DOPPELGANGSTER (an Esther Diamond Novel) by Laura Resnick

DOPPELGANGSTER (An Esther Diamond Novel)

LAURA RESNICK
Urban Fantasy
Fantasy DAW
ISBN# 978-0-7564-0595-3
Sensuality Rating: Sexy
400 Pages
$7.99
Paperback—Available Now
Rating: 5 Enchantments

When out-of-work actress Esther Diamond turns part-time waitress at Stella’s, a restaurant favored by some of NYC’s most powerful mob families, she couldn’t expect that it would be any more dangerous than usual. Besides, she’s dating Lopez, a cop, and that should be enough to keep some of the touchy-feely types at bay. Yet Lopez’s warning to be careful comes true when Esther witnesses the hit on Chubby Charlie at her table up close and personal. Suddenly, she’s on the cover of every tabloid in the city. Lopez wants her to quit her job and Lucky, the aging hitman wants her help in solving the case before the cops.

Within a few pages, DOPPELGANGSTER quickly became one of my favorite Urban Fantasy reads! Filled with unique and fun characters from Esther to Lucky, the aging hitman, to the mysterious 350 year old mage, Max and his new familiar Nelli, it was easy to slip into the world Ms. Resnick created.

The mystery of whose behind the mysterious death of Chubby Charlie gets deeper when Johnny Be Good is found dead, followed shortly later by another. Suddenly not only Esther’s in danger, but so is Lucky, Max and Lopez, who’d still rather keep Esther out of his investigation. There was so much going on, with twists and turns over who was behind the deaths, who was targeted next and how were Esther and company going to figure things out before it was too late that I had to read the book in one sitting, it was just that good.

It’s hard to pick a favorite scene to highlight for the review, but one that sticks out in my mind is when Lucky organizes a sit-down between the two families shortly after Johnny Be Good is found dead and Max and Esther have to come to the meeting, dressed to fit in. It's hilarious and gives the reader more questions than answers on who could be next and whether or not the real killer is in that room with them.

Fans of Urban Fantasy looking for a fresh read should definitely pick up DOPPELGANGSTER. With its humor and mystery, it has earned a spot on my keeper shelf. Look for the next Esther Diamond novel, UNSYMPATHETIC MAGIC on sale August 3, 2010.

Visit Ms. Resnick online at www.lauraresnick.com to learn out more about this series, including excerpts, and info on the reissuing of the first book in the series.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
June 2010

I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT by Adam Selzer

I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT

ADAM SELZER

Paranormal YA

Delacorte Press

ISBN# 978-0385735032

192 pages

$7.99

Trade—Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

What a fun read! Eighteen year old Algonquin "Alley" Rhodes is determined to get out of small town Cornersville Trace and head to Seattle, where there has be a bigger dating pool. Unlike some of the other girls at school, she isn't aspiring to date an 'undead': a/k/a a vampire, werewolf, or zombie. But one night, covering the local band scene she meets Doug, a guy who sings Cole Porter songs and makes her feel like swooning, something she's never felt before.

Readers looking for a fun, laugh out loud paranormal read should definitely pick up I KISSED A ZOMBIE AND I LIKED IT. This book truly has it all. From plot to interesting characters, including the high school guidance counselor who doesn't believe in mixed relationships between the living and the undead, to amazing wit and a moment the reader can't wait for: Alley to realize the truth about Doug. But along the way Alley realizes the truth about herself, that she doesn't exactly like being the snarky sarcastic 'ice queen' she is at school and prefers who she is when she's with Doug. The humorous moments are plenty, thanks especially to Alley's voice and the situations Mr. Selzer puts the characters in.

One of my favorite scenes is when Alley and Doug go on their first date. There's something a little odd about Doug, but Alley can't quite put her finger on what it is. But if there was a perfect guy in the world for her, Doug could seriously fit his description.

To learn more about Mr. Selzer and his books, visit him online at http://www.adamselzer.com/

Lisa

Enchanting Reviews

February 2010

DREAM LIFE by Lauren Mechling

DREAM LIFE (Dream Girl #2)
LAUREN MECHLING
Paranormal YA
Delacorte Books
ISBN# 978-0385735230
336 Pages
$16.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

When her best friend Becca starts acting funny after returning home from holidays, Claire feels abandoned, until she finds out Becca's been tapped for a secret society, and surprisingly she gets 'invited' to join herself. But if only things were that easy. It seems there's a rival society out to get the Blue Moons and take over New York for themselves. Soon Claire finds herself in the thick of things, trying to solve the mystery before their top secret plans are disclosed and the group is relegated to nothing more than a name forever.

