Buy It Now: On Amazon.com
Description: Some days, a girl just can’t catch a break … especially when the girl in question is Georgina Kincaid, a shape-shifting succubus who gets her energy from seducing men. First there’s her relationship with gorgeous bestselling writer Seth Mortensen, which is unsatisfying on a number of levels. It’s not just that they can’t have sex in case Georgina inadvertently kills him (generally a turn-off for most guys). Lately, even spending time together is a challenge. Seth’s obsessed with finishing his latest novel, and Georgina’s under demonic orders to mentor the new (and surprisingly inept) succubus on the block.

Then there are the dreams. Someone, or something, is preying on Georgina at night, draining her energy, and supplying eerie visions of her future. Georgina seeks answers from Dante, a dream interpreter with ties to the underworld, but his flirtatious charm only leaves her more confused-especially as the situation with Seth reaches crisis point. Now Georgina faces a double challenge-rein in her out-of-control love life, and go toe-to-toe with an enemy capable of wreaking serious havoc among mankind. Otherwise, Georgina, and the entire mortal world, may never sleep easy again. (from barnesandnoble.com)
Other Reviews:

• The Book Smugglers (9/10)
• Mrs. Giggles (85/100)
• Samantha Hunter @ writersarereaders.com (positive)
• Love Vampires (4/5 stars)

(Have you reviewed Succubus Dreams? Drop the URL in the comments, and I’ll add your link!)

The Fangirl’s Review: A

Wow. I… just, wow. The novel’s plot itself is engaging, the mystery is interesting (if a bit easy to solve, once a few pieces fall together), and Richelle Mead’s writing is (as always) funny and engrossing.

But what really got me about Succubus Dreams is the emotion. Near the end of the novel, I felt like the book had magically grown arms and punched me right in the gut. For me, the sign of a really good book isn’t necessarily a great plot or a shocker mystery. It’s when I identify emotionally so much with the main character that when something bad happens to her, I feel it too. And BOY, did I feel with Georgina.

Beware HUGE spoilers after the jump. I can’t help myself, I have to talk about it. It’s like a book counseling session.

I’ve got to admit, I’ve never been a huge fan of Seth Mortensen. Sure, he’s a nice guy, but that’s just it. He’s nice, and aside from his relationship with Georgie, there’s absolutely no conflict inherent in his character. He was kinda boring. So, by that token, I should have been happy when he and Georgie broke up.

I wasn’t. I wanted to reach into the pages of that book and punch him right in his nice guy nose. See, if he had actually broken up with Georgie after their fight, I wouldn’t have been so mad at him. I’d have been a bit pissed, because the timing of that deal-breaker fight pretty much confirmed to me that he couldn’t deal with the no sex thing. Actually, what he did right after the fight DID confirm it. He walked out of Georgie’s apartment, ran into Maddie, and then slept with her.

What an asshole.

And then letting Georgie find out the way she did? Double asshole. He should have told her that it was over LONG before that point, especially if he’d been thinking about it for a while. What a tool.

I’d love it if he didn’t show up again in the books, but unfortunately he will be in Succubus Heat. I just hope that he and Georgie won’t get back together. I think they’re wrong for each other in the long run, and… here’s the emotional attachment part… I think Georgie can do so much better.

But as pissed off as I am at Seth, I also think this is by far the best direction for Mead to take the series. Georgina was stuck when she was with Seth. She was clinging to a life that she, by her own admission, can never have, and when that started to fall apart, she easily put on the mantle of Martyr for Love. She can’t keep that up forever. Aside from the fact that it’s not healthy for her, it will also get really boring really quickly for the readers. I want to see Angry Georgina in the next book, not Mopey Georgina. She’s been suppressing feelings about her own fate for way too long. It’s time for her to get pissed off and figure out a way to come to terms with herself.

Crichton has been one of my favorite authors for years. I started reading his books when the film version of Jurassic Park was released, and I fell in love with his style. His books entertained the hell out of me, but I also learned so much while I was reading. This was young geek heaven for me. Jurassic Park was a fascinating read, Sphere scared the living hell out of me, The Andromeda Strain is still one of my favorite books, Timeline produced one of my favorite characters ever, Andre Marek (tall, dark, and a medievalist? oh, be still my heart!). Crichton was a brilliant, creative person, and he will be sorely missed.

[sigh]

I’m about halfway through Richelle Mead’s Succubus Dreams, and I promise I’ll post a review as soon as I finish it. I’ve just got to find time to finish it! Next up in the reading-for-pleasure stack is Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs and The Light Ages by Ian R. MacLeod.

