Dumah's Demons - Ami Blackwelder

                I really enjoyed the novella Dumah’s Demons. As a fan of this whole series, it was refreshing to read the back story about some of the “baddies”. Dumah’s Demons gives the reader an interesting perspective of why the Dark Angels are the way they are. Ms. Blackwelder uses this story to open up the world of the Dark Angels as well as explain how Dumah became such a powerful and bitter Dark Angel. It’s very easy to read, both fast and entertaining, and is a nice breather between books two and three. I would have liked to have read a bit more about Dameon’s past in book one because he was such a central character so it was nice to finally read about why he did the things he did in book one. Very well written and very entertaining.

Angel Codes - Ami Blackwelder

                This is the third and final book in the Angelfire series and I have to say it is by far my favorite. It seemed like everything came together in this final installment. The characters were multi-dimensional, well fleshed out and “real”. The story never slows throughout the book. The action is constant and kept me turning the pages. There are some new characters and at first I was skeptical about introducing new people in the final novel but they all intertwined into the lives of the original characters nicely. Sergio became a special favorite of mine. His angst over who he really is and how he fits into this supernatural world was especially well written. Dumah, for me, is the ultimate character I loved to hate. Even after reading Dumah’s Demons, which tells how Dumah came to be so evil, I found myself hoping for the worst outcome for her. It takes great writing for me to care, whether it’s to love or hate them, about a character so much. I also enjoyed how the author wrote from alternating viewpoints, both Ali’s and Kian’s. It gave a broader view of what was going on in the different situations. Without giving anything away, the epic battle of the book was awesome and worth waiting for. I enjoyed the previous books but this was definitely the ultimate one of the series.   

K-9 Cop : Case #1 The Dreck Report

                Spencer is a cop and not a very pleasant one either. He may be good at his job but he is pricklier than a cactus. After a case gone wrong, he finds himself in the body of a purebred Briard dog named Pepper who also happens to be his K-9 partner in life whom he loved with all his heart. Spencer has to do some good on earth and learn a few lessons in order to move on to the good place in the afterlife. He’s not particularly happy with his assignment to help out a particularly dysfunctional family but really has no choice. Meanwhile, he also wants to solve the case that caused his own death. All of this makes for an entertaining read. The writing doesn’t always flow smoothly but it reads much like a cross between a hard boiled mystery and a cozy whodunit. The characters are interesting and although there is a little bit of violence there is nothing overly graphic. Spencer having to deal with being a dog is quite funny and there are a few twists I wasn’t expecting, in particular one involving King, a German shepherd also inhabited by a human. I loved the bad guys who were the perfect stereotype of a hard boiled mystery’s criminals. This was a fun book to read and written purely for entertainment. I read this using the digital format on my ereader and it formatted well. The cover is cute and fit the book’s story line.

Eden's Apple - Pamela Blake

                Eden’s Apple is a saga spanning the lives of Rose and her daughter, Lucy, and those they love. The book opens with an emotionally gripping chapter that tells how Lucy is conceived and it’s not romantic by any stretch of the imagination. The character of Rose is one that I found very interesting and would have liked to have her be more of a presence in the book but the story is essentially about Lucy, Rose’s daughter, who I found to be exceedingly unlikeable. She’s manipulative, greedy and broken to her core. The book also tells the story of Sam, a priest who falls in love with Lucy and finds himself torn between that love and his need to answer his calling. I liked Sam better than Lucy but question many of his decisions. The characters are multi-dimensional and very well written. Otherwise I really wouldn’t care one way or the other for them. The author makes them quite real and easy to picture in my mind’s eye. I loved the setting and time period, mostly from the 1940s to the 1960s. Sometimes the dialogue didn’t seem believable but I chalk that up to my not knowing how people spoke back then. Eden’s Apple is an enjoyable book and one that can be added to the summer beach reading pile. I read this book on my ereader and it formatted well. The cover is quite beautiful and is what drew me to the book in the first place. 

Yearnings :Rendezvous - Randy Lee White

                Yearnings: Rendezvous is a short story collection of fourteen easy-to-read stories that are both entertaining and thought provoking. Each is only a few pages so it would make for a great beach read. In each one, a decision is made to satisfy (or not to satisfy) a yearning, and consequences, sometimes drastic ones, follow. It’s interesting to ponder what you would do as you read the book. A lot of the stories deal with overcoming the desire to do something that is desperately desired even if the character knows things may not turn out in a positive light. The author also cautiously adds an asterisks to stories that are deemed to have adult content such as abuse (although it’s not too graphic), drinking, religion, etc. Nothing is particularly unsettling though. All of the stories are just enjoyable entertainment. Mr. White even retells a couple of fables/fairy tales which were fun to read. Overall, this is a fast and fun read. I read this in digital format and it read well on my ereader. The cover is both pretty and attractive.