Darlene's Digest

Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

Blue Moon by Lee Child My rating: 3 of 5 stars View all my reviews

The Secret She Keeps by HelenKay Dimon My rating: 4 of 5 stars Dimon's latest features the snappy dialogue and tense situations that are the hallmark of her writing, and this was a perfect airplane read. Great characters, fun secondary characters, a strong heroine and the hero who gets where she's coming from. I've really enjoyed these connected stories and look forward to the next one. View all my reviews

The Wicked King by Holly Black My rating: 4 of 5 stars Middle books of trilogies are often where the really, really bad stuff happens, setting up for the third, concluding book. THE WICKED KING brings the angst, pain, and drama, and I was left wanting more. Jude's complicated relationship with King Carden continues to evolve, but where before she was seen as a largely unthreatening human, now she's got a target on her back as the king's seneschal. Everyone is out to use her or remove her, preferably by killing her. I'm looking forward to reading THE QUEEN OF NOTHING, though at this point if I were Jude I'd be wondering if being accepted by Faerie and living in their land is really the HEA she's been longing for. View all my reviews

Into the Fire by Gregg Hurwitz My rating: 5 of 5 stars The Orphan X books just keep getting better and better. As Evan Smoak's circle of friends and dependents expands, his life becomes more complicated. Each one is a hostage to fortune, and while he's no longer a lone Orphan, this ramps up the stakes on his missions. This was a roller-coaster ride of excitement where just when you think Evan's life can't become more complicated and dangerous...it is. Characters who are reader favorites return (including the Home Owners' Association, where Evan is tasked with bringing the nibbles to their meeting--not an assignment the world's deadliest former assassin is prepared for), as well as more interaction with the snarky, messy teen who's Robin to his Batman. I love the Orphan X books and I nearly missed two appointments because all I wanted to do was stay home, keep turning the pages, and find out what happens next. That's so...

An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris My rating: 4 of 5 stars My catnip is short, kickass heroines (and anyone who knows me would know why.[g]) I loved this first in a new series set in an alternate history North America and featuring Lizbeth "Gunnie" Rose, a gun for hire who works in the old US Southwest escorting people and cargo through dangerous terrain. US history as we know it ends in the 1930s with the assassination of newly elected president Franklin Roosevelt and the country devolves into chaos with White Russians taking over the west coast (and they have magic to assist them), Britain regaining its 13 colonies minus Georgia, the Old South forming a new country called "Dixie" and so on. Oh, and the native Americans and Mexico have seized back much of their land in the west. Liz is young, but not naive, and has secrets of her own to keep as she takes on new, mysterious Russian clients. I loved the roller coaster ride of violen...