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amym84's review against another edition
4.0
Charley Davidson has been back a week. A week since she regained her memory. A week since her father passed through her in order to help her remember. And a week since she found out her husband is a god. The problem being, she doesn't know if Reyes will suffer the same fate as herself when she learned her divine name (you know being so overloaded that she got amnesia and relocated to New York). Plus, it seems a pretty certain thing that his god-self was evil, and she doesn't know if that evil would translate over to Reyes if he learns the truth about himself.
So, to say Tenth Grave starts with Charley holding a lot of secrets is putting it mildly. I think I would be surprised if there was one book in the series where Charley and Reyes didn't have some kind of secret from one another. For quite a few books now the secret keeping has bothered me. It still bothered me here in Tenth Grave, but I will say that I like the way Charley handles it in this one, which I feel speaks a lot to how much Charley has grown in this series.
Besides the fact that I love that we're back on Charley's home turf again (after a 2 book absence), Charley herself just felt more mature. I liked seeing how she's (mostly) grown into her powers, and into understanding how they work -even if she's still not 100 percent sure of everything she can do.
As stated, Tenth Grave brings Charley back to her normally scheduled programming by way of her PI business. Besides the impending issues cropping up with keeping Beep safe, and Reyes being a god, Charley is hired to solve a murder case so the wrong person isn't incarcerated, and she runs into a homeless girl who needs her help. Darynda Jones handles all the craziness that pops up for Charley really well. I'm thinking it's equal parts me understanding the flow of the series, and the writing talents of Darynda Jones being able to keep everything cohesive.
Ninth Grave for me was a middle of the road type of read. I didn't think it was terrible, it just didn't work for me. Tenth Grave definitely works. The relationship between Charley and Reyes continues to be one of my favorites, and I was happy that there are some really good moments of connection between them (and no I'm not just talking about sex, but of course that heat level is way up in this one). I was happy that Beep wasn't completely glossed over simply because she's not with them. That Charley, and Reyes, both miss their daughter and wish they could have her, comes across loud and clear.
This series is one of my favorites, and if you're like me and didn't care too much for Ninth Grave, Tenth Grave will certainly set things right. The ending clearly lets readers know some of what to expect in the next book, and I'm certainly looking forward to it.
So, to say Tenth Grave starts with Charley holding a lot of secrets is putting it mildly. I think I would be surprised if there was one book in the series where Charley and Reyes didn't have some kind of secret from one another. For quite a few books now the secret keeping has bothered me. It still bothered me here in Tenth Grave, but I will say that I like the way Charley handles it in this one, which I feel speaks a lot to how much Charley has grown in this series.
Besides the fact that I love that we're back on Charley's home turf again (after a 2 book absence), Charley herself just felt more mature. I liked seeing how she's (mostly) grown into her powers, and into understanding how they work -even if she's still not 100 percent sure of everything she can do.
As stated, Tenth Grave brings Charley back to her normally scheduled programming by way of her PI business. Besides the impending issues cropping up with keeping Beep safe, and Reyes being a god, Charley is hired to solve a murder case so the wrong person isn't incarcerated, and she runs into a homeless girl who needs her help. Darynda Jones handles all the craziness that pops up for Charley really well. I'm thinking it's equal parts me understanding the flow of the series, and the writing talents of Darynda Jones being able to keep everything cohesive.
Ninth Grave for me was a middle of the road type of read. I didn't think it was terrible, it just didn't work for me. Tenth Grave definitely works. The relationship between Charley and Reyes continues to be one of my favorites, and I was happy that there are some really good moments of connection between them (and no I'm not just talking about sex, but of course that heat level is way up in this one). I was happy that Beep wasn't completely glossed over simply because she's not with them. That Charley, and Reyes, both miss their daughter and wish they could have her, comes across loud and clear.
This series is one of my favorites, and if you're like me and didn't care too much for Ninth Grave, Tenth Grave will certainly set things right. The ending clearly lets readers know some of what to expect in the next book, and I'm certainly looking forward to it.
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
This book brings be back to the whole reason why I first fell in love with this series. Charley and Reyes make such a great couple together. They are meant for each other. I rarely get crushes on the male leads. There has only been a few times and I can count them all on my one hand. However I was seriously crushing on Reyes. A sexy, tall, dark demon that has a sense of humor, is great in bed and knows how to cook. Yes, please. This is a time where I actually wanted to be Charley. Although, the fighting was less in this book, it was all of the charm of the main characters that made this book so great with Charley, Reyes, Cookie, and the rest of the gang. Of course I can't forget Charley being Charley. I missed this. So glad she is back. Another thing that I really like about these books are the funny as heck sayings at the beginning of each chapter like: "If at first you don't succeed, destroy all evidence that you tried by Stephen Wright", "My family's coat of arms is a wraparound and ties in the back. Is that normal? by Mostly True Fact", and than there is the comment by Charley "Maybe she's born with it. Maybe it's caffeine." I can't wait to read the next book in this series.
divapitbull's review against another edition
5.0
I really enjoyed the 10th grave installment. It was fast paced and there was a lot going on. The mystery of the day didn't overwhelm the story - probably because there were at least 3 (the mystery of the missing dead girl, the cursed orphan and the ghost busters) and there was a little advancement of the overall storyline - but that didn't really materialize until towards the end. I think I really enjoyed this installment for 2 reasons. Charley has gotten much less annoyingly stupidly cheesy. Her trademark sense of humor is still there, but she seems to have toned it down by more than just a notch. And best of all - she is growing into her Godliness. Finally she's looking like a badass (love the kiss of death and the Vulcan mind meld). Finally she's looking like a warrior (pulling up her army and rocking the god glass) instead of playing the bumbling victim. This Charley I am actually liking.
