Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Hi!

Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight #1)
by Darynda Jones

Release date: October 2nd 2012
by St. Martin's Press
Format: Paperback, 304 pages

Goodreads:

Darynda Jones, author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right, brings us Death and the Girl Next Door, a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors.

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

My thoughts:

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Darynda Jones' adult series, Charley Davidson. I loved, loved, LOVED First Grave on the Right  (it was one of my favorite reads last year, I gave it 6 stars and all!) and I adore Darynda's writing style, so that series earned a good place on my all-time-favorites shelf and Darynda became an auto-buy author. So of course I was super excited about Death and the Girl Next Door. To say that I had high expectations for it would be an understatement. So I really, really wanted to like it - and I did like it, but... not as much as I wanted to. It was a fun, quick read, but it wasn't what I expected - at all. *sigh*

We have the trademark snark and humor, the awesome writing, the mystery, the heroine who gets herself intro trouble trying to solve said mystery, the great and often hilarious supporting characters, the hot supernatural love interest, an interesting and quite intriguing main idea... But that's pretty much all about it that's original and that resembles Darynda Jones' style. Other than that, it's just the usual fluffy Paranormal Romance: the main character is a normal high school girl, weird things happen to her, but she doesn't understand why, then the bad boy - super sexy, super powerful, super mysterious etc - shows up, girl is instantly drawn to him, even weirder, supernatural, inexplicable things begin to happen, girl finds out she's not quite a normal human being and she has a more important role in life, there's some action, some paranormal twists, some surprising (or not) revelations, some teenage angst, some mystery-boy-saves-girl's-life situations, some sweet and hot scenes.... Ok, I know there's more than that to the story, but... That's, in a nutshell, how it felt and what didn't really work for me. It was all too familiar. 

Lorelei is a feisty, like-able character, but sometimes she doesn't make the smartest decisions. She has the best lines and the most awesome friends - I liked their banter, but also their loyalty and support. Their connection and familiarity - even in the most dire, dangerous situations - were fun and heartwarming. Everyone should have friends like them! And when the two (yes, two!) mysterious boys come into the picture, things get even more interesting and hilarious! There's something dreamy and supernatural about both of them, but apparently each one of them has his own agenda, cue lots of fighting, banter and snarky dialogues between them. So yes, they were fun, sexy and they brought and edgy feeling to the story, but, to be honest, I didn't really feel for them. I don't know, it just felt like something was missing in the whole picture. There was the hot, instant connection between Lor and one of the boys, but to me, it was a bit too much (maybe a bit too shallow?) We know that in this kind of situations, when everyone is wary of the main male character and he has a dark side, there's something more to him that our heroine can see/feel and that's why she's instantly drawn to him (normally). But Lorelei just gushed about how gorgeous he was and how he made her weak in the knees. (and spoiler - Ok, yes, he saved her life, but only because he almost got her killed in the first place!)

Without another thought, without the slightest hesitation, I turned and ran into his arms.

Right. Moving on.

My soul took flight! My heart soared! A euphoric, deliriously giddy sensation washed over me with the knowledge that Jared was following me because he wanted to.

Sometimes, she is too immature and oblivious for her own good. I mean, I get that stalker boys are The Bomb in YA lit nowadays, but THAT was a bit extreme. I can't say more on the matter because it's spoiler-y, but... NO. I was not impressed - or amused, for that matter.

He, at least, seems to have better reasons: 

“Why me?” Did he have any idea how gorgeous he was? His lips thinned in frustration like I should already know the answer. He inched closer until his knee touched mine, his eyes, curious and intense, boring into me. “Because you move like fire rushing across a floor,” he said, his voice hushed, velvety smooth, “like flames licking up a wall.” The rest of the world crumbled away as he lifted my chin. “Your energy is liquid and hot. Even from a distance you burn, you scorch anyone who gets too close. You are wine on my tongue and honey in my veins, and I cannot get enough of you.” He leaned forward and whispered into my ear. His warm breath sent shivers cascading over my body. “You intoxicate me, Lorelei McAlister. You will be my downfall.”

I'll admit that the sexy scenes were quite nice and steamy - even at a YA level:

He pulled me tighter and walked me back a wall, pushed me against it and pressed into me. His body, solid and strong, felt like molten steel against mine. His lungs labored as he explored my mouth with his tongue. I savored his taste, sweet like candy.

