Abducted by T.R. Ragan

Abducted

Written by T.R. Ragan

Reading Source: Audible/Amazon (Whispersync)
Series: Lizzy Gardner
Book #: 1
Genre: Suspense
Rating: 


 I loved this book. It's gritty and dark.

The female lead in this book is Lizzy Gardner. When she was 17 years old, she was kidnapped after a milestone date with her boyfriend just a few blocks from her house. She was held captive and tortured by a sadistic bastard she dubbed Spiderman. Lizzy survived, and was the only victim to escape. However, she wasn't the only one to escape, Spiderman did too - causing Lizzy to spend the next fourteen years worrying about a repeat of the creepy and traumatic experience at the hands of Spiderman.

After a fourteen year hiatus, Spiderman is back and he's targeting Lizzy - who is now a private investigator and instructs teenage girls on how to defend themselves. She has locked away the trauma, or so she thought. After getting a phone call from Spiderman, her mental defenses start falling. Her boyfriend from fourteen years ago is now in the FBI, and needs Lizzy's help. When Spiderman pulls her family into his twisted version of hide and seek, Lizzy is determined to end this terror once and for all.

Spiderman is sick and uses creepy crawlies to torment his victims. The torture scenes in this book are not for the weak of heart. It was amazing. Get it!

Agnes and the Hitman by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer

Agnes and the Hitman
Written by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

Reading Source: Audible

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Light Suspense
Rating: 




I absolutely LOVE this book. I have read it and listened to it at least 4 times.

Agnes is bent, seriously. She's insane - and her best friend thinks so too - but she's amazing just the way she is. Having had a crappy childhood - Agnes can't stand liars - so needless to say, she's got some not-so-repressed anger.

Shane is the strong silent type - he's about action and loyalty. So when his uncle Joey, "The Gent," calls him back to protect "Little Agnes," Shane is there, expecting to find some kid - lo and behold, he finds a cranky food columnist that has somehow found herself in the middle of a deadly Mob/Government conspiracy.

Throw in a crazy woman from Jersey and a cameo from "Don't Look Down" (I'd give you a hint - but the point would be moot) and you've got an action packed romantic comedy. I love this book. There really isn't much else I can say - Follow the link above to Amazon and buy the book!!

Back Again

So... It has been a very, very long time since anyone has posted here.

This isn't a "personal blog" - so I wont go into extreme detail. I've been dealing with a new job (minor interruption) and family obligations (major interruption).

Riona will no longer be  reviewing with me. She and her husband are trying to start a family and she wants to focus on the little bit of immediate family they have in the States.

I'll do my best to post reviews as often as possible.

Hiatus and Changes

Hey All,

Rio and I are working out some changes and differences. We may be moving. We may part ways.

Either way, one of us will still continue to review, it just may not be here.

Thanks,
Izzy

Herbivore Thursday #1

Me and my guy are vegetarians.... so these are an all time favorite in my house!

Portobello Burgers

Serves: 2

Prep Time: 15 mins

Idle Wait Time: 1-4 hours

Cook Time: 10-15 mins

Ingredients:

• 2 Hamburger Bun Sized Portobello Caps
• 1-2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
• 2-4 Tablespoons Vegetarian Worcestershire Sauce (without anchovies)
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 1 Teaspoon Oregano (dried)
• 1 Teaspoon Basil (dried)
• Blue Cheese or Gorgonzola Cheese (amount to taste - can be subbed with other cheese)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to broil on high.
2. Clean Portobello Caps, remove gills (if desired) and stems. Make several punctures with a fork on the topside of the cap.
3. While the oven is preheating, combine Worcestershire Sauce, Olive Oil, minced Garlic, Oregano, and Basil in a large enough dish for both Portobello Caps to lay flat.
4. Put cleaned Portobello Caps in Worcestershire mixture and spoon mixture over both caps. Allow the caps to marinate top side down in mixture for a minimum of 1 hour. Keep the mixture that is left over once they are done marinating.
5. Broil Portobello Caps top side down for 5 mins.
6. Flip Caps and broil for another 5 mins.
7. Flip Caps once more and fill "stem side" of Caps with cheese (use as much cheese as you would like!) - broil on LOW until cheese is melty to your liking. 
8. Dress your burger how ever you would like. I recommend tomato, lettuce and onion.

