Sleeping with the Wolf

Favorite Lines: “I heard my father explain it once to my mother. He said that to his wolf, she was like the only warm house in the middle of a deadly blizzard. She gave him a safe place to shelter in, one that was just for him, and he would take care of that safe place and defend it from intruders.” (p. 70)

Rising country music star Carla boards a plane in the year 2014. But it crashes in the future, fifty years after Armageddon has destroyed technology and plagues have reduced the female population to a precious few. She finds herself offered as prize in a Bride Fight, where only the strongest and fiercest men are allowed to compete to win a wife. Alpha werewolf Taye knows Carla is his mate. He wins the Bride Fight and takes her to his den, ready to give her everything, even his heart. Will Carla ever be ready to give him anything?

Sleeping with the Wolf is book one in Maddy Barone’s After the Crash series set in a  futuristic world after the apocalypse and featuring paranormal creatures finding love. It shows up on my nook as 106 pages long. Since it’s short there are many instances that are told instead of shown, but I liked the idea of a world where women are in demand and where it isn’t abnormal for the men to be virginal.

Yep, you read that right. An area of land which is home to over 4,000 men only has 200 women. Two female newcomers to the world in search of aid have been sold to a man who sets up a special fight to find eligible men who can afford to care for and be good life partners to the women. Not exactly an easy introduction to a topsy-turvy futuristic world.

Short but sweet, Sleeping with the Wolf is a new look into the paranormal shapeshifter world. I love the idea of a world gone to hell, but still home to strong shifter men who can only love their mate. One of the best parts was seeing how the hero taught himself to be prepared for the time when he found his mate. Consider how sex would be if romance books were considered reference books. Think of a virginal man who bypasses wham bam thank you ma’am because he has a step-by-step plan.

The romance is definitely on fast forward cause within days the heroine falls for the alpha hero. It didn’t really bother me because the heroine constantly thought of the nice, considerate things her man did for her. She also realized that she’d never be able to travel back in time to the world she knew. Her ability to adapt without losing herself made Sleeping with the Wolf a pleasant read. I’ll be picking up the next book in the series, Wolf’s Glory.

Mystical Warrior

Favorite Lines: “You will all shut the fuck up, or I swear, I’ll find my gun and shoot every damned last one of you.” (p. 137)

Trace Huntsman’s peaceful life has headed to hell in a hand-basket ever since stunningly beautiful Fiona Gregor moved into the vacant apartment above his house. Kidnapped centuries earlier and transformed into a red-tail hawk, Fiona is human once more and must learn how to be a modern woman. But damned if Trace is going to be the one to teach her. Not when her mere presence ignites a fiery passion deep within his cautious heart.

Fiona longs to overcome the painful memories of her tragic past—to let down her guard and become a mother again. But so far her handsome landlord is not exactly thrilled with the stray animals—and suitors—that keep following her home. When the wizard Maximilian Oceanus shows up, Trace reaches the end of his rope. Weird things happen when Mac is around—raging storms, snarling demons—but this time, Midnight Bay is at the center of a fierce battle, and Fiona is the primary target. Only Trace can save her, but first, the lovers must set aside their fears . . . and open up their hearts.

Mystical Warrior is book three in Janet Chapman’s Midnight Bay series about time travelers finding love in the 21st century. It builds upon the stories told in books one and two, Moonlight Warrior and Dragon Warrior, but could possibly be read as a stand alone. I don’t recommend it, but it can be done.

In the first book of the series we learned that Kenzie Gregor’s little sister Fiona had been raped and died after giving birth to a child. The second book told us that Kenzie’s little sister had been reincarnated as a Guardian in the form of a hawk. SPOILER At the end of book two, Fiona was transformed into a woman to live out the natural remaining days of her life. END SPOILER Book three begins with Fiona being placed into her own apartment to learn how to live as a member of society. I’m not sure how much time has passed, but Fiona has already lived with and been put out of both of her brothers’ homes.

