Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward

In the darkest corners of the night in Caldwell, New York, a conflict like no other rages. The city is home to a band of brothers born to defend their race: the warrior vampires of the Black Dagger Brotherhood.

Now back in the Brotherhood - and unrecognizable as the vampire leader he once was - Tohrment is physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair. When he begins to see his beloved in his dreams - trapped in a cold, isolating netherworld - Tohr turns to a self-serving fallen angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. When he's told he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed . . .

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King's throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past, and a very hot, passion-filled future . . . but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

My thoughts~ While Tohr is not one of my favorites, I really enjoyed his journey back to finding love. There was a couple of times I did, I admit, call him a couple of not so complimentary names (asshat, being my favorite) but in the end, it ended the right way. And J.R. Ward announced today on facebook that Blay & Qhuinn's book is next! Finally! I just hope it can live up to everyone's (MINE!) expectations!   

No Dice By Mar Preston

A real whodunit confronts Santa Monica police detective Dave Mason. A city councilwoman in murdered on the eve of a vote allowing a casino consortium to build on the shore of this upscale Los Angeles beachside city. The attractive leader of the coalition opposing the casino now lives with the threat of the killer who fears she could identify him. Mason must stop the killer before he strikes through the flimsy curtain of protection surrounding this scared activist and cop hater.

Mason's investigation lands on the money people: real estate developers, PR flacks, the hotels, the politicians, and their dark shenanigans. The story unravels how casinos penetrate new markets by funding Indian tribes' quest for federal status, as well as peddling influence with local officials to sway public opinion. Billions of dollars in profit, and an explosive secret emerging from Santa Monica's seamy past, turn the nicest people ugly.

~My thoughts~
It took awhile for me to warm up to this book; I almost stopped reading it a time or two, but decided to give it a chance. It ended up catching my attention by the middle, and I was interested in finding out who the murderer was by the end of the book.