The Saucy Wenches Book Club

Liked! view quote Share on Twitter Likes the quote "I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent." always post: reviews user statuses   “Moths," repeats Will. "You're afraid of moths?" "Not just a cloud of moths," she says, "like...a swarm of them. Everywhere. All those wings and legs and..." She shudders and shakes her head. "Terrifying," Will says with mock seriousness. "That's my girl. Tough as cotton balls." "Oh, Shut up.” Divergent by Veronica Roth “Is that a stake, Bones, or are you just happy with my new dress?” “In this case, it’s a stake. You could always feel around for something more, though. See what comes up.”  ~~Jeaniene Frost Halfway to the Grave

Fangirl Friday: Bones from Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Series Collage by Olga Daniels It's no secret that I have a favorite urban fantasy hero, one that stands head-and-shoulders above all others. Crispin Phillip Arthur Russell III, more commonly known as Bones, is without a doubt the perfect man. At least in my head. When I first picked up Halfway to the Grave , nearly three years ago, I had no idea that by the end of that week (yep, I read all available books in the matter of a week!) I would be completely ruined for all other fictional men. And I am. Bones is now the measuring stick I use to compare all other heroes. Most are found lacking, while a few come close, but none can even share that pedestal with Bones, much less best him for the top spot. He remains the very best. Click through, and I'll do my best to tell you why without devolving into shrill fangirling, babbling, or drooling. Although there will probably be a little of all of those. It is Bone...

“The clock struck eleven and Cat the vampire huntress was on the loose, except my battle armor was a push-up bra, curled hair and a short dress. Yeah, it was a dirty job, but I was going to do it. Come one, come all, bloodsuckers! Bar’s open!”  Halfway to the Grave , Jeaniene Frost

“Cat, hmmm? From where I sit you look more like a Kitten." My head jerked around and I shot him an annoyed look. Oh, I was going to enjoy this, all right. "It's Cat," I repeated firmly. "Cat Raven." "Whatever you say, Kitten Tweedy.” Halfway to the Grave ~~Jeaniene Frost

Our Favorite Night Huntress Quotes By Wench Barb and Wench Care Collage by Olga Daniels The final installment in Cat and Bones's story hit shelves and e-readers yesterday, and most of the Wenches are working their way through that fabulous book right now. So we decided to take this opportunity to look back at some of our favorite quotes from this wonderful series, of which there are many. The Night Huntress series has it's share of hilarious zingers, heart-wrenching life truths, stunning declarations of love, and sexy lines that leave us panting, so narrowing it down to just one per book was quite the challenge. A challenge we accepted. So click through to see our favorite quotes from each book in the Night Huntress series. Obviously there will be spoilers (including an Up From the Grave quote!), so click at your own risk.

“ C ome to think of it, pet, you are a liar, possessor of false identification, and a murderer.” “ Y our point?” I snapped. “ N ot to mention a tease,” he continued as if I hadn’t spoken. “Foulmouthed, as well. Yep, you and I will get along famously.” “ B ollocks,” I said succintly. ~ J eaniene F rost, H alfway to the G rave

This is it Readers. This is the big day. The last installment of Jeaniene Frost's very epic Night Huntress series is out today, and this past week, a lot of us have been busy finishing rereads, or keeping ourselves busy with other books after our rereads. There's some romance, some mystery, a brand new first installment in a new series we are already in love with and some of us are still making our way through Westeros and the Outlander world! Click through to see what we've been up to, and let us know what you've been reading this week and whether you'll be reading the last Cat & Bones book today!

A brief break in our single-focused weeks to bring you... A guest post from S. E. Jakes!  This is a novelty for me.  I picked up one of her books last year, on a whim, actually, and really liked it!  I've told you all before (and probably will again... and again...) about the problems I have picking up books that aren't specifically recommended just for me, but I'm trying hard to expand my horizons - just to bring new and interesting things to you all!  Follow me through the jump, and get a quick glimpse into the mind of S. E. Jakes, and a brief look at her new novel, Dirty Deeds !

