Words by Webb

Coffee Beans and Love Scenes is having 10 Days of Giveaways Blog Hop from today, September 5 until September 14 to celebrate her blog. She giving away a different prize each day and a grand prize if she hits 500 followers. My offerings are much more modest. Between today and September 14 I’ll be giving away 4 books: 2 paranormal romance, 1 romance/mystery, and 1 coming of age novel. Still, that’s not too bad for little ole’ me. So stop by and don’t miss my great giveaways. You can also check out the giveaways of everyone else on the hop here

Here’s my first giveaway but don’t forget to visit between now and September 14 for my other giveaways!

The Taker

Author: Alma Katsu

Hardcover: 448 pages (also available in Paperback and Kindle format)

Publisher: Gallery Books (September 6, 2011)

Synposis:

The Taker starts out as your “poor girl loves rich guy, rich guy must marry who his family wants story” — set in Maine during the 1800s. Poor girl, Lanny, eventually leaves her tiny rustic town for the bright lights of Boston. What she finds is a household where people live forever, as long as they bow to the wishes of their cruel master. And her master wants her to lure that rich boy, Jonathon, into their twisted household.

We learn the story of Lanny’s life as she tells it to Luke, a doctor in her old hometown in modern time. Lanny ended up in Luke’s emergency room, Jonathon ended up in his morgue, and Lanny needed someone to tell all her secrets.

Review:

This is not the type of story I normally read. I say that every time I read a paranormal/fantasy type book but I do keep reading them! Just want you to know that, since I’m not widely read in this genre I may not be the best judge, but…

WOW! I was immediately drawn in by the pictures Katsu paints of the characters. She makes them intriguing, not revealing everything but just enough that you want to know more. Each character is a puzzle. Are they truly good, good hiding evil motives, evil, evil hiding good motives? You’ll find yourself weighing each word of dialogue and description wondering, “What does this REALLY mean?”

Although I pride myself on not “jumping ahead” I found myself doing just that to find out what a particular character did. I just couldn’t wait!

Just when you think you’ve finally got a sense of the unusual household Lanny ends up in you’re thrown a curveball. The master wanting Jonathon isn’t just to add another plaything to his world…he has special plans for Jonathon. Just when you thought the people in this book couldn’t get more evil!

And the fact that the book keeps switching back the modern times and Lanny’s problems just ups the tension. Will she live though the horrible history she told just to be arrested by some rural deputy? Is what she telling the truth? Does she want Luke for some evil purpose? What about Luke? Surely he isn’t the only purely good person in the book? When and how will his evil side be revealed?

I found this book addictive. I really wanted to see how things finally turned out. The writing was strong and compelling. Put it on your TBR list.

Thanks to Alma’s publisher I’m giving away a copy of The Taker. And if I get more than 50 entrants I’ll offer a second copy for giveaway! All you have to do is be a follower and leave a comment below. US addresses only.

Angelina’s Bachelors

Brian O’Reilly

Paperback: 384 pages (also available in Kindle format)

Publisher: Gallery (August 9, 2011)

Synposis:

Angelina D’Angelo life has taken an unexpected turn…several unexpected turns. First, her husband dies. Then, her boss hands her $100 and tells her to find a new job. Finally, after Angelina tries to escape her grief in a night of baking and cooking, handing out the delicious results to her neighbors one of the men asks if she would cook for him every night. In exchange for a nice check each month. But he isn’t the last to think that having Angelina’s suppers to come home to is a great idea. Soon seven bachelors from her Philadelphia neighborhood: retirees, young twenty-somethings, even a couple of Mafia type fellas are gathered around her table promptly each evening.

Angelina’s Bachelors is the story of these eight random people who soon have more than a love of good food binding them together: friendship, love, goals, finances, secrets. In other words, they’re a family.

Review:

The characters in the Philadelphia neighborhood of Angelina’s Bachelors could have easily become caricatures: blue collar macho men, mafia guys, overprotective Italian grandmas, Catholic priests, smart alecky teenagers. Instead O’Reilly took the time to create accurate but unique people. Yes, they reflect the attitudes and language of an Italian neighborhood in Philly. But they also bring unexpected twists to their world. They rise above what we all expect to become real people.

O’Reilly also gives the same amount of tweaking to his plot line. Sure, I thought I knew where we were going with this story. But then I wondered…hmmm? He throws in enough turns, enough questions, and enough surprise revelations to keep you reading. This book had me smiling for all 384 pages. Smiling and wishing I could somehow manage to re-create some of the delicious dishes described in the story (recipes included)!

Thanks to Brian’s publisher I’m giving away a copy of Angelina’s Bachelors. All you have to do is be a follower and leave a comment below. US addresses only.