The Frog Prince by Elle Lothlorien

The Frog Prince
by Elle Lothlorien

   Synopsis:
It was his pheromones that did it. With one sniff, sex researcher Leigh Fromm recognizes that any offspring she might have with the mysterious stranger would have a better-than-average chance of surviving any number of impending pandemics.


But when Leigh finds out that the handsome “someone” at her great aunt’s wake is Prince Roman Habsburg von Lorraine of Austria, she suddenly doubts her instincts—not that she was intending to sleep with the guy. The royal house of Habsburg was once completely inbred, insanity and impotency among the highlights of their genetic pedigree. (The extreme “bulldog underbite” that plagued them wasn’t called the Habsburg Jaw for nothing.)


It doesn’t matter that his family hasn’t sat on a throne (other than the ones in their Toilette) since 1918, or that Austria is now a parliamentary democracy. Their lives couldn’t be more different: Roman is routinely mobbed by paparazzi in Europe. Leigh is regularly mocked for having the social skills of a potted plant. Even if she suddenly developed grace, charm and a pedigree that would withstand the scrutiny of the press and his family, what exactly is she supposed to do with this would-have-been king of Austria who is in self-imposed exile in Denver, Colorado?


Review:
This was such a cute book. I laughed out loud at least twice a chapter. I almost put it down after the first chapter because the writing seemed a little weak and choppy, but the author worked out the kinks and it got much better as the plot thickened.


Leigh looks like a model but has no social skills. Roman is a handsome "almost royal" prince that seems to have it all, but when he sees Leigh at her Great Aunt's funeral he knows she is what is missing from his life. Roman introduces Leigh to dancing and also introduces her to his "almost royal" and actually royal friends. Watching Leigh navigate the "almost royal" group with her limited social skills is hilarious and make Roman and the reader love her even more.


This book is a great escape into a fun, romantic comedy romp. I highly recommend it, just plow through the first chapter, it is funny, but the writing is choppy and cliche, but like I said, it gets much better. This would make a great romantic comedy movie!


Intended Audience: 14+


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The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
by Douglas Adams

Synopsis:
Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.
Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travelers: Zaphod Beeblebrox--the two-headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robo Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. 
Where are these pens? Why are we born? Why do we die? Why do we spend so much time between wearing digital watches? For all the answers stick your thumb to the stars. And don't forget to bring a towel!




Review: (from my 14 year old)
This is easily my favorite book. I rate other books by comparing them to this one. Ford is one of my favorite characters from any book. He is, essentially, the worst guide in the universe, with little empathy, no grasp of sarcasm, and an absurd answer to any question Arthur throws at him. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is action-packed, hysterically funny, and surprisingly deep, delving into the end of the world, the British obsession with tea, and the answer to life, the universe, and everything

This book made me laugh more than any book I've ever read, but it also made me think about how I would respond to the chaos of having my home, and shortly thereafter, my planet, destroyed, then being shot across the galaxy on a quest for ultimate answer to the ultimate question.

Don't panic.

Intended Audience: fun, adventure 14 and up

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Other books in this series:
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
Life, The Universe and Everything
So Long, and Thanks for the Fish
Mostly Harmless
And Another Thing...

The Lucky One by Nicholas Sparks

The Lucky One
by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis:
Is there really such thing as a lucky charm? The hero of Nicholas Sparks's new novel believes he's found one in the form of a photograph of a smiling woman he's never met, but who he comes to believe holds the key to his destiny. The chain of events that leads to him possessing the photograph and finding the woman pictured in it is the stuff of love stories only a master such as Sparks can write.


Review:
Logan Thibault is on his third tour in Iraq when he finds a photo of a beautiful girl lying in the sand. He posts the photo on the base's bulletin board but no one claims it, so Logan decides to keep it. The photo seems to bring him good luck, helped him win at poker and most importantly kept him alive in harrowing combat situations.


When Logan gets out of military he sets out on foot from Colorado with his dog Zeus to find the woman in the picture and thank her. Using clues from the picture, Logan and Zeus wind up in Hampton, North Carolina. There they find the mystery woman, Elizabeth with her son Ben and her Nana running a dog boarding facility. Logan rents a house nearby and Nana hires him as a dog trainer. Here, working with the dogs, he finds peace and gets to know Elizabeth and discovers who the true owner of the photo was.


