[Review] Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Title: Second Grave on the Left

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Charley Davidson #2

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Published: August 16th, 2011

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Hardcover, 307 pages

If you hang around with dead people, life can get pretty complicated. Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Complicated is her middle name. The deceased find her very sparkly. Demons find her irresistible. And one entity in particular wants to seduce her in every way possible.
When Charley and Cookie (her best friend/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Cookie's friend Mimi disappeared five days earlier. Mimi then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling Cookie to meet her at a nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue Mimi left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name. Mimi's husband explains to them that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old high school friend had been murdered. The same woman whose name Mimi had scribbled on the bathroom wall.
Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He's left his body because he's being tortured by demons who want to lure Charley closer. But Reyes can't let that happen. Because if the demons get to Charley, they'll have a portal to heaven...well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty.
Can Charley handle hot nights with Reyes and even hotter days tracking down a missing woman? Can she keep those she loves out of harm's way? And is there enough coffee and chocolate in the world to fuel her as she does?
Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the year: Second Grave on the Left.

Get your copy!

Review

My thoughts:

OMG! I went to pick up the next one as soon as I finished this review. I really liked the first book in this series, but this one just won me over completely.

This was one of the best books I read in 2014. It’s still one of the best I’ve read so far, ever. Yes, I enjoyed it that much!

The writing is a dream… Fast-paced and action-packed, with details where needed and a witty dialogue that had me cracking up at 2 a.m. like a crazy person.

The whole cast of characters is awesome! Charley Davidson is one the best female characters ever. She’s tough, badass, sexy, feisty, funny and just an all-around fantastic heroine.

Reyes could have been taken directly from my wildest dreams if the amount of swooning I did throughout the book is any indicator. He’s just the perfect paranormal love interest: a bad boy, dangerous, seductive and mysterious but who somehow has a soft side. He’s very protective of the ones he cares about and I just fell for him so hard in this sequel.

The rest of the characters are great, colorful and full of life. In this book, for some reason, I got to appreciate them even more than the first time around.

I loved the chaos that was Charley’s world in this book. There were a hundred things going on, but the author somehow finds a way to give each storyline its place. There was never a dull moment, there was always something just waiting around the corner and it was really exciting. I even loved how the new case Charley was working on surprise me at the end.

This one is a must-read for all paranormal lovers! If you’ve read the first book and you’re still on the fence about continuing the series, I encourage you to do so, because this one is definitely better.

Rating:

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About the author

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin's Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

Waiting on Wednesday [24]: The Dirt on Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming books we are looking forward to being released.

My pick for this week is:

Title: The Dirt on Ninth Grave
Author: Darynda Jones
Expected pub. date: January 12th, 2016
Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy 

Warning: This is the ninth installment in a series and the description contains spoilers for the previous books.

In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.
But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

Why am I waiting for this book? For a book series to hold my interest for eight books is pretty impressive, for it not being YA is downright astounding. This is the ninth book is the Charley Davidson series, which is kind of my guilty pleasure. I just can't get enough of the mixture between soap opera(ish) drama and the paranormal elements. The protagonist has to be the most sarcastic and funniest character I've ever encountered and I just love her to pieces. The world is fantastic and every book comes with new challenges and each time the stakes seem to get higher so I can't wait for it to be out!

What do you think of my pick for this week WOW? 

Leave me a comment and link me to your WOW. I love reading about upcoming releases and it's just a great way to find new books :)

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

Love,

Top Ten Tuesday [21]: Ten Great Debut Novels

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish.

This week I'm listing debut novels I've read and loved and whose authors I'm looking forward to reading again. Of course, I could have listed J. K. Rowling or Cassandra Clare and such, but I thought they were too obvious so I'm listing slightly less known books/authors. Some of them are well known within the book-blogging community but aren't quite so popular outside of it or I think they should get more credit. So here we go!

1) As You Wish by Jackson Pearce: I read this book a long time ago and I still remember how awesome I thought it was and how different I found the premise, with the story being about a genie and everything and I've been following the author since then. In the last few years, Jackson has come up with a new kind of companion novels/series that I've been meaning to read for a while but haven't gotten the chance yet. Hopefully soon!

2) The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay: I absolutely loved that novel and I can't wait for her next one. It totally blew me away and I didn't expect it to... that's the best kind of feeling. Sadly it seems like it's the only thing she's ever published so I just keep on waiting for her next work...

3) Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins: I read this first book in the Hex Hall series a long time ago, and I absolutely loved it. When I finished reading that series I remember longing for something else by the author and checking out her Goodreads page every few days to see if she had anything else coming. It's kind of ironic that years later, I ended up picking up Rebel Belle without knowing that it was hers. She's just a great author.

