Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet (Charley Davidson #4)

 I just got my copy of Fifth Grave Past the Light, the fifth book in the highly entertaining Charley Davidson series, from the library and just realized that I didn't put up my review for Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet!

Description: 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 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.

Review: After the big events in the last book, our girl Charley is going through some rough times. She is not sleeping, barely coherent, and spending most of her money buying random stuff from the home shopping network. Thank goodness Cookie, Charley's best friend, and for a new client to come snap Charley out of her funk. 
  Like the other books in the series, there are many story lines happening at the same time. I'm always amazed on how Darynda can keep these events straight when she's writing! Some of the mysteries are easy to solve while the questions surrounding Reyes, the sexy and insufferable love interest, always has me puzzled. I was surprised a few times in this book and was happy to come upon a couple of nice twists too.
 Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet gives us a little more insight to the relationship and personalities of Charley and Reyes. The tension and sexual chemistry is what makes us turn the pages faster. While they do snap, crackle, and pop, the huge cloud of doom that lingers above them when the key of darkness is inserted into the locket of light is pretty frightening. We finally get to know the meaning behind Reyes's nickname for Charley, Dutch, even though it was a bit of a let down.
  Reyes still has me frustrated and confused. He was a major jerk for most of this book, but there are moments when he's sweet and vulnerable. I enjoyed the parts where the green monster reared its ugly head for both Charley and Reyes. It was nice spending time with the secondary characters, but I was a bit sad that we didn't get much time with Swopes and Ubie as much as I would have liked. We also got to meet a new character named Quentin which I liked and am looking forward to more of him in future books. Of course I would be remiss if I didn't mention the special addition of a lovable yet ferocious dog named Artemis. I can't wait to make some time in my busy schedule to revisit Charley and company in her latest adventures.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, crude humor, some strong violence, and a few sexual situations. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson #4), Accidental Friends series by Dakota Cassidy, Peper Martin series by Casey Daniels, Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson, and the Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)

  Charley Davidson was one of my best finds from last year. There are currently four books in the series that are currently out. I'm eagerly awaiting the release of Fifth Grave Past the Light, which releases this July. I love spending time with Charley and company.

Description: Part-time Private Investigator and full time Grim Reaper extraordinaire, Charley Davidson, is back and drinking copious amounts of caffeine to stay awake because, every time she closes her eyes, she sees him: Reyes Alexander Farrow. Yes, she did royally piss him off the last time they met, but how else is she suppose to solve her cases and deal with all the other kinds of drama in her life?

Review: This third installment of the Charley Davidson series is probably my favorite so far. The writing and the plot structure are a lot stronger. The subplots in this book held my attention throughout, which is a complaint that I had of the first two books as I thought they seem to clutter the mysterious relationship between Charley and her mercurial love interest, Reyes. Each subplot carried the same theme and tone throughout so it never took you out of the story, but rather pushed you to read just another page or chapter when you thought you could take a break.
  Books in a series can become formulaic very quickly, but Jones avoids this as she introduces new characters and carefully places plot twists that I did not see coming. Family drama and relationship issues offers its own interesting and complicating dimensions to the story. We are given some answers as to how Charley and Reyes fit into the little event called the Apocalypse  Like Charley, we are also left in the dark about how powerful she truly is and we very impatient for more answers.
  The series trademark is not in the mysteries that Charley solves, which could easily be solved by readers who pay careful attention to the clues that are sprinkled across the pages, but rather its characters and their irresistible humor. Charley's humor is infectious and within minutes she has me laughing. Her snarky comments and levity to the dark situations that she finds herself. A normal person would throw in the towel and say that can't held it but Charley is not ordinary by any means. Charley's best friend and partner in crime, Cookie, is the epitome of a best friend. She runs with Charley's antics and plays off her off beat humor. I can only imagine all the conversations they would share in the office.
  Reyes still continues to confuse me. Though he is undoubtedly physically attractive, I didn't like him at all in this book. Part of me wonders if he is trying to make Charley hate him on purpose, but he does have some sweet moments that me make hesitate to say he is evil. I know there is a lot about Reyes we don't know and I'm eager to find out more. Readers looking for a funny, fun, and charming book with some doses of paranormal and romance should definitely pick this series up. It'll brighten up anyone's horrible day.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, crude humor, some strong violence, and a few sexual situations. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Fourth Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson #4), Accidental Friends series by Dakota Cassidy, Peper Martin series by Casey Daniels, Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson, and the Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2)

 Thanks to a fabulous read along, I got introduced and addicted to the Charley Davidson series. I've a few books behind as I just finished the second book, Second Grave on the Left, when the fourth book was just released this past Tuesday. Luckily, I grabbed the third book from the library and am anxiously waiting for book four to become available.

