Book Review: Treachery In Death - By: J. D. Robb

Title: Treachery In Death
Author: J. D. Robb
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Page Count: 372
Copyright: 2011 by Nora Roberts
Publisher: The Berkley Publishing Group
Series: Book #32, series starts with Naked In Death

About the Author:
Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland, the youngest of five children. After school career that included some time in Catholic school and the discipline of nuns, she married young and settled in Keedysville, Maryland.

She worked briefly as a legal secretary. "I could type fast but couldn't spell, I was the worst legal secretary ever," she says now. After her sons were born she stayed home and tried every craft that came along. A blizzard in February 1979 forced her hand to try another creative outlet. She was snowed in with a three and six year old with no kindergarten respite in sight and a dwindling supply of chocolate.

Born into a family of readers, Nora had never known a time that she wasn't reading or making up stories. During that now-famous blizzard, she pulled out a pencil and a notebook and began to write down one of those stories. It was there that a career was born. Several manuscripts and rejections later, her first book, Irish Thoroughbred, was published by Silhouette in 1981.

Nora met her second husband, Bruce Wilder, when she hired him to build bookshelves. They were married in July 1985. Since that time, they've expanded their home, traveled the world and opened a bookstore together.

Through the years, Nora has always been surrounded by men. Not only was she the youngest in her family, but she was also the only girl. She has raised two sons. Having spent her life surrounded by men, Ms. Roberts had a fairly good view of the workings of the male mind, which is a constant delight to her readers. It was, she's been quotes as saying, a choice between figuring men out or running away screaming.

Nora is a member of several writers groups and has won countless awards from her colleagues and the publishing industry. Recently The New Yorker called her "America's favourite novelist."

Synopsis:

Detective Eve Dallas and her partner, Peabody, are following up on a senseless - crime an elderly grocery store owner killed by three stoned punks for nothing more than kicks and snacks. This is Peabody's first case as primary detective - good thing she learned from the master.

Soon after Peabody stumbles upon an even trickier situation. After a hard workout, she's alone in a locker room when the gym door clatters open and she overhears two fellow officers arguing - while shes trapped inside the shower stall, trying not to make a sound. It doesn't take long to realise these two are both crooked and dangerous - guilty not only of corruption but also of murder.

Now Peabody, Eve and Eve's husband Roake are working to find the hard evidence they are going to need to bring down some dirty cops. Knowing full well that these bad cops are willing to kill to keep their secret.

My Thoughts:

Overall I really enjoyed this novel, although it did take me a little bit more time than I would have liked to get through it. The main characters Roarke, Peabody and Eve were extremely intriging and leaving me wanting to get to know them more than just between the cover of this book. Robb, drops little tidbits in the book about their past but not enough to reveal it totally to the reader, only enough for them to know that a certain character could've had a rocky past and thats what leads them to make certain judgements now. Hopefully I'll have the same thoughts about the other books in the series, as I did about this one.

Thanks for reading, I welcome any comments, feedback or your opinions about the book.
Happy Reading

Sincerely,
Lady M

Book Review: Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

Title: Fifty Shades of Grey
Author: E.L. James
Genre: Erotic Fiction
Page Count: 384 (ebook copy)
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: The Writer's Coffee Shop
Series: Fifty Shades Trilogy; Fifty Shades Darker (second book), Fifty Shades Freed (third book)

About the Author:
" I'm a former TV executive, wife and mother-of-two based in the leafy suburbs of West London. Since January 2012 my life has taken an extraordinary turn with the runaway success of the Fifty Shades Trilogy. From an early age I had always dreamt of writing stories that readers would fall in love with - and my dreams have come true, thanks to you guys. Now that life seems to have settled down a little, I want to crack on and write my next novel - another adult, provocative romance. I do hope you will enjoy that too.

Thank you for all your support. It has meant the world to me. If any one were to ask me for my thought about this whole expierence, I would say: life is not a dress rehearsal - seize the day and follow your dreams. I wish you the best of luck.

EL November 2012"
CREDIT: EL James' website

Synopsis:

When literature student Anastasia Steele goes to interview young entrepreneur Christian Grey, she encounters a man who is beautiful, brilliant and intimidating. The unworldly, innocent Ana is startled to realise she wants this man and, despite his enigmatic reserve, finds she is desperate to get close to him. Unable to resist Ana's quiet beauty, wit and independant spirit, Grey admits he wants her, too-but on his own terms.

