Lucky Finds

Last year about this time I found Lucy Addison Allen's Garden Spells at Kroger. I usually toodle through the books section there, just to see if there is anything new and am almost always disappointed. If I read John Grisham or Sandra Brown, I'd be in luck, but for most of my reading taste, Kroger isn't the best place to shop. The Bantam Discoveries were an amazing find because, after Garden Spells, I found The Wedding Officer by Anthony Cappella. Both of these books made my summer of 2008 memorable for reading material.

I ran into Kroger last Monday for some Diet Cokes that were on sale and wandered into the book aisle. And once again, I was pleasantly surprised. I found Eve of Darkness by S.J. Day, the first in an urban fantasy series. Eve had a brief, steamy relationship with Alec Cain 10 years ago and because of that, she has been "marked" and is now a member of God's enforcers. Alec is back in her life as her mentor, training her in the tracking and killing of demons and other devilish creatures. Alec's brother, Reed Abel, is there, too, to guide her. He also likes using her to irritate his brother.

I read this book in one night and loved it! And the best part of all? The second in the series just came out! I bought Eve of Destruction Sunday and finished it last night. Where the first book created the world and the history of the characters, this one took me full force into the action and left me with a mountain of emotional turmoil. Luckily, I only have another month to wait for the third in the series, Eve of Chaos.

If you like urban fantasy, are a fan of Patricia Briggs and Mark del Franco, you will really enjoy these books.

And for something really different....

I received a copy of Mr. Malcolm's List from the author, Susan Allain. This book was a refreshingly light romp in Regency England with shades of Georgette Heyer and Jane Austen. Mr. Malcolm is highly desirable "among the ton" but is very cautious of his heart. He has a list of attributes for his perfect mate, an almost impossible standard. When one young woman finds out about the list after Mr. Malcolm has rejecter her, she sets her cap for revenge by presenting him with an ideal candidate who will then break his heart.

No sex, no violence, no foul language, just a pleasant little romance.

Great summer reads for two different genres that I can highly recommend.