Books: The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1) by Gena Showalter (2008)

Showalter has a GREAT premise with this one. I love the idea of the Lords of the Underworld, and her depictions of the warriors are awesome. The men and their relationships to each other is really what makes this book interesting. Maddox and Ashlyn weren't the most compelling couple ever in the history of creation, possibly because, at the end of the day, she isn't that interesting as a character. Maddox, however, and the other Lords of the Underworld ....

I'm sold enough of on the series to continue. Again, I really like the Lords and I definitely want to see where Showalter goes with this. Great premise. Execution is a little shaky at times. It wasn't the smoothest read ever. BUT! Interesting characters are the key so far.

Books: The Great Escape by Susan Elizabeth Philips (2012)

Ok, so I'm on a popcorn reading jag. Everything right now is calorie-lite. Susan Elizabeth Philips is good for that, and I really enjoyed The Great Escape. Spunky heroine, hot, damaged hero, and a host of secondary characters with issues and lives of their own. I haven't read Call Me Irresistible or First Lady, but reading this made me want to. I was only supposed to read the first chapter, but ended up finishing the whole damn book.

I love the way men in Philips books are so complex (and not just complicated). Although, Panda's 11th hour confession to Lucy was a little left field (we're only given the briefest inkling of his trauma early in the novel), it was genuine inclusion in the novel and something that felt organic to the story and the character. I also liked that he also got to work on his issue and wasn't just a matter of the strong, silent type meditating on his flaws and then going to get his woman because love conquers all.

Then there was Lucy and her temper tantrums, her insecurities, her wacky hair shenanigans, and all of ht fake tattoos. I loved her. Fun book!