Elizabeth's exhusband, Keith Clayton is the sheriff of Hampton. He is a hateful man used to getting what he wants and he wants Elizabeth back and to destroy Logan. Logan stays to protect Elizabeth and Ben from Clayton. The final scene is a heart stopping scene between the three main characters and Ben that will leave you stunned and probably going back to reread that part to make sure you read it right.


This was a great book by Nicholas Sparks, true to his adventurous past romances. Sparks is a best seller for a reason and this book does not disappoint. I think you will enjoy it as much as I did, at least I hope so. I look forward to seeing the movie adaption of this book that is coming out soon. 


(I struggled to pick a category for this book. It does have an element of mystery and suspense in it and while it is romantic, I would not put it in the Romance section, therefore the addition of the Fiction-Romantic category)


Intended Audience: 16 and up


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The Princess and the Pea by Victoria Alexander

The Princess and the Pea
by Victoria Alexander

Synopsis:
Preparing to inherit her father's business empire, independent nineteenth-century beauty Cecily White resists money-seeking suitors, until she is tempted by the Earl of Greystone, who she insists must prove his love to her.


Review:
Brain candy...pure brain candy. 


Jared, Earl of Greystone, needs to marry an heiress to replete his family's coffers but his meddling mother keeps running them off. Cece is a headstrong, opinionated American heiress that detests the idea of marrying for money. When her friend gets her heart broken by the Earl and his mother, Cece comes up with a plan to avenge her friend and prove that Americans are equal or perhaps even better than their snobby British counterparts. But she didn't plan on falling in love with Jared and now all bets are off, but there is still Jared's mother to deal with.


Based on the Hans Christen Andersen tale of the same name, this is a fun, lighthearted romance. Not a bodice ripper, the love scenes are few and modest, and of course the couple must deal with a misunderstanding or two, and a meddling mother. 


This was a sweet, simple story with likable characters and a fun plot. Perfect for the beach or just quick escape from reality. This book won't change your life, but it will make it a little more fun for awhile.


Intended Audience: 16 and up


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Ceremony In Death by J.D. Robb

Ceremony In Death
by J.D. Robb

     Synopsis:
Conducting a top secret investigation into the death of a fellow police officer has Lieutenant Eve Dallas treading on dangerous ground. She must put professional ethics before personal loyalties. But when a dead body is placed outside her home, Eve takes the warnning personally. With her husband, Roarke, watching her every move, Eve is drawn into the most dangerous case of her career. Every step she takes makes her question her own beliefs of right and wrong--and brings her closer to a confrontation with humanity's most seductive form of evil...


Review:
Secrets, Witches and Cops...Oh my! In this fifth installment of the In Death series, Eve investigates the death of a fellow cop and good friend of her mentor, Feeney. She is torn between loyalty to Feeney and duty to the NYPSD. She also continues to butt heads with her aide Peabody but Peabody holds her own and continues to learn for Eve, sometimes the hard way.


When the investigation leads Eve to the good and dark side of witch craft, Roarke gets very nervous. He sticks by pretty close during the investigation, and when one of the bodies is left right outside their home, Eve feels like this case is crossing the line and bringing too much death close to home. 


This one was a little spooky. Robb handles the witch craft element well. The sparks continue to fly between Eve and Roarke and its touching to see how much Feeney means to Eve. When things go bad between them, Roarke must pick up the pieces and its very hard to see such a strong woman fall apart, both for him and the reader. The tension between Peabody and Eve is high in this book. Eve is pretty hard on her, but Peabody holds up well. 


Another great addition to a great series, read on Vengeance In Death is next.


Intended Audience: 18 and up for sex scenes.


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Rapture In Death by J.D. Robb

Rapture In Death, In Death #4
by J.D. Robb

Synopsis:
They died with smiles on their faces. Three apparent suicides: a brilliant engineer, an infamous lawyer, and a controversial politician. Three strangers with nothing in common--and no obvious reasons for killing themselves. Police lieutenant Eve Dallas found the deaths suspicious. And her instincts paid off when autopsies revealed small burns on the brains of the victims. Was it a genetic abnormality or a high-tech method of murder? Eve's investigation turned to the provocative world of virtual reality games--where the same techniques used to create joy and desire could also prompt the mind to become the weapon of its own destruction...


