Nice Girls Don’t Bite Their Neighbors by Molly Harper

February 28th 2012, Pocket Star
337 pages, Paperback
Received from Publisher
Fourth in Jane Jameson series
Adult Fiction

Just as Jane Jameson’s unlife seems to be stabilizing, fate sinks its fangs firmly into her butt. Despite her near-phobia of all things marital, her no-frills nighttime nuptials to her sexy boyfriend Gabriel are coming along smoothly. But the road to wedded bliss gets bumpy when a teenage acquaintance is fatally wounded in front of Jane’s shop and she turns him to save his life. The Council pronounces Jane responsible for the newborn vamp until he can control his thirst.

Jane’s kitchen at River Oaks barely holds enough Faux Type O to satiate the cute teen’s appetite and maintain Gabriel’s jealous streak at a slow simmer. As if keeping her hyperactive childe from sucking the blood out of the entire neighborhood isn’t enough to deal with, the persnickety ghost of Jane’s newly deceased Grandma Ruthie has declared a war on the fanged residents of River Oaks. Suddenly,
choosing monogrammed cocktail napkins and a cake that she can’t eat seems downright relaxing in comparison.

Tensions inside the house are growing…and outside, a sinister force is aiming a stake straight for the center of Gabriel’s heart. Most brides just have to worry about choosing the right dress, but Jane fears that at this rate, she’ll never make it down the aisle for the wedding all nice girls dream of…

Cover Review:  

As with all of this series, the covers are amazingly accurate to the books and while this one is a bit more OMG! I can not read this in public it’s pretty awesome!

Opinion:

This is the 4th (and I think final) in the series, so it’ll have spoilers for previous books. Also, I’m not sure I can really review this one in a comprehensive way. Let’s just say it is endlessly funny and a page turner that builds on great characterization that combines with a page turning plot.

Jane is just as funny as ever and has grown so much as a character over the four books that she is almost unrecognizable in the end in so many awesome ways. She is getting completely settled, getting married to Gabriel, have a childe in Jamie and all of her friends are getting settled as well. She has made peace with her family and while there is still a great storyline that has nothing to do with the settling this is an incredible end to the series.

Dick and Andrea and Zeb and Jolene have really settled in to family life and are busy with their own lives, but of course they are still there for Jane. Jane has made up with most of her family and I adore seeing her no longer at conflict with people that tormented her in earlier books.

The last two of this series, both had page-turning plots and I was addicted to reading them. In fact over the weekend as a break (after finals) we went up to Oklahoma and while in the casino I found place to chill and read when I was tired of playing. Yes, that addicting.

Amazing end to an amazing series!

Rating:

Rie

I'm a wife, student, and a dog-lover who reads when I should be folding laundry (bane of my existance), I write (rarely as academic papers consume my life), and love getting wrapped up in fiction.

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Changeling Dawn by Dani Harper

January 1st 2012, Kensington-Brava
Pages, Galley
Received from Publicist
Third in Changeling series
Adult Fiction

RUN

Shadow and moonlight merge beneath her bare feet,the forest floor blurring as she flees the dogs and torches. Werewolf, monster -- those are the names given her kind by the humans who hate them.

HUNT

Kenzie Macleod has spent her whole life hiding what she is, and she’s not about to open up to any man, even one as powerfully attractive as wildlife expert Josh Talarkoteen. But legend says that a Changeling cannot escape the call of her true mate, even in the wilderness of backcountry Alaska.

MATE

An isolated archeological site, a terrified Changeling cub, a secretive research center -- as Kenzie and Josh face the ultimate betrayal, his obsidian eyes promise untold pleasure and hint at dark secrets of his own . . .

Opinion:

As you many of you should know (I talk about it nearly non-stop) this is my favorite adult paranormal series. Hands down. I am frequently told that people haven’t heard about it which is like the saddest thing ever cause it is pure writing gold.

The latest book in the series is about Kenzie, the first female changeling in the series. Kenzie has a past with humans and this past clouds her interactions with others. Especially males. This is the first book within the series that the actual age of the changelings is kinda delved into as well.

Kenzie and Josh have instant attraction, but the bridge between Kenzie’s distrust and Josh’s humanity is the saddest cutest little Changeling. As always in Harper’s writing the love story was built on a foundation of trust, love, and respect. The love story was realistic and touching.

One of the best things about this series is the antagonists aren’t simply an evil force without a reason.You can almost always see where the other side is coming from. Ignorance often breeds evil and so it is within Changeling Dawn. Even if you are completely outraged by the way the changelings are being treated you see why they don’t feel guilty for their part in it.

Josh’s own paranormal experience is an interesting and refreshing change within this series.

Rating:

Rie

I'm a wife, student, and a dog-lover who reads when I should be folding laundry (bane of my existance), I write (rarely as academic papers consume my life), and love getting wrapped up in fiction.

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Guest Post and Giveaway: Dani Harper – A Love Affair with Wolves

RUN

Shadow and moonlight merge beneath her bare feet, the forest floor blurring as she flees the dogs and torches. Werewolf, monster -- those are the names given her kind by the humans who hate them.

HUNT

Kenzie Macleod has spent her whole life hiding what she is, and she’s not about to open up to any man, even one as powerfully attractive as wildlife expert Josh Talarkoteen. But legend says that a Changeling cannot escape the call of her true mate, even in the wilderness of backcountry Alaska.

MATE

An isolated archeological site, a terrified Changeling cub, a secretive research center -- as Kenzie and Josh face the ultimate betrayal, his obsidian eyes promise untold pleasure and hint at dark secrets of his ow

Hi, my name is Dani and I adore wolves. In fact, I know the exact time and place I fell in love with wolves. It was a sunny Sunday morning and I was at home on my little farm in northern Canada … and a pack of 7 or 8 wolves loped across my yard right in front of me!

