Review: Cursed by S.J. Harper

Title: Cursed (Fallen Siren #1)

Author: S.J. Harper
Publication Date: October 1, 2013
Publisher: Roc
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy
Find It: Goodreads, Amazon, B&N, Book Depository
Source: Purchased

Emma Monroe is a Siren, cursed by the gods and bound to earth to atone for an ancient failure. She’s had many names and many lives, but only one mission: redemption. Now that she works missing persons cases for the FBI, it could be just a rescue away. Unless her new partner leads her astray.

Special Agent Zack Armstrong just transferred into the San Diego Field Office. He’s a werewolf, doing his best to beat back the demons from his dark and dangerous past. As a former Black Ops sniper, he’s taken enough lives. Now he’s doing penance by saving them.

Emma and Zack’s very first case draws them deep into the realm of the paranormal, and forces them to use their own supernatural abilities. But that leaves each of them vulnerable, and there are lines partners should not cross. As secrets are revealed and more women go missing, one thing becomes clear: as they race to save the victims, Emma and Zack risk losing themselves.

Cursed is the first novel in a new series but authors Samantha Sommbersby and Jeanne Stein. I stumbled upon this book last summer when I made an impromptu trip to Mysterious Galaxy in Redondo Beach and found myself just in time for a Q&A and signing by the authors. After reading the book's synopsis, I decided that it was intriguing enough to warrant staying for the presentation and the subsequent signing.

I was immediately drawn to Emma, a Siren who has been punished by Demeter to spend all her days on earth without love until she can prove that she has atoned for her sins. She works as a detective in the missing persons division, giving a voice to those without one. I really liked Emma. She's tough, smart and determined without being a cliche. I empathized with her and felt the unfairness of her situation. 

Zack Armstrong is the resident werewolf in the story and he's got all of the good alpha male traits - confidence, intelligence, passion, and he's easy on the eyes. He and Emma had good chemistry and I liked that they had a bit of a past. Like Emma, Zack is also trying to atone for his past by finding out what's happening to these missing persons. 

The mystery was interesting and kept me guessing throughout. There is some hinting at a possible love triangle in the future, which I am not sure how I feel about. As a rule I am not a big fan of love triangles but this one hasn't even come to fruition yet so I'll reserve my judgement for a later date. 

Overall I think this is a solid start to a new urban fantasy series. It has a few steamy bits to keep it interesting and I enjoyed the police procedural format. While it's not groundbreaking, it's certainly enjoyable and has the potential to get even better as the series goes on. This is my first book but either author but it won't be my last. I am looking forward to catching up with Zack and Emma in book 2 of the series, Reckoning, which comes out later this fall. 

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Visit the author online at sjharper.me, and follow Jeanne on Twitter @JeanneCStein and Sam on Twitter @samsommersby.

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Caught In The Act - Review

Caught In The Act (PI & Men To The Rescue #3) by Lori Foster
Publication date: 01 September 2001 by Harlequin
ISBN 10/13: 0441013813 | 978-0441013814

Category: Adult Romantic Suspense
Keywords: Contemporary, realistic, romance
Format: Mass market paperback, eBook

From goodreads:

COINCIDENCE?

Not.

Mick Dawson, undercover cop.

He's got his hands full with a pushy broad who claims she's just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Except all the perps seem to know everything there is to know about her. Who're you going to believe? Only one way to find out. Get real close.

Lela DeBraye (aka Del Piper), mystery writer.

She's as confused as he is, but mostly because he's got the sweetest smile, when he smiles. Still, he's sticking with her twenty-four/seven — is this love or duty? Is he her protector or her captor?

Thuy’s review:

Mick’s been watching Del for a couple of weeks. He first spotted her in his old neighborhood and immediately developed a small obsession for the dreamy mystery writer. The day Mick decides to make his move, Del’s in the wrong place at the wrong time. During an attempted robbery, Mick gets shot saving Del’s life. As drawn to him as he is to her, Del offers to take Mick in while he recovers. However, things about the robbery don’t quite add up and Mick isn’t sure if he can trust Del so he keeps her close while trying to unravel the mystery.

Caught In The Act is a light, fun romance with a little bit of mystery thrown in. Foster can be a bit hit and miss for me. I like some of her books a lot and other are just OK. I didn’t like this one as much of some of her other book. It was somewhat predictable but I still enjoyed it - good for a quick read. Caught In The Act is actually a part of a series, which I didn’t realize when I picked it up. I don't think you need to read the series in order though, as I was able to follow along perfectly fine.

This is definitely a case of love at first sight romance. Mick’s absolutely enthralled by Del and she seem to share the same attraction. Usually in romances (especially novella length ones), the falling in love is fast and hard. And normally I can suspend disbelief and go with story. However, in this case, the fast fall was a little too fast for me. Mick and Del barely know each other and he’s already moving in. Maybe it’s a bit of gratitude on her part and obsession on his but I wish they would have developed the relationship a little more.

Mick’s your typical romance lead - big, handsome and aggressive. He makes no qualms about telling Del exactly how he feels about her and is sweet and protective. His cop instincts get the better of him though and he makes a big blunder with Del. Even though I could see it coming, I wanted to smack him upside the head when it happens. Though I didn’t love Del, I did like her and find her to be a unique character. She’s a bit of an odd bird - a mystery writer with her head in the clouds and, while I couldn’t relate to her, I liked that she wasn’t your stereotypical romance heroine.

Mick’s two friends, Zack and Josh, provided some comic relief. Their scenes with Mick had a real feeling of camaraderie and their conversations were pretty funny. I would love to read more about both of them. Good thing they each have a book of their own.

This book wasn’t anything new or groundbreaking but it’s a quick and entertaining read with some good moments. I am picking up Josh’s book after this. :)

say "twee!"

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Visit the author online at www.lorifoster.com and follow @lorilfoster on Twitter