Review:
Roarke and Eve are on their honeymoon at his soon to open, fabulous off planet resort, Olympus. Before they can wrap up their much need time together, Eve is summon to an apparent suicide by one of the resort's young technicians. She does her best to wrap up the case even though it is out of her jurisdiction and then Roarke and Eve head home. (The scene with Roarke trying to get Eve back into the space shuttle for the ride home is hilarious!)


Back on terra firma, Eve encounters several more suicides that all resemble the suicide on Olympus. Eve fights to convince her superiors that these are connected and are in fact suicides. Eve and Peabody must act fast to find the killer as the body count rises. The friendship and partnership between Eve and Peabody really starts to develop in this book, it's still new, but Peabody has worked her way into the (small but growing) circle of people that Eve cares for.


Roarke is learning how hard it is to be a cop's spouse. He loves Eve because of who she is, and who she is is a cop, and he knows he cannot change that. His best defense is to help Eve on her cases whenever he can, and he is surprised to find that he actually likes working on this side of the law. Eve is learning just how much Roarke loves her and it's very touching watching her trying to come to grips with that and try and return it.


Another great addition to the In Death series! READ IT and continue on with Ceremony In Death.


Intended Audience: 18 and up for sex scenes.


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Immortal In Death by J.D. Robb

Immortal In Death, In Death #3
by J.D. Robb

Synopsis:
'She'd come to New York to be a cop, because she believed in order. Needed it to survive. She had taken control, had made herself into the person some anonymous social worker had named Eve Dallas'. But in a few weeks she won't just be Eve Dallas, lieutenant, homicide. She'll be Roarke's wife. But Eve's wedding plans may have to be put on hold as her private and professional lives collide...The victim in her latest murder investigation is one of the most sought-after women in the world. A top model who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted - even another woman's man. And Eve's chief suspect is the other woman in this fatal love triangle - her best friend Mavis. Putting her job on the line to head the investigation, Eve discovers that the world of high fashion thrives on an all-consuming passion for youth and fame. One that leads from the runway to the dark underworld of New York City where drugs can fulfil any desire - for a price ...


Review:
Somebody's getting married! Eve and Roarke are finally making wedding plans, well Roarke is while Eve is trying to solve her latest case and save her best friend from prison. When a top model gets killed just hours after having a fight with Eve's best friend, Mavis, and then Mavis is found at the murder scene, Eve must kick it into high gear. Eve and her new aide Peabody, team up with an illegals detective, a hunky cop named Lt Casto. 


This book is full of mystery and keeps you on an emotional roller coaster. Eve has very few people in her life that she loves and Mavis is one of them. Watching her and Peabody fight to clear Mavis' name is exciting and heart wrenching. Then throw in all the romance from the wedding, and "swoon" this book has it all! Another great addition to the In Death series! Do yourself a favor, READ THIS SERIES, and read on with Rapture In Death.


Intended Audience: 18 and up for sex scenes.


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Glory In Death by J.D. Robb

Glory In Death - In Death Series #2
by J.D. Robb

Synopsis:
In Death Series #2 The dead were her business. She lived with them, worked with them, studied them. She dreamed of them. And because that didn't seem to be enough, in some deep, secret chamber of her heart, she mourned for them. The first victim is found lying on a sidewalk in the rain. The second murdered in her own apartment building. Police Lieutenant Eve Dallas has no problem finding connections between the two crimes. Both victims are beautiful and highly successful women; their glamorous lives and loves were the talk of the city. And their intimate relations with men of great power and wealth provide Eve with a long list of suspects - including her own lover, Roarke. As a woman, Eve is compelled to trust the man who shares her bed. But as a cop, it's her job to follow every lead...to explore every secret passion, no matter how dark. Or how dangerous.


Review:
Lt. Eve Dallas is a tough homicide cop for the NYPSD. She is emotionally scarred from a childhood of sexual abuse and neglect that she cannot, will not remember. Roarke is a gorgeous Irish billionaire that has spent most of his life on the wrong side of the law, but now he finds himself in love for the first time, with Eve.


Prosecuting Attorney Cicely Towers is a tough prosecutor and a much loved woman and mother. Yvonne Metcalf is an up and coming actress. Both prominent women are found with their throats slashed. It's Eve's job to find their killer, but once again Roarke's name is high on the suspects list. Eve again must solve this case to clear the man she has come to love and find a killer before he strikes again.


