Ilona and Gordon Andrews' Kate Daniels series
mood: 
happy
happyFirst of all...I should probably tell you that this is ulterior-motive advertising. One lucky winner gets an ARC of Ilona Andrews' new book, which is always fabulous, and I'm pretty eager about it **laugh** so you know I like them.
But I really would like to take a moment to seriously recommend them. She's certainly one of my favorite authors at the moment, among Lilith Saintcrow, Alice Borchardt and Terry Pratchett.
It's a very original, fascinating series. Kate Daniels is dangerous, yes, but there's very little in her that resembles the recycled 'tough girl' surface cliches being circled around the market now. She's smart, she's a little crabby, she's stubborn and intelligent and mature and there were at least two times in the last book when I burst out laughing so hard I startled my mom all the way down the hall. The whole world is a very interesting concept, and while it doesn't feel as involved as I would like, I suspect that's because I'm tragically spoiled by Lilith Saintcrow's engrossing, intricate world building. The Kate Daniels series has a very good, very original background, and it's effectively woven into the heroine's life.
More than that, she writes characters. People who don't like or trust Kate on first sight are not guaranteed to be bad guys. Kate has relationships with people like normal people do; you stumble, you pick yourself up again, you reach out once more or back away. I really love the supporting cast here.
And also, rarest of rare gems, most beautiful of accomplishments: Ilona Andrews can actually write an alpha male as a person, and without making me have nauseous urges at the female-male dynamic. The guy has features of standard alpha heroes, but just like Kate herself he has no such restrictions on his character. He's a bit of a bastard; but Kate has no problem whatsoever calling him on it, and the text has no problems acknowledging it. And despite the fact that Kate and he aren't quite equally matched, physically, not ONCE not ONCE YOU WILL NOTE does Ilona try to tell us that this makes it okay for him to control her life. Nor does she try to tell you that because he's attractive he gets to push his suit beyond when Kate says no and HIS GOODLOOKINGNESS MAKES IT OKAY. SHE DOESN'T DO THAT, OKAY? OKAY. **cries tears of joy**
....I've read too many standard faux-heroine-driven paranormal books lately, haven't I?
Of course, the character wouldn't try to force his suit on a woman. Ever. Because, well he probably wouldn't need to but neither does Ilona try to shove down our throats the concept that an alpha male has to be an asshole because of **animal instincts**. And, of course, if anyone tried something like that Kate would fillet them like a fish.
tl;dr: the books are awesome. Check 'em out.