The Last Heir to Blackwood Library

The Last Heir to Blackwood by Hester Fox 336 pages

 

Readers can always count on author Hester Fox for a quietly eerie novel, and her latest doesn’t quite live up to the abilities she has shown in other works.

 

Twenty-three-year-old Ivy Radcliffe is alone in the world. She lost her brother and father in the Great War and her mother succumbed to the Spanish Flu. She is shocked when she is summoned to a solicitor’s office for the reading of the will of the late Lord Hayworth, someone with whom she is unfamiliar. Turns out, he was Ivy’s father’s third cousin, and the last of the Hayworth line.

 

It took the solicitor a while, but they finally connected Ivy to Hayworth, and with that knowledge, she inherited his Lordship’s estate, Blackwood Abbey, located on the Yorkshire moors.

 

When Ivy arrived, the sprawling mansion was in disrepair, yet the servants who took care of her ancestor were still there. I don’t recall in how long the period was between the Lord’s death and Ivy’s arrival, but it cannot have been overlong since they were still there. The mansion is dark and depressing, attributed to its gothic vibes.

 

Almost immediately, Ivy is bored. She knows no one and there is little for her to do. On an afternoon outing to the local bookstore, she meets Sir Arthur Mabry. He discloses the existence of a magnificent library housed in the crumbling abode, and that he would love to get a chance to see it.

 

The conversation leads Ivy to wonder what she isn’t being told, especially if there are parts of the   house where she is told she cannot investigate. But a library! Ivy loves to read and makes it a priority to discover its contents.

 

The library is magnificent, but strange things happen there…footprints in the dust that lead to a solid wall without another living creature present is only one example. Still, Ivy isn’t scared away. Until the night of the storm.

 

I had a tough time piecing this novel together. I didn’t understand what the Prologue has to do with the rest of the story. Even after I finished the book and re-read it, it did not seem to tie in. I am afraid this is one of those stories that the author knew and understood but was unable to draw the picture for the reader.

 

 The Last Heir to Blackwood receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

Ghost Eaters

 

Ghost Eaters by Clay McLeod Chapman 304 pages

 

Want to get haunted? That is the new phrase in Richmond. Instead of getting high, teens and young adults want to get haunted.

 

What does that mean? Instead of getting high and the munchies…or hallucinating gosh know what…takers of a new pill, GHOST, can actually see dead people. Not those they want to see necessarily, but all those who are around them. Considering its past with slavery and the Civil War, there are a LOT of ghosts tethered to the Richmond area.

 

Erin’s small band of friends, of people she trusts---most of the time---includes her ex-boyfriend, Silas, Tobias and Maura. Erin cannot let Silas go. She wants to, but she runs anytime he needs/wants her. She also has a habit of pulling him out rehab when the going gets tough. After all, says Silas, “rehab is for quitters.” When she rescues (?) him this time, he turns up dead under an overpass, and Erin is consumed with guilt.

 

Tobias tells Erin about a new drug, GHOST, that he and Silas have created that enables a person to speak to the dead. Erin leaps at the opportunity to see Silas again…and a whole bunch of other zombie-like creatures. He takes her and Maura to an abandoned subdivision so that the ghosts will have a place to haunt. The séance is successful; Erin can see and talk with Silas.

 

However, the Silas-sighting is only temporary, but the other dead follow her, trying to get close to her, trying to swallow her life force. There are times that these descriptions border less on horror and move the needle to the high-gross factor. I retched on more than one occasion.

 

Erin wants that experience again. She needs that experience. She begins to take more and more pills, desperate to have Silas reappear. Her life spirals out of control while more and more ghosts try to get close to her. They follow her wherever she goes.

 

It's been about a month since I finished this book, and yet it still haunts me. I felt like Erin---I didn’t want to finish, but I had to see what happened. This book is the grossest, not the scariest, book I have ever come across, but it is well done. The things that happened had to happen—a sign of a great plot. Ghost Eaters receives 4 out of stars in Julie’s world. I can still hear Silas say, “Want to
get haunted?”

 

 

A Lullaby for Witches

 “A Lullaby for Witches” by Hester Cox   320 pages 

Wow! Somebody is as bad as math as I am.  This is a dual-timeline story (one of my favorite plot structure!): 1876 and 150 years later. Well, 150 + 1876 = 2026. I don’t think it was meant to be futuristic. The story doesn’t give any indication of that. 

