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The Marnie Baranuik Files #1
Touched
The media has a nickname for Marnie Baranuik, though she’d rather they didn’t; they call her the Great White Shark, a rare dual-talented forensic psychic. Twice-Touched by the Blue Sense--which gives her the ability to feel the emotions of others, and read impressions left behind on objects--Marnie also has a doctorate in preternatural biology and a working knowledge of the dark arts. She is considered without peer in the psychic community.
Then her first big FBI case ended with a bullet in one shoulder and a chip on the other, a queasy heart and a serial killer in the wind, leaving her a public flop and a private wreck. When the FBI’s preternatural crimes unit tracks her down at a remote mountain lodge for her insight on a local case, her quiet retirement is promptly besieged by a stab-happy starlet, a rampaging ghoul, and a vampire-hunting jackass in tight Wranglers. Marnie figures the only real mystery is which one will kill her first.
Too mean to die young, backed up by friends in cold places, and running with a mouth as demure as a cannon’s blast, Marnie Baranuik is about to discover that there’s no such thing as quitting time when you’re Touched.
Then her first big FBI case ended with a bullet in one shoulder and a chip on the other, a queasy heart and a serial killer in the wind, leaving her a public flop and a private wreck. When the FBI’s preternatural crimes unit tracks her down at a remote mountain lodge for her insight on a local case, her quiet retirement is promptly besieged by a stab-happy starlet, a rampaging ghoul, and a vampire-hunting jackass in tight Wranglers. Marnie figures the only real mystery is which one will kill her first.
Too mean to die young, backed up by friends in cold places, and running with a mouth as demure as a cannon’s blast, Marnie Baranuik is about to discover that there’s no such thing as quitting time when you’re Touched.
424 pages, ebook
First published September 18, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 537 reviews
May 8, 2015
I have gotten to where I do not like vampire books. I read a ton of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books and completely loved their cheesiness at the time, but I grew bored of them. I probably would not have requested this one from Netgalley if I had realized that one of the main characters was a vampire or Revenant as he had rather be called.
I would have lost out on a book series that I think I'm going to love.
The main character Marnie is twice gifted forensic psychic. She had been working with the FBI helping them to solve crimes until she and one of the FBI guys did the horizontal mambo and she was shot by a Revenant in the line of duty. She quit.
The case of a dead twelve year old brings her hot FBI guy, Mark Batten and his boss back to her door asking for help. The girl's head ends up in Marnie's mailbox and another psychic witch decides she wants Marnie dead. She also happens to want Marnie's Cold Companion Harry. Harry is Marnie's Revenant, she functions as his day-sitter supplying him with his blood supply. It sounds so full of shit doesn't it? I thought so too, but danged if this book doesn't grab you and keep you entertained.
Marnie's skills come from psi energy from Harry so she can craft up a few witchy spells too.
Those come in handy when a ghoul is now on her ass.
Marnie is pretty kick ass during the whole book. She is snarky and has a gift for always getting everything she attempts to do wrong. No Mary-Sue's allowed for this character.
She does let a ton of her personal drama effect how she handles problems as they pop up. That did annoy me at times but then she would threaten to beat the crap outta someone and my attention would return.
Now there is the dreaded love triangle that happens in the story and the weird thing is..for this book it works.
Maybe the love triangle works in this one because Marnie knows if they both get on her nerves she still has "Mr. Buzz" (her 9 inch purple vibrator)
I honestly couldn't decide which one I wanted her to be with the most. Mark Batten the hot FBI guy, he was snarky and he was an asshole most of the time. I wanted to bang him.
Something about the way Batten stood, legs spread wide and sturdy, owning his space with a military bearing, shoulders back, jaw tight, made me wanna hit him with a hammer then sit in his lap and suck his tongue a little.
Then Harry. I can't believe I liked a vampire/revenant character. I did though. English, perfect manners, a bit of a receding hairline. I kept picturing him as this guy.
Totally bangable in a weird place in my head.
I'm totally rambling about hot guys. *head desk* I'll turn into one of those vampie fangirls before we know it and then we will all be doomed.
Anyways, read this book if you want a different type of urban/paranormal fiction. There were a few problems with it but not enough that I wanted to shoot anyone. (Harry's calling Marnie his only love a few too many times, His weird English sayings)
"She's an everyday, person, relatable, touchable."
"Hear that?" Carrie teased. "You're touchable. Like quilted toilet paper."
"Spendid," I said sourly. "Must be why the world wipes its ass with me."
Kids know. Pulling your blankets up over your head fools some monsters. If they can't see you, they give up and stumble off down the hall to eat your parents.
"What are you, a James Bond villain?" I said. "The least hot Bond girl ever? Pussy NoMore?"
I would have lost out on a book series that I think I'm going to love.
The main character Marnie is twice gifted forensic psychic. She had been working with the FBI helping them to solve crimes until she and one of the FBI guys did the horizontal mambo and she was shot by a Revenant in the line of duty. She quit.
The case of a dead twelve year old brings her hot FBI guy, Mark Batten and his boss back to her door asking for help. The girl's head ends up in Marnie's mailbox and another psychic witch decides she wants Marnie dead. She also happens to want Marnie's Cold Companion Harry. Harry is Marnie's Revenant, she functions as his day-sitter supplying him with his blood supply. It sounds so full of shit doesn't it? I thought so too, but danged if this book doesn't grab you and keep you entertained.
Marnie's skills come from psi energy from Harry so she can craft up a few witchy spells too.
Those come in handy when a ghoul is now on her ass.
Marnie is pretty kick ass during the whole book. She is snarky and has a gift for always getting everything she attempts to do wrong. No Mary-Sue's allowed for this character.
She does let a ton of her personal drama effect how she handles problems as they pop up. That did annoy me at times but then she would threaten to beat the crap outta someone and my attention would return.
Now there is the dreaded love triangle that happens in the story and the weird thing is..for this book it works.
Maybe the love triangle works in this one because Marnie knows if they both get on her nerves she still has "Mr. Buzz" (her 9 inch purple vibrator)
I honestly couldn't decide which one I wanted her to be with the most. Mark Batten the hot FBI guy, he was snarky and he was an asshole most of the time. I wanted to bang him.
Something about the way Batten stood, legs spread wide and sturdy, owning his space with a military bearing, shoulders back, jaw tight, made me wanna hit him with a hammer then sit in his lap and suck his tongue a little.
Then Harry. I can't believe I liked a vampire/revenant character. I did though. English, perfect manners, a bit of a receding hairline. I kept picturing him as this guy.
Totally bangable in a weird place in my head.
I'm totally rambling about hot guys. *head desk* I'll turn into one of those vampie fangirls before we know it and then we will all be doomed.
Anyways, read this book if you want a different type of urban/paranormal fiction. There were a few problems with it but not enough that I wanted to shoot anyone. (Harry's calling Marnie his only love a few too many times, His weird English sayings)
"She's an everyday, person, relatable, touchable."
"Hear that?" Carrie teased. "You're touchable. Like quilted toilet paper."
"Spendid," I said sourly. "Must be why the world wipes its ass with me."
Kids know. Pulling your blankets up over your head fools some monsters. If they can't see you, they give up and stumble off down the hall to eat your parents.
"What are you, a James Bond villain?" I said. "The least hot Bond girl ever? Pussy NoMore?"
December 14, 2021
4 stars
Minor spoilers ahead
This is the kind of book that grips you from the first few sentences with excellent world building, action and snarkiness in equal measures. Unfortunately for me, it also has one of my most dreaded pet peeves. A triangle. And I didn't know it till I was about 25% in, that that was the direction it was taking. I should have clued in sooner...
I hate triangles. Very,very few books have made me read them and actually enjoy them and sympathize with the h. Usually we're stuck trying to pick one of the Heroes which sucks because either one of them turns "bad"/"not good enough" for the heroine or whatever bullshit reason the author comes up with. Typically it's the one you're rooting for because heaven forbid any heroine that picks the sensible choice. And this is my problem here.
We have Agent Batten, human, FBI and former vampire hunter. Who has insane chemistry with our Marnie Baranuik. Insanely hot chemistry like break-the-door-you're-having-sex-against hot. Every time Marnie looks at Batten they fight, bicker, sass each other while secretly thinking of boinking each others brains out. Naturally, while reading this and since he was mentioned first I sort of got attached to Agent "Kill-Notch".
Imagine my surprise when after I've settled in and looking forward to Marnie's and Batten's explosive meetings, a wrench is thrown in all my yummy fantasies. Specifically, a wrench called Harry. And it's no small wrench either. It's shaped like a vampire, excuse me, revenant in this book. Lord Dreppenstedt aka Harry, a British peer that lives with Marnie. He is her Cold Companion and irrevocably connected to her. Not only that, he is the reason Marnie has powers to begin with. She feeds Harry and in return Harry shares his powers with her through their Bond. He's British, takes care of her in a million little ways and tries to protect her. So you see, now I'm in a conundrum and don't know who to pick or root for. Which I loathe.
This isn't even the main plot of the book. The triangle is there in full effect with each of Marnie's interactions with either man but there's so much more going on that you soon lose sight of the triangle as such and focus on the intricacies of the world building. The powers, the do's and don't's ,the twists that keep popping up out of nowhere. A deranged starlet, a rampaging ghoul and so much more. This was one action packed book with a heroine that's less than inept, constantly failing but not in an aggravating way. I did get a tad annoyed with how much Marnie runs her mouth though towards the end and that along with the infernal triangle did deduct a star from this. Even so, I really want to know what happens next which is annoying me even more as I still can't pick who she should end up with.
Minor spoilers ahead
This is the kind of book that grips you from the first few sentences with excellent world building, action and snarkiness in equal measures. Unfortunately for me, it also has one of my most dreaded pet peeves. A triangle. And I didn't know it till I was about 25% in, that that was the direction it was taking. I should have clued in sooner...
I hate triangles. Very,very few books have made me read them and actually enjoy them and sympathize with the h. Usually we're stuck trying to pick one of the Heroes which sucks because either one of them turns "bad"/"not good enough" for the heroine or whatever bullshit reason the author comes up with. Typically it's the one you're rooting for because heaven forbid any heroine that picks the sensible choice. And this is my problem here.
We have Agent Batten, human, FBI and former vampire hunter. Who has insane chemistry with our Marnie Baranuik. Insanely hot chemistry like break-the-door-you're-having-sex-against hot. Every time Marnie looks at Batten they fight, bicker, sass each other while secretly thinking of boinking each others brains out. Naturally, while reading this and since he was mentioned first I sort of got attached to Agent "Kill-Notch".
