Top Ten Books with Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Book Titles Featuring Ordinal Numbers

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I mean you can't get much more on the nose than my first series to fit this top ten list.
1. Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones- First Grave on the Right, Second Grave on the Left, Third Grave Dead Ahead, Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, Fifth Grave Past the Light, Sixth Grave on the Edge, Seventh Grave and No Body, Eighth Grave After Dark, The Dirt on Ninth Grave, The Curse of Tenth Grave, Elenth Grave in Moonlight, The Trouble with Twelfth Grave, Summoned to Thirteenth Grave

The rest of these aren't favorites so much as the only other books I've ever read that feature ordinal numbers in the titles--with the exception of Fourth Wing. That's definitely a favorite.

2. First Comes Like (Modern Love, # 3) by Alisha Rai
3. The First Girl Child (Chronicles of Saylok, # 1) by Amy Harmon
4. The Second Blind Son (Chronicles of Saylok, # 2) by Amy Harmon
5. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer
6. Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, # 1) by Rebecca Yarros

Which books have you read that feature ordinal numbers in the titles? Let me know!

A Hard Day for a Hangover - Review

A Hard Day for a Hangover (Sunshine Vicram, # 3)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: December 6, 2022

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Mystery, Humor

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Some people greet the day with open arms. Sheriff Sunshine Vicram would rather give it a hearty shove and get back into bed, because there’s just too much going on right now. There’s a series of women going missing, and Sunny feels powerless to stop it. There’s her persistent and awesomely-rebellious daughter Auri, who’s out to singlehandedly become Del Sol’s youngest and fiercest investigator. And then there’s drama with Levi Ravinder—the guy she’s loved and lusted after for years. The guy who might just be her one and only. The guy who comes from a family of disingenuous vipers looking to oust him—and Sunshine—for good.

Like we said, the new day can take a hike.

The previous bookA Good Day for Chardonnay left off with Sunshine telling Levi that he's Auri's father, and then he basically disappears. Cruz is recovering from being stabbed while saving Auri's life. The events between these two books seemingly pick up almost immediately and span a week or two if I remember correctly. That's always challenging for me. When two books each carry some extreme events, like Cruz getting stabbed, Auri almost getting killed, several mysteries solved, and now we're picking up almost immediately with another series of major events and more multiple mysteries to be solved. It's unbelievable that the characters can experience such dramatic events so frequently. But I don't necessarily read these books for believability.

Darynda Jones writes insanely likeable characters. I love all of them. Sunshine is similar to the other leading women she's written before, and I can't complain about it. I like her so much. Of course, Sunshine is extremely different from myself. Even though she often seems like she doesn't exactly have everything together, she's extremely smart, perceptive, and pulls so much together to solve all these puzzles.

If anyone annoys me out of the character set, it's Auri. Okay, okay, don't jump on me just yet. I love Auri. But sheesh, she can't seem to obey her mother for anything. I mean Sunshine doesn't really discourage her from her disobedience. But as a mother myself, this is a pet peeve. Sometimes we need to understand the why of our parent's instructions, and sometimes we need to obey for obedience's sake. But also, Auri is following in her mother's footsteps and learning the ropes of investigating. She has a knack for following the right strings. Finding out that Levi is Auri's father was a big revelation, and now Sunshine, Levi, and Auri have to work through the fallout of this information. Auri goes from believing that she's the product of an assault on her mother to finding out that a man she loves separately from her mother is actually her biological father. This makes my heart so happy for her.

Levi already had me. Granted, he's so stoic in the past two books that it's hard to read him at times. A Hard Day for a Hangover revealed more about where Levi's head is and what he wants for Sunshine, for himself, for Auri, for all of their futures. If Reyes didn't set the bar as high as he did in the Charley Davidson series, Levi would definitely rank up there right under Reyes. I have a special place reserved for him. Regardless, Levi is pretty stellar, and I can't wait to read more of their story in the upcoming books.

Auri and Cruz didn't have as much of a leading part of this story. They had moments enough to connect and keep us interested and wanting more, but the focus of this story was elsewhere. Auri did have such a large part in the entire book, but her relationship with Cruz just wasn't as present because of Cruz's recovery. He did have some progress, so he wasn't completely absent.

I never want to discuss the mysteries in too much detail because too much can be spoiled for the next reader. Darynda Jones never fails me. I don't usually figure everything out, even if I figure out pieces. There are too many pieces overall to know exactly what's going on.

Favorite quotes:

-Sadly, she didn't do nonchalant well. She was much more of a chalant.

-"And cowboys and vampires and there's this one series about a female grim reaper who's in love with the son of--"

-As the three of them sat eating her mother's famous lasagna, also known as Stouffer's,

A Hard Day for a Hangover is another book of exactly what Darynda Jones does best. I love the character building she does while solving multiple mysteries. All of the pieces of all the puzzles are moving forward at just the right pace. Sunshine and Levi were my favorite part of A Hard Day for a Hangover, but Auri really had a huge role in this book and overall story. There aren't many authors that end every book with me wanting more. I'm always dying to get my hands on the next book by Darynda Jones. A Hard Day for a Hangover gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read A Hard Day for a Hangover? What did you think? Let me know!

My Most Recent Fictional Crushes

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Fictional Crushes.