In 1876, Margaret Harlow is the daughter of a wealthy New England family in Tynemouth, Massachusetts, a town not terribly far from Salem. It is time for Margaret to marry. Her father has picked her husband, but Margaret has other ideas. Margaret isn’t like all the other girls. She does not want to do needlework all day and raise a passel of children. 

Margaret likes to roam the cliffs and the nearby woods. She learns about plants and their natural healing powers...both positive and negative. It isn’t too long before the word “witch” becomes synonymous with her. Women with a variety of aches and problems seek out Margaret, meeting her in her little cabin in the woods in the late evening/early morning hours. 

Fast forward to what I will call contemporary times. Augusta Podos has a job as a tour guide at the Old City Jail, in Salem. She hates giving the same tour day after day after day. When a dream job as a curator at Harlow House (Margaret’s ancestral home), Augusta jumps at the chance to work there. 

As she is getting the grand tour, Augusta sees a painting that is Margaret. Little is known about Margaret as she had fallen off the family tree. Augusta takes on the challenge of uncovering Margaret’s story. Along the way, Augusta dumps her fiancé and falls for one of her co-workers. 

Augusta feels Margaret’s. When she enters certain rooms, she is transported back to 1876 and sees what is happening through Margaret’s eyes. As time goes by, the hallucinations become stronger and stronger. 

I really enjoyed the sense of the paranormal and Augusta’s hunt for Margaret through the paper trail. However, in the last fourth of the book, the story took an evil and twisted spin that came from nowhere. It was a three-hundred-sixty degree turnaround that was not smooth. “A Lullaby for Witches” receives 4 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

 

The Knowing: A Bulwark Anthology

 The Knowing: A Bulwark Anthology (Book 1 in a series) by Brit Lunden   104 pages

Not too long ago, I reviewed Brit Lunden’s “Bulwark.” I had believed it to be the first in a series, but I was wrong.  “Bulwark” is the jumping off place for a series of paranormal novellas written by different authors, totaling nine at this moment in time. Each author writes about a different character from the rural town of Bulwark, Georgia.

Lunden, the original author, goes back to the original story with her choice of characters: JB Stratton.  JB is now seventy years old. The love of his life, his wife Ellie, has been gone for more than twenty years. He lives alone, outside town, with his memories.

One night he rescues a couple from an accident nearby, bringing them to his cabin as they wait for the Sheriff Clay Finnes to arrive and sort it all out. While they are waiting, the rescued female sees a picture of Ellie and begins to accuse her of being a witch and abducting her children. But that’s not possible since she has been gone so long.

The story shifts to fifty-two years ago when JB and Ellie meet in high school. She is newly arrived from up North and has the cutest Northern accent. JB is smitten, but things don’t look too good for them to become a couple. Her family is wealthy; his is dirt poor.

Then the story makes another shift. This time back to the Civil War and, I believe, a small battle that was fought near Bulwark, during which the couple meet. I felt that episode needed to be fleshed out a bit, but it proved the point of “knowing.”

The story goes on to tell JB and Ellie’s high school romance, his dreams of going to college (with an appearance by legendary football coach Bear Bryant), and how those dreams turned out.

Like the original, “Bulwark,” the story moved along at a quick pace, even though it wasn’t scary. It was okay and “The Knowing: A Bulwark Anthology” receives 3 out of 5 stars in Julie’s world.

The Astonishing Color Of After

The Astonishing Color Of After by Emily X. R. Pan, 472 pages

“Leigh Chen Sanders is absolutely certain about one thing: When her mother died by suicide, she turned into a bird.  Leigh, who is half Asian and half white, travels to Taiwan to meet her maternal grandparents for the first time. There, she is determined to find her mother, the bird. In her search, she winds up chasing after ghosts, uncovering family secrets, and forging a new relationship with her grandparents. And as she grieves, she must try to reconcile the fact that on the same day she kissed her best friend and longtime secret crush, Axel, her mother was taking her own life. Alternating between real and magic, past and present, friendship and romance, hope and despair, The Astonishing Color of After is a stunning and heartbreaking novel about finding oneself through family history, art, grief, and love.” This book was pretty amazing.  I would give it to any teens that enjoy a good story.

