| Title | : | My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0312375042 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780312375041 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 358 |
| Publication | : | First published December 26, 2007 |
What newly married couple doesn't dream of a romantic retreat where they can escape the world for a while — but what happens when supernatural forces intrude on their wedded bliss?
Nine of today’s hottest paranormal authors answer that question in this all-star collection of supernatural stories. Can a vampire-hunter enjoy her honeymoon after learning that her new hubby is a werewolf? How can newlyweds focus on their wedding night when their honeymoon suite is haunted by feuding ghosts? And what’s a wizard to do when a gruesome monster kidnaps the bride on her way home from the wedding? With so much otherworldly mayhem awaiting our newlyweds, will they ever get around to the honeymoon itself? Find out in...My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon.
Contents:
Stalked / Kelley Armstrong --
Heorot / Jim Butcher --
Roman holiday, or SPQ-arrrrrr / Rachel Caine --
Her mother's daughter / P.N. Elrod --
Newlydeads / Caitlin Kittredge --
Where the heart lives / Marjorie M. Liu --
Cat got your tongue? / Katie MacAlister --
Half of being married / Lilith Saintcrow --
A wulf in groom's clothing / Ronda Thompson.
My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon Reviews
-
I’ve only Heorot by Jim Butcher
Mac turns to Dresden for help. His friend (kinda) got married today but his wife got missing just before honeymoon. A fun story which gives us some background on Grad (she works for Marcone). It’s told from Harry’s PoV. -
I only read the Harry Dresden short story. It was about Harry looking for a kidnapped newlywed, with help from Ms. Gard. It was good. Whatever. Not the point.
The point, you ask? Well, we have always known that Ms. Gard was some sort of supernatural creature, but didn't know what. Well, it turns out that she is a Valkyrie!!
A Valkyrie!!! As in Odin's beautiful Grim Reapers. (You know where I'm going with this!)
Wait, did someone say Odin?
And, when you think of Odin, who do you think of?
That's right, baby!
Let's face it, I have a legitimate gift, at this point, in getting the talented Mr. Hemsworth included in my reviews.
Come on, give it to me. You know you want to!
-
Stalked by Kelley Armstrong - I have never read this author before, though I have wanted to. This story was good, but it fits in between books in one of her series. The premise is that this couple is on their honeymoon (Surprised, huh? The title of the book just gives that completely away!). They are not your average couple, they are werewolves. Unfortunately for them, they are not alone...they are being hunted. We get all the politics of being part of a pack and what is called a "mutt". It's really interesting and does make me want to dive into her storyworld more. I think I would've enjoyed this more if I had read her books already. It would make a great filler. But as is, I could only give it 3 stars. I could even go 3.5 stars, but that doesn't work here. (3 stars)
Heorot by Jim Butcher - This is also by first Jim Butcher story and I absolutely loved it! You absolutely didn't need to have read any of these books to enjoy and follow the story! But it plants the seed so you want to! The premise is a simple one, a young woman is kidnapped while on her honeymoom, but you are hooked from the get-go. Where the local police won't even touch the case until 48 hours have passed, our resident wizard/detective sees enough to begin an investigation. What an interesting character, this Harry Dresden is! I'm hooked! Jim Butcher has definitely moved up on my TBR list! (5 stars)
Roman Holiday, or SPQ-arrrrrrr by Rachel Caine - This story is actually the 2nd part of a story that was previously told in the anthology My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding. I didn't remember that story, I do have a poor memory....or maybe that was how much I liked it. Who knows. This was a pirate story w/ a touch of romance. Not bad, but not great either. (3 stars)
Her Mother's Daughter by P.N. Elrod - This is another great story w/ Vampire Detective Jack Fleming. I love these books, I have so far read the first 3 Vampire Files books w/ this character. Old school mystery noir combined w/ vampires. In this story, a bride comes to Jack immediately following her wedding to hire him to search for her missing husband. Her father is a notorious "mafia-type" businessman, which serious makes you wonder in which direction this story is going to go. Good stuff! (5 stars)
Newlydeads by Caitlin Kittredge - This book was impossible for me to follow! From the information given in the book regarding this story, Kittredge's series begins after this story...and yet I found it so hard to follow. It was as if we are supposed to be psychic and just now what is happening and who and what everything is. I have never read anything by this author before, and after reading this story, I am not so keen on doing so now. (2 stars)
Where The Heart Lives by Marjorie M. Liu - This book had a wonderful feel of a fairytaile retelling. I loved the, characters, feel and the innocence of this charming tale. A young girl is sent off to work for a mysterious rich woman, who lives near the forest. Scared and alone, she meets the woman, her lonely brother and the mute handyman, who also live there. They become family to her and life is so much sweeter than before she arrived. That's where I will leave it, because the layering of the story is intricate and a huge part of the story. I loved this story and I can't wait to check out more by this author! (5 stars)
Cat Got Your Tongue by Kat MacAister - I loved this story. I wasn't familiar with the main characters, but the story was a simple ghost story which I really enjoyed. It had it's humorous moments and a sense of mystery. Very well done. (5 stars)
Half Of being Married by Lilith Saintcrow - This was also a really good story. What happens when a werewolf (excuse me, Sunrunner) and a Vampire Hunter fall in love and marry.....almost anything! I want more of these characters, but I'm not sure if there is more. I will definitely be hunting more by this author. This is a first read of hers for me. (5 stars)
A Wulf In Groom's Clothing by Rhonda Thompson - This was a cute story and even though I thought it was going in a predictable direction, I have to admit I was surprised by the outcome. I'm not sure if this story has enticed me to look for my by the author, but I enjoyed this read. (3 stars)
This was a nice collection of stories and in many cases, I am really anxious to read more by these authors...and that says alot. The average of stars is 3.8888 or something like that, so I will raise it to 4. :) -
As most compilation volumes, this one had some good stories, some ok stories and some bad stories.