I originally started doing this as a top ten list, but I quickly realized it was going to be difficult for me to come up with ten characters without going years and years back into my reading history. So I cut the list down into my most recent. I wonder what it says about me that most of my fictional crushes come from the fantasy genre? Probably that these are larger than life guys and thus blow the average contemporary hero out of the water.

1. Casteel from the Blood and Ash series by Jennifer L Armentrout - I mean I don't want to be lied to and kidnapped or anything, but once these two get past that, Casteel is pretty devoted. That kind of devotion is something you don't find often.
2. Rhys from the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J Maas - I had to use book 2 from the series because this book is where it's at. Rhys is willing to give up his own happiness for Feyre's. Again, this isn't something you see often. And the reveal of book 2 is my favorite big reveal of all time.
3. Rowan from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas - I have never had a series or author make me change which male character I'm rooting for like the Throne of Glass series. Rowan is so far beyond what Aelin needs for herself. And one could do much worse than Rowan.
4. Reyes from the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones - I honestly don't even know what to say about Reyes. Read the series you'll agree.
5. Nicolas You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle - I will always root for a guy willing to put in the work to keep a relationship going. I have got to respect him big time.

Which books feature your newest fictional crushes? And why? Let me know!

Ten Books I've Read Because of Book Reviews

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. This week's topic is Top Ten Books I've Bought/Borrowed Because....

1. Red Rising (Red Rising Trilogy, # 1) by Pierce Brown - Picked up because of Kimba @ The Caffeinated Reviewer.
2. Me Before You (Me Before You, # 1) by Jojo Moyes - Picked up because I first saw The Aussie Zombie's review (I'd link to it but her blog is no longer available), but then Paula and I went to see the movie and that settled my desire to read it.
3. All Lined Up (Rusk University, # 1) by Cora Carmack - Picked up because of Naomi @ Nomi's Paranormal Palace (she's since changed her blog name).
4. Breathe Annie Breathe (Hundred Oaks, # 5) by Miranda Kenneally - Picked up because of Anna Reads (her blog is also no longer active, but someone else has created a new blog with the same name).
5. Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones - I didn't actually read her reviews, but I saw Kimba constantly rating these books four and five stars so when I had the opportunity I checked them out and loved them.
6. The Start of Me and You by Emery Lord - I can't remember who I saw review this one, but I remember it sticking in my head.
7. In Five Years by Rebecca Serle - Read because of Jennifer's review on Goodreads.
8. Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich - Because of my sister's word of mouth review.
9. When It's Real by Erin Watt - Because of Holly's review.
10. Partials (Partials, # 1) by Dan Wells - Because of The Aussie Zombie's review.

So tell me, which books have you read based solely off reading someone else's review? Let me know!

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave - Review

Summoned to Thirteenth Grave (Charley Davidson, # 13)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: January 15th 2019 by St. Martin's Press

304 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery

Source: Borrowed from the e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the final installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series!

Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She’s been kicked off the earthly plain for eternity – which is the appropriate amount of time to make a person starkraving mad. But someone’s looking out for her, and she’s allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.

She’s missed Reyes and her daughter, Beep, but now that she’s back on earth, it’s time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.

So The Trouble with Twelfth Grave ended with Charley being banished from this dimension for breaking the one rule Jehovahn gave her--not to heal anyone once their soul has left their body. I was expecting to spend at least some time within Summoned to Thirteenth Grave where Charley is in that dimension and trying to get back home. And I have to say that I wasn't looking forward to that. Thankfully, Darynda Jones decided to start this book with Charley being released back to this dimension and immediately reunited with Reyes.

Honestly, I'm not sure how much I can say about this book due to spoilers. This is the finale in a very long series that I have really enjoyed. And as you would expect, there are some twists that I didn't see coming that I obviously can't discuss here.

I wasn't sure how Charley's mom's death could fit into anything, but it did. I also expected for Charley, Reyes, and crew to have had to face Lucifer because that conflict was set up much earlier in the series. Yet that is really Beep's conflict and it makes sense to save that for another series, but I just wasn't sure if there would be any jumps in time to cover this or not. I think deciding not to was probably the best choice, but I guess it was a little unsatisfying at the same time.

Uncle Bob's revelation was the biggest that I can think of right now, but I can't say more because of spoilers. I will just say that I want to do a re-read of the series to see if there were any hints early on that I missed.

I also can't say much about Osh, but that very very ending has had me dying to know when the inevitable spinoff is going to come.

Darynda Jones has handled the different planes of existence perhaps the best I've read before, but I have to say that I'm not 100% sure how I feel about Charley and Reyes's final decision, but I didn't hate it.

The finale of the Charley Davidson series was different than I expected, but that certainly wasn't a bad thing. Summoned to Thirteenth Grave had some twists and it wasn't completely perfect for me, but I did think it was a decent series ender. I'm dying to get a spinoff series about Beep. I mean that has to happen, right? Summoned to Thirteenth Grave gets 4 Stars. Have you read Summoned to Thirteenth Grave? What did you think? Let me know!

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave - Review

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave (Charley Davidson, # 12)

By: Darynda Jones

Expected Publication: October 31st 2017 by St. Martin's Press

289 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery

Source: Borrowed from the e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Grim Reaper Charley Davidson is back in the twelfth installment of Darynda Jones’ New York Times bestselling paranormal series.