The Boggart Fights Back

TheBoggart Fights Back by Susan Cooper, 210 pages

This book is a sequel to The Boggart and The The Boggart and The Monster, but it can stand alone.  The Boggart is a mischievous creature that likes to play tricks but is fiercely loyal to its clan.  When a developer comes in wanting to buy the castle where the Boggart lives to start a new hotel resort, it’s up to the youngest members of the clan, Allie and Jay, with the help of their grandfather, to try and stop him.  With some help from the Boggart and other Old Things, they hope they can succeed.  I loved this story.  It may have been even better than the original story.  Kids who like fantasy need to read it.

The Girl In The Locked Room

TheGirl In The Locked Room by Mary Downing Hahn, 193 pages

The girl can’t remember her name or how long she has been in the room.  She just knows that she is locked in and that she is lonely.  Jules is lonely too.  Her family moves all of the time so she is always the new girl and never has enough time to really make friends.  She hopes that this move will let them stay a while, although the house that her father is renovating is spooky.  She really believes that it might be haunted, especially since she starts seeing people that couldn’t possibly be there.  When a new friend, Maisie, tells her that everyone thinks the house is haunted by a family that was murdered there, Jules knows she was right.  The question is, what do the ghosts want? And can Jules do anything about it?  This is not as scary as some ghost stories.  The ghost isn’t very scary at all, but the story itself has a pretty good creepy factor.  I enjoyed it and most kids who like ghost or scary stories will enjoy it.

The Outsider

The Outsider by Stephen King, 561 pages

“An unspeakable crime. A confounding investigation. At a time when the King brand has never been stronger, he has delivered one of his most unsettling and compulsively readable stories. An eleven-year-old boy's violated corpse is found in a town park. Eyewitnesses and fingerprints point unmistakably to one of Flint City's most popular citizens. He is Terry Maitland, Little League coach, English teacher, husband, and father of two girls. Detective Ralph Anderson, whose son Maitland once coached, orders a quick and very public arrest. Maitland has an alibi, but Anderson and the district attorney soon add DNA evidence to go with the fingerprints and witnesses. Their case seems ironclad. As the investigation expands and horrifying answers begin to emerge, King's propulsive story kicks into high gear, generating strong tension and almost unbearable suspense. Terry Maitland seems like a nice guy, but is he wearing another face? When the answer comes, it will shock you as only Stephen King can.” This book was an extremely satisfying horror story.  It was awful and scary and gory and I loved it.  It was typical King, although maybe slightly less awful than he has been in the past, but still very, very, good.  I would highly recommend it to people who like horror.

The Empty Grave

The Empty Grave by Jonathan Stroud, 437 pages

“Five months after the events in THE CREEPING SHADOW, we join Lockwood, Lucy, George, Holly, and their associate Quill Kipps on a perilous night mission: they have broken into the booby-trapped Fittes Mausoleum, where the body of the legendary psychic heroine Marissa Fittes lies. Or does it? This is just one of the many questions to be answered in Book 5 of the Lockwood & Co. series. Will Lockwood ever reveal more about his family's past to Lucy? Will their trip to the Other Side leave Lucy and Lockwood forever changed? Will Penelope Fittes succeed in shutting down their agency forever? The young agents must survive attacks from foes both spectral and human before they can take on their greatest enemy in a climactic and chaotic battle. And to prevail they will have to rely on help from some surprising--and shadowy--allies. Jonathan Stroud once again delivers a rousing adventure full of danger, laughs, twists, and frights. The revelations will send readers back to Book 1 to start the series all over again.” Sadly, this is the last book in the series.  I absolutely love Stroud’s writing and these books are perfect for anyone who likes adventure and supernatural stories with a little humor.  I love to recommend these to teens.

Before the Devil Breaks You: The Diviner Series Book #3

Before the Devil Breaks You: The Diviner Series Book #3 by Libba Bray        AudioBook: 21 hrs, 26 mins       Hardback Book: 560 pages             

OMgosh!   I love this series.    I am so happy to find out today that while it was originally said there were 3 books in this series turns out there will be 4!   Yippee!   I love this series.   Libba Bray you open the door to the authentic Roaring 20s!   The language and slang of the time is spoken so genuinely, reader, you will feel like you have been transported back in time.    The core characters are so real and believable, you come to feel so close to them you can’t wait to find out what happens to them next.   Glad Mabel found love.   I’m just saying… in this book the dead are chomping at the bits, the bits of people they can snatch up and eat that is!   Man, for entities that say they want people to remember them, that is a hair-raising way to get attention!    The group spends some time in a mental institution out on Ward’s island in a storm can’t you just feel the rain and wind, geez!   And a poor Irish Lad who does his best to keep the ghosties away by constantly counting being sure to leave out the number 6 because it is bad.   The Diviners hone their particular skills and like many groups of superheroes before them find there is strength in their power when they join together to fight the common enemy – the King of Crows.    Things bubble up and boil over with our heroes all on the same page but everyone pursuing a unique path – hold on cause your head may spin by the end of this one.   Halleluiah there is another book coming!   LOVED IT!!!   LOVE THE SERIES!!!   EVERYBODY READ IT I RECOMMEND IT TO EVERYONE! 

