Rating: 
Summary: Seelie info, lukewarm sex, and a smidge of danger
Review: I just finished reading the second Merry Gentry books. I did like this one, although perhaps not as much as the first installment.The Princess and co. stayed in the City of Angeles for the duration of this book. I was happy to read more regarding the Seelie court. Also, Meredith comes to the realization that she's not just a princess...she's heir to the throne, to power. I know that Ms. Hamilton receives complaints regarding the sex in her books. Personally, I don't think that reading about hot sex, etc. is a bad thing. However, I wasn't all that impressed with what I read in TWILIGHT. The scenes with Doyle, Kitto and Galen weren't all that spectacular. Perhaps this is Ms. Hamilton's response to all the negative comments. The sex is still there, but now it's not even all that great. It was also nice to learn a little more about men in Merry's life. I wish more time had been spent on Doyle's character. Anyway, I will look forward to reading the next installment of Merry's quest for pregnancy and thus the throne.
Rating: 
Summary: Another Winner from Laurell K. Hamilton!
Review: Merry Gentry, sidhe princess and coheir to the Unseelie Court is back in this second in the series by Laurell K. Hamilton. As with all of Hamilton's books, it primarily centers around the relationship between our beautiful heroine and her bevy of gorgeous men. Oh, and by the way, these aren't just any ordinary guys, they're Sidhe warriors, elite fey bodyguards. Each one has the chance to be Merry's royal consort... if they can get her pregnant with the next heir to the throne. Let's just say there are some VERY sexy chapters in his book! The best thing about Hamilton's books would have to be the tantalizing interpersonal relationships (including romance!) that weave in and out of the narrative. The detective work Merry does as an employee of Grey Detective Agency almost seems to be an afterthought, not the focus for the plot. Even so, it was a great read and I sat down and read on into the wee hours of the night so I could finish in one sitting. I look forward to the next Merry Gentry book, and her upcoming confrontation with her cousin Cel as well as the Seelie Court. A great series, Ms. Hamilton-- keep them coming!
Rating: 
Summary: Equal Opportunity Second Chance Giver
Review: The avalanche starts here. I thought perhaps it could get better, but did not consider that it could get worse. The characters have not evolved and the story has not evolved much either. There are a handfull of entertaining moments, but Caress of Twilight is generally disappointing.
Rating: 
Summary: Maybe I'm too much of a realist ...
Review: I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a big fantasy fan, but I appreciate a well-written novel no matter what its genre may be. Laurell K. Hamilton is one of the few fantasy authors that non-fantasy enthusiasts can read without being too weirded out, but "A Caress Of Twilight" is definitely not her strongest work. "Caress" continues the saga of Meredith Gentry, a/k/a NicEssus, a L.A. private detective who happens to be a faerie princess and heir to the Unseelie throne. She is competing with her cousin Prince Cel to inherit this throne--whoever is the first to have a child wins. To help her along with this quest, she essentially has five live-in lovers (actually, she starts out with three, and the other two are added along the way). Meredith spends the vast majority of the book either having sex with other fey creatures, trying to get out of having sex with other fey creatures, or arguing with other monarchs in the fey world on various points of faerie protocol, continuously reminding them that despite her mixed blood (apparently she's part human and brownie in addition to faerie) she is an heir to a throne. There's a minor murder mystery thrown in, not to mention some encounters with an exiled faerie goddess who exists in L.A. as--surprise!--a movie star. As with her Anita Blake novels, Hamilton strives for a seamless blend of the real world and the supernatural here, but does not totally succeed. "Caress" does not flow very well, which has also been a problem in Hamilton's later AB novels. A lot of talking is done, but it doesn't move the plot along. Meredith's lovers/bodyguards, at least looks-wise, are straight out of Zebra Medieval Romance 101. In short, nothing really happens--until the end. Hamilton seems to have a fixation with biting and bloodletting, which of course is suitable for the Anita Blake series (Anita IS a vampire hunter after all) but is borderline disturbing here. Then again, change the faeries and goblins to vampires and werewolves, and you have ... an Anita Blake novel. And, on a personal-peevish note, why does every fictional supernatural creature that comes to walk amongst the humans ALWAYS seem to be a private detective? What, they have no other job skills? A newcomer to Hamilton would do well to avoid "A Caress Of Twilight," particularly if he/she is not a regular fantasy reader--go with an early Anita Blake book such as "Bloody Bones." There is potential here, and if Hamilton would let up on the sex and biting and politics and concentrate on the story, it would be great potential.
Rating:
Summary: Doyle, Oh Doyle, what more can a girl want!!!!