Description: Charley Davison, a part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, teams up with best friend Cookie to track down Cookie's friend, Mimi, who has been missing for five days, but the clues lead them to uncover a more sinister plot. Meanwhile, Reyes Alexander Farrow,Charley's mysterious love interest, is busy hunting down Charley to protect her from some scheming demons.

Review: Ms. Jones successfully avoids the sophomore slump and middle book syndrome with the second book in the Charley Davidson series. Our favorite sexy, sassy, and snarky grim reaper has found herself tangled in three messy cases to solve along with sorting out her messy and complicated love life to boot.
With the first book, I had to find a reading rhythm which is why I found the first half of the book a bit slow, but once I got hooked it went smooth sailing. I didn't have this problem with Second Grave on the Left. The mystery had enough suspense to keep me reading instead of feeling a bit bored. Charley and Cookie are working on a new case, trying to solve the mystery behind Mimi's disappearance. Soon a simple kidnapping becomes much more series as secrets from the past come out slowly out of the wood-works. In the meantime, Charley is also trying to find the sexy and stubborn Reyes. There was much more suspense and action in this book which equally matched the trademark humor. I do still have a slight problem with the abrupt transitions from one story line to the other, but I hope this issue will become less of a problem with more books that Ms. Jones writes.

  Reyes, the sexy, tortured, love interest is even more mysterious and infuriating than he was in the first book when we knew nothing about him other than his smoldering looks. Though I find myself a bit weary of him and his hidden secrets, you can't help but be drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He is on par with Ethan Sullivan from the Chicagoland Vampire series as one of the most insufferable hero and I'm honestly not sure if that's a compliment. I'm more of a Team Garrett gal myself. While I can understand his objective, I not really on board with some of his choices in this book particularly towards the end.

  We are also learning more about Charley and her abilities as a Grim Reaper. She is clearly much more powerful than she realizes and I can't wait to find out more about what she can do. I like how we are learning more about her as she is learning about herself. Though the main mystery is nicely solved, we are also given a good dose of family drama and heart ache. There are many unanswered questions left and I'm really curious to see how Charley handles all the obstacles ahead of her.

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, crude humor, some strong violence, and a few sexual situations. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Third Grave Dead Ahead by Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson #3), Accidental Friends series by Dakota Cassidy, Peper Martin series by Casey Daniels, Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson, and the Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1)

 I had a blast in joining the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along where we discussed and read the first book in the Charley Davidson series called First Grave on the Right. I would like to once again thank the awesome blogging hostesses who arranged everything.

Description (from Goodreads): Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people. And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e. murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice. Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having about an Entity who has been following her all her life...and it turns out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else entirely.

