Jacob by Jacquelyn Frank

This is the first book in The Nightwalkers series.

About the Book
"Jacob the Enforcer belongs to one of the many Nightwalker races that thrive on the dark of night. He has a job to do for his species and it's rather straightforward. He polices his people. During the full moon their animal urge to mate overcomes them, and if they stay within their race they never need to encounter the Enforcer. But if they cross the line and turn their lust to another species...say humans...it's Jacob's duty to prevent them and then to punish them severely for it. As this 'madness' grows worse and worse for his people, there is hardly a family who hasn't felt the brutal sting of Jacob's justice. Punishment is so dire and so feared, Jacob can call very few others his friend and the life the Enforcer leads is a very solitary one.

Then one night during a hunt for one of his own, he encounters the first human woman who will tempt him in all of his 622 years of life. Isabella is a simple Bronx gal who works at her local library, lives with her sister and owns a cat."

Tell me more, tell me more!
I believe this is the first time I've read a book by Jaci Frank...can't seem to remember her writings in my library before I picked up this debut novel for the Nightwalker series.

I found this novel involving Demons just delightful. I've resisted starting this series and for the life of me, I really don't know why. :(

This was a great primer to the series and various other Demons and vampires who will be rounding out the additional books.

I like Isabella. For once it wasn't an irrational heroine facing her true role in life! She was gutsy and took her shots as she went along. I appreciated that slant to the story. Noah, the king of demons, and his sister, Magdalena, get into a hot spot of trouble with Bella that I wasn't expecting. I did laugh out loud at some of the interplay between characters.

I must confess though, that every time someone called the heroine Bella, I thought of Bella from Lover Eternal. I have a feeling I have avoided the series initally b/c I thought this would be similar to JR Ward's series. I'm quite happy to see that it stands on it's own two feet. The writing was divine. I heartedly recommend this book!

Grade: A

Sandie

Too funny bunnies!

Scandal in Spring by Lisa Kleypas

This is the final book in the Wallflower series. The book focuses on the youngest wallflower, Daisy.

About the book:

After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman's father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can't snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses—the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.

Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn't count on Matthew's unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.

But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy's wildest fantasies.

Tell me more, tell me more...

I must confess that I haven't been looking forward to Daisy's book. In my mind I pictured a very young girl..not a young lady. As I've read the series I have waited for this heroine to mature and grow up but she hasn't. So much to my surprise, she matures overnight into a young lady engaging in not so ladylike behavior. :)

Personally, this wasn't as strong or compelling a story to me as the other books in this series. It wasn't a poorly written novel but it just didn't grab me from the beginning. Once the terrible "secret" is revealed about Matthew I felt that the author just squeezed the climax into a few pages. Too much of the novel had been spent on the build up of the relationship and far too little time spent to fix this horrid secret. Granted, the secret wasn't too terrible but I was disappointed in the epilogue ending.

I think it's best to start at the beginning of this series rather than at the end...you won't see the evolution of the friends and relationships.

Grade: B

Sandie