Julie Lessman's Dare to Love Again ~ Reviewed

DARE TO LOVE AGAIN
The Heart of San Francisco Book #2

By Julie Lessman

January 2014

Revell

ISBN 0800721667

BACK COVER:

Spunky Allison McClare is determined to be a fearless, independent woman. But when she takes a notion to explore the wild Barbary Coast, she quickly discovers she's no match for the unsavory characters that haunt the dark streets.

Detective Nick Barone would rather do almost anything than teach this petite socialite self-defense, but it seems he has little choice. Sparks fly every time the two meet until a grudging friendship develops into something deeper. But is he just a fraud like all the rest of the men Allison's cared for? Or is he the one who will let her dare to love again?

MY REVIEW:

Looking for a sweet romance with a spunky heroine and a grumpy hero? This is the book for you. And don’t worry if you haven’t read Book #1 in the series yet, because I hadn’t either. Even so, I didn’t have a hard time getting into this story. I think this is written so that it could be a stand-alone if necessary.

My favorite character, surprisingly, was a secondary little superstar named Lottie. This young orphan is a scene stealer with her heart melting charm. Not only is she super cute, she’s integral to the story because she reveals information to the hero and heroine that they wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

As for main characters, Detective Nick Barone (long “e”) is particularly swoon worthy despite his gruff exterior. He takes out bad guys at the drop of hat.

The story takes place in early 1900 San Francisco. There’s a ton of history woven throughout, so if you weren’t paying attention in history class, you’ll find some redemption here.

DARE TO LOVE AGAIN is an easy read and a visit back to another time and place. . . which is exactly what I want to do this frigid winter. 

Reviewed by: Michelle Griep WriterOffTheLeash...Blogging Gone Wild

Carla Laureano's Five Days in Skye ~ Reviewed

Five Days in Skye: A Novel 

Digital original - eBook

By: Carla Laureano

David C. Cook / 2013 / ePub

ISBN: 9781434707017

Description:

Hospitality consultant Andrea Sullivan has one last chance to snag a high-profile client or she’ll have to kiss her dreams of promotion good-bye. When she’s sent to meet Scottish celebrity chef James MacDonald on the Isle of Skye, she just wants to finish her work as efficiently as possible. Yet her client is not the opportunistic womanizer he portrays himself to be, and her attraction to him soon dredges up memories she’d rather leave buried. For James, renovating the family hotel is a fulfillment of his late father’s dreams. When his hired consultant turns out to be beautiful, intelligent, and completely unimpressed by his public persona, he makes it his mission to win her over. He just never expects to fall under her spell.

Soon, both Andrea and James must face the reality that God may have a far different purpose for their lives—and that five days in Skye will forever change their outlook on life and love.

Review:

What a delicious discovery! Carla Laureano’s Five Days in Skye swept me away to the Scottish Isles and into the wounded hearts of the impeccably cool Andrea Sullivan and the charismatic charmer Jamie MacDonald. This is a romance to savour from beginning to end. The funny and feisty first interaction between this pair sucks you in and as the story and characters develop you will have no desire to leave as they wrestle with doubts, prejudice, preconceptions, and sparkling attraction. What I loved most was the substance to this story – this is no marshmallow romance – but a love story that is intriguing and real. Don’t get me wrong, you won’t miss out on some very swoon worthy moments but you get the added bonus of a romantic journey that stimulates the mind as well as the heart. Carla has earned my respect by creating a female lead who makes her own decisions based on her interaction with the hero and not on everyone else’s say so. In a world replete with romantic clichés, Carla’s writing is so very refreshing! Five Days in Skye is an excellent debut novel and I’m waiting with baited breath for Carla’s next story. Reminiscent of Beth Vogt, Denise Hunter, and Becky Wade’s storytelling, Carla’s story is a triumph you don’t want to miss.

Reviewed by: Rel Mollet

Marcus Sakey's Brilliance ~ Reviewed

Brilliance
Marcus Sakey
SBN-13: 9781611099690 
Publisher: Brilliance Audio 
Publication date: 7/16/2013 
Edition description: Unabridged 
Pages: 439

Description:

In Wyoming, a little girl reads people’s darkest secrets by the way they fold their arms. In New York, a man sensing patterns in the stock market racks up $300 billion. In Chicago, a woman can go invisible by being where no one is looking. They’re called “brilliants,” and since 1980, one percent of people have been born this way. Nick Cooper is among them; a federal agent, Cooper has gifts rendering him exceptional at hunting terrorists. His latest target may be the most dangerous man alive, a brilliant drenched in blood and intent on provoking civil war. But to catch him, Cooper will have to violate everything he believes in—and betray his own kind.

From Marcus Sakey, “a modern master of suspense” (Chicago Sun-Times) and “one of our best storytellers” (Michael Connelly), comes an adventure that’s at once breakneck thriller and shrewd social commentary; a gripping tale of a world fundamentally different and yet horrifyingly similar to our own, where being born gifted can be a terrible curse.

Review:

Marcus Sakey’s Brilliance takes place in a parallel universe where, in the year 1980, a small percentage of the human population began to develop superior abilities. Each member of this group of “brilliants,” also know as “abnorms” or the more offensive “twists,” has the ability to see patterns that the rest of the world is oblivious to – whether that affinity manifests with numbers or music or art or even human behavior is unique to each individual.

The story follows Nick Cooper, an agent for the DAR – Department of Analysis and Response – which monitors abnorm behavior and protects the world from the ones who use their abilities in harmful ways. Cooper, who is himself a brilliant, uses his gifts to decode human behavior and track down terrorists.

The story opens with Cooper tracking down an abnorm computer programmer who is developing a virus that will cripple the country’s military. As Cooper corners her on the roof of a building, the terrorist insists that war is inevitable; that “All you can do is pick a side.”

The rest of the novel tracks Coopers struggle with this idea. He has always believed that coexistence is possible and that his roll is fundamental in that process. However, as his beliefs are challenged and the truths that he has held at his core are torn away, Cooper is left with a choice: which side is he on?

While this novel wasn’t exactly unpredictable or revolutionary, it was definitely a good read. There are action-packed moments and scenes of intense contemplation. The character is really someone you can root for: a man who desperately wants to do good and is seeking the truth about what that entails. Cooper is also a father, and his love for his children is his biggest driving force. It propels the story and makes the character even more human.

Readers should be warned, though, that this novel isn’t totally family-friendly. There is some language, especially towards the beginning, and a scene where two characters bond over a night of debauchery (including copious amounts of alcohol and a shared joint). There is also a sex scene, but the for the most part Sakey handled it tastefully.

Over all, this was a nice light read. Not to intense, it would be a great novel to pick up during periods of limited spare time. It was enjoyable enough that I wanted to keep reading, but not so tempting that I couldn’t put it down when I had other things I needed to do.

Reviewed by: Shea Nolan