Up first, Stalked, by Kelly Armstrong. Plot was eh, writing was marginally better.
Second, Herot, by Jim Butcher, was the standout. Fast past, tightly written, engaging, and unlike many others, it didn't require an understanding of the authors' previous works to enjoy the story.
Roman Holiday by Rachel Caine was a real disappointment. This one was a direct followup to the story in a My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, and this story was simply flat.
Her Mother's Daughter by PN Elrod was cute enough, with some funny moments, but had zip for supernatural in it. Yes, the main character is a vampire detective, but on a supernatural level, this about rated a .01.
Newlydeads by Caitlin Kittredge. Hmmm. She spends so many lines setting up the atmosphere that the plot gets lost in there. Subtly is not her strong point.
Where the Heart Lives by Marjorie M Liu was a joy - a sweet story with a bit of mystery, and well formulated.
Cat got your Tongue by Kate MacAlister was enjoyable and funny. Hardly a masterpiece, but really, right what would be expected in a collected works of supernatural honeymoons - breezy, strong plot, and a bit of laughter.
Half of Being Married by Lilith Saintcrow. This I am torn about. On one hand, it was intriguing writing. But on the other hand, it was a bit rushed, like the author was trying to fit more in then she could.
A Wulf In Grooms Clothing by Ronda Thompson - dear gods, the type of 4th grade writing that makes one wonder if they really do publish anyone these days.
I might, if bored enough, be tempted to try a MacAlister or Saintcrow book based on these stories. -
After a really long time, I got to read an anthology that can be considered total crap. So far, I had harboured rather positive ideas about these anthologies being edited by P.N. Elrod, but after reading this one..... But, let me describe my feelings about the stories.
1. "Stalked" by Kelly Armstrong: Had some muscle that was totally buried under overwritten flab.
2. "Heorot" by Jim Butcher: The best story of the book, and perhaps the best short work in the Dresden Files.
3. "Roman Holiday" by Rachel Caine: Huge letdown after the rather engrossing beginning of the series in the previous anthology.
4. "Her Mother's Daughter" by P.N. Elrod: a compact and hardboiled story which had absolutely NO supernatural element.
5. "Newlyweds" by Caitlin Kittredge: Again, a huge letdown after the previous 'Black London' story that I had read, with its overwritten narrative and ghastly plot.
6. "Where the Heart Lives" by Marjorie M. Liu: Absolute rubbish.
7. "Cat Got Your Tongue?" by Katie MacAlister: This one had some good points, but I sooooooo missed a good one from Esther Friesner!
8. "A Wulf in Groom's Clothing" by Ronda Thompson: Again, absolute crap.
To sum up: Jim Butcher's story is available in "Side Jobs", the rest is mostly drivel. Hence, Not Recommended. -
The problem with these stories was that all the authors already had a series, or wanted one. Authors like Armstrog and Butcher had to introduce new readers to their long-established worlds while not alienating old readers. New authors felt the need to fit entire mythologies and backstories into the honeymoons. Few were even marginally successful.
The readable
Stalked, by Kelly Armstrong. Cute interplay between Elena, the only female werewolf, and her new husband (but old flame) Clay. This was one of the only stories that made me believe the newlyweds actually liked each other.
Herot, by Jim Butcher. I hate Butcher almost as much as I hate his main character, the wizard Harry Dresden, but this was a pretty good story. The plot wasn't great and the big reveal wasn't a revelation. That said, the story had a good pace and a great fight scene.