"So, ah... look into my eyes." Another strangled sound came from Vlad's direction.  Now Kira was sure it was a laugh. She determined to ignore him. Lewis obediently stared at her, and Kira tried to make her voice sound confident.  "You don't feel anything. You're not afraid." "I am," came Vlad's immediate reply. "If you tell him wolves are the children of the night next, I might hurt myself laughing." Eternal Kiss of Darkness , by Jeaniene Frost

Tomorrow will be the end of an era. A wonderful, funny, hot, joyful, intense, sexy, suspenseful, and sometimes heartbreakingly sad era. Tomorrow, the final novel of the Night Huntress series will be released, and we're having the fits... no I mean, we're doing the blitz... and today we're going to take a look at some of our favorite bits. There are so many absolutely brilliant scenes in this series, and way too many to list here, but we picked some of our very favorites to share with you. Scenes that have made us swoon, sigh, and gasp. Moments that have made us smile, laugh out loud, and tear up. Night Huntress has been a crazy, wonderful ride. I had never officially reread the series, but when I was "researching" for this post I realized that I've read many chapters and scenes several times. It had been a while since I really committed my time to Cat and Bones, though. When I started refreshing my memory for this post, I got sucked into the books agai...

Source “The lustful glances thrown his way made me wish he wasn’t such a damned bowl of eye candy." ― Jeaniene Frost, Destined for an Early Grave http://freethumbs.dreamstime.com/661/big/free_6615640.jpg

WAKE UP, LUV.IT'S NEARLY NOON." My lashes fluttered open to meet a pair of dark brown eyes. Bones sat on the bed. Or the remains of it. Lucidity returned with a vengeance. He laughed at the color that immediately scalded my face. "And there is my payment, the rubies in your cheeks. Are you properly scandalized by your wicked behavior? If you were Catholic, you'd singe the ears of the priest you confessed to. Do you remember making me swear to repeat all those naughty actions again, no matter what you said this morning?" Now that he brought it up, I did recall saying that. Great. Betrayed by my own immorality. "I'll take that as a compliment." He closed the distance between us. "I love you. Don't be ashamed of anything we did, even if your prudery is on life support." ~ Jeaniene Frost, One Foot in the Grave

I first read Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress around two years ago, and for whatever reason, didn't really get into the books as much as some of the other Wenches. (I must have been on some weird shit!) Rewind to about a week ago, and Wench Barb had successfully persuaded me to give them another go before it all ended in  Up From The Grave. Now, I absolutely ADORE the series. While Cat will never be my favorite heroine, I still love aspects of her, admire just how kick-ass and resilient she is, and her internal dialogue can still make me chuckle out loud. Bones is absolutely fucking perfection, and there is no point in me trying to put that into words when others will do it better (look for Barb to fangirl over him next Friday). The one thing that remained constant between my ill-fated first read, and my second read, is the fact that I LOVE Jeaniene Frost's secondary characters. It amazes me how intriguing and well-rounded they are. Even when I hate em, I love to hate...

Source Bones was waiting by the cemetery gates. When he smiled, leaning into the bars as the lock opened, I suddenly didn't care about anything but the shape of his mouth. That smooth curve, lips palest pink. The strong jaw and deeply etched cheekbones. Dark brown eyes taking in the surroundings. His hands clasped over mine when the gate opened, vibrating with no less power than Marie's, but they didn't leave me feeling numb. I felt safe. Destined for an Early Grave ~~Jeaniene Frost

"Bound together forever, huh? Sounds good to me. By my blood, Bones, you are my husband. Is that what I'm supposed to say? Is that right?" Bones bent me backward with the force of his kiss, and I assumed that was my answer. One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost Source

Collage by the lovely Olga Daniels "Get stuffed, don't you have more publicity stunts to pull?" Bones shot back. "How about chatting with another writer who can smear your name into greater popularity?"   "What, did Anne Rice not return your calls, mate?" Vlad asked scathingly. "Jealousy is such an ugly trait." At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost As regular readers know, Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series is one of our very top favorite series' around here. So, imagine our heartbreak when we learned that Up from the Grave was to be the last in the series. Upon hearing that, I promptly started a series re-read. My re-read reminded me of how much I adore that world and especially Cat and Bones. They are one of my favorite couples of all time. So, in preparation for the final release, I decided to finally put my thoughts on who I think should play these characters into words. I've come to love doing ...

We've been fans of Jaye Wells since Wench Shau got us (or more specifically, got Head Wench Barb) started on her very amazing  Sabina Kane  series. One look at her  review  and lots of us scrambled to read the series. We've been burned in the past, so we only recommend the very best to each other. Once I heard it was a complete series, and that it was well loved, I dove in, and I loved it. I even  reviewed  the novella,  Rusted Veins. I do love an author who doesn't do the tropes I so often bitch about ( here ). So when we heard Ms.Wells was starting a new series, I was instantly intrigued! And it went on my TBR before I even found out when it was going to be released, which is rare for me in this genre. I usually need someone to tell me the series is worth the read before I invest time in it, but I trust this author.  When I was told we were lucky enough to view an early copy of  Dirty Magic , thanks to Jaye Wells and NetGalley, I was...