 - Shirley J.

Eleventh Grave In Moonlight

Eleventh Grave InMoonlight by Darynda Jones, 310 pages

“A typical day in the life of Charley Davidson involves cheating husbands, errant wives, missing people, philandering business owners, and, oh yeah...demons, hell hounds, evil gods, and dead people. Lots and lots of dead people. As a part time Private Investigator and full-time Grim Reaper, Charley has to balance the good, the bad, the undead, and those who want her dead. Now, Charley is learning to make peace with the fact that she is a goddess with all kinds of power and that her own daughter has been born to save the world from total destruction. But the forces of hell are determined to see Charley banished forever to the darkest corners of another dimension. With the son of Satan himself as her husband and world-rocking lover, will Charley be able to defeat the ultimate evil and find a way to have her happily ever after after all?” This series is always fun and this book is no exception.  There is sex and violence. Sometimes the sex is great and the violence can get gory. The best part of these books, in my opinion, however, is the humor.  Charley is hilarious, even when, sometimes especially when, everything is going wrong.  Anyone who likes humorous adventure books that include some sex and gore will want to read the whole series.

Conspiracies

Conspiracies by F. Paul Wilson, 11 hrs., 33 min., 317 pages

This is the third book in the Repairman Jack series. Jack's screening process has evolved with the times. He now screens through e-mail and voicemail. Technology is also making it harder to stay under the radar.

He is working two cases, both of which he has taken on reluctantly. One involves a brother trying to help his sister who is a victim of domestic abuse. Jack usually doesn't get involved in those kinds of cases but commits to at least investigating. As he feared things get complicated.

The other one is the main case. A man's wife has gone missing right before she is about to reveal a major discovery that explains conspiracy theories. Through mysterious means she has contacted her husband and told him that Jack is the only one that can help. Is someone trying to prevent her from revealing her findings or is something else going on? And is this case somehow related to events in Jack's past?

There were parts of this book that I liked but I wasn't satisfied with the reveal and the ending. Overall, I liked this book the least of the first three books in the series. It could be that the horror/supernatural element is not my favorite.

The Diviners

The Diviners by Libba Bray         Audio Book:  18 hours, 14 minutes      Hardback Book: 800 pages                       Genre:  Youth Fiction    Paranormal    Divination, Healing, Telepathy, Psychometry  Ghosts

Excellent Book!   One of my favorites this year.    Set in the 1920s flapper, 17 year old Evie O’Neill is such a fun character and I truly love the way Libba Bray has thoroughly researched the lingo of the flapper set and is such fun the way she makes her characters so believable with the bravado of that tough as nails demeanor carried out in their speech.   And the paranormal stuff is actually chilling!  You can so picture the entire story and let me tell you some of the scrapes this bunch get into will raise goosebumps.   The Diviners is actually the first book of a Trilogy so I am definetly on to the next one – got it on reserve already.     The story is so well told, the characters so endearing – o.k. not the evil ones – but all of the side stories and backgrounds will keep the reader so interested you will race through this book just to see what Evie gets into next and how her brassy ways will see her through.  I got such a kick out of the terminology, Evie is such a hoot even when she is being bossy or rude she is so funny and cute you can’t stay mad at her.   The other characters being brought in to the story along the way and the powers they possess bring this story to a whole new level.   I think anyone would find this story amusing of course if you relish the macabre it is a special bonus.  This is a wave your hands in the air book because it pulls you in and you get so involved you picture yourself in those downstairs behind closed doors hidden secret password giving speak easys one minute then you find yourself raising along with Evie and her entourage of the moment through a demon led forest or haunted house –yikes!   What fun.   Yes, yes, and yes, I absolutely praise and most highly recommend this delicious read.