Imagine my surprise when after I've settled in and looking forward to Marnie's and Batten's explosive meetings, a wrench is thrown in all my yummy fantasies. Specifically, a wrench called Harry. And it's no small wrench either. It's shaped like a vampire, excuse me, revenant in this book. Lord Dreppenstedt aka Harry, a British peer that lives with Marnie. He is her Cold Companion and irrevocably connected to her. Not only that, he is the reason Marnie has powers to begin with. She feeds Harry and in return Harry shares his powers with her through their Bond. He's British, takes care of her in a million little ways and tries to protect her. So you see, now I'm in a conundrum and don't know who to pick or root for. Which I loathe.
This isn't even the main plot of the book. The triangle is there in full effect with each of Marnie's interactions with either man but there's so much more going on that you soon lose sight of the triangle as such and focus on the intricacies of the world building. The powers, the do's and don't's ,the twists that keep popping up out of nowhere. A deranged starlet, a rampaging ghoul and so much more. This was one action packed book with a heroine that's less than inept, constantly failing but not in an aggravating way. I did get a tad annoyed with how much Marnie runs her mouth though towards the end and that along with the infernal triangle did deduct a star from this. Even so, I really want to know what happens next which is annoying me even more as I still can't pick who she should end up with.
then-again-maybe-not
March 10, 2021
April 24, 2013
Awesome! Loved this!
Yay! I have found a new urban fantasy series to love! Excuse me a moment while I do my best fan girl squee! The Marnie Baranuik Files combines humor, magic, and some scary monsters for a laugh out loud exhilarating read. And because I loved it, I had to share the love and spread the world. This is truly a hidden gem. Don’t miss this book.
OK. Fan girl moment over.
The first book of The Marnie Baranuik Files, Touched, focuses on Marnie Baranuik, a retired forensic psychic for the FBI’s Preternatural Crime Unit. Marnie is quite talented, not only is she an empath (Feeler), she can also read objects just by touch (Groper). Marnie also holds degrees in Preternatural Biology and she is also a practitioner of witchcraft.
I adored Marnie. She has an amazing sense of humor and she loves her junk food, so the sugar addict in me can easily relate to her, especially for her love of cookies. Marnie’s inner voice cracked me up and her knowledge of all things paranormal was impressive. Marnie tends to be a walking disaster, unintentionally wreaking havoc and requiring rescue. I didn’t see her as “too stupid to live,” however there were moments when I questioned her motives.
The men in Marnie’s life were quite interesting. It’s hard to decide if I’m on Team Harry or Team Mark. Marnie is a Day Sitter for her Cold Comfort and housemate Harry, who she “inherited” from her grandmother. Harry is a vampire, although in this book all vampires are referred to as revenants. Marnie is to keep Harry safe in the daytime while he “sleeps” and to supply him with blood (hers). Marnie and Harry share a bond, though in this book, the bond is a little wonky. Harry is very fastidious and he likes the finer things in life. Harry is such an interesting character. He’s over 400 years old and loves to speak with archaic and obscure language. Harry cares a great deal for Marnie and even bakes her cookies and brownies.
Personally, I think I’d be Team Mark. Mark is an ex-vampire hunter. He is an imposing character, all man and muscle and broodiness. Marnie has fond memories of a stakeout tryst with Mark and those memories form a constant part of her inner dialogue. The sexual tension between these two is electric, and even though Marnie “hates” Mark, her body remembers…
The world building is fascinating. Touched takes place in Boulder, Colorado. This is a world where vampires or revenants are followed by debt vultures that wait for the vampire to die. The debt vultures attract other scary critters like flesh eating beetles and carrion spiders – eww!
The author’s sense of humor cracked me up. There are some really funny lines in the book:
If you are looking for a new urban fantasy series with a snarky heroine and some manly men, then look no further. Touched by A.J. Aalto is a great addition to the urban fantasy genre. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
Yay! I have found a new urban fantasy series to love! Excuse me a moment while I do my best fan girl squee! The Marnie Baranuik Files combines humor, magic, and some scary monsters for a laugh out loud exhilarating read. And because I loved it, I had to share the love and spread the world. This is truly a hidden gem. Don’t miss this book.
OK. Fan girl moment over.
The first book of The Marnie Baranuik Files, Touched, focuses on Marnie Baranuik, a retired forensic psychic for the FBI’s Preternatural Crime Unit. Marnie is quite talented, not only is she an empath (Feeler), she can also read objects just by touch (Groper). Marnie also holds degrees in Preternatural Biology and she is also a practitioner of witchcraft.
I adored Marnie. She has an amazing sense of humor and she loves her junk food, so the sugar addict in me can easily relate to her, especially for her love of cookies. Marnie’s inner voice cracked me up and her knowledge of all things paranormal was impressive. Marnie tends to be a walking disaster, unintentionally wreaking havoc and requiring rescue. I didn’t see her as “too stupid to live,” however there were moments when I questioned her motives.
The men in Marnie’s life were quite interesting. It’s hard to decide if I’m on Team Harry or Team Mark. Marnie is a Day Sitter for her Cold Comfort and housemate Harry, who she “inherited” from her grandmother. Harry is a vampire, although in this book all vampires are referred to as revenants. Marnie is to keep Harry safe in the daytime while he “sleeps” and to supply him with blood (hers). Marnie and Harry share a bond, though in this book, the bond is a little wonky. Harry is very fastidious and he likes the finer things in life. Harry is such an interesting character. He’s over 400 years old and loves to speak with archaic and obscure language. Harry cares a great deal for Marnie and even bakes her cookies and brownies.
Personally, I think I’d be Team Mark. Mark is an ex-vampire hunter. He is an imposing character, all man and muscle and broodiness. Marnie has fond memories of a stakeout tryst with Mark and those memories form a constant part of her inner dialogue. The sexual tension between these two is electric, and even though Marnie “hates” Mark, her body remembers…
The world building is fascinating. Touched takes place in Boulder, Colorado. This is a world where vampires or revenants are followed by debt vultures that wait for the vampire to die. The debt vultures attract other scary critters like flesh eating beetles and carrion spiders – eww!
The author’s sense of humor cracked me up. There are some really funny lines in the book:
“What are you, a James Bond villain?” I said. “The least-hot Bond-girl ever? Pussy No-More?”The ongoing jokes between the characters were funny. Marnie collects things with frogs – and suddenly all the frogs had little black marker fangs.
If you are looking for a new urban fantasy series with a snarky heroine and some manly men, then look no further. Touched by A.J. Aalto is a great addition to the urban fantasy genre. I can’t wait to read more by this author.
Thank you to the publisher for a review copy of this book.
Review posted on Badass Book Reviews.
July 23, 2013
I didn't finish this one because I couldn't bring myself to care what happens to the characters and because it annoyed me in several different and creative ways. The writing isn't bad, but there were so many things wrong that I couldn't enjoy reading it.
Specifically:
- The protagonist is insecure and whiny and foul-mouthed, and I can't see what her sophisticated vampire buddy sees in her.
- The vampire, Harry, is constantly a jerk asshole and nobody ever calls him on it, including the tough-ass FBI vampire hunter. For instance, he constantly uses precious British slang expressions of his youth, despite that he's had a two centuries to learn new idioms in a different country. He's not too stupid to learn modern English; it's some sort of superiority game.
- Could not believe that . This was so transparent and the characters so obtuse and the items in question mentioned so often, that it was the annoyance that kept on giving for the entire first half of the book.
- Needs a good copy edit. The word "cannon" to mean a principle, for instance. Drives me wild.
- Numerous plot irrationalities that transparently serve the author's purpose. For instance, and or that .
- I suppose it's a convention of the genre that the female protagonist would be obsessed by the bad boy FBI agent's hot bod, but it's not a convention I find appealing. Especially since this protagonist is a weak character in so many other ways.
- Numerous cliches used without any apparent attempt at humor. E.g. newt eyeballs -- really?
Specifically:
- The protagonist is insecure and whiny and foul-mouthed, and I can't see what her sophisticated vampire buddy sees in her.
- The vampire, Harry, is constantly a jerk asshole and nobody ever calls him on it, including the tough-ass FBI vampire hunter. For instance, he constantly uses precious British slang expressions of his youth, despite that he's had a two centuries to learn new idioms in a different country. He's not too stupid to learn modern English; it's some sort of superiority game.
- Could not believe that . This was so transparent and the characters so obtuse and the items in question mentioned so often, that it was the annoyance that kept on giving for the entire first half of the book.
- Needs a good copy edit. The word "cannon" to mean a principle, for instance. Drives me wild.
- Numerous plot irrationalities that transparently serve the author's purpose. For instance, and or that .
- I suppose it's a convention of the genre that the female protagonist would be obsessed by the bad boy FBI agent's hot bod, but it's not a convention I find appealing. Especially since this protagonist is a weak character in so many other ways.
- Numerous cliches used without any apparent attempt at humor. E.g. newt eyeballs -- really?
December 18, 2015
The easiest way to explain Touched… If Janet Evanovich and Charlaine Harris had a book baby, with a side of Darynda Jones.
Touched is a quirky paranormal romance love triangle with a snarky well-meaning gal, who has waaaaay to many paranormal beings and issues vying for her attention.
It was funny and engrossing. I liked the quick wit and the mystery that surrounded Marnie. Her vamp and the seriously sexy FBI guy both want her to help each of them in different ways. We are left constantly wanting to know more about why that is.
For the frugal reader Touched is a great deal as far as cost and book length. (Currently it’s free on Kindle Unlimited)
Did I love this read? Yes, although it could become a tad monotonous here and there prompting some skim reading. Did I like the characters? Yes! All were good, solid characters I became invested in. Did I like the love tri-angle? Yes and no. I was torn and still am. I like both guys, but felt like Marnie was using them both too. Will I continue with the series? I am not sure. Why? Well, it was a very long read and like I said before, I did skim read a bit here and there. I don’t feel like Marnie will choose my pick for her either… I dunno maybe it’s too soon to say yes or no. Maybe will be my answer for that question. Was it worth the read? YES! I have found a new author I am very interested in. AJ Alto is going on my watch list for sure!
4.5 Star read
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Touched is a quirky paranormal romance love triangle with a snarky well-meaning gal, who has waaaaay to many paranormal beings and issues vying for her attention.
It was funny and engrossing. I liked the quick wit and the mystery that surrounded Marnie. Her vamp and the seriously sexy FBI guy both want her to help each of them in different ways. We are left constantly wanting to know more about why that is.
