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CerriReviews

CerriReviews

I'm a professional book reviewer, journalist, and a gardening enthusiast. I read just about anything. My favorite genre is mystery, followed closely by suspense thrillers and paranormal romance.

I am a member of RIO (Reviewers International Organization). My reviews can be found at a variety of websites. My blog, The Shape of...more »
  • USA
  • member since July 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 30 reviews
  • The Bride of Casa Dracula (Casa Dracula, Book 3)
    • Rated 5 stars

    “The Bride of Casa Dracula
    By Marta Acosta

    ISBN-10: 1416559639; ISBN-13: 978-1416559634
    Publisher: Pocket
    Release Date: September 16, 2008
    Paperback: 320 pps.

    Milagro de los Santos is back to entertain once again in the third book of the Casa Dracula series from author Marta Acosta. Planning a wedding is never simple, but throw in a busy plastic surgeon groom who happens to be a vampire, future blood-sucking in-laws that dislike her on principle, a best friend who tackles the task of wedding coordinator–without being asked, plus getting vetted by the Vampire Council, and it’s enough to make a girl get cold feet.

    Into this mad mix comes the conniving, yet model-gorgeous Cornelia Ducharme. Assigned by the Vampire Council to guide Milagro through the ancient vampire marriage rituals, you just know things will go from bad to worse for Ms. Acosta’s heroine, especially if you read book two in the series, Midnight Brunch.

    Meanwhile, Milagro’s writing career is near non-existent. In a last act of desperation to revive her dreams, she agrees to ghostwrite the memoirs of a nutty old man who claims to be a shapeshifting shaman. And temptation comes in the form of Cornelia’s delicious and mysterious brother, Ian, who always seems to know when Milagro is away from her beloved groom, Oswald.

    But things turn deadly when a series of seeming accidents interrupts Milagro’s wedding plans. Oswald thinks bridal jitters are to blame, however Milagro isn’t so sure.

    Ms. Acosta writes with an acerbic wit that is fresh and engaging. Smooth prose and a nice pace keep reader attention focused. The heroine’s unique charm and perspective is matched with a delightful cast of characters, forming a wickedly funny ensemble. If you’ve read the first and second books in the series, you know Milagro’s story is a madcap journey through life.

    Yet as we all know, not everything in life is funny. This is the first of Ms. Acosta’s books that not only made me laugh out loud, but managed to touch me deeply. Read the dedication again after finishing the book and you’ll gain a greater appreciation for the author, as many of the passages in the book will take on additional meaning. If you are a dog lover, these sections will tug at your heartstrings and make you hug your own furry companion a little bit tighter.

    CerriReviews
    http://cerriellis.blogspot.com








    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Friday, August 1 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Empath (Silhouette Nocturne)
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Interesting paranormal plot, appealing characters and visual storytelling. Nice sensuality and dark overtones. You might have to do some searching to find this one, but it's worth the effort and money. ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Friday, March 14 2008. ( reply | permalink )
  • Mystical Qabalah
    • Rated 5 stars

    “The edition I have isn't listed. It was published in 1935 in England.

    Ms. Fortune had a great deal of interest in the Qubalah and western mysticism. Her insights are quite remarkable. She poses many intriguing questions in this book...and I do hope that we (as she hoped) have progressed in the western world, in our understanding of the manifestation of power using the focused concentration and unification of our bi-cameral minds.”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Tuesday, December 18 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Up in Honey's Room: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Up In Honey’s Room by Elmore Leonard
    Reviewed by Cerri Ellis for Armchair Interviews.com

    When you look at some of the books that make up the body of Elmore Leonard’s work (Rum Punch, Pronto, Out of Sight, Get Shorty, Be Cool, The Hot Kid), it’s easy to see why many consider him an American literary icon. In this, his forty-first book, Leonard paints a vision of World War Two era Detroit using vivid strokes of genius.

    Carl Webster, the handsome cowboy U.S. Marshall from The Hot Kid, is back. He’s in Detroit to track down two escaped Nazis that broke out of an Oklahoma POW camp. Honey Deal is as smooth as Southern Comfort and smarter than most men, certainly smarter than her ex-husband. Carl suspects Honey’s ex is hiding the men on his farm outside of Detroit and recruits her aid in sweet-talking Walter out of information about their location.

    German-born Walter Schoen is a butcher by trade, loyal to the Fatherland. He’s also a wannabe Nazi spy. He fancies himself Heinrich Himmler’s secret twin and aspires to greatness. Honey left before he could bore her to death with his lackluster passion or worse, stumble onto her secret stash of blond hair dye.

    Honey likes the idea of being a spy herself, but this sugar pie from Kentucky knows which side she wants to be on, and it’s not Walter’s. She does get to meet some interesting people, such as the countess, Vera Mezwa, a Ukrainian version of Mata Hari, and Bodhan, Vera’s skirt and sweater-wearing manservant. And then there is Jurgen, the handsome golden boy of the panzer division, one of the men Carl is after. Will Carl get his man and keep his Hot Kid status? Or will Honey get Carl?

