The Fab & The Furious

Fab writes…

Hello again F & F readers! I’m reviewing another book today, my second vampire book in a row. It’s not that I have a fetish for this particular genre, but something about vampire books seems to be getting to me – in a good way.

Bride of Casa Dracula is the story of a hot chica named Milagro De Los Santos who’s about to get hitched to the wonderful Dr. Oswald Grant. Our feisty heroine used to be a “normal” but she has been infected twice, first by Oswald then by the irresistible Ian Ducharme. The second infection left her stronger and more resilient than most vampires that she’s even immune to sunlight.

Ian is Milagro’s ex-lover who keeps on turning up at the most unexpected times. The undeniable chemistry they still share is adding to our bride-to-be’s dilemma. Challenges seem to meet her at every turn and she can’t shake this feeling that someone is out to get her.

We all know that planning a wedding is not easy, but having a fiancé and in-laws who are all vampires, turns Milagro’s life into living hell – literally.

This brilliant piece of work by Marta Acosta kept me up for a couple of nights, and when a book causes sleep deprivation, it simply means that I loved the book. The Bride of Casa Dracula is a great read because it is not filled with vampire stereotypes. It’s unconventional, hip, fun, and exhilarating! Women who are used to standing up for themselves will be able to relate to Milagro’s spunky character. Acosta has drawn a heroine who can hold her own and it’s a refreshing change from the damsels in distress we usually associate with vampire novels. The fabulous guys in the story are not so bad as well.

Well aside from the hunks, another thing to love about this book is that it’s filled with twists and turns. The unpredictability of the plot makes The Bride of Casa Dracula a page-turner and I assure you that the mysteries in this book will keep you guessing until the very end.

So if you are looking for something out of the ordinary, I suggest you pick up a copy this book as soon as it hits the stores. The Bride of Casa Dracula by Marta Acosta is coming out in September 2008 so better mark those calendars and make sure you buy one.

Five Fab Stars!

P.S. If you want to know more about the author, visit her here. You may also pre-order from there. Cheers!

Fab writes…

Furious is away for the weekend and because I am soo bored, I came up with a list of stuff that I WANT (preferably gift wrapped with shiny paper and delivered to my doorstep right now! LOL!). Call this a vision board of sorts:

Sony Vaio CR Series in Blush Pink

If you’ve come across my entry about my pink Sony Cybershot, you would know how much I adore the color – I’m a blogger and a pink-lover, so I guess there’s no need for me to elaborate why a pink laptop is on my wish list.

Trip to Santorini, Greece

There’s something about this place that is luring me to go there. I know this might sound weird but I feel like I’ve lived there in my past life. Aside from that “feeling”, Santorini has always been a dream vacay destination for both me and Furious so this is definitely not only on my wish list, but his as well. I just love the uniqueness of the architecture and landscape of the place, don’t you?

LV bag – Monogram Vernis Alma MM in Violette

It’s Louis Vuitton and I want it! *drool* *dreamy sigh*

If You Could See Me Now by Cecilia Ahern

This one I can afford (harharhar) but I haven’t had the time to go to the bookstore. You’ll know when I have already bought a copy because I will most probably review the book (but of course!). Cecilia Ahern is a very talented writer, you must have heard of her other book, Rosie Dunne (which I would have to review one of these days) and she’s also the author of the book-turned-movie P.S. I Love You (which I adored!).

iPod Touch

I don’t want an iPhone, an iPod touch would suit me just fine. The touch-screen feature amazes me in a way that a hanging mobile fascinates a baby. I know I sound like I’m from the boondocks but it’s just so cool. ARGH!

Hot Pink Nissan 200sx

Unlike Furious, I am not really a petrol head so I don’t know what the top speed or whatever impressive specs this car has. But it’s pink, HOT pink at that and it’s flashy, so I want this car and it’s on my wish list. *toothy grin*

That’s what I came up with so far…so tell me F & F friends, what’s on YOUR wish list?

