Sharon Shinn: The Shape of Desire

The Shape of Desire by Sharon Shinn

For fifteen years Maria Devane has been desperately, passionately in love with Dante Romano. But despite loving him with all of her heart and soul, Maria knows that Dante can never give all of himself back—at least not all the time. Every month, Dante shifts shape, becoming a wild animal, and leaving Maria alone. Since the beginning, she has kept his secret, knowing that their love is worth the danger.

But when a string of brutal attacks occur in local parks during the times when Dante is in animal form, Maria is forced to consider whether the lies she’s been telling about her life have become lies she’s also telling herself…

Synopsis by Goodreads.

Sharon Shinn has a new book coming out (finally!) in April 2012. But I have to admit, I'm a little disappointed that she's jumping on the Paranormal Romance bandwagon. It's beneath her. I know she wrote The Shape-Changer's Wife, but it didn't sound so sappy. After reading her other books (and loving them), The Shape of Desire seems out of character for Mrs. Shinn.

However, one thing I have learned from being a reader is that you can never judge a book by its cover. Never. Books with amazing cover's aren't necessarily awesome reads, and vice versa. Take Hunger Games for example:

The cover isn't flashy or beautiful. It's well-done, I'll give you that, but its simple in a good way. Remember, friends. Never judge a book by its cover.

And with that said, I do intend to read The Shape of Desire and I will try to do so in an unbiased way. Perhaps Mrs. Shinn will deceive me with her cleverness (in fact, I hope this is true). In the meantime, I will anxiously await Sharon Shinn's latest book.

Other books by Sharon Shinn:

1. Archangel

2. Summers at Castle Auburn

3. Mystic and Rider

4. General Winston's Daughter (one of my absolute favorites)

Born Wicked Giveaway

Today I entered a chance to win an Advanced Reader's Copy of Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, and so can you!  Just stop by The Midnight Garden to enter for your chance to win a free copy.  You can also earn additional entries by tweeting about the giveaway, becoming a Facebook friend, etc.  Did I mention that the contest is open internationally?  The winner will be announced and contacted on Friday, January 13.  Good luck!

A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.
Synopsis by Goodreads.