    Welcome to Elmore Leonard's world. Oddball characters, gritty, yet funny, and full of surprises. Up In Honey’s Room is a stroke of genius.
    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Halo Effect: ... and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Non-Fiction/Business
    February 2007
    The Halo Effect...and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers by Phil Rosenzweig

    Everywhere you look today, there are errors of logic, irrational thinking, and delusional perceptions. The business world is no different. In The Halo Effect...and the Eight Other Business Delusions That Deceive Managers, Phil Rosenzweig unmasks these fatal flaws in logic and judgment, and shines a light on them. The ten chapters cover everything from How Little We Know to Managing Without Coconut Headsets (or how to set aside our delusions as we attempt to implement what we’ve just learned.)

    One of the more insidious and rampant delusions in the business world is The Halo Effect, whereby academics and business pundits attach a questionable “Halo” around a company as their sales and profits climb, attributing the swift rise to corporate strategy, visionary leadership or any number of things. When the company’s performance seems to slide, the halo is snatched away and the same people say that the leadership grew arrogant, the initial strategy backfired, or the company became complacent. The actual truth is often that little or nothing might have changed–except the company’s achievements created a halo effect in our perceptions. Those mistaken assumptions then go on to color everything, so that when the same business pundits and academics now look at the company, they disregard the natural ebb and flow of commerce.

    So much of what I read in Mr. Rosenzweig’s book could be applied to issues outside the corporate world. My favorite was the illusion of rigorous research and the hidden flaw.
    Often I’ll read a book where the author backs up their position or claims, on “exhaustive” research. The delusion is that every bit of information you read, be it in the media or on the Internet is accurate. The assumption can have serious and detrimental impact.

    The clear, concise and logical approach taken by the author is a breath of fresh air. The Halo Effect is a must have for anyone interested in cutting through the cluttered mentalities, the “mind-created” realities so pervasive in the corporate, academic, and even governmental sectors of our society.


    Reviewed by Cerri Ellis for Armchair Interviews (www.armchair interviews.com)”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Snowed In: A Novel
    • Rated 5 stars

    “SNOWED IN
    By Christina Bartolomeo
    St. Martin's Griffin, October 2005

    Feeling like a fish out of water is nothing new to Sophie Quinn. Timid and shy by nature, she is forced to brave more than broken furnaces or snow-shrouded streets when she and her husband, Paul, move to Portland, Maine.

    Her mother-in-law disapproves of everything she does, her husband is loving his new job and possibly his new co-worker, her old flame tries to rekindle her fire, and her high-powered friend back in D.C. offers sage advice with a side order of wit.

    Sophie makes some new friends when she joins the Happy Trailers, a gay walking group. She knows she's a woman in need of a transformation. And thanks to a few unexpected opportunities, she's going to get her chance at a makeover.

    Filled with quirky characters and introspective humor, Snowed In is a thoughtful and funny look at the gradual deconstruction of a marriage and the building of a new beginning. Readers will enjoy Ms. Bartolomeo's unique voice and intelligent prose.

    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • She's No Faerie Princess (The Others, Book 2)
    • Rated 4 stars

    “She’s No Faerie Princess
    By Christine Warren
    St. Martin’s, November 2006
    Paranormal Romance

    Bored and tired of the royal life, Fiona decides to ditch her Aunt Mab’s Faerie court and cross through the gate into the forbidden zone, to the human realm of New York City.

    Bright lights, Thai take-out and punk rock hot spots await–so long as her auntie the Queen, doesn’t catch her.

    An old nemesis of her people stalks prey on the other side of the gate. When he sees Fiona, he recognizes her as fae and attacks.

    Lucky for her, a certain handsome werewolf is patrolling the neighborhood. Tobias Walker, of the Silverback clan, is in charge of security during the Human/Other treaty negotiations. The last thing he expects to see is a daemon attacking a fae. The fae aren’t allowed to cross through the gate, on orders from the faerie queen. And Daemons were relegated to the Below, a long time ago.

    Tobias is immediately attracted to the girl who passed out in his arms. Probably lack of sleep and the proximity of mating season, he tells himself. But as the threat to Fiona increases and treachery is uncovered, his attraction becomes a complicated distraction he can’t afford. And one she can’t afford to lose.

    She’s No Faerie Princess is the second book in the Others series by Ms. Warren. Although this is a stand-alone title, I found myself returning to my bookshelf for her first book in the series, Wolf At The Door. After thumbing through it, and refreshing my thoughts, I had a much better appreciation for her latest release.

    Ms. Warren writes with a perceptive style unique to the genre. Action-packed and sizzling with animal intensity, the story moves at a brisk pace. Fiona is a rare treat among a sea of cookie-cutter, kick-butt heroines. Tobias smolders the pages with his raw sexuality. His fierce determination to protect his faery princess is endearing. The quirky, secondary ensemble adds a touch a sheer magic. I suggest you run, don’t walk to your nearest bookstore and purchase a copy. While you’re at it, do yourself a favor and pick up her first book in the series, Wolf At The Door. I promise it will enrich your reading experience.