DREAM LIFE is my favorite book in the Dream Girl series so far. The characters seemed much more formed this time and I found myself liking Claire a lot more. DREAM LIFE stands well on its own, so if you haven't read the first novel 'Dream Girl' don't worry about it. The world created is at times a bit eccentric but nonetheless fun to visit.

My favorite scenes happened when Claire was tapped to become a member of the Blue Moons. From the scene where they 'grabbed' her to where the hangout was actually located were really fun. Also, the friendship between Claire and her unusual society grandmother, Kiki, continues, climaxing at her grandmother's birthday party, a scene which turns out to be so horrific for Claire, I could only hope she'd get out of there as fast as she could.

Overall DREAM LIFE is a really fun and unusual read. I can't wait to return to Claire's world and see what happens next.

Lauren Mechling is the coauthor of all three 10th-Grade Social Climber books. She has written for the New York Times, Marie Claire, and Seventeen. She lives and writes in New York City. You can visit her at www.laurenmechling.com.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
February 2010

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE by Pat Mora

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE
PAT MORA
YA Poetry
Knopf
ISBN# 978-0375843754
176 Pages
$15.99
Hardcover—Available
Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE is filled with a collection of fifty poems of different types, from a simple poem, to '3 a.m. Blues' which is the blues to the last in the book 'My Song' which is written as a song.

I have to admit, I'm not usually big on poetry but I really enjoyed DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE. Every poem is different, told from a different narrator's point of view. The one thing they all have in common though is the theme—love. With some of the poems Ms. Mora provides a description of the type of poem on the opposite page, so those interested can learn more about that particular style. Two of my favorite poems are 3 a.m. Blues because I like the lyrical styling and an earlier one in the book, To-Do List because it's very much true to life.

DIZZY IN YOUR EYES: POEMS ABOUT LOVE is Pat's second collection for young adults. Pat also wrote My Own True Name: New and Selected Poems for Young Adults and six poetry collections for adults. To learn more about Pat and her books visit her online at www.patmora.com.


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
January 2010

TALL, DARK AND FANGSOME (Immortality Bites series) by Michelle Rowen

TALL, DARK AND FANGSOME (Immortality Bites series)

MICHELLE ROWEN
Paranormal Romance
Grand Central Publishing - Forever
Sensuality Rating: Sexy
ISBN# 978-0446505857
352 pages
$6.99
Paperback—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Sarah Dearly finds herself in a bit of a complicated mess. Still cursed from a malevolent witch, there's a nightwalker inside her just dying to get out. The only thing that can control her is the thin gold chain around her neck. There's also the fact Gideon is blackmailing her to make him an immortal, in hopes that it will heal him and finally get rid of the hellfire burning within him. If that weren't bad enough, as part of the blackmail, she's had to break up with the love of her life, master vampire Thierry.

I've loved this series from the first book and am sad to see it end, as I loved Sarah and Thierry, two of my favorite vampires. Who can forget Barry, her best friend's husband and Thierry's butler, and all the other memorable characters throughout the series.

The best part about TALL, DARK AND FANGSOME is all the best characters return for the end, including surprisingly Quinn, who is always nice to see as I enjoyed his relationship with Sarah. While darker then some of the other books in the series, TALL, DARK AND FANGSOME has the same humor that made me a fan early on and I loved the chemistry between Sarah and Thierry, even while they had to hide their relationship because of Gideon's threats to Sarah's friends and family.

Between hiding her on-going relationship with Thierry from her closest friends and trying not to find herself attracted to Gideon, she also has to deal with the mysterious Red Devil who seems to have appointed himself her bodyguard. Which wouldn't be too bad, until she finds out he's telling Thierry everything he sees. Can't a girl even have a few little secrets? I liked the addition of the Red Devil, even if I had kind of figured out what Sarah did about him a little before she did.

The tension between Gideon and Sarah and whether or not he was fully bad or still partly good was a good subplot. My favorite scene had to be when Sarah goes out to meet 'the wizard', who can supposedly wipe out the nightwalker. Imagine her surprise when he turns out to be a Goth teenager—a surprise that turns jaw dropping when he offers her a chance at reversing her entire vampness. Her friend thinks she should leap at the chance, even if it wipes out the last few months of her life, but that means giving up her relationship with Thierry, something she can't bring herself to think about. I liked how the teenager showed up again in a frightening scene at Sarah's place and warned her about the impending danger.

Filled with unexpected twists, turns and appearances, TALL, DARK AND FANGSOME has become one of my favorites in the Immortality Bites series.