And The Trees Crept In

And The Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich, 341 pages

“A stunning, terrifying novel about a house the color of blood and the two sisters who are trapped there, by The Dead House author Dawn Kurtagich. When Silla and Nori arrive at their aunt's home, it's immediately clear that the "blood manor" is cursed. The creaking of the house and the stillness of the woods surrounding them would be enough of a sign, but there are secrets too--the questions that Silla can't ignore: Who is the beautiful boy that's appeared from the woods? Who is the man that her little sister sees, but no one else? And why does it seem that, ever since they arrived, the trees have been creeping closer? Filled with just as many twists and turns as The Dead House , and with achingly beautiful, chilling language that delivers haunting scenes, AND THE TREES CREPT IN is the perfect follow-up novel for master horror writer Dawn Kurtagich.”  This story was completely creepy and the ending was not at all what I expected.  Teens who like horror or thrillers will love this book.

The Hollow Boy

TheHollow Boy by Jonathan Stroud, 385 pages

“As a massive outbreak of supernatural Visitors baffles Scotland Yard and causes protests throughout London, Lockwood & Co. continue to demonstrate their effectiveness in exterminating spirits. Anthony Lockwood is dashing, George insightful, and Lucy dynamic, while the skull in the jar utters sardonic advice from the sidelines. There is a new spirit of openness in the team now that Lockwood has shared some of his childhood secrets, and Lucy is feeling more and more as if her true home is at Portland Row. It comes as a great shock, then, when Lockwood and George introduce her to an annoyingly perky and hyper-efficient new assistant, Holly Munro. Meanwhile, there are reports of many new hauntings, including a house where bloody footprints are appearing, and a department store full of strange sounds and shadowy figures. But ghosts seem to be the least of Lockwood & Co.'s concerns when assassins attack during a carnival in the center of the city. Can the team get past their personal issues to save the day on all fronts, or will bad feelings attract yet more trouble?” Stroud’s books are always fantastic.  This series is very good.  Teens who like science fiction, supernatural, and action adventure stories need to read it.

Deja Who

Deja Who by MaryJanice Davidson, 285 pages

“’You couldn't arrest for murder someone who had killed in his last life. You couldn't bring a civil suit against such people, either. They could only be legally penalized for what they did this time around—and what a dark circus the legal system had been before that legislation passed! (It was still a dark circus, but perhaps not as dark.) But you could spot them, and watch them. You could set traps for them.’ Leah Nazir is an Insighter. Reincarnation is her business. But while her clients' pasts are a mess, Leah's is nothing short of tragedy. She's been murdered. A lot. If left to that bitch, destiny, it'll happen again. Leah wants to know who's been following her through time, and who's been stalking her in the present... P.I. Archer Drake has been hired by Leah's mother to keep an eye on her. But the more time he spends watching, the more he finds himself infatuated. Before long, he even finds himself agreeing to help find the person who wants her dead. Over and over again. Now going full-on "rewind," Leah hopes it can stave off the inevitable. After all, she's grown fond of this life—and even fonder of nerdy Archer. But changing her pattern means finding out who her killer is today. And as Leah fears, that could be anyone she has come to know and trust. Anyone.” I’m not sure how I feel about this series.  It’s an interesting concept and I liked the characters pretty well, but the story just wasn’t as good as some of Davidson’s other books.  I definitely wouldn’t give it to anyone who hadn’t read Davidson before, but people who have read her other books will probably want to read it.

Reawakened

Reawakened by Colleen Houck, 393 pages

When seventeen-year-old Lilliana Young enters the Metropolitan Museum of Art one morning during spring break, the last thing she expects to find is a live Egyptian prince with godlike powers, who has been reawakened after a thousand years of mummification. And she really can't imagine being chosen to aid him in an epic quest that will lead them across the globe. But fate has taken hold of Lily, and she, along with her sun prince, Amon, must travel to the Valley of the Kings, raise his brothers, and stop an evil, shape-shifting god named Seth from taking over the world. I’ve enjoyed other books by the author more than this but this book wasn’t bad.  I’m interested enough to want to read the other books.  Her books combine fantasy and historical elements.  The biggest problem for me is that I thought the characters were a little flat.  There are teens that will really enjoy these, especially if they have any interest in ancient Egypt.