The wolves were unconcerned by my presence. Graceful and unhurried, they seemed to be floating along the ground rather than touching it. Their mouths were open and grinning, their tongues lolling, and they bumped each other’s shoulders amiably. But what impacted me the most was the powerful impression that the wolves were happy.

The pack entered the timber and disappeared into the ravine beyond, and I stood there for a very long time in awe and wonder. I guess it was no surprise when a family of shapeshifters – or Changelings, as they prefer to be called – popped up in my stories. Able to become wolves at will, the Macleods fled Scotland for a new life in northern Canada.


But back to natural wolves. There is so much to admire about them! First and foremost, they’re incredibly intelligent. And it’s true that they mate for life. A pack is made up of the mother and father wolves (the alpha male and female), their grown pups from the last few years and other lower-ranking wolves. A wolf pack is a close-knit group, with strong relationships and social bonds. They show affection to each other and will even sacrifice themselves to protect their family!

These bonds are most noticeable when pups are born. Usually only the alpha pair breed, but the entire pack takes responsibility for feeding and guarding the young. All of the wolves take turns babysitting the pups while the rest of the pack is out hunting. If anything happens to the alphas, the pack will take care of the young wolves. They are mature at about 10 months of age, and will usually remain with the pack.

Such close relationships spark complex communication. Wolves have an amazing repertoire of sounds – barks, whines, growls and howls. But we have only recently learned that wolves have facial expressions, just like humans! In fact, the colors of a wolf’s face, the “mask” of light and dark fur that often frames the eyes and mouth so beautifully has a purpose – it makes it easier for their expressions to be read by other wolves!

There is so much more I could tell you about wolves, but it won’t all fit in this blog. You’ll find a lot of wolf facts sprinkled throughout my Changeling books – I’ve done a lot of research to make sure that what I write about wolves in my novels is absolutely true. (Chalk it up to my former career as a newspaper editor – I have an obsession with facts!)

International Giveaway:

So now you know how I feel about wolves. Do YOU have a favorite animal? Leave me a comment telling me what your most beloved beast is and you’ll be entered in a draw for a signed print copy of my newest release, Changeling Dawn, and a Dani Harper tote bag to put it in!

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Changeling Dream by Dani Harper

June 28th 2011, Kensington
368 pages, Paperback
Received from Publicist
Second in Changeling series
Adult Fiction
Others in Series: Changeling Moon

In times of stress Jillian Descharme has always found calm in her dream of a great white wolf with haunting blue eyes. But she is startled when the visions return and this time seem so real. Late at night he comes to her, speaks to her, touches her. It's almost as if he's alive...
Thirty years ago James Macleod lost his wife and unborn child to a killer bent on destroying the Changelings. Though he longed for death, his animal instinct fought for survival and James has been a wolf ever since. Yet now a woman has reawakened the man in him, taming wild instincts but arousing still wilder needs. With his ancient enemy hunting the legendary white wolf, James must fight for new life, new hope, new love.

 
Opinion:

I loved the first one in this series, but this has surpassed that one. I love Jillian. She’s gone through so much and she is still standing strong with the help of her white wolf that has rescued her in more ways than one.

Let me go over a couple of issues I had with the book. They are minor, but they bugged me some. James’ (justifiable) selfishness has truly hurt his family and I’m not sure he had really fixed this hurt by the end of the book. The other issue was that Jillian didn’t find out her white wolf and James until the very end and couldn’t figure it out on her own. She’s so super smart in other ways so I thought she would figure it out. This may be a fact of her being told the wolf was made up to help her cope, but it annoyed me.

Otherwise this book was beyond amazing. The characterization makes them seem like friends and the plot is never dull.

Zoey from the first book barely appears, but Connor has POV parts which brings us continuance of the first book. Also there are themes started in the first book that are followed through fully in this book.

The plot was intense from the very first page. Every facet that I want to talk about is spoilery because this book is so well threaded. Meaning everything has a point and everything is important to the overall story. This is an extremely tight story.

This is my favorite adult series at the moment.

Rating:

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Changeling Moon by Dani Harper

May 31st 2011, Brava
368 pages, Paperback
Received from publicist
Adult Fiction

He roams the moonlit wilderness, his every sense and instinct on high alert. Changeling wolf Connor Macleod and his Pack have never feared anything -- until the night human Zoey Tyler barely escapes a rogue werewolf's vicious attack.

As the full moon approaches, Zoey has no idea of the changes that are coming, and only Connor can show her what she is, and help her master the wildness inside. With her initiation into the Pack just days away and a terrifying predator on the loose, the tentative bonds of trust and tenderness are their only weapons against a force red in tooth, claw . . . and ultimate evil.

 
Opinion:

Lately, I have been disappointed in adult books they just don’t seem to have enough flare. This one was a complete opposite of that! The action was intense, the men protective and strong, and Zoey was the most courageous female I’ve seen within fiction in a long time.

The plot was the perfect pace where we got to truly know the characters and fast enough that we never got bored. Zoey is running away from her paranormal past directly into a more intense paranormal future. She is full of spirit and doesn’t back down from a wolf attack or from the man that is her mate.

What a mate that is! Connor will stand his ground and protect her from everything including herself, but he is secure enough within himself that he is not in the least controlling. He is sexy through and through although if he’d gotten me all worked up and then fled I’d be just as bit of annoyed as Zoey was.

The rest of the pack is a family of supporting characters that I fell in love with right along side the main characters. The floppy eared puppy, the strong but small alpha that is Jessie, and the doctor that isn’t part of their world, but will still protect the pack.

I cannot wait to read the next book in this series.

Rating:

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