Tuesday's Hot-Hot Hottie: Tyson Beckford

Today's Hot-Hot Hottie is the American model and Actor 

Tyson Beckford

He is most known as a Ralph Lauren model and currently as a TV host. 

Review: Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore

Title: Confessions of an Improper Bride

Author: Jennifer Haymore

Series: Donovan, book 1

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Source: Review copy from publisher

Format: E-book

“TWICE TEMPTED
Serena Donovan left London six years ago, her heart broken and her reputation ruined by devilishly handsome Jonathan Dane. Now, with her family's future in peril, she reluctantly agrees to return to England and assume her late twin's identity. The price? Marry a man she doesn't love and spend the rest of her days living a lie.
Jonathan Dane, Earl of Stratford, has become an incorrigible rake, drinking, gambling-and trying to forget Serena Donovan. Yet the moment he's introduced to the prim and proper "Meg", he recognizes the sensual young woman who captured his heart. Haunted by his past mistakes, he refuses to lose Serena again. But convincing her to trust him is no easy task. Claiming his lost love means exposing the truth and destroying the life Serena has sacrificed everything to rebuild. With the future of all the Donovans at stake, and their undying passion capable of triggering yet another scandal, how much will Jonathan and Serena risk for a chance at true love?”

Confessions of an Improper Bride is book one in the Donovan series by Jennifer Haymore.

Six years ago Serena Donovan lost not just her reputation but her twin sister Meg as well. Meg disappeared in an unfortunate accident at sea when they were returning to Antigua from England after Serena was shunned by the ton when she was found in a very compromise situation with Jonathan Dane. A situation Jonathan could have easily solved by acknowledging her instead of the cowardly reaction of pretending not to know her.

Now Serena learns that her mother has told the world that she was the one who died at sea and not Meg, Serena also learns her mother has been corresponding with Meg’s old love flame William Langley, pretending to be Meg, and now after six years of love letters Will has proposed and wants Meg to come to London to marry him.

The last thing Serena wants is to return to London and face the people who treat her so poorly and even less she wants to pretend to be Meg and marry a man who is in love with her sister and not her; but her mother clearly explains that they are impoverished and she marrying a rich man like Will is the last option they have, not just for Serena’s future but for the future of her three younger sisters.

After this almost ultimatum, it’s clear Serena doesn’t have an option and travels to London in company of one of her younger sisters, Phoebe, to meet with her future husband.

Now back at London, the person she didn’t want to cross paths with is one of the first ones she encounters, the bane of her existence, Jonathan Dane, and to complicate matters even more her traitorous heart still beats for him. A heart she cannot listen to if she wants what is best for her family.

Jonathan has never been able to forget Serena and the guilt for his behavior towards her when she needed him the most and her subsequent death at sea has taken him by a path of self-destruction. And now her sister Meg is in London and just seeing her is making matters worst for him because she is making him think about Serena and she is also awakening feelings in him he thought he would never experience again. He feels sick for having these feelings towards his beloved’s sister and fiancée of his best friend William. But sometimes no one commands on matters of the heart.

Now Serena/Meg needs to fight against her heart, take care of her high-spirited sister Phoebe, and prevent another scandal while finding a way to live and marry a man she doesn’t love.

Confessions of an Improper Bride is a heart-breaking tale that would have you guessing page after page the outcome of this story, because there is not a simple solution to the predicament our heroine is in, doesn’t matter the decisions taken there is somebody that is going to be hurt. The question is who and how.

Ok, let me tell you I would not want to be in Serena’s shoes. Her agony and inner fights were so real that from page one I was cheering for her and wishing her the happy ending she so much deserves.

I wanted to hate Jonathan for what he did to Serena, but as with Serena’s feelings his repentance felt too real to hate him. He was just an immature man who let his family manipulated him. Over the years he has made himself pay for his actions and now he deserves a second change.

