by Christopher Rice

I have to admit that I requested this book for review because the author is Anne Rice's son and I was curious. I've read and enjoyed several Anne Rice books and wondered if writing skill is hereditary. It's impossible for those of us familiar with her work to read his without making some comparisons.

My first impression on starting to read was that it didn't compare favorably. Part of the reason for this is that the story is written in present tense, which I dislike intensely. There is good reason why nearly all the best books of the past have been written in past tense. It just works better for storytelling.

It starts out like a bad Romance novel with a woman catching her husband having another woman perched on the bathroom sink, then leads to a horrific situation in the gazebo where a little spilled blood seems to awaken a window to the past and a monstrous force hidden in the soil of the plantation.

As Horror stories go, the plot was actually interesting. I didn't see how the bugs fit in until the very end, but there were some interesting ideas, even if some of them beggared believability. The best character was Nova, the daughter of a black caretaker who still treated his employers as if they were in the old south in the time of slavery. Until the last few chapters, she seemed to be an intelligent and sensible character.

The one problem with the story is that it lacked depth. This may be partly due to present tense writing, but things didn't flow as smoothly as they could have. I was actually surprised to read that Rice had already written four other books (and won awards, nothing to do with his literary family I'm sure) because this read much like a first novel. It was okay, but just okay.

Friends with benefits find their way together. Taylor and Wasp were great together. I loved the strength that Taylor showed when she was sacrificing her future for family. She knew what she wanted but was willing to give it up. Wasp was so understanding yet so vulnerable. This series has kept me enjoying the MacRae family, and I look forward to more.

I received an ARC of this story as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.

This was a fun story and kept me reading. Emma's past was never far away and the hurt kept her from reaching for true happiness. I loved how she accepted that her first impressions were wrong when it came to Arnie. She distrusted herself but began to believe what she saw and felt. Their connection got him to take a longer look at himself and fix his own situation. I loved his wacky family and how both families came together for the love of family. I recommend this story.

I received a copy of this story as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.

I loved this story, and I have really enjoyed this series. I love how the characters from the previous stories feature prominently as secondary support. With so much pain in their pasts, and in Ella's case, in her present, it was hard watching these two realize their love. The honesty they swore to each other after misunderstandings was precious. I laughed, cried, cursed, and prayed that all would work out. A couple times, I even held my breath. Jolie Vines does a wonderful job of expressing the love between all of her characters. I so highly recommend this story and the series, and I look forward to the next installment.

I received a copy of this story as a gift, and this is my unsolicited review.