Review: The last few weeks of August are one of the most stressful work days for me as I prepare for school registration for the entire high school. It is those weeks that I come home emotionally, physically exhausted, and so wired up that I can't go to sleep in fears of all the wrong things that could happen the next day. I needed a good distraction to let me escape from my anxieties and place me into another world. Thankfully Charley and company came to my rescue and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.
  First Grave on the Right straddles the line between the paranormal romance and urban fantasy genres as it contains elements of each. I would definitely recommend picking this book up if you're unsure if paranormal romances may be your cup of tea. The book is hilarious, at times steamy, and extremely fun. One of the reasons why this book clicked for me is because of its leading heroine, Charley Davidson.
  Charley Davidson is someone who I would love to have as a best friend. She is extremely witty, armed with snappy comebacks that I wish I could think of on the spot. She is loyal to her friends and genuinely cares for others. Unlike many heroes and heroines who are gifted with supernatural or paranormal abilities who often lament on their uncalled for responsibilities and their relentless monologue of "Why me?", Charley embraces being a Grim Reaper though she may not exactly know the extent of her powers. While fierce, Charley makes mistakes and gets her butt served back to her, but she is resilient, vulnerable, and human which makes her that much easier to relate to as a reader. Mrs. Jones said Charley is a mash between Lorelai Gilmore from Gilmore Girls and Buffy, which is exactly how I would describe her.
  The plot of First Grave on the Right is fairly straight forward. Charley works as a PI and consultant for the Albuquerque, N.Mex., police department in addition to her grim reaper stature. As the grim reaper, she escorts the recently departed "into the light." In her dreams, she's haunted by a "dark, seductive stranger," whose warmth suggests he's something "not dead." In the real world, Charley helps her APD detective uncle, Bob Davidson, investigate the fatal shootings of three lawyers who were representing a client accused of murder. When she’s not helping ghosts with the ultimate closure, Charley is trying to figure out who her sizzling-hot dream lover is. To add to that confusion a person from the past, Reyes Farrow, suddenly reappears at very strange times.
 The romance sizzles though I still can't make heads or tails of my feelings for Reyes. He's definitely a dark, tortured alpha male, but I would like to know more of him. I do, however, really like Garrett, Charley's coworker who unfortunately is the brunt of all of Charley's snarky remarks. While he may at first deserved some snarkiness, I think he's realized how stupid he is and should get a break. He is obviously hot for Charley though she's completely clueless about it.
 Of course the book is not without its flaws. I did find the first half with the lawyers murders a little boring. It's not until the mention of Reyes and the mystery of his character kicked in that I felt drawn into the book. I would have liked more interaction between Charley and her family as well as her best friend named Cookie. I could deal with these flaws and still found the book to be fun and entertaining. I'd definitely recommend this series to take on a vacation. I do plan on continuing the series and hope to catch up by October so I can read the fourth Charley Davidson book when it releases.  

Rating: 4 stars

Words of Caution: There is strong language, crude humor, some strong violence, and a few sexual situations. Recommended for mature teens and adults only.

If you like this book try: Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones (Charley Davidson #2), Accidental Friends series by Dakota Cassidy, Peper Martin series by Casey Daniels, Undead series by MaryJanice Davidson

First Grave on the Right: Chp 16-21

Today is the final discussion week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the last chapters  of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Heidi @ Rainy Day Ramblings for this week's questions.

1. What is the funniest t-shirt or bumper sticker you have encountered? If you had a t-shirt that best described you what would it say?

 Thanks to this question, I spent hours looking at funny t-shirts and bumper stickers. I thought this was pretty funny, but I really liked this one:

Found on Cafepress.com

2. Charley is constantly helping ghosts throughout the book.  Would you like to be able to talk to ghosts and bring closure to their loved ones?  How would you feel about all the ghosts popping up at all times day or night?  Would you like to have a ghost like Mr. Wong in your house?

I wouldn't mind helping the ghosts to other side. The random popping up at all times would be annoying, irritating, and not to mention distracting. For some reason, Mr. Wong creeps me out. Why is he still there and won't talk? Maybe if he talked it would be less creepy.  


3.  Kim reveals some rather shocking and sad details about Reyes' past.  Do you agree with her decision to adhere to her promise and not intervene?  Would you be willing to keep your word and let a loved one die if it was their wish?

 That's a hard question to answer. I think it depends on the situation. If the person is causing harm to themselves and/or to others then I feel obligated to intervene. It's hard to say for Reyes because we don't really know the full story until much later.


4. Do you like the fact that Charley consistently ends up getting her butt handed to her?  What are your overall thoughts on Charley?

I adore Charley. I love her wacky sense of humor and her genuine good heart to help those less fortunate. I also like the fact that while she may have some cool abilities, she is still left in the dark about her full potential. It's annoying to read about characters who know exactly what to do and have everything turn out fine. It's fun learning more about Charley as she discovers her full potential at the same time.


5.  Chapter 20 is a big, hot, smoking chapter.  We finally get some answers on Reyes.  Does the revelation change your opinion of him?  Do you think he can overcome his "nature" and be a good person or is Charley in big trouble?  

I think we all can agree that Reyes is physically hot, but I'm still unsure about him. How long did it take him to flip the switch? He is definitely going to be an interesting character to watch and grow. It's a bit too early to say whether or not Reyes is good for Charley. Personally, I love Garrett and Charley together though Charley treats Garret like crap.

