UF Sunday: Prince Charming doesn't live here by Christine Warren

Book: Prince Charming doesn't live here by Christine Warren

Series: The Others

Published:2010
Extras: No

Plot (Goodreads):

Danice Carter is not one for glass slippers. A stilettos-wearing lawyer at one of Manhattan’s most elite establishments, Danice has a very strong grip on reality. So when she’s asked by one the firm’s founding partners to take on a personal case, Danice knows she’s in for the opportunity of a lifetime. All she has to do is convince her top boss’s granddaughter, Rosemary, to file a paternity suit. Sounds simple enough…until Danice arrives at Rosemary’s home and is pounced on by a handsome stranger.

Private investigator McIntyre Callahan’s was only following his powerful client’s orders: Find Rosemary—at all costs. Instead, he’s found a super-hot lawyer prowling around looking for answers he can’t give. The half-human, half-Fae Mac tries to warn Danice that she’s way in over her head—that Rosemary may roam among The Others, and may have dangerous ties to the Unseelie Court—but she won’t be deterred. Even if that means following Mac to the ends of the earth to find Rosemary…or surrendering to his supernatural powers of temptation…until death do they part.

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Danice Carter is a lawyer who is strong-armed in to hunting down the missing daughter of her boss. McIntyre Callahan is a half-Fae private eye. Events occur.

Rating: DNF

What worked: This is my first DNF review, so not much.

What didn't: Danice is an incredibly stupid character. She makes stupid mistake after stupid mistake in this book. People tell her to be quiet in front of fae royalty, instead, she constantly shoots off her mouth. Mac spends a lot of time trying to convince Danice not to be an idiot and, yet, it doesn't seem to ever work. And, of course, Danice and Mac have to have frequent magical sex. Apparently this book is a reworking of a erotic short story written much earlier in Warren's career and that is exactly how it reads.

Keep reading? I just ordered the recent book off of Paperbackswap for some reason.

Romance Sunday! Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

Book: Absolutely, Positively by Heather Webber

Series: Book 3 in the Lucy Valentine series

Extras? No

Published: 2011

Plot (Goodreads):

“Exposed” by a Boston Herald reporter, Lucy is suddenly the talk of the town. Long back-story short: Even though the rest of her Valentine ancestors were blessed by Cupid with psychic abilities, Lucy’s only special power lies in her ability to find things. This skill has proven quite a blessing for those who come to her matchmaking agency in search of finding their long-lost loves. Now that Lucy’s secret is out, she has more new clients than she knows what to do with. But soon a certain man of mystery steals Lucy’s spotlight…

No, it’s not Sean Donahue, the sexy fireman-turned-private-eye who’s stolen Lucy’s heart. It’s a masked man in a cowboy hat, dubbed “The Lone Ranger,” who’s been throwing handfuls of cash across the Common. Now all of Beantown’s abuzz. Can Lucy unmask the mysterious money man, track down all her clients’ old flames, and turn up the heat on her love life? Absolutely, positively…

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Lucy Valentine works in her family's matchmaking office even though she doesn't possess the family ability to make matches through seeing auras. Lucy is able to find lost objects, which has led to a business reuniting lost loves. In this book, Lucy and her boyfriend Sean are hired to find a client's teenage love who may be a career criminal while also trying to solve a mystery of a man who disappeared while walking his dog. On top of all the other threads, there is a masked man who is throwing out cash to the general public.

Rating: 9+

What worked: I love this series. The mysteries were interesting, the romances were romantic, and the characters were likable and intriguing. Even the peripheral characters are well-rounded. Give this series a shot, you won't be disappointed.

I'm sort of cheating here because this book is definitely a romance novel mixed with a cozy mystery (the best of both worlds!). In my local bookstore, the first two books in this series are in the mystery section while this book was in the general fiction section, which proves it's a genre-bender. Heather Webber used to write a truly amazing cozy series about a surprise gardening business, so I'm a big-time fan.

What didn't: Everything worked! I love this series.

Keep reading? Absolutely, positively :)

Hungry for You by Lynsay Sands

Book: Hungry for You by Lynsay Sands

Series: An Argeneau Novel

Published: 2010

Plot (Goodreads):

This vampire has been alone for far too long . . .

As one of the most ancient in the Argeneau clan, Cale Valens has given up on finding a life mate. His friends and family, however, have not. In fact, they believe they've finally found his perfect match. Getting them together, however, requires one little white lie . . .

Alexandra Willan is in a panic. Her restaurant is due to open in two weeks, but her chef just walked out. Then a highly recommended replacement arrives, an impossibly handsome culinary genius who sends electric tingles racing through her body . . .

Except he can't cook. In fact, Cale hasn't eaten real food in two thousand years. Yet he's determined to prove to Alex his prowess in the kitchen . . . and elsewhere. Because never has he hungered so for any mortal woman. And not just for a taste of her, but for the whole delicious feast!

My four-sentence or less take on the plot: Alex is a chef and restaurant owner who is getting constantly plagued by a series of mishaps that put her restaurant's opening in jeopardy. Cale is a very old Immortal (read: Vampire) who gets word that Alex may be his mate (finally!). Cale and Alex work towards: opening the restaurant, falling in love, and solving the mystery of the cause of her restaurant woes. Many of your favorite Argeneau characters have cameos in "Hungry for you".

Rating: 7

What worked: This is one of the first paranormal romances that I've read where the male protag was very interested in finding a "mate" and is actively interested in being in a committed relationship (far more than the female protag). I really liked Alexandra's relationship with her sisters (who were featured in previous books). I actually like all the overlap between Sand's books. Once you enjoy a character, you can expect to see them (or at least hear about them) in future books. That being said, the books are easily read out of order.

I actually really like the explanation for Vampires in Sand's universe. It's interesting, different, and makes more sense than most other explanations.

What didn't: The book was a bit silly but Lynsay Sands books usually are rather silly. It was an easy read, which can be both a good or a bad thing. The plot was simple and the mystery wasn't very difficult to solve about half-way through the book. In fact, I would say the only one who didn't know whodunit was Alex.

Keep reading? Yes but I will probably get the books at the used book store