Dual Review of Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend

Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime

Release Date: August 2, 2011

Series: #1 in the Fortune Teller Mystery series

More Info:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

Leaving the Big Apple for the quaint town of Divinity, New York, Sunny is determined to make it on her own as a psychic. With an ancient Victorian house as her place of business, Sunny uses various psychic methods to aid the town's residents. But when she uses tea leaves to give a reading for a frazzled librarian, what she finds at the bottom of the cup is anything but helpful.
Sunny informs the police of her deadly vision, but her warning is too late. And with hard-nosed, ruggedly handsome Detective Mitch Stone denying her abilities and naming her prime suspect, the situation is dire. Now Sunny has to use her visions to clear her name, before the killer can put an end to the psychic's future...

Our Thoughts:

Jax:

This was a fun book, not too long, and a great way to start a series. Light, with a quick pace, it sets up characters that you want to learn more about. There are lots of little twists, and while I had a good idea of who the villain might be, I still had more than one suspect by the time of the big reveal.

I like Sunny. I like Sunny and Detective Stone together, both as crime solving partners and a potential romantic pairing. And Morty the cat! Creepy in the best of ways, I look forward to seeing more of Sunny's odd little protector.

This is my favorite kind of summer read, one that I can peek up from to see what the kids are up to, and delve back into without losing that feeling of being into the story. It's welcoming, even for a murder mystery.

Bea:

This was a light story but unlike Jax, I didn't find it to be quick. I had trouble staying interested, and kept putting it down. It did keep me guessing, there were twists and turns in the mystery; unlike Jax I didn't catch on to who killer was until almost the end. I also found it refreshing that Sunny didn't have an easy time getting people to talk to her, the answers didn't fall in to her lap; she had to work for them. That is one of the more common weaknesses of cozy mysteries and Townsend avoided it.

Sunny could be naive, was rebellious with her parents in a manner that reminded me of a teenager, and was headstrong at times but her heart was in the right place and she came across as genuine and like someone you might meet around town. The conflict with Mitch, the detective working the case, felt manufactured to me - young, flaky, new agey psychic versus the conservative, stubborn, know-it-all detective. I didn't really feel the attraction between them but the dialogue could be fun and snappy.

Morty was intriguing, I'd like to learn more about him. I can't quite figure him out. I think I liked him the best of all in the book.

Overall, I found it to be light, standard cozy mystery fare, nothing special. If you like the fortune teller angle (it's what initially caught my interest), don't mind some stereotypes, and want an easy way to pass the time, curl up with a cup of tea and give it a try.

We each received a copy of this paperback from the publisher.

Review of Ideal Man by Julie Garwood

Publisher: Dutton Adult

Release Date: August 9, 2011

More Info:  Amazon     The Book Depository

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

Dr. Ellie Sullivan has just completed her residency at a large urban hospital. While jogging in a park nearby, she witnesses the shooting of an FBI agent in pursuit of wanted criminals, a couple identified as the Landrys. The only person to see the shooter's face, Ellie is suddenly at the center of a criminal investigation. 

Agent Max Daniels takes over the Landry case. A no-nonsense lawman, he's definitely not the ideal man that Ellie has always imagined, yet she's attracted to him in a way she can't explain. 

Ellie heads home to Winston Falls, South Carolina, to attend her sister's wedding. Shortly after she arrives, though, she receives a surprise visitor: Max Daniels. The Landrys have been captured, and she'll be called to testify. But they've been captured before, and each time the witnesses are scared into silence-or disappear before they can take the stand. Max vows to be Ellie's shadow until the trial, and it isn't long before sparks fly.
 
My Thoughts:

"Ideal Man" is a pleasant, easy to read romantic suspense. It's heavier on the romance, since we know early on who the villains and we know that they will be trying to kill Ellie; the real questions are when and how they'll attack, and will they be caught first. Still, it's a quick, fun read, perfect for vacation or sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office.