Her Mother's Daughter by PN Elrod. A sweet little noir tale about a vamp detective (hah!) seeking a woman's new husband, who disappeared during the wedding reception.
Roman Holiday by Rachel Caine had a ridiculous premise and two silly main characters, but one of the pirate antagonists was hot as hell. I'd read an entire series about HIM.
Newlydeads by Caitlin Kittredge. I really liked the two main characters--Pete, a London detective who has just learned about the supernatural, and her childhood friend Jack, a (former?) junkie mage. I intend to track down more by Kittredge. [edited to add: I did and I regret it. It was awful!]
Where the Heart Lives by Marjorie M Liu was fine.
The terrible:
Cat got your Tongue by Kate MacAlister. Ugh. Cutesy couple encounters equally cutesy ghosts in cutesy Scottish castle.
Half of Being Married by Lilith Saintcrow. A werewolf and a vampire hunter marry and only discover each other's secrets during the honeymoon. For some reason, this story just rubbed me the wrong way, I think because it was so clearly a slightly altered, much condensed version of a book I've read by her.
A Wulf In Grooms Clothing by Ronda Thompson. This one was so badly written as to be embarrassing. -
Stalked - Otherworld Stories 7.3
Elena and Clay short about a run-in with mutts on their honeymoon. -
I listened to only Heorot by Jim Butcher on audiobook
-
Stalked – It was a nice story of love and duty because even though they may be on vacation/honeymoon doesn’t mean mutts won’t “try” and take advantage. Bahaha
-
'Heorot' (The Dresden Files #9.2) by Jim Butcher. ✓
★★★★/5. -
I wanted to try something a little new and I think I got what I deserve by trying something new. Anthologies are almost always going to be mixed bags, with different authors interesting/disgusting you with their themes/styles/characters; and no way to judge new authors other than to jump in and read.
The stories in this collection all share two aspects: someone is on a honeymoon (not always the main character) and something supernatural is involved. Oh, and a third is shared by many stories: the authors have series, of which this story is a part. That's not really a fault, though I could imagine some of these stories might be improved by understanding the backstory.
Now, most of these stories... well, did I ever tell you about my senior year writing class? I was deep in the process of writing my senior thesis, so every time I read a story by some other student, most of my attention was spent counting up the faults this story had for not being done the way I would do it. But then, every time I went to class, the professor would say, "Now I really like the way you do this" and suddenly point out this interesting, well-crafted aspect of a story that I missed. So even when I read a story that isn't very good, I'm happy to celebrate something interesting or craftily done.
So, when Kelley Armstrong writes about a werewolf honeymoon interrupted by a wolf-fight for dominance in "Stalked," I can enjoy the fact that these werewolves are totally uninteresting, which allows me to focus on the story. (Not recommended.)
Jim Butcher's "Heorot" nicely re-uses the Beowulf and Grendel story, placing it in a beer-brewing contest in Chicago, which is a clever bit of mash-up. Harry Dresden, wizard, gets recruited to rescue a woman who just happens to be on her honeymoon, which is a pretty glancing reference to honeymoons, I think. Also, Butcher does really like to emphasize the fact that Harry Dresden is a smart-ass wizard, almost to the point of making him an annoying twit. (Recommended-ish.)
Rachel Caine's "Roman Holiday, or SPQ-arrrrrr" has the unfortunate habit of falling into romance cliches--a lover's gaze makes a woman feel like a goddess and makes me feel slightly sick--but there's something very amusing about the idea that supernaturally cursed pirates and sailors are still sailing the world. After all, there are several Flying Dutchman-style legends, so why not crowd the oceans with ships. It's a light, funny premise. (Not recommended since the best part is the premise, which I just told you.)
P.N. Elrod's "Her Mother's Daughter" is about a vampire detective finding a runaway groom, which is such a simple plot, simply told. And except for a vampire's sense for blood, this story almost doesn't need to be supernatural at all, which is a bit of a minus in my book. But it's devotion to simple characters simply told may be instructive to some writers. (Recommended-ish.)
Caitlin Kittredge's "Newlydeads" involves two people who aren't on honeymoon and may not even like each other: an ex-junkie wizard and the police inspector who has recently learned about her magical powers. The fact that their relationship is complex and weird makes this story a lot more readable for me (though if you were a paranormal romance reader, that weirdness would probably be a problem, not a feature). Also, the fact that these two get involved in a ridiculous, Lovecraftian plot with an ending like Robert E. Howard's "Tower of the Elephant" is gravy. (Recommended.)
