Amber Belldene

I received a copy of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley.

Suze is an Episcopalian minister and finds a rock star called Rush standing in for her organist one Sunday morning. (Rush originally had classical music training). Rush has been diagnosed with Meniere's disease, a fact he is keeping a secret, including from his bandmates, while he tries a new treatment. He is suffering mainly from bouts of vertigo, but fears going deaf and being unable to perform music. Initially Suze and Rush clash - Suze's first boyfriend also became a rock star (why has this never happened to me?!) and then dumped her - but then one thing leads to another...

I enjoyed this story, especially the bits relating to Suze's job and the battle to open the food pantry. Should the church be about ministering to the community or about beautiful music and the arts? The transformation of Winston and Seymour was inspiring.

However, I thought the ending was a bit of a muddle -

SPOILERS

Should Suze really have called Samy and broken Rush's confidence? - that didn't sit right with me. Did Rush go ahead with the surgery? It said he had decided to wait six months, but then he seems to go ahead. The surgery was positioned as the choice Rush would make if he was prioritizing music over everything else, but then suddenly it is the right choice even though he has committed to Suze... I didn't like the way he pulled away from Suze after the bout of vertigo - it made me have doubts about their long term future.

Not mad keen on the cover.… (más)

A very enjoyable quick read that was completely entertaining. Cassie is in Sao Paolo for her brothers wedding just before she is scheduled to start her seminary program. Adam her brother's best friend, best man, and the object of Cassie's affection since her youth. What Cassie wants more than anything is one night with Adam to taste what a normal life is like but he has her firmly on the off limits list. You definitely need to get this one and find out what happens! It's a great one and I highly recommend it.… (más)

Well, this was... new.

I dare say, I've read stories involving lots of mythology facts and legends, from many cultures. But Slavic folklore was something that had eluded my attention - until now.

Dmitri Lisko knows he's no innocent man. And he also knows that daddy dearest was not an award-winning example as a father when he was alive. But he still blames one person for what his family had to go through - and now he's finally out to get him. But upon arriving at his aunt's house, where he's supposed to stay while stalking his target, he releases a rusalka from one of her antique teapots. Sonya Truss found an early death at the hands of suspicious militsya men many years ago. Now that she's back as a bloodthirsty ghost, she has only a little time to take revenge before she completely loses herself to her bloodlust. Both sexy ghost and broken ex-hitman have people to kill - but each one's vengeance is fated to destroy the other's chances...

I admit that I didn't know what a rusalka was. Like I said, I'm not very familiar with Slavic mythology. So I looked the term up, and I was shocked. The rusalka is truly a fearsome creature, and I couldn't finish reading all the info because I freaked - plus, I googled some images, and I assure you I had some pretty vivid nightmares focusing on what I saw.

Still, Sonya was one rusalka I wouldn't mind around. I've seen many friendly ghosts in books and all that, but it was really different from what I've read so far. Sonya was sweet, funny, and cute. She had that innocence that only children possess, and at the same time, a kind of wisdom that kept surprising me - and Dmitri. She was understanding and forgiving to an extent, and while she did want to live, even if she knew it was impossible, she still didn't mind passing on as long as those she cared about were safe. She was ready to throw her revenge aside just for Dmitri's sake, and while many might see it as a weakness and falling in love way too quickly and unrealistically, I say it was natural.

Because if you saw those two, you would see their chemistry and how well they fit together.

Dmitri was the typical thug, who may be that tall, dark, brooding man we drool over when we spot him, but he was by no means handsome. His nose was broken, and he had scars. Nothing like those perfect, flawless male heroes in romance. And yet he still manages to get the reader to swoon, despite his addictions, and his chaotic life, and all his hangups. He was secretly a huge, cuddlesome marshmallow, a teddy bear of a man that can screw you to oblivion, and then wrap himself around you to cuddle you to sleep - and if that's not hot and awesome as fuck, I don't know what can be!

And you wanna know what makes him even better? He was such a knight, even if he didn't believe so himself, that he kept holding himself back, despite his raging need to get the sheets burning with Sonya. He was such a... well, a MAN, that he fully acknowledged that, yes, a guy with healthy sexual urges wants a woman, not a broomstick. Sonya kept seeing herself as fat because she was comparing her pin-up-model body with the toothpicks that walk around the streets nowadays, and our boy Dima kept insisting, half of the times in his head, the other half quite loudly, that he liked her that way, and in fact she was much sexier and that made him feel better as a male. Wow, just... wow! Not to mention that he, too, was ready to throw away his life and his revenge, and everything he had accomplished so far, all the riches and the prestige that waited for him back in Kiev, to be with her, if only for a little while, to make sure that she at least avenged her death and that she would pass on happily.

It made me wanna cry every time he sacrificed one more thing for his ghost's sake....

The good thing is, I sense there is another book coming. If that is true, given Belldene's amazing hot scenes, funny dialogue, and plethora of plot twists, I seriously can't wait!

***I was given an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The opinion stated in this review is solely mine, and no compensation was given or taken to alter it.***… (más)