Title: Mind Games
Author: Carolyn Crane
Genre: Urban Fantasy
I love it when I'm proved wrong by a book. When I first saw this book reviewed by Mandi at Smexybooks I thought, no this isn't the book by me. I said the same thing after I read Donna's review at Fantasy Dreamer Ramblings-but her review was so convincing that I thought I had to give this book a try. I'm so glad that I did. I found a great new author in Carolyn Crane.
Justine Jones is a hypochondriac whose biggest fear is that she'll get what's called the vein star syndrome, and that fear is controlling everything in her life. It's also causing trouble with her boyfriend and makes it hard to work at her boring retail job. While she is out to dinner with her boyfriend, she meets the mysterious Packard. He offers her a chance for normalcy-all she has to do is join his group of disillusionists who work to disillusion criminals, and in around about way make them better.
Justine has her doubts about joining, but knows she can't continue the way she is. She finds herself joining Packards group, and for the first time has a group of people she fits in with. She has her doubts, but figures that they are helping the dashing Police Chief Otto Sanchez keep criminals off the street just in a different way, and that soothes her doubts somewhat. Then, suddenly she finds herself torn between three very different men and her doubts about her new job begin to surface and she finds that she is trapped and has been lied to her by someone close to her.
Words can not describe how much I loved this book! I loved Justine-she's one of the most likable UF heroines I've come across in a long time. I find myself totally getting her, and understanding where she was coming from with her fears, and being torn between the very different men in her life. I have to admit that I had my doubts about reading a book about a hypochondriac, but it totally worked with the story, and made Justine that much more likable.
Have I mentioned Packard yet? ::dreamy sigh:: One of my favorite lines in the book comes from him: "That's why I want you to be wild and free-because this is where your heart wants; this is where your home is." How can you not love a guy that speaks like that?
There were also a couple of scenes that made me go "oh my!" One was the hot tub scene mentioned in KCs review over at Smokin Hot Books (I won't mention who it's with) and then there is the under the table foot scene that was totally shiver worthy while being as innocent as something like that can be. :)
This book has a little of everything in it, and if you're a fan of Urban Fantasy, I have this to say: Read this book now! Seriously, you'll really love it-even if you're afraid that you'll wind up having all the symptoms of the vein star syndrome. (I will not google it, I will not google it, I will not...) I almost forgot-the whole time I was reading this I was wondering what kind of disillusionist I'd be and if I'd join Packards group or not. Which I totally would, because who wouldn't want to work with Packard??
Sigh Meter: High
Swoon Meter: High
Sizzle Meter: High
Shiver Meter: The two scenes alone made this worthy of a High
Sleep Meter: Low-You will be up all night with this one :)
Challenges Counted Toward:
14/25 Read
I don't want to give this book back!
