearly has low self-esteem that makes her think she is not yet good enough for a "normal" relationship.  And Blake has self-esteem issues stemming from his promiscuous ways.  He feels that because of his player status he doesn't deserve Skye.  When it's all said and done, the characters grow and heal together, which is really what it is all about.

I'm hoping that Tryst was the start of a series, because I'm very interested in the story of Josh and Vanessa.  I can only hope that Skyler and Blake give them hell in their story.  :-)

~ Shel

One Night by A.J. Pine

***

When she lost it all, Jess decided to cope by living a lie. 

But you can’t keep on pretending forever…

Twenty-one-year-old Jess used to have everything—a loyal best friend, a boyfriend she loved, and a future that was right on track. But in a single night, her whole world changed.

Now, Jess lives for the impersonal connection of drunken hook-ups and to-go coffee cups in the morning. All she needs is one night to pretend everything is fine…until she meets Adam.

Thanks to a sports injury, gorgeous, charming basketball star Adam Carson is stuck in physical therapy at the hospital where Jess interns—giving her the perfect opportunity to see his sweet, considerate nature and making her realize that maybe she does want something more.

But while Adam might be the best thing that’s happened to Jess in a long time, letting him past her carefully constructed walls means letting him know what happened...and why he'd never want her for more than one night.

One Night poses an interesting situation, how does someone overcome a terrible loss and learn to forgive themselves and move on?  Jess gets through the day by keeping to herself, going through the motions at school and at her physical therapy internship and especially with guys, preferring drunken one-night hook-ups to relationships.  Which is why she has Carson firmly in the friend zone.

Basketball god, Adam, is drawn to Jess during his physical therapy for a knee injury, but she is clear that they are just friends.  She's clearly been through something awful, but she's not talking.  

Adam, despite being the popular jock, is the epitome of a good guy.  He's patient, kind and caring with Jess.  Jess, for her part, is a mess and is completely lost.  She's full of self-loathing, depressed and angry, very angry. These themes can be a little difficult at times, but it's an interesting story, with some twists and turns thrown in to keep you interested.   

~ Shel

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

****

From Penguin:

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you..."

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail.  (Everybody in the newsroom knows.  It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously.  They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.  

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now - reading other people's e-mail.  When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers - not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.  

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in.  But he can't help being entertained - and captivated - by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.  

What would he say...?

Dear god, the first three pages of Attachments had me laughing hysterically in the most inappropriate place...  This was my first experience with Rainbow Rowell (Bel LOVES Eleanor & Park and Fangirl), so I was really looking forward to the book.  It did not disappoint.  After the inappropriate laughing incident, I saved the book until after work and ended up staying up all night to finish.  

As pleasantly surprised as I was by the humor, I was even more surprised and pleased that Rowell was able to combine the comedy with a truly heartfelt story about love, heartbreak and the twists and turns life throws at us.  

Lincoln is broken, a zombie existing, but not really living since his heart was torn apart by his ex.  Beth is in a dysfunctional relationship trying to figure out what she is willing to give up for the man she loves, while Jennifer is the only one in a healthy relationship, but is trying to decide what she is willing to do for the man she loves.  The growth of the characters and the story were natural and well-written.  

The best part was that I found these women completely relatable and could see Bel, Nat and I exchanging many of these emails!  

I completely understand why Bel loves Rainbow Rowell so much.  I am definitely a fan now and cannot wait to pick up Eleanor & Park!

~Shel

The Mystery Of Mercy Close (A Walsh Sister Nove #5) by Marian Keyes

* * * *

Helen Walsh doesn’t believe in fear – it’s just a thing invented by men to get all the money and good job – and yet she’s sinking. Her work as a Private Investigator has dried up, her flat has been repossessed and now some old demons have resurfaced.

Not least in the form of her charming but dodgy ex-boyfriend Jay Parker, who shows up with a missing persons case. Money is tight – so tight Helen’s had to move back in with her elderly parents – and Jay is awash with cash. The missing person is Wayne Diffney, the ‘Wacky One’ from boyband Laddz. He’s vanished from his house in Mercy Close and it’s vital that he’s found – Laddz have a sell-out comeback gig in five days’ time.

Things ended messily with Jay. And she’s never going back there. Besides she has a new boyfriend now, the very sexy detective Artie Devlin and it’s all going well, even though his ex-wife isn’t quite ‘ex’ enough and his teenage son hates her. But the reappearance of Jay is stirring up all kinds of stuff she thought she’d left behind.

Playing by her own rules, Helen is drawn into a dark and glamorous world, where her worst enemy is her own head and where increasingly the only person she feels connected to is Wayne, a man she’s never even met.

