Book Review: Simply Irresistible by Kristine Grayson

This is a fun story with good characters- the nice ones and the evil ones.

Simply Irresistible

by Kristine Grayson

• File Size: 641 KB
• Print Length: 326 pages
• Publisher: WMG Publishing (March 3, 2011)
• ASIN: B004QZ9XYY

Genre: Paranormal Romance
My rating: 4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: March 3, 2011
Dexter Grant, the inspiration for the greatest superhero of all time, lives in reduced circumstances. Now he runs a pet store in Portland, Oregon, and privately calls himself a Kitten Superhero because he saves stray animals. He aspires to something greater, but his magic has been restricted—by the Fates.
The Fates, three women who control the magical universe. Only they’ve lost their position, and they’re on the run. They’ve turned to an old friend for help, but that friend is dead. Her niece, Vivian Kineally, runs her estate. Vivian, who doesn’t even know magic exists. Vivian, who loves comic books. Vivian, who also happens to be psychic.
The Fates steer Vivian to Dexter Grant. They want his help. He’s not willing to give it. But now that he’s met Vivian, he’s not willing to give her up either. Dexter Grant must save the Fates—and discover his own fate, all at the same time.
Book One of the Fates Trilogy.

Review:
Vivian is a physic who has always lived a bit apart because of her ability to read the thoughts of others. She has always struggled with her ‘gift’ because most people wouldn’t believe her or they would consider her a freak. Only her beloved Aunt Euginia, assured her it was okay to be different and it would work out. Aunt Eugenia had tried to get Vivian to visit her but Vivian was too busy being independent. Suddenly Aunt Eugenia is murdered and Vivian comes to Portland to administer her estate.

Vivian has boxes of books and papers Eugenia instructed her to read but, before she has time to look at them, Vivian's life is disrupted by frantic knocking. The Fates demand entrance to her apartment claiming they are being stalked and they need Vivian’s help. The Fates are distressed to discover that Vivian doesn’t know who they are and she hasn’t been mentored or prepared for her magical abilities. The Fates have given up their own magical powers and someone really is trying to get to them. There is no time for training but they have to call on Vivian’s skills telling her what to do to protect them, at least temporarily. They send Vivian off to find Dexter Grant who they hope will help them.

Dexter is a mage who has been warned and threatened by the Fates to the point that he lives a stoic, humble life, running a pet store to save stray animals instead of saving humans from bad guys like he would like to. He doesn’t understand why it is wrong to help especially since it wasn’t his fault that some young observers wrote comic stories about his superhero good deeds.

Dexter immediately senses that Vivian is ‘the one he has waited for’. He doesn’t really want to help the Fates but he does want the chance to keep Vivian around. That means getting the Fates out of her hair and then protecting Vivian by uncovering and stopping the evil mage who is seeking to kill the Fates. Dexter has a menagerie of animals to care for as well as hidden dwellings to be revealed.

I discovered quickly that this is a tongue-in-cheek, fun story. Vivian and Dexter are lovely, kind, generous characters and it is a turn of the tables to have the Fates powerless, helpless and pretty much clueless in a modern world setting. The vengeful mage and her bumbling son make for dastardly, nasty villains.

The story has plenty of action, suspense and humor to keep the reader engaged. The writing is an easy style making for a quick read. This story reminded me that I enjoy Kristine Grayson’s light style of mixing fantasy, mythical characters with modern day, real life characters. I would like to read more in this series especially since there are a few loose ends at the conclusion of book one.

I received this title for review as part of the Romance books from StoryBundle - a great bargain based on the five books I have read so far!

Book Review: Thoroughly Kissed by Kristine Grayson

This is modern-day 'Sleeping Beauty' fairy tale that makes an easy and delightful read.

Thoroughly Kissed
by Kristine Grayson

• Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca; Reprint edition (June 5, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402248547
• ISBN-13: 978-1402248542

Genre:  Fantasy
My Rating: 4.5 of 5.0

Book Description

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Sleeping Beauty has sworn off kissing...

Emma awakens to an entirely different world than the one she lived in a thousand years ago, and although she's the real Sleeping Beauty, her life is no fairy tale. After parting ways with her supposed Prince Charming, she's determined to be a normal girl—she hides her magic and swears off kissing strange men.

But her gorgeous boss Michael knows there 's something unusual about Emma, and he thinks she's as infuriating as she is beautiful. Now Emma needs to teach Michael a lesson, which means mastering her magic. She knows she's flirting with danger, but after one look at Michael's perfect lips, all she can think is, "What's another thousand years ... ?"

Welcome to the fractious fairy tale world of Kristine Grayson, where the bumpy road to happily ever after is paved with surprises ..
.

Review:
We met Emma in Utterly Charming when she awoke in a world that was absolutely foreign to her.  Her first kiss had placed her in a thousand year sleep.  She has spent the past 10 years learning a new language, getting college and doctorate degrees, and  establishing her career as a historian and college professor. She has avoided any relationship tangles not only because she hasn’t had time but also because she isn’t about to risk another kiss that might spell her to sleep again.

Emma Lost (a name she adopted upon her awakening) has met her new division head, Michael Found, who happens to also be her next door neighbor and wulfstrang - a powerful and handsome man. Michael has spent the last year on sabbatical researching the history of magic and its myths. Emma may be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen but the pragmatic and proper Mr. Found believes Emma and her popular book on Medieval history to be a fraud. Then Emma’s magic goes awry in his office and he has to reconsider his beliefs about magic, history and Emma.

