Sunday, November 17, 2013

Four Seconds to Lose - K.A. Tucker


My review of K.A Tucker's second book had something along the lines of finding all of her work, even those in crayon. I read that review before starting Four Seconds to Lose to refresh, and couldn't figure out why I would say that. Well now I remember! Tucker is an amazing writer, and Four Seconds to Lose was just as fabulous.
Cain owns the strip club featured in the last two books. He is the exception in that he is not a sleaze bag. When Ginger introduces him to Charlie, her new friend looking for a job, he feels like he is seeing a ghost.
Charlie needs this job, and has to put on a convincing face that she has done this before. Her beloved step father has put her in a really bad situation, and she needs cash fast if she's going to escape him.



***Spoilers***
Charlie's step dad Sam raised her after her mother passed away, and has always been wonderful. After turning 18 he has her dropping packages for him, that she soon realizes are drugs. The packages keep getting bigger, and the people more dangerous. After a scare he sends her to Miami to hide out for a while, though he starts her right back up as a runner. He has a pretty elaborate trade going, but it makes Charlie sick to know she is a part of it. She knows Sam's best friend Dominic tried to get out once, and ended up dead. If she wants to escape, she will need to save up as much money as possible, and disappear.
Charlie reminds Cain of Penny, the girl that he let slip into the hands of her murdering new husband. He hires her, and can't help his infatuation, especially when Charlie starts stripping for him to ease her nerves. He knows she is hiding something, but can't her to come to him for help. After they finally hook up, and realize they're perfect for one another, Charlie is forced to do one more drop. The new guy is psycho, and holds his gun to her head and pulls the trigger. Luckily there aren't any bullets, but that doesn't stop Charlie from being scared to death. She knows it's only a matter of time before she is killed, and also knows that to protect her new friends she must stay away. She packs up and leaves, stopping in Mobile Alabama. Cain is distraught, and has finally figured out what all she is into. Sam comes to Cain threatening him, and the girls working, telling him he knows that Cain knows where Charlie is. Cain knows that Charlie will never be safe, and never return to him with Sam alive. He tells the mafia boss that has been highly pissed about Sam encroaching on his territory, that he is in town and where to find him. They take care of that problem, and Charlie calls Cain to make sure he's alive after hearing Sam is dead. He scoops her up, and they live HEA!!

Saturday, November 16, 2013

Written in Red (The Others, #1) - Anne Bishop



Have you ever read so many mediocre books that you forget how good the 5 star books are? Written in Red wasn't the best book ever, but it was really good. I couldn't put it down, and wanted to hurry home so I could finish it.
Meg Corbyn ran from the compound, and sought out the Others for protection. She knows she won't be safe with them, but she would die before being recaptured. As a cassandra sangue, she can see visions of the future when her skin is cut. Most blood prophets are kept as property, and their services are sold.
Simon is the leader of the Lakeside Courtyard that houses all of the Others in her area. Inside those courtyards human law does not apply. So Meg can seek santuary there without fear of being returned to her handler.
The Others are NOT your typical supernatural characters. Besides the fact that there are many, many different kinds, they view humans as meat, and they DO eat them. Meg turns the Courtyard on it's head by becoming a member, but also a friend.



***Spoilers***
Simon finally figures out what Meg is, and why she is hiding. He and the others decide to allow her to stay and protect her from those that would like to see her returned. We don't know all of the bad things that went on in the compound, but I can assume that it was really bad. Meg is able to coerce Sam, Simons nephew who has been in wolf form since his mother was killed by humans two years prior, to leave his tiny cage. She tells them that they will be adventure buddies, and will have a safety line so if either gets in trouble the other can help. The adult wolves are irate that she put Sam on a leash, but can't argue that the boy who had to be forced out of his cage to do his business is now running and playing like a normal pup. Simons father can't get over it, and slaps Meg after taking Sam away. Sam finally turns to a boy again to explain that Meg didn't put him on a leash, that she was his adventure buddy. Asia is a human working for some bigwig movie director that told her he would give her her big break if she brought back info from inside the Courtyard where humans aren't allowed. She realizes that someone is after Meg and helps them capture her. In the end there was a huge battle between the 20 men, and Asia that were hired to retrieve their property, and the Others who were trying to protect her. Simon is distraught when Meg is hurt, but doesn't understand how he could care so much about a human.

Present Perfect- Alison G. Bailey


So many of my GR friends have read and loved this book. That is evidence enough for me that it is something I need to read.
I feel like I need to write two reviews for Present Perfect. The first half of the book stinks (IMO) and I talked myself out of quitting at least five times. Amanda is annoying (why oh why she has such a great name), with her excruciatingly low self esteem, and her self sacrificing attitude I wanted to slit her wrist for her. (too harsh?) Noah on the other hand is perfect, exactly as she described him, and I wanted to scream at her to get the heck out of her own way. 
The second half of the book, I will admit had me in tears. Amanda does redeem herself, but not enough for me to go with a five star rating.