Ever since Reyes escaped from a hell dimension in which Charley accidently trapped him, the son of Satan has been brimstone-bent on destroying the world his heavenly Brother created. His volatile tendencies have put Charley in a bit of a pickle. But that’s not the only briny vegetable on her plate. While trying to domesticate the feral being that used to be her husband, she also has to deal with her everyday life of annoying all manner of beings—some corporeal, some not so much—as she struggles to right the wrongs of society. Only this time she’s not uncovering a murder. This time she’s covering one up.

Add to that her new occupation of keeping a startup PI venture—the indomitable mystery-solving team of Amber Kowalski and Quentin Rutherford—out of trouble and dealing with the Vatican’s inquiries into her beloved daughter, and Charley is on the brink of throwing in the towel and becoming a professional shopper. Or possibly a live mannequin. But when someone starts attacking humans who are sensitive to the supernatural world, Charley knows it’s time to let loose her razor sharp claws. Then again, her number one suspect is the dark entity she’s loved for centuries. So the question becomes, can she tame the unruly beast before it destroys everything she’s worked so hard to protect?

I just finished The Trouble with Twelfth Grave, and I am still reeling. Darynda Jones... you did good. You did good. One of my only issues with this entire series has been that I haven't been surprised by any of the twists. Well, that changed with this book.

I was torn over how to feel about Charley finally having to face off against an evil Reyes. The frequency of Reyes's potential evilness was so constantly brought up throughout the series that it would have felt like it was a waste of time to never have explored this. But it also felt so obvious that we would have to face this eventually so that when it came to be, it felt anticlimactic. Well Darynda Jones, I'm sorry I questioned you in this area. You wrote this and worked this part of the story in such a way that I feel in awe. I spent so much of the book thinking "is this it?" that when things finally picked up I truly was blown away with how much I enjoyed the process.

What Reyes was after that was a big mystery to Charley through the majority of the book felt painfully obvious to me. Especially given her skills as a private investigator. How everything worked out made me okay with this, but it was certainly something I felt some frustration over while reading.

Charley spent much more of the book focused on getting Reyes back from the evil god that has taken him over, but as per usual, Charley has several side mysteries going on. It always amazes me how Darynda Jones can slip so many side stories into each of these books. Some of them are short pieces yet they are always comprehensive.

The ultimate cliffhanger has me dying to get my hands on the next book. I've found that there are really two types of cliffhangers (maybe more, but for the purpose of this discussion I'll focus on two). One leaves the reader with hope and possibility. The other with dread and anxiety. This one was the later. I find that I easily get frustrated with this type of cliffhanger. While it can propel me forward in the story, oftentimes it has me dreading to read what comes next because of the trouble the characters will face.

The Trouble with Twelfth Grave wrapped up so much better than I expected given where things started. Despite the weight on Charley's shoulders, she maintains her humor, sarcasm, and general irreverence. I can't say that I was 100% stoked about the cliffhanger, but it serves it's purpose because I'm dying to know what happens next. The Trouble with Twelfth Grave gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read The Trouble with Twelfth Grave? What did you think? Let me know!

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight - Review

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight (Charley Davidson, # 11)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: January 24th 2017 by St. Martin's Press

310 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery

Source: Borrowed from the e-Library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, missing people, errant wives, philandering business owners, and oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. In this eleventh installment, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, maybe Charley can find a way to have her happily ever after after all.

I feel like I'm running out of things to say about this series. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy this book, I just feel like I'm getting repetitive in my reviews.

Charley takes on a new client early on. The client happens to be a man who might have been abducted as a baby by the same people who abducted Reyes as a baby. Or he could be their biological son. Charley has wanted to investigate the Fosters for some time, but Reyes hasn't wanted her to. Having Shawn Foster as a client gives her the perfect excuse. I felt like Reyes's objection to Charley investigating them was thin. Sometimes I feel like Darynda Jones does a great job balancing all of the pieces of the puzzle, but this time the Foster investigation took a back seat to other events. This was done purposefully, but it was still something I noted.

Charley found out in the previous book that her beloved Uncle Bob murdered some gang members who were after Charley. So we had to deal with some of the consequences of that which include Charley learning more about herself and her powers as Grim Reaper and as a god.

In previous reviews I've stated that I appreciated Jehovah being included in this story as someone that Charley believes in and respects. Of course the more we have explored this area the more uneasy I've become. Sometimes the story feels sacrilegious, but I try not to read too much into this because it is a fictional story. I'll just reserve my full opinion on this for when I finish the series.

Darynda Jones has always written in departed characters or clients who seem to have experienced the worst of humanity. There are times when my stomach physically hurts reading about what they have experienced. That was certainly the case for the part of the story that involved Amber. Thankfully Charley does note that humanity is more good than evil even if the line is a little closer to the middle than she would hope.

And then there is the end. This was supposed to feel like a twist or a surprise. But really this has been built up for the entire series. To not have to confront this possibility head-on at some point would have wasted a lot of build-up, yet at the same time, everything with this felt predictable when it should have been a huge surprise. I can think of one twist that could have potentially been more surprising. But we'll see how this plays out.