4) All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven: I don't know if I'm cheating with this one, since it's not her first book, but it's her first YA novel, so I'm adding it to the list. I don't read much adult novels because I mostly find the authors kind of pretentious, so I really enjoy when an author who writes mostly for adults has a smooth transition to the YA genre and in this case, I absolutely loved Jennifer's first YA book, it was just fantastic!

5) Pivot Point by Kasie West: I found the novel and the writing fascinating and I really like her style. I've read and loved another book by her, I think it's her second published novel, The Distance Between Us. Overall I think she's the kind of writer whose work I would buy no matter what she writes, so I'm just really looking forward to reading more of her.

6) Slammed by Colleen Hoover: This one holds a special place in my heart for sure. It was one of the first books I read specifically for review and I fell in love with it. The characters and the drama had me sobbing at one point and then giggling like a crazy person a few pages further. Slammed was Colleen's first published novel and it was fantastic, but she keeps getting better and better and her later work is mind-blowingly amazing.

7) Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi: I only know of her first series, and I'm really looking forward to anything else she writes, because she's just that great of a writer. I absolutely loved her poetic style to portrait Juliet and can't wait for her next book.

8) My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick: The fact that this one is her first novel is ridiculous. It's freaking perfect! Where do you go from there? Seriously, My Life Next Door is one of my favorite YA Contemporary reads ever. The romance is sweet, the family dynamics are interesting and complex and the plot twists and secrets are perfect for the story. I'm really looking forward to anything by this author.

9) Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard: I really enjoyed Red Queen, I loved the drama and the plot twists and I'm really looking forward to the second book. I can't wait to have it! February can't come soon enough.

10) The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall: I recently read The Conspiracy of Us and I'm so happy is going to be a series because it was pretty amazing. I loved the whole Dan Brown-ish plot in a YA setting, kind of like Ally Carter but different... it's just great and I'm really excited to read more. 

What's on your Top Ten this week? Have you read any of the debuts on my list?Let me know in the comment section below!

Love,

[Mini-Review] First Grave on the Right by Darynda Jones

Title: First Grave on the Right

Author: Darynda Jones

Series: Charley Davidson #1

Genre: Adult Urban Fantasy

Published: January 1st, 2011

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Format: Paperback, 338 pages.

First Grave on the Right is the smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper.
Charley sees dead people. That's right, she sees dead people. And it's her job to convince them to "go into the light." But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e., murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she's been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.
This is a thrilling debut novel from Darynda Jones, an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.
First Grave on the Right is the winner of the 2012 Rita Award for Best First Book.

Get your copy!

Review

My thoughts:

This was a great debut novel for the author. The main character, Charley, is as dynamic as it gets, the world is well thought out and the multiple plot lines are intertwined perfectly. 

I'd never read a book about the Grim Reaper before, but this one put it near the top of my most fascinating supernatural creatures list. 

The idea that the Grim Reaper is this unbelievably funny and sarcastic chick who barely knows what she's doing most of the time, works as a PI and has supernatural sex with a powerful, dark entity is just so out of the box that you wouldn't think it would work. But it does, amazingly. And there's a great balance between Charley's personal life, her Grim Reaper work, and her PI work, even when it all seems to come together rather abruptly. 

The secondary characters are interesting and full of quirks too, which makes this whole universe much more appealing and captivating. 

Overall, I think this a fantastic first installment for a promising series. 

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About the author

NYTimes and USA Today Bestselling Author Darynda Jones has won numerous awards for her work, including a prestigious RITA, a Golden Heart, and a Daphne du Maurier. As a born storyteller, she grew up spinning tales of dashing damsels and heroes in distress for any unfortunate soul who happened by, annoying man and beast alike. She currently has two series with St. Martin's Press, the Charley Davidson Series and the Darklight Trilogy. Darynda lives in the Land of Enchantment, also known as New Mexico, with her husband of more than 25 years and two beautiful sons, the Mighty, Mighty Jones Boys. She can be found at www.daryndajones.com.

[November 2015] Plans & TBR

Hi, guys! The break is over and I'm back :) 

I'm starting this post with an update on the changes of the blog so you can see what I've been doing so far.

I said in my Hiatus post that I wanted to work on the blog design and structure and guess what... The design is still in progress, because surprise! There's a lot more to do when redesigning a blog than just making graphics in Photoshop, although there's a crap-ton of that too as I've painfully discovered. I can handle Photoshop, but web design and coding are certainly not my forte, so I've been having a hard time making everything work. 

So far, I've changed the color scheme and the banner and I've messed around with the template a bit, but the background is still fighting me and I'm still not sure if I should just let it be white as it is right now or keep trying to do something more. Let me know what you think about in the comments, I'd really appreciate some feedback on the design.