Mrs. Haymore’s writing in compelling and her characters are so well written that is very easy to empathize with them. The story is different from the norm and even though we know our heroine and hero are going to end up together the route they take to get there is not a predictable one.

There is also a nice secondary story involving Serena’s sister Phoebe.

This is my first book by Jennifer Haymore and I’m sure it won’t be my last. I’m planning to read the following installment on this series Secrets of an Accidental Duchess next year when it will become available. I would also love to know more about William Langley and hope he would have a happy ending too, why not, maybe a Meg coming back from somewhere…

My verdict: 4 Paws

Other books in the series

Confessions of an Improper Bride

Secrets of an Accidental Duchess (2012)

Other reviews Goodreads

Visit Author’s Website

Movie Trailer: Underworld: Awakening

Underworld: Awakening is the fourth installment in the famous

horror-action Underworld film series.

In this installment Kate Beckinsale returns to the lead role as the vampire Selene, YAY! 

This movie will be released on January 20, 2012. 

Trailer

Movie Poster

Visit Official Site

Friday's Short Review: Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

Title: Lord of the Vampires

Author: Gena Showalter

Series: Royal House of Shadows,

book 1

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Harlequin

Source: Review copy from publisher

Format: E-book

“Once upon a time…the Blood Sorcerer vanquished the kingdom of Elden.

To save their children, the queen scattered them to safety and the king filled them with vengeance.

Only a magical timepiece connects the four royal heirs…and time is running out.…

Nicolai the Vampire was renowned for his virility, but in a twist of fate "The Dark Seducer" had become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remained was a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who could help him.

In her dreams, a wanton vampire called to Jane Parker, drawing her to his dark sexuality and his magical realm.

But for a human, all was not a fairy tale in Delfina. Jane was the key to Nicolai's memory…but exploiting her meant dooming the only mortal he craved.”

Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter is book one in the Royal House of Shadows series by Gena Showalter, Jill Monroe, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh.

Sadly today’s Review is going to be a short one and with many “sadly” in it, because it’s my first DNF review since I started my blog.

I was very excited when I learn about this series, not just some great authors but two of my favorite authors (Gena Showalter and Nalini Singh) were getting together to write these books. I also loved the paranormal-fairy tale idea they were going to be based on.

Happy is an understatement of how I felt when I got my hands on Lord of the Vampires, but sadly this emotion didn’t last for long. After couple of pages into the book I was a little bit disappointed and confused I couldn’t believe this book was written by Mrs. Showalter, it didn’t feel like her at all.

 I love Mrs. Showalter writing style and books, one of my all time favorite series (Lords of the Underworld) is written by her. So I really was expecting to love or at least like this book; it NEVER crossed my mind the possibility that I might DNF it.

I was talking with some people on Twitter about this book and my decision to DNF it, they asked me what was it that it didn’t work for me. My answer was the same one I will give you.

First and foremost I couldn’t connect with the main characters, I didn’t like neither hero nor heroine. Hero was supposed to be an alpha male but I felt he was just an animalistic brute. Heroine is supposed to be a very smart woman but I never felt it, she feels rather dumb. Their relationship is one of those “mine at first sight” but apart from that I didn’t feel any real connection between them.

Sometimes when you cannot connect with the main characters there is a good secondary character that saves the book, “sadly” that was not the case with Lord of the Vampires, the secondary characters were worst than the principals. 

Something that really killed me was the dialogue or for better understanding the lack of it. All the conversations between characters were almost like “Me Tarzan, You Jane” kind of communication. This was not just between main characters but also with secondary characters.

My final thought: Sadly Lord of the Vampires wasn’t for me, this doesn’t mean I won’t read anything else from Mrs. Showalter because it’s not like that, I still love her and next September 27^th I will be getting Darkest Surrender. It also doesn’t mean that I won’t read the following books of this series because I can guarantee you that I will. It was just that after 137 pages Lord of the Vampires wasn’t doing anything for me and I took the very difficult decision to stop reading it. 