Glory In Death is a great addition to the In Death series. It's fascinating to watch Roarke fight for Eve's love just as hard as she tries to deny it. We also start getting to know the supporting cast in this series. They are a great bunch of characters that become as loved as Eve and Roarke themselves. Continue reading with the next book: Immortal In Death.


Intended Audience: 18 and up for sex scenes.

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Naked In Death by J.D. Robb

Naked in Death - In Death Series #1
by J.D. Robb

      Synopsis:
It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing-passion. 

When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washing-ton politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome . . . and the leading suspect in the investigation.

Review:

This is the first book in the "In Death" series by J.D. Robb (aka Nora Roberts). This is a great stand alone book, but more importantly it is the start of a fabulous series full of intrigue, romance, danger and fun, believable characters.

Eve Dallas is a homicide detective in New York City. While she is investigating the death of a powerful senator's granddaughter, she butts heads with the primary suspect, Roarke whom she finds a bit too attractive for comfort. As Eve fights to clear Roarke as a suspect, he does everything he can to weave himself into her Life.

The last person Roarke thought he would fall in love with is a cop, but from the moment he met Eve Dallas he is inexplicably drawn to her. He is a wealthy man, used to getting what he wants, both legally and illegally, but Eve isn't easy to win over. 

This series is amazing! Roarke puts Christian Grey to shame, and Eve is a strong kick ass female lead. If you like Nora Roberts' work, you will love this series, it is not a conventional romance series, but it is romantic and exciting. If you are a mystery lover, the detective story part of this series is strong enough to put it in the mystery category with the romance as just an added bonus. Basically, if you have a pulse, you will love this series. A definite MUST READ!

Intended Audience: 18+ for sex scenes

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Also in this series:

Naked in Death, July 1995
Glory in Death, December 1995
Immortal in Death, July 1996
Rapture in Death, October 1996
Ceremony in Death, May 1997
Vengeance in Death, October 1997
Holiday in Death, June 1998
Conspiracy in Death, April 1999
Loyalty in Death, October 1999
Witness in Death, March 2000
Judgment in Death, September 2000
Betrayal in Death, March 2001
Seduction in Death, September 2001
Reunion in Death, March 2002
Purity in Death, September 2002
Portrait in Death, March 2003
Imitation in Death, September 2003
Divided in Death, January 2004
Visions in Death, August 2004
Survivor in Death, February 2005
Origin in Death, July 2005
Memory in Death, January 2006
Born in Death, November 2006
Innocent in Death, February 2007
Creation in Death, November 2007
Strangers in Death, February 2008
Salvation in Death, November 2008
Promises in Death, February 2009
Kindred in Death, November 2009
Fantasy in Death, February 2010
Indulgence in Death, November 2010
Treachery in Death, February 2011
New York to Dallas, September 2011
Celebrity in Death, February 2012
Delusion in Death, September 2012
Calculated in Death, February 2013
Thankless in Death, September 2013

In Death Novella

Robb novella included in Remember When (featuring two connected stories from Nora Roberts and J. D. Robb), May 2004
Big Jack, March 2010 (stand-alone publication)

In Death stories included in Anthologies

“Midnight in Death,” Silent Night, November 1998
“Interlude in Death,” Out of This World, August 2001
“Haunted in Death,” Bump in the Night, April 2006
“Eternity in Death,” Dead of Night, November 2007
“Ritual in Death,” Suite 606, November 2008
“Missing in Death,” The Lost, December 2009
“Possession in Death,” The Otherside, November 2010
"Chaos in Death," The Unquiet, September 2011
"Taken in Death," Mirror, Mirror, October 2013

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road
by Cormac McCarthy

Synopsis:
A searing, post-apocalyptic novel destined to become Cormac McCarthy’s masterpiece.


A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.


The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.


Review:
Oh, what an emotional roller coaster! It's hard to say you "like" this book, because it is such a tragic state of events the characters find themselves in, but this is a beautiful book. It is so dark in it's subject matter, and it is so hard to imagine being a parent and caring for a child in the post-apocalyptic world. 