  History is littered with dead good men.  

Collage by Olga Daniels  We're still getting ready for the final installment in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series, which hits bookstores and e-readers in one more week. We're torn between excitement and wistfulness as one of our very favorite couples are nearing the conclusion of their story. Wenches not revisiting the Night Huntress World are working on sweeping epics, nearly-perfect tales, brand-new urban fantasies, and life lessons. Click through to see what we're reading, and share your choices in the comments below!

fuckyeahreactions.tumblr.com "Blah blah blah, I'm a slutty witch, and the fires of hell await me, blah. You really need some new material. My mother can curse me out better than that."                                        ~ One Grave at a Time , Jeaniene Frost

Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series is one of my favorite book series I've ever read. I talked about it in my very first post on this blog, and we've looked at characters from the series many times since then( here , here , and here ). I came into the Night Huntress world just before the release of One Grave at a Time (book 6), which is to say quite late to the party, but I've made up for my tardiness with enthusiasm. I've stalked Bones and Cat in New Orleans , and been to Jeaniene Frost events three times (and will be seeing her in Asheville again next week!). I thought I was coming in at a great time, what with three more books to be released, and I could certainly be patient for my favorite hero in anything, ever. So, when Ms. Frost announced that Up From the Grave would be the last Cat & Bones book, I was surprised and sad, to say the least. I completely respect why she ended the series (which she discussed in this blog post ), but I couldn't...

"My parents danced together, her head on his chest.  Both had their eyes closed. They seemed so perfectly content.  If you can find someone like that, someone who you can hold and close your eyes to the world with, then you're lucky. Even if it only lasts for a minute or a day.  Source. The image of them gently swaying to the music is how I picture love in my mind even after all these years." The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

“Playing with fire Kitten?” --Jeaniene Frost Halfway to the Grave   

So, the first thing I need to do is tell you all a little bit about me. I'm a logical, methodical person. I like to put things into order, to make sense of chaos, and to make sure all my ducks are in lovely little rows. I'm also extremely formal on a first meeting, but once you get to know me, I'm all kinds of strange and complicated. They say that like attracts like. Thus, it came as no surprise to me that in reading through Night Huntress, I gravitated to exactly one character. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of them. Bones and his Chapter 32, Spade and his "I kept the shower cold on purpose" and Ian with his crazy sense of adventure and humor... I love them all. But my favorite, the one who calls to me, the one whose book I go back and read over... and over... and over again? Mencheres . Every time. I absolutely adore him. Click through the jump, and I'll tell you why!

“I’ve come to the conclusion that there are no set rules in life. You do what you have to do to survive. If that means running away from the love of your life to preserve your sanity, you do it. If it means breaking someone’s heart so yours doesn’t break; do it. Life is complicated — too much so for there to be absolutes. We are all so broken. Pick up a person, shake them around and you’ll hear the rattling of their broken pieces. Pieces our fathers broke, or our mothers, or our friends, strangers, or our loves. Olivia has stopped rattling quite as much as she used to. Love is a God-given tool, she tells me. It screws things back in place that were loose, and it cleans out all the broken pieces that you don’t need any more. I believe her. Our love has been fixing each other. I hope to only hear a tiny jingle when I shake her in a few years”      Thief  (Love Me with Lies, Book 3) , Tarryn Fisher

  “DON'T THINK OF IT AS DYING, said Death.  JUST THINK OF IT AS LEAVING EARLY TO AVOID THE RUSH.”

  After I read Apprivoise , the idea was born.  I took it to Head Wench Barb, and then spent far too long trying to think of not-fangirly questions to ask, and here we have it!  An interview with Arden Aoide, author of Tame ( Apprivoise Trio ), and her soon-to-be released bound edition of Ancient Hunger ! Follow me through the jump to see what Arden is up to, and whether or not I was successful in not sounding like an utter fangirl!

