Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Book Review: Clean Sweep

Clean Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #1)
Ilona Andrews

Release Date: December 2, 2013

Ilona Andrews

Book Description:
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.


Amazon US | Goodreads

Review:
Light hearted and refreshing Clean Sweep is a delightful and highly entertaining read. And I’ll be sure to add other books by the writing duo known as Ilona Andrews to my growing to-read list.

All in all, Clean Sweep is a trip! Unexpected, humorous, sarcastic and fast paced; this urban fantasy, gory details aside, had me giggling late at night. I couldn’t help but love the heroine – Dina the Innkeeper. She was feisty, determined, and self-sufficient [just the way I like my heroines to be]. Add to that a couple of impetuous alpha males, one werewolf, the other vampire; and you know there’s bound to be plenty of fun exchanges between these three [and if your thoughts immediately jump to Twilight, rest assured that these novels have very little in common]. Truly, even the ever annoying love triangle works charmingly well here, creating the needed tension between the heroine and her two would-be suitors and comrades-in-arms, as well as offering plenty of comic relief. The dialog alone was one of the bigger highlights for me; still there are plenty of other enjoyable aspects as well.



“Mhm,” Arland said. “I have spent my spare time studying literature popular with young women of this planet. One should always study the battlefield.”
Sean glanced at him. “And?”
“I suggest you give up now. According to my research, in a vampire-werewolf love triangle, the vampire always gets the girl.”
Clean Sweep (p. 224).

Sarcasm and flirting aside, Clean Sweep is less of a romance novel and much more a sci-fi fantasy adventure with a bit of mystery and plenty of laughs, think a cross between Men in Black and popular paranormal fiction. The world building is unique and the characters are original, from a magical inn which can be a character in its own right, to alien races and their often uneasy politics, a very adorable “devil” dog, and plenty of bloodthirsty and vengeful villains. If you are an urban fantasy fan then Clean Sweep should be on your to-read list – no excuses; and even if you are not, you still should check it out and be thoroughly entertained by this quick, quirky, and satisfying read.

Recommended

6 comments:

  1. Oh wow this sounds like a fun one Victoria the minute you said the inn thinks for itself I was giddy..LOL

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    1. Oh yes! This book was lots of fun and totally not what i expected. I loved it.

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  2. Replies
    1. I will definitely have to check out more by Ilona Andrews! :)

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  3. Vika, I'll have to make you read their Kate Daniels series :))) It's amazing, plus the main heroine has Russian relatives. This series is awesome and adorable. Great review, and I enjoyed that quote too!

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    1. It's on my list already! I promise. :)) I don't know how or why I haven't read it yet.

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