Fiona is a motherly woman who is adept at taking care of a household. She also still has the mentality of an 11th century woman. Fiona enters the story as a timid woman trying to learn how to be strong. She wants to be a mother more than anything, but realizes the importance of becoming whole first. Her interactions with men show her terror, but her need to please her landlord Trace becomes obvious rather quickly.

Trace, however, wants no part of anything which might bind him to his tenant. He is a protective natured man, but his upbringing and a bad experience in Afghanistan scarred him. He has no plans to marry, be a parent or take care of a friend’s damaged sister. He is stubborn, but noble.

As a couple, Trace and Fiona work. They both have issues and together they are able to find their own version of happily ever after, or the possibility of happily ever after. They don’t jump into bed together, as a matter of fact it isn’t until the end of the book that they knock boots. Don’t get me wrong, they are attracted to each other and kiss, but Chapman remains true to Fiona’s traumatic sexual history by not writing early sex scenes.

The action in Mystical Warrior is pretty laid back. It did nothing to energize me or the story.The book focuses on character growth. Not just with Fiona and Trace, but with several other characters previously introduced in the story. One of those characters is the mysterious wizard Maximilian aka Mac. His story is set up at the end of the book and unless I’m mistaken will be the first book of Chapman’s Spellbound Falls series which will be released in February 2012.

I do want to point out that the book’s blurb is somewhat misleading. There is only a tiny portion of the book in which any amount of danger is directed at Fiona. For the most part, Fiona is meant to be collateral damage. Also, we aren’t told who or what is chasing Mac or why. As a matter of fact, besides the initial introduction of Mac being chased by demons, there is very little of the fierce battle the blurb mentions. What  does happen, occurs at the end of the book and is quickly laid to rest. There is no grand battle and the snarling demons are minimal.

Read it or Skip it? If you want a traditional romance pick it up. It is a neatly wrapped love story about two people overcoming personal battles to better themselves and finding love in the process. If anything, the would-be-lover is the person who eggs the other forward into embracing change.

Warning:  If you are reading this book for action you will be disappointed.

The Forgotten Locket

There are spoilers included in the book’s blurb and the review posted below.

Favorite Lines: “Because the truth is I chose life–with all its unpredictability and impossibilities and messiness, and with all its joy and beauty and love. I chose you, Abby. I want to be where you are. I want to be by your side as your life unfolds.” (Withholding the page number to leave you in suspense. lol)The only way to rescue the future is to alter the past.

When Abby stepped through the hourglass door, leaving her beloved Dante blind and bleeding on the other side, it was in full faith that she could find a way to repair the damage to the river of time and restore him–as well as her family. It was a desperate chance that seemed worth taking.

But Zo had other plans.

Now Abby is trapped in a full-fledged battle for her own mind and life and heart. Even worse, Zo’s evil intent reaches beyond simple revenge against her and Dante. The whole world is in danger of collapsing unless Abby can summon her courage and undertake a journey that will lead her beyond the origins of the hourglass door.

The Forgotten Locket is the final book in Lisa Mangum’s Hourglass trilogy. If you haven’t read the first two books, do not attempt to start the series with this book.

At the end of book two, The Golden Spiral, Zo blinded Dante and Abby entered the hourglass door. The Forgotten Locket opens with a prologue told from a mystery man then Abby’s perspective while inside the time machine. Mangum manages to place a damp blanket over the reader’s senses while conveying each and every emotion felt inside the hourglass door. As the story progresses that blanket is lifted like the curtain on the final act of a great theatrical production.

The story features:  Abby the brilliant, caring and determined heroine who travels back in time to save her family and Dante. Dante is the wounded hero who is deeply in love with the heroine; he’s also known as the River Policeman. Abby’s damaged friend Valerie is a mentally ill oracle whose small moments of clarity are heartbreak worthy. Dante’s big brother Orlando plays a major role in this book. Finally, there is Zo the Pirate King/bad guy willing to destroy the world.