“Queue?” he said with a raised brow. “That what you call it in these parts, is it?” ... “And what do you call it? In your tongue?” “ Bot ,” Ian said, shrugging. There were other words, but he wasn’t about to try one like clipeachd on them. “Mostly just cock,” Jamie said, shrugging, too. “Or ‘penis,’ if ye want to be all English about it,” Ian chimed in… “Ha,” Jamie said. “Penis isna even an English word, ye wee ignoramus. It’s Latin. And even in Latin, it doesna mean a man’s closest companion—it means ‘tail.’” ... “Tail, is it? So ye canna even tell the difference between your cock and your arse, and ye’re preachin’ to me about Latin ?” ~ Diana Gabaldon, “Virgins”    From Dangerous Women , edited by George R. R. Martin

Collage by Olga Daniels Five of the seven Wenches checking in this week are getting ready for the release of Up from the Grave, in just two weeks (!), by revisiting one of our very favorite UF/PNR series, Night Huntress. We are so excited, and a little melancholy at the same time, since UFTG will be the last in the series. But we'll have much more to say on that topic in the next couple of weeks. Wenches not consumed by the Night Huntress world this week are reading new-to-us choices that cross a variety of genres. Click through to see what those choices are, and tell us what you're reading, in the comments below!

"Oh!" Kira exclaimed.  Her eyes widened.  "You're not the real  Dracula, are you?" "Does no one  think to warn people before they meet me?" Vlad muttered, shooting an irritable look at Mencheres. Eternal Kiss of Darkness , by Jeaniene Frost

It happened again. I received a copy of Wild Things , the ninth Chicagoland Vampires book, more than six weeks before it was released to the masses. And, again, that was it's own form of torture, because I have no one with whom to discuss this book. And I NEED to discuss this book. Like, events are rattling around in my head, I can't let them go, it is going to make me insane, need to talk to someone about this book. Collage by Olga Daniels So, I've decided that I will do my best to give you a non-spoilery review of the book now, letting you know simply what I thought of it. And later, a couple of weeks after it's released and all of the Wenches have had a chance to read and discuss, Zee and I will do one of our epic discussions of the book. Because I NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT!!!! So click through to find out whether I'm still on Team Methan or whether I'm packing up and leaving Chicagoland for good. This will be spoilery through Biting Bad , bu...

"Strange, how the best moments of our lives we scarcely notice except in looking back." Joe Abercrombie, Red Country

It's that time of year where everyone is doing awards and it just seemed fitting that we would have our very own Saucy Wench awards for 2013. Below are some of our most popular posts from the previous year and it's only fitting that they get another shout out for just how fabulous they were. So take a walk with us down memory lane and see what our readers enjoyed.

Our friendship wasn't limited to habits, to circumstances, to neighborhoods. We were friends because we were connected together, because something in our souls called to each other, understood each other. That connection, that spark between us, would remain even if our lives had changed completely. I hadn't accepted that before. I could accept it now. Wild Things ~~Chloe Neill

I'd seen it happen before, but that didn't make the visual any less amazing. A flash lit the night as magic swirled around hm, changing the massive predator...into Jeff Christopher. He shook out his arms and legs, then popped his head back and forth as if stretching his neck. He looked up and met my gaze, and in the eyes of this young man--often silly, sometimes costumed, always flirty-- I saw a world of understanding and experience and maturity. Not that I'd had any doubts, but Jeff Christopher was a marvel. House Rules by Chloe Neill Source

  Source. By now, I've yammered on a whole bunch about how I don't - D. O. N'. T. - like reading books "cold" - without a trusted recommendation. I just don't. I don't like it, it makes me nervous, and if it doesn't grab me quickly, that feeling colors my perception of the book. Tame just  sort of fell into my lap. I ran into someone on a forum, who was talking about this great story, and being me, despite not knowing this person terribly well (this being a huge community), I had to know. What was it? What was so great? Turns out it was the first story in Tame , Club Dishabille . So I went over to Amazon, like the good little Saucy Wench I am, and picked it up. Follow me through the jump, and I'll tell you the tale - was it cringe-worthy, or AMAZING!!?

“But that was civilisation, so far as Logen could tell. People with nothing better to do, dreaming up ways to make easy things difficult.”

Collage by the talented Olga Daniels This week you will see Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series in five Wenches' blurbs. We are getting excited, and preparing, for the release of the last Cat & Bones book in just three weeks. It's been well over two years since the last installment, and we are eagerly, yet bittersweetly awaiting the release of this book. It's been quite a journey with these characters. Also on our e-readers and beside tables this week are epic tales of fantasy, some non-fiction, romance, and a new novella out today from Wench favorite Chloe Neill. Click through to see what we're reading and share your choices in the comments below!