My Verdict: DNF

Other books in the series

Lord of the Vampires

Lord of Rage (09/20/2011)

Lord of the Wolfyn (10/25/2011)

Lord of the Abyss (11/22/2011)

Other reviews Goodreads

Visit Author’s Website

CATS-ilicious Thursday

We are leaving on vacation this weekend (with hubby). So hopefully I will be just like this cat for the next couple fo days. Ok, the cat is missing the Reader and one or two cocktails. 

Water anyone... 

Review: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Title: Second Grave on the Left

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Charley Davidson, book 2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Format: E-book

“When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out of the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously? Cookie explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. But Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. Mimi’s husband explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do?"

Second Grave on the Left is book two in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones.

I have been waiting for a while to write this review because this book was so good that I just wanted to write: it was awesome, better than the previous one, a funny ride that you won’t be able to put down, a book you need to read NOW. But I know that is not enough for many of you, even though it should be, you should believe me when I say it was great and go running to the bookstore to get it, not expecting more details but I know your greedy minds will want to know more, so let’s try to do this again…

Second Grave on the Left picks up couple of days after the events in First Grave on the Right with an investigation in the middle of the night with Charlie wearing bunny sleepers. Charlie is helping her best friend Cookie investigate the disappearance of her friend Mimi, while also dealing with Reyes own vanishing from the hospital and his wish of letting his human body perish and of course some smaller cases including a ghost or two, that’s how our Grim Reaper/P.I. Charlie rolls.

“You are a professional investigator, right? Warren asked

I squinted. “Define professional.”

Charlie has come a long way accepting who and what she is while dealing with sex on a stick also known as Reyes. What I love the most about Charlie is the way she looks at life, she is smart, witty and with a great sense of sarcastic humor. She is one of those persons you would love to have as a friend in real life.

I reached an arm over his head and pulled it onto my shoulder.

“Ouch.”

“Please,” I said, rolling my eyes.

“I got shot in the shoulder you’re leaning on.”

“You’re on pain meds,” I said, patting his head roughly. “Suck it up.”

In Second Grave on the Left Charlie is still discovering what she can do and how to use it for her advantage and while everyday she is transforming and becoming a more kick-ass heroine she is still the same woman we have learned to love. I can say Charlie has become one of my all time favorite heroines in the Urban Fantasy world.

“No offense,” I said, disappointed, “but that doesn’t really help.”

“I know. I suck at all of this supernatural stuff. But I fry a mean chicken.”

“Oh, good. I hate it when the nice ones get fried.”

In Second Grave on the Left we learn more about dreamylicious Reyes but still he is a mystery, a mystery I would love to unwrap, slowly, literally! Even though there is no sexy time in this book the sexual tension between these two is skyrocketing and in a sense also gratifying.

There is not a bad or lacking secondary character in this book, they all provide something good and interesting to the story, from the new bad guys to the recurrent characters we love like Cookie, warren and Charlie’s uncle Bob. Mrs. Jones does a great job in her characterizations making them all interesting and endearing.

I really loved First Grave on the Right and had big expectations for Second Grave on the Left, expectations that were not only met but also surpassed.

There was never a dull moment during the whole book, Second Grave on the Left grabbed me with its scythe and didn’t let me go until I reach its end, an end I didn’t want to get to, because I wanted this book to last forever. Second Grave on the Left is one of those books that you want to read fast because you want to know what is going to happen next, but at the same time you want to read it slowly because you don’t want it to end, that was the very big dilemma I encountered with this book and I’m blaming Darynda Jones and her bewitching writing for it.

Second Grave on the Left it’s one of my top reads this year. Believe me it’s a book you need to get your hands on as soon as possible. It’s not necessary to read First Grave on the Right before but I will recommend you to do it. There is some back-story that is worth knowing, also there is Reyes *swoon* and it’s a wonderful book, so let me make things easier for you and decide for you… you have to read it first, done.