I don't look forward to a series titled "Dirk & Steele," but Marjorie M. Liu's "Where the Heart Lives" was rather touchingly written and offered the promise of weirdness beyond standard fantasy tropes of werewolves and vampires. There's a young girl who finds her place in a house near a haunted forest which isn't conventionally haunted. (I might have to reread this before I recommend it, but, tentatively: Recommended.)
By contrast, Katie MacAlister's "Cat Got Your Tongue?," Lilith Saintcrow's "Half of Being Married," and Ronda Thompson's "A Wulf in Groom's Clothing" aren't really worth talking about, which should give you some gauge of how Not Recommended they are. -
Overall, My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon edited by P.N. Elrod wasn't quite for me. That said, I loved the Dresden Files story from Jim Butcher and Rachel Caine's story. Plus I think I'll have to start in on the Vampire Files by P.N. Elrod because that story was pretty cool. The rest though just didn't make the entire collection worth it as a whole.
-
I listened to Stalked by Armstrong and Heorot by Butcher.
I didn't enjoy Stalked as much as I thought I would, though I no longer remember what it was that didn't appeal to me.
I really enjoyed the Harry Dresden story. It was exciting, full of action, and interesting characters.
I returned this audio book back to the library because I just couldn't find the time nor interest to listen to any of the other stories at this time. Maybe I'll try this one at a later date, maybe for another road trip. -
All of heavy-hitters in this book deliver- Jim Butcher, Kelley Armstrong, and P. N. Elrod really can't do much wrong by me. I also enjoyed Katie MacAlister's and Marjorie Liu's contributions and will absolutely be seeking out more Lilith Saintcrow based on the strength of her short story. The rest of the stories, though, I could take or leave. I felt dropped into the middle of series, and while that worked with the authors I'm familiar with (and I suspect their writing is strong enough that the stories worked as stand-alones, anyway), I felt lost with some others, especially since urban fantasy relies so much on convincing world-building.
For some reason, as well, I just don't seem to get Rachel Caine. Her supernatural pirate romance seemed like something I would like if I had the backstory and character development to go with it, but it absolutely did not work for me as a stand-alone. It seemed like a rich world, but if it's part of a larger body of work, I couldn't locate it. I didn't care for her contribution to Many Bloody Returns, either, and I suppose I'm just disappointed because I've heard so many positive things about her writing. If she comes out with a novel centered around her pirate idea, I would give it a chance, though.
Overall, the anthology is a quick, fun read, and despite the pink cover and wedding theme, it's not romance driven; if it were up to me, it would be shelved in Sci-Fi/Fantasy instead of Romance in my B&N. -
Basic Premise: honeymoons and supernatural characters.
This was a fantastic read- lots of good stories in it. I'm actually starting to recognize characters from the authors who routinely contribute to these types of short story collections. I'm actually beginning to think about looking a few of them up. Vampires, witches, and even werewolves all show up in this tome. I'm going to have to find the first collection (My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding) and read those stories, because the blurbs on some of the stories indicated the story in this volume was a sequel to the one from the previous volume.
The Dresden story surely did not disappoint this English teacher who loves British lit. The connections to Beowulf alone had me excited. Short stories always leave me wanting more, though... -
2.5 Stars
After greatly enjoying My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding, I’m more than a little disappointed in this follow up. The stories by Kelley Armstrong, Jim Butcher, and P.N. Elrod are great - funny, entertaining, action packed - and Rachel Caine and Marjorie M. Liu also made good efforts. But the other half of the stories, the ones written by Caitlin Kittredge, Katie MacAlister, Lilith Saintcrow, and Ronda Thompson, just plain sucked. The characters were whiny, self-absorbed, and stupid, and I had to force myself to keep reading because I didn’t care at all what happened to them. Overall, the stories started out wonderful but went downhill until becoming unbearable, a total drudgery to read. I only recommend this anthology if you’re a fan of one of the big-name authors, and even then you might want to consider skipping this one. -
Excited to read another Book in the series. 9 authors make up this book and Katie MacAlister is part of the Dark Ones Series.
I finally finished the Book. It is a book in the series that is a half book with a variety of authors, including Katie MacAlister's short story about Book 1 - Raphael. I do feel the story could have been added to the first book in a Chapter used as a history lesson on his family but it was nice to find out more about his history. The short story Book is nice to get a taste of other authors and find out who you want to read next. -
Jim Butcher's story is the best. It's typical non-stop Harry Dresden action and I smirked all the way through it.
P.N. Elrod's story is good, although I missed Escott. I'm ready for another Jack Fleming novel.
