Humor

Review: The Love Dog by Elsa Watson

February 14, 2013 by Barbara at Basia's Bookshelf 10 Comments

By Elsa Watson

Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Genre: Adult Contemporary/Fantasy Romance
Source: Publisher

Fired from her job as a paralegal, Samantha Novak is in trouble. When Telltale, a Hollywood tabloid, asks her to write an expose on the reality television dating show, The Love Dog, Samantha is thrilled. She’s always dreamed of being a writer, and the fat paycheck won’t hurt. After being recently left at the altar, she’s not too keen on love either.

Hired as the canine star’s handler, Samantha finds that digging up dirt on set is harder then she thought. Apollo, the show’s star, is a sweet golden retriever who takes his job as the “love dog” very seriously. He only wants to help couples fall in love and make everyone on set happy. Mason Hall, the show’s producer and leading man, is down to earth, charming, and… very attractive.

If Samantha doesn’t reveal to the world that the reality show isn’t exactly “real,” her new career will be over before it starts. But when she falls in love with Apollo and Mason, will she still have the heart to expose The Love Dog’s dirty secrets?

Goodreads Summary

Confession time: I’m not a dog person. It’s not even that I’m just a cat person, but I’m pretty much really, really not a dog person. They make me nervous, their barks are like nails on chalkboard to me and no matter how many times you bathe them, they smell. So book dogs are great, with all the fun, none of the pooper scoopers. I hadn’t read any dog-centric books until last year’s Dog Days by Elsa Watson and I loved the whimsy of being inside of one’s head. When Tor sent me Watson’s newest release, I was happy to read it and thought with that title, I had to do it on Valentine’s Day. I can review romance anytime, but how often can I do it from a dog’s perspective?

[Read more...]

Filed Under: *A Rating, 2013 Standalone Challenge, Barbara Recommends, Contemporary/Romance, Fantasy, Humor Tagged With: Elsa Watson

Fourth Grave Beneath my Feet

November 2, 2012 by Cait 4 Comments

Darynda Jones

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: Oct 30, 2012
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Source: Purchased

ometimes being the grim reaper really is that. Grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above. Or at least get dressed. She quickly realizes something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. The more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, has been cleared of all charges. He is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved. Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans.

Goodreads Summary

I LOVE this series. I didn’t start reading it until after the third book was released, and only then because my MIL loved the books and I wanted to have something else in common besides marriage. I don’t know why I was so antagonistic to the series in the beginning, but once I finished First Grave on the Right, I kicked myself in the butt and immediately read books two and three. I love being surprised every once in awhile, don’t you?

The aspect of the series that I enjoy the most is the snark. Charley has some of the best one-liners I’ve ever read. She is such a unique character, and I love being in her head. Charley and her secretary, Cookie, have some of the craziest conversations. I’m talking laugh-until-you-almost-pee-your-pants crazy conversations. Charley can be so juvenile and immature, but Cookie just gets her and goes along with it. Jones does a great job of balancing out the serious with the humor. Even though Charley’s life is difficult at times, and she’s often thrown under the bus by those closest to her, she somehow always manages to pick herself up and finds joys in the little things. At the end of the books I’m never left feeling devastated, despite what I’ve just read. The humor and wit is definitely not to be missed.

And then there’s Reyes Farrow. Holy. cow. Hands down, one of the sexiest heroes I’ve ever read. Not only in physical appearance, but also in his absolute devotion to Charley. In Fourth Grave several people mentioned to Charley that Reyes isn’t all he seems, and Charley has to decide whether to listen to them or not. Sometimes the motivation behind what Reyes does isn’t always apparent, and yeah, maybe some of his actions can be construed as shady. But he is there for Charley every single time, and I’ve always believed that actions speak louder than words. I guess Charley thinks so too, because the two finally have some smokin’ bedroom scenes. Well, they’ve always had those but in this book they’re both actually there physically. And uhh.. Reyes is a freakin’ sex god y’all. Just sayin’.

While I love the series and would recommend them, I’m starting to get frustrated with the pacing of the series. There is supposed to be this big event over the horizon, some big war between good and evil, but we don’t know any more information about it now than we did in the beginning. Everyone keeps telling Charley that she “really needs to know what she can do” or “needs to stop thinking like a human” and all the talk is getting old. I hope in the next book we’re let in on the big secret, because I’m ready for it. I’ve been ready for it. Or maybe I’m just too impatient, and I should zip my lips and just enjoy the ride. Hmm.. not a bad idea.

My Rating: A

Filed Under: *A Rating, Cait Recommends, Humor, Reviews, Urban Fantasy Tagged With: Darynda Jones

Fried Zombie Dee-Light! Ghoulish, Ghostly Tales

October 5, 2012 by Barbara at Basia's Bookshelf 8 Comments

By Susan Abel Sullivan

Published: April 18, 2012
Genre: Humor
Source: Author

A fun collection about ghouls, ghosts, zombies, and an advice column featuring dead letters from the lovelorn! You’ll want to steer clear of Bubba’s Cafe after you find out what they serve, and if you teach Group X, you’ll be leery of job postings for Certified Zombie Instructors. Quiver, quake and chuckle at these quirky tales of the paranormal.

Goodreads Summary

Susan approached me a little bit ago about reviewing Fried Zombie Dee-Light!, and I thought it would be the perfect book for opening up the Fraterfest-Read-Athon, four days devoted to cleaning up the scary, ghoulish or generally pulseless creatures in our TBR stash. Holy cow, this book was perfect! Okay, so I wasn’t cowering in fear, but there were zombies. Awesome, ridiculous zombies.

This book isn’t a single story but rather a collection of various types of writing. There are little short stories, one that’s a bit longer, a monologue, a poem and song lyrics. What they have in common for all their brevity is a sense of tightness, that exactly the right amount of story is in front of you. I never left one story or vignette thinking that there should have been more to it to make it better.

I have to confess though, the humor here is totally me. I’m pretty sure the author is tired of hearing it by now, but quirky is undoubtedly the best way of describing it. Just when you think something is normal, it takes a turn for the, “holy crap, what was that?” Susan is obviously an expert at blending the mundane with something startlingly absurd or just plain weird. I’d be relating to something and then laughing as something hideous and outrageous was dropped in, just matter-of-factly.

I was thinking of giving an example of a particular little story I loved the most, then I thought of another I preferred, then another that made me laugh out loud (and made my son roll his eyes at me when I tried to explain what I was laughing about). For a relatively short collection, there was a lot of variety, from the unexpectedly gross story about the cheerleader who wasn’t quite right anymore to the hilarious opening piece about a Zumba instructor who may have misread a help wanted ad and gotten in over her head; the slightly macabre song lyrics about Fried Zombie to an almost tender little story about a beloved pet. I never knew what to expect as I went from page to page and it was a lot of fun.

My Summary: Earlier this year because of time constraints, I had to pass on reading Susan’s book Cursed when I interviewed her in conjunction with the launch of World Weaver Press. After getting a taste of her talent with Fried Zombie Dee-Light!, I’ve bought it and now, will make the time to get to it.

My Rating: A