The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly

Synopsis via Goodreads:

It is a secret the Chinese government has been keeping for forty years.

They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.

Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed.

A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time.

Among them is Dr. Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles.

The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong.

Of course it can’t…

I received a copy of this book through Netgalley in return for a honest review.

OMG!! This is a book that starts out with a bang and never stops!! It is an action packed book full of excitement, adventure, nail-biting moments, international intrigue, and did I mentions DRAGONS?!!

Mr. Reilly is a top notch action adventure author. He knows exactly how to get you hooked from the very first half of the first chapter and keep you glued to the pages until the very last word.

I really loved the thought and imagination that went into creating the dragons. The fact that Mr. Reilly created multiple types of dragons made the story multi-dimensional. It went beyond man vs. dragon. It was a story with so many complexities: man vs. man, man vs. dragon, dragon vs. dragon, dragon/man vs. man, man/dragon vs. dragon.
I would LOVE to see this book made into a movie! The action is non-stop, the explosions would be epic, the dragons would be spectacular, and the fact that a woman is the main character/heroine would make it even more epic! But of course, China may end up threatening us again. . .

This story is on par with Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park series. The science makes you think that it is a possibility, the adventure pulls you along for the ride, and the dragons, well let's just say there are one or two that will make you wish you could have one of your own.

This is a MUST read!!

The After House by Michael Phillip Cash

Synopsis via Goodreads:

Remy Galway and her daughter Olivia are rebuilding their life after a failed marriage in a 300 year old cottage in historic Cold Spring Harbor, Long Island. Little do they know, another occupant is lurking in the haven of their own home. Will the After House be their shelter or their tomb?

I received a copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This book was very slow and difficult to get into. After reading the synopsis I was expecting a story about a mother and child battling a poltergeist or some such scary ghost. Instead I got bogged down by the backstory of a sailor and a divorce.
I only got 33% into the story before I couldn't go any further.

I feel bad about having a review that is negative, but I can't think of anything positive about this book. I am very sorry Mr. Cash.

Barefoot with a Bodyguard by Roxanne St. Claire

Synopsis via RoxanneStClaire.com:

After receiving death threats, Kate Kingston hopes to appease her father by taking a month-long vacation in a resort, hoping for silence, security, and solitude while she studies for the bar. But he last thing she expects or wants when she arrives in Barefoot Bay is a brooding, bruising, muscle-bound Russian bodyguard breathing down her neck. Especially since everything about him sparks sensations that have her thinking about his body far more than her books.

Alec Petrov is running for his life and protecting a young attorney-to-be while pretending to be her husband is not a bad way to live in hiding. But something about the beautiful law student brings out a side of Alec that he never knew he had and doesn't know how to handle. While he teaches Kate how to protect herself, she teaches him how to take down walls to discover that even a man trained to kill can have a tender side.

When their make-believe honeymoon in paradise turns sensual, complicated, and dangerous, Alec and Kate realize it's not just their lives that are in jeopardy, it's their hearts. And they'll have to fight to the end to save each other...and their love. 

Miss St. Claire has done it again! She has combined the perfect amount of suspense, sun, sand, romance, and personal angst to create a story that will carry you away! 

Kate and Alec find themselves in the need of witness protection, but don't really qualify in the eyes of the government. But that turns out to be great for them. Gabe Rossi has "opened up" for business providing private witness protection for people who are in need.

What can a MMA trainer and a Yale graduate have in common? Well, they both need to drop off the grid to protect their lives. They become the perfect cover for each other: pretend to be husband and wife on their honeymoon at a posh resort in Florida. What better place for romance than sun and sand?

But of course it can't be all sunshine and roses-that would be boring. And this story is FAR from boring. Miss St. Claire develops strong characters that work their way through the fact that they have realized they are truly vulnerable. But as they journey together, they learn that in their vulnerabilities, together they are strong.

Oh and the extra fun lies in the "side" characters. You will have no choice but to fall in love with Nino and Poppy!

Miss St, Claire is an extremely talented writer who knows how to take her readers along with her to a world where romance is the norm, and love can conquer all!

This is the first in her new series Barefoot Bay Undercover. Another series that will WOW! the reader and climb the best seller charts!

Barefoot Bound by Roxanne St. Claire

Synopsis via RoxanneStClaire.com:

Former spy and current bad boy Gabriel Rossi is headed to Barefoot Bay to start and run a new covert operation, but before he goes, he has some business to take care of up in Boston. Family business. With the Rossi and Angelino family, that means there will be laughter, love, food, and forgiveness...and the possibility someone is in danger.

On the eve of his departure, Gabe learns that his grandfather, Nino, might be in some serious trouble. Gabe will stop at nothing to help the man he considers his best friend, even if that means risking his own life to save Nino's. But even Gabe might not be sly and smart enough to protect Nino from the one thing that could really hurt this sweet old man...a broken heart.

So, before you slip off your shoes and go all the way undercover, get to know Gabriel Rossi, the hero at the heart of Barefoot Bay Undercover.

I would like to thank Miss St. Claire for the free copy of the book in return for an honest review.

