Author: Dirty Girl Anne

Pia Saves the Day by Thea Harrison

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

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Grade: A
Hotness Level: Blaze
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Shifter, Dragon
Series: Elder Races #6.6
Published 6/23/14
Reviewed by Anne
86 pages

Pia and her husband/mate, Dragos are both shifters.  Dragos is very powerful dragon and leader in the shifter world.  A freak accident leaves him with amnesia and no memory.  He has no idea who he is, only that he was just attacked and injured.  This is a tricky personal and political situation, and Pia needs to step in and save the day.

OK, a long time ago (2011, I believe) I read the first book in this series, Dragon Bound and I LOVED it!  I loved it in that obsessive way where you try to convince all your friends to read it because it’s so awesome and not quite like any book you’ve read before and it just makes you feel gooey inside.  And then along came book 2, Storm’s Heart.  For whatever reason, I decided to listen to it instead of reading.  And I really didn’t like it.  I quickly grew frustrated with it and didn’t even finish it.  I moved on with my life and was a little sad that such an incredible first book had such a sophomore slump to follow it, but there were plenty of other books to be read.  Over the years I was aware that other books came out in the series, but I didn’t pay much attention.  I thought now and then that maybe I should give it another try, but I never acted on that until I saw this novella about PIa and Dragos!  Hooray!  I’m in!

I was a bit surprised when I checked in on Goodreads and saw I’d missed another Pia and Dragos book and a novella right before this one.  Sheesh.  I wondered if I’d even be able to keep up.  But I really had no problem jumping right back into things.  I think this book would stand alone, even without reading Dragon Bound.  My memories were hazy, but it still worked for me.  

Dragos is powerful, and with only fundamental memories he’s very vulnerable and dangerous.  Pia is determined to help him, even if he can’t remember her.  It’s a great story.  It’s even sweeter when Dragos falls in love with Pia again and finds himself jealous of the original Dragos!  It’s a quick, sweet, hot read I highly recommend – and now I want to go back and read the whole series again!

Have you read this Elder Races series?  Are you a dragon shifter fan?  If so, any books to recommend?

Mid Year Reading Goals

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

Ahem. So, apparently I did not write a list of reading goals for this year.  Shame on me.  So I can’t review them and do a mid year check in like Kate did.  So, instead, I’ll make “rest of the year” reading goals!

  1. Read at least two more Rough Riders Books.  I started this series by Lorelei James Kay (now Naughty Book Snitch Kay’s) recommendation.  I really like them, but I have to be in the right mood.  Up next for me are Shoulda Been a Cowboy and All Jacked Up.
  2. Read a Tessa Baily book – this is to see what my book club is raving about.  I’m definitely late to the bandwagon on this one!  I’m planning to start with Protecting What’s His.
  3. Accept a reading challenge from Kate.

That’s all I’ve got.  I have a Goodreads goal to read some number of books this year, but I totally low balled it.  Seriously.  I wanted to set a goal I knew I’d acheive, because it makes me anxious when I’m falling behind when I log into Goodreads!

I am accepting other reading suggestions, so feel free to leave a title or author in the comments that you think I MUST read!

Copper King by Vivian Arend

Posted on by Dirty Girl Anne

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Grade: B+
Hotness Level: Inferno
Kink Level: No Kink
Genre: Shifter, Bear, novella
Series: Takhini Shifters #1
Published: 5/6/14 
Reviewed by Anne
*Note: This book is part of the Alphas After Dark Anthology
 
Jim is on a yearly vacation.  He’s a workaholic, especially since his parents died, but his good friend pulls him out to play at least once each year.  This year they’re in Vegas.  Lillie is also in Las Vegas.  She’s having her very first and last wild weekend.  When Jim sees Lillie, sparks fly.  When he offers to show her around the shifter side of Vegas, her bear can’t resist his.
 
I really enjoyed this novella.  I can’t believe I haven’t read Vivian Arend before.  She does shifters right!  Not the over the top humor of Shelly Laurenston, who is a favorite of mine, but just really well written shifters.  I love it when a shifter’s animal side shows through in her human side, both in actions and little things like Lillie wearing a shirt polka dotted with teeny tiny teddy bears.  There is plenty of humor, too.  Not over the top humor, but the kind that makes you smile while you’re reading
 
I did predict the twist coming in this novella, but it still worked really well, so I didn’t care.  The whole setup (for the twist) stetched my willingness to suspend disbelief a bit, but again, overall the story worked for me.  I’m definitely going to be reading more Vivian Arend!