Michelle Rowen is a full-time writer and self-confessed bibliophile living in Ontario, Canada. Her first young adult fantasy novel will be published in Fall 2009 from Walker Books for Young Readers. Under the pseudonym Michelle Maddox she has also written futuristic romantic suspense for Dorchester.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
September 2009

SO STILL THE NIGHT by Kim Lenox

SO STILL THE NIGHT (A Novel of the Shadow Guard)

KIM LENOX

Paranormal Romance

Signet Eclipse

Sensuality Level: Sexy

ISBN# 978-0451226785

304 Pages

$6.99

Paperback—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Marcus Helios is not only an immortal, a former member of the elite Shadow Guard and the son of Antony and Cleopatra, but he also in the depths of Transcension, bringing him to the depths of madness. His only hope of salvation lies in two ancient scrolls he believes are in the possession of the beautiful Willowmina, and he'll do whatever it takes to get his hands on them. But with the mysterious Dark Bride hunting him in London and having to deal with his twin sister Seline, who's desperate to become his official assassin, things are complicated enough without falling for the beautiful Mina.

With her father faking his own death, sending her back to London to report the grim news, then to go into deep mourning for her own safety, Mina suddenly finds herself on her own. When strange things begin to happen, such as being the victim of an apparent random attack in the street and having her father's papers shredded in her room, she becomes uncomfortable and slightly scared for her own safety Surprisingly, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to Mark, Lord Alexander. When he unexpectedly asks for her hand in marriage, she's thrilled when her uncle agrees to the betrothal. Now she can get out of the house and hopefully start over, completely unaware of her new husband's immortality.

I adored SO STILL THE NIGHT. While not your typical historical romance, Mina and Mark are two strong individuals, both fighting their own battles: Mark's for his sanity and Mina for trying to overcome the loss of her father. The chemistry between the two is some of the strongest I've read and the scenes between them are sizzling hot. I loved how Mark wore down Mina's resistance to him, especially the scene with the hot air balloon at the club. My favorite scene though is after the two are married and Mina learns his secret. While on the search for her father, they visit an old family friend of Mina's, a rather eccentric character who owns a warehouse full of unusual items. It's a fun and a nice respite from the darker tone of a lot of the book, it's one that made me laugh and stayed with me through the rest of the book.

I have to say SO STILL THE NIGHT is a wonderful read that quickly earned a spot on my keeper shelf. Mark is a delicious hero, filled with a dark intensity and a purpose that I haven't read in awhile and quickly fell for. Mina's strong enough on her own, but watching her fall for Mark and accept who he truly is makes this a great read. The only drawback to the story is the ending chapters are rather fast paced, and rush by quicker than the rest of the story.

With a fast paced ending with a few surprising twists and revelations, SO STILL THE NIGHT leaves the reader breathless, going back through the story for clues they may have missed as to the Dark Bride and her cohorts identities. I can't wait to read the next in this series, Darker Than Night, due out in April 2010.

To learn more about this book and the Shadow Guard series, visit Ms. Lenox online at her website: http://www.kimlenox.com/.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
January 2010

BATTLE OF THE NETWORK ZOMBIES by Mark Henry

BATTLE OF THE NETWORK ZOMBIES (Amanda Feral Book #3)
MARK HENRY
Urban Fantasy
Kensington
Sensuality Level: Sexy
ISBN# 978-0758225269
288 Pages
$15.00
Trade—Available

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Celeb zombie Amanda Feral seems to be having a stream of bad luck. Between her car getting repossessed in the parking lot of her mother's strip club; her relationship with Scott breaking up (all his idea) and Elizabeth Karkaroff wanting to get out of the business, which means Amanda would owe her a staggering sum of money she doesn't have, not to mention she owes the reaper her first born, if she'd have one. But there might be a way out of all of this mess. Amanda can't stand Johnny Birch, the weird little wood nymph, but if being a judge on his new reality show will save her, what's wrong with that? Until she discovers Johnny's charred body on the floor of his room and suddenly the show's no more. With some quick thinking on her part, Amanda turns the show into a whodunnit and she's the lead detective, which would be great if she'd ever been a detective before.

What do I like best about the latest in Mark Henry's 'Amanda Feral' series? Hard to say, between the gruesome and sometimes macabre scenes and characters, not to mention all the dark humor, with every scene sometimes so gruesomely detailed, it's hard to pick just one. But perhaps it's Amanda herself, with her sarcastic barbs and outlook on life, especially dark in this particular tale. And who can forget the footnotes, where Amanda talks straight to the reader?

BATTLE OF THE NETWORK ZOMBIES brings the reader back into Amanda's life and she's just as delightful as ever, as are her two good friends Wendy and Gil. Hands down, one of my favorite scenes in the book is when Amanda first arrives at the mansion where the reality show is set to be filmed. Thanks to Johnny's woodland nymph nature, the place is literally alive with vegetation. Amanda meets the unusual Mama Montserrat, who takes an instant liking to her, and an instant dislike to Wendy, who's tagged along on the trip, posing as Amanda's agent.

