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literaryvampiress

literaryvampiress

has 46 followers and is following 43 people

I'm a character driven reader, I can forgive almost anything in a book if the characters come alive for me.
Based on the fact that I love characters, I am also drawn to series reads because it provides me with the opportunity of getting to know characters on many different levels.

I love JD Robb's In Death series, and Robb... more »
  • Milwaukee, WI, USA
  • member since January 26, 2007

Reviews

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Displaying 1-10 of 88 reviews
  • Revenge of the Spellmans
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Isabel Spellman is on a "break" from her job as a Private Investigator with her parents firm Spellman Investigations. However, the break isn't turning out the way anyone planned and Isabel has continued to doubt that her passion and career belong in that line of work. However, when a case comes to light that isn't at all what it seems, Isabel's curiosity could get her into trouble.

    The Spellman series has become a favorite of mine and fills that necessary spot in my reading schedule when I need something that will make me laugh out loud. There are very few authors who can derive that type of reaction from me. In all reality it is probably easier for an author to make me cry than it would be for them to make me laugh. So Lutz fits into a special category for me. She fills the space that was left voided by Mary Janice Davidson and her obsession with dropping the f bomb. I've truly missed authors who can make me appreciate the art of humor. Janet Evanovich and Stephanie Plum held tight to the reign for a long time but I find it more difficult to truly laugh out loud with her antics anymore. She'll always be a sentimental favorite, but I don't think the quality is as good anymore.

    So if you are fans of Evanovich or Davidson give Lutz a shot. The Spellman's are definitely worth the trip.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Tuesday, May 11, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Flirt
    • Rated 4 stars

    “ISBN: 978-0425235676
    Rating: A

    Have you ever just had one of those days? Anita is having one for sure. Two different people want to use her animating skills in order to raise their spouses from the dead. However, neither one of them wants to do it the healthy way and are willing to pay a lot of money for Anita to perform. The money is irrelevant to Anita, and she is bearing witness to monstrous behavior and wants none of it. What happens when someone stops being polite and takes what Anita loves most in the world in order to get what it wants?

    While I am glad that I didn't pay full hardcover price for this story, I am glad that I didn't skip it either. Anita is learning to master her own powers, however when threatened it becomes a dangerous game and those who don't know will learn quickly. In Flirt, we learn what is important to Anita, and who is important to her. Her core being.

    It was nice being taken back into Anita's animating, if only to be reminded that she is still her own person and she still causes problems on her own without the benefit of it being because she's attached to Jean-Claude. Anita will forever be my hero not only because she has overcome what she fears most, but she also knows how to keep whats hers and kick butt while doing it.
    ”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Monday, May 3, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Cinderella Deal
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Cold hearted Linc Blaise needs a wife. Daisy Flattery needs to be rescued. What will happen when they strike the perfect Cinderella deal?

    I ended up liking The Cinderella Deal a lot more than I thought I would. The reason being is that I felt like the story took too long to develop and didn't truly come alive until the end which is sad because I truly thought I would be in for a treat similar to one of my favorite romances Crusie's Bet Me. The Cinderella Deal cannot even compare to the true brilliance of Bet Me's characters. Which is sad, I've only read a few Crusie stories and only Bet Me has me constantly trying more by her in the hopes that she wasn't a one hit wonder. While The Cinderella Deal wasn't horrid, it didn't spark either and it was too commercial. I enjoyed the end which made up for the lack luster beginning and middle and in all honesty the end wasn't that great either, but it did have me feeling which is the whole point. I didn't feel like I wasted my time but I wanted more.

    I have already adjusted my rating of the book, I started with a B but as I start to talk about it, I realize that it didn't warrant that high of a grade so I adjusted it. I hardly ever do that because usually my first response is right but The Cinderella Deal is one of those that the further you step away from the story the more you realize it just didn't work for you as a reader.

    I am not even sure if I will read another Crusie because this one came highly recommended but did nothing to remind me of why I loved Bet Me and was excited by another story that had the same potentia”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Saturday, May 1, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Sweetheart
    • Rated 4 stars

    “It had been far too long since I last encountered Detective Archie Sheridan, and it took me a little bit to get acquainted with him again. There was a slowness to the beginning of the story that didn't lend itself to a quick encounter. Cain slowly spoon fed me the details that seemed to be missing from my memories of her first novel, Heartsick. However, once all the cobwebs were gone, I could not put Sweetheart down.