Kelley Armstrong's story features her werewolves Clay & Elena. It's okay, but it was written from Clay's point of view and I wish she hadn't done that. I like Clay better as mysterious figure. -
I bought this book purely for Kelley Armstrong's story "Stalked". Which (even though was only 35 pages) I really enjoyed from start to finish. If you've read Broken then you know there was still some unanswered questions in regards to Clay, but this short story handled it well.
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I bought this book for Katie MacAlister's short story in it, which I loved. There was only one other story in the book, by Rachel Caine, that I enjoyed. None of the other stories made me want to read any further works by the other authors.
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A really good read that had me liking pretty much all the stories. Which is sometimes hard in an anthology. I liked that characters, plots, emotions, suspense, humor, and endings. This has me wanting to read several more series and authors. Loved the worlds and creativity. Totally Enjoy!
-
This was an aweseom collection of short stories about vampires, werewolves and other assorted supernatural beings and everything that could possibly happen on their honeymoon.
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Awesome collection of stories
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2.5
"My Big Fat Supernatural Honeymoon" is a mixed bag of stories. Some of them are quite good, some are okay, and some are pretty bad. A lot of the stories in the anthology feature the author's pre-existing characters; some of these are easy for a new reader to jump into, others are much harder. Though there are some exceptions, I generally fond that the stories which had the main characters as the honeymooners to be weaker and more similar. The authors who played with the theme more tended to have stronger stories.
My thoughts on each story:
"Stalked" by Kelly Armstrong: 2/5 I thought this was the second weakest story in the collection. I've read some of Armstrong's "Women of the Otherworld" books, but it's been a long time. I remember Elena being tougher and more interesting than she is portrayed as here. Overall, the plot was just okay, the writing was meh, and the characters were meh. I was glad when it was over.
"Heorot" by Jim Butcher: 3/5 "Heorot" is a decent short story, and one of the stronger ones in the anthology. A new reader may have a hard time figuring out some of the characters and magic, but Butcher took the theme and made it work for his world.
"Roman Holiday" by Rachel Caine: 1/5 "Roman Holiday" was by far my least favorite story in the collection. It wasn't friendly to readers who weren't familiar with the characters, such as myself, but nothing about it made me want to find out more about them. The villain was by far the best thing about this otherwise uninspired story. I was very glad when it was over.
"Her Mother's Daughter" by P.N. Eldod: 2/5 "Her Mother's Daughter" wasn't a bad short story in the way that "Roman Holiday" or "Stalked" were, it just wasn't very interesting. I've felt this way about other Eldod stories, so maybe their work just isn't for me.
"NewelyDeads" by Caitlin Kitteredge: 3/5 This was my first exposure to Kitteredge, and I enjoyed the story. The characters were pre-existing, but Kitteredge did a good job of giving new readers some information about them without losing momentum in the story. The characters were interesting, and the world was really interesting. I'd be interested in reading Kitteredge's novels.
"Where the Heart Lives" by Marjorie M. Liu: 3.5/5 "Where the Heart Lives" was probably my favorite story in the collection. It involves a pre-existing world, but Liu was smart to use new characters, making for a story which stood alone well. I liked Liu's writing, and the world was very interesting. I'd be interested in reading one of Liu's novels.
"Cat Got Your Tongue" by Katie MacAlister: 2.5/5 "Cat" is an okay short story. It's not bad, it's just pretty forgettable. The best part of it were the ghost of the Laird and his second wife.
"Half of Being Married" by Lillth Saintcrow: 3/5 "Married" is one of the stronger stories in the collection. I didn't love the characters, but the plot was decent. Saintcrow also stood out in that her characters actually got hurt; their clothes were torn in more than just sexy ways and their actions were limited when they were injured. This was different for a genre where characters who are supposed to be gravely hurt are often never quite hurt enough not have rompy-pompy shortly after their terrible injuries are inflected.
"A Wulf in Groom's Clothing" by Ronda Thompson: 2/5 "Wulf" was an okay short story, but one of the weaker ones. The characters weren't very engaging, especially the heroine, and the plot felt like something I'd read a few times before. It was a weak story to end the collection with. -
The 3 stars is for Jim Butcher's "Harry Dresden" short in this book. In this one, Harry must pair up with Gard, the magic 'heavy' that works for Marcone, the local organized crime boss. We learn exactly what supernatural creature Gard is, with a nice bit of action. Standard Butcher fare, and it's what I'm here for.
Some thoughts on the other stories:
"Stalked" by Kelley Armstrong
Look, I love werewolf stories, but this one rubbed me the wrong way. In most, there are 'loner' werewolves that can cause problems for 'regular' werewolves who are part of a pack. Usually they're more violent, cause bad press for the werewolf community, etc. In this setting, the 'good guy' werewolf kept referring to the loner werewolf as a 'mutt'. In the other books I read, the werewolf clans usually try to help loner wolves, but here, they're only worthy of derision. The other books I've read have colored my view, so I don't think this series is for me.