Ellie has had a challenging life, with being a childhood prodigy and the difficulties that that entails, being sent away when she was only twelve to keep her safe (I can't say more without giving too much away) and a broken engagement two years ago that has put a strain on her relationship with her sister Ava, as well as the whole family. Now, she's witnessed a murder and her life is in upheaval again. She copes fairly well, and is determined to keep her family in the dark for their own good. Ellie is compassionate, confident, loyal, smart, and tries to do the right thing. She's been hurt in the past and lets that hurt rule her. By the end though, she's managed to move on emotionally. At times, Ellie is too perfect, but overall she seems like she could easily be the girl next door.

Max is also good at his job, intimidating to look at, also loyal, devoted to his family, and has had his share of troubles (really though, who hasn't?). He has been after the Landrys for years and is determined that nothing will go wrong this time. He doesn't count on being attracted to the witness, Ellie.He's leaving as soon as this job is done so at first, they try to resist the attraction. Also, Max doesn't seem like Ellie's type at first or so she thinks

He was definitely out of her comfort zone. The man had so much testosterone, he made her nervous.

And,

An intimidating man who was built like a monument and could melt iron with his menacing glare - this was what she was attracted to?

 But, as they get to know each other, they build an emotional attraction to go with the physical attraction.

Max and Ellie make a likable pair, the plot holds together well, and it moves at a good pace. There are a few cliches and some unlikely coincidences but overall, a good story.It's worth a read and would also be worth re-reading.

I received an eGalley from NetGalley.

Kindlegraph - Doing it right

Recently, I saw authors tweeting about Kindlegaph. I didn't know what it was but assumed it was an Amazon service for authors. Then one author mentioned that she got her first request from a reader for a Kindlegraph and the light bulb in my head went off. It's a signed book cover for your Kindle ebooks. Very cool.

If you have a Kindle, you can go to Kindlegraph's site, look to see if your favorite author or book is listed and if they are, you send a request. You need to give them your Kindle email, they give you an email address to add to your Kindle account's approved email list and when the author sends their autograph, Amazon sends you an email letting you know that your Kindle document has arrived. Then you download the document to your Kindle and voila, you have a signed book cover.

I went to their site and looked around. You have to have a Twitter account to sign in and that's where I ran into a problem. Now obviously, based on the first paragraph, I do have a Twitter account. But when I read the TOS (Terms of Service), I said "Hell no". Why? By signing in with Twitter, you agreed that Kindlegraph could see who you follow, follow new people for you, tweet for you, and update your profile. WTF? Why do you need to do that? 

I tweeted that while the idea of Kindlegraph was good, the TOS were unacceptable. I didn't use a hashtag nor did I @reply, but when I got home from work, I had a reply from @kindlegraph, responding to my concerns. We exchanged several more tweets and then I got this tweet: 

kindlegraph Kindlegraph

@

@BeasBookNook Hi again! Can you try the "sign-in with Twitter" link again? I wasn't aware of less permissive options and I've selected them.

So I did and sure enough, they'd changed the TOS. They now read thusly:

This application will be able to:

• Read Tweets from your timeline.
• See who you follow.

This application will not be able to:

• Follow new people.
• Update your profile.
• Post Tweets for you.
• Access your direct messages.
• See your Twitter password.

MUCH better. I signed up, looked for authors, and sent off several requests for signatures. So far, I've only gotten one, though I sent the requests several days ago. Thanks to PJ Schnyder for being so prompt! ETA 8/7/11: I've since gotten more autographs from one of the authors that I had requested.

I am very impressed with Kindlegraph's customer service, their attention to detail and their prompt response to my concerns. If you have a Kindle, if you like having signed books, GO SIGN UP!!! Yes, you need a Twitter account, but if you only ever use it for this, it's well worth it.

The Kindlegraph site has a video that shows how the process works, but here's a photo of what I got from author PJ Schynder. Note that your actual ebook is not autographed; you get a cover of your chosen book with the author's signature. My apologies for the photo quality, I used my cell phone camera.