This book is set in the hell of nuclear winter. The mother commits suicide after the birth a her child in the post nuclear world. The father knows they won't survive long in their current environment so he makes the decision to take the son and head to the coast. He isn't sure what awaits them, but it must be better than where they are.


The father and the son set out on a desolate, lonely and harrowing trek. The father's only concern is to keep his son alive and to keep moving. Amid the tragedy, bleakness and terror of their journey, one thing is clear: the ultimate love and devotion the father has for the son. 


McCarthy's work is lyrical, poetic and mesmerizing. The descriptions of the world the father and son must traverse is so concise and clear, the author paints a picture with his words. Boiling it all down, the only thing that is important in life is love. The father and son have nothing material, there is no hope for their future, but they have everything in each other. What a gift this book is, I highly encourage you to read it.

Intended Audience: 18+ for violence


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Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay
by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. Who do they think should pay for the unrest? Katniss. And what's worse, President Snow has made it clear that no one else is safe either. Not Katniss's family, not her friends, not the people of District 12. Powerful and haunting, this thrilling final installment of Suzanne Collins's groundbreaking The Hunger Games trilogy promises to be one of the most talked about books of the year.

Review:

What happened?!? Was this book written by a completely different author? I whole heartedly believe in finishing a series to see where it goes. We got so invested in Katniss and Peeta in the first two books, EVERYONE wants to know what the outcome is, right? I just don't know why the author took this book where she did, it is so disappointing.

Against all odds, Katniss and Peeta have survived two Hunger Games, but now the capitol wants revenge. With the discovery of District 13, the political and strategic intrigue increase. Katniss is forced to take a role of leadership in the district's rebellion against the capitol, but she is so damaged and traumatized from the Hunger Games that she can barely function. Peeta is injured so severely in the second Hunger Games as well and it is painful and heartbreaking to watch two people who have survived so much, be in so much pain.

I won't tell you how it ends, but I will tell you how it made me feel. I felt compelled to read the conclusion to this series, but this book was so dark and depressing that I just felt sad and somewhat sick. Peeta's problems are tragic yet somewhat understandable, but watching Katniss complete the downward emotional spiral she was in is just heartbreaking.

I didn't want my kid's to read this one, but I understood that when you get invested in a series, you need closure. So I warned them ahead of time how dark and depressing it was. We all finished it, but none of us liked it. It almost feels like a betrayal by the author to take these characters' lives where she did.

I don't recommend this book, but I appreciate the need to read it. I didn't write it, but somehow I feel a need to apologize for it, so “Sorry in advance.”

Intended Audience: Teens and up.

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Other books by this author:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire

by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis:

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.

Review:

Katniss defied the Capitol by denying them their “winner take all” victory in the Hunger Games. She refused to kill Peeta and forced the capitol into naming two winners. The President of Panem is not happy about Katniss's defiance, and he feels the undertone of rebellion in the districts following Katniss and Peeta's victory, so he declares new rules in the next Hunger Games.

This year's games includes all past tributes. Katniss and Peeta just survived and recovered and now they are forced to return to the capitol and do it all over again, but this time the creators of the Hunger Games have kicked it up a notch. The arena is brutal and the contestants all battle trained veterans of past games.

This book has all the action that the first book has, but it goes further and it delves into the politics and unrest in Panem. There is also the introduction of the romantic pull that Katniss feels between her, Peeta and Gale. This book is a little darker than the first and as the book gets darker, so does Katniss. Her spirit is in a negative decline in this book and after seeing her being so strong and brave in the first book, it's a little disappointing.

If you read and liked the first book, read on and finish the series but be prepared to be taken into a darker direction.

Intended Audience: Teens and up.

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Other books by this author:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Hunger Games
by Suzanne Collins

Synopsis:

Katniss is a 16-year-old girl living with her mother and younger sister in the poorest district of Panem, the remains of what used be the United States. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games." The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed. When Kat's sister is chosen by lottery, Kat steps up to go in her place.

Review:

As a mother of the age group this book is written about, this was a disturbing book to read, yet the heart pounding action and strong female lead character led me to an all night, read until your eyes pop out marathon. I finished this book in one sitting and then downloaded the next one.