The end of Second Grave on the Left was not a cliffhanger but it was one that would leave you biting nails and sending your manicure bills to Mrs. Jones. The next installment in this series Third Grave Dead Ahead will be available February 2, 2012 and needless to say I can’t wait to read it.

Each chapter begins with a saying from a T-Shirt or a bumper sticker, my favorite were:

• What happens if you get scared half to death, twice?
• I stopped fighting my inner demons. We’re on the same side now.
• Upon the advice of my attorney, my shirt bears no message at this time.

My Verdict: 5 Paws

Other books in the series

First Grave on the Right

Second Grave on the Left

Third Grave Dead Ahead (02/02/2012)

Other reviews Goodreads

Visit Author’s Website

Tuesday's Hot-Hot Hottie: Firefighters Edition

In today's Hot-Hot Hottie we are honoring men in uniforme, men who risk their lives everyday to save others. 

Today is Hot-Hot Hottie: Firefighters Edition.

They are not models, they are all real firefighters. 

I think I'm gonna pretend I'm a cat in a tree in need of rescue...

We Have Winners!

The winner of the complete set of a series is:

 

Kara-Karina@Nocturnal Book Reviews, you won the complete set of 

Elder Races series by Thea Harrison

The winner of one of my favorite books of 2011 is: 

_yay_, you won 

My Life as a White Trash Zombie by Diana Rowland

Thank you all for participating and for all your nice birthday wishes, it was lots of fun. 

Winners you have been notified by email. You have 72 hours to contact me, if after 72 hours you have not responded a new winner will be chosen. 

(Best) Book Trailer (Ever): The Highlander (McCabe) Trilogy by Maya Banks

I was visiting one of my favorite blogs Yummy Men & Kick Ass Chicks when I came upon this amazing book trailer. It was 

so good, I decided it was necessary to share it.

What a better opportunity that Trailer Day. So here it is, the trailer for

The Highlander (McCabe) Trilogy by Maya Banks.

The producer of this ingenious trailer is the author Tessa Dare.

P.S. Have your google images ready, you are going to need it. 

Books in the series

Visit Author's Website

Friday's (Not-So) Short Review: Shadowflame by Dianne Sylvan

Title: Shadowflame

Author: Dianne Sylvan

Series: Shadow World, book 2

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Penguin Group

Format: E-book

“Spread throughout the dark corners of our world lies the Shadow World, a society of vampires who feed off the living. In Austin, Texas, one woman must find her place within that world, before she loses everything...

It's been three months since musician Miranda Grey became a vampire and married David Solomon, Prime of the South. As Queen, Miranda must quickly come to terms with her new role and learn how to negotiate the treacherous waters of Signet politics, inevitably making dangerous enemies along the way.

As if complicated vampire politics and a rising music career weren't enough, an enigmatic but powerful force from David's past appears, leaving a wake of chaos and uncertainty for the Pair's fledgling relationship. Miranda begins to realize how little she really knows about her husband. But when an assassin begins targeting her friends and allies, the Pair must track down the killer, even as their lives hang in the balance...”

Shadowflame is book two in the Shadow World series by Dianne Sylvan.

This book starts three months after the events in Queen of Shadows. Miranda is coming to terms to being queen and sharing her new life with David. There are still many things to know about each other, three months is not enough time to know everything about your spouse but they are doing their best. Miranda is not just working on her relationship; she is also making a name for herself as the new queen in the Shadow World.

While dealing with all this other Primes are coming to visit to congratulate the new couple, but not all of them are nice, some are evil incarnate and others bring serious conflicts to their home. If this wasn’t enough there is somebody out there who wants to kill her and is hurting people close to her to make her suffer.

Pamela (@SpazP) recommended me this series. I love book one Queen of Shadows and was very excited when I started to read Shadowflame, but when I got almost halfway in the book I was hating Pam for suggesting me this book and “putting me” to experience the roller coaster of emotions that are in Shadowflame.

