Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson) by Darynda Jones

Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones

(Synopsis from Goodreads)
Charley Davidson—grim reaper extraordinaire, private investigator . . . meh—is practicing her profession under the influence, caffeine and copious amounts of it, due to an extreme desire to induce insomnia. Every time she closes her eyes, Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan, is there. Only thing is, he’s a tad peeved. She did bind for all eternity, so it’s hard blame him. But 13 days without a wink is bound to bring out the crazy in a girl. So, when a man hires her to find his wife, Charley accepts the job with one goal in mind: Put the man behind bars, and not the wet kind. She can sense the guilt waft off him and vows to find the woman’s body and prove he’s a murderer.

In the meantime, Reyes is back in prison and none too happy about it . . . so Charley thinks, until she is carjacked by the dark-haired rake, who swears the very man he went to prison for killing is not only alive, but close by. And he wants Charley to find him.
While a visit to her old friend Rocket sheds no light on Reyes’s situation, Charley finds out the man’s wife is still alive and time is running out. Finding her before she dies would be a miracle, but she has to try. Together with the help of a fashion-impaired receptionist named Cookie, Charley sets out to bring the bad guys to justice. She just hopes Reyes is not one of them. And that she’s not hallucinating from her self-induced bout with insomnia.

This review will not contain spoilers for this book, but do not read if you haven't read books 1 and 2 in this series.

Another wonderful installment in Darynda Jones' hilarious and sexy Charley Davidson series!

Third Grave Dead Ahead begins almost where it left off - with Reyes back in jail and pisssssed at Charley. Since she bound him to his corporeal body he is stuck in jail and can't visit her incorporeally...except that he can. Every time Charley falls asleep he visits her, which would be HOT except that his visits include a lot of angry stares and growly words (and some other stuff that's not quite as bad...). So Charley has been drinking coffee nonstop and sleeping minimally, which makes for some very funny moments throughout the book.

Charley is as snarky as ever, although I felt like she had more serious moments in this book than the other two, and I didn't mind those at all. Charley has heart, and its important for Darynda to balance that with all Charley's craziness. There are also more Reyes moments in Third Grave, and I mean real Reyes moments, not just incorporeal Reyes moments. To keep from being spoiler-rific, I won't give any more details about that, but just know that all the Reyes that was missing from Second Grave is made up for in this one.

Of course there is actually an official investigation that Charley and Cookie are handling  (Oh Cookie, how I've missed you as Charley's 'straight man'!), and as always these plot points are just as interesting as the Charley-Reyes stuff. Charley is looking for a missing woman (isn't she always) and that brings in some of the best side characters in the genre: Angel, Rocket, and Garrett.

If you loved the first two books in this series you will be thoroughly pleased with this one. All of the things that make this one of my favorite series are here - Charley's silly one liners and ridiculous train of thought, Reyes' hotness and enough Reyes scenes to whet your whistle, a great main plot, and secondary characters that I love love love. This book also moves along the continuing story of Reyes and Charley, and we learn even more about his childhood.

If you are new to Charley's world I highly recommend checking out this series. It is one of a kind and a can't-put-it-down read!

***This review is based on an advance copy of the book.

Waiting on Wednesday (12) - Struck

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that shares the upcoming releases we bloggers are on the edge of our seats about!

Struck

by Jennifer Bosworth

Release date: May 8, 2012

(from Goodreads)

Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Mia is a lightning addict". Um...sounds wonderful! I don't think I've seen an opening line like that in a synopsis before. With the genre currently flooded with vampires, shifters, and fae, I am excited to read about someone who is connected to lightning in a supernatural way. Hopefully this book will be the original breath of fresh air that I hope it will be!!!

What is YOUR WoW pick?

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

Here is this week's question:

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to books? Maybe you don’t like love triangles or thin plots? Tell us about it!

Hmm...that's a toughie! I do really dislike when the heroine, or the female main character, is wimpy or whiny. I love my badass chicks (Kate Daniels, Mercy Thompson, Charlie Madigan...) but I don't need my leading lady to be that way. I've also loved series where she comes into her own and grows into a fighter (Mac from Fever). And if you know me you know I adore those totally screwed up heroines that somehow manage to kick ass but can't get they're personal life together (Chess Putnam, Annabelle Lee, Angel from White Trash Zombie). 