The Hunger Games is a contest held once a year in the country of Panem to remind the the citizens of the hardships endured after the United States collapsed and Panem was organized. The brutal, 24-men-enter-one-man-leaves concept is harsh enough, but these games use teenagers as contestants. While the citizens of Panem may find the games entertaining, they are very real and terrifying to the contestants chosen.

Katniss is very protective of her little sister, Prim and when Prim's name is chosen in “The Reaping” as the representative from her district, Katniss automatically volunteers to take her place. The book follows Katniss's journey to the capitol, her training and then the winner take all game itself. The action is intense, and the author does a great job describing the terrain so that the scenes play like a movie in your mind.

This book is written for teens. The content may be PG-13, but the theme and concept of children being forced to kill other children to defend themselves for something as trivial as entertaining television is absolutely horrifying. This book is probably more disturbing to parents than it is to teens. As disturbing as it is, this is still a well written, very entertaining book.

Intended audience: Teens and up.

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Other books by this author:

The Hunger Games

Catching Fire

Mockingjay

Watchers by Dean Koontz

Watchers
by Dean Koontz

Synopsis: From a top secret government laboratory come two genetically altered life forms. . .

One is a magnificent dog of astonishing intelligence.

The other, a hybrid monster of a brutally violent nature.

Both are on the loose…

Bestselling author Dean Koontz presents his most terrifying, dramatic and moving novel: The explosive story of a man and a woman, caught in a relentless storm of mankind’s darkest creation…(from the Dean Koontz website)

Review:

I believe this where my love of Golden Retrievers started. Einstein is in my top 3 characters from a book of all time (along with Jamie and Claire from Outlander). In Einstein, Koontz builds an animal character that is smart, funny, empathetic and so lovable. As important as Travis and Nora are to this story, they are really support characters for the main action, the animals, Einstein and "The Outsider." 

Travis is a man that has nothing left, until he meets Fur Face, a bedraggled Golden Retriever that he later names Einstein. Together they save Nora from a crazy stalker and must save themselves from the relentless pursuit of the "The Outsider."

Watchers is a perfect mix of romance, action, suspense and horror. It is a story that will stay with you for a long time, and one of those books that you feel a sense of loss when your done reading because you didn't want it to end. It is somewhat violent and scary, but the beauty of the story is amazing, you will laugh, cry, cheer and probably sleep with the lights on. A must read! (along with Lightning)

Intended Audience: due to the horror aspect and violence, I would say 17+ (but is full disclosure, I let my teens read it at 14. It was scary for them, but not terrifying)

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Also by this author:
Lightning
Watchers
A Big Little Life
so many more I will work on the list as I go...

Lightning by Dean Koontz

Lightning
by Dean Koontz

Synopsis:

A storm struck on the night Laura Shane was born, and there was a strangeness about the weather that people would remember for years. But even more mysterious was the blond-haired stranger who appeared out of nowhere—the man who saved Laura from a fatal delivery.

Years later—another bolt of lightning—and the stranger returned, again to save Laura from tragedy. Was he the guardian angel he seemed? The devil in disguise? Or the master of a haunting destiny beyond time and space?

Bestselling author Dean Koontz presents his most brilliantly thrilling novel of suspense. A thundering masterpiece of the imagination…LIGHTNING! (from the Dean Koontz website)

Review:

I first read this book as a young adult and I fell in love with it (and Watchers). Laura is a very strong female lead, she reminds me a lot of Sarah Connor in the Terminator series. Her early life is peppered with early sighting of Stefan who she can't decide if he is there to help or harm her. Later is life she learns Stefan's true intentions and the extent that he went to save her.

Stefan is from a different time and a different place. On a mission to gather data her meets Laura and with his resources, he does his best to save her from harm. When he learns to true evil of the people he works for, he decides to make sure that no one can ever follow him and continue with his program.

I haven't met anyone yet who didn't at least like this book, much less love it. I'm sure they exist, just haven't come across anyone yet. Lightning is well written and is a great adventure. The time traveling element is actually believable and reasonably explained. The plot is well thought out with just enough mystery that somethings are left to the imagination and each reader can interpret the concept of time travel differently. Please read this book and then immediately read Watchers.

Intended Audience: My kids read this as early teens and loved it. There is some violence and adult situations but no worse than what they see on prime time TV and the story. So probably 14+

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Also by this author:
Lightning
Watchers
A Big Little Life
so many more I will work on the list as I go...