Review of The Keepers by Monique O'Connor James

Publisher:  Astraea Press


Release Date: June 5, 2011


More Info: Amazon      Astraea Press


Book Blurb (from blog tour material):

Jess denies God. In his infinite wisdom, he’s taken everyone she’s ever loved. Moving to the French Quarter was a ploy to erase the guilt she felt for rebuking her faith. Perhaps, if she hadn’t met Justin, an angel preoccupied with getting back into God’s good graces, and drowning in his hatred for humanity, her plan would have worked.

Justin’s general disdain for the human race makes him difficult to like, but some higher power has appointed him her keeper. Justin’s convinced he can mend her broken relationship with her maker, but in the process he learns a thing or two about his own humanity.

Never mind falling in love, that’s not supposed to happen. In fact, it may even be forbidden. Jess just wants Justin to understand her plight, and he wants to protect her from a world she doesn’t know.

If neither are equipped to save the other, then whose soul will live and whose will perish? 

My Thoughts:


Where to start? This review is difficult because, to be blunt, I just didn't like the book. Several times I came close to making this review a DNF - Did Not Finish. There were several factors - a glacially slow pace, irritating characters, and extremely poor proof reading and copy editing. Regular readers of the blog know that the latter item is a huge pet peeve of mine and it can impact my enjoyment of a story. I did finish the book, but it was a struggle. 

I'll start with the slow pace. The book opens at a funeral, where we meet Jess, one of the main characters, and her brother Jordan. Their mother has died and Jess is a mess. After the funeral, she heads to New Orleans, where her parents, now both dead, had an apartment that they used for vacations. Jess ruminates on how much she hates God because he took her mother away from her. Then she goes to a bar, instantly becomes best buddies with a woman she's never seen before and is attracted to a group of guys, one in particular, who go out of their way to ignore her. There's an altercation between one of the guys and another man who walks up to their group (he is another key character in the book, it turns out). Then the woman, Vi, invites Jess, to join her the next night at a casino where the guys work. Doesn't sound slow, does it? Sadly, the pace dies. Jess meets, flirts, and fights with one of the guys, Justin, for the next 40% of the book. Oh there's the occasional bit of forward movement - the lone guy from the bar, Dawson, tries to run her down, Vi and Jess take a road trip, but most of the first half of the book, and much of the latter half, is Jess and Justin fighting, flirting, sulking, etc. We don't even find out that Justin is an angel until about a third of the way into the book. Oh, there are a few hints here and there but if I hadn't read the book cover, the hints would have had me thinking he was some sort of vampire. I kept wondering why Jess was so special that she had so many angels watching over her (Justin is only one); turns out the reason is nothing earth-shattering and was, in fact, anti climactic. Although, maybe if Justin, via the author, hadn't made such a fuss about how special Jess was and how important it was to keep her safe, I might not have been so disappointed. But, it was a big buildup with little payoff. The action picks up toward the end of the book but by then I just didn't care.

Now, the irritating characters. Sadly, those would be the main characters, Jess and Justin. Jess is naive, impulsive, and careless. Still, she could have been likable if she weren't also whiny, rude, and thoughtless. Justin is even ruder (these angels are not at all cherubic or angelic), more thoughtless, and has no use for humanity.

 The piece of furniture was so representative of human decadence he found it nauseating, yet it was his favorite place to ruminate on all that irritated him about man's existence.

not…but if you’re asking me if I still hate humans, if I still think they’re an ungrateful stench clinging to the beauty God has created, then yes, sometimes I do.”

That last quote, I admit, is quite descriptive and evocative. The thing that really irritated me about him was his constant harping on how stupid Jess is. The problem was, most of the time, it wasn't borne out by the story. She does do one careless thing near the beginning, walking home alone from a bar in the wee hours of the morning, which is when Dawson tries to run her down, but that one action on her part is seemingly enough to condemn her in Justin's eyes. At one point he thinks to himself

Did she really not believe he could protect her from the demon?

 There are several problems with this statement - Jess doesn't know about the demon, she doesn't even know that demons exist, she doesn't yet know that anyone wants her dead, and she doesn't yet know Justin is an angel. But, this is typical of Justin's thinking.