My boyfriend brought home an enormous time suck the other day… Little Big Planet. He’s waiting for me to finish up homework stuff so we can be adorable little sackpeople together. C’mon, homework, do yourself!

Like last year, and the year before, I’m not participating in NaNoWriMo. November is pretty much the worst month possible for this sort of thing. November means starting on final projects, writing papers, doing editorial review type stuff… In other words, way too much crap that prevents me from doing what I really want to do: write fiction.

Le sigh.

Maybe I’ll turn December/January into sort of an impromptu NaNoWriMo. I’m on winter break then… I should start plotting out a novel now.

So, that’s why I’ve been lax in posting here. Working one’s arse off really cuts into the blogging time, unfortunately.

I’m about halfway through Richelle Mead’s Succubus Dreams, which I’m LOVING so far, so expect a review of that as soon as I get a chance to breathe, heh.

And, since the Big Day is looming, I wanted to take a second to remind all of my American readers to vote on Tuesday, if you haven’t already! I voted this past Monday. :)

Links! Because I really do have to buckle down and work on other stuff.

How to Read, Drink, and Be Merry. Alcoholic beverage paired with books. Some good suggestions, but I drink white wine and wouldn’t touch chick lit with a ten foot pole. Austen I agree with, though, heh.

Now here’s a genre that was sadly missed by that post’s author. What would you drink with paranormal romance? Which beverage would you pair with Richelle Mead, Linnea Sinclair, Karen Chance? Tell me in the comments. :D

In other news, I got artistic and inspired yesterday and made some art: Offering to the Sea. I’d love feedback on the piece, either here or on Deviantart.

And now, it’s time to hunt down that bottle of Mucinex, find some Tylenol, and get some work done.

The book info, once more with feeling!

Buy it now: Amazon
Description: The biggest names in paranormal romance have created a fascinating array of 30 short stories of hot blood and inhuman passions that will leave you thirsting for more. Authors include Sherri Erwin, Caitlin R. Kiernan, Jenna Black, Jenna Maclaine, Raven Hart, Delilah Devlin, Keri Arthur, Kimberly Raye, Alexis Morgan, Lilith Saintcrow, C.T. Adams, Cathy Clamp, Susan Sizemore, Dina James, Colleen Gleason, Barbara Emrys, Savannah Russe, Shiloh Walker, Vicki Pettersson, Rebecca York, Rachel Vincent, Amanda Ashley, Karen Chance, and Nancy Holder. These ain’t your mother’s vampires! (from Amazon)

My other TMBOVR reviews:
Ongoing Review, Part 1
Ongoing Review, Part 2

The Reviews!

“Dreams” by Keri Arthur

I’ve read most of Keri Arthur’s Riley Jenson Guardian series, and it’s a good thing, too. If I hadn’t read the series, I would have been completely lost reading this story. Riley’s jealous vampire boyfriend, Quinn, is back in Melbourne, and he’s decided that sexy dreams about the half-vamp/half-werewolf just aren’t enough. Unfortunately, Riley’s other boyfriend (the werewolf) is sleeping in her bed, and something weird is hanging out in the basement. After “suggesting” that the werewolf boyfriend go home, Quinn and Riley head downstairs to investigate and end up fighting bizarre creatures.

This little interlude in the Riley Jenson series really didn’t do much for me, but I fully admit that I might be biased. Quinn started pissing me off a few books into the series, and I find that I really don’t care for him anymore. The fight was interesting, but there just wasn’t enough character development for me. I don’t feel like this story really meant anything in the long run; it was just an excuse for a fight scene and a sex scene. Also? I got squicked out when our two bloody heroes hopped in the bathtub to clean off and have sex. A bath? Ew! Shower all the blood off, then run the bath and soak and screw. Yick.

The Fangirl Says: B-

“Love Bites” by Kimberley Raye

Danielle Blue comes from a long line of vampire hunters. You could say it’s a family tradition. Too bad she’s just not very good at it. And while trying to complete her first hit, she really screws up. She falls for the vampire.

I liked this story pretty well, but I wanted it to be longer. The story seems pretty rushed, zooming from the first kill to Danielle deciding to save the vamp to the Hot Vampire Sexing with little time to breathe in between. Yes, I know, it’s a short story. I just wish this had been worked into a longer narrative. I really liked Danielle’s ambivalence toward her family profession, and her anxiety about being seen as a traitor for saving the vampire’s life.

And the acronym for the vampire-killing outfit cracked me up: Snipers of Otherworldly Beings, or SOB for short (”I know how to handle an SOB.”)