I have loved Marian Keyes since I first read Sushi For Beginners. After that I read Watermelon the first book that introduced me to the Walshes, a funny, dysfunctional Irish family. Since then, I’ve read the subsequent books each featuring a different Walsh sister. Then I had to suffer through a long wait before The Mystery Of Mercy Close finally came out. 

This one features the youngest Walsh sister, Helen, who is perhaps the most hilarious of them. She’s in her early 30’s, has her own detective agency and “happily” seeing someone. Life goes pretty well for a while until she ends up losing her precious flat because she has defaulted on her mortgage payments. She then has to move back in with her parents. To make matters more confusing, her current beau Artie gets on so amicably with his ex that she’s always over at his place. A little overwhelmed, strapped for cash and feeling the need to have something to focus on so she doesn’t feel like such the loser, she takes on the case of pop star, Wayne Diffney, who has gone missing just days before a massive reunion tour.  This should be no problem. Helen has a peculiar way of looking at things and she’s proud of it so it shouldn't take her long to solve this case. The real problem is that she has been hired by her ex-boyfriend Jay, who has a huge stake in the band. Working together is not exactly her idea of fun but she puts up with him. Hey, if you're broke and been reduced to living with your parents, you can't exactly complain...too much.

So how does she cope with her current situation? She fixates on the case. She develops  a kinship with the mysterious Wayne whom she’s never met finding some distorted sense of comfort by crashing in his flat at Mystery Close every night.

The thing I love about Marian Keyes is that she gives each of her characters a distinct personality. Helen is one sarcastic, witty, dry-humored gal who has serious people issues. She basically has no filter and only a few people get her.  She has the kind of abrasive bluntness about her that I sometimes wish I could have. Her random irrational quirks such as her disdain for hot drink, love of somber-looking wall paint colors and her use of a "shovel list" to keep track of things that annoy her, only make her more of a curiosity. After only getting glimpses of her in the previous books, I was so happy to get a full dosage of Helen’s craziness. But as with all Marian Keyes books, there is a darker side to all her stories. Helen is very slow to accept that she suffers from depression though it’s glaringly apparent to the reader.  The motions she goes through including the things she latches on to are comical at first until you realize how much she’s struggling. Don’t worry though because Keyes with her typical panache cleverly balances Helen’s idiosyncrasies with light-hearted moments.

Any fan of Marian Keyes, particularly the Walsh Sisters series will recognize the formula she employs here. Does that make it bad or predictable? Not in the least. There's plenty aside from Helen's personal troubles such as the mystery of Wayne's disappearance and the introduction to the rest of the bandmates and their bizarre behaviors to keep things interesting and send you into fits and giggles. So was The Mystery Of Mercy Close worth the wait? Yes, it most definitely was!

~ Bel

Slow Heat by Jill Shalvis

***1/2

From Berkley Sensation:

Baseball player Wade O'Riley's bad-boy image is about to be cleaned up by publicist Samantha McNead. But the sexual tension between them is about to drive Wade to his knees.

Jill Shalvis story-telling in a baseball setting = total awesomeness.  Need I say more?  Yes? Well ok.  Slow Heat is the second in this series (is it technically a series if there are only two books?).  Wade is the bad-boy catcher, who turns out to be the caring good boy who helps Samantha take care of her young nephew.  Is there anything hotter than a beautiful alpha man that is great with kids, or animals (see Jill’s Animal series for additional swooning)?  Well, that’s the combo we get here and it is sizzling hot and entertaining.  

I know I rave about Jill Shalvis, but only because she is so awesome.  My only complaint about Slow Heat is that it appears to be the last of the baseball books and I was really looking forward to Gage getting some love in a future book, hint, hint Ms. Shalvis.  J  Check out Jill’s daily misadventures and hilarity at her blog - http://jillshalvis.com/blog.  And then make sure you “like” her on Facebook!

Spring has finally sprung here in the greater Chicagoland area and this book hits the spot!  In fact, my dear brother suggested a BiblioJunkies field trip to see the Cubs or the White Sox, which I think is brilliant and makes me want to go read this and Double Play again.

~Shel

Double Play by Jill Shalvis

***1/2

From Berkley Publishing Group (Penguin):

He's a great pitcher...and a great catch.

With the end of his career looming, the last thing ace pitcher Pace Martin needs is a distraction, even if it comes in the form of a tough, beautiful, tell-it-like-it-is writer who sees past his defenses.