    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Pure Sex (Aphrodisia)
    • Rated 4 stars

    “PURE SEX Anthology
    By Lucinda Betts, Bonnie Edwards and Sasha White
    Kensington Aphrodesia, July 2006
    Erotic Romance

    The title is deceptive…there’s more to these romances than just sex. There’s plot, and character development. The first two stories even offer a happily ever after, and the last story gives you a possible HEA with serious heat.

    Ms. Betts story, entitled The Bet, is set against the corporate ladder to success. Zoe is the company moneymaker, a hard hitting go-getter on fire for the fast track. Phillip wants Zoe, but she is too focused on the climb to worry about his sexual offers. Both are competing for the same position. He seizes on the idea of a bet, to force her to notice him. If Zoe wins the bet, she gets Phillip’s huge bonus. If Phillip wins, Zoe is his sex slave for 24 hours. Guess who comes out on top? I have to admit, I didn’t care for Ms. Bett’s hero. Any man that has to get a woman drunk to deceive her into sex, is not worthy of the title, hero.

    Ms. Edwards offers up Slow Hand, a delightful story about second chances. When her groom jilts her at the altar for someone else, Teri Branton decides to keep her honeymoon plans and flies alone to the Carribean and into the arms of ship’s captain and fantasy pirate Jared McKay. How can it be revenge or rebound sex, when it feels so right? While I enjoyed the smooth pace of this story, I think the heroine’s decision at the end moved a little too fast.

    And finally, Sasha White’s story, The Crib, is dark, gritty and racked with tension.

    Alexis Signorino is a woman with a past. She returns to her native Edmonton as a private eye, to work undercover as a cocktail waitress in a tough biker bar called The Crib. Someone is dealing drugs out the place and framing an old friend for murder. Her lead suspect is Devon Kaye, a man hot as pure sin and maybe just as guilty. Tight prose with just a razor edge of noir sensibility. Excellent.

    While all three stories are well done, I felt Ms. White’s material didn’t fit the light, playful tone of the other two and would have been better placed by an editor, in another, darker anthology or been lengthened to fit the format of a single title release.

    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Night Echoes (Signet Eclipse)
    • Rated 4 stars

    “NIGHT ECHOES
    By Holly Lisle
    Signet Eclipse, April 2007
    Romantic Suspense/Paranormal

    When a family tragedy unearths a secret, artist Emma Beck goes in search of her biological parents and finds a decades old mystery instead. The sleepy little South Carolina town seems so tranquil, but also very familiar. Especially the sprawling Civil War farmhouse and the rose garden Emma’s been seeing in her dreams and paintings all her life.

    The lawyer in charge of selling the property doesn’t act happy that Emma’s taking the house off his hands. In fact, the only person who does seem happy is the general contractor she hired to fix up the place. They’ve only talked on the phone, so Emma is shocked when they meet in person. Mike Ruhl is equally surprised. Not only because he’s instantly attracted to Emma, but because that attraction is far too intense. Almost as if they’d been together once before.

    Ghostly footsteps and whispers haunt Emma’s nights. Is she imagining things or is the house truly haunted by the spirits of the past?

    Lisle’s story gave me goosebumps. Readers will feel the hair on the back of their necks stand on end as the plot twists and turns. The slow build of suspense, ever tightening, reminded me of Leigh Nichols (Dean R. Koontz).

    The book did have a few missteps, sections that were a confusing jumble, especially toward the end as the pace sped beyond clarity. The conclusion took a second reading to understand exactly what happened and to whom. Part of that muddle was due to being blindsided by the author with one hell of a shocker. No foreshadowing for Ms. Lisle.


    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
  • Cornered Tigress
    • Rated 5 stars

    “Cornered Tigress
    By Jade Lee
    Leisure Books, January 2007

    Historical Romance, Paperback



    Set in 1897 Shanghai, China’s large cities are places of bustling commerce overshadowed by avarice and dark deceptions. Anyone can be bought or sold–and everything comes at a price.

    For Little Pearl, a tigress of the Tan household, the price for becoming a Tigress Immortal is steep. She must form an unholy alliance and enlist the aid of one of the barbarian white men who flood the port city, greedy for China’s rich trade market.

    Master Tan called Captain Jonas Storm his friend. Perhaps he is not like all the other foreigners. She must trust someone, for Master Tan and her beloved Mistress Tigress Shi Po are missing. If only she wasn’t so weak, her yang energy depleted. Her inner fire spent. To hold the House of Tan, she must defeat those who would steal the master’s property and regain her strength, even if she must steal the handsome captain’s white yang essence, released during lovemaking.

    Ms. Lee writes with an eye toward rich detail, her words evocative, breathing life into the characters amid the luscious and colorful backdrop of late nineteenth century China.

    Little Pearl is a study in quiet determination and the gentle art of subterfuge and rebellion. Jonas Storm is a delectable hero. The character’s sincere compassion befuddles the heroine, but not this reader. I grew more attached to Ms. Lee’s hero with every passing page.

    A captivating, sensual book from a gifted author.


    ”

    CerriReviews wrote this review Wednesday, July 25 2007. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 30 reviews


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