Let me tell you that Shadowflame is not a pretty book with love and roses, it is dark, bloody and harsh. In this book something happens, something that made me say WTFNOSHEDIDN'T (Mrs. Sylvan) but yes she did and she did it well, so well than when I was reading this book and had 100 pages to go it was after 3 am and I had an appointment in the morning, so I had to force myself to go to bed when the only thing I wanted was to stay awake and finish the book. And I guess I could have done just that because I stayed awake in bed twisting and turning after 5:30 am thinking about this book, thinking about how Mrs. Sylvan was going to “fix” that. I was so upset I even considered no reading more, I thought I will give 2 Paws (stars) to the book because how she (Mrs. Sylvan) dare to do that!

Later that day when I returned home I ran to read and finished it. And then with a cold head, I said, wow Mrs. Sylvan is a genius, she made experience feelings with this book that I don’t remember other doing, maybe Dreamfever by Karen Marie Moning but no other, no even Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill made me feel the way Shadowflame did, I’m not saying the events in this book are similar to those, because they are not, I’m talking about the emotions that Shadowflame aroused in me.

My final thought: Shadowflame is a great addition to a great series, with its compelling new and old characters, a well-developed plot full of action, intrigues, betrayals and more. With an exceptional and interesting world building. All in all a page-turner difficult to put down and for sure a book not easy to forget.

As Pam recommended it to me, now I’m recommending it to you and please don’t hate me for it, I don’t hate Pam (anymore), I’m very thankful she recommended it. Shadowflame is an amazing book.

Shadowflame is not a stand-alone book, you should read Queen of Shadows before this one and please do, Shadow World is a great and a must read Urban Fantasy series for the lovers of this genre.

I can’t wait to March 27, 2012 to read the next installment of this series Shadow’s Fall.

My Verdict: 5 Paws

Other books in the series

Queen of Shadows

Shadowflame

Shadow’s Fall

Other reviews Goodreads

Visit Author’s Website

CATS-ilicious Thursday

Hey there...

Review: Tamed by a Highlander by Paula Quinn

Title: Tamed by a Highlander

Author: Paula Quinn

Series: Children of the Mist, book 3

Genre: Historical Romance

Publisher: Forever

Source: Review copy from publisher

Format: E-book

“A LOVER'S PROMISE

Connor Grant left his first love in the Highlands, vowing to return after serving in the king's army. Seven years later, he is still fighting for the crown, and his victories are legendary-both in the battlefield and in the bedroom. Yet he's never forgotten his bonnie lass. And he certainly never expected to see her amidst the splendor of the British royal court: beautiful, breathtaking, and tempting him past the point of no return.

A LADY'S DESTINY

The night he left, Mairi MacGregor banished Connor from her life forever. Now her heart belongs only to Scotland. As part of a secret alliance, she journeys to London in search of information . . . only to find herself face to face with the one man she swore she'd never trust again. Though Mairi's body still craves Connor's touch, she can't forgive his betrayal. But a traitor lurks in their midst and to protect her beloved Highlands, Mairi must make a leap of faith and join forces with Connor-even if it means losing her heart to him again.”

Tamed by a Highlander is book three in the Children of the Mist series by Paula Quinn and my first book by this author. 

Seven years ago Connor Grant was called to serve his cousin the king of England, as kin to king it was his duty to serve him, so he couldn’t decline the summons. But his childhood sweetheart, Mairi MacGrefor didn’t understand how he could choose to serve a protestant king instead of staying in Scotland with her. In her eyes and heart he was broking his promise to marry her and abandoning her. Connor doesn’t have any option in the matter, it is an honor obligation he has to fulfill. He begged Mairi to come to England with him, but she could never leave Scotland and even more she could never live close to a Protestant king or Protestant folk. 