However, I cannot get behind someone who can't at least hold their own a little bit. She can't be completely dependent on her man. She has to have some sort of quality that I can see as the reason everyone loves/fears/hates her and the reason why the hot-as-hell hero wants her so badly! I think this is the reason I am soooooooo picky about my paranormal romance. If I can't understand why my book boyfriend is so attracted to that chick who is afraid of everything and needs her big strong hero to save her...then I'm not going to be into it.

So, I guess that's a pet peeve! I can't really think of anything else.  :)

Check out my current giveaway:

25 Days of Jubilation 

Read my interview with author Darynda Jones (First Grave on the Right; Second Grave on the Left) and enter to win a copy of one of her books! The giveaway goes from now until Christmas day, and 24 other bloggers are posting giveaways every day as well!

Check out my recent reviews:

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead

Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

Have a great weekend weres and were-ettes!!!

25 Days of Jubilation: Interview and Giveaway with Darynda Jones

Guess what - it's December! Can you believe it!?!?!? In honor of this busy month and the holiday approaching, I am participating in the 25 Days of Jubilation!

Each day from now until Christmas, a different blog will post something special and include some sort of giveaway...and I am stop number one!!! I have something VERY special for you my little packmates - an interview and giveaway with Darynda Jones, author of the Charley Davidson series!!!

If you live under a rock, Darynda writes some of the funniest and most intriguing paranormal books out there:

      

Here's what she had to say:

Goldilox: Your heroine, Charley, is very unique (snarky, independent, clumsy, hilarious…). What were your inspirations for her character?

Darynda: Thank you so much!!! I wanted to create a heroine who was very appealing, yet normal. A lot like you and I. Obviously, she’s put into situations we don’t face, but I wanted her to be funny, silly, kind, tough, etc. I wanted her to be able to say and do the things a lot of us think about saying and doing, but we don’t. Charley gets away with those things. I don’t respond as well to characters who are too perfect, too beautiful and loved by everybody. That’s not realistic. 

Goldilox:  Reyes is also one of a kind. In First Grave on the Right, he is incorporeal and intangible, which is very different from other love interests in the genre. What made you decide to write his character that way?

Darynda: I wanted Reyes to be otherworldly, yet very different from all of the other paranormal male characters. I wanted him to stand out in a crowd. Also, Reyes is close to the kind of man I would like to see in real life! He’s the perfect object of any girl’s fantasy, and he definitely was born in one of mine. :) It was enjoyable bringing him to the page. 

Goldilox: The Charley Davidson series seems to balance on the line between many genres. I know that my local bookstore shelves it under mystery, while many readers refer to it as paranormal romance. How do you categorize the series?

Darynda: It was hard to categorize for me too, and my publisher. There should be a new category called: Just Fun to Read. It also comes close to being Urban Fantasy, and for a while I thought they might go with that. It’s given a contemporary setting, and obviously some pretty fantastical circumstances occur in Charley’s world, and yet it doesn’t fit the definition of any of those. So I have finally settled on paranormal mystery. 

Goldilox: You have a child who is deaf and a degree in sign language interpretation. Have you ever considered bringing those aspects into a story?

Darynda: Yes, as a matter of fact I have. I wrote a romance novel several years ago that included a young, deaf boy and his older, hearing sister. It was set in the regency era Cotswold English countryside. In it, the main characters use rudimentary (home) signs and early British Sign Language, and it incorporates aspects of British Deaf culture. A famous person from American Deaf Culture makes a guest appearance, Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet, as well as Laurent Clerc, his famous French colleague, and we get a glimpse of how modern American Sign Language and Deaf culture developed.

It was quite a departure from what I am currently writing. At this point, I would have to totally rewrite it in order to ever publish it, as it was one of my earliest completed works, but it has a soft spot in my heart that will never go away. I would love to bring those aspects into a story at some point in the future. We’ll just have to see how things go. 

Goldilox: How many books can we expect (i.e. impatiently stalk the bookshelves for copies of) in the Charley Davidson series?