"Roman Holiday" by Rachel Caine
Too much romance for me, and the female protagonist was your typical helpless damsel in distress. It didn't make sense because the story presented her as having 'rescued' her lover/fiance/ex-ghost/still-pirate captain. Not worth the headache and blech.
"Her Mother's Daughter" by P. N. Elrod
I've actually read a bunch of Elrod's vampire books. Sort of a 20s/30s vampire noir sort of thing. They're fine. An easy quick read that are decently written.
"Newlydeads" by Caitlin Kitteredge
There were so many inconsistencies and unsatisfying world building...not gonna pick up any of her books.
"Where the Heart Lives" by Marjorie M. Liu
This name was really familiar to me, and when I looked Liu up, I can see that I *did* try her "Hunter Kiss" series & dropped it after just one novel. And on the other hand, I've enjoyed her (very weird) graphic novels "Monstress." Since this one is set in her "Dirk and Steele" series, and I enjoyed this short story, I guess I can give it a try.
No, wait. I just read the synopsis from the first one:
"Dela has danced through the echo of his soul and knows this warrior will obey her every command. Hari has been used and abused for millennia. But he sees, upon his release from the riddle box, that this new mistress is different. There is a hidden power in Dela's eyes- and with her, he may regain all that was lost to him."
Euuughhh...no.
"Cat Got Your Tongue?" by Katie MacAlister
Ghost story (yay!), misogyny (what?), broken internal logic (no thanks)
"I have my own wife to ogle, thank you," Raphael said stiffly. "Perhaps if you kept yours confined rather than let her run the hallways half-naked"
"Half of Being Married" by Lilith Saintcrow
I like the idea of a vampire hunter & a werewolf married couple, but this writing style just wasn't for me. And apparently they got married w/o knowing or telling the other about these essential aspects of their lives? Just, no.
"A Wulf in Groom's Clothing" by Ronda Thompson
Another story about a newly married couple that had misled each other about vital aspects of their lives. He's cursed as a werewolf, she hates the outdoors. Classically hilarious [eyeroll]. Oh, and the curse is 'broken' when it moves into her instead. Misogynistic undercurrents, and ....just not to my taste. -
Stalked by Kelley Armstrong - 3 Stars
This is a SS in the Otherworld series. I read the first book in the series so I'm familiar with the characters. Elena & Clay are on their honeymoon and a mutt is following them hoping to lure Elena away to be his mate.
Heorot by Jim Butcher - 4 Stars
SS in the Dresden Files series. I'm currently on #7 in the series but I didn't feel like this was a spoiler. Harry gets a call to look for a missing bride. Turns out she has been abducted by a monster to be impregnated.
Roman Holiday Or SPQ-arrrrr by Rachel Caine - 5 Stars
This was my favorite. It's actually story #2, the first being in My Big Fat Supernatural Wedding. Cecilia has wed her pirate and they are getting ready to head off on their honeymoon when the ship gets boarded by another pirate. Since she had broken the curse holding her pirate and his crew, the new pirate plans to sell her to other cursed men.
Her Mother'S Daughter by P.N. Elrod - 4 Stars
SS in the Vampire Files series. I haven't read anything in this series yet, but after this story I think I will. A bride shows up need a detective to find her husband who went missing at their wedding. She is also the daughter of a famous gangster. It takes place in the 1930's.
Newlydeads by Caitlin Kitteridge - 2.5 Stars
This is the prequel in the Black London series. Even though it was written a few years before the actual series was written, I think it's one of those stories that should have been read after you've read at least the first book. I haven't read this series and I wasn't that excited with this story. The ending made it a little better but I didn't really care for the characters.
Where The Heart Lives by Marjorie M Liu - 2.5 Stars
SS in the Dirk & Steele series. It's labeled as book #6.5 but the story actually notes it's a prequel to the series. Nothing stood out to me in this story. I haven't read the series and maybe if I had I'd understand it more, but it was just a story of a girl that could see a missing bride in the forest when no others could.
Cat Got Your Tongue by Katie Macaliter - 4 Stars
SS in the Dark Ones series. Another series I haven't read but I liked the story. Joy & Raphael are on their honeymoon and are staying in a haunted castle. The Green Lady ghost asks them to help her destroy the laird's stone, but that turns out to cause problems for Raphael, who is unknowingly a descendant of the cursed Summerton's.
