LaurieRyan

First, having been caught off guard by not knowing the last couple books I’ve read didn’t finish at the end, but continued the story in the next book, I appreciate that this is a complete story. It seems there are more adventures in Charles’ life, but this adventure has an end. I very much appreciate that.

Now, to the story itself. Being an Anne McCaffrey fan, I love dragon stories, so a glance at the cover said it was a no-brainer to pick this one up. And it held my attention. Charles was self-deprecating and not always sure of himself, but he grows into the decisions he must make. As well, being a dragon handler is believable and well done. In fact, I wouldn’t have minded seeing more about his life as a dragon handler. Maybe there’s a prequel out there I haven’t noticed yet? I’ll have to check.

All in all, this is a solid, diverting read I enjoyed a lot. I’ll be heading to Ms. Dune’s website to look for more dragon books.

I can see why there’s so much hype about this story. I held off reading it until now as I wasn’t sure I could read a plot like this, about children. However, it’s so well done and so compelling I was fascinated. And pulling for Katniss and Peeta the whole time. I wish...well, I’ve apparently had my head buried under some rock. I didn’t realize the story continues in the next book. And I’m in a place where I can’t download Catching Fire. Argggh! So I’ll have to wait an entire week to read the next one. Come to think of it, I won’t be loading this review up until then, either. But I do want to applaud the author for a unique and captivating story. I read it in 3 days and I haven’t done that in ages. I could not put it down.

Addendum: I'm home from vacay and am well into Catching Fire. :)

This story totally drew me into the Christmas mood. The decorations and accoutrement were like an extra character in the story. It’s a light, quick, holiday read that will definitely fill you with holiday spirit. The world Autumn created is well done. If I had to give any down side, it’s that the story could easily handle expansion. I would have enjoyed seem more of Allison and her relationship with Tom. In fact, I’m headed to the author’s website next to see if their story is in her backlist. 

I’ve never read a first-person new adult genre story, but I liked it...a lot. Braxton and Aubrey are diverse and believable. The snow is deep, the attraction immediate, and the sex hot. A nice kick off for the Lumberjacks Rookies stories and I’m looking forward to more.

I’ve been loving Robyn Carr’s Virgin River series, so I thought I’d step away from it for a moment and try something else. Runaway Mistress is a different kind of love story than I’ve read before. Alex and Jennifer, er, Doris, don’t have their first real interaction until about page 100, but it’s worth the wait. :) And Jennifer’s metamorphosis throughout the book is seamless, interesting, and very satisfying. I also have to say the final line is this story is one of the best I’ve ever read. It’s perfect for the story and the character. So, whether it’s her Virgin River series or another story Robyn Carr has written, I’m officially a fan.