For the frugal reader Touched is a great deal as far as cost and book length. (Currently it’s free on Kindle Unlimited)
Did I love this read? Yes, although it could become a tad monotonous here and there prompting some skim reading. Did I like the characters? Yes! All were good, solid characters I became invested in. Did I like the love tri-angle? Yes and no. I was torn and still am. I like both guys, but felt like Marnie was using them both too. Will I continue with the series? I am not sure. Why? Well, it was a very long read and like I said before, I did skim read a bit here and there. I don’t feel like Marnie will choose my pick for her either… I dunno maybe it’s too soon to say yes or no. Maybe will be my answer for that question. Was it worth the read? YES! I have found a new author I am very interested in. AJ Alto is going on my watch list for sure!
4.5 Star read
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January 21, 2015
It's been a while since I've read an urban fantasy with a female protagonist. The last one was two months ago and the one before that was four months ago. Both were quite good, but I realized I am anxious every time I start an urban fantasy series featuring the same character. Sooner or later, an author adds something that messes up either the story, the world, the main character or all the above.
But I am persistent.
The rules of this world are interesting. The supernatural is neither completely laughed at nor is it accepted by everyone. Government agencies use psychics to help them in their cases, the world is a couple of steps closer to the supernatural than ours is.
The source of psychics' talents is always a vampire. There is no real psychic without one. In exchange for the power and talents, a DaySitter takes care of vampire's needs.
Marnie Baranuik is a white witch and a DaySitter who inherited her grandmother's vampire Harry. The less you think about their arrangement (especially in regards to the past), the better. Marnie calls them revenants since the term 'vampire' is not right. That doesn't stop her other love interest, an FBI agent and a former vampire hunter Mark Batten, to call them vampires.
The whole book is setting up stage for various relationships between four or five characters (I'm hoping Wes is there to stay since he is an interesting character). They do have a case though and it involves lots of magic, a dismembered twelve-year old girl, an insane stalkerish psychic and more deaths than Marnie expected.
The book has the weirdest triangle I've ever read. I hate them in any form, but this one so weird that I ended up wishing both 'love' interests stay. I would hardly call it a love triangle since there isn't a lot of love there. Lust, yes. I thought I would hate Mark (the agent), but in the end I almost felt sorry for the guy. In the beginning we find out that Marnie and Mark were together on a case, had sex and then she found out about his fiancée. I almost stopped reading there since that's one page too many to read about a cheater. It's all good though since none of it true which brings me to one of my issues with the book: Marnie continues with her hostile lust through the whole book. She doesn't have any reason to hate the guy anymore.
Another one is: Marnie is beautiful, but she thinks of herself as Plain Jane (that one was really annoying).
Marnie is scatter-brained. She makes so many mistakes that I wanted to kill her myself. She goes alone when she shouldn't, she doesn't bring weapons when she should, she brings a weapon then she doesn't use it, she is lusting after two characters, and so on.
The two FBI agents are nothing special. Mark is a good looking former vampire hunter who seems to be in love with Marnie. His colleague, on the other hand, is not very honest about his reasons for wanting to help. That part of this story and how it was resolved (if you can call it that) was not enjoyable to read. I expect the issue with agent Chapel to become bigger later.
Harry annoyed me most of the time. Every time Marnie got an opportunity to tell him about his mistakes, he managed to turn what she says against her. Every single time.
Then there is this: ''Second Cannon from Marie-Pierrette's journal', 'Seventh Cannon: know whom you're dealing with.' and this '...don't respect laws and don't adhere to cannons.'
I didn't mention everything that happens in this book of course. Overall, it isn't bad, it is a decent start of an urban fantasy series. It could even be refreshing in having a crazy scatter-brained and indecisive character that might grow into a great one instead of a supposedly awesome strong woman that turns into a doormat later in the series.
I may read the next one too. For a first book in a series, it has just enough to keep me interested if not for the main character alone, then for other things.
Oh, and there are zombies too, only they are not calling them that.
But I am persistent.
The rules of this world are interesting. The supernatural is neither completely laughed at nor is it accepted by everyone. Government agencies use psychics to help them in their cases, the world is a couple of steps closer to the supernatural than ours is.
The source of psychics' talents is always a vampire. There is no real psychic without one. In exchange for the power and talents, a DaySitter takes care of vampire's needs.
Marnie Baranuik is a white witch and a DaySitter who inherited her grandmother's vampire Harry. The less you think about their arrangement (especially in regards to the past), the better. Marnie calls them revenants since the term 'vampire' is not right. That doesn't stop her other love interest, an FBI agent and a former vampire hunter Mark Batten, to call them vampires.
The whole book is setting up stage for various relationships between four or five characters (I'm hoping Wes is there to stay since he is an interesting character). They do have a case though and it involves lots of magic, a dismembered twelve-year old girl, an insane stalkerish psychic and more deaths than Marnie expected.
The book has the weirdest triangle I've ever read. I hate them in any form, but this one so weird that I ended up wishing both 'love' interests stay. I would hardly call it a love triangle since there isn't a lot of love there. Lust, yes. I thought I would hate Mark (the agent), but in the end I almost felt sorry for the guy. In the beginning we find out that Marnie and Mark were together on a case, had sex and then she found out about his fiancée. I almost stopped reading there since that's one page too many to read about a cheater. It's all good though since none of it true which brings me to one of my issues with the book: Marnie continues with her hostile lust through the whole book. She doesn't have any reason to hate the guy anymore.
Another one is: Marnie is beautiful, but she thinks of herself as Plain Jane (that one was really annoying).
Marnie is scatter-brained. She makes so many mistakes that I wanted to kill her myself. She goes alone when she shouldn't, she doesn't bring weapons when she should, she brings a weapon then she doesn't use it, she is lusting after two characters, and so on.
The two FBI agents are nothing special. Mark is a good looking former vampire hunter who seems to be in love with Marnie. His colleague, on the other hand, is not very honest about his reasons for wanting to help. That part of this story and how it was resolved (if you can call it that) was not enjoyable to read. I expect the issue with agent Chapel to become bigger later.
Harry annoyed me most of the time. Every time Marnie got an opportunity to tell him about his mistakes, he managed to turn what she says against her. Every single time.
Then there is this: ''Second Cannon from Marie-Pierrette's journal', 'Seventh Cannon: know whom you're dealing with.' and this '...don't respect laws and don't adhere to cannons.'
I didn't mention everything that happens in this book of course. Overall, it isn't bad, it is a decent start of an urban fantasy series. It could even be refreshing in having a crazy scatter-brained and indecisive character that might grow into a great one instead of a supposedly awesome strong woman that turns into a doormat later in the series.
I may read the next one too. For a first book in a series, it has just enough to keep me interested if not for the main character alone, then for other things.
Oh, and there are zombies too, only they are not calling them that.
August 10, 2017
Warning: unlike my usual reviews, this one has tons of spoilers. I simply cannot review this adequately without revealing *what* affected me.
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I am starting with the bad because . . . well because it is mostly what I remember as I look back on the book.
The Bad: Marnie does the absolute stupidest things. And, it isn’t like she does them just once – even twice – she consistently repeats the same old stupid things. I mean, seriously, after the 4th time that she runs off by herself without telling any of the guys where she is going, and consciously leaves her gun in the car? She deserves what she gets.
The Mark Thing. I understand why, at the beginning, she does not want him around. I get it. But, when the entire ‘engaged’ thing is revealed as a hoax, why does she continue to hate on him? Yet, still lust him. Constantly. I hate him. Let’s have sex. I hate him. Let’s have sex. *rolls eyes*
The Henry Thing. When Marnie isn’t wanting to have sex with Mark, she wants to have sex with Henry. But, he won’t do it. And, then, when he acquiesces, it must be now, right now. And, how does this even work when one or the other of them is always asleep?
The Wes Thing. Strangely enough – this is the one that *really* bugged me. Her brother. Shows up. On Marnie’s doorstep. A ‘revenant’. From a family clearly not comfortable with the whole ‘undead’ situation. Having joined another ‘clan’. And he stays there? No reason is given as to *why* he made the decision to become a ‘revenant.’ No reason is given as to why he shows up on Marnie’s (and Henry’s) doorstep. No reason is given as to why he *stays* there. His entire existence is given no logic or point. It is like the author said to herself, ‘Oooh – I need a telepathic character to read Mark’s mind and let Marnie know that he wants to have sex with her all the time too. Let me put an undead brother on her doorstep!’ Really. Bugged. Me.
The Witchcraft. When I read an urban fantasy, I am ok with shifters, magic, paranormal and even, sigh, vampires. I do not like witchcraft. I am ok if it is ‘called’ something else – magic, sorcery – whatever – but witchcraft – with spells and pentagrams and other ‘witchy’ stuff – just goes against my personal belief system. Just me. I realize this. But, it is a roadblock for me.
The Good: I liked Marnie. Even though she has got to be one of the absolute stupidest heroines on the planet (or the next), I liked the way her brain worked (when she wasn’t thinking about sex with . . . well whomever was in the room.) Yes, she does stupid STUPID things. I’ve done way more than my fair share of stupid things. So, I could forgive her most of these. But, I did enjoy the tone with which the story was written.
The mystery. One of the best actually mysteries I have read recently in an Urban Fantasy. Most stories seem to revolve around the protagonist discovering some evil unleashed upon the (at least local) world and doing battle to do away with said evil. Few actually leave clues and that the reader can follow to pick up on exactly who the evil is. Ms. Aalto does a very good job of stringing the reader along for the big reveal near the end.
The world. The world developed here is totally intriguing. The relationship between the revenant and his ‘day sitter’ was fascinating. The gifts that this brings to both partners in the relationship was an interesting idea. And, the randomness of it . . . of course, this allows the author to bring whatever she desires to the party – but it is still clever.
I think, ultimately, my disgruntlement with this book is the unanswered questions. The only question it seems to answer is who did it? (Who killed the little girl.) But, when it comes to relationships and the people involved, we are left with a whole lot of nothing. Why is Henry resistant to sex with Marnie? Which one of these guys does Marnie really want? Why is her family so mad at her? Why on earth is Wes there? What about those pills? What is going on with Henry and Mark? How does Henry really feel about Marnie? Ugh. Nothing seems to move forward. Including the intelligence quotient of one Marnie Baranuik.