Eleventh Grave in Moonlight was another enjoyable installment in the Charley Davidson series. There are only two books left and I feel like we still have quite a lot to explore. I also wonder about Darynda Jones having the entire series planned out from the beginning. Some pieces feel like afterthought considering where the series started...with the actual characters...who they are and what their abilities are more than anything else. Eleventh Grave in Moonlight gets 4 Stars. Have you read Eleventh Grave in Moonlight? What did you think? Let me know!

The Curse of Tenth Grave - Review

The Curse of Tenth Grave (Charley Davidson, # 10)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: June 28th 2016 by St. Martin's Griffin

352 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Humor, Mystery, Supernatural, Paranormal

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--As a part-time PI and full-time grim reaper, Charley Davidson has asked a lot of questions throughout her life:
Why can I see dead people?
Who is the hot supernatural entity following me?
How do I get gum out of my sister’s hair before she wakes up?

But, “How do I trap not one malevolent god, but three?” was never among them. Until now. And since those gods are on earth to kill her daughter, she has little choice but to track them down, trap them, and cast them from this dimension.

There’s just one problem. One of the three stole her heart a very long time ago. Can the Razer, a god of absolute death and destruction, change his omniscient spots, or will his allegiances lie with his brothers?

Those are just a few of the questions Charley must answer, and quick. Add to that a homeless girl running for her life, an innocent man who’s been charged with murder, and a pendant made from god glass that has the entire supernatural world in an uproar, and Charley has her hands full. If she can manage to take care of the whole world-destroying-gods thing, we’re saved. If not, well…

I am so glad that we aren't dealing with Charley still having amnesia. However, I beginning to wonder how many books we are going to spend wondering if Reyes is going to turn out to be evil after all. At some point, it seems like we are going to have to deal with a suddenly evil Reyes. I don't know. At this point, I feel like that is too predictable, yet for it not to happen at all feels like a lot of senseless build up. Alas, such is the struggle of a series that is 13 books long.

I do like the fact that Darynda Jones has mastered the art of keeping Charley and Reyes's relationship feeling fresh. They constantly have conflict and struggles to overcome without making them feel redundant, too comfortable, or contrived.

Charley's clients and side cases always complete the story nicely without taking over. They neither feel like unnecessary filler while also not feeling like that portion is the main storyline.

Charley has also FINALLY started learning more about her abilities. And instead of feeling like she's left out of the vital information, she takes on a much more active role in taking action by herself with the information that mostly she only has in a way that makes her awesome yet also a tad reckless. Typical Charley.

The Curse of Tenth Grave was much more of the things that excited me about the series to start with than definitely the last book, but maybe even the last two or three. The Curse of Tenth Grave gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read The Curse of Tenth Grave? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - The Dirt on Ninth Grave

The Dirt on Ninth Grave (Charley Davidson, # 9)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: January 12th 2016 by St. Martin's Press

326 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal, Humor, Mystery

Source: Borrowed from the e-library

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she's more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.

But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn't help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she's lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.

I was a little unenthused going into The Dirt on Ninth Grave. Charley gets amnesia at the end of Eight. I find that I enjoy amnesia stories when I am learning about a character's past at the same time that they are, but I don't always enjoy stories as much when I know a significant amount of information that the character doesn't. So I worried that I wouldn't enjoy this book as much because it almost felt like starting over at the beginning of the series. Thankfully the cast of characters I've come to love was present much sooner than I expected.

So basically all of the crew shows up in the town that Charley wakes up in. Charley is working as a waitress in a restaurant and the other characters mostly just show up and are hanging around except Cookie who has also gotten a job as a waitress. The others barely interact with Charley at first but slowly do so more and more. Cookie just feels like Charley's new BFF. Charley obviously has the hots for Reyes but she can see he's not just human and tries to keep her distance. You can tell how difficult of a time Reyes is having by letting Charley take her time with things. And seeing his pain at her not recognizing him is evident.

This wouldn't be a Charley Davidson book without several mysteries to solve. And it was fun to see how much of Charley's personality remained despite not remembering her past. Charley obviously doesn't know that she was a private investigator or the grim reaper in the past but her desire to help the living and the dead push her into another case. All the while attracting the unwanted attention of a psychopath.

There were times when I was waiting for Reyes to show up based upon Charley's heightened emotions. At times it seemed like he was still able to read her, but other times I felt sure if he could then he would have shown up. I hated that this wasn't explained because it seemed like a gap or inconsistency at the least.

I also found myself wondering why Charley never questioned the information before her when it came to Cookie and Reyes specifically having a connection with her old self. They both mention someone close to them disappearing. For Reyes his wife and for Cookie her best friend. In Reyes's situation, he mentioned his wife, Charley feels an unexplainable draw to him and she knows she woke up in the alley wearing a wedding ring. Plus Cookie calling her Charley multiple times over the name, Janey, that she has been going by. Even though Charley did question Cookie, I felt like this was explained away too easily. Especially given other things she took note of or overheard.

How Charley did get her memories back was both satisfying and anticlimactic at the same time. I won't discuss more here in an effort not to spoil anything.

And then there was the twist ending. I don't know why but I wasn't surprised in the least. I figure there will be a workaround, but time will tell.

