If he's your ex - let him move to Texas!

 Divorced mother of one, Charlie Madigan, lives in a world where the beings of heaven and hell exist among us, and they aren't the things of Sunday school lessons and Hallmark figurines. In the years since the Revelation, they've become our co-workers, neighbors, and fellow citizens.

Charlie works for ITF (Integration Task Force). It's her job to see that the continued integration of our new "friends" goes smoothly and everyone obeys the law, but when a new off-world drug is released in Underground Atlanta, her daughter is targeted, and her ex-husband makes a fateful bargain to win her back, there's nothing in heaven or earth (or hell for that matter) that Charlie won't do to set things right.


I can't really give a proper review because I sort of had to stop reading it.

The book didn't grab me and try as I might, because I did want to like this book, nothing jumped out at me even when I put it down and picked it back up. Maybe I'll try it some other time because it does have elements that are interesting but the characters sort of fell flat for me.

I was also tired of everyone being beautiful and Charlie's libido being all revved. And you know, another pain point was the ex-husband. I'd like to actually see a divorced couple be divorced without wanting to sleep with each other again or at least have one of them have the resolve to say no (I can name a few examples where this works) or at least have them get back together  - or never break up in the first place. IF he's your ex, then let's move on.

That was actually less a critique about the author and just a pet peeve...sorry about that.


I'm not sure where the romance is in this book. Again, I didn't finish reading it so I have no idea what happens between her and Will or if anything does in fact happen.

I was kind of hoping for a Hank/Charlie thing which may or may not happen, I don't know but in my skimming it seems that they just remain friends.

If you've finished the book please let me know about that.

I do really like Hank though.

Just Friends Review

I sprained my ankle this weekend and what with the World Cup, please see a review.

rating:
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status:	Read from May 24 to 26, 2010
review:	3.5 Not a bad book but a little dry and dusty. I don't know how else to explain it (that's a lie, of course I can explain it I'm just not going to). Both characters are self-absorbed, isolated selfish people who can be both cruel and gentle. They are flawed to the point where at first you don't know if you like them or just hanging out with them. Sort of like the people you only hang out with at a bar but the minute you are summoned to their house for dinner you hesitate. ...more 3.5 Not a bad book but a little dry and dusty. I don't know how else to explain it (that's a lie, of course I can explain it I'm just not going to). Both characters are self-absorbed, isolated selfish people who can be both cruel and gentle. They are flawed to the point where at first you don't know if you like them or just hanging out with them. Sort of like the people you only hang out with at a bar but the minute you are summoned to their house for dinner you hesitate. Yeah. Jack is a writer and I connected with his character - the selfish playboy 'dillente' that he is - and less so with tough as nails, art house manager Freya, who is an emotional ice sculpture with storms swirling inside her so hard they threaten to subsume anyone who comes close. Jack and Freya are friends and have been for about a decade and their relationship, like their memories are bittersweet. When Freya gets dumped by her boyfriend she moves in with Jack until she gets back on her feet. Ok. That makes sense but not a day in are they bickering and fighting and the reader is left wondering how in the hell were they ever friends? Are they friends because of history or because they truly like each other? The rest of the book is pretty much like that until the scenery changes from NYC to England and then with the change of scenery comes new perspective. Jack has been completely cut off from his allowance, Freya is forced to attend her step-sister's wedding (whom she can't stand and frankly I can't either) so both are a little raw and sore but somehow they manage to get along in this situation of pretending to be lovers than they ever had in being friends. The reader then wonders if the fighting is due to the familiarity and comfort of friendship is chafing due to the fact that they both have feelings that have grown outside of that box. Until Jack commits an unforgivable act. Then the rest of the story is about how these two people were so close but because of their defenses and self-imposed issues have blown the one thing that could have kept their silly little lives afloat in this crazy mixed up world. On top of that there is another betrayal, less shocking because the author didn't have the good sense to leave two chapters out of the book, several revelations and some maturity. I don't think this book is particularly romantic but instead focuses on the bittersweet aspect of a relationship that really only two options left for it. To part of take the next step. It's a good Autumn in NY read. The descriptions weren't bad but I got the feeling that Sisman might not have spent enough time in NY because instead of feeling vibrant, gritty, slightly gross and amazing it seemed like a sketch or a watercolor. Pretty foundations but no solid form on which to stand. However, decent read. If you see this is in a bargain bin or on the bookswap take a second Jack is a writer and I connected with his character - the selfish playboy 'dillente' that he is - and less so with tough as nails, art house manager Freya, who is an emotional ice sculpture with storms swirling inside her so hard they threaten to subsume anyone who comes close. Jack and Freya are friends and have been for about a decade and their relationship, like their memories are bittersweet. When Freya gets dumped by her boyfriend she moves in with Jack until she gets back on her feet. Ok. That makes sense but not a day in are they bickering and fighting and the reader is left wondering how in the hell were they ever friends? Are they friends because of history or because they truly like each other? The rest of the book is pretty much like that until the scenery changes from NYC to England and then with the change of scenery comes new perspective. Jack has been completely cut off from his allowance, Freya is forced to attend her step-sister's wedding (whom she can't stand and frankly I can't either) so both are a little raw and sore but somehow they manage to get along in this situation of pretending to be lovers than they ever had in being friends. The reader then wonders if the fighting is due to the familiarity and comfort of friendship is chafing due to the fact that they both have feelings that have grown outside of that box. Until Jack commits an unforgivable act. Then the rest of the story is about how these two people were so close but because of their defenses and self-imposed issues have blown the one thing that could have kept their silly little lives afloat in this crazy mixed up world. On top of that there is another betrayal, less shocking because the author didn't have the good sense to leave two chapters out of the book, several revelations and some maturity. I don't think this book is particularly romantic but instead focuses on the bittersweet aspect of a relationship that really only two options left for it. To part of take the next step. It's a good Autumn in NY read. The descriptions weren't bad but I got the feeling that Sisman might not have spent enough time in NY because instead of feeling vibrant, gritty, slightly gross and amazing it seemed like a sketch or a watercolor. Pretty foundations but no solid form on which to stand. However, decent read. If you see this is in a bargain bin or on the bookswap take a second