The fun really begins when the contestants are introduced, a handful of wanna-be bodyguards you'd never imagine. I especially enjoyed some of the new characters Mr. Henry brings to the mix in this one, from Mama Montserrat, the producer of the ill-fated Johnny Birch reality show and possible suspect in Johnny's demise to Hairy Sue, the unusual stripper from Amanda's mother's club and a surprising contestant on the reality show. Who would have figured her for the role of bodyguard? Filled with some memorable characters, including my new favorite Tanesha, and a heck of an unusual mystery, readers looking for something a little dark and twisted won't go wrong picking up BATTLE OF THE NETWORK ZOMBIES.

Mark is the co-founder of both The South Sound Algonquin writer’s group in Washington and the highly regarded (and/or degraded) League of Reluctant Adults, an online cabal of disturbed urban fantasy and paranormal romance writers. He’s a member of the Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association and the Fangs, Fur and Fey online writer’s community. Visit him online at http://www.markhenry.us.


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
January 2010

ENSLAVED by Hope Tarr

ENSLAVED
HOPE TARR
Historical Romance
Medallion Press
Sensuality Rating - Sexy
ISBN# 978-1-933836-12-6
$6.99
376 pages
Paperback - Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Daisy Lake and Gavin Carmichael are an unusual pair. Separated fifteen years ago, it seems like fate that Gavin would find her in London of all places, just as he’s about to give up the search. But a lot has changed in that time, and Daisy is nothing like the little girl he remembers. She’s strong willed, beautiful and hiding a secret.

Gavin’s finally found the woman he’s spent the last year searching for, in of all places, an East End supper club. But when he carries her off stage, beneath the harsh make-up and Delilah De-Luc persona, is still the Daisy Lake he loved as a child. And now that he has the money and influence, he’s willing to help make her dreams to become an actress come true.

When Gavin promises to help her become a real actress, Daisy jumps at the chance. She’ll be able to spend thirty days and even better, thirty nights, alone with the very handsome Gavin. But he seems adverse to her eduction, even when it’s obvious he has feelings that go well beyond friendship for her.

ENSLAVED is an engrossing read. Daisy and Gavin’s relationship has quite a few ups and downs, from the attempt at sabotaging Daisy’s career by a jealous woman to Gavin’s grandfather’s demands. But the biggest obstacle these two face is Daisy’s secret, her past and how willing Gavin is to accept Daisy as she is today.

One of my favorite scenes is when Daisy is summoned by the London Vigilance Committee. After answering their questions, she has to perform one of her songs from her Delilah De-Luc days to answer the charge of whether her act qualified as “lewd and lascivious”.


A captivating Victorian Romance, ENSLAVED is the second book in Ms. Tarr’s Roxbury House trilogy. You can visit her online at http://www.hopetarr.com/.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
April 2008

FALLEN by Lauren Kate

FALLEN

LAUREN KATE
Paranormal YA
Delacorte Press
ISBN# 978-0-385-73893-4
452 Pages
$17.99
Hardcover—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments
Luce Price has always seen shadows, these terrifying things that appear around her without warning. She's helpless to stop them and the destruction that usually follows their appearances. Thanks to them and the death of the guy she was crushing on, she's found herself at Sword & Cross boarding school, a place for screw-ups and delinquents, something that Luce appears to be—at least to everyone else, including her own parents, who are slightly afraid of her after what happened. But how can Luce explain the shadows without everyone thinking she's crazy?

Daniel Grigori has a secret. He's immortal and he and Luce have had several past lives together before, but every time she's died before things reached a certain point. So when she shows up at Sword & Cross, he vows to stay away from her, that is until she finds herself in real danger and Daniel is forced to intervene.

I really enjoyed FALLEN. I thought it was a really unique mixture of paranormal, setting and characters. What better place for fallen angels to hide than a school for delinquents? Ms. Kate does a great job at making the reader not sure of some of the characters intentions, especially the female characters of Gabbe and even Luce's friend, Arriane. The dilapidated conditions of Sword & Cross come to life on the page, especially during the Parents Weekend scene where Luce is seeing things through the eyes of her parents, as she's already gotten used to things in her short stay. The cemetery in the middle of the campus is just plain creepy. As is the fact that detention involved being there before dawn to clean off the statues. I really liked Luce and the rest of the characters, especially Penn. Every character has something different about them, including a secrets that seem to be revealed in due time. Filled with twists and turns, and the deep sense of foreboding as the shadows that follow Luce become darker and more frequent as she gets deeper into the mystery of why Daniel feels so familiar and why it seems like she's able to interact with the shadows more. With an ending that literally had my jaw dropping with a couple dark surprises, FALLEN has quickly become one of my favorite reads of the year. I cannot wait to read the second in the series and see where Ms. Kate takes these characters next. Wherever it is, I doubt it'll be boring.