I kind of hate that I put off reading The Dirt on Ninth Grave a few months after finishing book 8 because the ending of the previous book wasn't as fresh in my mind as I'd have liked. Overall my worries over The Dirt on Ninth Grave were for nothing and I was hooked into the story very quickly. The Dirt on Ninth Grave gets 4 Stars. Have you read The Dirt on Ninth Grave? What did you think? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - Eighth Grave After Dark

Eighth Grave After Dark (Charley Davidson, # 8)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: May 19th 2015 by St. Martin's Press

293 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--With twelve hellhounds after her, pregnant Charley Davidson takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can’t get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. But after months of being cooped up there, Charley is ready to pop. Both metaphorically and literally since she is now roughly the size of a beached whale. Fortunately, a new case has captured her attention, one that involves a murder on the very grounds the team has taken shelter upon. A decades-old murder of the newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows is almost enough to pull her out of her doldrums.

Charley’s been forbidden to step foot off the sacred grounds. While the angry hellhounds can’t traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders. They have the entire team on edge, especially Reyes. And if Charley didn’t know better, she would swear Reyes is getting sick. He grows hotter with every moment that passes, his heat scorching across her skin every time he’s near, but naturally he swears he’s fine.

While the team searches for clues on the Twelve, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they’ve accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. But the good feelings don’t last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life….

I had to take a short break between book 7 and this one. But the break didn't stop me from getting into Eighth Grave After Dark almost immediately. I was slightly thrown off by the time jump as all of the previous books are almost immediately one after the other. It's been eight months from where the last book left off. The time jump makes sense as the characters have been stuck on sacred ground for that time and it would be quite the boring book for them to never be able to leave for months. As it was, Eighth Grave After Dark does advance the overall storyline and Charley does have a mystery to solve (even from the safety of the convent). Yet it felt like not much was happening... probably due to the exact fact that Charley couldn't leave the convent.

I mentioned this before, but I love the pop culture references without name dropping. Name dropping always feels as if the author is trying too hard to be current, cool, or trendy. The way Darynda Jones does them is just right.

I've also mentioned this before, but I do get frustrated with the amount of information that's kept from Charley at times. She gets frustrated too. But since this has been going on for several books (or well...all of them) I'm a little beyond this being a plot tool.

I will also say that the alternate dimension pieces have increased and are getting so prevalent that I'm beginning to get a little frustrated. For some reason, this concept is something that I've always struggled with books. I hope that this doesn't cause me to lose interest in the series since I'm known to struggle with this type of thing.

Several things happened at the end of the book that has me excited about what's to come. Ultimately, Eighth Grave After Dark was probably my least favorite of the series so far. I still enjoyed it, but I certainly had more issues with this book than any of the prior ones. Eighth Grave After Dark gets 3.5 Stars. Have you read Eighth Grave After Dark? What did you think?

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

Seventh Grave and No Body - Review

Seventh Grave and No Body (Charley Davidson, # 7)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: October 21st 2014 by St. Martin's Press

322 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Twelve. Twelve of the deadliest beasts ever forged in the fires of hell have escaped onto our plane, and they want nothing more than to rip out the jugular of Charley Davidson and serve her lifeless, mangled body to Satan for dinner. So there’s that. But Charley has more on her plate than a mob of testy hellhounds. For one thing, her father has disappeared, and the more she retraces his last steps, the more she learns he was conducting an investigation of his own, one that has Charley questioning everything she’s ever known about him. Add to that an ex-BFF who is haunting her night and day, a rash of suicides that has authorities baffled, and a drop-dead sexy fiancé who has attracted the attentions of a local celebrity, and Charley is not having the best week of her life.

A tad north of hell, a hop, skip, and a jump past the realm of eternity, is a little place called Earth, and Charley Davidson, grim reaper extraordinaire, is determined to do everything in her power to protect it.

We’re doomed.

Okay guys, I took notes and refused to let myself start book 8 until I sat down to write this review. So hopefully this review will be better than my reviews for the previous books in this series.

I liked the pop culture references. Sometimes this bugs me because it can automatically date a book, but these weren't references like "I love watching Breaking Bad" or "Twilight is my favorite book." Instead, there's mention of Jesse Pinkman, Heisenberg, and Bella... You just know or don't know the references. Those are the kinds I like. Also, "Friendbook" is just funny.

This series has a way of shining light on some of the worst of humanity. I know the cases that Charley takes on are fiction, but they're not far-fetched in many aspects. (Some of them are because this is a fantasy series after all, but unfortunately, most of them are realistic.) And this makes me so sad for humanity. I appreciate this in fiction because the cases are compelling, but in some ways, it messes with my mind. Especially when my Husband was telling me a horrible story that was real that I could see blending right into Charley's world.

A complaint that I've had over the entire series but haven't had the wherewithal to mention until now is how so many people that meet Charley seem to be aware that she's capable of doing different things, but they're keeping information to themselves. I realize the idea is for Charley to learn herself and grow over the series, but it can be frustrating as a reader to constantly read that a character is capable of XYZ or should know XYZ but can't or doesn't. Finally, Charley makes some significant strides forward in her abilities.

I very much appreciate that while this series doesn't follow religious theology necessarily, it doesn't discount God. In fact, the opposite is true. Charley mentions God in a respectful way more than once. I feel like this is so missing from literature today but especially from the fantasy genre. Why mention God when you can make up an entirely new religion or deity? Super applause to Darynda Jones for the decision making where this is concerned (at least up until this point in the series). She could always screw this up for me in the next few books.

However, Charley has recently been described as being a god in the other plane that she was from. Alternate planes and realities are something I struggle within books. This hasn't been a huge issue for me in this series so far because while they are mentioned the characters aren't traveling back and forth between them. But more and more Charley is being described in a way concerning the other plane that is confusing to me. Her personality seems to clash with who she's supposed to be...not just royalty but as a "god". I'm hoping this doesn't become too much bigger of a plot point.

I'm never a huge fan of descriptive scenes. Thankfully they're not too frequent in each book and they don't derail from the plot nor do they go on and on and on as some books I've read. I will plead with Darynda Jones, however, to lose the word "suckled" during these scenes. I cringe every time I see this word. Especially during these scenes.

This series has become a favorite and Seventh Grave and No Body is probably my favorite of the series so far. The advance in the series plot finally moved forward a good bit. Seventh Grave and No Body gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Seventh Grave and No Body? What did you think? Let me know!

Sixth Grave on the Edge - Review

Sixth Grave on the Edge (Charley Davidson, # 6)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: May 20th 2014 by St. Martin's Press

326 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Few things in life can come between a grim reaper and her coffee, but the sexy, sultry son of Satan is one of them. Now that Reyes Farrow has asked for her hand, Charley Davidson feels it's time to learn more about his past, but Reyes is reluctant to open up. When the official FBI file of his childhood abduction lands in her lap, Charley decides to go behind her mysterious beau’s back and conduct her own investigation. Because what could go wrong?

Unfortunately, another case has fallen into her lap—one with dangerous implications. Some very insistent men want Charley to hunt down a witness who is scheduled to testify against their boss, a major player in the local crime syndicate. If Charley doesn't come up with an address in 48 hours, the people closest to her will start to disappear.

Add to that a desperate man in search of the soul he lost in a card game, a dogged mother determined to find the ghost of her son, and a beautiful, young Deaf boy haunted by his new ability to see the departed as clearly as he sees the living, and Charley has her hands full. The fact that Reyes has caught on to her latest venture only adds fuel to the inferno that he is. Good thing for Charley she's used to multi-tasking and always up for a challenge…especially when that challenge comes in the form of Reyes Farrow.

So we pick up Sixth Grave on the Edge with Charley and Reyes "nigh affianced". (Hehe I just wanted to say that and totally cracked up every time Charley called Reyes her "nigh fiance".) Really though, Reyes proposed and we're just waiting to see if Charley will accept.

Sixth Grave on the Edge is one of those books that makes it completely obvious that Darynda Jones planned this entire series before she ever started writing.

There hasn't been too much activity in the demon areas of the series. Although, we do meet a demon (or daeva) called the Dealer. Mostly the overall series story hasn't made too much progress. Well, there was one small bomb dropped at the very end of the book which I didn't see coming. And now that I think about another development too. But that's all.

I didn't feel like any one aspect of this individual book took over--it was about as well rounded of a book as possible. Charley's cases weren't too front and center, neither was the war, neither was her relationship with Reyes (there was just enough of this to make me happy). I do think a good bit of time was spent on Cookie and Uncle Bob, but I didn't really mind that. Other small side stories were woven in: Captain Erickson, Amber and Quienton, Miranda, etc. There's something up with Charley's Dad that was just hinted at. We'll see more of that in the coming book(s).

I did find a continuity error. FBI Agent Carson is called Agent Carter 3 times within one chapter. I don't know if this was in the published version or just the egalley that I received. Anyway, it threw me and had me thinking I was crazy for a bit until the correct name was used. Here's a screenshot of what I'm talking about.

All in all, Sixth Grave on the Edge might be my favorite of the series so far, and I'm giving it 4.5 Stars. Have you read Sixth Grave on the Edge? What did you think? Let me know!

Fifth Grave Past the Light - Review

Fifth Grave Past the Light (Charley Davidson, # 5)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: July 9th 2013 by St. Martin's Press

339 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Never underestimate the power of a woman on a double espresso with a mocha latte chaser high. - T-shirt

Charley Davidson isn't your everyday, run-of-the-mill grim reaper. She's more of a paranormal private eye/grim reaper extraordinaire. However, she gets sidetracked when the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, moves in next door. To further complicate matters, Reyes is her main suspect in an arson case. Charley has vowed to stay away from him until she can find out the truth...but then dead women start appearing in her apartment, one after another, each lost, confused, and terrified beyond reason. When it becomes apparent that her own sister, Gemma is the serial killer's next target, Charley has no choice but to ask for Reyes's help. Arsonist or not, he's the one man alive who could protect Gemma no matter who or what came at her. But he wants something in return. Charley. All of her, body and soul. And to keep her sister safe, it is a price she is willing to pay.

Charley Davidson is at it again in the sexy, suspenseful, and laugh-out-loud funny fifth installment of the New York Times best selling series.

You guys, I did it again. I couldn't stop progress long enough to review book 5 until I'd finished book 6. *facepalm* I hate doing this because it's hard to separate the two books when it comes time to review them. And I also hate joint reviews. So I'll just do my best to discuss only book 5 and the previous events. And I think it's enough to know that I couldn't stop reading long enough to review this book to show that I enjoyed it.

The description has covered things pretty well. Charley suspects Reyes to be the main suspect in a string of arson crimes. He came to her on one of the nights of one of the crimes smelling like smoke. And it doesn't help that all of the buildings that are being burned down are places that Reyes lived with Earl Walker--the man who raised and abused him. Some of the information we're given regarding Reyes's time with Walker really made my stomach hurt. At the same time, Charley has been slowly bombarded and overrun with blonde women who all appear to have been killed by the same person. Considering Charley's sister Gemma is also blonde, Charley suspects one of Gemma's clients to be the killer.

I didn't feel like much happened in the overall story of the series. I guess we get a little bit of knowledge courtesy of Stokes. And Charley and Reyes continue to get closer. Eee for that ending though.

I'm not sure I have much more to say about Fifth Grave Past the Light at this time. I blew through it. It was really good. I enjoyed it just as much as the other books in the series. I'm excited to see where things are headed. And so yeah, Fifth Grave Past the Light gets 4 Stars. Have you read Fifth Grave Past the Light? What did you think? Let me know!

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet - Review

Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: October 30th 2012 by St. Martin's Press

308 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--Welcome to the world of grim reaper extraordinaire Charley Davidson. Try as she might, there’s no avoiding her destiny. Sometimes being the grim reaper really is, well, grim. And since Charley’s last case went so awry, she has taken a couple of months off to wallow in the wonders of self-pity. But when a woman shows up on her doorstep convinced someone is trying to kill her, Charley has to force herself to rise above...or at least get dressed. It becomes clear something is amiss when everyone the woman knows swears she’s insane. But the more they refute the woman’s story, the more Charley believes it.

In the meantime, the sexy, sultry son of Satan, Reyes Farrow, is out of prison and out of Charley’s life, as per her wishes and several perfectly timed death threats. But his absence has put a serious crimp in her sex life. While there are other things to consider, like the fact that the city of Albuquerque has been taken hostage by an arsonist, Charley is having a difficult time staying away. Especially when it looks like Reyes may be involved.

Just when life was returning to normal, Charley is thrust back into the world of crime, punishment, and the devil in blue jeans in this hilarious fourth installment in the New York Times bestselling series.

***Spoilers for prior books included below!***

So let's just recap. Reyes's earthly father (the man who raised him) tortured Charley at the end of Third Grave Dead Ahead because Reyes used her as bait. This mimics the exact same situation her father put her in from Second Grave on the Left and Charley is feeling the betrayal deeply. In both situations, Charley would have liked to have been told she was being used as bait. Based on her prior decisions, I don't think she would have minded so much. Charley is now suffering from PTSD. I do wish some of this was explained better as Charley's neck was broken in book 1 and she healed quite quickly, but a few cut tendons (from the description of events) at the hands of Earl Walker and she's in the hospital for weeks. I wish we were give a more detailed explanation. Also, Reyes makes the comment in this book that he didn't really think Walker would come after her, but that's not consistent with what he tells her from the previous book where he knew Walker would come but he had expected to be there to intercept him when he did. Not huge things, but little inconsistencies that bug me.

Reyes was released from prison because the man he was accused of murdering proved himself to be alive when he tortured Charley. So now he's a free man. Yet he hasn't even seen Charley for two months. Reyes is in a position of knowledge and this is one of those situations where he rarely tells Charley what she could really stand to know. He does finally have a moment of opening up to Charley, but these two always seem to be moving forward and apart constantly. It drives me mad in the right kind of way. And I will say that these two made progress in the relationship and appear to be headed in a good direction, but knowing them it would easily swing in the other direction at any moment.

The war that has been hinted at seems to have kicked up a notch. Demons are now possessing people and Reyes it's trying to systematically hunt them down to keep them from getting to Charley. Charley makes one step forward in finding out what she's capable of as far as her abilities go, but we've yet to see how this will affect her mentally, especially considering she has PTSD.

Despite her father's attempts to get her out of the PI business, Charley takes a new case which actually does her good in getting her to take the first steps in her healing and at least leave the house. Again this is one place where Darynda Jones lets me guess correctly on the twists. She does a great job of letting me think I'm figuring things out while completely surprising me in other areas.

I do kind of wish that Charley had done more of the therapy work that Gemma suggested for her like writing the letters. Perhaps this will play a role in future books.

Favorite quotes:

-"They're liars, Dutch. Each and every one. They would lie when the truth would sound better."

I devoured Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet. I couldn't put it down. I mean truly I've read the first four books in this series within two weeks which for me lately is unheard of. I like the direction we're headed. I don't know if I'll read all twelve books in a row or if I'll need a break... Right now I'm picking up book 5 next. Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet gets 4 stars. Have you read Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet? What did you think? Let me know!

Third Grave Dead Ahead - Review

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson, # 3)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: January 31st 2012 by St. Martin's Press

310 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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. Yes, she did imprison him for all eternity, but come on. 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 hellbent on murder when the devil's son just won't give up?