Jess often acts much younger than her twenty-four years, though she does admit one point that her mother spoiled her. Vi, the woman she met at the bar, shows up at her apartment the next door and promptly takes over running Jess's life - cooking, cleaning, taking her clothes shopping, etc. Jess does, once or twice, think about how nice it is that Vi does all this, but she doesn't say it nor does she thank her or ever do her fair share.

Without complaint, her roommate kept the place sparkling and never pointed out what a slacker Jess could be. 

I did like this thought that Jess had about Vi - 

...she did make an excellent sister. She worked on Jess like her favorite pet project,...

That statement nicely sums up their relationship.Vi is seemingly content to care for Jess and doesn't really seem to have a life of her own. However, there is more to Vi than meets the eye (hee, I made a rhyme) and I was pleased to find that my guess about her wasn't too far off of the mark. I did have trouble believing just how quickly they bonded, it never felt real; once the truth about Vi is revealed, then it makes more sense. That said, Vi was easily the most likable person in the book. I would have liked more of her. 

Finally, and what really got me, was the lack of proof reading and copy editing. While reading this, I made over 200 notes and highlights, and most were related to the shoddy proofing and editing. There were many, many other examples that I just didn't bother to highlight or note. I'll cite a few examples, some were just annoying while others made for more difficult reading.

Jess repositioned pain contorting her face.

          Her mother was stroked her face, alight with the look of adoration only a mom could give. 

She had to be imaging his inability to control his strength.

He bowed leveling with her, his eyes, which were usually in perpetual motion, were stone. (I shared this one, along with several others, on facebook and it provoked quite a reaction. I wasn't the only one bothered by it.)

 “Awe come on, man."

There are many, many, many more such examples. 

James tried to write a story about God (the Christian God) and humanity's relationship with him. Humans do doubt God; we doubt his existence, we question his motives and his actions,we doubt his love for us, we turn our backs on him. In the story, Jess is angry with God for taking away her mother, her father, and her sister. She hates him and fights Justin as he tries, in his own, "I hate humans and I'm jealous of them", twisted way, to help her find her way back to God. But Justin is so annoying and irritating, Jess is such a whiner, that I, for one, couldn't buy into the message.

There's also a sub-plot with a romance between Jess and Justin and that wasn't particularly believable either.

If you want a love story, a story about angels in the modern day world, or a story with a positive message about God's love, almost any other book will be better. However, as annoying as Justin was, I did like James' version of angels. It's different, has a solid base in Christian theology and mythology and I respect her for not making her angels all cute and sweet. She took a chance and you have to admire that. 

 

I received a PDF of this story from Author Blog Tours for review.


ETA 8/14/11: Ms. James put a post on her blog announcing that she is temporarily pulling the book from vendors so that she she and her publisher can go through and fix the typos, grammatical errors, and other copy editing issues. After it's fixed, it will be re-released. Kudos to Ms. James and her publisher for doing this. It shows respect to the buyers and readers and can only improve the book. Good for you Ms. James.

BOOKPERK - deals for readers

A few months ago, someone that I follow on Twitter mentioned a book deal she got on BookPerk. I was curious so I clicked on the link she provided and ended up joining. It's free, and some of the deals are really interesting.

BookPerk is a subsidiary of HarperCollins and most of the book offered are published by them or one of their subsidiaries. The offers generally consist of a book or several books in conjunction with another item - original artwork relating to the book offered, a bath pampering set with a book about beauty, etc. You sign up, for free, join the mailing list and whenever they have a new offer, you receive an email with the details and a link. Each offer is available for a limited time and a minimum number of buyers have to sign up or the offer is canceled.You can look at previous deals here.

Some of the current offers and contests include: an iPad with filled with author Laura Lippman's mystery series, a girls pampering pack with 2 books by Marian Keyes, an eye gel pack and a pair of fuzzy slipper socks for $19.99, a kids gift set of 2 "Pete the Cat" board books and a box of crayons, and for young teens and older middle grade readers, a set of the first three Septimus Heap books by Angie  Sage, with free UPS ground shipping.