This is a novella that introduces the reader to Gabe and his venture into his new business outside of the Angelino family, Bayfoot Bay Undercover.
I love reading about the Rossi and Angelino family. It is one huge Italian family that lives and breathes "family comes first". Each family member has their own special gift. This novella focuses on Gabe, but gives us a deeper insight into Uncle Nino.
As I mentioned it is a novella, so their isn't a ton of information being dished out. The important information is how Gabe decides to venture out on his own. The "side" information is all about Uncle Nino. Uncle Nino is the cook of the family. And he has loved cooking for the huge Angelino family for a very long time. But now the kids are all adults and Uncle Nino is having a little bit of "empty nest" syndrome. 
There is a sweet little twist in the story. A little suspense and lots of family love. 
No, this isn't a story of sex and love; it is a set up explaining how Gabe decided to venture out on his own. Ahh, but we don't get the whole story. We'll have to wait for Gabe's story to figure out the "real" reason. *Sigh* a little more suspense. It is completely worth the time it takes to read. For me, it was only a few hours and it left me wanting to delve right in to Barefoot with a Bodyguard, the first book in her new series Barefoot Bay Undercover. (on sale this week!)
This is a great short read that will make you fall in love with Gabe and the Angelinos, if you haven't read about them yet. It will make you wish you had a huge, loving family that eats all the time!

It is well worth the 99 cent price tag and priceless in the enjoyment you will get out of the read!!

Mr. In Between by Neil Cross

Synopsis via Amazon.com:

Jon Bennet is the perfect employee: systematic, productive, and utterly reliable. He is also completely detached from the world around him and seemingly feels nothing . . . for Jon's life is anything but common. On the tight leash of the Tattooed Man, Jon kills and maims on order. And he's good at it. But Jon's days of favor are about to end. After bumping into old school friends, he slowly reenters the normal world, where the bonds of friendship, love, and kindness are expected, and he finds himself changing back into the person he once was. But the Tattooed Man requires total servitude, and his wrath is more fearful than Jon could ever have expected.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

 This story was so hard to get through. I kept wondering if this book was written under the influence of drugs. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. I understand that it is a dark thriller about a killer's life, but seriously? First of all, there didn't seem to be any "thriller" to it. And I got lost in the context of time, the story flow was hard to keep up with, and the characters were just total trash. I began to contemplate the need for the reader to use drugs to get any portion of the book.

This book was a total waste of my time. I have another book of his to read and review. I hope it is 100% better. But, I WILL be taking a break from Mr. Cross's work for a little while.

Sorry readers, but this is a total dud!

A Shiver of Light (Meredith Gentry #9) by Laurell K. Hamilton

Synopsis via Goodreads:

I am Princess Meredith NicEssus. Legal name Meredith Gentry, because “Princess” looks so pretentious on a driver’s license. I was the first faerie princess born on American soil, but I wouldn't be the only one for much longer...

Merry Gentry, ex–private detective, now full-time princess, knew she was descended from fertility goddesses, but when she learned she was about to have triplets, she began to understand what that might mean. Infertility has plagued the high ranks of faerie for centuries. Now nobles of both courts of faerie are coming to court Merry and her men, at their home in exile in the Western Lands of Los Angeles, because they will do anything to have babies of their own.

Taranis, King of Light and Illusion, is a more dangerous problem. He tried to seduce Merry and, failing that, raped her. He’s using the human courts to sue for visitation rights, claiming that one of the babies is his. And though Merry knows she was already pregnant when he took her, she can’t prove it.

To save herself and her babies from Taranis she will use the most dangerous powers in all of faerie: a god of death, a warrior known as the Darkness, the Killing Frost, and a king of nightmares. They are her lovers, and her dearest loves, and they will face down the might of the high courts of faerie—while trying to keep the war from spreading to innocent humans in Los Angeles, who are in danger of becoming collateral damage.

So, this is one of my favorite series. I love reading about Merry and her "men". There is always excitement, adventure, sex and intrigue. And Miss Hamilton did not disappoint!

I was afraid that the previous book was going to be the last. All the characters were happy, Merry was pregnant, and faerie was alive and growing again, even if it was in Los Angeles. But I was so happy to see another book out!

The excitement starts at the beginning of the book with the birth of the triplets. Merry introduces us to each baby and the reason behind their names. And of course, the babies are not your typical babies, either by human standards or faerie standards. Of course, they don't have your everyday, typical one father.
I enjoyed getting more of an insight into Aunt Andais. And of course King Taranis is being his normal nutso self. But he is the main villain this time.

I read a review that said this was a fluff piece. Of course this particular reviewer used the f-word like it was a preposition, multiple times in each sentence throughout the review and then got a conscience and used this: @$$ for ass. So I personally don't give much credence to the review.

I enjoyed being back among Merry and her group. There is lots of love, acceptance of most everyone, genuine respect for Merry by her fellow faerie brethren, and struggles. Miss Hamilton doesn't make everything sunshine and roses. While Merry is well respected by most of the faerie-folk, she has struggles with them too. Not only those against her, but those that are in her camp. Miss Hamilton shows the reader the side of Merry that struggles with being a leader and providing everything that is needed for her followers. Miss Hamilton does a great job of showing Merry's human side and faerie side.
 This particular book in the series was very short on sex (especially compared to the others, but it did have some) and very long on developing characters, struggles, and storyline. I found it very hard to put down (I read it in 2 days). While there is a primary character death, unfortunately it wasn't one of the characters that meant a lot to me, so I didn't feel that impact. But Miss Hamilton did a great job of writing the reactions to that death. Oh and the babies!! I really love how the babies are so interesting and special!
As always, I anxiously await the next book. In the mean time, I have an Anita Blake book to get to the store and get. . .
This is a definite read and I hope you have a happy time reading!!

I welcome responses and opinions to my reviews. I would love to hear from my visitors.