All in all – I am giving this one 2 stars. 2 solid stars. I originally felt that I might give it 3 with the love/hate falling right down the middle. Looking back, however, I decided all I remembered were the bad things and none of the good things and couldn’t justify the extra star to myself. If you cannot abide TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) heroines, seriously pass this one up. If witchcraft bothers you, skip it. If lust for absolutely no reason beyond lust bothers you, skip it. However. If you are able to tolerate all the bad, it actually ends up being entertaining. I will not be moving on in this series simply because of the witchcraft and the ‘lust’ triangle.
I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I am starting with the bad because . . . well because it is mostly what I remember as I look back on the book.
The Bad: Marnie does the absolute stupidest things. And, it isn’t like she does them just once – even twice – she consistently repeats the same old stupid things. I mean, seriously, after the 4th time that she runs off by herself without telling any of the guys where she is going, and consciously leaves her gun in the car? She deserves what she gets.
The Mark Thing. I understand why, at the beginning, she does not want him around. I get it. But, when the entire ‘engaged’ thing is revealed as a hoax, why does she continue to hate on him? Yet, still lust him. Constantly. I hate him. Let’s have sex. I hate him. Let’s have sex. *rolls eyes*
The Henry Thing. When Marnie isn’t wanting to have sex with Mark, she wants to have sex with Henry. But, he won’t do it. And, then, when he acquiesces, it must be now, right now. And, how does this even work when one or the other of them is always asleep?
The Wes Thing. Strangely enough – this is the one that *really* bugged me. Her brother. Shows up. On Marnie’s doorstep. A ‘revenant’. From a family clearly not comfortable with the whole ‘undead’ situation. Having joined another ‘clan’. And he stays there? No reason is given as to *why* he made the decision to become a ‘revenant.’ No reason is given as to why he shows up on Marnie’s (and Henry’s) doorstep. No reason is given as to why he *stays* there. His entire existence is given no logic or point. It is like the author said to herself, ‘Oooh – I need a telepathic character to read Mark’s mind and let Marnie know that he wants to have sex with her all the time too. Let me put an undead brother on her doorstep!’ Really. Bugged. Me.
The Witchcraft. When I read an urban fantasy, I am ok with shifters, magic, paranormal and even, sigh, vampires. I do not like witchcraft. I am ok if it is ‘called’ something else – magic, sorcery – whatever – but witchcraft – with spells and pentagrams and other ‘witchy’ stuff – just goes against my personal belief system. Just me. I realize this. But, it is a roadblock for me.
The Good: I liked Marnie. Even though she has got to be one of the absolute stupidest heroines on the planet (or the next), I liked the way her brain worked (when she wasn’t thinking about sex with . . . well whomever was in the room.) Yes, she does stupid STUPID things. I’ve done way more than my fair share of stupid things. So, I could forgive her most of these. But, I did enjoy the tone with which the story was written.
The mystery. One of the best actually mysteries I have read recently in an Urban Fantasy. Most stories seem to revolve around the protagonist discovering some evil unleashed upon the (at least local) world and doing battle to do away with said evil. Few actually leave clues and that the reader can follow to pick up on exactly who the evil is. Ms. Aalto does a very good job of stringing the reader along for the big reveal near the end.
The world. The world developed here is totally intriguing. The relationship between the revenant and his ‘day sitter’ was fascinating. The gifts that this brings to both partners in the relationship was an interesting idea. And, the randomness of it . . . of course, this allows the author to bring whatever she desires to the party – but it is still clever.
I think, ultimately, my disgruntlement with this book is the unanswered questions. The only question it seems to answer is who did it? (Who killed the little girl.) But, when it comes to relationships and the people involved, we are left with a whole lot of nothing. Why is Henry resistant to sex with Marnie? Which one of these guys does Marnie really want? Why is her family so mad at her? Why on earth is Wes there? What about those pills? What is going on with Henry and Mark? How does Henry really feel about Marnie? Ugh. Nothing seems to move forward. Including the intelligence quotient of one Marnie Baranuik.
All in all – I am giving this one 2 stars. 2 solid stars. I originally felt that I might give it 3 with the love/hate falling right down the middle. Looking back, however, I decided all I remembered were the bad things and none of the good things and couldn’t justify the extra star to myself. If you cannot abide TSTL (Too Stupid To Live) heroines, seriously pass this one up. If witchcraft bothers you, skip it. If lust for absolutely no reason beyond lust bothers you, skip it. However. If you are able to tolerate all the bad, it actually ends up being entertaining. I will not be moving on in this series simply because of the witchcraft and the ‘lust’ triangle.
February 19, 2015
I had to work hard to convince myself to finish this, and I should have let my less stubborn side prevail.
The book had some good points. The premise of a symbiotic relationship between a revenant (vampire is considered pejorative) and his bonded human Daysitter was unique and interesting. While providing mutual protection, the revenant feeds from the human while imbuing him or her with his own psychic powers. While this aspect of world-building was intriguing, so much else either went unanswered or seemed inconsistent. How did the witch powers fit into the bonded pairings? Was this part of the bond or were only witches capable of it? If revenants couldn't bond until at least age 250, how did the younger ones survive undetected? What options did non-bonded revs have other than going insane?
My biggest problem with the book, though, was Marnie herself. While the foul-mouthed wisecracking was funny at first, it grew old over the course of the book. For a young woman with a doctorate, she also seemed pretty darned stupid not only about her area of "expertise" but about nearly everything. The storyline of the (overlong) book could be summarized by: Marnie does something incredibly stupid or impulsive, resulting in her getting shot/stabbed/otherwise seriously injured. She craves sex with one or both of two different men while being obnoxiously rude or rejecting. Rinse. Repeat.
Intermittently throughout the book, Marnie wondered to herself how she could be such an idiot. I usually echoed the sentiment and probably now should apply the same question to myself for slogging through this whole book.
The book had some good points. The premise of a symbiotic relationship between a revenant (vampire is considered pejorative) and his bonded human Daysitter was unique and interesting. While providing mutual protection, the revenant feeds from the human while imbuing him or her with his own psychic powers. While this aspect of world-building was intriguing, so much else either went unanswered or seemed inconsistent. How did the witch powers fit into the bonded pairings? Was this part of the bond or were only witches capable of it? If revenants couldn't bond until at least age 250, how did the younger ones survive undetected? What options did non-bonded revs have other than going insane?
My biggest problem with the book, though, was Marnie herself. While the foul-mouthed wisecracking was funny at first, it grew old over the course of the book. For a young woman with a doctorate, she also seemed pretty darned stupid not only about her area of "expertise" but about nearly everything. The storyline of the (overlong) book could be summarized by: Marnie does something incredibly stupid or impulsive, resulting in her getting shot/stabbed/otherwise seriously injured. She craves sex with one or both of two different men while being obnoxiously rude or rejecting. Rinse. Repeat.
Intermittently throughout the book, Marnie wondered to herself how she could be such an idiot. I usually echoed the sentiment and probably now should apply the same question to myself for slogging through this whole book.
October 3, 2015
I wrote my review but obviously my computer wasn't happy with it and decided not to safe it. So here just a short account of my feelings for this book
I was really disappointed with this book: I had high hopes but the book just couldn't deliver
The heroine was a whiny spoiled childish person who did not think about other people, Harry who could have been very interesting was really cold and Batten was not really consistent in his character.
The idea of the symbiosis between psychic and vampire was interesting but never fully developed or explained
I hate love triangles but this was even more of a mess and hurtful than most. Marnies relationship with both men just seemed like cheating all of the time and that is something I can't stand
All in all not a book I would recommend
Disclaimer: an ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
I was really disappointed with this book: I had high hopes but the book just couldn't deliver
The heroine was a whiny spoiled childish person who did not think about other people, Harry who could have been very interesting was really cold and Batten was not really consistent in his character.
The idea of the symbiosis between psychic and vampire was interesting but never fully developed or explained
I hate love triangles but this was even more of a mess and hurtful than most. Marnies relationship with both men just seemed like cheating all of the time and that is something I can't stand
All in all not a book I would recommend
Disclaimer: an ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
June 10, 2015
This was some of the best smart ass banter I think I have ever read. In saying that though, I took a star off, because I'm not sure the actual story was anything to rave about - It was overshadowed by a whole bunch of curse words that I took careful note of to make sure they end up in my vocabulary. Can't wait to see my Mum's face when I call someone a 'fucksock'.
August 1, 2016
2.5 stars. Review to come.
November 17, 2020
Quite a fun book. Great characters, interesting take on vampires, super fun cuss words, a little bit of witchcraft, heavy on the sexual tension.
I like Marnie. She does dumb things. What makes it OK is that she knows she makes mistakes and at times is quite an idiot. She doesn't do it on purpose and actually tries to avoid scenarios where her idiocy may rear its ugly head, but it doesn't always work out. But at least she knows and acknowledges that she isn't perfect. Harry the vampire is an awesome dude, especially when he uses such obscure words that no one understands him. I'm pretty certain he is my favorite character. He dresses like it's 1920 pretty much every day, many days he wears a tux :)
I really like what the author did with vampires. Most of the book centers around people with special psychic powers. What made it different is that the humans don't actually possess these powers, they borrow them from being bonded with a vamp. The humans are "daysitters" for the vampire, they are in charge of protecting them and in turn they receive the powers from the vampire through a Bond. The Bond lasts for as long as the human lives and they form deep, meaningful friendships. Marnie and Harry are definitely besties. Also, "vampire" is considered a derogatory term. It's no longer PC to call them that, they are now known as revenants.
There were a few minor mistakes that popped up through the book. I always feel that if you make references to current popular things, they should be spelled correctly (especially if it's a person). Caesar Millan is Cesar, Craigslist is one word, not Craig's List. Minor things, and thankfully they didn't occur often enough to take me out of the story. I was still fully enjoying the read.
I like Marnie. She does dumb things. What makes it OK is that she knows she makes mistakes and at times is quite an idiot. She doesn't do it on purpose and actually tries to avoid scenarios where her idiocy may rear its ugly head, but it doesn't always work out. But at least she knows and acknowledges that she isn't perfect. Harry the vampire is an awesome dude, especially when he uses such obscure words that no one understands him. I'm pretty certain he is my favorite character. He dresses like it's 1920 pretty much every day, many days he wears a tux :)
I really like what the author did with vampires. Most of the book centers around people with special psychic powers. What made it different is that the humans don't actually possess these powers, they borrow them from being bonded with a vamp. The humans are "daysitters" for the vampire, they are in charge of protecting them and in turn they receive the powers from the vampire through a Bond. The Bond lasts for as long as the human lives and they form deep, meaningful friendships. Marnie and Harry are definitely besties. Also, "vampire" is considered a derogatory term. It's no longer PC to call them that, they are now known as revenants.