Undead And Unforgiven

Undead And Unforgiven by MaryJanice Davidson, 286 pages

“If Betsy Taylor has learned anything about ruling Hell it's: 1) She can't do it alone, and 2) She doesn't have to. She's got the help of a devoted vampire king, a dateless zombie, an exhausted new mom, an unshowered cop, a bitchy ghost, a kindly dead priest, and her late stepmother ("Go Team Satan 2.0!"). But the latest major hurdle in her afterlife is so big she can't even see it until it's on YouTube. Betsy's father and half sister Laura (a former Antichrist with a grudge) have teamed up, for what sinister purpose Betsy can't imagine. The former Antichrist didn't take kindly to getting what she wished for, and has decided that's entirely the fault of the vampire queen. What that means for Betsy is trouble (more than usual, even) and possible exposure to an unsuspecting world. Meanwhile Hell is having a deleterious effect on Betsy's friends ("I didn't think it was possible, but the damned are getting meaner."), the newly dead are confused about Hell's new rules ("A buddy system? Really?"), and the vampire king is trying to poach on Betsy's territory. Betsy loves her husband, but that's not the same as trusting him. Before long the king and queen of the vampires aren't speaking to each other, the mansion on Summit Avenue is a war zone, and Betsy's getting calls from a werewolf, a mermaid, and worst of all, her mother ("What do you mean you can't babysit?"). No one said life after death would be easy, but c'mon: this is ridiculous.”  These books are still pretty funny.  The storylines are getting a little crazy but I’m still enjoying them.  These are for people who like supernatural romantic comedy.

Darkest Hour

Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot             PlayAway 6 hours, 21 minutes   Paperback book: 336 pages                    Genre:   Adult Fiction Ghost Story,  Paranormal  Mediators

I liked this book so much!    Again, I found out this book is number four in the Mediator Series – I wish there was some way to note that on the covers or list it somehow so the reader knows before they jump in but I found that out at the very end.    However, this book totally stands on its own and anyone could read it and enjoy it for the story it tells without indulging in those prior.   GOOD BOOK.  If you are a fan of ghost stories, the paranormal in general this is right up your alley.    It has people who see ghosts, Suze in particular is the star mediator and main character.    She is one tough young lady fights toe to toe with ethereal beings and tells the reader that mediators (like herself) are hard to kill, but, they can be hurt apparently a lot.  Lots of action,  lots of ghosts, exorcisms – not sanctioned by the Catholic Church and one led by …well, I will let you read the story to find out – but it is awesome!     Suze has seen so many dead people by now she just takes it in her stride and when a young boy at the hotel she is working at starts having weird reactions, she knows he is a mediator, too.    The story soars from there.   The boy’s parents send him to psychotherapy thinking he is imagining all the horrors he tries to tell them about.   Suze knows better.   Suze sees them, too.    Such a great story.   I really liked it.   Now I must go back and catch up on all I have missed.   I highly recommend this one to anyone remotely interested in communication with the other plane.   Really well developed characters and really well told events.   Yes, I loved it.    Checking for the rest of the titles in this series right now.

Jason

Jason by Laurell K. Hamilton, 292 pages

"’Enjoying pain with your pleasure is something you either get, or you don't. If you get it, then you don't really need it explained, because you know how good it feels, and if you don't get it then no amount of talking is going to convince you it makes sense.’ But sometimes you have to explain the unexplainable, especially if the love of your life needs to understand, or she'll leave you. Jason Schuyler is one of Anita Blake's best friends and favorite werewolves, with benefits. J.J. is his lady love, an old flame from childhood who dances at one of the top ballet companies in New York. She's accomplished, beautiful, and she's crazy about him, too. Neither of them wants to be monogamous, so what could go wrong? J.J. is enthusiastically bisexual, with an emphasis on the female side of things. She plans to keep sleeping with women, because Jason can't meet that need, just like she can't meet Jason's need for rough sex and bondage. J.J. doesn't understand why Jason isn't content to go elsewhere for a need she can't fulfil, so Jason asks Anita to help him explain. Anita is having her own relationship growing pains with her only female lover ever, Jade. Jason suggests that J.J. might be able to help Anita with her girl problem, while she helps him with his kinky explanations. With some encouragement from a few other lovers in Anita's life she reluctantly agrees, and J. J. makes plans to fly into town for an experience that none of them will ever forget.” Hamilton’s books have become less story and more sex with every new book, I think.  I still enjoy them, but people that are just looking for a good supernatural read will probably not be satisfied.  These books are a lot closer to erotica than anything else but people who like erotica are likely to love this book.