Review: Laurell K. Hamilton has done it again. I started reading Hamilton with the Merry Gentry story and have thouroughly enjoyed the two books written so far. I think this series stands just fine on it's own without the constant comparison to her Anita Blake series (which I have not read). We learned quite a bit more about her Sidhe lovers/guards/companions in this novel, their strenghts and weaknesses as well as the picking and choosing of our personal favorites. The more we learn about the Seelie and UnSeelie courts is very intriguing, and keeps the reader enthralled with what can possibly happen next with Merry and all her merry men as well as her host of very looney relatives.
Quite honestly I do have a favorite Raven guard and it is Doyle (sigh), a man who can rule, love, and watch out for the others as a true leader and protector (if only he were real). The other guards have a tendency to forget why they are there (even the one she loves), other than trying to father a child for Merry and become her consort, but never, ever Doyle. A true alpha male (sigh again). I do have one complaint and the reason I only gave 4 stars instead of 5 and that is Ms. Hamilton is not writing fast enough. Also, how many books can you get out of a 3 year procreating plot?
Rating:
Summary: First Time Read And Very Entertaining!!
Review: Well, first off I should mention that I make it a regular habit (not on purpose mind you!) to read series out of order. I pick up a book read the back cover and think "hey this sounds great" only to be maybe two chapters in only to find out I'm reading book 3 out of 4! Well, this time is no different and I still found that yes, I want to read the next book in the series and even more important the first book. With that said this is the first time I've ever read anything by Ms. Hamilton and I found her writing to be very entertaining and her little world to be fun. Merry continues on in her quest to not only remain alive (despite her cousin's attempts on her life), but to try and conceive the future heir of the sidhe. With her bodyguards, Doyle, Frost, and Rhys, as well as goblin Kitto we follow this very sassy princess as she does her best to walk a very thin line between two different rulers. If you are not a fan of fantasy (like me) I still think you will find Ms. Hamilton's fantasy world fun and a worth while way to pass the time
Rating:
Summary: A good book to unwind from work stress
Review: Typical of the MG books, it's low-key erotica, although at least the sex scenes in this one seemed to be *trying* to be part of character development. I liked the story, even if I had figured out the "whodunit" of the lightweight mystery that supplies the subplot of the book (the main plot, of course, is still Merry getting pregnant). I can't complain, since Merry's remaining rather attached to my two favorite males in her little harem, although from the looks of the conclusion, book 3 will only get more complicated on the interpersonal dynamics between Merry and the men. Enjoyable dark fantasy-erotica. I've read most of the Anita Blake series. I've burned out on "Super Anita", so Merry is a bit of a change. At least she's honest about her harem, rather than swearing up and down she's "Saint Anita" and changing her mind midway to become "Courtesan Anita". I like Merry - she's fun and irreverant.
Rating: 
Summary: frustrating in the extreme
Review: In general, I love Laurel K. Hamilton's books. As other reviewers have noted, the plot point here is that Merry is supposed to be trying to get pregnant before her cousin Cel can father a child. Thus, she has lots of sex. My question is: why doesn't she spend some effort trying to TIME her conception? Don't sidhe ovulate? If sidhe don't work that way, I'd love to hear an explanation. Given that many (most?) of Hamiltons's readers are female, I'd think that they'd be interested in a digression about sidhe reproductive biology. Merry's failure to consult a fertility doctor frustrated me for the whole book. I agree with other reviewers that the ending was rushed. I'll read the next one because I hope/want that it will be better, but this book was frustrating.
Rating:
Summary: A No No Indeed
Review: Have you read A Kiss of Shadows? If you have not, do not read this book because it is the second book of the Merry Gentry Series and it is not a great stand-alone novel. Having already read A Kiss of Shadows, I read this book under the notion that the series could possibly get better. I was wrong. The characters do not go through any sort of interesting or believable character development; in fact, they go through no development at all! They are the same unconvincing and stagnant characters they were before. Merry is a pain in the buttocks and the rest of the herd just pacifies the annoying and licentious woman. The plot is of similar lurid caliber as the first book, just slightly worse. If you thought that the first book was (at the very least) just OK, I do not recommend you read this book because it just gets worse. If you though that the first book was marvelous and spectacular, then our tastes in books is likely greatly different; go for it!! You will probably enjoy it despite my opinion. :-) If you thought that the first book was one of, if not, "THE" worst books you've ever read ... need I say more? ... (skip this one)
Rating:
Summary: Fantatstical
Review: This book lived up to its appeal. It kept with the storyline that A Kiss of Shadows started out with and it left me drooling for the third book in this series to come out. Laurell hasn't dissapointed me yet.
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