There were a few minor mistakes that popped up through the book. I always feel that if you make references to current popular things, they should be spelled correctly (especially if it's a person). Caesar Millan is Cesar, Craigslist is one word, not Craig's List. Minor things, and thankfully they didn't occur often enough to take me out of the story. I was still fully enjoying the read.
d-n-f
January 19, 2017Am I stupid? I can't understand what anyone is saying. We're dropped right into a meeting where everyone refers to past events with zero context. Then they just keep going on and on about things like I'm supposed to know wtf they're referring to, but I don't. The words they're using don't make any sense without context. The sentences they are saying make no sense because they're overly long and complex, still with no context. I feel like I've been dropped into the middle of a book written in a foreign language.
I made it 5% and was confused the entire way.
I made it 5% and was confused the entire way.
June 17, 2013
This book was just...wow! I'll have to come up with a better review for Bitten by Books.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
Overall rating: 4.5/5.0 stars.
Reviewed for Bitten by Books. http://bittenbybooks.com.
November 9, 2020
3.5
Re-read-->3 stars
So this time around unfortunately I didn't enjoy the story as much. I think when I first read it I was totally down for the quip-quipiness of the dialogue and thought the plot was interesting...but now I just find the back and forth banter to be a little too forced, and the murder mystery haphazard.
x-----------------------------------x
So the major problem what that the characters weren't quite doing it for me this time.
Also, I never really liked Harry the first time around, and I like him even less now. Marnie's character really has to have some seriously thick skin to deal with this immortal undead's constant sniping, and at one point I found my self thinking he was such a prig. He calls her hair dull and boring, calls her face fat, he constantly is in disdain of her clothes, and he calls her low class. I don't know if I could handle that kind of criticism for what 10 years?
Not to mention the lying, the petty lessons, and the pills...
And don't get me started on Batten. While I find him hot as hell as a character- he is all over the place too. Using her as bait one minuet and then being over protective the next? Which is it?
Its one thing to banter, but do they all have to be assholes to each other all the time? About everything? They have chemistry, but I need a little consistency somewhere. The only semi relatable person is Chapel, and he still has some stuff going on with him.
And Marnie...its like the story is telling us how smart she is, but the amount of stuff she doesn't get, lets go for later, or completely ignores is so frustrating.
"When someone says “jump”, Marnie Baranuik is more liable to kick them in the yambag than ask “how high”?
Re-read-->3 stars
So this time around unfortunately I didn't enjoy the story as much. I think when I first read it I was totally down for the quip-quipiness of the dialogue and thought the plot was interesting...but now I just find the back and forth banter to be a little too forced, and the murder mystery haphazard.
x-----------------------------------x
So the major problem what that the characters weren't quite doing it for me this time.
Also, I never really liked Harry the first time around, and I like him even less now. Marnie's character really has to have some seriously thick skin to deal with this immortal undead's constant sniping, and at one point I found my self thinking he was such a prig. He calls her hair dull and boring, calls her face fat, he constantly is in disdain of her clothes, and he calls her low class. I don't know if I could handle that kind of criticism for what 10 years?
"Harry demanded perfection from himself and others, and I didn't want him to change. At the same time, the high expectations every hour of every day wore on me like a constant grinding, something out of sync winding against a gear, especially since I was clearly incapable of living up to his impossible standards."
“I get enough criticism from them, Harry. I don't need it from you.” He looked genuinely confused. “If I don't criticize, how will you improve yourself?” “Maybe I don't need improvement.”
“Back off, could you? For tonight, for right this second, I'm fine the way I am.”
Not to mention the lying, the petty lessons, and the pills...
And don't get me started on Batten. While I find him hot as hell as a character- he is all over the place too. Using her as bait one minuet and then being over protective the next? Which is it?
"He was still using me, with no regard to how it might put me at risk or how damaged I already was. I studied his piercing, angry eyes. Demanding. God, he was such an asshole."
Its one thing to banter, but do they all have to be assholes to each other all the time? About everything? They have chemistry, but I need a little consistency somewhere. The only semi relatable person is Chapel, and he still has some stuff going on with him.
And Marnie...its like the story is telling us how smart she is, but the amount of stuff she doesn't get, lets go for later, or completely ignores is so frustrating.
February 4, 2012
This book is an absolute steal! Can't decide between a horror story, an adventure, a romance perhaps, or maybe even a comedy? Look no further. Touched is one of those rare books that spans multiple genres and makes it work.
The writing is fast paced and filled with lots of fun characters including the heroine, Marnie Baranuik. She's the female equivalent of Harry Dresden with a couple of extra neurosis and a major caffeine addiction thrown in.
If you like slow paced stories, this isn't for you. Don't expect a moment to breath as the author throws murder, monsters, and a little naughtiness at the reader at every turn, all coupled with Marnie's manic and often hilarious thoughts.
About the only downside I saw in this novel is that since the story is told from Marnie's first person perspective, her musings and perspective can make the action scenes a little chaotic sometimes. However, this is minor and in no way takes away from the enjoyment of seeing her and her allies stumble from one adventure to the next.
I highly recommend it and look forward to what AJ Aalto has next to offer the world.
The writing is fast paced and filled with lots of fun characters including the heroine, Marnie Baranuik. She's the female equivalent of Harry Dresden with a couple of extra neurosis and a major caffeine addiction thrown in.
If you like slow paced stories, this isn't for you. Don't expect a moment to breath as the author throws murder, monsters, and a little naughtiness at the reader at every turn, all coupled with Marnie's manic and often hilarious thoughts.
About the only downside I saw in this novel is that since the story is told from Marnie's first person perspective, her musings and perspective can make the action scenes a little chaotic sometimes. However, this is minor and in no way takes away from the enjoyment of seeing her and her allies stumble from one adventure to the next.
I highly recommend it and look forward to what AJ Aalto has next to offer the world.
April 19, 2013
What I liked about this one, I liked quite a bit- enjoyed the voice the author gave her main character Marnie- surprisingly the potty mouth worked for me- really liked the love interest(s)- interesting twists and turns. Didnt like all the witchy stuff and MAN is she fairly graphic- in fact, if I was watching this, i'd be covering my eyes. But then, can zombie-like ghouls be anything but gross, I mean, really?
Marnie, recently retired paranormal consultant is sucked back in with the gory death of a young girl that has much of the paranormal involved. If it were not for the fact her one time f!ckbuddy is the one who's re-recruiting her, she'd be a little less reluctant.
But jump in she does, and the person- and reason- behind the murder is much more involved then she ever imagined- and much more surprising.
Like I said, I liked the characters, enough to want to read the next book, but this first one has a few issues- too much meandering and I was a bit startled with where she went relationship-wise. Not sure I'm okay with it, BUT she didnt close doors AND surprising this jaded reader is never a bad thing.
Marnie, recently retired paranormal consultant is sucked back in with the gory death of a young girl that has much of the paranormal involved. If it were not for the fact her one time f!ckbuddy is the one who's re-recruiting her, she'd be a little less reluctant.
But jump in she does, and the person- and reason- behind the murder is much more involved then she ever imagined- and much more surprising.
Like I said, I liked the characters, enough to want to read the next book, but this first one has a few issues- too much meandering and I was a bit startled with where she went relationship-wise. Not sure I'm okay with it, BUT she didnt close doors AND surprising this jaded reader is never a bad thing.
June 4, 2017
Funny, entertaining and engaging characters, great mystery, a new slant on vampires and their 'DaySitters' - it's mutual, beneficial but can be destructive, too. Awesome beginning to a series.
May 3, 2014
I just finished this book, and what can I say? That I'm glad I have Goodreads friend with such good taste. Because this book was suggested to me, and I am afraid I wouldn't have picked it up otherwise. Which would have been an absolute shame. Because: This.Book.Was.Outstanding!
Marnie and Harry are no no doubt one of my favorite literary couples ever. Her sexually active imagination, absolute lack of brain-to-mouth filter, and impressive collection of creative curses, coupled with his elegant grasp on the (often archaic) English language, makes this one hell of a read. Yes, lord Harry has a way with words, so much so that he'll make your own vocabulary feel very insufficient. You might keep that in mind if you're pondering whether to buy the paperback or the kindle version. If I may make a suggestion: buy the kindle edition and download the English dictionary that comes with the kindle app. You'll most likely need it. And even then, your handy dictionary will be just as ignorant as you half of the time. Harry is 400+ years old, after all. Unlike so many historical characters out there in the literary world, he actually sounds and acts his age. How refreshing! I found his old fashioned speech absolutely charming. Oh, how he made me long for a revenant of my very own: soothing me with cute endearments, constant and loyal companionship and a nifty Talent (psychic ability.) Obviously, being a DaySitter for a vampire (the politically correct term is "revenant") has it's peaks...
... But there's also a downside: The psychics' source of power comes from their revenant. That closely guarded secret was outed in 2000/2001 by a Finn. (Great humor since Aalto is a Finnish name. Me, personally: I would've blamed the swedes. Lol.) There are many Talents; telepathy, pyrokinesis, precognition, etc. all these gifts are bestowed on the DaySitter by their revenant. Marnie developed the Talent of Groping when she inherited Harry from her grandmother Vi, and bonded with him. When she touches an object, she can catch impressions, thoughts and visions from said object. Which is why she started working for the law enforcement, but decided to retire shortly after, following a shooting that injured her.
When a child goes missing, two men come knocking on her cabin door. An old fling, and coincidentally; vampire hunter, Mark Kill-Notch Batten and his boss, Gary Chapel. Soon, Marnie finds herself in deep shit yet again. Not everyone appreciates all the media attention she's receiving. Add ghouls, debt vultures, a vindictive black witch, a starving, love-sick revenant, necrophile beetles and a mysterious, nipple tweaking vampire Overlord that Harry warns Marnie about in their more intimate moments, and you have the recipe for a book that will stay with you for a very long time.
As if the hunt for the culprit wasn't exciting enough, the three main male character add lots of delicious tension. The posturing, petty jealousy and pissing contests that take place between Batten and Harry is just one of the aspects I absolutely adored about this book. And let's not forget the clandestine dealings between Chapel and Harry...
By the time this book came to an end, I was already salivating for the next installment. There are still unanswered questions. Like: What's changed in Harry's psyche; why is his relationship with Marnie so much more possessive that the one he has with her grandmother and why is her purity so important. What exactly is so dangerous about the temptation to 'upgrade' her powers. And those damned vitamin pills...