Darynda: While I don’t have a specific number at this point, I have ideas in my head that can keep Charley’s story going for quite a while. In my imagination, she has quite a long life being built up. I love writing Charley so much, that I’m not ready for her to end any time soon. I’ve already plotted the next three books in the series.

Goldilox: I love the character Garrett Swopes, especially in Second Grave on the Left. Is there anything you can tell us about where his character is headed?

Darynda: Well, I don’t want to give too much away, but his character will be getting more face time. He has a big part to play in book three, and we will build from there. I like him being in the story, and I like him being in Charley’s life.

Goldilox: Alright, fess up…What are some of your favorite Charley quotes that you’ve written?

Darynda: There are just so many! While I didn’t write this (it really is a t-shirt) my standing favorite is: Never knock on death’s door. Ring the doorbell then run. He totally hates that. That quote explains Charley’s personality so well. Let’s see, I love: So many dead people, so little time and Better to see dead than be dead. I’d have a longer attention span if there weren’t so many shiny things is also quite appropriate in many ways. 

Goldilox: When you’re not feverishly working on giving us more Charley, Cookie, Reyes, and the rest of the gang, what are you up to?

Darynda: I always have ideas running laps in my head. There are so many stories to tell! I sold a Young Adult trilogy, the first of which will be released on March 31, 2012. I’m very excited about that. The series is called Death and the Girl Next Door, and I’m currently sweating through the second in that series. It should come out in the fall.

Other than that, I have lots of ideas for stories. There are other Young Adult stories I want to write. I want to create my own literary genre! Mwa-ha-ha-ha-ha! I plan on writing for quite some time. It’s all I’ve ever really wanted to do.

Thanks to Darynda, you can now enter to win one of the first two books in her Charley Davidson series. The winner can choose either First Grave on the Right OR Second Grave on the Left! 

The only requirements are that you be 13 or older and live in the US. 

Just enter on the Rafflecopter form below:

Waiting on Wednesday (11) - Harbinger

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that shares the upcoming releases we bloggers are on the edge of our seats about!

Harbinger

by Sara Wilson Etienne

Release date: February 2, 2012

(from Goodreads)

When sixteen-year-old Faye arrives at Holbrook Academy, she doesn’t expect to find herself exactly where she needs to be. After years of strange waking visions and nightmares, her only comfort the bones of dead animals, Faye is afraid she’s going crazy. Fast.

But her first night at Holbrook, she feels strangely connected to the school and the island it sits on, like she’s come home. She’s even made her first real friends, but odd things keep happening to them. Every morning they wake on the floors of their dorm rooms with their hands stained red.

Faye knows she’s the reason, but what does it all mean? The handsome Kel tries to help her unravel the mystery, but Faye is certain she can’t trust him; in fact, he may be trying to kill her—and the rest of the world too.

Rich, compelling writing will keep the pages turning in this riveting and tautly told psychological thriller.

Look at that cover? Gorgeous, eh? And what the heck is this synopsis? "her only comfort the bones of dead animals"...um...what? I am thoroughly intrigued by this book and I can't wait for it to come out!

What is YOUR WoW pick?

Dark Descendant (Descendant #1) by Jenna Black

Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

(Synopsis from Goodreads)
From the acclaimed author of the Morgan Kingsley, Exorcist books comes the gripping first novel in a new series about a private eye who discovers, to her surprise, that she’s an immortal huntress.

Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.

But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . . .




Sigh. Jenna Black's Dark Descendant left me feeling...disappointed. I wanted to love this book. I was ready to love this book! But instead I'm left thinking it's more like a 3 star book with the possibility that the rest of the series will get better. Let me explain.

First of all, someone should give a serious tongue lashing to whoever designed the book cover. While the picture is gorgeous and I love the colors, it is completely misleading. The picture and little comment would lead one to believe that this is a typical urban fantasy with a badass shoot-first-ask-later heroine. However Nikki isn't really...that. She is a private investigator who is just beginning her journey into..er...badass-ness. Nikki gets dragged into the world of descendants of gods, only to discover that she herself is a descendant as well. This means that she is immortal, fast healing, and has some supernatural powers (although, to be perfectly honest, her powers are slightly confusing). And she accepts this pretty comfortably. Sure, in her head she keeps talking to herself about how odd it is, but, really, she adapts quite quickly.