6.  Did you enjoy this book?  Will you be continuing the series?   

First Grave on the Right was exactly a book that I needed during my most stressful time at work. It was an easy and enjoyable read that kept me laughing and guessing throughout the book. I do plan on continuing the series.  

First Grave on the Right Read-along: Chp 11-16

Today is the third week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the chapters eleven to sixteen of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Jen @ In the Closet with a Bibliophile for this week's questions.

Questions Week 3

Chapters 11-16

1. I do have a soft spot for Charley's Aunt Lilian. She is sweet and soft while somehow also being a little dirty and I find that hilarious in an aunt. Do you have any relatives dead or alive that remind you of Aunt Lillian? If not, tell me about your favorite deceased relative. 

  Hrm..not really. Aunt Lillian is much more out there than my relatives. My relatives do have a great sense of humor and are incredibly caring. 

2.  In these chapters, we get a little closer to Reyes and his secrets. Neil, the warden at the prison where Reyes is currently incarcerated - and a high school mate of Charley's - tells a story about how Reyes ended up in the Coma and something he witnessed. What do you think of the story? What does this lead you to think about Reyes?

The guy's got issues. I thought it was interesting that Reyes is always mentioned in the same breath as violence. This was the point in the book where I had to finish it to find what Reye's true identity and how well Charley's theory of him played out. Now that I know what he is, it makes perfect sense to find himself in troubling situations. 

3.  One of the things I love most about Ubie and Charley's relationship is that Ubie aka Uncle Bob has absolute faith in our Charley. Maybe it's because Charley's been solving murder cases for ages and Ubie knows that Charley knows things. If you could pick a super power, which one would you choose? Seeing the dead? Invisibility?

Telepathy would work really well if I was a grim reaper like Charley. I could mess with peoples minds if they irritated me. LOL!

4.  Okay, in my opinion, there is nothing better than walking into your living room and seeing the god-like creature  of your dreams standing there waiting for you. If you were in Charley's shoes, who would be standing in your living room??

Oh, now that's just a cruel question! I don't have much space to list everyone, but I would limit it to my top ten literary crushes. As for celebs, Johnny Depp would be awesome. I could only imagine the story's he has to share.

5.  We get a surprise visit from Rosie's husband and we find out some information about Reyes...that he and The Big Bad are the same guy. What are your thoughts? Were you surprised about Rosie's husband or did you feel that one coming? What about Bad Reyes, had you already made the connection?

 I had my suspicions before that Reyes and the Big Bad were the same guy. I also anticipated to see Rosie's husband again. What I didn't know is how he could be in two places at once? Of course we figure out why at the end. :)

First Grave on the Right Readalong: Chp 6-10

Today is the second week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the first five chapters of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Lia @ Babbling About Books and Stuff for this week's questions.

1.  Shiny objects and old family stories are told in this chapter, including an old nickname for our dear Charley. What was the nickname her uncle Bob gave her when she was little? Do you have an old nickname from when you were a kid? You can share it, and if it's really embarrassing we won't mind. *wink*

I love the relationship between Uncle Bob and Charley. The nickname he gave her was Calamity because she was always either causing trouble or in the middle of it. :) As I mentioned last week, I've got several nicknames and they're all different variations of my name.

2.  In this chapter we met someone. A really special guy named Rocket. Now, my memory is not what it used to be, and I just can't remember what makes him so special. Can you tell me what makes this particular ghost unique among all the others? And how about you? What can you do that makes you special? Anything? Jump on one foot for a really long time counts. *giggle*

Rocket was such an interesting character. I hope we get to see more of him! He's got a remarkable memory of the dead, particularly who had died and when. As for me, I don't have really anything that makes me special. I do have a ridiculous memory of trivial things.

3.  Charley is really *cough* not your ordinary girl. She does something that, well, there's no way around it. She named parts of her body and the names are... oh crap, I forgot. Just my luck. *sigh* But I'm sure you guys can say what part of her body she named and what the names were. And, since we are on the matter, have you ever named a part of your body? If so, what was it and what was the name? Come on, don't be shy. *wink+crooked smile*

Charley has a wicked sense of humor. I've yet to meet a character that named his/her body parts. I don't have any of my body parts named nor really have any desires to do so. I find it a bit weird.