Now, about the plot - the main idea was pretty awesome. And I liked that the last part of the book was full of twists and all sorts of unexpected revelations and events. It was a great build up to more badassery to come in the following books. Still - there were ups and downs - and the ups were pretty high, but the moments leading to those were dragging.

*sigh* Maybe I just missed something and I'm really sorry about that. And I'm sorry if I was mean and that this review is all over the place, but that's how this book felt for me too. It wasn't bad, it had plenty of good moments, but it just wasn't for me.

I may or may not read the sequel when it comes out. But for now, I'll just stick with the Charley Davidson series. *pets books* And I know that it's wrong to compare the two series, but it feels like Lorelei still has a lot to learn (from Charley :P) and to grow as a character, and Jared... well, not only he's not on the same page, he's not even in the same book with Reyes, as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, you don't have to take my word for it, this is just my opinion. I guess I'm burned out on YA Paranormal Romance, I read it at a bad time or something. So here's some reviews from fellow bloggers who loved it, they make really good points:

Bewitched Bookworms
Xpresso Reads
My ParaHangover

*Review copy provided by the publisher St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Review: Death and the Girl Next Door by Darynda Jones

Hi!

Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight #1)
by Darynda Jones

Release date: October 2nd 2012
by St. Martin's Press
Format: Paperback, 304 pages

Goodreads:

Darynda Jones, author of The New York Times bestselling series that began with First Grave on the Right, brings us Death and the Girl Next Door, a thrilling Young Adult novel garnering high praise and early buzz from major authors.

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

My thoughts:

It's no secret that I'm a big fan of Darynda Jones' adult series, Charley Davidson. I loved, loved, LOVED First Grave on the Right  (it was one of my favorite reads last year, I gave it 6 stars and all!) and I adore Darynda's writing style, so that series earned a good place on my all-time-favorites shelf and Darynda became an auto-buy author. So of course I was super excited about Death and the Girl Next Door. To say that I had high expectations for it would be an understatement. So I really, really wanted to like it - and I did like it, but... not as much as I wanted to. It was a fun, quick read, but it wasn't what I expected - at all. *sigh*

We have the trademark snark and humor, the awesome writing, the mystery, the heroine who gets herself intro trouble trying to solve said mystery, the great and often hilarious supporting characters, the hot supernatural love interest, an interesting and quite intriguing main idea... But that's pretty much all about it that's original and that resembles Darynda Jones' style. Other than that, it's just the usual fluffy Paranormal Romance: the main character is a normal high school girl, weird things happen to her, but she doesn't understand why, then the bad boy - super sexy, super powerful, super mysterious etc - shows up, girl is instantly drawn to him, even weirder, supernatural, inexplicable things begin to happen, girl finds out she's not quite a normal human being and she has a more important role in life, there's some action, some paranormal twists, some surprising (or not) revelations, some teenage angst, some mystery-boy-saves-girl's-life situations, some sweet and hot scenes.... Ok, I know there's more than that to the story, but... That's, in a nutshell, how it felt and what didn't really work for me. It was all too familiar. 

Lorelei is a feisty, like-able character, but sometimes she doesn't make the smartest decisions. She has the best lines and the most awesome friends - I liked their banter, but also their loyalty and support. Their connection and familiarity - even in the most dire, dangerous situations - were fun and heartwarming. Everyone should have friends like them! And when the two (yes, two!) mysterious boys come into the picture, things get even more interesting and hilarious! There's something dreamy and supernatural about both of them, but apparently each one of them has his own agenda, cue lots of fighting, banter and snarky dialogues between them. So yes, they were fun, sexy and they brought and edgy feeling to the story, but, to be honest, I didn't really feel for them. I don't know, it just felt like something was missing in the whole picture. There was the hot, instant connection between Lor and one of the boys, but to me, it was a bit too much (maybe a bit too shallow?) We know that in this kind of situations, when everyone is wary of the main male character and he has a dark side, there's something more to him that our heroine can see/feel and that's why she's instantly drawn to him (normally). But Lorelei just gushed about how gorgeous he was and how he made her weak in the knees. (and spoiler - Ok, yes, he saved her life, but only because he almost got her killed in the first place!)