I also took issue with all the contradictions in this book. I think that may have been my biggest problem. Nikki has supposedly always had this gift to find people as part of her ancestry, but, even though she is apparently a really good P.I., she isn't exactly famous or anything. If she had hunting powers that powerful, why isn't she even better at her job? Perhaps it would have been nice to see the story opening with Nikki solving the heck out of a tough case. Then maybe we could have seen her at work and believed she was awesome. There is also a lot of back and forth about Nikki's sister's personality. Is she tougher than she looks and people always underestimate her? Or is she just too kind and sensitive? Make up your mind! Finally, I felt like my emotions were being tugged in all directions. Black makes us hate...no, loathe certain characters and then expects us to do a 180 toward the end of the book and decide to love them. I just had trouble making the change so quickly.

So, I did give Dark Descendant 3 stars, so I must have liked something, right? Well I did really like the idea behind this story. I have always liked mythology, and this story is all about descendants of the gods (Greek, Roman, Norse, etc.) so I enjoyed that. I also enjoyed learning about the descendants and the Olympians (also descendants of gods, but the Olympians are the 'bad guys'). I also liked Nikki, our heroine. I just wanted more out of her, that's all.

All in all, I will read the next in this series to see how the story and the characters grow. I'm hoping this book just suffered a little bit from "first book in a series" syndrome, and the rest will make up for it. Let's hope I'm right!

In My Mailbox (15)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme to share what we bought, checked out, swapped, or won. IMM is hosted by The Story Siren.

Despite what I think was a mildly successful first vlog last week, I am resorting to a regular old IMM post this week because I'm feeling a little lazy.  :)

RECEIVED FOR REVIEW:

Thank you so much to Kensington Books for sending me my own ARC of Shadow Heir! I had already started reading a borrowed copy when this little package arrived! And an extra book came with Shadow Heir, a paranormal steampunk romance (wonderful little genre I just made up) called The Hunter. Can't wait to read it!

Shadow Heir (Dark Swan #4) by Richelle Mead (My Review)
The Hunter (The Legend Chronicles #1) by Theresa Meyers

SWAPPED:

This came in the mail this week from another blogger that I swapped ARCs with. I've heard ridiculously good things about this book so I'm going to check it out!

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

BOUGHT:

I bought this from Barnes and Noble online with a gift card I won on Stacey Jay's blog (love her!!!). I should have just used it in the store...holy crap was this order a pain in the butt! Anywho, I've heard that this is kind of dark for a YA and that appealed to me so I'm giving it a try.

And apparently vampire doggy is hiding her teeth this week...but don't let that fool you...

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Okay, I showed you mine. Now show me yours! What did you get this week?

Follow Friday (14)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

Here is this week's question:

It’s Thanksgiving Day in the U.S. so we want to know what you are Thankful for – blogging related of course! Who has helped you out along the way? What books are you thankful for reading?

       

As a fairly new blogger, I am oh so thankful for all the readers and fellow bloggers that have taken the time to check out Goldilox and the Three Weres! When I started this little blog, I never would have thought I would have so many followers so fast. And I certainly didn't realize what a wonderful community bloggers, readers, and authors make. So this Thanksgiving, I am SUPER thankful for all of you!   :) 

I'm also stupendously thankful for some fabulous books! Here are some of my favorites from the past few months:

 

Shadow Heir (Dark Swan #4) by Richelle Mead

Shadow Heir by Richelle Mead
Release date: December 27, 2011

(from Goodreads)

#1 New York Times bestselling author Richelle Mead returns to the Otherworld, a mystic land inextricably linked to our own--and balanced precariously on one woman's desperate courage...

Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham strives to keep the mortal realm safe from trespassing entities. But as the Thorn Land's prophecy-haunted queen, there's no refuge for her and her soon-to-be-born-children when a mysterious blight begins to devastate the Otherworld...
The spell-driven source of the blight isn't the only challenge to Eugenie's instincts. Fairy king Dorian is sacrificing everything to help, but Eugenie can't trust the synergy drawing them back together. The uneasy truce between her and her shape shifter ex-lover Kiyo is endangered by secrets he can't--or won't--reveal. And as a formidable force rises to also threaten the human world, Eugenie must use her own cursed fate as a weapon--and risk the ultimate sacrifice...

