Friday, March 25, 2011

Review: Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch

Touched by an Alien by Gini Koch
Katherine "Kitty" Katt #1
Sci-fi Romance
April 6, 2010
Paperback, 400 pages
DAW
                                                                                                        Favorite quote: "I'll marry you before any tree on Earth."
                                                                                                How can a sexy marketing manager join forces with an Alpha Centauri male in Armani to save the planet-using hairspray, a Mont Blanc pen, and rock n' roll? Easy... She's Touched by an Alien.

Marketing manager Katherine "Kitty" Katt steps into the middle of what appears to be a domestic dispute turned ugly. And it only gets uglier when the man turns into a winged monster, straight out of a grade-Z horror movie, and goes on a killing spree. Though Kitty should probably run away, she springs into action to take the monster down.

In the middle of the chaos a handsome hunk named Jeff Martini appears, sent by the "agency" to perform crowd control. He's Kitty's kind of guy, no matter what planet he's from. And from now on, for Kitty, things are going to be sexy, dangerous, wild, and out of this world.

                                                                                                                                         Sadly, Touched by an Alien has been sitting in my TBR pile for quite awhile. I first started the book last April, but after reading the first 80 pages, I got bored and put it back on my bookshelf. However, this week, I decided that instead of buying a new book, I need to save my money and read some books I already own. I didn't want to read the same old thing, so I decided to give Touched by an Alien another try. 
                                                                                                                                         Touched by an Alien is truly unique. I am a fan of sci-fi romance, but I have never read anything like this before. Hot alien men who like to dress in Armani? Yes please! Although I was expecting the book to be pure fluff from beginning to end, I was surprised that some parts of the book were actually quite serious. Koch's take on religion was truly enlightening and I was glad she tackled such a difficult topic. The book also had great comedic moments. A couple times I found myself laughing out loud at some of the characters' lines. However, parts of books were also kind of cheesy. The descriptions of the superbeings (the evil aliens) are just way over the top. I felt like having such funny looking villains took away from the story. Bad guys need to be scary!
                                                                                                                                     Katherine "Kitty" Katt is a really fun heroine. She is no wilting flower and can kick some ass when she needs to. Although I really liked Kitty's character, I found that in some parts of the book she just came to conclusions too quickly. I understand that Kitty is good at thinking on her feet, but I still found that there was no way she could have known the things she does when the supposedly superior Alpha-Centauri   aliens had no clue. I also had a little bit of an issue with Koch failing to write about Kitty's appearance. I'm the type of person who likes to imagine the characters in my head as I read, so I found this kind of annoying. Nevertheless, I enjoyed Kitty immensely. 
                                                                                                                                         Koch's hero, Jeff Martini, is also quite swoon worthy. Martini is the perfect mix of Alpha and Beta. He isn't too overbearing, but he still makes it known that Kitty is his and his alone. I also loved how Martini asked Kitty to marry him a few seconds after they meet. Although it sounds quite cheesy, his proclamations about wanting to be with Kitty are quite cute and inspire great banter between the pair. There was also lots of sexual chemistry between the two. However, I wish there was just a bit more romance in the book. Although, when you are busy battling evil aliens, there isn't much time for sneaking in some lovin'.                  
                                                                                                                                   Usually, I try to write my own synopsis of a book in my reviews, but this book is just so jam-packed with information I don't even know where to start. I think the reason I put this book down the first time was because I just couldn't keep however. Honestly, I don't think a lot of the information Koch included was necessary to the story, so the book could have been a lot shorter. However, I still had a lot of fun reading this book. I'm excited to see what wacky-zany things will happen to Martini and Kitty in the future!

Other opinions: 

Other books in the series:
Alien Tango
Alien in the Family (April 5, 2011)

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Steamin' Hot New Cover: One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost


I love the covers for Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series and thankfully, One Grave at a Time (book #6 in the series) doesn't disappoint. It looks like they got a new cover model for Cat, which is fine by me. This girl looks more like how I pictured Cat. I also love how they put Helsing on the cover. That reminds me,  I need to finish This Side of the Grave soon. This cover gets two thumbs up from me!

One Grave at a Time comes out August 30, 2011.

Check out the setback!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Steamin' Hot New Cover: Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh


Not too long ago I posted the cover for the first book (Lords of the Vampires by Gena Showalter) in the new HQN Nocturne series Royal House of Shadows. Well, here is the cover for book #4, which is written by Nalini Singh.

Again, I have to give my stamp of approval to this cover just because it's so different from other Nocturne books. Yes, the cover has got some cheese thanks to the whole cape thing, but I find the nicely sculpted abs makes up for it. Yeah, I think I'm just going to stick with staring at the abs.