Without another thought, without the slightest hesitation, I turned and ran into his arms.

Right. Moving on.

My soul took flight! My heart soared! A euphoric, deliriously giddy sensation washed over me with the knowledge that Jared was following me because he wanted to.

Sometimes, she is too immature and oblivious for her own good. I mean, I get that stalker boys are The Bomb in YA lit nowadays, but THAT was a bit extreme. I can't say more on the matter because it's spoiler-y, but... NO. I was not impressed - or amused, for that matter.

He, at least, seems to have better reasons: 

“Why me?” Did he have any idea how gorgeous he was? His lips thinned in frustration like I should already know the answer. He inched closer until his knee touched mine, his eyes, curious and intense, boring into me. “Because you move like fire rushing across a floor,” he said, his voice hushed, velvety smooth, “like flames licking up a wall.” The rest of the world crumbled away as he lifted my chin. “Your energy is liquid and hot. Even from a distance you burn, you scorch anyone who gets too close. You are wine on my tongue and honey in my veins, and I cannot get enough of you.” He leaned forward and whispered into my ear. His warm breath sent shivers cascading over my body. “You intoxicate me, Lorelei McAlister. You will be my downfall.”

I'll admit that the sexy scenes were quite nice and steamy - even at a YA level:

He pulled me tighter and walked me back a wall, pushed me against it and pressed into me. His body, solid and strong, felt like molten steel against mine. His lungs labored as he explored my mouth with his tongue. I savored his taste, sweet like candy.

Now, about the plot - the main idea was pretty awesome. And I liked that the last part of the book was full of twists and all sorts of unexpected revelations and events. It was a great build up to more badassery to come in the following books. Still - there were ups and downs - and the ups were pretty high, but the moments leading to those were dragging.

*sigh* Maybe I just missed something and I'm really sorry about that. And I'm sorry if I was mean and that this review is all over the place, but that's how this book felt for me too. It wasn't bad, it had plenty of good moments, but it just wasn't for me.

I may or may not read the sequel when it comes out. But for now, I'll just stick with the Charley Davidson series. *pets books* And I know that it's wrong to compare the two series, but it feels like Lorelei still has a lot to learn (from Charley :P) and to grow as a character, and Jared... well, not only he's not on the same page, he's not even in the same book with Reyes, as far as I'm concerned.

Anyway, you don't have to take my word for it, this is just my opinion. I guess I'm burned out on YA Paranormal Romance, I read it at a bad time or something. So here's some reviews from fellow bloggers who loved it, they make really good points:

Bewitched Bookworms
Xpresso Reads
My ParaHangover

*Review copy provided by the publisher St. Martin's Press via NetGalley.

Waiting on Wednesday (11/2)

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @  Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button

Today I'm waiting on...

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)
by Darynda Jones

Release Date: January 31st 2012
St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 320 pages

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 him 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.

If you've been following me around or reading my review for First Grave on the Right, you know that I'm a huge fan of Darynda Jones and that I ADORE this series. I just can't get enough of Darynda's fabulous writing, Charley's snarky humor and Reyes' smoking hotness! So I can't wait to read the third book in the series to see what's the gang up to this time around! And considering how the second book ended *sniffle*, I have a feeling the third one is going to be quite... intense. *sigh* And have you noticed how cool are all the covers?<3 (I think I'll go with the UK version for Third Grave, I really like it and it comes out just a few days before my birthday!)

See those shoes? I WANT!:))

What are you guys waiting on?

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (11/2)

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @  Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button

Today I'm waiting on...

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)
by Darynda Jones

Release Date: January 31st 2012
St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 320 pages

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 him 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.

If you've been following me around or reading my review for First Grave on the Right, you know that I'm a huge fan of Darynda Jones and that I ADORE this series. I just can't get enough of Darynda's fabulous writing, Charley's snarky humor and Reyes' smoking hotness! So I can't wait to read the third book in the series to see what's the gang up to this time around! And considering how the second book ended *sniffle*, I have a feeling the third one is going to be quite... intense. *sigh* And have you noticed how cool are all the covers?<3 (I think I'll go with the UK version for Third Grave, I really like it and it comes out just a few days before my birthday!)

