The Rose of Shanhasson by Joely Sue Burkhart

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I worship Ms. Burkhart.  She is an amazing writer.  Each time I read one of her books, I think, why didn't I read this book earlier?  I am so glad I purchased this book and enjoyed it thoroughly.  Shannari is a literally a warrior princess.  I love this strong yet prim and proper lead female character.  What I enjoy about Ms. Burkhart's writing style is that she doesn't explain her world or tell me how it works. She reveals the world like a rose opening from a bud into full bloom. 

Something that really spoke to me in this story was Gregar and Shannari's relationship.  I am reassured that I'm not an anomaly because of how Ms. Burkhart explained Gregar and Shannari's dark ties through dreams.  For years, Shannari and Gregar have been in each other's dreams.  Their dark side, known as shadow, has brought them to love each other deeply yet kill each other.  Sometimes he kills her; sometimes she kills him.  They recognize each other when they finally meet in real life.  The reason why this speaks to me is for years, I've had dreams of the same lover whom I've never seen.  In these dreams, I've been hunted by him, sometimes captured, tortured and killed.  Other times, I've hunted him and had to kill him.  Each time, my heart breaks in my dreams.  The very last time I dreamt of him, he did something different.  He let me go, instead of killing me.  Because he let me go, he was killed by his forces as a traitor.  I remember waking up crying from that dream.  In Ms. Burkhart's story, Gregar and Shannari's doomed love was so similar that my heart broke a bit for Shannari because I could guess the ending between the two.  For Ms. Burkhart to weave this into the story, I'm guessing she's had a similar experience.  Makes me feel not so lonely.

While I loved Shannari's and Gregar's relationship, I loved her relationship with Rhaekhar just as much, in a completely different way.  He is an alpha male with a wicked sense of humour.  He's also amazingly compassionate.  Ms. Burkhart's men are impossible to compete with, in real life.  There are no men who could possibly be like them.  They are everything a strong woman wants in a mate.  Her men make me yearn for things that I thought I'd long forgotten or repressed.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy strong lead characters who aren't afraid to hold themselves to higher standards.  This was truly a romance story which melted my heart.  The surprise menage a trois with the edge of danger makes me shiver.  Love it!

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Cat and Bones are back!  Bones is still delicious.  He makes me melt.  I want to fuck him so bad.  I want to be the one chained to manacles in his bed.  This book, of course someone dies, and that someone is yet again a pivotal character.  Ms. Frost just LOVES to kill off her characters.  What is wrong with her?

At least this time, it isn't Cat's fault.  I liked her much better in this book.  She seems to have matured and actually thought through her plan before she acted.  She comes up with some good ideas too. 

The sex is once again awesome.  Bones is a dream man.  British accent, sexy body, loyal, devoted and a sex god.  What more good a woman ask for? 

Lovely Wicked by Kari Gregg

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Ever wish to have your cake and eat it too?  Ever fall in love with two different people and try to keep them both?  Mitch, Liv and Sam come together and one would think it's Liv that falls in love with both men.  That would be the wrong assumption.  Ms. Gregg turned it around with Mitch as the main character, wanting to have a love relationship with both Liv and Sam.  This perspective from a male with deviant sexual desires, chasing after two people was intriguing.  The sex scenes were intense and hot.  Flaming hot!  I wanted to jump my DH after reading each scene.

What I didn't expect was all the baggage Mitch carried.  Nor did I expect it to manifest in the way it did, without resolution.  Mitch is too softhearted despite his rugged construction worker persona.  Watching his heartbreak over his losses made my heart bleed a bit for him too.  Watching his relationship with Liv and Sam fall apart just about shattered my heart.  Ms. Gregg appears to have no compassion for her characters.  They never get a single break.  It's one bad incident after another.  At one point, I wanted to just kill myself to get over the sorrow for Mitch.

This is definitely not a HEA book.  It's a HFN and Ms. Gregg better write a sequel with a HEA for Mitch if she knows what is good for her.

Xmas Spark by Delphine Dryden

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


This short and sweet book was purchased just so I could complete a book challenge.  I wasn't expecting too much.  I understand why the book is titled, Xmas Spark, but it really should be FLAME.  This is the first story I've read with the violet wand in it.  Now I want a violet wand set.  HOT!  Jack was a dominant man who I would love to submit to.  I thoroughly enjoyed this short story and would recommend it to my friends for a great quick read.  Be careful, you might start researching for violet wand kits after reading this book.  I did.

Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I had been dreading to read this book because of some of the rather bad reviews.  Still, my interest was piqued so I had to try it.  I borrowed this from the library and finally forced myself to read it today.  I really liked it.  It was a nice perspective to read from Alice's point of view.  This story was melancholy for me.  It's a book of lost innocence and love.  Was Mr. Dodgson a pedophile?  Maybe, maybe not.  Visiting Oxford when I lived in London, it was eye opening.  I found this book was quite gentle on him and the perspective different than the nasty rumours.  I did enjoy the speculations of Alice and her other love.  She didn't exactly experience unrequited love, instead, it was forbidden love.



What really stunned me was the book of young girls in dresses and odd poses Mr. Dodgson photographed.  This is rather disturbing.  This is disturbing enough that I wish to borrow this book just to see the pictures.  This will determine for me whether or not he was truly a lover of young girls. 



Still, I thought this was a very well written book mixed with fiction and facts.  I do love the Alice in Wonderland stories and reading this book did not colour my opinion of Mr. Dodgson.  It actually made me want to meet him.  Unfortunately, I well over a century too late.



Here is a website that shows some of his photographs of nude children.  Notice the two of Alice... rather disturbing.