Lauren Kate recently finished her M.A. in Creative Writing at UC Davis, where she also teaches. She lives and writes in an old farm house in Winters, California.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
December 2009

VISION IN WHITE by Nora Roberts

VISION IN WHITE
NORA ROBERTS
Contemporary Romance
Berkley
Sensuality Rating: Sexy
ISBN# 9780-425-22751-0
352 Pages
$16.00
Trade--Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Mackenzie “Mac” Elliot is the wedding photographer for ‘Vows’, the wedding planning business she runs with her three lifelong best friends. She isn’t looking for a relationship at all, in fact, that’s probably the last thing on Earth she wants--until she encounters Carter Maguire, the new teacher at her old high school and the brother of one of their clients.

Carter Maguire had a crush on the free spirited Mac in high school and never did anything about it. Now that they’ve reconnected thanks to his younger sister’s wedding, he’s not going to let that happen again. Recently out of a bad relationship, Carter’s a little unsure in the dating department and gets help from his co-worker and friend, Bob, who isn’t the best advice giver in the world. But Carter gets past the bad advice and falls--hard--for the unconventional photographer.

VISION IN WHITE is a great kick-off to Ms. Roberts’ new series. I loved Mac, she’s a very strong willed character, except when her mother’s involved and that’s where the trouble begins. Thanks to her oft married mother, Mac has a skewed view of relationships and panics when she realizes things between her and Carter may be getting more serious than what she’s comfortable with. At times, I wasn’t sure of Carter. I liked him well enough, and he loves Mac, but his uneasiness with how to act and date and basically woo her did get a little tedious at times, but the chemistry between the two characters is unmistakable. There are some truly great scenes in the book. One of my favorites is the meet scene between Mac and Carter, where he bops his head against the wall and she tends to him. Not to spoil it, but it’s a really funny and memorable scene with some great dialogue.

Ms. Roberts lays the groundwork in VISION IN WHITE for what should be a great series. I love the backdrop of the four women running a ‘Vows’ the wedding planning company. All four women are equally strong characters and there’s already some hint of the possible men in their lives with some of the supporting cast in this book. I look forward to the second book, ‘Bed Of Roses’, due to be released October 2009.

Nora Roberts is the author of 160 New York Times best sellers, including 23 written as J.D. Robb and one written together with J.D. Robb. Visit her online at http://www.noraroberts.com/

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
August 2009

BARELY BEWITCHED (A Southern Witch Novel) by Kimberly Frost

BARELY BEWITCHED (A Southern Witch Novel)
KIMBERLY FROST
Paranormal Romance
Berkley
Sensuality Rating: Sexy
ISBN# 978-0-425-22961-3
312 Pages
$14.00
Trade—Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Tammy Jo is once again finding herself in a heap load of trouble. Bad enough that her attraction to Bryn is anything but fading, but there's a guy on her doorstep telling her she has to take a witch test from WAM, the World Association of Magic, within a few weeks. If she fails, she's dead. He won't listen to the fact that she doesn't want to be a witch nor does she want to cast spells ever again. Amongst this, her ex-husband and sometimes boyfriend Zach is having issues dealing with what happened, her family ghost Edie up and disappears on her and somehow in all of this, Tammy Jo's managed to somehow turn fae.

BARELY BEWITCHED is a great fun paranormal read. I'd definitely say it helps if you're already familiar with the series, as some parts can be a little confusing if you don't already know the prior history between some of the characters. I liked Tammy Jo a lot, she wasn't afraid to do things, even though she knew they could end up going wrong, like her magic usually seems to. Her chemistry with both her ex-husband Zach and with Bryn is complex and intriguing. At some points, you want her with Zach and others you wonder why she wastes her time with him. Same can be said for her relationship with Bryn as well.

What I truly loved about BARELY BEWITCHED is that it was a read where you truly had no idea what would happen next. Between the arson-crazed Incendio, the faeries that had escaped and created havoc within Duvall, and her topsy-turvy relationship with both men in her life, the pages went by in a blur and I reached the end of the book far too soon. The story may have gotten off to a bit of slow start, but once it reached the middle it was raring along. It's hard to say who I wish Tammy Jo would end up with, especially with Edie's warning of a future betrayal in Tammy Jo's future, but at the moment I'm leaning towards Bryn as he's not so my way or the highway with Tammy Jo.

Filled with fun characters, like her hairdresser Johnny and his vamp boyfriend, Rollie and the interesting Mr. Jenson, BARELY BEWITCHED is a great second novel in the series. I can't wait to read what's next for Tammy Jo and the town of Duvall.

