Must-read romances: 'Visions,' 'Sisters' Fate,' 'Caught!'
Visions by Kelley Armstrong
What it's about (courtesy of Dutton Adult):
Omens, the first installment in Kelley Armstrong's exciting new series, introduced Olivia Taylor-Jones, daughter of notorious serial killers, and Gabriel Walsh, the self-serving, morally ambiguous lawyer who became her unlikely ally. Together, they chased down a devious killer and partially cleared her parents of their horrifying crimes.
Their success, however, is short-lived. While Olivia takes refuge in the old, secluded town of Cainsville, Gabriel's past mistakes have come to light, creating a rift between the pair just when she needs his help the most.
Olivia finds a dead woman in her car, dressed to look like her, but the body vanishes before anyone else sees it. Olivia's convinced it's another omen, a sign of impending danger. But then she learns that a troubled young woman went missing just days ago—the same woman Olivia found dead in her car. Someone has gone to great lengths to kill and leave this young woman as a warning. But why? And what role has her new home played in this disturbing murder?
Olivia's effort to uncover the truth places her in the crosshairs of old and powerful forces, forces that have their own agenda, and closely guarded secrets they don't want revealed.
Why you should read it: This is the second book in the Omens series and is just as fast-paced and mysterious as the first. Olivia is dealing with the fallout of finding out she's adopted (her bio parents are serial killers), and of course the death omens she sees. I like her as a heroine, she's different, a little darker, strong and so adaptable. And Gabriel? Steamy! I don't know if I trust him fully, but I want to kiss him. Meanwhile, Olivia has to contend with Ricky (also yum, but not as much as Gabriel) and her ex. Now back to my book boyfriend: He's almost like a child the way he wants to monopolize all of her time and energy but won't just "throw" her down. It's definitely more of a slow burn, one that I hope combusts in the near future.
Some questions for Kelley Armstrong …
Describe your hero in one word?
Kelley: Gabriel: difficult.
Describe your book in one word?
Kelley: Unconventional.
What color shirt are you wearing right now?
Kelley: Black, of course.
What are you working on right now?
Kelley: A stand-alone YA thriller, because I got too far ahead of schedule and ran out of work!
Epic one-liner from your book?
Kelley: It's been six months since I last read it, so I can't recall epic :) I'll go for fun instead. "I'm pretty sure if anyone should apologize, it's the person who had her hands where they should never be on someone operating a motor vehicle."
Caught! by JL Merrow
What it's about (Courtesy of Samhain):
Shamwell Tales, Book 1
Behind Robert's cheerfully eccentric exterior lies a young heart battered and bruised by his past. He's taken a job teaching in a village primary school to make a fresh start, and love isn't part of his plans. But he's knocked for six—literally—by a chance encounter with the uncle of two of his pupils.
Sean works in pest control, rides a motorbike, and lives on a council estate. On the face of it, he shouldn't have anything in common with Robert's bow-tie, classic-car style and posh family background. Yet Robert is helpless to resist Sean's roguish grin, and a rocky, excruciatingly embarrassing start doesn't keep the sparks between them from flaring.
Despite Robert's increasingly ludicrous attempts to keep his past where it belongs, his past hasn't read the memo. And soon his secrets could be the very things that drive Sean away for good...
Why you should read it: First, the cover is so adorable it drew my attention right away. As I opened and read Robert's hilarious thoughts and met his car, I fell in love. I enjoy most JL books because they are funny, or have really humorous parts in them, this was no exception. I found myself alternating between sighing and laughing and all around read this very quickly. It was a bit fluffy for those who love that, and read very quickly. I enjoyed the secondary characters and can't wait to see who is the staring couple in the second Shamwell book!
Some questions for JL Merrow …
Describe your hero in one word?
JL: Adorkable.
Describe your book in one word?
JL: Blue. Um, that's not very helpful, is it? OK: villagey. Yes, yes, I'm sure that's a word. ;)
What color shirt are you wearing right now?
JL: Sea green, to go with my "I'm actually a mermaid" necklace. Gotta love Etsy! ;)
What are you working on right now?
JL: Book No. 2 in the Shamwell Tales. This one will feature guest appearances from Robert and Sean from Caught!, but the main couple will be a handyman and an actor. And it will also (for all Pratchett fans out there) involve a plague of frog. Singular.
Epic one-liner from your book?
JL: I flung myself onto the sofa and beamed at the ceiling for a goodly while. Having been constructed in the seventeenth century, it beamed right back at me.
Sisters' Fate by Jessica Spotswood
What it's about (courtesy of Putnam Juvenile):
A fever ravages New London, but with the Brotherhood sending suspected witches straight to the gallows, the Sisters are powerless against the disease. They can't help without revealing their powers—as Cate learns when a potent display of magic turns her into the most wanted witch in all of New England.
To make matters worse, Cate has been erased from the memory of her beloved Finn. While she's torn between protecting him from further attacks and encouraging him to fall for her all over again, she's certain she can never forgive Maura's betrayal. And now that Tess's visions have taken a deadly turn, the prophecy that one Cahill sister will murder another looms ever closer to its fulfillment.
Why you should read it: This is the final Cahill Witch Chronicle and I'm going to miss the sisters. I love that this isn't set in modern-day times. It gives readers a unique and fun aspect of the series. Cate Cahill is such a great heroine. I feel for her and almost cried when Finn "forgot" her. I hated Maura but wanted her to stop being so devious and start working on her relationship with Cat and Tess. For those of you who haven't picked up Born Wicked, YOU MUST! Cat doesn't think she can do anything to circumvent the prophecy that one of the Cahill sisters will kill another … but she sure as heck tries. There's also the cure the Brotherhood is hoarding, and Tess becomes increasingly distant as she tries to stand on her own. There's so much going on and Jessica weaves each plotlet so perfectly. I plan on downloading the audiobooks post-haste!
Some questions for Jessica Spotswood …
Describe your heroes in one word?
Jessica: Loyal (Cate), ambitious (Maura), clever (Tess), bookish (Finn).
Describe your book in one word?
Jessica: Bittersweet.
What color shirt are you wearing right now?
Jessica: Cornflower blue.
What are you working on right now?
Jessica: E-mailing back some awesome readers and researching a short story set in 1820s New Orleans for my upcoming Petticoats & Pistols anthology.
Epic one-liner from your book?
Jessica: I can't lose control or I don't know where it will stop. It won't be innocuous, snow and feathers. If I lose control now, there will be blood.
(That isn't exaaaactly one line, but close enough?)
Jessie Potts, also known as Book Taster, adores books in all forms. She also does reviews for RT Book Reviews magazine and works in the submissions department at Dreamspinner Press. You can follow her on Twitter (@BookTaster).