A Few Good Reads... Between and The Society of Sinners

Between by Cyndi Tefft

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Overview:

Lindsey is torn between two worlds: in one, she is a college student with a boyfriend that loves her and divorced parents.  And by accident she is catapulted into the other, a fantastical world of imaginations and a hot Scottish hunk of highlander that speaks French to boot.  Aiden ferries souls from their death to heaven.  As she spends time with Aiden, her love begins to grow and blossom. Can love transcend the boundaries between life and death?  And what if it was until 'life' do you part?


What I Thought

This is a charming story that quickly sucks you in.  I found myself eagerly reading this book, fighting sleep to get just a little more in.  The main characters (and even secondary characters like her parents) are well established in the book, and very likeable.  Well... her mom may have been a harder sell on the likeable, but in the end she was.  I just got so caught up in the story, trips to France during the "Sun King's" reign, remembered trips to Seattle lead to interesting reactions to cars and phones and such on Aiden's part.  It ended up being a sweet, heartfelt romantic story that whisks you away with it's pages. 

The down side, I can find one in just about any book.  In Between, it's a very vanilla romance- don't read this expecting a 'bodice ripper', although there most definitely are sexual overtones.  Think of the device used in movies where you see the couple kissing and making out, then the camera slides off to a view of the curtains blowing in the wind; Between is that kind of book.  There is some 'hot and heavy' time, but there is NO ... smut for lack of a better word.  I still really enjoyed it, and would recommend it to others; but I admit, I wanted smut.  Really I did... it had all the ingredients for a good 'roll in hey' but we would only get to see them kiss, then head off for the hey. 

So if you are looking for a vanilla romance story that is life affirming, and paints a loving, kind view of God and the afterlife (for those that would go to heaven, anyway) then I highly recommend trying out this book.  If you are looking solely for sex, you may need to find your highlander six elsewhere.





The Society of Sinners by Charity Parkerson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is actually like five novellas: Brandon and Stacy’s, Jazz and Cherish, Gabe and Taylor, Dominic and Mika, Dimitri and Annabelle; but they all have intertwining stories. The vampire and other supernatural mythology is unique; they are blessed by God (the 'pure, untainted' ones, that is.) It's like a mini- Paranormal Romance series with a heavy dose of Urban Fantasy all rolled into one book.

With all the different heroes and heroines to choose from, everyone can easily find at least one to root for. I was worried once I realized it was several novellas; I was expecting a vague collection but this ties up all together tighter than a bow. I was really excited about the new ideas on vampires and shifters. There was just the perfect combination of romance, action, and sex. It got a little something for everyone!

I find myself only giving it 4♥'s because of several common pitfalls; primarily the "sudden love" syndrome, but also the desire to learn more about Jackson Square and the "world" they live in. These did not in any way prevent me from really enjoying this book. I would still absolutely suggest this for any PNR fan.

If you don't do novellas, I still recommend this book. It really is just one story broken into 5 parts. I'm still a little steamy under the collar from all the hot men....

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