10th grave picks up 1 week after Charley gets her memories back and returns to New Mexico after her little excursion in New York. Things are a bit strained between she and Reyes - and she can't figure out why - although she does realize that she's returned with some jaw dropping Intel that she really can't trust him with at the moment. Being as Reyes it turns out is the most powerful and evil of the 3 gods of Uzan. Or at least he was until his "brothers" helped Satan trap him in the god glass so he could shake & bake a son out of him. So while Charley is missing her Beep she's also worried that Reyes might go all destroyer of universes and obliterator of life on her when he learns his true celestial name - forcing her to trap him in the god glass to keep Beep safe. (FYI Reyes definitely earned his bad boy street cred with this little bombshell). And of course Reyes is hiding some secrets of his own from Charley. Some have to do with his own insecurities and others about steps he’s taking to stop her beloved Ubie from going to hell. Misunderstandings and mis-assumptions abound on all sides and nothing is resolved until just over half way through when Cookie forces a game of naked twisted.
The overall story arc doesn’t really come in to play until the last 80%; but Charley’s confrontation with Mae’eldeesahn one of the gods of Uzan is Epic. We learn a little more back story related to how the gods Val-Eeth and Rey’azikeen ended up on earth playing out their drama as Charley and Reyes. And Team Charley gains another very cool departed who joins the ranks of the inner circle protecting Beep.
10th grave picks up 1 week after Charley gets her memories back and returns to New Mexico after her little excursion in New York. Things are a bit strained between she and Reyes - and she can't figure out why - although she does realize that she's returned with some jaw dropping Intel that she really can't trust him with at the moment. Being as Reyes it turns out is the most powerful and evil of the 3 gods of Uzan. Or at least he was until his "brothers" helped Satan trap him in the god glass so he could shake & bake a son out of him. So while Charley is missing her Beep she's also worried that Reyes might go all destroyer of universes and obliterator of life on her when he learns his true celestial name - forcing her to trap him in the god glass to keep Beep safe. (FYI Reyes definitely earned his bad boy street cred with this little bombshell). And of course Reyes is hiding some secrets of his own from Charley. Some have to do with his own insecurities and others about steps he’s taking to stop her beloved Ubie from going to hell. Misunderstandings and mis-assumptions abound on all sides and nothing is resolved until just over half way through when Cookie forces a game of naked twisted.
The overall story arc doesn’t really come in to play until the last 80%; but Charley’s confrontation with Mae’eldeesahn one of the gods of Uzan is Epic. We learn a little more back story related to how the gods Val-Eeth and Rey’azikeen ended up on earth playing out their drama as Charley and Reyes. And Team Charley gains another very cool departed who joins the ranks of the inner circle protecting Beep.
megs_k's review against another edition
4.0
You have my heart. That’s where I hide all my secrets. ~ Darynda Jones
claire_loves_books's review against another edition
4.0
It was nice that the story felt like it was moving forward again (I really felt like Charley loosing her memory just put the whole thing on pause). It's nice that Charley and Reyes are getting on better- I still wish they'd trust each other but it is nice that they are more trusting (it's taken quite a while to get to this point though!)
The plot itself was fairly typical of the previous books though and the series does feel a bit like it's going round in circles.
The plot itself was fairly typical of the previous books though and the series does feel a bit like it's going round in circles.
bmg20's review against another edition
5.0
*BOOKS 1-9 TO BE DISCUSSED. DON’T READ IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED*
‘The fact that there’s a Highway to Hell and only a Stairway to Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.’
Hallelujah, Charley’s back!! Okay, it hasn’t been that long, The Dirt on Ninth Grave just came out this past January but it sure feels like it’s been forever. The ninth installment was a bit of a filler novel, with Charley having to work to regain her memories and it took damn near the entire book to get there, but in The Curse of Tenth Grave we’re back to the good ol’ Charley that we all know and love. The stakes are even higher after Charley’s father passed through her after being a spy down in the depths of Hell to obtain vital information: the three Gods of Uzan are on Earth to kill her daughter and she just so happens to be very close with one of them.