I'm ready for book #2. (And #3.) Gimme more Marnie! ;-)
Marnie and Harry are no no doubt one of my favorite literary couples ever. Her sexually active imagination, absolute lack of brain-to-mouth filter, and impressive collection of creative curses, coupled with his elegant grasp on the (often archaic) English language, makes this one hell of a read. Yes, lord Harry has a way with words, so much so that he'll make your own vocabulary feel very insufficient. You might keep that in mind if you're pondering whether to buy the paperback or the kindle version. If I may make a suggestion: buy the kindle edition and download the English dictionary that comes with the kindle app. You'll most likely need it. And even then, your handy dictionary will be just as ignorant as you half of the time. Harry is 400+ years old, after all. Unlike so many historical characters out there in the literary world, he actually sounds and acts his age. How refreshing! I found his old fashioned speech absolutely charming. Oh, how he made me long for a revenant of my very own: soothing me with cute endearments, constant and loyal companionship and a nifty Talent (psychic ability.) Obviously, being a DaySitter for a vampire (the politically correct term is "revenant") has it's peaks...
... But there's also a downside: The psychics' source of power comes from their revenant. That closely guarded secret was outed in 2000/2001 by a Finn. (Great humor since Aalto is a Finnish name. Me, personally: I would've blamed the swedes. Lol.) There are many Talents; telepathy, pyrokinesis, precognition, etc. all these gifts are bestowed on the DaySitter by their revenant. Marnie developed the Talent of Groping when she inherited Harry from her grandmother Vi, and bonded with him. When she touches an object, she can catch impressions, thoughts and visions from said object. Which is why she started working for the law enforcement, but decided to retire shortly after, following a shooting that injured her.
When a child goes missing, two men come knocking on her cabin door. An old fling, and coincidentally; vampire hunter, Mark Kill-Notch Batten and his boss, Gary Chapel. Soon, Marnie finds herself in deep shit yet again. Not everyone appreciates all the media attention she's receiving. Add ghouls, debt vultures, a vindictive black witch, a starving, love-sick revenant, necrophile beetles and a mysterious, nipple tweaking vampire Overlord that Harry warns Marnie about in their more intimate moments, and you have the recipe for a book that will stay with you for a very long time.
As if the hunt for the culprit wasn't exciting enough, the three main male character add lots of delicious tension. The posturing, petty jealousy and pissing contests that take place between Batten and Harry is just one of the aspects I absolutely adored about this book. And let's not forget the clandestine dealings between Chapel and Harry...
By the time this book came to an end, I was already salivating for the next installment. There are still unanswered questions. Like: What's changed in Harry's psyche; why is his relationship with Marnie so much more possessive that the one he has with her grandmother and why is her purity so important. What exactly is so dangerous about the temptation to 'upgrade' her powers. And those damned vitamin pills...
I'm ready for book #2. (And #3.) Gimme more Marnie! ;-)
June 7, 2013
Words cannot describe how happy I am that I gave this book a chance. Usually I'm reluctant with freebies, figuring that there's probably a reason the story is being given away. In this case, boy was I wrong.
The lore in this story is fascinating and completely unique. Psychics are really DaySitters, humans bonded to revenants (vampires). Their psychic ability or "Blue Sense" is a by product of that Bond. I loved the way main character Marnie referred to her live-in revenant, Harry, as her "Cold Company." Their relationship was delightful to read about, though it wasn't the main focus of the story. I fell in love with Harry's fussy style of dress and the old English expressions that saturated his speech.
Marnie was great, because she wasn't perfect. Too often women are either depicted as unattainable glamazons, or the ideal girl next door. Marnie is an authentic middle ground, and completely relate-able. She made it very easy to become totally engrossed in the story because she wasn't this incredible hero or a hopeless coward. Marnie isn't a warrior but she did her best with the resources available to her which is all anyone could ask.
Mark Batten, the insanely sexy FBI agent Marnie had a fling with before the story began, was also interesting. Marnie's total obsession with him at the beginning of the novel threatened to become boring, but Aalto managed to constantly change their dynamic. I wouldn't have enjoyed reading about their bitter bickering for the entire novel, but certain understandings were cleared up early on and it allowed their interactions to be dynamic. I was never sure if Marnie was going to rip his clothes off, slap him, or have a civil conversation. It made it very interesting. And in Marnie's defense, Batten did sound very dreamy with his chiseled muscles and dark blue eyes.
But all of the apparent drama between the men in Marnie's life flowed as a seamless back story to the main action. Marnie gets pulled back into the FBI world she quit over the murder of a 12 year old girl. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that the murder wasn't about the girl, it was about Marnie. Possibly. There were moments so fraught with tension I could feel my heart pounding right along with Marnie's. The romance became a necessary break from terror-inducing descriptions of rotting ghouls and carrion beetles. Seriously, Aalto described certain scenes in such vivid detail that I found myself with a major case of the creeps after turning all the lights out. As a Stephen King fan, I don't say that often.
I also never saw the end coming. I really had no idea how the story would conclude, or when, or why. Aalto packed so much action into the novel that I would check my progress and be unable to believe I'd only made it halfway through. She kept me so engrossed in the story that I didn't have the time to speculate about what was going to happen. Basically, nothing else mattered except finding out what happened next. I loved every page in the book, from the shiver-inducing to moments to occasionally quips and conversations that lightened the tone. I don't know if this book is still free on Amazon...but even if it isn't, I'd still recommend the read. It's definitely worth the time.
I can't wait to read the next book!!
The lore in this story is fascinating and completely unique. Psychics are really DaySitters, humans bonded to revenants (vampires). Their psychic ability or "Blue Sense" is a by product of that Bond. I loved the way main character Marnie referred to her live-in revenant, Harry, as her "Cold Company." Their relationship was delightful to read about, though it wasn't the main focus of the story. I fell in love with Harry's fussy style of dress and the old English expressions that saturated his speech.
Marnie was great, because she wasn't perfect. Too often women are either depicted as unattainable glamazons, or the ideal girl next door. Marnie is an authentic middle ground, and completely relate-able. She made it very easy to become totally engrossed in the story because she wasn't this incredible hero or a hopeless coward. Marnie isn't a warrior but she did her best with the resources available to her which is all anyone could ask.
Mark Batten, the insanely sexy FBI agent Marnie had a fling with before the story began, was also interesting. Marnie's total obsession with him at the beginning of the novel threatened to become boring, but Aalto managed to constantly change their dynamic. I wouldn't have enjoyed reading about their bitter bickering for the entire novel, but certain understandings were cleared up early on and it allowed their interactions to be dynamic. I was never sure if Marnie was going to rip his clothes off, slap him, or have a civil conversation. It made it very interesting. And in Marnie's defense, Batten did sound very dreamy with his chiseled muscles and dark blue eyes.
But all of the apparent drama between the men in Marnie's life flowed as a seamless back story to the main action. Marnie gets pulled back into the FBI world she quit over the murder of a 12 year old girl. As the story unfolds it becomes apparent that the murder wasn't about the girl, it was about Marnie. Possibly. There were moments so fraught with tension I could feel my heart pounding right along with Marnie's. The romance became a necessary break from terror-inducing descriptions of rotting ghouls and carrion beetles. Seriously, Aalto described certain scenes in such vivid detail that I found myself with a major case of the creeps after turning all the lights out. As a Stephen King fan, I don't say that often.
I also never saw the end coming. I really had no idea how the story would conclude, or when, or why. Aalto packed so much action into the novel that I would check my progress and be unable to believe I'd only made it halfway through. She kept me so engrossed in the story that I didn't have the time to speculate about what was going to happen. Basically, nothing else mattered except finding out what happened next. I loved every page in the book, from the shiver-inducing to moments to occasionally quips and conversations that lightened the tone. I don't know if this book is still free on Amazon...but even if it isn't, I'd still recommend the read. It's definitely worth the time.
I can't wait to read the next book!!
June 4, 2018
sigh
This was just a trainwreck of a book. Inconsistent writing and character development; and worse, half-done world-building and massive info-drops about things not integral to the plot.
I spent half the book not knowing what in the world was going on, and the other half wanting to drop kick the heroine, who is the narrator, off a cliff.
This was just a trainwreck of a book. Inconsistent writing and character development; and worse, half-done world-building and massive info-drops about things not integral to the plot.
I spent half the book not knowing what in the world was going on, and the other half wanting to drop kick the heroine, who is the narrator, off a cliff.
May 11, 2013
From http://readingandwritingurbanfantasy....
At A Glance
If I could turn this book into a man, I would chitty chitty bang bang him all night long!
The Good
I'm going to be totally honest. I didn't really remember signing up for this tour and when I saw it on my schedule, I looked up the book and read the blurb and was like, "Really, I signed up for this? This doesn't sound that great." Begrudgingly, I sat down to read it. After the first couple chapters, I mentally whipped myself for judging this book so harshly just from the blurb (which isn't bad I just wasn't feeling it that day). Touched mindf**ked me. Everything about it was so thrilling and fun that I had to move around while reading it to walk off the excited energy it instilled in me.
Before I go further, I did want to say that this book has a totally urban fantasy feel even if it's not labeled as such.
Marnie, Marnie, Marnie. What can I say about her? She is a badass in some ways, effing hilarious in most ways, and horny always. She rivals some of my favorite heroines of all time, like Kate Daniels, Cat Crawfield, and Rachel Morgan. She has spunk, she has insecurities, she is every woman...but with paranormal powers. Marnie may not have skills with a gun and she may not have super strength but her mouth makes up for any of her downfalls. I swear, if I could say the things she does I would be a happy woman, a laughed at woman, but a happy woman. Marnie really steps into some major crap in Touched. Almost everyone wants a piece of her. Some want to kill her, some want to make her suffer, and some just want to do her against wall. You know, the usual. But Marnie is damn good in scary/bad situations. She may not know it but she is the ultimate survivor. She does everything but pull a rabbit out of her butt to save herself and others.
Harry is Marnie's vampire companion. Their relationship is based on shared benefits. All vamps and psychics work together. I wont say too much since it'll be fun to find out on your own. Harry and Marnie's relationship is both an emotional nightmare and adorable friendship. I want my own vampire teddy bear that always puts me down as he picks me back up. Yeah, yeah that's not healthy, but damn reasoning! Sometimes I hated or straight out distrusted this silver tongued vamp. He has more than a few secrets. But even when I hated him, I loved him. It's like he has an unnatural draw even through the pages.
