Not Currently Taking Review Requests

I am currently not taking review requests. I have far too many books in my to be read pile to continue accepting more at this time. Between the craziness of life, the books I already own, my public library, and my over eager request habit at NetGalley I simply cannot accept more books to add to my TBR pile.

Book Review: Ghoul Interrupted by Victoria Laurie

Ghoul Interrupted by Victoria Laurie was my TBR Challenge selection of the month. It is the sixth book in her Ghost Hunter series. In this book Mary Jane, or M.J. Holliday and her crew take an unexpected, and unwanted,break from their television show to help out when Heath's uncle is killed in New Mexico. M.J.'s spirit guide, and Heath's grandfather, Sam Whitefeather warns M.J. that there is a demon behind the death, and that all members of the Whitefeather clan are in danger. M.J., Heath, and Gilley go to pay their respects and try to overcome the demon. Gilley's skittishness and the closed nature of the Whitefeather clan only make everything more complicated.

Ghoul Interrupted was a good, fun read. I will admit that it has been so long since I indulged in reading a mystery from Laurie, that it took me awhile to remember the set up of the series, and where the last book had left readers. Since I have also read her Psychic Eye Mystery series novel, it was even harder to get back in the swing of things. However, I am glad I did. It was nice to get lost again in a cozy mystery, with no review deadline. Okay, so I am late for the suggested challenge review, but that is because I was trying to catch up on my NetGalley reviews.

I do not suggest jumping into either of Laurie's mystery series in the middle. But I do enjoy both, and think that anyone that enjoys cozy mysteries that have some psychic or mystic elements to them will enjoy her work. There is romance in the background, but in never interferes with the action of the story. In fact, I do not think M.J. and Heath ever get the chance to get a good love scene in this whole book, at least not uninterrupted.

Book Review: Highland Knight by Hannah Howell

Highland Knight by Hannah Howell is my first review in the TBR Challenge 2012. Hannah Howell has written more Highland novels then I have read, sometime I feel like she has more than I can count. That does not keep me from adding all of them to me to be read list or adding ones I find to my pile. Every single time I pick one up I am happy I did. Highland Knight was among those I need to read to complete the list of the Highland books, which center around the Murray family. Eventually I will catch up and have read all the published Highland books, but I have no idea when I will see the end of the list.

In Highland Knight, Cameron MacAlpin is given a woman and a girl as payment for a debt payment, after discovering who they are. The woman is Avery Murray, sister to Payton Murray, the same man who is said to have dishonored Cameron's own sister. Cameron plans to use Avery and then to trade her to Payton in order to ensure he marries his sister and to get some revenge on his treatment of her. However, nothing goes as smoothly as he would like. Avery and her twelve year old cousin Gillyanne are smart and courageous women that slowly win the hearts of Cameron's people as they travel across France towards Scotland. Escape attempts, teasing, general mischief, and outside threats keep the men on their toes. The women defend Payton's honor and yet still start to feel like family to those they travel with. While Avery is angered at the accusations aimed at her brother, and her own attraction to Cameron, who openly admits that he plans on seducing her for revenge against her brother. Can she change Cameron's made and convince him that all women are not as deceitful as those in his past, or is she fated to desire him long after he casts her aside?

Highland Knight offered exactly what I would expect from any of Howell's Highland romance novels. There is the stubborn hero with baggage to spare, strong women with powers of intuition, a great cast of supporting characters, and some steamy scenes to entertain. There are threads of adventure and humor woven through out the book, so even if you find something bothersome, like the twelve year old cousin dishing out sex advise, you are still compelled to keep reading to see what happens next.

I did not think that Highland Knight was the best of Howell's work, but it was a nice change of pace from the children's book that I had been reading heavily as of late. It also shook my case of reading blahs, where you know that a book you are reading is good or not but just cannot get emotionally involved in any story. Even if I had not liked the story, I would have appreciated the book for that alone. I would recommend Highland Knight to fans of Howell, and those looking for a fun historical romance with a Scottish flavor.