    My my my what other little perversions are to be discovered when Archie Sheridan and Gretchen Lowell fall victim to each others obsessions.

    I cannot believe how truly twisted these stories are, and how much I adore them. I wasn't sure if Cain would be able to match the truly evil nature of Heartsick, but I have to say she surpassed it in Sweetheart. We as readers learn a little bit more about Archie's initial captivity and what led up to his kidnapping.

    There are some threads that Cain ties up in Sweetheart, but there are always more to pull and fray and I look forward to following where they may lead in the future.

    As I am writing this trying to describe what it is about these books that intrigue me so but I am not sure. I think it is the imperfection of all the characters. There is not one true hero, this series appears to be made up of them; we are meant to root for the damaged Archie Sheridan; however I don't find myself as drawn to him as I once was, is it because of what he's done? I'm not sure, but I do feel closer to Susan Ward who appeared to be more periphery in Heartsick, however I was drawn to her as a character more in Sweetheart. Is that the brilliant plot of this author, to lure you in and not let you go because there is something about all her characters that has you wanting more? ”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Sunday, April 25, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Caught
    • Rated 4 stars

    “ISBN:978-0525951582
    Rating: A

    Local tabloid TV reporter Wendy Tynes is on the hunt to catch a predator, a la Stone Phillips. She poses as a young girl on an Teen Chat site, to lure the pedophile into her trap. When Dan Mercery walks through that red door he did not find what he expected to find, a young girl from his youth center who needed his help. Instead he finds Wendy Tynes and her camera crew ready to be his judge, jury and executioner. However the story doesn't truly begin to unfold until after he gets off on a technicality.

    Coben will always be the author that can surprise me along the lines of Agatha Christie. Typically in mysteries or thrillers in any medium, literature, film, tv etc...I can always guess who dun it with fairly good accuracy. However; only Coben and Christie have succeeded in taking me on those random journeys that make me have to stop and re-evaluate my previous theory.

    The last Coben story I read was Hold Tight, and that particular story upset me beyond words, but not for a normal reason. Coben writes his characters so well that I was so angry at the parents in that story that I couldn't even begin to truly enjoy it. I was so focused on what they were lacking that it influenced my reading of the story. Caught reminded me why I love Coben.

    The plot was overflowing with information that at times it felt as if there was just too much. However, by the end I felt like although there was a lot of plot Coben was able to tie it all back against itself and have the reader sit back and go DUH! and still be surprised by the trickery that was pulled over your eyes.

    Coben can always take me beyond my reality and transfer me into his. He truly has a gift for story telling.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Wednesday, April 21, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Blaze of Memory
    • Rated 4 stars

    “ISBN: 978-042523111
    Rating: A

    What can I really say other than I love this series and I love how Singh writes it.

    Devraj Santos is a man who is not used to yielding or bending to anyones needs or whims except for his own. He's iron to the core. Katya Haas is a woman who is broken beyond measure but she still finds a truth previously unknown to her.

    I had a bit of anxiety wondering how I would feel about Devraj and Katya. These aren't characters that stuck out to me in my previous adventures into the Psy world, so I didn't know how I would react to them. I should never doubt Singh's ability to capture me with her characters, and the intricacies of the world that she has built. With each successive read in this series I begin to love it more.

    Singh is the author who showed me the beauty of world building and how the world that is created is very much a character in the stories as well. As a reader, I connect with the characters more so than any other part of the story. The character defines the story for me and all the rest is dressing. Singh provides the reader with a unique perspective on the world that she has created and with that perspective as a reader, I think I feel more for her characters.

    If you haven't picked up this series please do so, and please read beyond the first book SLAVE TO SENSATION because that first book was just the beginning and although it appeared to be bogged down by dry detail, that dry detail becomes promise and will take you further than you can imagine; all I can say is KEEP READING.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Wednesday, April 21, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • The Shadow of the Wind
    • Rated 4 stars

    “The Shadow of the Wind starts off with every book lovers dream, finding a cemetery full of lost books, and being able to pick one book that you will forever be tied to remembering. We are lost in 1950’s Barcelona shortly after it’s civil war; it is such a beautiful beginning to this story, and quite honestly the book and it’s characters took me on a journey that I wasn’t quite expecting.