Fab writes…

I’m back from the dead Fab and Furious readers! Just in time to review this book fittingly titled Dead Until Dark. Oooh sounds scary but that’s not how this book pans out. Remember what they say, don’t judge a book by it’s cover.

Sookie Stackhouse is not your ordinary small-time cocktail waitress in small-town Bon Temps. Most often than not, she’s quiet, keeps to herself, and she doesn’t really have a social life to boast of. However, our pretty blond heroine has her reasons for shutting most people out – it’s because she can read their minds.

Being a mind-reader doesn’t only make you un-dateable, majority of the human race will think you’re crazy as well. But for Sookie, the hardest part of being able to read minds is NOT being able to have a man in his life. Imagine hearing all the indecent thoughts running through your date’s head when you haven’t even started with the main course yet. And so because of this, Sookie always thought of her “ability” as a “disability”, then along came Bill…

Now Bill is even more bizarre than our Sookie because Bill is a true-to-life, or more appropriately true-to-death vampire. Yes he’s a vampire guys and gals, he has been one since 1870. The most amazing thing about Bill however is that Sookie can’t read his mind. So the story gets more interesting when Sookie and Bill gets involved with each other in a very peculiar relationship for the most ordinary reason. Bill has been the only man with whom Sookie felt like she was normal – not psychic Sookie, not even crazy Sookie.

But fate doesn’t seem to be on Sookie’s side because just when she thought she found the love of her life, people she knew started turning up dead and the police think that a vampire is responsible for the deaths. Of course Sookie knows that it’s not Bill who’s doing all the horrendous murders, but she can’t prove that because only she believes it so she and her vampire-lover need to find out who the killer is before the killer gets to Sookie.

I have only finished reading 90% if this book but boy can I just say that it’s a FAB, FAB, FAB read?! I didn’t want to write a review AFTER reading it because I know I will be sad to reach the end of this fascinating story woven by Harris proving that the course of true love (especially between a psychic human and a vampire) never did run smooth. I enjoy reading this book so much that I don’t want it to end. I even had to tear myself away from it last night, or rather this morning, because it was already 3:30 AM and I had to be at the office by 8 AM – that’s how great a read Dead Until Dark is!

I know I’m gushing but I can’t help it folks. You just have to read this one for yourself and I swear you will not regret a single second that you spent poring over this masterpiece.

This book is a combination of mystery, suspense, a dash of drama, but mostly romance. I highly recommend this book to everyone, even to those who are not really bookworms like yours truly. If the romance of Sookie and Bill doesn’t get you hooked, I don’t know what will.

Five Fab Stars!

Fab writes…

Meeting the man of her dreams and rushing into a whirlwind marriage was total bliss for Ruth Blackison. But the haze that new romance brings started clearing up when she faces the people that were part of her husband’s life before he even met her. It’s enough to drive Ruth up the wall when she meets and tries to get along with Ned’s crazy mom – what she didn’t expect was THE friends and Ned’s tangled relationship with them that threatened to tear them apart.

Initially, I bought this book because the front cover is simply *fab*. After reading the synopsis though, I was more convinced than ever to buy it. As it turns out, “The Secret Life of Husbands” is now one of my all time favorites.

Reading this gem of a book was like riding an emotional rollercoaster. The characters were well drawn by the author so you will be able to truly relate to Ruth and the lot of them. I bet this will be a successful movie should one of the Hollywood outfits decide to translate this on to the big screen.

All the hopeless romantics (and even the not so hopeless) will appreciate the fact that this story doesn’t spin like a fairytale. The emotions are sincere; the difficulties of merging past loyalties and their new love were very real that you can almost imagine Ned’s mother looking like your own monster, I mean mother-in-law; and most of all, the essence of what Ned and Ruth had as a couple was a romance that all of us would hope for.

I highly recommend this book to women AND men of all ages. It is not your typical chic lit which leaves you hollow after reading the last page. This book will leave a mark in your heart as you join Ruth and Ned in their rocky yet poignant journey to their own happily ever after.

Five Fab Stars!