Dangerous Creatures

A new series returns to the world of Beautiful Creatures. Some loves are cursed...others are dangerous.

Ridley Duchannes will be the first to tell you that she's a bad girl. She's Dark. She's a Siren. You can never trust her, or even yourself when she's around. Lucky for her, Wesley "Link" Lincoln can never seem to remember that; quarter Incubus or not, his heart is Mortal when it comes to Ridley. When Link heads to New York City to start a music career, Ridley goes along for the ride-and she has her own reasons. As if leaving small-town Gatlin for the big city, trying to form a band, and surviving life with a partially reformed Siren isn't hard enough already, Link soon learns he has a price on his head that no Caster or Mortal can ever pay.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of Beautiful Creatures, are back and casting another magical spell. Their signature mixture of mystery, suspense, and romance, along with a dash of fun and danger, will pull fans in and leave them begging for more.

*May Contain Spoilers*

Kami Garcia and Maragret Stohl are continuing their Caster legacy with Dangerous Creatures, a new series with characters from Beautiful Creatures. This series will focus on Link and Ridley, the unlikely Siren and Part Incubus couple. 

Most of the book is written with the main character focus on Ridley, though Link does have some sections of his own, as does Lennox Gates. I never thought of Ridley as a bad or a good character. More like a victim of circumstance. She wasn't my favorite but she did play an important role in the Beautiful Creatures series. Ridley, by nature as a Siren, is Dark. She's incredibly selfish, self involved, bratty, and doesn't play well with others. As Ridley is an outsider, many readers can relate to her because this feeling is universally understood. Everyone has a past experience where they've felt out of their element. Though not many readers are as villainous as Ridley. 

The plot of the novel, and (safe to assume?) series, revolves around revenge. Link killed Abraham Ravenwood with a pair of gardening shears after being lured by Ridley and, though he is on the Otherside, he isn't too happy about it. Enter Ridley who owes a gambling debt to Nox, a Dark Caster who is being threatened by Ravenwood to kill Ridley and Link. Add all previous ingredients to a NYC Underground Dark Caster Club, mix with a Necromancer, an Illusionist, a Darkborn and voila! Chaos ensues. 

Though I love Stohl and Garcia's writing, their world of Casters, and the plot line, I had trouble connecting with Ridley and caring what happened to her. Not that I think she deserves to be locked in chains and forced to do Dark work... I just wish I would have made a stronger connection with her early on in the Creatures world so that a firm foundation would have already been laid out. No matter what, you can bet that I'll be reading the rest of the series now that the foundation is in place. 

Rating: 2.5/5 Cups

Photo Friday

Found on Pinterest
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/229120699768157111/

No arguing with that. :D

Guernsey Retreat

Two violent deaths. Separated by time, but with a fatal connection…

A man loses his father. A young woman loses her mother. Both in tragic circumstances that lead, when they meet, to surprising revelations from the past.
Louisa needs to find the father she has never known, to warn him of possible danger - for them both. Her search takes her from England to Guernsey. Malcolm's journey is more tortuous: conceived in Guernsey, he travels to Canada as a baby with his bereaved mother. Many years later he arrives in India, and from here he is led back to Guernsey to open a health centre at La Folie. This was his father's home, where Malcolm was conceived, but never lived and where his father was killed at the start of the Second World War.

At the heart of the two deaths lie stolen jewels. Valuable enough to kill for. Twice.
Finding her father brings Louisa more than she bargains for, and her life is transformed, while Malcolm learns that life is, after all, for sharing…

*May Contain Spoilers*

Anne Allen continues sharing the magic of Guernsey in her novel, Guernsey Retreat. A rich story of familial discoveries, love that is lost as well as found, and a chance to bring justice to those who deserve it, Guernsey fans will enjoy the new series addition.

Louisa is the main character and readers will love her free spirited personality and open heart. She works as a physiotherapist, illustrating her focus of helping people. When Louisa meets her father for the first time, she is understanding, brave, and a bit nervous. These small details add to the overall realistic depiction of Louisa. She's a swimmer, loves the outdoors, and is quite health conscious. Readers will thoroughly relate to Louisa as she focuses on opening her life to a father who wants to make up for lost time and a chance to be truly balanced in life. 

The novel opens with the death of Susan, Louisa's mother. After a home invasion, Susan dies of heart failure, but Louisa caught a glimpse of the attacker. And with her last words, Susan told Louisa to warn her father -- a man she has never met -- of the mortal danger. With hope and fear simmering within, Louisa travels to Guernsey where her father has just opened a health and wellness center. Together they hope to track down the man who caused Susan's death. 

Guernsey Retreat is a book about building an enjoyable life and discovering new wonders by being open. It's also focused on family and the importance of love in your life. The novel is written mainly from Louisa's point of view in European style - complete with alternate vocabulary spellings. Though the characters and story line are interesting, the dialogue seems stiff at times and I had trouble imagining the characters actually saying certain phrases. Regardless, Anne Allen weaves a delicate novel with relatable characters and intriguing mystery.

Rating: 3.5/5Cups

WWW Wednesday (123)

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?

• What did you recently finish reading?

• What do you think you’ll read next?

          

01. Currently Reading:
Dangerous Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia. Just starting this one. I've been so excited to read it. Cannot wait to see what's next for my favorite characters.

02. Recently Finished:
Guernsey Retreat by Anne Allen. When Louisa's mother's home is broken into by a criminal in search of priceless jewels, Louisa embarks on a journey to uncover the guilty, meet her father, and fall in love.

03. Reading Next:
Moscow Bound by Adrian Churchward. Not my typical read but giving this one a shot. A woman hires a lawyer to help her find her father before being dragged into a murder investigation and uncovering a political secret.