    This was a story that captivated and thrilled me. Daniel Sempere is a young boy taken to the cemetery of forgotten books by his bookseller father when he comes across a book THE SHADOW OF THE WIND by Julian Carax; Daniel instantly falls in love with Carax’s story and wants to find his back list of books. However what Daniel discovers isn’t just his back list, but also the mystery that surrounds the author and how all his books seemed to have just disappeared. The book that Daniel finds is a rare treasure that book collector’s everywhere want to get their hands on; however The Shadow of the Wind is Daniel’s story it belongs to him and is for him to share.

    I love who Ruiz wrote the story and didn’t reveal all the secrets he had to tell in one shot, he took his time and made the reveals matter. I felt like I was part of Daniel’s life and that I was on this adventure with him.
    It was a journey that I cannot seem to find the words to portray thankfully I am not the author and I can sit back and enjoy the best he had to offer.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Tuesday, April 13, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Storm Front
    • Rated 3 stars

    “In a world where being a wizard is not a blessing, Harry Dresden sticks out like a sore thumb. You’ll find him in the yellow pages, directly under WIZARD. He sells himself, his skills to those not fortunate enough to have magic brewing inside of them. However, by advertising, he doesn’t fit into either world, the magic or the non magical one. He’s Harry Blackstone Copperfield Dresden, and he is stronger than anyone gives him credit for.

    This my second read of this particular story because the first time around I wasn’t impressed enough to read more, however since my friends rave about Harry I thought I’d have to try him again. I am still not over the moon for Harry, but I do see more potential now. I know that this was Butcher’s first book, so I am reserving more of opinion of his writing until I can actually get a taste of it. Harry stayed very 2 dimensional for me and I expected more action, and I never felt it. In comparison to say, Harry Potter where the anticipation of everything had me racing through the pages, where as Harry Dresden, held kind of manic energy and didn’t instill excitement in my reading.

    I truly hope that I fall in love with these books as much as my friends have because I like the idea of Harry and I want him to live up to that idea.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Monday, April 12, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Fantasy in Death
    • Rated 4 stars

    “ISBN: 978-0399156243
    Rating: A
    Challenges: None

    Lt. Eve Dallas is investigating the murder of a genius gamer, Bart Minnock, who was killed in a locked room with no weapon that seems to fit the crime. How will New York's finest stand for this victim when there seems to be a piece of the game missing?

    As usual JD Robb's "in Death" series is intense and delicate simultaneously. Robb has created a series that like fine wine just gets better with age. The plots are always new and fresh, and as a reader I never feel like she has recycled a crime or a victim. This is the 31st novel in this series, and I love each new one more than the last. It blows me away how raw the crimes are in these books and even more how truly raw and real the emotions the characters convey to me as a reader. In the midst of the crime, there is a passion and a dedication to relationships that no author has been able to capture the way Robb has. There were unexpected moments in this book that made me love this series even more. Nadine's dedication to Eve in her book was word perfect and struck the right chord because Robb was able to say about her character what I as a reader feel for her.

    I am just now introducing Eve and her family to a friend of mine, and I can only hope that she falls for this series the way that I have. When she asked me how could an author be so good after 31 books, all I could say was just read and find out.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Wednesday, March 17, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
  • Red Hot Lies
    • Rated 3 stars

    “Challenges: BLG Eye Spy February, book with Red in the title

    Isabel McNeil is weeks away from marrying the man of her dreams. She is the hottest entertainment lawyer in Chicago thanks to a gentleman tycoon who paved the way for her, and she’s full of personality. However, is Izzy capable of handling the reality of her life, as well as she was able to handle the fantasy of it?

    I always have a hard time trying to decide just how much of a book to summarize so I tend to do a cliff’s note summary because I am not a huge fan of spoilers. This little book is a lot more complex than one might think and I was actually surprised by the ending. Red Hot Lies had the potential to be an *A* read but it got bogged down in the middle with too much set up and not enough action which is why I am glad this is part of a series because I do look forward to meeting up with Izzy again soon.

    It’s always fun to revisit places of my youth. Chicago was the city of my childhood so it’s fun to revisit if only in the literary world.

    Izzy McNeil is a smarter version of Stephanie Plum and a more evolved woman. She’s insecure and brave and that is a good combination. She is a character who doesn’t just let things happen; she makes them happen which I truly enjoyed about her.

    The plot was intricate and surprising and although it took a back seat in the middle the resolution was all I needed to forgive that slight indiscretion.”

    literaryvampiress wrote this review Sunday, March 7, 2010. ( reply | permalink )
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Displaying 1-10 of 88 reviews

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