Kimberly Frost wasn't born in Texas, but she got there as fast as she could. Currently at home in a small town known as Houston, she is taking dictation from her characters and working on a new Southern Witch novel. She loves to hear from readers and you can visit her at http://www.frostfiction.com/

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
September 2009

SINS OF A WICKED DUKE by Sophie Jordan

SINS OF A WICKED DUKE
SOPHIE JORDAN
Historical Romance
Avon Historical Romance
Sensuality Rating: Sexy
ISBN#978-0-06-157917-2
369 Pages
$6.99
Paperback—Available Now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Dominic Hale, known as ‘the demon duke’ for his wild living ways, can’t get the woman he rescued out of his head. But she spurned his advances and he doesn’t have time for women who aren’t interested in what he has to offer—which to be brutally honest, isn’t much more then a good time. He’s not interested in relationships, as his nickname suggests. But the right woman might just change all that, if he can convince both her and himself.

After losing her latest job, thanks to the wandering hands of her boss’ son, Fallon O’Rouke finds herself without a lot of options. The woman at the agency won’t recommend her for another job. One of her two best friends is setting sail with her own charge and Fallon is at a loss of what to do—until the perfect idea hits. If she were a man things would be much easier. Shedding her attention getting locks is easier than expected and she gets the first job she turns up for, working for the one man she never expected, the man who tried to rescue her from the wandering hands of her last employer, the so-called wicked duke.

SINS OF A WICKED DUKE is a really enjoyable historical romance. Fallon isn’t exactly your typical woman of the times, as she’s willing to change her appearance and even her identity to get a job so she can attain her dream of one day having a small cottage of her own. I especially enjoyed watching her have to fight to keep her role as Francis “Frank” when she finds herself attracted to Dominic. And things get even more fun when one of the young maids decides to crush on newcomer ‘Frank’. Forced to hide her true identity, things become even more complicated when out of an act of heroism ‘Frank’ saves Dominic from being shot by an irate husband and is quickly promoted in the household to that of valet. It was hard enough being attracted to Dominic from afar, but now Fallon finds herself living in the room next door. I loved the tension between the two, especially when Dominic begins to believe Frank isn’t who he says he is. And the scene where the truth comes out is truly one of my favorites. But hands down, the best scene is when Fallon as Frank shoos out Dominic’s drunken friend and the two women who are there with them. With Dominic passed out on top of the bed, Fallon thinks she can escape. But when he mistakenly thinks it’s the woman he brought home and kisses her, it takes all of Fallon’s willpower to pull away and sneak back to her own room. Ms. Jordan has done a great job creating two memorable characters with Fallon and Dominic.

Sophie Jordan is a former high school English teacher and resides in Houston with her family. When not writing, she divides her time between inventing what she calls culinary masterpieces and visiting her family’s pecan ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Sophie also writes paranormal romances under the name Sharie Kohler.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

SECRET LIFE OF A VAMPIRE by Kerrelyn Sparks

SECRET LIFE OF A VAMPIRE
KERRELYN SPARKS
Paranormal Romance
Avon Paranormal Romance
Sensuality Level: Sexy
ISBN# 978-0-06-166785-5
360 Pages
$7.99
Paperback—Available Now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Jack is the son of the legendary Casanova. He’s not a legendary lothario like his father and at times, just wishes to blend in amongst the other vampires. But when the bachelor party gets out of hand and two police officers come to the door, he does his best to wipe their memories and get them out of the room as fast as possible. The man is easy to control, but the woman, Jack can’t control her at all. There’s something about Lara, besides the fact he can’t alter her mind, that Jack finds interesting. But is it going to end up being his downfall? The last thing a vampire needs to do is get entangled with a mortal whom he can’t wipe away their memories if things go bad.

After a horrible car accident left her injured, Lara Boucher picked up and moved to NYC with her hospital roommate and became NYPD. Now on the way to making detective, Lara finds herself investigating the case of disappearing girls off university campuses. But there’s one thing that disturbs Lara, other then her attraction to Jack—the girls’ disappearances all seem to have a theme to them, and that theme shares something with Jack.

I loved Jack in SECRET LIFE OF A VAMPIRE but I have to say it took me a good while to like Lara. Up till around their first date, I wasn’t sure whether I wanted these two to end up together at all. As the son of Casanova, Jack should have the same skills with women as his father, but if his past has taught him anything, it’s that women usually can’t accept who he is. But with Lara, he’s willing to risk more then he thought possible. The chemistry between these two characters was almost instantaneous and continued like that throughout the book. One of my favorite scenes is when the two first meet and Lara is horrified at what she finds in the hotel suite, deciding that Jack’s attacked the two women in the bedroom (who are really nothing more than plastic dolls filled with blood) and that a passed out and blood stained Laszlo is in need of paramedics. It’s hilarious to see Jack try to get rid of her and her partner while she keeps discovering everything he doesn’t want a mortal to see.