Tips:

Keep and eye on the caps while they are in the oven. Make sure they don't dry out. If you notice them drying out, use the reserved marinating mixture to moisten the caps. 

Maybe Monday #1

So... I was traipsing through Amazon.com's Kindle Store and found a few interesting free books.

These are books neither of us have read but are contenders for our Maybe pile.

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Song of the Fairy Queen
Written by Valerie Douglas

Publication Date: June 22, 2009

Amazon Description:

It's said of Fairy that if you're in dire need and you call their name they'll come. With his castle under siege and young son in his arms, High King Oryan couldn't be in more dire need. With only his High Marshal, Morgan, and a handful of Morgan's men at his back, he has only one direction left to run...up. And only one ally to whom he can turn. Kyriay, the Queen of the Fairy. 

*****

"Laughed, worried and cried at the last battle scene. A pleasure to read. The struggles and triumphs as the The Fairy and the Crown come together to battle and survive. A touching story that will have the most hardened individuals believing in the power of The Fairy and in the power of sacrifice and love.
Read this story.This is definitely a keeper on my Kindle." The Blue Lady

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The Dark God's Bride (Book 1)
Written by Dahlia Lu

Publication Date: July 19, 2012

Amazon Description:

An ancient god on a destructive path of vengeance...


Imprisoned by the Archangel Lucifer ages ago, Summit, the Dark God, wanted nothing less than equivalent retribution. After breaking free and successfully retaining some splintered shards of his sanity, Summit set out to confront Lucifer. The Archangel was nowhere to be found. He has, however, left behind his most coveted mortal bride. The Dark God stormed into Hell to capture Lucifer's one and only weakness, but inadvertently abducted the wrong female - his own.
A reluctant heroine...
As a mortal raised among the demons inside a floating castle in Hell, Amara's life is not exactly what you would call normal. When she finds herself abducted by a half-mad god, who mistook her for the woman who brought her up, Amara chooses to hide her identity to protect her foster mother at the risk of her own life.

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To Kill a Warlock (Dulcie O'Neil #1)
Written by H.P. Mallory

Publication Date: July 3, 2010

Amazon Description:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, HP Mallory, Comes: To Kill A Warlock:

The murder of a dark arts warlock. 
A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose.
A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. 
Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. 

When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim. 

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. 

Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. 

As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals. 

If you enjoyed this book, consider signing up for my email distribution list to learn when new books are released! Just visit my website: www.hpmallory.com and click the "contact" tab.

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Crux (Southern Arcana #1)
Written by Moira Rogers

Publication Date: March 3, 2009

Amazon Description:

To find her destiny, she must trust him with her life…and her heart.

Southern Arcana, Book 1

Jackson Holt makes a decent living as a private investigator in New Orleans, home of one of the largest underground supernatural populations in the United States. He and his partners have never met a case they couldn’t crack…until a local bar owner asks him to do a little digging on her newest hire.

New Orleans is the fourth destination in as many months for Mackenzie Brooks, a woman on the run from a deranged stalker. After all, any man who shows up on her doorstep claiming to be her destined lover has more than a few screws loose. But crazy doesn’t explain why he always finds her no matter how far she runs.

When her well-meaning boss puts a PI on her case, Mackenzie comes face to face with the incredible truth: magic is real, and whatever spell has kept her hidden and separate from the paranormal world is rapidly deteriorating.

With time running out, she has no choice but to trust Jackson as he struggles to uncover the truth of her past—and her destiny.

Line Up #1

So - we've taken a short break to get our heads on straight after a hectic couple of weeks for the both of us. In that time, we've also gotten ourselves a little more organized. We've set some weekly goals, the main one being - We want to post at least two reviews per week. Sunday will be our Weekly Line Up.