Mark Batten. *girly sigh* As Marnie likes to say, if he was any more of an a**hole he would be a sphincter. FBI agent Batten is everything you hate/love in a man. He knows how to take charge, to keep a girl on her toes. He is so mean sometimes but you can tell he has a huge capacity to love, it's just buried deep inside. He's the bad boy teenager you loved so much when you were young but he's all grown up...and now hunts vampires...and knows how to use a gun...and likes to sit with his legs open, in tight jeans, so you know what you are missing. You will not like him in the beginning, but he will grow on you. He can ride me up against a bathroom door any day.
The action was superb in Touched. I literally got tingles with every fight scene. I felt like I was there watching the whole thing in real-time. Aalto is also a great writer. I got so lost in this book time after time, it was hard top put down. The pacing was perfect. The paranormal elements were different enough to make the story feel fresh. The character development was amazing, obviously. I feel lucky to have read this book.
The Bad
Though I gave it 5 stars, there were two things that irked me in Touched. First, Marnie's insistence on putting herself in dangerous situations without being armed. She may not have known every situation was dangerous until it was too late, but if I was being stalked by a killer, I would be armed even in the shower.
Then, I was so peeved when we were left hanging with some unanswered questions. Marnie finds out about a lot of secrets being kept from her by people close to her but she never confronts them.
The Snuggly
Holy love triangle Batman! Best. Love. Triangle. Ever. So yummy yummy. Batten and Harry were both so fun, but in their own ways. Batten's a-holery and Harry's condescending, uppity attitude worked well with Marnie's snarkiness. It's funny how you don't even see the love triangle until it's too late. Like a drive by love triangle. Sneaky, sneaky, Aalto.
There is sex in this book and hot damn I wish there was more because it was HOT! Even Marnie's flashbacks to her fast romp with Batten was oh so sexy. *shivers*
Final Thoughts
If I don't get a chance to read book two of the series, I will cry. This is now a must read series for me. I want to read about all these characters again and again. I really don't see how anyone could not like this book. Very highly recommended.
Quotes
I straight up LOLed at this:
"Amateur dunce," Batten corrected, taking a pull from the beer bottle Harry put in his hand. "There's no way you're a professional anything."
"Goes to show you haven't had my very pro blow job yet." I gave him a neener-neener smirk and poured myself a Dr. Pepper on ice while Harry choked out about a hundred old English admonishments that no one else in the room understood.
*****
"Funny things occur to you when you're dying. Bleeding out for the second time in three months, I thought deliriously, I could have used that damned No. 2 pencil. And: I think Batten waters down his cologne. How can I prove it? And then: I'm going to die, here. I don't want the reek of vomit to be the last thing I smell."
At A Glance
If I could turn this book into a man, I would chitty chitty bang bang him all night long!
The Good
I'm going to be totally honest. I didn't really remember signing up for this tour and when I saw it on my schedule, I looked up the book and read the blurb and was like, "Really, I signed up for this? This doesn't sound that great." Begrudgingly, I sat down to read it. After the first couple chapters, I mentally whipped myself for judging this book so harshly just from the blurb (which isn't bad I just wasn't feeling it that day). Touched mindf**ked me. Everything about it was so thrilling and fun that I had to move around while reading it to walk off the excited energy it instilled in me.
Before I go further, I did want to say that this book has a totally urban fantasy feel even if it's not labeled as such.
Marnie, Marnie, Marnie. What can I say about her? She is a badass in some ways, effing hilarious in most ways, and horny always. She rivals some of my favorite heroines of all time, like Kate Daniels, Cat Crawfield, and Rachel Morgan. She has spunk, she has insecurities, she is every woman...but with paranormal powers. Marnie may not have skills with a gun and she may not have super strength but her mouth makes up for any of her downfalls. I swear, if I could say the things she does I would be a happy woman, a laughed at woman, but a happy woman. Marnie really steps into some major crap in Touched. Almost everyone wants a piece of her. Some want to kill her, some want to make her suffer, and some just want to do her against wall. You know, the usual. But Marnie is damn good in scary/bad situations. She may not know it but she is the ultimate survivor. She does everything but pull a rabbit out of her butt to save herself and others.
Harry is Marnie's vampire companion. Their relationship is based on shared benefits. All vamps and psychics work together. I wont say too much since it'll be fun to find out on your own. Harry and Marnie's relationship is both an emotional nightmare and adorable friendship. I want my own vampire teddy bear that always puts me down as he picks me back up. Yeah, yeah that's not healthy, but damn reasoning! Sometimes I hated or straight out distrusted this silver tongued vamp. He has more than a few secrets. But even when I hated him, I loved him. It's like he has an unnatural draw even through the pages.
Mark Batten. *girly sigh* As Marnie likes to say, if he was any more of an a**hole he would be a sphincter. FBI agent Batten is everything you hate/love in a man. He knows how to take charge, to keep a girl on her toes. He is so mean sometimes but you can tell he has a huge capacity to love, it's just buried deep inside. He's the bad boy teenager you loved so much when you were young but he's all grown up...and now hunts vampires...and knows how to use a gun...and likes to sit with his legs open, in tight jeans, so you know what you are missing. You will not like him in the beginning, but he will grow on you. He can ride me up against a bathroom door any day.
The action was superb in Touched. I literally got tingles with every fight scene. I felt like I was there watching the whole thing in real-time. Aalto is also a great writer. I got so lost in this book time after time, it was hard top put down. The pacing was perfect. The paranormal elements were different enough to make the story feel fresh. The character development was amazing, obviously. I feel lucky to have read this book.
The Bad
Though I gave it 5 stars, there were two things that irked me in Touched. First, Marnie's insistence on putting herself in dangerous situations without being armed. She may not have known every situation was dangerous until it was too late, but if I was being stalked by a killer, I would be armed even in the shower.
Then, I was so peeved when we were left hanging with some unanswered questions. Marnie finds out about a lot of secrets being kept from her by people close to her but she never confronts them.
The Snuggly
Holy love triangle Batman! Best. Love. Triangle. Ever. So yummy yummy. Batten and Harry were both so fun, but in their own ways. Batten's a-holery and Harry's condescending, uppity attitude worked well with Marnie's snarkiness. It's funny how you don't even see the love triangle until it's too late. Like a drive by love triangle. Sneaky, sneaky, Aalto.
There is sex in this book and hot damn I wish there was more because it was HOT! Even Marnie's flashbacks to her fast romp with Batten was oh so sexy. *shivers*
Final Thoughts
If I don't get a chance to read book two of the series, I will cry. This is now a must read series for me. I want to read about all these characters again and again. I really don't see how anyone could not like this book. Very highly recommended.
Quotes
I straight up LOLed at this:
"Amateur dunce," Batten corrected, taking a pull from the beer bottle Harry put in his hand. "There's no way you're a professional anything."
"Goes to show you haven't had my very pro blow job yet." I gave him a neener-neener smirk and poured myself a Dr. Pepper on ice while Harry choked out about a hundred old English admonishments that no one else in the room understood.
*****
"Funny things occur to you when you're dying. Bleeding out for the second time in three months, I thought deliriously, I could have used that damned No. 2 pencil. And: I think Batten waters down his cologne. How can I prove it? And then: I'm going to die, here. I don't want the reek of vomit to be the last thing I smell."
October 17, 2012
Touched is a novel that can fall into so many genres. It’s a paranormal – urban fantasy – mystery – romance – thriller. Basically, it’s every single love of my reading life. , there are supernatural beings, magic, psychics, and crazy critters that feast on the undead *ewwww!*
AJ Aalto’s writing is catchy, gritty, original and oh so fascinating. From the first page you can tell her characters have a past that will play a pivotal role in their future. So often authors get wrapped up in the “beginning” of the story and forget that their characters shouldn’t just come out of nowhere. Not AJ, she keeps everything interesting with the tiny little bits of information that the characters feed the reader throughout the book. As if the very events of the novel weren’t interesting enough! There is nearly non-stop action throughout the book, both in an actual physical sense and an emotional one.
The characters all have something at stake within their relationships among one another, but each relationship is non-typical. (You’re all thinking, what the hell does she mean by “non-typical”) Well, it’s not Harry met Sally or Edward met Bella or even vampire met human. The relationship between a vampire and psychic is… remarkable to say the least. I don’t want to reveal too much, but Harry and Marnie are a psychiatrist’s nightmare! And don’t even get me started on the very sexy, very stoic, Agent Mark Batten. *sighs* I love bad boys, and Mark Batten is a Federal Agent/Vampire hunter/emotionally blunt hunk! Yowza! My kinda man! This little triangle (I don’t really want to use the term “love triangle.” Read it and you’ll see why) is a complex, tangle of WTF if I ever saw one. But both men pale in comparison to Ms. Marnie Baranuik. Whom I absolutely love!
Marnie is a kick-ass heroine! Yes, in a small package, but that package is brimming with psychic talent and overflowing with attitude. Lots and lots of colorful attitude. If you know Kim and me, we ADORE attitude. And Marnie doesn’t disappoint. Her snarky quips and vibrant insults left me laughing my ass off while absolutely LOVING every second of it! Her language and descriptions made me blush at times, but she was always so freakin’ funny! She's a character with spunk, but also endearing insecurities and relatable faults. She puts up a good front for the outside world, but the little insecurities she shares help create a bond with the reader. All women, no matter how bad ass, have insecurities. And poor Marnie has her fair share. Almost everything goes wrong for her, but she doesn’t quit.
Between Marnie’s snark, Harry’s considerable use of old fashioned slang and insults, and Batten’s attempts to keep Marnie from carrying a gun, I was hooked. Touched is an intense page-turner that will keep you guessing and yearning for more. If you enjoyed books such as Wicked Game and One Foot in the Grave then I definitely recommend Touched. It shares a few themes with these books, but it’s in a league all its own!
AJ Aalto’s writing is catchy, gritty, original and oh so fascinating. From the first page you can tell her characters have a past that will play a pivotal role in their future. So often authors get wrapped up in the “beginning” of the story and forget that their characters shouldn’t just come out of nowhere. Not AJ, she keeps everything interesting with the tiny little bits of information that the characters feed the reader throughout the book. As if the very events of the novel weren’t interesting enough! There is nearly non-stop action throughout the book, both in an actual physical sense and an emotional one.
The characters all have something at stake within their relationships among one another, but each relationship is non-typical. (You’re all thinking, what the hell does she mean by “non-typical”) Well, it’s not Harry met Sally or Edward met Bella or even vampire met human. The relationship between a vampire and psychic is… remarkable to say the least. I don’t want to reveal too much, but Harry and Marnie are a psychiatrist’s nightmare! And don’t even get me started on the very sexy, very stoic, Agent Mark Batten. *sighs* I love bad boys, and Mark Batten is a Federal Agent/Vampire hunter/emotionally blunt hunk! Yowza! My kinda man! This little triangle (I don’t really want to use the term “love triangle.” Read it and you’ll see why) is a complex, tangle of WTF if I ever saw one. But both men pale in comparison to Ms. Marnie Baranuik. Whom I absolutely love!