A good addition to the series, SECRET LIFE OF A VAMPIRE will keep readers of this popular series happy with Jack’s story. I look forward to seeing which of the vampires we get to read about next.

Ms. Sparks lives in the greater Houston area with her husband, children and a houseful of garlic. Visit Ms. Sparks online at her website, http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
June 2009

POST GRAD by Emily Cassel

POST GRAD
EMILY CASSEL
Women’s Fiction
St. Martin’s Griffin
ISBN# 978-0-312-59626-2
256 Pages
$13.99
Trade--Available Now

Rating: 5 Enchantments

Ryden Malby’s had her whole life planned out, do well in high school, get a great scholarship and graduate, thereby moving into the next phase of her life, a gorgeous place and her dream job at the city’s best publishing house. Graduating from college was one thing, but when her plans for her life are quickly disintegrating she’s forced to do the unthinkable—move back home with her parents, her crazy grandmother and strange little brother till she can find a job and figure out what to do with her life.

POST GRAD is a hilarious, entertaining read. There wasn’t a single chapter where I didn’t either laugh or lament the thought of having to eventually put the book down. I loved Ryden instantly, it’s hard to not like a girl who’s dealing with a family as crazy as hers, and her nemesis in Jessica Barde, the ‘perfect’ girl who seems to always show up when Ryden would least like her to, especially during one truly horrific moment when working at Luggage World. Her best friend Adam who’s hopelessly crushing on her. Ryden’s family is truly one of the best, most outrageous families I’ve ever come across. Her father is beyond hilarious and her grandmother is a scene stealer. It’s so hard to pick a scene to mention in the review, but the first one that pops to mind is when her grandmother takes them shopping for her own casket and the chaos that ensues. Ryden’s already embarrassed enough at times by her family, but to have her grandmother actually trying out the caskets is enough to give the poor girl a meltdown.

If you’re looking for a great read, POST GRAD is one book you should definitely pick up.

Check out the first chapter online at http://us.macmillan.com/postgrad

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
July 2009

WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITCHES by Lee Nichols

WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITCHES
LEE NICHOLS
Chick-lit
Red Dress Ink (Harlequin)
Sensuality Rating: Sweet
ISBN# 0-373-89554-2
$13.95 Trade Paperback

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Following a day that sees her dressed like the poster girl for The Scarlet Letter and the realization her boyfriend may not be the perfect man for her, Eve Crenshaw hops into a cab, deciding to leave Manhattan behind – at least temporarily – and head to Broome Isle, home of her best friend.

But her temporary stay in Broome Isle suddenly offers her a chance to make it a permanent one when she’s offered a job as a real teacher as opposed to the role of teacher’s assistant she had back in Manhattan. And when the opportunity to move out of her best friend’s cold barn loft and into a cute little cottage of her own, Broome Isle may not be as bad as originally thought -- especially when after a night of drinking with her two best friends, all those crazy wishes they made are starting to come true. And none of them can remember what happened after they opened the mysterious bottle.

I really liked this book. It took awhile to get used to the first person point of view with Eve and third person with Kim and Natasha but after a few chapters, it seemed natural and really fit the story. Loved the slight paranormal bent, though it could have been used a little more throughout the book.

All in all, WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITCHES is a great entertaining read by Ms. Nichols.


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2007

GODDESS GAMES by Niki Burnham

GODDESS GAMES
NIKI BURNHAM
Contemporary Young Adult
Simon and Schuster
ISBN# 1-4169-2700-X
$15.99
Hardcover

Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

GODDESS GAMES focuses mainly on the relationships between the three girls, all with totally different backgrounds who are forced to become room mates during a summer working at King's Crown resort in Juniper, Colorado.

Seneca could be the stereotypical poor little rich girl. She's harboring a secret - her mother's acting career is a mess, and her working in Juniper is part of her plan to help get her and her mom's life back on track.

Drew, the female jock, is on vacation from her mother after facing a terrible loss. Her focus is solely on training to become an even better runner.

Claire is the reforming party girl who's searching for a deeper relationship with God to help get her life on the right path.

Things aren't exactly smooth sailing for the three roommates, particularly with each other. In a tiny cabin it’s easy to for conflict to arise, especially when they don't exactly make the best first impression on each other. Drew and Claire see Seneca as fairly superficial, Seneca sees Drew as rude, and Drew and Seneca see Claire as quiet and somewhat withdrawn. Conflict abounds when Claire can't be sure of the motive behind Seneca's interest in her L.A. boyfriend and Drew can't stand what she sees as Seneca's superficial ways. As the summer wears on, each girl is forced to deal with their own growing problems until one night forces the three to bond together and their friendship is finally cemented.