Structure-wise I've developed a schedule that works for me. I've added a couple of features and modified some of the old ones as you'll see through the week. Here are the basics:

• I've kept the Top Ten Tuesday and Waiting on Wednesday weekly memes. I haven't been very regular at posting these the past few years, but I plan on working a bit ahead of time from now on so I don't miss post just because I don't have time on that specific date.
• I've kept the Plans & TBR and the Wrap-up posts at the beginning and end of the month respectively. I think the Plans & TBR post is great because it lets you know what to expect from the blog in the coming weeks and it also serves me as a guide so I can stick to my resolutions.  The Wrap-up posts, also serve a purpose since it's a dependable way for readers to see what went down during certain month here in Pause Time, it's an easy way to find a review or a post without having to go looking for entry by entry. And also, it's a great way for me to see how I'm doing monthly, if I'm posting everything I planned on posting, if the predefined TBR is working for me or if I end up reading whatever else that's not on the list. Overall, I'm really happy with this kind of posts because they make blogging much more simple for me.
• I've kept my Rating System pretty much the same. I will still rate book from 1-5 clocks and add a reaction, which is a one-line impression of the book. I've only added a couple of standard reactions so I can have more variety, but overall it all stayed the same.
• I've modified the New Releases monthly post. The first Thursday of each month I would list every single YA or NA release I could find that was coming out that particular month. But I found that I was always dreading that post... It took so long to be done! There were always more than 50 books to cover and each one with images and links and then I couldn't find the genres... It was just a nightmare and most of the books I listed I wasn't even interested in. So, I've moved it to the first Saturday of each month and I'm only featuring a few books coming out that month that I'm eagerly anticipating, but I'm linking you to a Goodreads list where you can find a long list of books that are being released that month. Works for everyone, I think...
• I've eliminated my Review Policy page and I'm no longer accepting books for review by email request. Maybe I'll join some blog tours if I'm really interested in a certain book, but that's it. Now that I've had time to reflect I discovered that I don't enjoy reading just so I can write a review... The whole point of me having this blog is to share my thoughts on books that I read when I have something to say. But there were times when I would read a book that was okay for me but I didn't have much to say about it and it would cause me great anxiety the thought of having to write a review for that book because I've committed myself to do so and not because I have something I'm dying to share or an opinion worth reading, really. So from now on, I'm only reviewing books when it feels right for me because I think those reviews are the one that I'm most proud of and the ones that you guys will enjoy more than me just telling you about a book that I'm not even that excited about.
• In line with the previous point, I'm adding a new type of review. Currently, I have two variations of reviews: the full-length, normal review and the series review. And now I'm introducing the "Mini-review", which is just a shorter review because sometimes I just don't have that much to say about a book. This kind of review is about 150 words long, just so I can add my two cents to the discussion. I'm hoping this will also encourage me to write at least a short opinion on the books I've been reading, so even if I'm not going into full depth, you can get a sense of what I thought of something I read.
• And finally, the latest addition to Pause Time's features is a weekly meme of some sorts which will be starting next month. I'm calling it Thursday Topic which will be a section where I'll be writing about different bookish themes each Thursday. The topic will depend mostly on what I'm reading or what's in my mind any given week. It's not necessarily like a WOW or TTT type of weekly meme, because there's no linky and it's just for me to have a way of sharing my thoughts regarding reading and YA fiction for the most part. Of course, I don't mind if you wish to create your own post in response to the week's topic and I would love to read your thoughts so if you do, be sure to drop a link on the comments.

That's -for the most part- what's been going on with the redesigning and restructuring of the blog. Now, let's move on to my TBR for this month. 

November is going to be a tough month to get much reading done, because I have two whole weeks packed with college exams, so I'm only planning on reading four books this month:

First, there's Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown which is kind of a Mystery Thriller set in World War I, Europe about a seventeen-year-old spy. The whole premise of the book is quite appealing to me and it's not like anything I've read before, so I'm picking it up to see if this is a genre that I should explore further. 

The second book I'm reading this month is The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh. I've read so many good things about it and I'm at a point where it's killing me not knowing what everyone is so excited about, so I'm done pushing it away. I'm reading it this month come hell or high water. It's supposed to be inspired by A Thousand and One Nights which for some reason seems to be kind of trending right now. There's a couple of "retellings" of that collection of stories that came out this year a few more coming out next year, and although I know a little about the original version, I've never actually read them before, so I'm testing the waters here.

The third book I'll be reading is Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. I read Cinder, the first book in the Lunar Chronicles a few months ago and I really enjoyed it but I stopped with the series because I haven't felt in the mood for this kind of book yet. Now that Winter, the series' finale is coming out, I felt like it was a great time to pick it back up, so I'm doing it!