See those shoes? I WANT!:))

What are you guys waiting on?

xoxo

Review: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) 
by Darynda Jones

Goodreads blurb:
Pub: February 1st 2011, St. Martin's Press


A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

My thoughts:

*Spoiler free

This review took me a long time to write, because I LOVED this book so much and I wanted to tell you so many things about it, that I didn’t even know where to start. I didn’t want to let anything out either (I had a 3-4 pages long review and it didn’t even include my favorite quotes).  And I still believe this post doesn’t make it justice. Anyway, I’m warning you: this is going to be a long one and it comes with a lot of squealing, gushing, swooning and fangirly moments.

Because you have to read First Grave on the Right! You have to see how brilliant and original and hilarious Darynda’s writing style is! You have to swoon over Reyes! And, of course, you have to meet Charley. She’s one of the most like-able main characters I have met in a very long time! She’s a part time PI, an Albuquerque Police Department consultant who helps her uncle solve murders and a full time grim reaper - actually, the grip reaper – who helps dead people cross over into the light. But she’s not your usual dark, scary and umm… grim reaper – she’s a sexy, chic, smart, sassy girl with a big heart – and great sarcastic lines. It’s impossible not to love her! She’s also caring, brave, tenacious and always determined. So when three lawyers end up dead and show up on Charley’s door step, asking for her help to solve their murders, she doesn’t hesitate one bit and gets dragged right into a mysterious, suspenseful and even dangerous story. This case is more complicated and scary than any other case she’d worked on, but she solved it just fine - with a little help from the outside. And as of all the creepy situations, twists, turns and questions that come with this case weren’t enough, she needs to solve Reyes’ enigma too - a smoking hot entity (literally!) who shows up in her dreams and sometimes in her real life too, whenever she’s in danger. There’s something dark, mysterious, intriguing and passionate about him. He also seems familiar and Charley has to find out when did she meet him, under what circumstances and what does he want from her.

So… Reyes. *dreamy sigh* He’s tall, dark and handsome, but that’s where all the similarities with any other male character I’ve ever met end. For a long time, I didn’t even know what he was (and I shouldn’t have known, but I stumbled upon some spoilers). He’s something special, enigmatic, unnaturally hot and oh, such a tease! Just when you think you can finally learn something about him and his reasons, he disappears. Yup, he comes and goes without warning, just like a touch of hot smoke. *melts* He has a wicked sense of humor and some killer one-liners! You see, he didn’t even have to do something major to win me over. All he had to do was to show up in the right place, at the right time and to do/say the right thing and I was lost - very much like Charley. Because “Reyes aka God of Fantasies and All Things Sensual” is a swoon-worthy Alpha male, but not in a super-strong-with-super-powers-who-kills-everything-and-everyone-just-for-daring-to-look-at-him-and-who-likes-to-slam-you-into-a-wall-and-do-all-kind-of-wicked-things kind of way, but in a literally-hot-and-stunningly-beautiful-who-makes-your-heart-race-and-your-knees-buckle-just-with-a-touch-and-a-whisper kind of way. Not that he minds the wall thing.* And he does have that possessive, jealous behavior and the unconditional love for the main character that comes with the Alpha male attitude. “Because perfection is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”  

"The shadow moved, disintegrated, disappeared, and reappeared before me in the same instant. Then it was my turn to retreat. I stumbled back as a long tendril of smoke raised, and suddenly an arm was braced against the wall beside my head. [...] His mouth brushed my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Dutch,” he whispered, and I melted into him. [...] Then his mouth covered mine and I lost all sense of reality. My world took his form, became his body, his mouth, his hands, skimming over me, surveying the hills and valleys of all that was me, his moon. His very own satellite seduced into his orbit by the sheer will of his gravity." 

*fans self* Where was I? Oh, right. Trying to write a review and make people read this book. So First Grave on the Right is a very complex novel, beautifully written and with action that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end – and then some.  Not only is this a good story with awesome characters and interesting plot, but it also has a perfect dose of humor, suspense, action, mystery, romance, supernatural elements, great world building and well developed characters. Because the side characters are just as like-able and interesting as the main characters: there’s Cookie, the cool, funny and caring best friend who has an adorable daughter (believe me, anyone would love to have a bff like her); the uncle who is much more of a father to Charley than her own father and who knows many things about her and tries his best to protect her; even the dead people in this story have a nice part into the plot and the amazing dialogues! And then there’s Garrett. I have to admit that I paid him very little attention when I first read the book, because I was too astonished, bewildered and absorbed by Reyes’ presence to notice anyone else. J) But when I re-read the book I realized I actually liked the guy. He’s obviously handsome, smart, funny, yet stubborn and reluctant to believe anything about Charley’s “gift”. But at least he’s trying to get into her good graces. Besides, their banter is absolutely hilarious!

"After a long pause in which he took the time to blink several times, he asked, "You named your breasts?" I turned my back to him with a shrug. "I named my ovaries, too, but they don't get out as much." 

Anyway, the point is that Ms. Jones is a genius and she succeeded in blending in all the elements and the details necessary for a perfect read! 

On a side note, if you are a TV shows addict too, imagine something where Ghost Whisperer meets Castle and then add a healthy dose of humor, a bit of scorching romance and some cool, fascinating paranormal aspects. Sounds good IMO!:D

I read this book a few months ago (if you follow me on Facebook/Twitter, I guess you know that it was my Book of the Month back in February) and I still can remember how fantastic it is and even some of the details, but I just had to re-read it. And I fell in love with the characters and the writing style all over again – actually, I think I enjoyed it even more now than I did the first time I read it, because this time around I wasn’t in any hurry to get to the end and get my answers and the suspense wasn't killing me anymore. I just enjoyed the ride – and oh my, what a ride it was!<3 This is definitely my favorite debut novel of the year!

Now, if you like urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, chick lit with a touch of paranormal… Actually, scratch all that. No matter what genre do you like to read, you will love this book. I promise! Are you intrigued already? Go buy two copies ASAP – one for you, one for your best friend! You can thank me later! ;)

BTW, the second book in the series, Second Grave on the Right comes out on August 16th. (I'll probably get it in a month or so too). Do I even need to mention how jealous I am of the people who got the chance to read the ARC already? *cries cussing this part of the middle of nowhere where I live because the best books always take too long to get here* *takes a deep breath* Ok, I'm calm now. Besides, there's always audible.com. Speaking of which, if you are into audibooks, I strongly recommend the audio version of this series. It is narrated by Lorelei King and she did an amazing job reading it! You can listen to a sample on Darynda's site. 

And because this was an EPIC read and I LOVE everything about and I couldn't find absolutely NOTHING to complain about it and it also goes on my All-time-favorites shelf, it deserves my 5 stars + 1 golden star rating!<3

EPIC! One of my favorites! A must read!

Happy reading!
xoxo

Review: First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) 
by Darynda Jones

Goodreads blurb:
Pub: February 1st 2011, St. Martin's Press


A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.

Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

This is a thrilling debut novel from an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

My thoughts:

*Spoiler free

This review took me a long time to write, because I LOVED this book so much and I wanted to tell you so many things about it, that I didn’t even know where to start. I didn’t want to let anything out either (I had a 3-4 pages long review and it didn’t even include my favorite quotes).  And I still believe this post doesn’t make it justice. Anyway, I’m warning you: this is going to be a long one and it comes with a lot of squealing, gushing, swooning and fangirly moments.

Because you have to read First Grave on the Right! You have to see how brilliant and original and hilarious Darynda’s writing style is! You have to swoon over Reyes! And, of course, you have to meet Charley. She’s one of the most like-able main characters I have met in a very long time! She’s a part time PI, an Albuquerque Police Department consultant who helps her uncle solve murders and a full time grim reaper - actually, the grip reaper – who helps dead people cross over into the light. But she’s not your usual dark, scary and umm… grim reaper – she’s a sexy, chic, smart, sassy girl with a big heart – and great sarcastic lines. It’s impossible not to love her! She’s also caring, brave, tenacious and always determined. So when three lawyers end up dead and show up on Charley’s door step, asking for her help to solve their murders, she doesn’t hesitate one bit and gets dragged right into a mysterious, suspenseful and even dangerous story. This case is more complicated and scary than any other case she’d worked on, but she solved it just fine - with a little help from the outside. And as of all the creepy situations, twists, turns and questions that come with this case weren’t enough, she needs to solve Reyes’ enigma too - a smoking hot entity (literally!) who shows up in her dreams and sometimes in her real life too, whenever she’s in danger. There’s something dark, mysterious, intriguing and passionate about him. He also seems familiar and Charley has to find out when did she meet him, under what circumstances and what does he want from her.

So… Reyes. *dreamy sigh* He’s tall, dark and handsome, but that’s where all the similarities with any other male character I’ve ever met end. For a long time, I didn’t even know what he was (and I shouldn’t have known, but I stumbled upon some spoilers). He’s something special, enigmatic, unnaturally hot and oh, such a tease! Just when you think you can finally learn something about him and his reasons, he disappears. Yup, he comes and goes without warning, just like a touch of hot smoke. *melts* He has a wicked sense of humor and some killer one-liners! You see, he didn’t even have to do something major to win me over. All he had to do was to show up in the right place, at the right time and to do/say the right thing and I was lost - very much like Charley. Because “Reyes aka God of Fantasies and All Things Sensual” is a swoon-worthy Alpha male, but not in a super-strong-with-super-powers-who-kills-everything-and-everyone-just-for-daring-to-look-at-him-and-who-likes-to-slam-you-into-a-wall-and-do-all-kind-of-wicked-things kind of way, but in a literally-hot-and-stunningly-beautiful-who-makes-your-heart-race-and-your-knees-buckle-just-with-a-touch-and-a-whisper kind of way. Not that he minds the wall thing.* And he does have that possessive, jealous behavior and the unconditional love for the main character that comes with the Alpha male attitude. “Because perfection is a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”  

"The shadow moved, disintegrated, disappeared, and reappeared before me in the same instant. Then it was my turn to retreat. I stumbled back as a long tendril of smoke raised, and suddenly an arm was braced against the wall beside my head. [...] His mouth brushed my ear, sending shivers down my spine. “Dutch,” he whispered, and I melted into him. [...] Then his mouth covered mine and I lost all sense of reality. My world took his form, became his body, his mouth, his hands, skimming over me, surveying the hills and valleys of all that was me, his moon. His very own satellite seduced into his orbit by the sheer will of his gravity." 

*fans self* Where was I? Oh, right. Trying to write a review and make people read this book. So First Grave on the Right is a very complex novel, beautifully written and with action that keeps you on the edge of your seat until the very end – and then some.  Not only is this a good story with awesome characters and interesting plot, but it also has a perfect dose of humor, suspense, action, mystery, romance, supernatural elements, great world building and well developed characters. Because the side characters are just as like-able and interesting as the main characters: there’s Cookie, the cool, funny and caring best friend who has an adorable daughter (believe me, anyone would love to have a bff like her); the uncle who is much more of a father to Charley than her own father and who knows many things about her and tries his best to protect her; even the dead people in this story have a nice part into the plot and the amazing dialogues! And then there’s Garrett. I have to admit that I paid him very little attention when I first read the book, because I was too astonished, bewildered and absorbed by Reyes’ presence to notice anyone else. J) But when I re-read the book I realized I actually liked the guy. He’s obviously handsome, smart, funny, yet stubborn and reluctant to believe anything about Charley’s “gift”. But at least he’s trying to get into her good graces. Besides, their banter is absolutely hilarious!

"After a long pause in which he took the time to blink several times, he asked, "You named your breasts?" I turned my back to him with a shrug. "I named my ovaries, too, but they don't get out as much." 

Anyway, the point is that Ms. Jones is a genius and she succeeded in blending in all the elements and the details necessary for a perfect read! 

On a side note, if you are a TV shows addict too, imagine something where Ghost Whisperer meets Castle and then add a healthy dose of humor, a bit of scorching romance and some cool, fascinating paranormal aspects. Sounds good IMO!:D

I read this book a few months ago (if you follow me on Facebook/Twitter, I guess you know that it was my Book of the Month back in February) and I still can remember how fantastic it is and even some of the details, but I just had to re-read it. And I fell in love with the characters and the writing style all over again – actually, I think I enjoyed it even more now than I did the first time I read it, because this time around I wasn’t in any hurry to get to the end and get my answers and the suspense wasn't killing me anymore. I just enjoyed the ride – and oh my, what a ride it was!<3 This is definitely my favorite debut novel of the year!