I really enjoyed this book, as the reader gets to see other sides to the girls that the characters don’t know about till later in the book. Each girl has their own point of view and it’s interesting to see what is actually going on with them and their misconstrued views of each other. I especially enjoyed watching Seneca fall for a guy who is so not her typical type.

GODDESS GIRLS is an enjoyable read, with a strong focus on the budding friendship between three girls as they search for themselves.


Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
October 2007

TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS by Tina Ferraro

TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS
TINA FERRARO
Young Adult Contemporary
Delacorte Press
ISBN# 978-0-385-73368-7
$13.99
Trade Paperback - Available now

Rating: 4 Enchantments

Nicolette ‘Nic’ Antonovich was dumped two days before the prom. To her, that’s all in the past, except for the fact that her unworn prom dress hangs behind her bedroom door and she might still, on occasion, slip it on. It is the perfect prom dress after all.

But things are starting to change. Rascal, who was the dumper to her dumpee, is suddenly starting to pay her an awful lot of attention. Her best friend doesn’t want to hear another word about Rascal, let alone that Nic might be starting to fall for him all over again. Jared, her best friend’s brother, is turning weird big brother on her. And even weirder, it almost looks like Rascal and Jared are fighting - over her!

Nic is a great character, a typical teenage girl who finds herself caught between two guys, her dream guy in Rascal and her friend Jared, whose behavior she just can’t figure out lately. This book was a definite page turner, with several great scenes that stick in your mind once you close the cover.

TOP TEN USES FOR AN UNWORN PROM DRESS is Tina Ferraro’s first young adult novel.

Lisa
ENCHANTING REVIEWS
September 2007

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR by Jennifer Echols

THE BOYS NEXT DOOR
JENNIFER ECHOLS
Simon Pulse
Young Adult Romantic Comedy
ISBN# 1-4169-1831-0
$6.99
Print - Available now

Rating: 3.5 Enchantments

Lori loves summertime. She spends her summers wakeboarding, swimming and working at the marina with the Vader brothers next door.

But this summer’s going to be different. For one, Lori’s going to turn sixteen and she’s determined to go from tomboy to girlfriend - Sean Vader’s girlfriend to be precise. All she needs is a little make over and she’s convinced he’ll be hers.

Step one in the makeover seems to work. Sean spends the boat ride flirting with her but when she sees him kissing his brother’s girlfriend, she realizes her plan might need a little tweaking. And what better way to get his attention then to make him jealous?

And no better candidate than his younger brother and her best friend, Adam.

Sure, Adam looks just like Sean. But his eyes are just a little lighter. And the only way at times she can tell them apart is the skull and crossbones chain Adam wears that she gave him years ago. So pretending to be in love with Adam should be easy, just pretend he’s Sean. Except Lori doesn’t expect the fake relationship to feel so real. The fake date seems real enough to her. And so do the kisses.

Lori’s antics will make you laugh and watching her realize Adam’s feelings for her are more real than she wants to admit keeps the reader turning pages. THE BOYS NEXT DOOR is an entertaining read by Ms.Echols.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
August 2007

REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN by Stephanie Hale

REVENGE OF THE HOMECOMING QUEEN
STEPHANIE HALE
Contemporary Young Adult
Berkley Jam Trade
ISBN# 10 0425216152
$9.99
Trade Paperback - Available now

Rating: 4.5 Enchantments

Aspen Brooks has spent her entire life waiting to be named Homecoming Queen. But when the envelope is ripped open in front of the entire school, it’s not her name that's read. Instead, Comfort High's Homecoming Queen is Angel Ives, Aspen's sworn rival. And even weirder, the school geek Rand Bachrach is named Homecoming King, an announcement made possible by Aspen's 'supposed' boyfriend. What kind of boyfriend sabotages his chance at being Homecoming King?

That's only the start of the weirdness. Between the vicious lipstick messages about Aspen scrawled on the mirror in the girl's bathroom, her tires being slashed and then Angel mysteriously -- or as Aspen sees it, conveniently - disappearing, things are getting plain weird. Not to mention the fact Rand keeps coming to her rescue, and horror of horrors, he's not all that geeky. In fact, he's kinda cool. And he's making her feel things she never thought possible. When Aspen's mom suddenly goes missing and all signs are pointing that Aspen's next to disappear, she decides to turn detective and find out who’s behind all the disappearances.

This was such a fun book to read, a great combination of humor, romance and mystery that wraps up with a surprising twist to the mystery that made it hard to put down. Debut author Stephanie Hale sets up her Aspen series in a winning way. Can't wait to read what happens to Aspen next.

Lisa
Enchanting Reviews
August 2007