Lord of the Abyss comes out December 2011.

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.…


As the dark Lord who condemns souls to damnation in the Abyss, Micah is nothing but a feared monster wrapped in impenetrable black armor. He has no idea he is the last heir of Elden, its last hope. Only one woman knows—the daughter of his enemy.

Liliana is nothing like her father, the Blood Sorcerer who'd cursed Micah. She sees past Micah’s armor to the prince inside. A prince whose sinful touch she craves. But first she has to brave his dark, dangerous lair and help him remember. Because they only have till midnight to save Elden.

Teensy-Weensy Blogging Break


So it's getting to be the end of the semester, which means I can no longer pretend that I don't have a bazillion term papers due within the next few weeks. Okay, maybe it's not a bazillion, more like 3, but it sure feels like it. The one paper for my 400 level history class is 20 pages long people. 20! Have I started it? You bet your ass I sure haven't, haha. Therefore, I won't have much time to do any pleasure reading. However, my 20 page paper is about gender and sexuality in Nazi Germany which is kind of cool, no?

Anywho, don't expect any reviews from me until mid April. However, with a ton of amazing books coming out March 29th, I might just cave and try to carve out some me time. The new Black Dagger Brotherhood book just can't be ignored! Also, I may participate in a few memes if I get bored and if I find any steamin' hot new book covers, I'll be sure to post them.

Other than that, I have to say a short goodbye to the blogging world. Sniff sniff. But, to quote a movie that was released before I was even born, "I'll be back!"

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: March 29th

Three words: Ward, Ione, Showalter. 
Need I say more?

Yes? Well, alright. On March 29th, some of the best of the best in romance have new books coming out. 

For J.R. Ward, March 29th marks the release of the 9th Black Dagger Brotherhood book, Lover Unleashed. Squeee! Having to wait a year for each BDB instalment is pure torture. You can bet I will be first in line at Chapters to buy this book. 

Although Lover Unleashed is at the top of my to-buy list for March 29th, Larissa Ione's Eternal Rider and Gena Showalter's The Darkest Secret are also must-buys. I'm eager to delve into Ione's new series based of the Four Horsemen. Her Demonica books are some of my favorites, so I have high hopes that Eternal Rider will be just as addicting. Also, I can't wait to read Amun's story. After being in the background for so long, I'm excited to see how Amun will measure up to the rest of the Lords. 

While Lover Unleashed, Eternal Rider and The Darkest Secret are my top picks for books being released on the 29th, there are a ton of other great reads out that day as well. If you want a more complete list of all the books being released on the 29th, head on over to Wicked Scribes

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

New Cover Alert: Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter

Lord of the Vampires (Royal House of Shadows, #1)

Apparently capes are the new it accessory in book covers these days (ex. Never Again by Michelle Bardsley). While capes have the potential to be very cheesy and cartoonish, I think the cover for Lord of the Vampires does the cape justice. Also, the horse design in the background is interesting, although I have no idea what horses have to do with vampires. Perhaps there will be a vampire horse in the book?

I have to give my stamp of approval to this cover because it's so different from other Harlequin Nocturne books. I'm glad Harlequin has decided to do away with the garish purple banner at the top because it only served as a distraction. Bravo Harlequin!

Lord of the Vampires is the first book in a 4 author series. The other authors include Jill Monroe, Jessica Andersen and Nalini Singh. Lord of the Vampires comes out September 2011.

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

Nicolai the Vampire is renowned for his virility, but in a cruel twist of fate “The Dark Seducer” has become a sex slave in the kingdom of Delfina—stripped of his precious timepiece and his memory. All that remains is a primal need for freedom, revenge—and the only woman who can help him.

When the wanton vampire summons Jane Parker, she is helpless to obey.  She's drawn to his dark sexuality and into his magical realm.  But for this human, all is not a fairy tale.  For saving Nicolai could mean losing the only man she's ever craved...

Friday, March 4, 2011

Steamin' Hot New Cover: The Dragon Who Loved Me by G.A. Aiken


I heart G.A. Aiken's (Shelly Laurenston) Dragon Kin series. Her books are absolutely hilarious without being too cheesy. However, Aiken/Laurenston's book covers tend to be a little underwhelming and I'm afraid that the cover for The Dragon Who Loved Me falls into that category. I appreciate a nice sculpted back, but the dude's muscles just seem weird to me. All I see is some kind of creature staring at me. Ick!
                                                                                                                                             Bad cover or not, I want this book like NOW. Unfortunately, we have to wait until September 6th. BOO! 
Click HERE to read an excerpt.
                                                                                                                                              I was raised for battle. And as the first daughter of a warrior family, I’ve earned my reputation the hard way. Yet now I fight alongside uncivilized male Northland dragons who think a female is only good for breeding and waiting back home in the cave. But it’s the foolish and foolhardy who would try to stop me, Rhona the Fearless, from doing what I do best—destroying the enemies of my kind.

