Acquainted With the Night by Piper Maitland

Very Good Read

Acquainted With the Night by Piper Maitland is a story where Indian Jones meets Da Vinci Code with paranormal mythos peppered into the mix to create an original story that will keep you guessing. The book offers a lot of excitement, emotion and adventure. 

Going from mundane London tour guide, Caroline (Caro) Clifford becomes a person who is sought after by many people throughout many countries. There is a massive manhunt out there searching for her. Some of them are good guys; but, most of them are not. Fate has partnered Caro with Jude Barrett, a handsome, quirky former biochemist who studied mice in his experiments in which he was able to mimic vampirism. He is on his own quest to find out more regarding the mysteries he may have unlocked. And a long the way, he ends up with a lot more than he has bargained for.

Caro has her world turned upside down when she learns her Uncle/guardian has been brutally murdered while he was on an archeological dig in Bulgaria. His death leaves Caro’s world in a literal tailspin as she travels all over the globe to unearth hidden papers and truths many would like to leave well hidden.  Along the way she finds out that the night has a lot more to offer than the normal things that go “bump” in the night.  

Caro also discovers some truths about her self that will make her question the foundational certainty of who she always thought she was.  As the mystery unravels and her journey gets more treacherous, she makes many discoveries that would make any normal person want to surrender, turn around, and go back home; but, Caro and Jude get to a point of no return and must see this adventure to the end.

This is a good story with many exciting twists and turns to keep the reader guessing and very entertained.  There is an element to the novel that I found frustrating.  In my opinion, the author was trying to juggle a lot of plots and then have them all culminate together at the end to give the reader a pulse-pounding ending; but, Ms. Maitland misses the mark a little bit by “putting too many irons in the fire.” I feel that the story was a little disjointed in spots, especially in the beginning of the book. But, given that, Acquainted With the Night by Piper Maitland is a good paranormal story that offers a lot of high adventure and romance. I am looking forward to more Caro and Jude adventures in the coming book which Piper is surely writing.  


Happy Reading!!

Review originally posted at Demon Lover Books and More.

(ARC provided by NetGalley for an honest review.)

Bound by Blood (The Garner Witch #1) by P.A. Lupton

Fantastic Debut Novel

Bound by Blood, (The Garner Witch, #1) by P.A. Lupton is a smooth, enjoyable, humorous paranormal romance complete with memorable characters and a captivating plot.  Brianna Reece is an FBI agent and a witch with strong empathetic psychic abilities which allows her to very adept at interrogation. She and her partner,Todd Morrison, become embroiled in an investigation which centers around a series of murders where the victims are all women who resemble her and are killed by exsanguination with no outward trauma. As her investigation moves along, she meets the sexy and illustrious Nathan Donovan who owns a security company which seems to have ties to many of the murder victims. The story’s plot takes the reader down a path of intense anticipation and excitement in the paranormal romantic suspense and personal revelation on the part of Brianna.

The author’s voice is polished and flows very nicely. She adeptly uses the first person point of view from Brianna’s perspective which is fresh, fun and often capricious. Brianna is an enjoyable heroine to read about because she is funny, spunky, honest, loyal, and persistent in her need to do the right thing. Nathan is her perfect complement as a hero because he is a sexy vampire who shows an unwavering commitment towards Brianna and devotion for those under his protection. Plus, his personality remains consistent and reliable. These elements add to the enjoyment of the story because there is no frustrating clash of personalities that make a reader want to hurl the book against the nearest wall.

Another positive point to Bound by Blood is the steadfast buildup to the relationship between Nathan and Brianna.  Despite their strong attraction to each other, they take their relationship slowly. The author successfully adds to the anticipation of establishing the relationship by weaving a romance that is charmingly sweet and touching while portraying intense feeling. She successfully causes the reader’s heart to melt. There is one part in the story where the author describes a build up to a kiss that will make the reader catch his/her breath.

P.A. Lupton is a very adept writer whose debut novel is a welcome addition to the paranormal romance genre. She has created a novel that is both character and plot driven with a smooth cadence to the storytelling.  Readers will not be disappointed in Bound by Blood and should be proud to add the book to their bookshelves. 

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!

Something About You by Julie James

 

Phenomenal Read

Something About You by Julie James was one of the most entertaining reads I have read in a long time. The story has a very humorous start where the heroine, Cameron Lynde, is in a hotel room where her sleep is rudely disturbed by a couple in the room next her having a vigorous lovemaking session. The cause for her sleep disturbance leads the story into a plot of intrigue where Cameron is reunited with FBI Agent Jack Pallas after three years where he fortuitously assigned as the agent in charge of the investigation Cameron unwittingly has found herself in the midst of.

When Jack left the Chicago area three years earlier, he and Cameron did not part on friendly terms, although they have a grudging respect for each other professionally. So, the start of their reunion has a strong cantankerous edge to it. Agent Wilkins who is Jack’s partner in the investigation adds some much needed comic relief to the strained situation. There were several laugh out loud moments in this book that were incited by Agent Wilkins. The other secondary characters in this story add a cohesive grounding in Cameron’s life and eventually, in Jack’s life.

The interest and heat that began when Cameron and Jack worked on their first case together starts to simmer again. The sexual tension that grows is thick as they feel more and more drawn to each other on a physical level. As the mystery of the plot thickens, the two learn to trust one another again despite the hurt they have caused each other in the past.

The author definitely knows how to capture her audience with mystery, suspense, sensuality, friendship, humor and love. Adding to those elements, Julie James voice is light and snarky at times. The delivery of Cameron and Jack’s story draws the reader in with her originality and sense of humor. In addition, her ability to create characters the reader will fall in love and connect with is outstanding. The romance reader would be remiss to pass up this story and this author. I highly recommend this book.

Some of my favorite quotes from Something About You are:

• The manager gestured to the door. “Would you mind if I escorted you back into your room, Ms. Lynde?” This was Polite-Peninsula-Hotel-speak for “You might as well get comfortable because your eavesdropping ass isn’t going anywhere.”

• “Glowering”—she liked that description. It was certainly more insightful than the generic “asshole” she’d been going with for the past three years.

• ...she realized then that her mind was already so far down in the gutter she’d need an extension ladder to get it out so she might as well just give in to the whole darn fantasy.

• (He looked) More like a chocolate molten lava cake. A dessert so sinful, so luscious, so filled with inner heat it made a girl want to lick each and every crumb right off the plate. That was Jack Pallas.

Happy Reading from Bona Fide Reflections!!