There are some good deals to be found, so take a look and give it a try. :)

A Mini Interview With Speculative Fiction Author Krista D Ball

Today we have author Krista D Ball dropping by for a visit. Krista D. Ball is a speculative fiction writer living in Edmonton, Canada. When no one is looking, she dabbles in freelance writing. She's also a slave to a herd of cats and in her free time enjoys RPG'ing.

Krista has several short stories available from MuseItUp Publishing and a forthcoming novel. She writes historical fantasy, science fiction, urban fantasy, pretty much any genre that allows her to speculate and play with reality. She also wrote non-fiction guide to blogging for authors, "No More Blank Screen: Blogging Ideas for Fiction Authors".  Her works are available on Smashwords and Amazon. She has two forthcoming novels, a sci fi military, "Road to Hell", due to be published Nov. 2011 by MuseItUp Publishing, and a high fantasy novel, "Tranquility's Blaze", expected publication is the first quarter of 2012 by Mundania Press.

You can find Krista all around the web. She has a blog and website, and she can be found on Twitter and facebook. Stop by and chat her up, she's friendly and just a bit crazy. :D I reviewed a short story of hers, "Harvest Moon" last fall but didn't begin chatting with her until this past winter when a mutual acquaintance RT'ed a tweet by Krista that she was looking for bloggers for a summer blog tour. Since I had enjoyed "Harvest Moon" so much I clicked on the link, signed up, and started following her on Twitter. We chat several times a week and I am looking forward to her novels, even "Road to Hell" though I'm not a fan of military fiction and I'm picky about my science fiction. :P

As part of her summer blog tour, I asked Krista a few questions about her short story "Flying Kite, Crashing Ship" and she was kind enough to take the time to reply. (The questions and answers will make more sense if you read my review first.)

Bea: What prompted this story? Was there a specific event that inspired you? Do you think that you will write more in this world?
 

Krista: Flying Kite Crashing Ship was me wanting to write a Regency story that was not based on romance. It's a favourite historical period of mine, yet it's so difficult to find stories about this area that aren't romance or erotica. So, I decided to have a lot of fun and have folks from the far future drop in on the Regency period and see what would happen.

Bea: I hadn't heard the term "flying kite" before your story "Flying Kite; Crashing Ship"; from your use of it, it seems to be not a kite but more of a hot air balloon. Is that right? Have you ever gone up in a hot air balloon?
 

Krista: I don't remember where I read the term. I know it was in an historical document, but for the life of me I've forgotten where I saw it. In any case, the term stuck in my mind. I imagined a flying kite as something like a hybrid weather balloon, though I think it might have referred to just a basic kite (in the original document). But, I don't let small things like that stop me :)

I've never been in a hot air balloon and I doubt I ever will. At least, not while sober. Or, conscious. I'm afraid of heights and it seems to get worse the older I get. I think a hot air balloon would do me in.

Bea: What was with the blue goo? :D I kept picturing it as a sort of futuristic air bag.

Krista: It was totally an air bag! Well, a goo bag.

Bea: What's your take on time paradoxes? Can they be avoided? Are they inevitable? Is at all a bunch of hooey? :D Why is it such a popular theme?  

Krista: I think one should not think too much about time paradoxes or else they will drive you insane.

Time travel is something we all do every time we pick up a photo album or read an old book. We see the past and wonder what it would have been like. It makes sense that it would seep into fiction.

Review of Flying Kite, Crashing Ship by Krista D Ball

Publisher:  MuseItUp Publishing

Release Date:  January 1, 2011

More Info: Amazon     Smashwords

Book Blurb (from Goodreads):

Crashing Time Ship.

The Space Commission hot on her trail.
French spies and flying kites.

For Dr. Sally Pescon, this can’t be good.

My Thoughts:

 "Flying Kite, Crashing Ship" is a sci fi with a touch of steam punk and a helping of etiquette. In only 5900 words, Ball gives us humor, action, tension, and a gentle poke at Regency era mores.