Half Of Being Married by Lilith St. Crow - 4 Stars
Don't know if this is part of a series. I have read one series by this author, but only thought it was ok. Kat is a vampire hunter who is new at being in the field and her husband, Mitchell, is a werewolf (but don't let him hear you call it that). Neither know about the other until, on their honeymoon, they come across a vampire and both go to kill it. What follows is jabs at Fido and an investigation into the vampire's lair.
A Wulf In Grooms Clothing by Ronda Thompson - 4 Stars
SS in the Wild Wulfs of London series. Laura & Sam go to his cabin for their honeymoon. What Laura doesn't know is that Sam was cursed to be a werewolf once he fell in love. Simple, sweet story. -
I picked this book up in a charity shop on a whim because it was very cheap and the title made me laugh. Paranormal romance is not a genre I really read a lot of and these stories weren't all strictly paranormal romances. A honeymoon was involved in some fashion, whether it was the main character's or someone else's, but there was also a lot of murder and crime-solving involved in some of these stories.
This collection was quite enjoyable because the only connection between the stories were 'supernatural' and 'honeymoon' so there was a great variety of supernatural entities, how they were handled and also what time they were in. There was a fairytale style one with a wood that trapped people in as a curse, and then there was a vampire hunter and werewolf finding out what the other was when they were attacked by vampires on their honeymoon, and then there was the one where a wife got kidnapped by some supernatural creature (along with a keg) right before she went on her honeymoon. This great variety meant I could read this in one go because I didn't get bored or feel like I had read too much of one, it was very nicely chosen.
That said, I wasn't too impressed by the stories as a whole. I wouldn't give any of them lower than three stars but due to the fact we were launched into these stories expecting to know the characters involved already, I was mostly left at sea due to my vague familiarity with only a couple of the authors. None of them blended into each other which was good and meant well for the editing of this collection, but there were only two stories where I was interested enough to look up the main series the characters came from (P.N. Elrod with a vampire P.I set in 1930s Chicago and Caitlin Kittredge with a couple who had to stop people being sacrificed to a demon who just wanted to go home).
This was an enjoyable collection, you can really tell it was published in 2007 and I'm glad I read it, even if I would probably only recommend it to someone who was already a fan of urban fantasy/paranormal romance genre.
3 stars! -
Stalked by Kelley Armstrong stars werewolves Elena Michaels and Clayton Danvers which are characters from her Women of the Otherworld series.
I've never read that series or anything by Kelley Armstrong so I was going in blind. I didn't know that these stories were going to have characters from the author's other series. I was a little bit uneasy, just because I don't like to jump in the middle of things - I prefer to start from the very beginning and get to know the characters the way they were intended to be. But it is what it is at this point. At least it's a branch of the story and characters, and not part of the series.
Anyway, the story was very entertaining. The author alluded to some things that happen in the Women of the Otherworld series and it made me want to read them. I have to make sure to make a note somewhere to look these books up. As the title suggests, someone is being stalked, but by the end, the stalker becomes the stalked and it was a fun little read. Definitely gave me enough of the two characters to like them and make me want more.
***
Heorot by Jim Butcher stars Harry Dresden from the Dresden Files. I had no fucking clue he was a wizard!!! Obviously I've never read the books or seen the show. Honestly, I thought the show was about aliens.
This story isn't about Harry Dresden going on a honeymoon (lol) it's actually about a case that he decides to work on where a woman goes missing before going on her honeymoon. At first it looks like she just got cold feet or something, and there isn't anything out of the ordinary about her disappearance. That is, until Dresden finds her purse with her wallet and cell phone.
It was a good read. As I read it, I thought it was good, but not necessarily my cup of tea. But by the end of the story, I had completely changed my mind. I've officially put the Dresden Files on my TBR list.
For any Dresden readers reading this - What's up with Dresden and Gard?
***
Roman Holiday, or SPO-arrrrr by Rachel Cain - I'll admit it was hard getting into this particular story in the beginning. Since I wasn't familiar with the characters, I was confused about the paparazzi and getting tailed by Oprah, and where the heck this ancient pirate come from. I felt like I started the story in the middle instead of the beginning. But when I got to the (almost) sex scene, I got into the story. What can I say, I loved the porn conversation! I am curious to know how Cecilia and Liam met; I gathered she somehow ended up stuck on his ship. Did enjoy Liam as a character. Not 100% sure if there's a series or a stand alone book for these characters. I tried searching for it, and I found a lot of other things by this author, but I couldn't find anything that mentioned Liam or Cecilia...I find it weird if this is the first thing she's written with them. If it is, it wasn't executed well.