Connor wrote countless letters to Mairi in the course of four years asking her to come to England to him, to be his wife and live with him, but in all the letters she wrote back to him she asked him to forget about her and move on with his life as she was doing in her love Scotland. But in Scotland Mairi was not happy, she was nursing a broken heart and blaming Connor for his abandonment. She found solace fighting with an insurgent group against Protestants. Three more years have passed, years Connor has not been able to forget Mairi, but he is trying to move on with his life as she told him he should do many times in the past. He is still asking about her every time he writes to her brother but every year is less and less what he knows about her life. 

Seven years have passed and Mairi finds herself with her family in London attending the coronation of the new king of England, the first catholic king in years. After an attempt against the king’s daughter, Mairi parents’ need to leave England for their home leaving Mairi and her younger brother in London under the charge of their neighbors and good friends the Grants (Connor’s parents). 

Connor also returns to London for the coronation and to his big surprise he finds Mairi and her family in London. And to his great luck, before Mairi’s father left for Scotland he asked him to watch over Mairi. The last thing Connor wanted was to be close to her again but he made a promise to her father and he always keeps his promises, even though this promise could break his heart again. 

Mairi is trying to avoid Connor at all cost, even spending a lot of time with the English Lord Oxford. But everywhere she looks or goes Connor is there. And this infuriating man is awaking in her all the feelings she buried inside many years ago. Feelings she promised herself never to feel again. 

I tried to like Mairi and understand her behavior but as much as I tried I couldn’t. She felt whiny, stubborn, immature and capricious. She blamed Connor for abandoning her when he never did; he had an obligation, something he had to do and he begged her to come with him but her love for Scotland was bigger than her love for him. And after she is the one saying that he left her… Also her irrational hate for the Protestants was a very big turn off for me. She felt as a bloodthirsty extremist and who would like that in a heroine, at least I won’t. 

Connor saved the book and outshined Mairi’s character. He is a nice alpha hero with a good balance in her personality. He is strong, caring, loyal and smart, a lot more than what I could say about Mairi. His love for Mairi felt real and mature, he has always known he loves her and has done everything possible to make her believe that his love was real, but her immature behavior didn’t let her see beyond her nose. After their reencounter they walk in circles for more than two thirds of the books until Mairi was able to open her eyes and see what she had in front of her all this time. 

I really like Connor’ mom, Lady Clare and the queen character, they provide humor and lightness to the story. 

There are a lot of historical facts in Tamed by a Highlander, also there are many characters, plots, complots, intrigues and twist and turns, so many that sometimes it was a little overwhelming and difficult not to get lost in the story. 

Even though Tamed by a Highlander is book three in a series I could say it could be read as a stand-alone. Sometimes it was obvious there was some history behind some character, like in the case of Connor’s parents but in general this didn’t detract from the story.

I think if I could have connected with Mairi’s character better, I could have enjoyed the story a lot more. I'm sure Tamed by a Highlander won't be my last book by Paula Quinn. 

My Verdict: 3 ½ Paws

Other books in the series

Ravished by a Highlander

Seduced by a Highlander

Tamed by a Highlander

Other reviews Goodreads

Visit Author’s Website

Tuesday's Hot-Hot Hottie: Cowboys Edition

Today's Hot-Hot Hottie is a little bit different from what I have been doing all these weeks, is nobody famous but as Hot as 

it could possibly be. 

Today is Hot-Hot Hottie: Cowboys Edition. 

This picture is amazing.

I have to thank for this idea to a Twitter conversation I had last week with @blodeuedd83

Review: Merciless by Diana Palmer

Title: Merciless

Author: Diana Palmer

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mystery

Publisher: Harlequin

Source: Review copy from publisher

Format: E-book

“Tall dark and eligible? That’s all that matters to the women of Jacobsville when it comes to handsome and aloof FBI agent Jon Blackhawk. But if it were up to him, he would never settle down. Luckily, Jon has the best gatekeeper: his efficient and reliable assistant, Joceline Perry. Without her help, he’d be at the mercy of husband hunters – but the more he comes to rely on her, the more he notices how invaluable she really is…. While Joceline can’t deny that her boss is attractive, as a single mother with responsibilities she’s determined to be professional. But when Jon is accosted by a criminal seeking revenge, she comes to his aid – fueling the spark that is growing between them. As the attempts on Jon’s life increase, Joceline stands by his side. But when the smoke clears, will the man who avoided love realize that all he ever needed was right there all along?”  