The lines are clearly drawn, Zo against the world. The menace pours off of Zo whenever he appears on the page. I dreaded his appearances so bad my stomach clenched whenever he entered a scene. He is a bully and the dark apparition who will destroy anyone or thing he cannot own. With him, it’s never a physical terror. What I mean is there was never any fear that Zo would bodily attack Abby. It was the apprehension of his ability to unravel and remake events that scared the crap out of me. I kept wondering what he was going to do next. Things would calm and then he’d pop up and destroy all he could.

The Forgotten Locket is a time traveling story about young lovers triumphing over evil. It is an arduous journey written around the idea that love will triumph over evil. It’s the conclusion to a well written series that has not received enough attention. (I seem to be stumbling on several good series lately.) It’s a complex, easy to read young adult series with no mention of sex.

My suggestion: Buy all three books and read them back to back. Each book gets better than the last and I am not disappointed with the ending to Abby and Dante’s story.

The Golden Spiral

Favorite Lines: “I hated this horrible double vision. I hated looking at something but seeing something else. I hated not knowing what to expect, what to remember. I hated not knowing the truth.” (p. 70)

His eyes. His touch. His kiss. Dante was unlike anyone Abby had ever met. Now he’s gone, and Abby will do anything to get him back . . .

The hourglass door has closed behind Dante, sending him back in time to hunt down Zo, Tony, and V. Abby knows that Dante, as a Master of Time, is the only one who can stop them from destroying time itself. She also knows that he will need her help. But almost immediately, things start to change, and Abby’s worst fears are realized when Zo begins targeting her past specifically.

As Abby’s world fractures around her, she must face a terrible truth: either Dante didn’t make it through the door, or he is lost forever. So with Dante’s blueprints in hand, she begins construction on a new door, a new time machine that will either save Dante—or doom him.

With each new change that ripples into her present, Abby s life continues to spiral out of control. Her relationships with Jason, Natalie, and even her family are threatened to the breaking point—and beyond. Zo’s power is greater than Abby ever imagined, but as she struggles to free Dante, she receives help from an unexpected—and unlikely—ally.

The Golden Spiral is book two in Lisa Mangum’s young adult Hourglass Door trilogy. It picks up shortly after the events of book one, The Hourglass Door. If you haven’t read book one, do not attempt to start the trilogy with The Golden Spiral as it builds upon everything introduced in the first book.

Once I started reading the book, I was sucked in. I’m not a huge fan of time travel, but this book is different. The heroine isn’t going back in time. She’s trying to survive while a time traveler wrecks havoc on her past. That time traveler is changing things and only Abby know’s what should have been. The changes have an effect on Abby’s family, friends and future, but nothing will make her forget or give up on helping Dante find his way home.

The Golden Spiral is a problem solving book. The entire purpose of the story is to find an answer to the issues which began in the first book and equip the heroine with the tools she will need to bring the trilogy to a satisfactory conclusion in The Forgotten Locket.

The story focuses on Abby and her reactions to the change, but also tells about the events taking place inside the time machine/door. Those moments were my least favorite aspects of the book, but they are excellent foreshadowing tools.

Read this young adult book or avoid it? Read it! Well, after you read The Hourglass Door. The heroine is graduating from high school in this installment, so she’s not a 14-year-old girl falling in lust for the first time. The light romance is heart warming and the intrigue is well written. I’ve got The Forgotten Locket sitting on my desk and I’m looking forward to cracking it open.

Gwyneth Shepherd’s sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon–the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

The great people at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group have offered to sponsor a giveaway of 1 copy of Kerstin Gier’s Ruby Red here at Scooper Speaks. To enter tell me if you plan to read the book, or who you will give it to. To qualify, the winner’s mailing address must be in the USA or Canada. I’ll use a random number generator to select a winner on June 15, 2011. Macmillan will send the winner a copy of the book. Good luck!