The Fangirl Says: B+

“What’s At Stake?” by Alexis Morgan

Very punny title. [groan] This story takes place in a futuristic or alternative sort of world, where there are vampires and Chancellors (a species that hovers somewhere between vamp and human). Josalyn is a Chancellor who is basically an investigator for the vampire community. She’s called in to find out if Rafferty, who is coincidentally (snicker) her former flame, actually murdered some humans.

I’ve got to admit, I just couldn’t get into this one. Joss is abrasive, one of those badass heroines who come off less badass and more bitchy. She proves her toughness by beating up guards who don’t get out of her way. Rafferty is pretty much a non-character; I can’t remember much about him other than that he had a bitchy ex-fiancée and that he’s got the hots for Joss. Together, they investigate and find out that (gasp!) the bitchy ex-fiancée did set him up for the murder. And they live happily ever after.

Um. Yeah. That’s about it. Color me unimpressed.

The Fangirl Says: D

“Coming Home” by Lilith Saintcrow

I’ve got the first two Dante Valentine novels hanging out in my To Read stack, but I haven’t had a chance to read them yet. After reading this story, which is set within the Dante universe, I think I’m going to have to bump them up in the stack. The story itself was less romance and more urban fantasy (which is fine by me), but Saintcrow’s writing style really sucked me in. I love how she plays with words, both in the narration and in the characters’ dialogue.

The story follows Liana, Dante’s adoptive daughter (I think? fans, correct me if I’m wrong), as she’s forced to face an old vampire flame and help him assassinate his sire. I’ve got to admit to being a little lost in regard to the universe itself, but Saintcrow’s writing kept me reading and made me want more.

The Fangirl Says: A

“To Ease The Rage” by C.T. Adams and Cathy Clamp

Sylvia Beck, a seasoned cop, has been dealing with mysterious phone calls and break-ins lately. Imagine her surprise when she catches the intruder and discovers it’s her former partner, Tim Meyer… who’s been dead for a few years.

This story plays with an interesting collision between the supernatural and the mundane world. I like the concept of vampires completely forgetting their former lives when they’re turned, unless there’s a conscious effort to make themselves remember (i.e. Tim watches videos of himself before he was turned, which helps him remember that he was a cop). I also like the history between Sylvia and Tim. In a romance short story, it’s easy to cram two strangers together and poof! they’re suddenly in love. I can’t stand that plot device, so it’s a breath of fresh air to be introduced to two characters with history that facilitates their romance. I like, too, that Adams and Clamp don’t dump the history on the reader all at one time. The backstory is revealed as the story moves along instead of in an expositional dump at the beginning.

The Fangirl Says: B+

Take the Quiz here!

Woot! Lizzy is one of my favorite literary characters, along with Beatrice from Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing.

But this thing? Is incredibly cool. I could get behind this sort of thing. I like that it’s thin and light and durable, because… well, I keep a lot of crap in my purse or my tote. I’d hate for an e-book reader to have an unfortunate run-in with one of my many pens or lip gloss containers. (Yes, yes, I know. Covers. Just go along with me here.)

I am, however, a thrifty fangirl. Until one of these babies goes for cheap, I’ll stick with my precious paper books.

Deep breaths, Fangirl. Deep breaths.

I should be writing a short paper on Hitchcock’s Rear Window, but… well, I’m sure you’ve figured out by now that I’m not. So, I’ll pepper you all with links.

Don Cheadle to replace Terrence Howard in Iron Man 2. Not sure how I feel about this one. I love Don Cheadle and think he’s a brilliant actor. He should have no problems playing Col. Rhodes. But I also hate it when a character gets an actor change mid-franchise. Howard was great as Rhodey, and he had fantastic chemistry with Robert Downey, Jr. It looks like money might be a major factor in this switch, which really sucks. I know Cheadle will do a good job, but at the same time… I’m a worried fangirl.

How To Do Everything With Twitter. I’m sadly addicted to Twitter, so this? Is super helpful! Thanks to Mel for the link.

On the list of Comics I Need To Pick Up: Urban Fantasy Land reviews Marvel’s NYX I adore Joshua Middleton’s art, and the covers are nothing short of gorgeous.

I want to write some fiction. This lolcat describes my writing mood perfectly.

Ann Aguirre posts about Anya Bast’s new release, The Chosen Sin. Looks like I’ll be making another trip to the bookstore…

The Book Smugglers’ Thea reviews Richelle Mead’s Succubus Dreams. I snagged a copy of this last weekend and will probably dive into it after I finish The Mammoth Book of Vampires.

If you’re more in the mood for science fiction, Young Adult Science Fiction posts a list of intriguing books. Will Peterson’s Triskelion looks pretty cool.

And finally, for shits and giggles, % Chance Ninja is Located at Given Moment.