Shocked yet thrilled by Grey;s singular erotic tastes, Ana hesitates. For all the trappings of success-his multinational businesses, his vast wealth, his loving family-Grey is a man tormented by demons and consumed by the need to control. When the couple embarks on a daring passionately physical affair, Ana discovers Christian Grey's secrets and explores her own dark desires.

My Thoughts:

First off let me just say that this isn't a book I would have picked up off the bookstore shelf and started reading. When I was at the bookstore, I did pick this book up and read the synopsis on the back and put it right back where I found it knowing that this wasn't the book for me. The title was what caught my eye...that was until I read the back of the book and then dismissed it. And it isn't a genre I venture into. In fact even after hearing my friend tell me that I absolutely had to read this book, I still didn't. It peeked my interest when both my aunt and mother recommended the book. In all truth it was an amazing book; it has an excellent romantic story line and I am a die hard romantic and this book minus the eroctic-ness piqued my interest when I first started reading it.

The characters...oh my gosh, don't even get me started. I love Ana and her personality and Christian and his mysteriousness. It took me exactly one day to read this ebook. Minus all the hours spent catching up on all the sleep I was deprived of. I started late in the afternoon and finished the next day in the early afternoon and trust me when I say this, that i was a hard book to put down. I immediately started reading the sequel as soon as I finished the first one because of the cliff hanger the author leaves us at. I absolutely am in love with the character and the story line. I definately recommend reading the book if your looking for a die hard romance that grips your heart with a fantastically written plot line.

Book Review: Family Storms by V. C. Andrews

Title: Family Storms
Author: V. C. Andrews
Genre: Fiction
Page Count: 378
Copyright: 2011 by Vanda General Partnership
Publisher: Pocket Star Books
Series: March Family Series (Book One) Sequel: Cloudburst

About the Author:
One of the most popular authors of all time, V.C. Andrews has a been a bestselling phenomenon since the publication of the spellbinding classic Flowers in the Attic. That blockbuster novel began the renowned Dollanganger family saga, which includes Petals on the Wind, If There Be Thorns, Seeds of Yesterday and Garden of Shadows. Since then, readers have been captivated by more than sixty novels in nearly twenty bestselling series. V.C. Andrews's novels have sold more than 106 million copies and have been translated into twenty-two foreign languages.
Credit: Simon & Schuster

Synopsis:

IN THE EYE OF THE STORM...
Living on the streets with her destitute mother, selling knickknacks and trinkets just to survive, Sasha Porter dreams of someday having a normal life, with a real home and family. But she never dreamed a devastating tragedy would bring her those very things: on a stormy night by a rain spattered highway, a speeding car veers out of control, striking and killing her mother and badly injuring Sasha.

...IS ANYWHERE TRUELY SAFE?
In the hospital, Sasha is whisked off to a fancy private suite at the requst of wealthy Mrs. Jordan Marsh, a complete stranger who keeps watch by Sasha's bedside and insists she come and live at her family's sprawling, luxurious mansion. Sasha soon learns Mrs. March never recoved from the loss of her daughter Alena, and with nowhere else to go, Sasha agrees to use Alena's room, sleep in her bed and wear her clothes. But someone will make sure that Sasha never takes Alena's place: a jealous sister dead set on making Sasha's life a living hell.

My Thoughts:

I absolutely adored it!
I literally couldn't put the book down. It kept me wanting to read more and that is what I love about certain books. It had a really good plot line with lots of twists and turns and a very surprising turn of events. The way Andrews' tricks readers into believing that the older sister Kiera is really up to something good when really she's plotting and using Sasha. The hostile relationship between Jordan March and her daughter Kiera also makes me wonder what secrets the family holds and the way they act towards each other makes it seem like something else is going on or Andrews has withheld the reason why Kiera is so hostile towards her mother. It makes me also wonder whether or not there is some truth to the fact that Jordan March is trying to turn Sasha into her late daughter Alena; with Sasha sleeping in Alena's old bedroom and wearing her clothes. Hopefully all will be revealed in the second book Cloudburst.

Thanks for reading, I welcome any comments or feedback or your opinions on the book.
Happy Reading

Sincerely,
Lady M