Fade Out, Rachel Caine, Signet, 237 pages

I wasn’t too worried about this book being a good one. I wasn’t worried that one plot kind of ended and where would Rachel go with this one. But I loved it! I thought it was nice that things “sort of” slowed down for our four main characters. I will say that the one thing that disappointed me was the lack of Michael/Eve and Shane/Claire. They were there but it was rocky and I would have liked for it to have been more, what’s the word...not happy, but with the danger for them slowing it would have been nice for their relationships to not have hit rough patches. Am I just a sap? Maybe...and I’m okay with that.

“I heard this girl worked for Bishop,” said one of the guys, who had a tire iron resting on his shoulder. “Carrying around his death warrants. Like one of those Nazi collaborators.”

“You heard wrong,” Shane said. “She’s my girl. Now back off.”

“Let’s hear from her,” said the leader of the pack, and locked stares with Claire. “So? You working for the vamps?”

Shane sent her a quick, warning glance.

Claire took in a deep breath and said, “Absolutely.”

“Ah hell,” Shane breathed. “Okay, then. Run.”"

"Anybody else think that was weird?” Shane asked as they got into the car. Eve sent him an exasperated glance; the three of them were, of course, in the backseat. Amelie had the front, with Michael.

“Ya think? In general, or in particular?”

“Weird that we got through the entire thing, and I didn’t have to hit anybody.”

There was a moment of silence. Michael said, as he started the car, “You’re right, Shane. That is strange."

The Ex Games, Jennifer Echols, Simon Pulse, 302 pages

(Oct. 19)This book is filled with snark and banter between ex’s Nick and Hayden. They had a relationship in the 7th grade that ended badly, yet, 4 years later, neither of them has let it go completely.

Now, as Juniors, their friends are hooking up and throwing them together almost daily. Sparks fly, it’s inevitable.

I really enjoyed the witty conversations these two had but all the misunderstandings got a little annoying. Not enough to make me put it down or anything. I just wanted to yell at them both to explain what they meant so they’d get together sooner. And stay that way.

Overall the story of a battle between the sexes was a good one. I liked the fact that Echols did her research when it came to snowboarding and added snowboarding terms at the beginning of each chapter, what they meant, and how they applied to Nick and Hayden. I thought that was a little something extra from the author. And I always like a little something extra.

The secondary characters were enjoyable and believeable. Plus, I thought the relationship between Hayden and her brother Josh was very real. They fought, they teased, they helped each other out. I thought it was pretty cool that Hayden didn’t mind being around him and his friends, even when they were embarassing and juvenial, like in the diner that night.

The only thing about it that I didn’t think was believeable and it may just be me and the way I was brought up, was when Josh cussed in front of his mom. He’s 14-ish but still, she didn’t even bat an eyelash and it wasn’t like he said damn, or hell. That was my only problem with the story.

Overall a good, quick, fluffy romance. If you are in the mood for something like that, go pick it up.

Now the quotes section...

“What are you going to do, tell on me because I won a snowboarding contest?”

“That’s exactly what I’m going to do,” he called haughtily over his shoulder.

Uh-oh. I definitely did not want my parents butting into my business, especially not about this. “You had better not,” I shouted after him. “Do you hear me, O’Malley? I will tell Gavin’s sister you slept with a stuffed bunny rabbit until you were in middle school, so help me God!”

Josh dropped his board, slid down to me, and clampd his hand over my mouth. “Shhhhh! Mr. Big Ears was very special.”

“What are you doing here?”

“I just happened to be in teh neighborhood, walking my dog...” This was sounding lame. “...several miles from my home, in the middle of the night, in the snow. And I found myself in your backyard.”

His eyes flew wide open. “With the cats?”

“If that’s what you call them.”