Marnie is a kick-ass heroine! Yes, in a small package, but that package is brimming with psychic talent and overflowing with attitude. Lots and lots of colorful attitude. If you know Kim and me, we ADORE attitude. And Marnie doesn’t disappoint. Her snarky quips and vibrant insults left me laughing my ass off while absolutely LOVING every second of it! Her language and descriptions made me blush at times, but she was always so freakin’ funny! She's a character with spunk, but also endearing insecurities and relatable faults. She puts up a good front for the outside world, but the little insecurities she shares help create a bond with the reader. All women, no matter how bad ass, have insecurities. And poor Marnie has her fair share. Almost everything goes wrong for her, but she doesn’t quit.
Between Marnie’s snark, Harry’s considerable use of old fashioned slang and insults, and Batten’s attempts to keep Marnie from carrying a gun, I was hooked. Touched is an intense page-turner that will keep you guessing and yearning for more. If you enjoyed books such as Wicked Game and One Foot in the Grave then I definitely recommend Touched. It shares a few themes with these books, but it’s in a league all its own!
May 19, 2013
I got this one as a freebie through Amazon. I'll be honest and say the reason I picked up was the line in the synopsis 'Too mean to die young, back up by friends in cold places, and running with a mouth as demure as a cannon's blast.' That line still cracks me up, and its a pretty accurate assessment of the main character, Marnie Baranuik.
First, I'm going to go over what I liked about the book. The entire book's POV is through the eyes of Marnie. Although she has a harsh tongue, her character remains likable because through her thoughts we can see a lot of the time that she immediately regrets the cold things she says.
The plot is fast moving and fun, and never looses momentum. The dialogue is a bit fast at times, but believable. Each character has their own distinctive voice, which is refreshing after 'The Child of Hope' (gag) The four hundred year old vampire SOUNDS like someone four hundred years old, while Marnie speaks like a modern day adult. The cops sound like cops.
The AJ has a refreshing twist on the vampire tale - in his world, all psychic powers come from being the day-sitter to one of the undead (or revenants as they like to call themselves). Lose your revenant, lose your power. Magic, while common in the circles Marnie moves in, is relatively unknown amoung the general populous. Meaning, while in this world magic is real, many of the characters Marnie deals with doubt her powers. This adds an interesting layer of drama as Marnie attempts to work with the cops, many of them naysayers and doubters.
I won't spoil the plot of this one, but I loved the twist at the end.
Complaints - the main villain is not revealed until near the end, which was a bit too late for me, as I struggled to catch up with the explanation for why Marnie was targeted.
My second problem was the main characters frequent use of nicknames for other characters. I sometimes lost who she was referring to at any given time. Some were obvious (kill-notch = the vampire hunter with the kill-notches tattooed on his chest). Others left me scratching my head and turning back the page to figure out where they came from and who she was referring to.
My last big problem was actually with the main character. She supposedly has a DOCTORATE in preternatural biology and is a white-witch. Yet, there are two times in the book where she is stumped by simple things regarding revenants or spells. This broke me out of the book and made it hard for me to get back into her character.
First, I'm going to go over what I liked about the book. The entire book's POV is through the eyes of Marnie. Although she has a harsh tongue, her character remains likable because through her thoughts we can see a lot of the time that she immediately regrets the cold things she says.
The plot is fast moving and fun, and never looses momentum. The dialogue is a bit fast at times, but believable. Each character has their own distinctive voice, which is refreshing after 'The Child of Hope' (gag) The four hundred year old vampire SOUNDS like someone four hundred years old, while Marnie speaks like a modern day adult. The cops sound like cops.
The AJ has a refreshing twist on the vampire tale - in his world, all psychic powers come from being the day-sitter to one of the undead (or revenants as they like to call themselves). Lose your revenant, lose your power. Magic, while common in the circles Marnie moves in, is relatively unknown amoung the general populous. Meaning, while in this world magic is real, many of the characters Marnie deals with doubt her powers. This adds an interesting layer of drama as Marnie attempts to work with the cops, many of them naysayers and doubters.
I won't spoil the plot of this one, but I loved the twist at the end.
Complaints - the main villain is not revealed until near the end, which was a bit too late for me, as I struggled to catch up with the explanation for why Marnie was targeted.
My second problem was the main characters frequent use of nicknames for other characters. I sometimes lost who she was referring to at any given time. Some were obvious (kill-notch = the vampire hunter with the kill-notches tattooed on his chest). Others left me scratching my head and turning back the page to figure out where they came from and who she was referring to.
My last big problem was actually with the main character. She supposedly has a DOCTORATE in preternatural biology and is a white-witch. Yet, there are two times in the book where she is stumped by simple things regarding revenants or spells. This broke me out of the book and made it hard for me to get back into her character.
January 5, 2013
6+
BEAUTIFULLY TOLD, HILARIOUS, ACTION PACKED WITH SO MANY TWISTS AN TURNS YOU GET WHIP LASH!!!
Look out LOVE TRIANGLE THAT KEEPS YOU GUESSING!!!
Characters:
Marnie Baranuik- DaySitter to Henry, Dual Talented Psychic
Henry the Revenant (vampire) full name Lord Guy Harrick Dreppenstedt, also known as ColdCompany
Mark Batten- One sexy FBI agent also referred to as "Kill-Notch" by Marnie
Gary Chapel- Reserved an Rock Steady FBI partner to Mark
Vampires who now prefer to be called Revenants are also known as Cold Company
have a Bond with their DaySitters. DaySitters watch over their Revenants while they sleep during the day making sure they aren't staked or attacked .
Marnie has the worst luck she is continually putting herself into more an more precarious situations. I found myself laughing really hard out loud on so many occasions I had tears in my eyes.
Henry is 400+ years old English, Revenant, who is quirky with his dry quick witted one liners an comebacks.
Henry continually spares an trades insults with Agent Mark Batten over Marnie.
Mark Batten knows what he wants an isn't going to let some stuffy dead vamp get I. His way.
The plot while full of colorful characters has so much depth, creativity that it is woven beautifully allowing the story to flow seamlessly.
There really are so many moving parts yet you never find yourself getting lost.
can't wait for the next book!!!!
April 16, 2013
Holy shit balls! I debated for hours on whether or not to read Touched and I'm SO glad I ultimately chose to!
Marnie's, the heroine's, voice worked perfectly for me. She was smart and sassy and had a way of stringing together cuss-phrases that cracked me up several times. Her revenant (vampire), Harry, spoke in a proper, polished way and turned several phrases that left Marnie (and me) wondering what the hell he was talking about but that was funny too and added an extra quirk to the story.
The idea of the Daysitter and Revenant relationship was a new one on me and it worked really well. Their relationship was kind of sweet and romantic without it actually being a romance.
There was a lot of action in Touched and a some horror with some grotesquely graphic description. The ending action sequence was awesomely written and I'm pretty sure my eyes were wide and my breathing sped up while reading it.
Touched has vampires, witchcraft, sexual tension, ghouls, action, danger, horror, witty writing, witty dialogue and more. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read the next installment, Death Rejoices!
Marnie's, the heroine's, voice worked perfectly for me. She was smart and sassy and had a way of stringing together cuss-phrases that cracked me up several times. Her revenant (vampire), Harry, spoke in a proper, polished way and turned several phrases that left Marnie (and me) wondering what the hell he was talking about but that was funny too and added an extra quirk to the story.
The idea of the Daysitter and Revenant relationship was a new one on me and it worked really well. Their relationship was kind of sweet and romantic without it actually being a romance.
There was a lot of action in Touched and a some horror with some grotesquely graphic description. The ending action sequence was awesomely written and I'm pretty sure my eyes were wide and my breathing sped up while reading it.
Touched has vampires, witchcraft, sexual tension, ghouls, action, danger, horror, witty writing, witty dialogue and more. It was a fantastic read and I can't wait to read the next installment, Death Rejoices!
December 7, 2014
Not sure if this is 3 or 4 stars.
Pro: Snarky female MC who is not a wimp, minimal PNR / love triangle, good world building, great dialogue, interesting plot / story.
Cons: MC spends too much of the book dealing with her inner bullshit and ignoring the world around her. Like many UF, these books have a mystery / action plot, and watching the MC ignore plot points and clues because she is distracted by being an overly emotional, unstable basket case is annoying.
Honestly, there are times she is as bad as Stephanie Plum. And as much as I like Janet Evanovich's books, I consider them light reading, and a guilty pleasure. I am having trouble reconciling that sort of "exaggerated for comic relief" heroine in an otherwise serious book about vampires, witches, demons, and murder.
Pro: Snarky female MC who is not a wimp, minimal PNR / love triangle, good world building, great dialogue, interesting plot / story.
Cons: MC spends too much of the book dealing with her inner bullshit and ignoring the world around her. Like many UF, these books have a mystery / action plot, and watching the MC ignore plot points and clues because she is distracted by being an overly emotional, unstable basket case is annoying.
Honestly, there are times she is as bad as Stephanie Plum. And as much as I like Janet Evanovich's books, I consider them light reading, and a guilty pleasure. I am having trouble reconciling that sort of "exaggerated for comic relief" heroine in an otherwise serious book about vampires, witches, demons, and murder.
January 16, 2017
Ambivalent about this book. Interesting take on vampires and psychics, but the execution is clunky. If I'm into a book, I generally can barely put it down and get back to it quickly. It's rare that I won't finish a book within hours of starting it (I'm a very fast reader). This book lingered. I debated whether to continue reading. In the end, I was interested enough to get back to it, but it was not a slam-dunk.
The heroine's work with the FBI is unrealistic. She should only be a consultant, not active in the field. She has no training, skills, or patience for field work.
While she knows a lot about spells (How?), in other areas she is TSTL and can be insensitive and selfish. She also has too much Stephanie Plum slap-dash by-the-seat-of-her-pants incompetence to appeal to me.
Not sure whether I'll read further in the series.
The heroine's work with the FBI is unrealistic. She should only be a consultant, not active in the field. She has no training, skills, or patience for field work.
While she knows a lot about spells (How?), in other areas she is TSTL and can be insensitive and selfish. She also has too much Stephanie Plum slap-dash by-the-seat-of-her-pants incompetence to appeal to me.
Not sure whether I'll read further in the series.
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