Review

Unleash the Night by Sherrilyn Kenyon  4 Stars

Admittedly, it's been some time since I was reading the Dark Hunter series, and they are well written to allow the reader the ability of chopping and changing, more freedom with the series. Although they aren't so gripping that you are just dying to get to the next one.

Wren Tigarian is a Tigard, which basically means he is half snow leopard and half white tiger, with a splash of gorgeous blonde male mixed in. He's a hybrid, and a freak in this Were-Hunter world, temperamental and lonely. He works at Sanctuary (Bar) and keeps to himself, lone tigard. One night he meets Maggie (Senator's Daughter) at Sanctuary where he busses tables, and there is an attraction between them. The story basis was nice, again delving into the characters past as most of the Dark Hunter stories tend to do, though not as far as previous stories. This concept isn't redundant, its unavoidable with how long these guys live. I was pleasantly surprised at the change in story arc, we are dealing with the inhabitants of the Sanctuary and steering away from the Dark Hunters and Acheron which is nice and refreshing. Not that I don't lurve Ash!

Kenyon always sets up some huge insurmountable barrier for both characters to overcome for their love, it's always over the top and its perfectly fitting for the incredibly dramatic and action packed world she has created. This world is so big, I find myself getting lost sometimes. If this was ever put on the TV screen it would run longer than Frasier, there is so much potential an avid TV viewer or Producer, would salivate. There is a glossary in the back of the book if you ever get lost with the Arcadians and the Katagaria's and their switcheroo, which happens to me all the time, but the story keeps flowing even if you gloss over that technical side of the argument.

I liked the time travel part of the story, it was a nice twist. However I find that Kenyon tends to set her stories up with the same palette, changing the names and tweaking the circumstances for every book. Shaking things up with Nick Gautier in the previous books was great and at least reflects on her that she doesn't always write her characters path's down the easy road. I am sure there is allot more craziness on its way with the series and each story just makes it juicier and juicier.

Review

A Christmas Scandal by Jane Goodger  2 stars

This book was not what I expected, it was worse!

Maggie Pierce the heroine, is portrayed as a lovely witty creature, who previously fell in love with Edward when their mutual friends' (Elizabeth and  Rand the Duke of Bellingham) marriage was arranged. Edward then leaves the country unexpectedly and Maggie is left quite hurt because she had fallen in love with Edward and he didn't even say goodbye. In the mean time her father has stolen and embezzled money from their friends (nice guy) and landed himself in jail. So, Maggie and her dimwitted mother Harriet, are destitute and don't want anyone to know until Maggie can secure herself a wealthy husband. She is invited to stay with Elizabeth whilst she is pregnant and keep her amused for over the Christmas (I guess christmas was in this book somewhere, it was lost amongst the waffle)

In comes Edward, back to see his friend Rand & Elizabeth with his sister, Amelia, in tow. This seems to be a good setup, obviously the story will now start to grow with some serious interaction between Maggie and Edward. But this isn't what happens. Instead, Maggie flirts openly with every man she can find, purposely and coldly in front of Edward. She knowingly setups up one man and pretends to want his advances, all the while repulsed by the mere thought of him kissing her, that and he is older than her father.

Edward and Maggie hardly have any interaction or conversation in this book. It's full of memories, inner turmoil about the past , which creates nothing new for the story to grow on and makes you wonder why the Author didn't write that book instead of this. Maggie flirts allot, coldly and purposely, which I think was awful, because it's obvious Edward loves her and it doesn't portray her as a very nice person. Furthermore, she lies herself into circles.

In the middle of all this, her mother is going round the twist, her friend is pregnant, Edward apparently asks Maggie and her mother to chaperone his sister Amelia. To which they fail miserably, they are too busy and interested in their own pursuits, to the point that Maggie doesn't even realise her mother hasn't been seen for hours and never even arrived at the party. Edwards sister is practically sleeping with some redneck texan Carson- who keeps trying to force her to have sex (I don't want to read about that) - and he doesn't even care, he lets him stay with them. When Maggie finally gets Edward she pushes him away and rejects him, then rejects everyone and leaves..

She ends up on a ship, that sinks, and the drama doesn't stop here folks. She heads back to New York with a gun to kill a man that wronged in the past regarding her Father and his imprisonment. But wait! Surviving the shipwreck has given Maggie an epiphany and after she visits her father she decides to just yell at the guy instead of shoot him. rolls eyes!!! Then comes back to England to try and get Edward back after she kicked him to the curb. Maggie's mother Harriet, with her big mouth, almost ruins everything. If it had been me, I would have flung mashed potato in the woman's face to shut her up!!

Then the Epilogue isn't about our two lovers, oh no, it's about Edwards sister, Amelia and her Texan beau, and how she has been waiting 6 months for a letter from him to ask her to marry him and to go to Texas, but she is so dense she still hasn't realised that they guy hasn't written for her because he doesn't want her to come.

This was all over the place, it goes from Maggie barely being able to stop herself from running and kissing Edward, to being a total bitch to him. The story was so messy, I couldn't even remember where people were. I felt the strong desire to throw the book down and give up, but forced myself to finish it, I am a glutton for punishment. It was the huge arms, they sucked me in!!