In addition to that, Charley still manages to find time to solve a mystery (or three) for her P.I. business. This time she’s dealing with a dead woman where all evidence points to her fiancé despite Charley’s misgivings, a mystery behind kids who believe themselves to be cursed at a local group home, and the repercussions of videos resurfacing from Charley’s past involving her and an exorcism that could land her in some hot water. There’s always so much going on in a normal day with Charley Davidson – seriously it’s no wonder she drinks as much coffee as she does – but even though the stories are always told at a breakneck pace, they’re still always exhilarating rather than jumbled. The stuff she has to deal with, especially now the issues involving her daughter, life has got to be stressful yet Charley’s sarcastic sense of humor maintains.
‘I wondered if I should just tell him the truth. Of course, after finding out a Colombian drug baron wanted to eat me, I figured I should reevaluate how many people we let into our little circle.’
In addition to being able to rely on the hilarity of these stories, the steaminess also never lags. I’ll never look at a Twister game the same, that’s for damn sure. What I appreciated most in this installment is we got some insight into their actual relationship. These two never really communicate with one another and most of the time Charley is doing all kinds of crazy shit behind his back and he’s keeping secrets (okay, she’s keeping secrets too) yet they still have the hots for one another. But for the most part that seemed to be the only aspect of their relationship that made sense. In this installment, we get real heart to heart talks between them and some genuine bonding that will only make you love these two more (if you didn’t already).
This is officially the longest running series that I’ve not only continued to keep up with but still eagerly anticipate. And it’s still so freaking fantastic. I have no idea how many more installments we have, but at least there’s a possibility of a spin-off series and I’m all over that. Simply put, Darynda Jones continues to hit it out of the park with Charley and the gang. If you haven’t jumped on board these series, do yourself a favor and find out what you’ve been missing.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
______________________________________
I am completely crazy for this series. And it's still so damn good.
DROP EVERYTHING. AHHHHHHHHHH.
‘The fact that there’s a Highway to Hell and only a Stairway to Heaven says a lot about anticipated traffic numbers.’
Hallelujah, Charley’s back!! Okay, it hasn’t been that long, The Dirt on Ninth Grave just came out this past January but it sure feels like it’s been forever. The ninth installment was a bit of a filler novel, with Charley having to work to regain her memories and it took damn near the entire book to get there, but in The Curse of Tenth Grave we’re back to the good ol’ Charley that we all know and love. The stakes are even higher after Charley’s father passed through her after being a spy down in the depths of Hell to obtain vital information: the three Gods of Uzan are on Earth to kill her daughter and she just so happens to be very close with one of them.
In addition to that, Charley still manages to find time to solve a mystery (or three) for her P.I. business. This time she’s dealing with a dead woman where all evidence points to her fiancé despite Charley’s misgivings, a mystery behind kids who believe themselves to be cursed at a local group home, and the repercussions of videos resurfacing from Charley’s past involving her and an exorcism that could land her in some hot water. There’s always so much going on in a normal day with Charley Davidson – seriously it’s no wonder she drinks as much coffee as she does – but even though the stories are always told at a breakneck pace, they’re still always exhilarating rather than jumbled. The stuff she has to deal with, especially now the issues involving her daughter, life has got to be stressful yet Charley’s sarcastic sense of humor maintains.
‘I wondered if I should just tell him the truth. Of course, after finding out a Colombian drug baron wanted to eat me, I figured I should reevaluate how many people we let into our little circle.’
In addition to being able to rely on the hilarity of these stories, the steaminess also never lags. I’ll never look at a Twister game the same, that’s for damn sure. What I appreciated most in this installment is we got some insight into their actual relationship. These two never really communicate with one another and most of the time Charley is doing all kinds of crazy shit behind his back and he’s keeping secrets (okay, she’s keeping secrets too) yet they still have the hots for one another. But for the most part that seemed to be the only aspect of their relationship that made sense. In this installment, we get real heart to heart talks between them and some genuine bonding that will only make you love these two more (if you didn’t already).
This is officially the longest running series that I’ve not only continued to keep up with but still eagerly anticipate. And it’s still so freaking fantastic. I have no idea how many more installments we have, but at least there’s a possibility of a spin-off series and I’m all over that. Simply put, Darynda Jones continues to hit it out of the park with Charley and the gang. If you haven’t jumped on board these series, do yourself a favor and find out what you’ve been missing.
I received this book free from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
______________________________________
I am completely crazy for this series. And it's still so damn good.
DROP EVERYTHING. AHHHHHHHHHH.
scarletcat13's review against another edition
4.0
I think this one is my new favorite of this series. All my favorite moments are spoilers but it all happens after she solves the case she's hired for.
Every time I pick up a book of this series I wonder if I really want to read it but as soon as I start I can't stop hahaha. I'm never sure what's going to happen next but I'm curious as to where she is taking this series.
Every time I pick up a book of this series I wonder if I really want to read it but as soon as I start I can't stop hahaha. I'm never sure what's going to happen next but I'm curious as to where she is taking this series.
bouldermimi's review against another edition
5.0
Read 11/12/17: Did not disappoint! Had a few real, LOL moments! I'm also loving having finally settled on what Charlie looks and sounds like in my head as I read. Kristen Bell all the way! They have the same humor and delivery! Jason Momoa is, of course, my Reyes!
life1sg00d's review against another edition
5.0
After the last book I was worried but this book is great!