She uses Dr. Sally Pescon, from the future, and young Miss Amanda Grey, from the past, to compare and contrast manners and societal expectations in two very different eras. Dr. Pescan's ship crashes in Regency England, a time that doesn't comprehend time travel, and has radically different expectations of proper behavior for women.

"There is a French Lady inside, with a man. I assume it's either her husband or brother, by the liberties she was taking with her speech. And look, she is wearing trousers. How scandalous!" She had never seen a woman in trousers before.

Amanda Grey is having a having a picnic tea when she sees the ship (though she doesn't know at first what it is) crash. Her companion, Colonel Lindsay, a potential suitor, attempts to dissuade her from investigating, believing it inappropriate behavior for a proper young woman. Amanda thinks he's a pompous, condescending bore and heads off without him, after first chastising him.

She took a deep breath to calm her voice to speak with the appropriate tone to a potential suitor." Sir, I am surprised at you. You crushed four rebellions in India. You fought in France. Certainly a small...carriage such as this would cause  no fear in such a man as yourself. We're in England, after all, not in the colonies." 

The encounter between Sally and Amanda is wonderfully written, with Ball deftly portraying Sally's panic at possibly being stranded in this time period and desperation not to affect inadvertently affect it, and Amanda's curiosity and friendliness about this strange "carriage" and the woman inside it.

 Sally stared out the window. "I have to answer her."..."For God's sake, Sally, we're doing enough damage even being here. You know the time travel rules. We're already risking a permanent ban."

"Forgive my lack of manners. In the excitement, I forgot them. My name is Miss Amanda Grey. And this gentleman us Colonel Fitzwilliam Lindsay. He apologizes for calling you a spy."

It's a short story, packed full of detail, insight, humor, and intrigue. My only real gripe is that, because of it's short length, we don't get a lot of information about the Space Commission, the organization responsible for the Dr. Pescon's exploratory trip, etc. I'd love to see Ball return to this world and explore it more but that seems unlikely given her book schedule currently posted on her site.

I received a PDF from the author for review. 

Review of Hunting Kat by PJ Schnyder

Publisher: Carina Press

Release Date: July 4th, 2011

More Info:  Amazon     All Romance  

Book Blurb:

As a mercenary, Kat Darah doesn't have to pass for a normal human. On the edge of the solar system, she's just another biped. Most of the time.

Nearing the end of his military tour, Lt. Christopher Rygard debates the idea of hanging up his uniform for good. Looking for answers at the bottom of a glass of scotch, he meets Kat. One shared night of mutual desire seems harmless. But when their tryst is interrupted by attackers hunting Rygard, Kat must reveal her other form, the predator beneath the human façade.

Together they embark on a dangerous mission—a race against time to meet the enemy's demands, while trying to deny the passion between them. Rygard is faced with a terrible choice in the face of duty: Report the existence of a human turned shape-shifter. Or forget he ever met her.

25,000 words

My Thoughts: 

As I re-read this story in preparation for the review, I shared passages and my thoughts on them on twitter and facebook (Kindle's share feature is AWESOME). As a result, several people are now intrigued and want to read it. :) Additionally, several of us agreed that Kat, the story's main character, is not alone in needing to improve her social skills. :D

This is one snippet that I shared and the resulting conversation:

• yep, her social skills definitely need work. lol

  
  

  Shared from a Personal Document

  kindle.amazon.com
  

  Lifting his drink, he nodded. “Mind if I buy you another?” Kaitlyn studied the man for a beat before the question popped out. “Why?”

  
  

  via Kindle

• • J  That sounds like an exchange I would have. But I never claimed to be socially savvy.
  • • B This character and I have similar social skills, sadly. However, I lack her kick ass fighting kills and her ability to change into a panther. :(

                         J    ‎*sigh* It's that whole transfiguration thing that stumps me every time.

                         B     Yeah, it's a puzzler alright.

                         L      lol. so whwich book is this Bea. You got me curious now.