And the last book I plan on reading during November is actually a new release that's coming out on November 3rd, Ten Thousand Skies Above You by Claudia Gray. This is the second installment in the Firebird series. I read the first book in January and I really enjoyed it, so I've been waiting for this sequel for quite a while and I'm really happy it's finally here! I can't wait to get my hands on it.

I will be reviewing these four titles alongside some of my previous reads during this month too, so stay tuned if you're interested in finding out what I thought of them. 

What do you think of the blog changes? 
What are you reading this month?

Let me know in the comments below :)

Love,

October Hiatus

I haven't been posting much in the last few weeks and I thought I should let you all know the reason behind that. 

First of all, I went back to college at the end of September, after four months of my school being in some kind of shutdown related to students' protests and political causes. So I had lots of catching up to do, tests to take, assignments and papers to write in order to finish the semester in a somewhat decent academic shape which in time was the cause of lots of sleepless nights and a complete disorganization of my regular schedule. And now I'm starting a new semester which will be shorter and weirder since all the dates and breaks are kind of all over the place after the shutdown and it's all kind of a mess. 

So, for that I need some time to adjust and get my crap together so I can go back to functioning like a normal human being. 

Also, a second, less pressing but still important reason behind my hiatus, is that I've been wanting to re-design and re-structure my blog for quite a while, but I don't have the time to read and review, do my college stuff and also re-design the blog, it's just not possible for me if I want to go through life as something more than a zombie. 

So, I'm taking this break so I can get my life in order and work on the design of the blog. Hopefully by the time I'm done with it, I will have turned Pause Time Reviews into something I'm proud of calling mine. 

I really hope you can understand and that you'll still be here when I get back. 

With all of that being said, I'm officially announcing the hiatus of the blog:

Pause Time Reviews will be on hiatus until November 1st. 

Until then!

Love,

[Review] Goddess by Josephine Angelini

Goddess by Josephine Angelini
Starcrossed #3
Published May 28th, 2013
HarperTeen
Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy

Premise:After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

Get your copy!

Review

My thoughts:

Warning: This is the third and last installment in the Starcrossed trilogy. If you haven't read the previous books in this series, I strongly advice you to go read them first before reading this review, because you might get spoiled. 

This is a decent conclusion to the amazing world of Starcrossed. And that is precisely what I always loved most about this series, the world and the mythology element surrounding the story which is predominant in this last book to my delight.

This installment focuses primarily in figuring out the ancient prophecy that's been repeating itself for several Scion generations. So, our characters are trying to find out who the hell is the Tyrant and which of the other roles the rest of them have to play. The other roles available besides the Tyrant are: The Hero, the Lover, The Shield, and The Warrior.

This series was always kind of different for me, because I think this is the first time that I really enjoy a trilogy where I find the main characters kind of unappealing and unintentionally funny. The thing is that every plot line surrounding the mythology and the prophecies was great, but every time the plot took a turn for the development of a character and such I found it absurd. 

For example, how in the world is it possible that no one in the whole Delos family is capable of doing math! Lucas and Helen could've been together at least since the middle of book 2, but oh no! They're all too busy to do math and figure out that it's impossible for them to be cousins. If you have time to brush your teeth, you have time to do simple math, no excuses! 

Then, there's Jason, who used to be one of my favorite characters in book one, now he HAS to be bipolar, because I can't find any other explanation for his behavior. In book one, he was the nicest, in book two he wanted nothing to do with Helen for no apparent reason, and now he's pissed because other people are pulling apart from Helen and can't understand how they can call themselves their friends. REALLY? Make up your mind, goddammit!

And what is it with Lucas and Helen that they absolutely love each other, but can't spare a freaking minute to actually talk about what they're going to do, and both have to rush to do something incredible stupid without listening to the other first. It's ridiculous! Half of their problems would've been solved in like book one if they just talked to each other.

And of course, the insta-love justified by the prophecies is everywhere. Now Hector and Cassandra fall in love after a few glances with their respective "significant other", because that's totally how love works...

And the parenting... good God! I don't think you could make one decent parent even if you combine Daphne, Castor, Palas and Deadalus together. They all suck.

But whatever, I didn't even care about the messed up dynamics between them, I only cared about the big battle and the fulfillment of the big prophecy. But even then it wasn't really that amazing. The solution was way too easy for my liking and Helen grew to be nearly invincible without her doing anything which didn't help her at all as a character, because she already had that "Mary Sue" quality to begin with.

Normally I would rate this lower, because there's only so much the world building can do for you when you hate the characters, but in this case I just found everything kind of funny, the things the characters did and say were so ridiculous that I couldn't help but laugh. I know this is not supposed to be a "funny book" but I enjoyed it that way nonetheless, and that's what's important, right?

Rating:

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About the author

Josephine Angelini is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. She graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband.