Book recommendations for the reader on your list! #AmReading #Christmas

As many of you know, I read a lot. A LOT! Last time I counted, I finish about 250 books per year. That makes me somewhat of an expert when it comes to recommending books to people, especially this time of year when people are looking for gift ideas. So, I thought I would write some gift book ideas for you to help you on your shopping. 

For readers who liked The Hunger Games, I recommend Veronica Roth's Divergent Series. Within an action-packed dystopian world, it explores what it means to be human. It would also give the reader a chance to check out the book before the movie is released in 2014. 

For readers who like Twilight, AND for those who didn't like Twilight, I recommend Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy Series. This is how a young adult vampire series should be done. No dippy heroines, over-protective boyfriends and lots of kick-ass action. Not to mention, it has one of my favorite romances of all time. The first movie also comes out on Valentines Day, so your reader can get a head start.

For readers who liked the Anita Blake Series, I recommend Shannon Mayer's Rylee Adamson Series. Filled with action, supernatural creatures and humor, without going all "porny" like Anita Blake did. The first book is Priceless, but there are a total of five books out so far if you wanted to make your own boxed set.

                   

For readers who liked Fifty Shades of Gray, I recommend Sylvia Day’s Crossfire Series: Bared To You, Reflected In You and Entwined With You. The first three books are now available in a boxed set. 

Or check out Christina Lauren's Beautiful Series. The first book is Beautiful Bastard. 

For readers who like erotic fiction, but found Fifty Shades of Gray to be ridiculous, I recommend Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners Series: The Siren, The Angel, The Prince and The Mistress. This is one of my favorite series ever!!! It is erotic literary fiction, and the characters are amazing.

For those who liked Beautiful Disaster, I recommend Easy by Tammara Webber.

Or try M. Leighton's Bad Boys Series: Down To You, Up to Me and Everything For Us.

For readers who liked On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves, I recommend Surviving Raine by Shay Savage. This is how a tortured, brooding man should be written. I officially have a new book-boyfriend in Bastian Stark. 

For readers who like alpha males, lots of action and are open to M/M romance, you have to look at the Cut and Run Series by Madeline Urban and Abilgail Roux. This is another of my all-time favorite series. The characters are beautifully flawed, hilariously written and sexy as hell. There are more books than this, but here are the first four:

 

For readers who think vampires should be sociopaths, not romantic heroes, I recommend a little known book called Scent and Shadow by Mercy Loomis. Horror readers will absolutely love this book! And the writing is brilliant. 

I hope these recommendations help. If you need more, I read many genres, and I'm happy to help you come up with something for the reader on your list. Leave a comment, or hit me up on Twitter - @Jesilea.  

And of course, my books are also available to the young adult, paranormal loved on your list.  #ShamelessSelfPromotion.  

Happy Holidays!!!!

Review: ‘Don’t Look Down’ by Jennifer Cruise & Bob Mayer

I love the idea of authors of two different genres collaborating on a book together.  In Don’t Look Down, romance author Jennifer Cruise and action/suspense author Bob Mayer team up to create an action-filled adventure with a strong romantic storyline.  I wanted to love this story, but unfortunately, it just didn’t work. 

Lucy Armstrong is a dog food commercial director who gets called in to direct the last four days of a Hollywood action movie after the director died of a heart attack.  Her ex-husband, Cooper Nash, is the stunt coordinator on the film and her sister is one of the assistant directors.  Also running around the set is Lucy’s five-year-old niece, Pepper, who apparently she is expected to babysit while she is running a movie set. 

J.T. Wilder is a Green Beret on leave who is hired by the film’s star to be his stunt double.  Immediately upon getting on set, J.T. realizes something is wrong.  The way the stunts are set up do not make sense.  Of course, pointing these discrepancies out only pisses off Cooper. 

From here, the plot twists and turns with unnecessary complications: Russian mobsters, IRA terrorists, $50 million of stolen jade phallic symbols, a one-eyed alligator, a homicidal sniper hiding in the swamp, whiny Hollywood actors and everyone sleeping with everyone.  Did I mention this all occurs over four days?  There are also recurring references to both the movie High Noon and Wonder Woman.  There was just too much going on to really develop the characters.

As for the romance, I understood the initial attraction between J.T. and Lucy, but I didn’t find the development of the relationship believable.  The two barely talk before they are crazy about each other.  Then, after they have sex for the first time, Lucy gets all pissed when J.T. isn’t immediately on-board with getting married and spending the rest of their lives together.  (Don’t worry, later that day he relents and agrees.)  Dumb.

I also found myself getting impatient and annoyed by the niece, Pepper.  Maybe it’s because I don’t have children, but I was so annoyed by this girl.  These people are supposed to be working, but this five-year-old is constantly under foot interrupting people.  She was also demanding and spoiled.  I think she was supposed to be endearing because all of the other characters fell all over themselves pleasing her, but I couldn’t believe one adult in this novel wouldn’t have complained about this kid.  There is a scene where the girl insists on having a Wonder Woman party.  She makes Lucy and her mother dress up in Wonder Woman underwear with her while the men sit around and ogle them.  Seriously, indulging the whims of a child can only go so far.

Overall, I give Don’t Look Down…

Plot – 1 bookmark (Just too much going on and none of it believable.)

Character development – 1 ½ bookmarks (Too much going on with the plot to spend any time developing characters.)

Love story – 2 bookmarks (Was going okay until Lucy got all clingy.)

Dream cast (otherwise known as who I pictured while reading) – Mia Kirshner (Lucy), Wentworth Miller (J.T.), Bradley Cooper (Cooper Nash), Holly Madison (Althea), Justin Long (Bryce)