First Grave On The Right - Review

First Grave On The Right (Charley Davidson #1) 
by Darynda Jones

Publication date: 01 Feb 2011 by St. Martin's Press

ISBN 10/13: 0312662750 | 9780312662752
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Category: Adult Urban Fantasy
Keywords: Urban fantasy, grim reaper, ghosts, private investigator, funny
Format: Hardcover, paperback, eBook, audiobook
Source: Library

Synopsis:

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Review:

I don’t think I have ever laughed so much reading a book in my life! I want Charley Davidson to be my best friend. She’s the type of person who would make any occasion more fun, be it a barroom brawl, a slumber party, or a funeral. How can you not love a woman who names her breasts “Danger” and “Will Robinson?” She takes snark and sarcasm to a whole new level. But she isn’t all quick quips and jokes. She’s also incredibly brave, smart and compassionate. She helps people, even in the face of extreme skepticism and hostility.

The murder plot drew me in and kept me guessing. The bickering ghost lawyers were pretty funny in their attempts to help Charley solve their murders. I admit I was a bit creeped out by Charley’s “roommate” so it’s a good thing he lives in Charley’s apartment and not mine. Cookie is a fantastic character. A little crazy but also totally sweet. I wasn’t a huge fan of Garett. He was openly hostile to Charley and then changed his mind a few times. He just came off as somewhat obnoxious.

And then there’s Reyes. Dark, intense, and super hot, he is another mystery that Charley needs to solve. What she finds out isn’t what I was expecting and I can’t wait to see how it all plays out.

One of the reasons I enjoyed this book so much was the humor in it. The snark and sarcasm was right up my alley and I loved Charley’s great one-liners and dialogue. There were a few times when the jokes felt a little forced but, overall, I enjoyed the humor a lot.

With a unique twist on the Grim Reaper story and a heroine you can’t help but love, First Grave on the Right is a must read for fans of urban fantasy and smart writing.

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Visit the author online at www.daryndajones.com and follow her on Twitter @darynda

Mine Till Midnight - Review

Mine Till Midnight (The Hathaways #1) by Lisa Kleypas

Publication date: 02 October 2007 by St. Martin's Press
ISBN 10/13: 0312949804 | 9780312949808

 

Category: Adult Historical Romance
Keywords: Historical, romance, siblings, gypsies, ghosts
Format: Hardcover, mass market paperback, ebook

From goodreads:

When an unexpected inheritance elevates her family to the ranks of the aristocracy, Amelia Hathaway discovers that tending to her younger sisters and wayward brother was easy compared to navigating the intricacies of the ton. Even more challenging: the attraction she feels for the tall, dark, and dangerously handsome Cam Rohan.

Wealthy beyond most men's dreams, Cam has tired of society's petty restrictions and longs to return to his -uncivilized- Gypsy roots. When the delectable Amelia appeals to him for help, he intends to offer only friendship-but intentions are no match for the desire that blindsides them both. But can a man who spurns tradition be tempted into that most time-honored arrangement: marriage? Life in London society is about to get a whole lot hotter.

Thuy's review:

This is  my first Lisa Kleypas novel. She’s a big name in historical romance but it’s not a genre I’ve delved into very much yet (preferring the more paranormal stuff). But I picked up the second book in the Hathaway series last weekend at a used book store for $1. Since I hate reading things out of order I knew I had to track down the first book before going any further. Luckily my local library had a copy of Mine Till Midnight on hand and I was able to jump into this one right away.

Mine Till Midnight is a story about the Hathaway family - a close knit and somewhat unconventional (for their time at least) family. There are four sisters - Amelia, Win, Poppy and Beatrix with the eldest being their brother Leo. Also part of the family is Merripen, a Gypsy who came to the family has a child. Merripen holds an odd place in the family as he’s not quite a brother but he’s not really a servant either. With both parents deceased, it’s up to Amelia and Leo to take care of the family. Unfortunately Leo is on a destructive downward spiral after losing his fiancee to fever several months before.

I have to say, wow. I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did. I loved the historical aspect of the story. There was just enough of it to create a believable setting but not so much that I was bogged down by language or too much historical background. Sexy love scenes, witty dialogue, and an emotional love story made this a book I did not want to put down.

I loved the hero of the story, Cam Rohan. Being a half-blood, he’s never really fit in anywhere. Not with his Gypsy family or with the the proper English society where he currently finds himself. He’s smart and forceful and confident in his ability to do anything, be it run a gambling club, find a missing person or get the woman he loves to marry him. I love that he’s undaunted by Amelia’s stubbornness and pursues her despite her reluctance. He’s a bit wild, his Gypsy half doing its best to uproot his Irish half.

Amelia is the backbone of her family, holding it all together when times get tough. I admire her strength and determination. Not many woman of that era would just walk into a gambling house or brothel but she’s ready to do whatever she has to in order to get the job done. She’s extremely loyal and loves her family beyond all reason. She also takes on way too much responsibility, refusing to ask for or accept any help in taking care of her family. She’s resigned herself to a life of spinsterhood in order to make sure that everyone else has a happy future. She’s also quite frustrating at times. She’s so stubborn and refuses for a long time to see what her own heart is telling her. Luckily Cam isn’t one to give up easily and his dogged pursuit of her is romantic and sweet. They also have fantastic chemistry and the love scenes were extremely sensual and sexy.

I loved watching Cam and Amelia’s relationship develop from physical attraction into a true partnership filled with love, caring and understanding. Cam becomes the person that Amelia can depend on and be vulnerable with (even when she doesn’t want to). In Amelia, Cam finally finds the place where he belongs, his home, his place by her side. I found their story to be ridiculously sweet and romantic and made me want to squeee.

And let’s not forget about Win and Merripen. The sexual tension is high with these two. Theirs seems like an impossible love but nothing is impossible in a romance book. I greatly look forward to reading their story. Thank you, Lisa Kleypas. You have officially made me a historical romance convert.

Note: I've also joined Under The Covers' Krazy Kleypass Reading Challenge 2012. More info on the challenge here. Come by and join up!

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Visit the author online at www.lisakleypas.com and follow @LisaKleypas on Twitter