I picked this book up for two reasons: (1) it’s a Jill Shalvis book and (2) hot boys and baseball.  Jill never disappoints.  This isn’t my favorite of her books, but certainly a great read, especially in the winter when we are all dreaming of summer and hot boys in baseball uniforms… and out of baseball uniforms.  I found Pace to be a fun and engrossing hero and the story was compelling.  Read the book and tell me that you don’t have a new appreciation for the superstitions of athletes!  With Jill Shalvis’ trademark steam and hilarity, you will definitely enjoy your time spent with the Pacific Heat."A Jill Shalvis hero is the stuff naughty dreams are made of."
-VICKI LEWIS THOMPSON

~Shel

Rescue My Heart Blog Tour - Q&A with Jill Shalvis!

We crazy fangirls were lucky enough to be given a spot on the Rescue My Heart Blog Tour.  This is our second time participating in a Jill Shalvis blog tour and it is always a ton of fun.  Because really, how could it not be when the author is JILL SHALVIS!!!!  There are so many reasons we love Jill.  Her unabashed appreciation of the male form.  Her unashamed portrayal of women that are both beautiful AND socially awkward.  Her love of all foods that are bad for you.  The list goes on. 

When we asked her the next 4 simple questions, we had one goal in mind.  Snuggly attach Shel to Jill's hip during Romantic Times 2013.  I think we have may have succeeded?

Bibliojunkies:  Cookies or Cupcakes? 

Jill Shalvis:  COOKIES!!!!  Always cookies!!!!

 

Bibliojunkies:  Chocolate or Vanilla? 

Jill Shalvis:  CHOCOLATE!!!!  Always chocolate!!!!  J

 

Bibliojunkies:  Linkin Park or Snow Patrol? 

Jill Shalvis:  Oh goodness.  Don’t make me pick!!  I love them both so much.  I have used lyrics from each to define heroes, and entire love stories.  Both bands are such great story tellers.  But okay, if I had to pick one it would be Linkin Park.

 

Bibliojunkies:  It's no surprise to anyone that Bibliojunkie Shel is a huge Jill Shalvis fangirl.  If she could manage to bring all of the above to you at RT2013 can she be your honorary BFF for a day? 

Jill Shalvis:  She can own me for an entire week….

 

 

 

Challenge Accepted Ms. Shalvis.  We will be greeting you at RT 2013 with all of the above.  Now, how to snag Linkin Park for the day…. 

After a tragic stint in the National Guards, Adam Connelly returns to Idaho and to Belle Haven, the animal shelter he owns with his brothers. All Adam wants is to be alone. Then he opens the door to the past—the woman whose heart he once broke. Still gorgeous, still tough-as-nails, but this time, unusually vulnerable.

Holly Reid learned the hard way to never depend on a man for anything. Now, of all men, it’s the last one she wants to see, and the only one she needs. Her father has gone missing in the Bitterroot Mountains and she could use someone with tracking skills to help find him.

For Holly and Adam, each with their ghosts, a trek this desperate, this unpredictable, and this intimate, will have its share of risks—including opening their hearts one more time. (GoodReads)

 

Review:

Holly and Adam have avoided each other as much as possible since they both moved back to the town where they first met.  But when Holly’s dad doesn’t return from one of his hiking/camping getaways Holly’s first instinct is to beg Adam (search and rescue trainer extraordinaire) to help her find him.  When Holly insists on tagging along during Adam’s search they are forced to address the still sizzling attraction between each other.  

Jill Shalvis is known for her combination of sizzling romance and hilarity.  Two things you can always count on when reading her books.  One, a hot alpha hero that should never be allowed to wear a shirt.  And two, a heroine that has at least one socially awkward idiosyncrasy that will leave you in a fit of giggles.  She manages to write with tongue in cheek while still leaving you breathless over the romance that is unfolding. 

Rescue My Heart is no exception.  If you have read Animal Magnetism or Animal Attraction, you have met Adam and Holly.  Adam has always come across as the stoic hero with a dark past.  The few times we met Holly….well, she just came across as a complete bitch.  But in Rescue My Heart we learn a lot more about what is going on between these two and what has made them the people they are.   

Adam is one of Shalvis’ more dramatic characters.  But he certainly has a sense of humor.  Which is probably good since that humor makes him the only guy willing and able to deal with Holly’s brand of crazy – um, I mean stubbornness.  This girl is annoyingly stubborn.  I won’t lie.  I didn’t like her at first.  But she definitely grows on you.  Particularly when she decides to slowly wear Adam down on the relationship front.   

In the end, this was a fun story.  A little bit of angst with Shalvis’ signature humor goes a long way to brightening a gloomy day and this book did just that.

 

Nat