Third Grave Dead Ahead ( Charley Davidson 3) by Darynda Jones

Hello to all,


                 This week was what we call in my country " Les Saints de Glace" or Saints of ice and the saying kept showing true as the temperature dropped significantly....with the rain as well it wasn't a good time for those suffering from changing time like i do. Fortunately the sun did make an appearance today to make us smile and hope the spring/summer are really on the way now.

As for reading i must say i slowed down a lot despite a lot of books calling for my attention ( i can't even decide which one i will start first ;) ) but i didn't forgot about you so here comes my opinion on the third book in the charley davidson series

 Enjoy

Publisher: Piatkus

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  0749956143

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: mild
sex: really strong
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 Paranormal private eye. Grim reaper extraordinaire. Whatever. Charley Davidson is back! And she's drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because every time she closes her eyes she sees him: Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan.


Granted she did imprison Reyes for all eternity, but how is she supposed to solve a missing-persons case, deal with an ego-driven doctor, calm her curmudgeonly dad, and take on a motorcycle gang hell-bent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up on his plan of seduction..... and revenge?

My opinion:

          Charley really has problems with the men in her life…..she can be the grim reaper but still that’s no excuse for them to use her like they do. I was angry with her father after the events in book2 now he really disgusts me. Reyes isn’t far behind… the jerk not only he is making Charley ill by lack of sleep and thus more vulnerable but he keep threatening her family and then… he just does worse. In this story he really disappointed me and his past is no excuse.

Now all my frustrating against them aside, it’s the first book in this series I enjoy as much. The interaction between Charley and Cookie, Garret Swopes but also the whole plot really it was excellent. I had suspicion about the guardian identity and the one she could be responsible for dying but the author managed top make me doubts several times ( morality always trust your instinct). I loved to discover the existence of the angels and I must say I loved the bikers^^ Donovan is promising to be a really interesting character from now on.

The investigation in this one was really well wrapped (though I guessed what the good doctor was doing^^) well built to make us imagine a lot of possibilities and throwing us off balance. Added to the earl walker‘s ones Charley was really busy all while being over exhausted.  This book revealed a lot of information and is really a great addition to the series.

The only thing that i regretted was the sex part… starting so early in the book, first pages,  it’s not really their present but the way they were written that put me off a little… I don’t know I felt it could have written in a less vulgar form ( and if she could stop kissing other males too it would help^^) but as a whole of this series this book is my favourite and kept me on edge^^.

To recommend to lover of sexy reads, urban fantasy, sexy demons and great investigation.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenge:

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson 2) by Darynda Jones

Hello to all,


                     If you remember normally this month topic, even if this time is not my top priority, is books with ghosts and if there is one series that center around that topic it's the one written by Darynda Jones. I've read book one before and it was enjoyable enough that i got all the other books released so far but i hadn't been reading them so  it's on programm for this month, among other titles that are getting a lot of attention from me lately^^.

 So today here is the second book in the Charley Davidson series: Second Grave on the Left.

Happy reading!

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Publication: 2012

ISBN:  0749956097

Genre: urban fantasy
Violence: strong
Language: normal
sex: mild
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

 "If you hang around with dead people, life can deliver a whole world of trouble."

""
Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time P.I. and full-time Grim Reaper.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 slash receptionist, have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally.) has left his corporeal 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. And if they 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?

My opinion:

          I know this series has a lot of success and I will perhaps end loving it but so far I do enjoy it but nothing more… I like it yes but I do not love it, strange as it can be. This book has action humour ( and I did smile at some part) is quite original with so many different ghosts ( some quite perverted^^;;) and I spend a good time reading it yes but  it’s not memorable either for me and I’m not feeling like jumping on book 3 without wait or rereading this one soon.

This book starts one week after the event in “First grave to the right” and the continuity is perfect..; in fact if you started reading this one without book 1 first you would probably understand it quite well since the author made quite a lot of recapitulations but still for the sake of it better to read a series in order.