So the smartest thing wily barbarian Vigholf the Abhorrent can do for me is stay out of my way as we risk all on a deadly mission in enemy territory. I don’t care if he’s fascinated by me, even though he is as attractive as he is resourceful. He’s having far too much fun putting me in difficult situations and testing my sense of duty to the limit. And I’m going to enjoy challenging his insufferable confidence, outwitting his schemes, and making him surrender in the wildest ways…

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Review: Saddled and Spurred by Lorelei James

Saddled and Spurred by Lorelei James
Blacktop Cowboys #2
Contemporary Romance
March 1, 2011
Trade Paperback, 336 pages
New American Library
                                                                                                   Once again, Lorelei James proves that she is the master of cowboy contemporary romance. While I liked the first book in the series, Corralled,  I absolutely adored Saddled and Spurred.
                                                                                                                                       Despite being a former beauty queen, 24 year old Harper Masterson does not have an easy life. After her no-good mother runs away to Mexico with a married man, Harper is forced to drop out of school and take on the responsibilities of caring for her baby sister Bailey. With her eldest sister serving in Afghanistan, Harper abandons her dream of having a career and takes on a number of odd jobs in order to pay the bills. With her sister graduating from high school in a few short months, Harper is willing to sacrifice her own well-being so her sister can go to college and they can both re-locate. However, with Harper currently living in a small town (Muddy Gap) and having a mother with a not so flattering reputation, the jobs aren't plentiful.  So when she is "let go" from her low-paying position as a sales girl, Harper scrambles to find another job so she can make ends meat. After telling her friend Celia Lawson (Corralled) about her predicament, Celia sets Harper up with a job as a ranch-hand for family friend Bran Turner.
                                                                                                                                             Ever since Harper first pulled into Muddy Gap, Bran has lusted over the blond hair whiskey eyed beauty. However, Bran believes that a looker like Harper would never go for a rough and tumble guy like him, so he keeps his distance. But after his former ranch-hand is injured during calving season, Bran is left in a bind. Since no one answered his help-wanted adds, Bran agrees to hire Harper, although she is completely inexperienced in all things ranch related. As her boss, Bran tries to treat Harper as just another employee. However, having Harper around him 24-7 soon chips away at his resolve and they both give into temptation. With Harper leaving in a few months, Bran sees no harm in them engaging in some after-hours activities. But when he starts to develop feelings for Harper, he begins to wonder if he'll ever be able to let her go.
                                                                                                                                             One of the great things about Lorelei James as author is her focus on character development. I particularly loved Harper. Despite being a pageant queen, she never comes off as being vain or selfish. She is devoted to ensuring that her sister finishes school and goes to college and as a result, she is willing to sacrifice her own dream of having a career in fashion. When Harper finally does decide to start caring about her own happiness and well-being I wanted to stand up and yell "you go girl". Harper's actions and reactions were also genuine and true to her character from beginning to end. There is one scene in particular where Harper thinks she has killed Bran's goats that had the potential to be cheesy, but Harper's reactions were so sincere that instead of cringing, I had a few giggles. I also particularly loved how she was so determined to show Bran that she is more than just a girly-girl and takes on all the jobs he gives her head on. Honestly, I wish I was a little bit more like Harper!
                                                                                                                                           And then there is Bran, sigh. There is nothing better than a handsome brooding cowboy. Like Harper, there is a lot more to Bran than meets the eye. Bran has considerable trust issues and as a result, doesn't let a lot of people get close to him. However, I enjoyed seeing him open up to Harper and allowing her to see a side of himself that he doesn't share openly. And like the rest of Jame's heroes, Bran is pure alpha male, complete with snarling and growling. As a result, this book is smoking hot! With Harper having limited experience in the bedroom, Bran makes it his mission to spice up her vanilla views on sex. This leads to lots of yummy encounters between the pair that are as far from vanilla as possible. There is one scene in a dressing room that is particularly titillating, hehe. Fans of James's Rough Riders series will certainly be satisfied with Bran's sexual prowess.
                                                                                                                                             James also introduces (and reintroduces) a number of secondary characters in the book. Considering that there aren't many single McKay men left (tear), it is clear that James won't be giving up on writing about studly cowboys any time soon. One of the new characters that definitely caught my attention was August Fletcher. I hope his book is next in line after Wrangled and Tangled, which features Abe Lawson, who was introduced in the first book, and Renner Jackson, a newbie to Muddy Gap. Two smoking hot cowboy's in one book? Yes, please!
                                                                                                                                             For those who were slightly disappointed by Corralled, Saddled and Spurred will definitely be more to your liking. Both Bran and Harper are great characters that have great chemistry both in an out of the bedroom. Like all other James books, when I finished reading Saddled and Spurred I was ready to pack my bags and move to Wyoming so I can find my own cowboy. They do exist, right?


Loved it! It was one steamin' hot cup of joe.

Other opinions:

Other books in the series:
Corralled
Wrangled and Tangled (December 2011)

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Steamin' Hot New Cover: The Darkest Surrender

OMG! How great is this cover? The golden tones really pop and it fits well with the rest of the LOTU books. And can we talk about the abs here? YUMMY. Two thumbs waaaaay up!
                                                                                                                                       The Darkest Surrender comes out October 2011.
                                                                                                                                       The Lords of the Underworld return in this enthralling tale of an immortal warrior determined to win and the beautiful seductress he can’t resist. 
Possessed by the demon of Defeat, Strider cannot lose a challenge without suffering unimaginable pain.  For him, nothing stands in the way of victory.  Until Kaia, an enchanting Harpy, tempts him to the razor’s edge of surrender.

Known among her people as The Disappointment, Kaia must bring home the gold in the Harpy Games or die.  Strider is a distraction she can’t afford because he as an agenda of his own – steal first prize, an ancient godly artifact, before the winner can be named.  But as the competition heats up, only one prize will matter – the love neither had thought possible…

Top Ten Tuesday (1): Books I Just Had to Buy, But Are Still Sitting On My Bookshelf

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. I'm so excited to participate in this meme. I love to make lists and I especially love to make lists about books! Plus, this week's topic applies to pretty much every book lover out there. Poor little TBR books.


the image1. Archangel's Consort by Nalani Singh - Don't get me wrong, I love Singh's Guild Hunter series. At first, I was gung-ho on finishing it, but somehow I just stopped halfway through. I think I got distracted by some flashy new releases.

2. City of Ghosts by Stacia Kane - Again, this book sits on my "to-finish" shelf. After I read the love scene between Chess and Terrible I felt so satisfied that I didn't feel a need to carry on hehe.

3. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins - I gobbled up the first 2 Hunger Games books, but for some reason I haven't started Mockingjay, despite it being released in August (GASP!). I think I'm just scarred about how it will end. I love Katniss too much to say goodbye.

4. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - Clare's Mortal Instruments series is one of my favorites. They're the only books that after I finished the series the first time, I picked up City of Bones and read it all again. Why haven't I read Clockwork Angel yet? I have no clue. 

the image5. The Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews - Awhile back I had a poll asking people to vote on what series I should read next. Well The Kate Daniels series won and I immediatly went out and bought all 4 books. I keep trying to start the first book, but I keep putting it down. However, I am intrigued by this Curran fellow...

6. Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris - True Blood is my favorite show and my friend was nice enough to buy me the boxset of the first 8 books in the series. That was about a year and half ago and they are still sitting on my bookshelf.

7. Covet by J.R. Ward - Honestly, I don't know what to think of the Fallen Angels. I still have a little bit of resentment towards Ward for taking time away from the Brothers. But as a super-duper Ward fan, I feel like I need to read Covet. Maybe I'll pick this book up on a rainy/snowy day.

the image8. And Falling, Fly by Skyler White - When I first read the synopsis for this book, I was eager to read it. It just seemed new and fresh at the time. However, after reading a few bad reviews, my reading mojo for this book tanked.

9. Bayou Moon by Ilona Andrews - And another Andrews book makes it onto the list. Before Bayou Moon came out, I read every excerpt for the book and followed Ilona's blog religiously. Yet, this book is still in my  TBR pile. Ilona has the best blog btw.

10. Moon Sworn by Keri Arthur - Actually, I'm still a few books behind in this series, but I remember promising myself that I would be up to date on the Riley Jensen books by the time Moon Sworn came out. However, the release day came and went and I'm still behind.

What do you think of my list? Is there a book that I should hurry up and read?

WINNER!



The winner of the Brand Spankin' New Look $25 Book Depository Giveaway is...


Aislynn
Check out her blog, it is super cute! Knit Purl Stitch Read & Cook


PS: Random.org originally chose comment #12, but that is me, haha.
Congratulations and thank you to everyone who entered!