Emma is destined to be a mage when she reaches the age or 50 or so. By ‘life experience’ Emma is only 30 so she figured she had another 20 years or so before she would have to face magical training. Now suddenly her wishes are coming true in odd ways; her powers are upon her but clearly out of control.  She has to travel from Wisconsin to Portland, Oregon to get her magical training’

She doesn’t have any friends to travel with her and it is just too risky to try to rely on her cat familiar, Darnell, to speak the reversal spells for any misguided magic. The fates aren’t going to make any exceptions or help her out. Perhaps she could ask Michael to help her since he has already seen evidence of her misguided abilities. After being manipulated into making the trip, Michael begins to fall under a different spell where Emma is concerned.  As they travel along long barren roads they face dangers of other wizards seeking to capture Emma’s wild magic. Can they make it safely to Oregon? And if they do, even if Michael can convince Emma to risk a kiss, how will they manage a relationship between a mortal man and a practically immortal mage?

Kristine Grayson writes characters  who are charmingly independent, stubborn and yet vulnerable. Even the cat, Darnell, has a most cat-like combination of independence and dependence. The plot is a bit zany but all fun. The writing is easy and light. There is sweet, sensual attraction with no need for sexual intimacy.  This is just a fun, sweet romance that I found delightful.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Emma’s insecurities:

“Darnell’s the only person–if you want to call him that–who ever wanted to be with me more than he wanted to be with anyone else.”  Location 2575

Michael’s dilemma:

–why would a beautiful magical creature want to be with a stodgy professor?–she would at least know that he cared.  Location 2582.

I selected the ebook through NetGalley to review for Sourcebooks

This is set in Madison, Wisconsin for my Where Are You Reading Challenge.

Book Review and ARC Giveaway: Utterly Charming by Kristine Grayson

This is quite a fun and “charming” read.

Utterly Charming

by Kristine Grayson

• Mass Market Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca (October 1, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1402248512
• ISBN-13: 978-1402248511

Genre: Fantasy Romance
My Rating:  4.0 of 5.0

Book Description
Publication Date: October 1, 2011

Bestselling author Kristine Grayson's fairy tale romances bring the classic stories into the present day, where fairy tale characters must grapple with the complexities of modern life as well as their own destinies.

This time when Sleeping Beauty wakes up, she wants nothing to do with the man who kissed her. Consoling Alex Blackstone, the rejected suitor who is a brilliant magician but inept when it comes to women, falls to modern career woman and lawyer, Nora Barr. Nora now has to deal with Beauty's evil stepmother, and the discovery that Alex just might be her own personal Prince Charming...

Review:  This is a light, fun read.

Nora is a young, struggling attorney when she accidently meets Alex Blackstone and his friend, a dwarf named Sancho. There is something decidedly strange about the two who seemed to appear out of nowhere in her office garage. Alex is stunning and charming even with a hissing snake peeking out of his sleeve. The next thing Nora knows she is called by Sancho to come and defend Blackstone who has been in some wild neighborhood fight. Blackstone, the would be soul mate, and Ealhswith, the not quite stepmother,  have been fighting over the glass case containing Sleeping Beauty for almost a 1000 years.

Nora gets dragged into the situation, being engaged by Sancho to shelter a minibus, keeping its location secret, even from Blackstone and Sancho. At the end of ten years, Nora’s nightmares bring her to open the bus and discover Sleeping Beauty, Emma, just as she wakes up.  Now Nora needs to help Emma cope with a strange new world while protecting her from the manipulations of the two who put Emma in this situation: her mentor witch, Ealhswith, and her "boyfriend", Blackstone.

Blackstone thinks that an early prophesy declared Emma would be his soul mate. Although he has fought over Emma for a thousand years, he is drawn to Nora’s vibrant strength and integrity. His admiration for her helps change his own arrogant behavior.

Nora is a strong character.  I could relate to some of her ethical dilemma’s and appreciated her efforts to always do the right thing for her clients. Blackstone is easy to like as the charmer he is. The supporting cast, Sancho, Ealhswith, Nora's mother and mom's boyfriend, all have quirky traits that make them fun characters. There are a number of different, if not completely surprising, hops and twists in the story. The story is not deep although there are some nice comments on integrity and abuse of power, (even) magic. I liked the concept that 'there is a little bit of truth in all fairy tales.'  Take a fairy tale, update the magic, add the sweet HEA and what's not to like?

I have to say that I was surprised to visit the author’s website and discover that she writes The Retrieval Artist Series as Kristine Katherine Rusch. I have listened to two of those and like the humor and sci fi combination in those too. I'd say this is an author who provides a reliably entertaining read.

~~~~~~~

Thank you to Sourcebooks for this book to read and review.

TO ENTER THIS GIVEAWAY for the ARC Copy:
1. Visit the author's website and tell me something of interest you found there. This is required for entry.

2.  For an extra entry, become a follower or tell me if you are already a follower.

3. For two entries, blog, facebook, tweet (any of those networks!) about this giveaway and tell me where you did.

It isn't necessary to use separate entries unless you want them in different chronological order.
(Four total entries possible.)

* This contest is only open to residents of US and Canada.

* This contest will close 10 PM (Central) on November 18, 2011.
The winner will be randomly selected from all entries.
The WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED on November 19. 
Winners will have 72 hours to respond by email or the winners form linked in the announcement.