                         B      LOL. It's "Hunting Kat" by PJ Schnyder. It's an e-book.

                         L      Thanks!


My point is, despite the fact that Kat is a were-panther and despite the science fiction setting, Kat is relatable and sympathetic. That doesn't always happen in urban fantasy or in sci fi. So, for me, that is a major strength of this story.

Kat underwent s series of harsh events three years ago and though she's physically recovered, her emotional recovery has been more difficult. She has learned, for the most part, to cope with what happened but still suffers from post-traumatic stress syndrome. In an effort to help her with this, Dev, the captain of the mercenary ship she lives and works on, who is also her friend, and Skuld, the ship's engineer, arrange for her to be temporarily stranded on a space station. They've seen how far she has come emotionally and socially, and believe that she is ready for the next step - pleasant, normal interactions with males. I'm sure you see where this is going. Skuld hopes that Kat will get laid and fills Kat's duffle bag with one change of clothes and, to Kat's disgust and chagrin, a veritable rainbow of lacy undergarments.

Before Kat gets social, she meets up with Boggle, a information broker, who was acquainted with Kat years ago, though she doesn't recall it. Their initial meeting is bumpy but Boggle has a backbone and holds his own, which earns Kat's respect. He breaks the news to her that her shipmates and friends have left her on the station and the ship has left. Upset, Kat heads for the space station's bar.

There's a brawl in progress when she arrives; Kat plows through it, determined to have her drink. This captures the attention of Lieutenant Christopher Rygard, of the Terran military. He's there drinking and brooding, not really in the mood for company. He recently broke up with his girl friend and he's having second thoughts about re-enlisting in the military as he has moral problems with recent missions. Kat's fighting prowess, and her determination to reach her scotch, catch his eye and he starts chatting her up.

They hook up and Schnyder does a deft job of portraying the attraction between them, Kat's conflict between desire and fear, and Rygard's attempt to balance his desire and his compassion for her fear. They work past her fear and things go well. I'm dubious about how easily Kat orgasms, it's highly unlikely given her circumstances, but it's a minor quibble.

During the afterglow is when all heck breaks loose. Boggle had sent Kat a gift, which arrived while Kat and Rygard were together in her room. It included a communications jammer, to allow them privacy, and a background check on Rygard. Rygard sees the background check and takes it badly. He assumes that Kat requested it (she didn't) and that she's some sort of gold digger. He gets nasty, saying cruel things to her. I felt that this was a weak point in the story. We know that his last relationship didn't end well, that his ex lied to him and used him, but there simply wasn't enough groundwork laid for his behavior towards Kat to be believable. Additionally, we never get to know Rygard as well as we do Kat, he's less developed. He's likable, when he's not being unneccesarily cruel to Kat, but he could have been fleshed out more.

While Kat is reeling from Rygard's accusations, they are attacked by two humanoids and a jaguar. Kat's nose tells her that all of them are shifters. She shifts to her panther form, surprising Rygard, who was clueless about her dual identity. The strangers accuse Rygard of murder and kidnapping. After a brief battle between the jaguar and Kat , Kat finds herself volunteering to help Rygard rescue the kidnapped cubs and in return, the strangers won't kill him.

The rest of the story revolves around Kat and Rygard's rescue mission, with help from Boggle and her shipmates, who have returned to the space station. I won't say how that turns out but Schnyder is creative; she also has a good eye for details.

By the end of the story Kat and Rygard have resolved their disagreement and are friends again. The story doesn't have a typical HEA, more of what another reviewer called a "Happy For Now". If you like or need an HEA, you won't find it here. However, if Schnyder had gone that route, she would not have been true to the characters or the story. This ending is much more believable than an HEA that would have rung falsely and fit poorly.

"Hunting Kat" is an enjoyable blend of romance, urban fantasy and science fiction. Schnyder knows how to grab and hold the reader's attention. The opening line particularly grabs you:

“Give me back my bra, you little tube rat, or I’ll rip out your spine and steal your soul.”

Now, how can you resist? 

I received this eARC from NetGalley.