***
Her Mother's Daughter by P.N. Elrod - I've been obsessed with vampires my entire life, and I'm tired of reading about them. That being said, I was hooked the moment I started reading this story! Set in Chicago during the 1930's - can anyone say gangsters? - Jack Fleming is a vampire shamus. And yes, I had to look up that word to know what it meant. I was very intrigued by Jack the vampire who is a private investigator, but also owns clubs; is afraid of heights and afraid of the dark, and has apparently proposed to his girlfriend a shit ton of times and been rejected every single time. I'm totally digging him, and I will definitely have to check out The Vampire Files. (I can't believe I've never heard of it!)
I think this story was very well done. It was a great introduction into the series and the character and the story itself was just great! I love the twist towards the end - which I won't spoil for you guys.
***
Newlydeads by Caitlin Kittredge - I wanted to like this story, I really did, but I was confused for most of it. The characters are from London and they have certain slang words that I knew, but some that I didn't. I'll admit, in the beginning of the story, I thought the two main characters were in Atlantic City - that wasn't the case. If the random slang didn't confuse me enough, I got put right in the middle of some Black world after something really big happened to the main characters in a previous story, and I had no idea where I was or what was going on. This might have been a good emotional story for fans of the series and the beginning of some really interesting things, but since this was my introduction into this particular world, it just didn't do it for me. Too confused to even think about trying to read the beginning of this series.
***
Where The Heart Lives by Marjorie M. Liu - I was hooked almost instantly! This is a prequel to the Dirk and Steele series (which I've never read) and I am enamored with it. I think I read this particular story the fastest - I just devoured every single word. I wanted to know more about Lucy and what her particular gifts were and also about Miss Lindsay's gifts. I wanted to get to know Henry and Barnabus more. The whole gang, they were very interesting characters and they were different from one another but complimented each other so well. The story was also great, it kept me in suspense for the majority of it - not knowing what was going to happen. I'm definitely going to check out Dirk and Steele.
***
Cat Got Your Tongue? by Katie MacAlister - I'm a big big fan of Katie MacAlister. Ironically, this story is part of her Dark Ones series which I have NOT read - yet. In my defense, the lady has a lot of books out! I've read like 8 or 9 of them.
This short story solidifies my love for the author and reinforces my desire to read this series - apparently there is a twist in one of the books which is mentioned in this short which I will not spoil for you guys, but I liked it, and I'm even more excited than before to read the Dark Ones series. Great as always Katie MacAlister. Great as always.
***
Half Of Being Married by Lilith Saintcrow is a decent read. A pair of newlyweds discover on their honeymoon that the groom is a werewolf and the bride is a vampire hunter; that part of the story was cute. I think it had nice little twists in it. I wasn't too keen on the husband's thoughts. A lot of "gotta bite my tongue, that's what being a husband is all about/the wife is always right" jokes that were funny the first 2 times but got tiresome rather quickly.
***
The final story in the anthology is A Wulf In Groom's Clothing by Rhonda Thompson. It was a great closer! It was funny, and sweet, and just all around nice! Couldn't have asked for a better ending to the whole book. :)
Overall I really enjoyed this anthology. Great stories, and characters. I even added a few series to my TBR list. So YAY! -
Placeholder - read one story, will get to the rest at some stage.
Stalked / Kelley Armstrong --
Heorot
[The Dresden Files 9.2] - Jim Butcher - 3⭐
Also in
Side Jobs, this takes place between
White Night and
Small Favor. Harry is called by Mac to help a husband find his wife, who disappeared at a Beer Festival they were competing at, just as their Honeymoon is about to start. Mac suspects magical foul play, later confirmed when the gorgeous Gard shows up. They team up and we learn a LOT about Gard.
Roman holiday, or SPQ-arrrrrr / Rachel Caine --
Her mother's daughter / P.N. Elrod --
Newlydeads / Caitlin Kittredge --
Where the heart lives / Marjorie M. Liu --
Cat got your tongue? / Katie MacAlister --
Half of being married / Lilith Saintcrow --
A wulf in groom's clothing / Ronda Thompson. -
I don't usually like anthologies, but I'd been asked to pick this up by a Jim Butcher fan, who read the Jim Butcher story, shrugged, and handed the book back to me. It's sat on my TBR mountains ever since, and I finally grabbed it, wanting to read some stories to fill an evening.
This was about what I expected. I liked discovering new-to-me authors. I liked visiting with authors I already knew. And I still can't read Katie MacAlister without remember the writer's group we were both members of, and the snit she threw. I can't remember what it was over, just her threats to leave. So remember that, folks: bad behavior follows you further in life than your reasons for it.
So I'll be picking up some backlists, starting series that also have languished on Mt. TBR. Interestingly, I'm not inclined to get back into any series that I'd mostly abandoned, based on this anthology. Guess you can't win 'em all.
