Dark Side of the Moon, Sherrilyn Kenyon

Oh, Nick.

So.

A lot happening here.

Our main characters are Susan and Ravyn. Susan is a reporter who used to be renowned for her investigative reporting. She was disgraced and now works for a trashy tabloid. The kind that writes about bat boys and alien invaders.

The catch? It's run by a squire! If you don't remember squires, they're the human helpers of the Dark Hunters. They help care for them during the day to allow them to focus on protecting humans against the Daimons.

Ravyn, he's a rare were-Dark Hunter. See, if you remember the creation story of weres, you'll remember they were created by a king to save his Apollite sons from dying at 27. That makes the weres and Apollites cousins of sorts. So, becoming a hunter isn't something that weres really do or appreciate.

His backstory, like all Dark Hunters, is pretty sad. As a were, he received the mate mark. If you remember from the other were stories, were's get one fated mate. It's the only person they can procreate with. And it's all on the women to choose to stay with her mate. Ravyn's mate was a human. His mother encouraged him to tell her the truth about them, that if she loved him, she would accept him.

Well, she didn't love or accept him. She ran and told her village about them. Her village then attacked his and killed all the women and children. Everyone who was in the village was slaughtered. The men were out hunting when it happened. Some were bonded with their mates and died when the women did. That's how the group knew what was happening. They rushed back, but it was too late.

Ravyn's family has blamed him ever since.

Alone, Lisa Gardner

So, this is actually a book I gave my mom as a gift a while back. I had found it on a list of for "the best" mystery and crime books. I was trying to find some new authors. *shrug*

When I asked my mom, she said it had been good, but frankly, I really didn't like this book.

It was wired.

First, this is the first book of the DD Warren series...except that DD is barely in it. It's all about this guy, Bobby.

Who does that?

Second, the other main character is Catherine, and I do not like her. I don't think we're supposed to, but still...

Third, I don't really like DD!! How can I not like the title character?

*sigh*

OK, lets get into this...

Beyond Reach, Karin Slaughter

Ok, kids, we're doing this one a little differently.

I give a general spoiler warning in the blog intro/description, but I still try to be conscientious of what I give away. I only usually call them out in my reviews if they're pretty obvious and I'm being facetious.

However, as I also say in my review, these aren't meant to be a synopsis of the book, but I do have to give some sort of run down in order to make the parts I want to talk about make sense.

But, in order to discuss this amazeballs book honestly, I need to reveal a huge spoiler.

Which brings me to the different part. Normally, I put the page break in mostly for space and try to place it where it makes you want to read the rest of the review. Because of this major spoiler, I'm placing the break after this intro.

This really was a great book (with and without spoilers), and I absolutely would tell you to read this and the whole Grant County series (in order). But, if you're not like me and a major spoiler ruins it for you, makes you want to not read something, do yourself a favor: Read this book, then come back and read my review.

If not....keep reading....if you dare...

The Expats, Chris Pavone

I have no idea how to write this review. Normally, I don't think about the review while I'm reading the book. I did with this one. Sure I have opinions as I'm reading. I even discuss them while I'm reading, but I don't actively think "what am I going to say," while I'm reading. Here, I just wasn't sure what I would write about. Was I enjoying it? Did I hate it? Was it just one of those books I don't really enjoy till the end? That's happened before. I've been reading a book, thinking "this thing is terrible," until the last 10 pages. I can't not finish a book.

But I didn't hate this book. I can't say I liked it that much either. Ok, the premise here is a CIA agent, Kate, who quits her job and moves to Luxembourg with her family when her husband gets a job offer. Shortly after moving, she meets Julia and Bill Mclean. Shortly after that, she begins to believe the Mcleans are not who they claim to believe and that her husband, Dexter, is hiding something from her. Something big. She's right on all accounts. The Mcleans are undercover FBI agents working with Interpol to investigate Dexter for stealing 50 million Euros. And he's guilty.

Exciting right? Former spy, married to a thief, being investigated by the FBI. It's got all the makings of a suspenseful drama. But it's not. It's not a book I couldn't put down. In some cases I decided to play Sudoku on my phone instead of read. Unheard of!