*Only read this review if you are caught up to Iron Crowned in the series!*

Shadow Heir is the last in Mead's magic-and-Fae-based urban fantasy Dark Swan series. If you've been keeping up with the series, you know that A LOT went down in the last one! I don't want to spoil anything for those of you who haven't read up to book three...so if you are not up to that book, turn back now! Okay, you have been warned.

Freakin' Kiyo! He totally screwed up Eugenie's life in Iron Crowned! First he gets her pregnant, then he decides its best to kill the babies (that pesky prophecy and all...)! When we begin Shadow Heir, Eugenie is already several months pregnant and has been hiding out in various locations in the human world in order to hide from Kiyo, Maiwenn, and their lackeys that are trying to hunt her down and kill her. She requires escorts to her doctor visits since gentry like to occasionally appear and try to off her. One of the things I really liked in this book was Jasmine's presence and the clear turn around she has done from when we first met her. She is fiercely protective of Eugenie now. We also pick up a new character, Pagiel - Ysabel's son. Even though Ysabel is evil and money-hungry (if you forgot who she is, she was a past lover of Dorian's from the previous books), Pagiel is kind and even a little meek. I enjoyed reading his growth during the book. Roland is also around much more here than in the last book, and since I adore his tough-but-loving dad-ness, I was really happy to see more of him.

As usual, Eugenie's entire world consists of hard decisions and keeping secrets. She has to undergo most of her pregnancy living with strangers in a place she doesn't know. As much as I liked this little detour in the story, I was ready for her to get back to her Eugenie-ness and get the heck out of Alabama. She does have some sweet interactions with one of the people she is staying with, a southern teacher named Evan, but he was no Dorian so I was ready to move along.

Dorian! Ahh, Dorian my love! Perhaps one of my favorite things in this book was that I read about 150 pages before Kiyo even appeared. And, although more of those pages could have had Dorian, he was in enough of them that I was happy. But we'll get back to that...

For the last two-thirds of the book, 'the gang' must go on a trek to another kingdom in the Otherworld in order to stop a devastating blight that has taken over. You didn't think the whole book would be about Eugenie's pregnancy, did you? Nope! There is actually a whole other great plot happening. When Eugenie finally returns to the Otherworld she discovers that it has been taken over by a magic spell that causes everything to freeze. It is constantly snowing, the weather is colder than any of the gentry know what to do with, and gentry and animals alike are dying off. Hence the trek! I love when an author sends a group of almost all the main characters on some kind of adventure together.

It is during this little adventure that Eugenie starts to question her feelings for Dorian...meaning that she was mad at him for deceiving her about the iron crown...buuuuuut his eyes are so green and he seems to still have feelings for her...... My favorite thing about Shadow Heir is that Mead really opens Dorian up. He shows how much he truly cares for Eugenie and you will be screaming at your book "What is wrong with you Eugenie!? Jump on top of him right now!".

And, of course, we are talking about Richelle Mead...so there is a big Surprise! toward the end of the book. The series ends neatly and I was almost fully satisfied. I feel like Mead answered most of the questions her readers might have, but at the same time she didn't give us an ending that was tied with a little bow. There were no cop outs here.

I am so sad that this series is over now. This is one of the best urban fantasies out there and I am more than ready to see what Mead gives us next!

***This review is based on an advance copy of the book.

Waiting on Wednesday (11) - Girl of Nightmares

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that shares the upcoming releases we bloggers are on the edge of our seats about!

Girl of Nightmares

(Anna #2)
by Kendare Blake
Release date: August 7, 2012

(from Goodreads)
In this follow-up to Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas begins seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he’s asleep, and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong. These aren’t just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn’t know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn’t deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it’s time for him to return the favor.

If you've read my review of Anna Dressed in Blood, you know that I LOVED it and was totally surprised by said love. I cannot wait to read the next one!!! And who does the covers for this series!? They have both been ridiculously beautiful! I love the way Kendare writes and I love Cas, so naturally this is my WOW this week...even though its release is almost a year away........  :*(

What is YOUR WoW pick?