So I'm blowing through this series so far. I finish one book and start the next immediately. I forced myself to review book 2, Second Grave on the Left, before I allowed myself to start this book. However, I jumped right into book 4 without forcing myself to review this one. In some ways I think that was a good thing because I feel that I have a clearer direction on how to review this book, but in other ways sometimes the progress of the overall story can get muddled when I read more than one book too soon without stopping to review. I think it's obvious that I'm enjoying these.

Charley is yet again on the case of a missing wife. She immediately suspects the husband as he seems to pour out feelings of guilt. Things aren't completely what they seem here. Although, as per usual, I was able to predict some aspects of the case. I felt like there was quite a lot of time spent on this case compared to what I'd like to hear more about--Reyes.

Charley FINALLY gets to meet Reyes face to face. She'd seen his physical body before, but both times he was unconscious and heavily injured. Now, he's ragingly PO'd at her for binding his incorporeal self to his physical body. And even though she's tried, she can't seem to unbind him. I do find myself getting frustrated with Reyes and Charley. So many times they don't say what they mean and end up causing more drama between each other than is necessary. They've both hurt each other emotionally and have reasons not to trust each other--Reyes when he was attempting to let his physical body die and Charley when she bound him without permission. Of course, holding someone at knifepoint is also a great reason to distrust. We do make some good advancement in the Reyes storyline that I'd love to talk about, but that would all be spoilers.

The dynamic between Charley's family changes even more as her father all but insists that she get out of the PI business. I mean she has been almost killed multiple times in each book so far. Which reminds me of a point I was going to make. Books where the characters are constantly getting into scrapes that are "too big" especially when they're supposed to be trying to keep things under the radar--like their supernatural abilities--can sometimes be a struggle for me. I mean the authors have to address the frequency of these big events with the characters that aren't in on the big secrets, but it's often too unbelievable how the characters get around this. In the case of this series, Charley needs these life-threatening situations to advance her character, both emotionally and in the area of learning more about what she's capable of. So it's hard to be too upset with them.

Favorite quote:

-Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong. --T-shirt

The writing is the same witty and sarcastic that we've come to know and love. Based off the acknowledgment section I'd say this might just be Darynda Jones and not just Charley's character. Charley and Reyes make some progress, but the place where Third Grave Dead Ahead ends spurred me on to pick up book 4 immediately. There was even one place I started to tear up. I didn't cry but I was definitely emotional. I won't tell you anything more besides "Garrett." Third Grave Dead Ahead gets 4 stars. Have you read Third Grave Dead Ahead? What did you think? Let me know!

Second Grave on the Left - Review

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson, # 2)

By: Darynda Jones

Publication: August 16th 2011 by St. Martin's Press

307 pages

Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, Mystery

Source: Publisher via NetGalley (Thank you!!)

( Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository )

*Note: The above links to Amazon and Book Depository are affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--If you hang around with dead people, life can get pretty complicated. Take it from Charley Davidson, part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper. Complicated is her middle name. 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/receptionist) have to track down a missing woman, the case is not quite as open and shut as they anticipate. Cookie's friend Mimi disappeared five days earlier. Mimi then sends Cookie a cryptic message telling Cookie to meet her at an nearby coffee shop. The coffee is brewing, but Mimi's still missing. There is, however, a clue Mimi left on the bathroom wall: a woman's name. Mimi's husband explains to them that his wife had been acting strange since she found out an old high school friend had been murdered. The same woman whose name Mimi had scribbled on the bathroom wall.

Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow (otherwise known as the Son of Satan. Yes. Literally) has left his corporeal body and is haunting Charley. He's left his 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...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?

Here is your signpost for the most hilarious read of the year: Second Grave on the Left.

Charley Davidson and her entire crew pulled me in with First Grave on the Right. Charley, Cookie, Reyes, Garrett, Uncle Bob, Angel, and more. I love that I'm only two books into the series and I'm connecting to so many of the characters. I like them all. I'm intrigued by some more than others. But I look forward to these books and want more. Specifically, Cookie is a lot more involved in this one as her friend is missing and is Charley's main PI case.

The writing is spot on in this series. I love how witty and funny Darynda Jones writes Charley. She's not really laugh-out-loud funny but smart and witty (I already said that)--sometimes sarcastic. She's quick. I love it. Occasionally, there were some comments from other characters that sounded more like Charley than themselves, but hey maybe she's rubbing off on them.

I wanted more Reyes in this book. The times when he was present were usually short encounters. It drove me mad in a good way. I wanted more and that caused me to devour pages hoping to see if Charley would find him in time or not. I feel like there's so much to explore between Charley and Reyes yet I wonder how it will stretch out through the entire series in a satisfying way...not too fast and not too slow. So far, two books in I'm satisfied in a dying-to-know-more kind of way.

I also enjoyed the dynamic that was explored toward the end of the book surrounding Charley's family.

If you're in the market for a new fantasy series, I highly recommend this one. There's enough romance to satisfy my heart, but it's held back to a level that has me on pins and needles in the best kind of way hoping for more soon. The writing is close to perfect. I love the quick wit. And there's so much more. All of the characters are dynamic and complex. I'm looking forward to more and will probably dive into book 3 immediately. Second Grave on the Left gets 4.5 Stars. Have you read Second Grave on the Left? What did you think? Let me know!