(From my Goodreads) I promise that within the next few weeks I will have something new and sparkly for you but until then:

Touched by an Alien - Gini Koch

Ok, so first off based on the cover and the back description I wasn't expecting much.

I was wrong.

This book was not only surprisingly funny and fast-paced, it was semi-plausible and steamy.

I thought Kitty was going to be TSTL and that the romance was going to be by-the-numbers and blah blah blah blah I'd fall asleep in the middle. Nope. Kitty is smart, realistic, brave and flawed. A marketing manager who happens to be in the wrong place at the right time (depending on how you look at it), Katherine 'Kitty' Katt witnesses a man kill his wife but here's the kicker, he's not a man. He's a thing with wings. Using her fancy pen, she stabs it in the right place (which is not as crazy hand of the author as you'd think) and the next thing she knows all these great looking men in custom tailored suits show up out of thin air and whisk her away to a secret area.

Being that she's quick, she grasps all the information that they are part of the government and that there are things called super-beings and she's just killed one and 'hey, would you like to be recruited'? On top of that, Jeff Martini, the one who does the whisking, is already telling her he wants to marry her. Is he kidding? Kitty decides that yes, he's gorgeous but there are more important things to worry about right now. Namely, how did she get in this mess and wait, what do you mean super-beings and aliens?

As a comic-book geek (something I do happen to have in common with Kitty besides also working in marketing), Kitty can't help but make a few analogies which will help those that are fans and possibly confuse those that aren't but the point will get across because this book will dumb it down for you as the information gets disseminated by different characters.

Speaking of, we find out that the secondary characters (while not as fully-fleshed out) are very interesting in their own rights. There are some surprising secrets about Kitty's parents, Jeff & Christopher's (Jeff's surly cousin and partner who has a few surprises of his own) origins and as the plot and the mystery unrolls we get to see what these characters are made of.

While the villain is exactly that, a villain, you get the sense that though he's sort of like a typical comic book villain, it's not about him. It's about the damage he's caused and how it effects the characters and less about trying to humanize him.

Fast-paced and funny, this book borrows from several genres but in the end manages to still end up unique. It never takes itself too seriously, which is maybe why it doesn't fail. It's refreshing and a good read.