Now, if you like urban fantasy, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, chick lit with a touch of paranormal… Actually, scratch all that. No matter what genre do you like to read, you will love this book. I promise! Are you intrigued already? Go buy two copies ASAP – one for you, one for your best friend! You can thank me later! ;)

BTW, the second book in the series, Second Grave on the Right comes out on August 16th. (I'll probably get it in a month or so too). Do I even need to mention how jealous I am of the people who got the chance to read the ARC already? *cries cussing this part of the middle of nowhere where I live because the best books always take too long to get here* *takes a deep breath* Ok, I'm calm now. Besides, there's always audible.com. Speaking of which, if you are into audibooks, I strongly recommend the audio version of this series. It is narrated by Lorelei King and she did an amazing job reading it! You can listen to a sample on Darynda's site. 

And because this was an EPIC read and I LOVE everything about and I couldn't find absolutely NOTHING to complain about it and it also goes on my All-time-favorites shelf, it deserves my 5 stars + 1 golden star rating!<3

EPIC! One of my favorites! A must read!

Happy reading!
xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (3/9)

Hey all!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button!

This week, I'm eagerly anticipating...

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2) by Darynda Jones

(Out August 16th 2011 @ Audio Renaissance) 

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously?


After dragging Charley out the door and trying unsuccessfully to stuff her into a trunk—mostly ‘cause Charley pitches a fit—Cookie finally explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. After a brief investigation, Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. They head to the parking lot only to be accosted by a frantic husband with a gun. After some soothing words and a few deep breathing exercises, the husband, aka Warren Jacobs, hires Charley to find his wife. He explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.


Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do? (Goodreads blurb)

I read the first book in the series, First Grave on the Right, last weekend and I LOVED it! A very original, sexy, hilarious and thrilling story that I recommend to all paranormal fans out there! I'll post my review later this week, but I'll tell you now that this Reyes made it to the top of my book boyfriends list!LOL (he takes the smoking hotness to a new level. Literally.*fans self*)

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1) - 01 Feb 2011 (Hardback, Audio-book); 05 Jul 2011 (Paperback)

Greedy as I am, I have both versions of the book, and I'd do about anything to get an ARC of Second Grave on the Left! August is way too far away!:(

Anyways, what book(s) are you eagerly anticipating this week?:D

xoxo 

Waiting on Wednesday (3/9)

Hey all!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button!

This week, I'm eagerly anticipating...

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2) by Darynda Jones

(Out August 16th 2011 @ Audio Renaissance) 

When Charley is rudely awakened in the middle of the night by her best friend who tells her to get dressed quickly and tosses clothes out the closet at her, she can’t help but wonder what Cookie’s up to. Leather scrunch boots with a floral miniskirt? Together? Seriously?


After dragging Charley out the door and trying unsuccessfully to stuff her into a trunk—mostly ‘cause Charley pitches a fit—Cookie finally explains that a friend of hers named Mimi disappeared five days earlier and that she just got a text from her setting up a meet at a coffee shop downtown. They show up at the coffee shop, but no Mimi. After a brief investigation, Charley finds a message on the bathroom wall. Mimi left a clue, a woman’s name. They head to the parking lot only to be accosted by a frantic husband with a gun. After some soothing words and a few deep breathing exercises, the husband, aka Warren Jacobs, hires Charley to find his wife. He explains that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old friend of hers from high school had been found murdered a couple weeks prior. The same woman Mimi had named in her message.


Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He’s left his body because he’s being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can’t let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they’ll have a portal to heaven. And if they have a portal to heaven…well, let’s just say it wouldn’t be pretty. Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Will Cookie ever get a true fashion sense? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel them as they do? (Goodreads blurb)

I read the first book in the series, First Grave on the Right, last weekend and I LOVED it! A very original, sexy, hilarious and thrilling story that I recommend to all paranormal fans out there! I'll post my review later this week, but I'll tell you now that this Reyes made it to the top of my book boyfriends list!LOL (he takes the smoking hotness to a new level. Literally.*fans self*)

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson, #1) - 01 Feb 2011 (Hardback, Audio-book); 05 Jul 2011 (Paperback)

Greedy as I am, I have both versions of the book, and I'd do about anything to get an ARC of Second Grave on the Left! August is way too far away!:(

Anyways, what book(s) are you eagerly anticipating this week?:D

xoxo