Chocolate....

Toxic: Truckee Wolves by Belinda McBride

I saw this on Amazon and was like, a book about an African American woman with a chocolate addiction? Hey! Who wrote my life storye without my permission! So, I read the story to provide evidence for my case. However the heroine is a Veterinarian and leads a more fascinating life than mine. Alas I read on and enjoyed this read!

Dr. Briony Theale loves. her job as a veterinarian, a good bar of chocolate, and Rico, the ranger in charge of the Wildlife Rescue center. When a dinner date with her crush turns surprisingly intimate, Briony realizes that she might just have a chance with him.

Rico Montgomery fell hard for Briony the first time he set eyes on the curvy little doctor. Her rich brown hair and cocoa skin trigger cravings he can barely control, and her fragrance is like the sweetest, richest chocolate he's ever scented in his life. That's a bad thing for Rico, because to a werewolf like him, chocolate is literally a toxin. 
Rico can't live with it, and Briony can't live without it. And when a certain wandering wolf finds a bag of chocolate in the trash near Briony's clinic, these two will find out just how toxic love can be.


This was just an okay read. I felt like I was missing part of the story, so I went about trying to find other books in the series and it turns out that this is the first. Then their was the drawn out story of Rico being stuck in his wolf form and not being able to tell Briony. Then their was the pack taking her hostage after Rico goes 'missing.'

There were just too many unexplained details and the 'drama' was a little to drawn out. The bombshell at the end concerning Dion was telegraphed with the first chapter. 

Overall, heh!

Form your own opinion by reading this book, click here!

So good I want another!

Mark of Kane by Nadia Aidan

The black cobra is a worldclass theif going after the eye of boudicam Logan is a interpol inspector chasing after the black cobra. Nikita is a beautiful womanm classy and artistic planning a night out with her lover. Little do they know they Nikita's little secret will bring all of them together.

The good: A black female spy +  A tall good looking love interest= a great read! The plot is interesting, the characters do have a depth rarely seen in this genre and the authors voice is clearly heard.

I'm jus sayin: The opener is sooo good. Thank Mrs aidan for expanding the genre from smut to real interesting stories with new characters and plots. Thank you girl for making me wish I could wear a cat suit, thank you for a black female character who's good at her job, but doesn't carry a chip on her shoulder. Thank you for writing a man that not only I appreciate, but so does she. ( Can i get an amen? I mean aren't we all tired of reading about bw running from perfectly good looking and acting men, cause they been hurt before? Haven't we all? Yes! Including me, but when hubby showed up, I showed out! Gave him all my love and was granted his in return)

The bad: The book can be a bit slow at times, especially since the beginning is so fast and exciting.

This is a good riding on the train book or a good glass of Riesling before bed book; the kind of read that takes your mind away from waiting on your stop, but without being to heavy on the smut, which can't get uncomfortable to read in public.

Antagonize me:

 Why I prefer the villain                            

Most people's favorite character in a book is the protagonist the good guy; mine is the antagonist the adversary of the hero. Yes, I love a good baddy; not to say that I'm evil or want the world annihilated, government thrown into chaos (cause the politicians do a great job of that themselves), or for them to marry/kill the girl; but, I do some key things about them................ 

 No restraint; wouldn't all of us love to let go? Really say and do what we want, "That color makes your skin look like oatmeal," or "No, you are not God's gift to women, you are God's gift to 1-800 numbers and dating services." Some of us actually say those things, but that "us" would never jump up on the "returns" counter at Target and start a riot would we? Yes, but only in our fantasies. The villain does just that, they cross the line, no matter where that line may be as long as they achieve their goal, it's worth it to them. 

They are having so much fun abandoning society's rules. While the good guy is straining to save the world the bad guy is having a blast blowing it to smithereens, I envy that a little. And, the more ruthless, despicable, & nasty they are, the more I can't wait for them to get their comeuppance. Hello, Joffrey Baratheon (from Song for Fire and Ice series) I'm talking to you! 

 I'm just sayin: Doesn't the protagonist get on your nerves even a little bit? They're so annoyingly "perfect" that I want to punch them in the face, Yeah that's right Sookie Stackhouse series with your free house, bikini sun bathing, every man I meet falls in love with me self. I'm working on my left jab just for you. Not that Sookie's life is perfect, but she never has to compromise and everything always works out for her in the end. And then there are characters like Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games Trilogy; a selfish, hot headed heoine who I completely hated. When marching to her death, Katniss tearfully says goodbye to her sister, but then turns to her mother; who she never forgives for sinking into depression after her father's death; and says, don't get depressed when I die. Ok, sure I won't be sad about the death of my oldest child. Total Bee-yotch! Did I want the capital to fall? Heh, sure. But, did I love it when Peeta choked her out? Yes, please! 

 I'm sayin so authors should listen:  I love the villain, they are often my favorite character, so I hate when someone takes a perfectly good baddy and castrates them. I recently read a book where the bad gal turned to a good gal towards the end of the book. Boo! How boring I don't want to feel sorry for the baddy, like Cersi Baratheon in a S.F.I. Who am I supposed to hate? Who will I yell at as I read? Whose death will I cheer? Stop! Keep them gloriously bad and let me love-hate them. Thankfully, Martin took the hint and Cersi is now back on top and should be madder and badder than ever in the next book!

Great villains: 

Serena from Ron Rash book Serena  

The Grinch from Dr.Seuss The Grinch who stole Christmas