This time Charley has 2 investigations going on… one about a missing person, surrounded by strange deaths,  and one about a dead man in a car…all that trying to find Reyes….the action is fast paced and she is nearly killed several time but the investigations in themselves are interesting, I really enjoy to see how she is trying to solve them. I was also surprised a little at some elements. Now I found Cookie too funny this time, the way she is loyal to her friend is cute but how she freak about the ghost in her trunk or the one of the little boy in her apartment and at the same time can’t keep her cool when interrogated or in presence of some “ strange” characters is really too funny.

I do have an idea of what are those guy ^^ but we will see if we get confirmation in the rest of the series because this time we don’t get more than some directions (those sound so evident though but I guess Charley is really obtuse) Charley is learning more about Reyes, she learn what people think he is but as to know the truth from the rumours it’s difficult even more when he drops gravely injured and then try to kill her. That’s the thing with Him … he sound in love deeply in love since he escaped hell just to be with her and he does save her again and again but at the same time he doesn’t tell her all about him or her powers, threatens to kill her numerous time and hurt her on more than one occasion. I mean how he can tell her not to care about him, not to look for him when it’s him who appears to her when he is tortured and bleeding… he saw her grow so he should know she couldn’t resist helping. I have difficulty to understand him and perhaps it’s the reason I can’t really get into the book completely.

Now I was also bothered by Charley’s father… I really didn’t like what he did and the fact she forgive so easily sound strange to me…not 100% his intents were pure even less after his question I mean he doesn’t know about Reyes so he can’t count on that and with such a risky situation…. After all she has done… he lost all my interest, I don’t care about him at all and I’m sorry she goes all family hugging . But I did enjoy the sister part.

We finish with many more questions than we started with, Charley still ignores what she can do exactly, Reyes is sulking ( oki he is always), and we have a cliffhanger… not a strong one or I guess if you are really into this series it count seem to be a big one yes but for me it just left me angry it finished like that.

So if you love urban fantasy and investigation with a romance part included but not predominant this is a good series, you could even become addicted to it but for me I need more at least until now. If you want stories with ghosts, but not horror ones or too freaky ones, then this series is for you^^.

Score:  3,5/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

First Grave on the Right ( Charley Davidson 1) by Darynda Jones

Hello to all,

               Only one day left before the end on the month so that means two days full of urban fantasy books to share and enjoy with you. Interesting no?

Today i will share 3 books with you but don't get used to it in november the rythm will return to normal. Which creatures are we going to meet today? Hum what about some shifters and sorcerers but let's not forget ghosts because so far they were  put aside this month so they get the priority.
 So to start, a short review on a promising series with the first book called " First Grave on the Right" by Darynda Jones

Happy reading!

Publisher: Piatkus Books

Publication: 2011

ISBN:  0749956046

Genre:  paranormal romantic suspense, paranormal romance, urban fantasy
Violence: mild
Language: normal
sex: mild
Public: 18+

Source: bought

Short description from goodreads :

A 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 an exciting newcomer to the world of paranormal romantic suspense.

My opinion:

          For a first book, Darynda Jones did it more than well, outstandingly well. I have discovered earlier this year that I loved romantic suspense and I knew I loved paranormal romance even before now Darynda Jones mixes both in a wonderful universe, I could only love it.

Charley Davidson is the grim reaper, the portal by where the souls of the departed can cross. Since she has the ability to see them and to speak to them since her birth, she helped her father, and now her uncle, member of the police to solve several investigations as anonymous source. However, now she is a private investigator, employed as consultant on some case, more easy to explain. Charley is a strong heroine because it’s not easy to be that different to everybody else and to keep quiet and not become angry when others don’t believe you. Her family isn’t supportive either except her father and uncle, that doesn’t really know what she is only what she can do, her stepmother is her enemy and her “ sister” let’s forget about sister love. I found her psyche really well written, accordingly to the information we get and what she is living.  

Reyes is very interesting and a complex character, we aren’t sure to understand his intentions yet, we can get ideas when we learn of his past and his reasons to be there but just then he says something that make us doubt our first impression. The romance is present in a strange way at first and that was both funny and so moving, I can’t wait to see how Darynda will continue her story.

Really First Grave on the Right is a good book to recommend to the fans of this genre.

Score:  4/5

Disclaimer: All opinions are my own and no compensation was received in exchange for this review

Challenges:

Book read for the 2012 TBR reading

 

This book enter in the Romance and Me Challenge