Here's what we've got going on this week:

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Deception (The Vedeine Saga #1)

Written by Ashley Strachan
Reading Source: Author 

Book Description:

With such a fine line between good and evil, how can Amelia find her way in a world that she knows so little about?

After a near death experience, nineteen year old Amelia Powell was changed into a Vedeine. A demon.

Leaving the only home she has ever known in Canada, she is sent to live with others of her kind, in Portland, Oregon. 

Once there, she discovers that things are completely different - absolutely nothing like the woman explained.

And as she uncovers the lies and deception, Amelia begins to truly understand what she has become… and the amazing abilities that she now possesses.

DECEPTION takes you deep into the world of Vedeines (pronounced Ved-EEns), building up the relationships between those in the upper echelon.

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The Coffee Shop
Written by Lauren Hunter
Reading Source: Author

Book Description:

If Derrick thought experiencing alternate timelines and glimpses into the future was strange, then he had no idea it was about to get a whole lot more strange.

When Derrick Sloane meets Annie Maddock and falls madly in love, he believes he's met the girl of his dreams. Only he then awakes to discover she is exactly that...nothing more than a dream. Disheartened, he goes to the first coffee shop he can find. There he meets Annie. She is at the same table, reading the same book, and he fast realizes his dream has shown him his own future. But when a misstep alters that perfect future he tries to fix it, every attempt only making it worse. 

Dreaming the future can be a nightmare when you see what's coming...but should you still try to change it?

Small Hiatus - But We're Back!!!

As you may have noticed, we took a small hiatus from the blog. I just finished up a grueling summer semester of college, and Rio, well Rio is newly married... can you really blame her for taking some time off when the opportunity presents itself?

So here are some updates:

Reviews Requested and Upcoming:

1. Deception (The Vedeine Saga #1) by Ashley Strachan
2. The Coffee Shop by Lauren Hunter
3. The Visitor's Room by E.H. James
4. Laura by E.H. James
5. Daughter of Hope (Siaris Quartet #1) by Joanna Fay

Shadow Sight Giveaway:

Winners:

Shadow Sight e-book: Katherine A.

Signed Post Card: Tim G.

Private Eye Sticker: Barbara B.

Blog Tour and Upcoming Giveaway:

I'm participating in the Jennifer L. Armentrout Summer Blog Tour - hosted by K-Books

For that I'll be reviewing and gifting a copy of Tempting the Best Man by J. Lynn to the winner of a giveaway. The contest is open to those of you who have the ability to receive gifted e-books from Barnes and Noble (Nook) or Amazon (Kindle). 

Check back soon for my review and details on the giveaway.

We've Got a Winner!!!

Congratulations to Tim G. of Indiana!

Tim won the Signed Shadow Sight Post Card!

Corralled by Lorelei James

Corralled
Written by Lorelei James

Reading Source: Library
Series: Black Top Cowboys
Book #: 1
Genre: Adult, Erotica, Romance
Rating:


Lanie Capshaw has been working the rodeo circuit as a med tech. Not only has she been working out sore muscles for a couple of cowboys, but she's been rubbing out some stiff joints for two cowboys in particular: bullfighter, Hank Lawson and bull rider, Kyle Gilchrist. Caught two timing the unknown to her, best friends, Hank and Kyle approach Lanie with an offer that is too good to refuse.

Hank and Kyle are both unwilling to give up Lanie Capshaw without a fight. When they find out that Lanie has been hitting the sheets with both men, the come up with a plan to see which man Lanie will ultimately choose. They propose to share her, in every way possible. Through this wild ride, Lanie learns which man can really satisfy all her desires.

This book is erotic gold. You get one on one, two on one, vanilla sex, rough sex, sweet gentle love and tender, heartfelt moments. This is the female equivalent to the infamous male "spank bank." What is surprising that despite all of the hot, raunchy, taboo, yummy, orgasmic sex, the plot is still believable to the extent of the "hey, this could happen, maybe, I hope..." kind of believable. Yes, there is romance and the much enjoyed Happily Ever After ending. I really enjoyed this book, and will probably read it again, if not just for the sex scenes.