The blurb describes pretty well what Merciless is about so let’s not add much to it. 

After hearing so many good things about Diana Palmer I was very exited to read this, my first book by her, sadly Merciless didn’t fulfill the big expectations I had for this author. 

First I didn’t see anywhere that this book was part of a series, but after I started to read it it was very apparent that there was a lot of back history, there was even an investigation of a criminal case still open that was coming from a previous book, so I was lost from the beginning.

I liked the main characters, especially Joceline. She is a smart woman with a fun and quick tongue. She is also a single mother of a sick child, a woman with a hard life and many difficulties for being a single mother. She has a tough job, with long hours but still she finds the time and strength for her kid. She is a hard worker and is trying to do her best to help her son overcome his illness, so what is not to like about her.

Jon is a workaholic who loves his job and is really good at what he does, that being an FBI Agent. He is also funny and intelligent. I liked how he avoids the women his mother throws at his feet. I also liked how he values and appreciated the job Joceline does for him.

There was a perceptible connection between them since the beginning of the book. Joceline has been Jon’s assistant for over 5 years so they know each other and are very comfortable in each other company. What I almost couldn’t believe is that Jon is supposed to be a caring boss but he didn’t know anything about Joceline’s son. He barely knows she has a boy and that’s it, never asks for him or nothing, if he was one of those asshole bosses I could understand that, but it doesn’t go with the way his character is personified. Not to give many spoilers away, Joceline is keeping a big secret from him and his reaction when he learns about it was completely unrealistic for me.

About the second characters, between good guys and bad guys there were so many that I lost count. The ones that shinned the most were Detective Sergeant Rick Marquez and the South African Roarke. Marquez was a very interesting character; there were many hints of secrets in his life, secrets I would like to know more about. 

Roarke and his pirate look did it for me, the way he cared for Joceline and her son was super cute, so much that sometimes I even thought it would have been better for Joceline to end up with him instead of Jon. If Mrs. Palmer gives Roarke a book I’m pretty sure I’ll read it. 

Jon’s brother McKuen Kilraven and his wife Winnie were also interesting characters, for what I could deduce they were the protagonists in the previous book of this series. One character I could not stomach was Jon’s mother, OMG with a mom like her I would have move to another country, she improved a little bit at the end but sadly her change didn’t felt real at all and her double standards were a little bit too much for my taste.

One of the problems I had with this book was that there were so many characters coming in and out of the picture that it was very confusing. I had to write down names and add a little description no to get more lost than I already was.

Another thing I really didn’t like and I could even say that I hated it, it was the way Joceline was discriminated for being a single mother, like if it was the biggest sin ever, people look down at her and treated her like garbage just because she had a son and wasn’t married. I really couldn’t believe people in these times could behave like that. I guess for many she would have been a better person in their eyes if she was an assassin instead of having a child out of wedlock. They talk all the time about God and religion and pretend to be all rightful and perfect when more than one had skeletons in the closet. Not good at all.

Another thing I didn’t like was how Jon’s is portrayed as a very conservative man of 31, so conservative that he was still a virgin at his age… ok, let me tell you something, I don’t freaking believe it, don’t tell me our hunk, handsome, smart, rich hero hasn’t got any in his not so young age, I might have believed it if he was in his early twenties but the guy is over 30! This twist in my eyes make the story seems laughable, making it lose veracity at the same time.

Merciless wasn’t a perfect book for me, it was just an ok read, but it may work for others. I don’t think it’ll be my last book by Mrs. Palmer, especially is there is a book about Roarke.

My Verdict: 3 Paws

Other reviews Goodreads

Visit Author's website