4. We all have our little secrets. Things we don't tell anyone, not even our bff. Char (we became close :P ) is no different, but in this chapter she shared her little (big) secret (S) with her bff. What did you think about her reaction? What would be yours?

Cookie is adorable and a bit crazy but I do adore her unflinching loyalty to Charley. I was amazed how quickly she absorbed everything that Charley told her. I would have needed more time not to just believe but to process the information.

5.  In this chapter, Char continues her heart-to-heart with her BFF and comes up with some theories about our fave badboy/possibly ghost. What do you think of it? Can it be? What do you think about him? Hot? Double chocolate hot? Super duper caramel chocolate cake with a cherry on top hot?

I don't know how to answer this one as I finished the entire book during this past weekend. *Blushes* I got on a roll after the Cookie and Charley discussion and wanted to know more about the theory. As for Reyes, he's undeniably attractive and complex, but I'm not sure how I feel about his character. I need more of him to fully form an opinion.

First Grave on the Right Read-along: Chp 1-5

Today is the first week of the Don't Fear the Reaper read-along! We'll be discussing the first five chapters of First Grave on the Right, the first book in the Charley Davidson series by Darynda Jones. If you would like to join, please see this introduction post on how to get started! Many thanks to Christy at Love Books for this week's questions.

1. We meet some of Charley's ghostly "buddies," do you believe you have ever had a ghostly encounter?

  I can't say that I ever had one, but I do believe in spirits. Just because we don't seem them doesn't mean that they don't exisit. I'll be honest and that I would get a bit freaked out if I met one. Hopefully, the ghost will be more like Casper than the ones that Charley handles. LOL!

2. Charley named her jeep Misery. Have you ever named your vehicles? What did you name them?

 I haven't named any cars, mainly because since I have a large family the cars are passed around. I have named other objects in the house like my space heater which I dubbed Jacob after the Twilight series. ;)

3. Charley says her name "...brooks no opposition. It takes s*** from no one." What do you think your name says about you to strangers? Is there a different name that you think would suit you better?

Many people can't pronounce my name even though it's spelled out phonetically. So, I'm sure the first thing that they think of right away is that it's foreign. I find it funny watching people trying to find a polite way to pronounce it. I've resorted to having friends just call me "Rum" as a nickname because a) everyone has heard of rum before and b) it's easy to pronounce. I've also got an assorted nicknames around the house. I like my name and I think it suits me.

4. Charley says her best friend Cookie is "like Kramer from Seinfeld, only not so nervous, like Kramer might have been on Prozac." Give us your best description of your best friend. How would they would describe you?

 My best friend is practical, for the most part easily detect my moods, and can call me out stuff. I think she would describe me as passionate and deceptively demure.

5. Garrett is reluctant to believe in Charley's abilities, how would you react if a friend divulged to you that they can see and speak with the dead?

 I've heard of people who believe they are ghost talkers or have communicate with the dead. Even though they are a friend, I would still need proof before I could believe them right away.

Don't Fear the Reaper Read-Along!

 

 With less than three weeks before the new school year begins, I wanted to do something fun before things get out of control. I decided to join some awesome bloggers and read a fun book while participating in Don't Fear the Reaper Read-along, which is celebrating the upcoming release of Fourth Grave beneath My Feet, the fourth book in the Charley Davidson series. I've heard great things about this series and I can't wait to read it. Many thanks go out to Christy of Love of Books, Lila of Babbling About Books and Stuff, Jen of In the Closet With a Bibliophile and Heidi of Rainy Day Ramblings for setting up this read-along!

Below is the discussion schedule:

Discussion Schedule

 

August 2nd: Chapters 1-5 hosted by Love of Books

August 9th: Chapters 6-10 hosted by Babbling About Books and Stuff

August 16th: Chapters 11-15 hosted by In the Closet With a Bibliophile

August 23rd: Chapters 16-20 hosted by Rainy Day Ramblings

August 30th: Special Guest post with Darynda Jones and Prize Winners 

 

Questions for Chapters 1-5 can be found on Christy's blog or on any of the hostess's blogs. I hope you can join us in all the fun!