Falke's Peak by Anna Leigh Keaton & Madison Layle ~ Contains Adult Content

 

She couldn't believe her eyes.


Stressed out ad-exec Dakota wandered into Catamount Outfitters in search of a guide for a wilderness excursion. She didn't expect to be greeted by not one, but five of the most ruggedly delicious-looking men she'd ever seen. Not to mention a live cougar guarding the shop.

The Falke brothers have more than just good looks in their genes.

Eldest brother Axel agrees to guide Dakota on her mountain trek. In cougar form, Axel's twin, Gunnar, was there as a protection from predators—but he had his eye on the sexy client instead.

Into the wild...

While the rule with clients was "paws-off," both Axel and Gunnar couldn't resist Dakota's seductive Native American beauty and determination. As cold days led to hot nights in the cabin, Axel and Gunnar wondered if they'd finally found a woman strong enough to tame them...



Why I decided to read this book: I was looking through all the new releases on Netgalley and saw this one and as you can see from the reading the synopsis, it really tripped my trigger.  That and the cover I think is pretty neat too.

Likes?......: What really drew me into the story was Dakota.  The way she's described you think "fluffy city girl," but the farther you read into the book you definitely start to change your tune about her.  I also liked the premise of "modern day" shapeshifters....Especially extremely HOT "modern day" shapeshifters who give one hell of a back rub!  Is it wrong that I really liked the internal struggle of Axel and Gunnar?  Cause I REALLY did.

The sexual stuff?!?!?!?...Just as HOT as the "modern day" shapeshifters!

Dislikes?......: I don't have very many....I didn't particularly care for the "deception" scene.  I did feel that at certain points the story was a little bit rushed.  Overall, not too many dislikes.

Overall: I really enjoyed this story.  Even with the couple of dislikes that I found in the story I think that this is a VERY good beginning to the author's series.  I can hardly wait to check out the rest of the series!  Hopefully each of the remaining brothers and Heidi will get their own stories!

Moon Crossed by Patricia Briggs

 

Title: Moon Called
Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated

Release Date: 2006, January 31

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 304 pages

Source: Paperbackswap.com

Rating: 5/5

 

Synopsis:

 

Werewolves can be dangerous if you get in their way, but they'll leave you alone if you are careful. They are very good at hiding their natures from the human population, but I'm not human. I know them when I meet them, and they know me, too.

 

Mercy Thompson's sexy next-door neighbor is a werewolf.

She's tinkering with a VW bus at her mechanic shop that happens to belong to a vampire.

But then, Mercy Thompson is not exactly normal herself ... and her connection to the world of things that go bump in the night is about to get her into a whole lot of trouble.

 

The "Short Story:"

 

Were-wolves, shape shifters, vamps and more oh my!

 

The "Long Story:"

 

Now that I've actually read the first book in the series so many things from the last book I read in this series makes sense.  I really like Mercy....She's a "no nonsense" take no prisoners type of heroine...I really LIKE ass kicking heroines!

 

I also was really impressed by all the attention to detail towards how the relationships between all the different types of paranormals in the book work as well as the politics.  I'm not usually big on politics but I think that the politics in this book were pretty alright.

 

Alright....I'm jealous of Mercy.  Who doesn't want to have the attention of not 1 but 2 sexy werewolves?!

 

The suspense kept me turning pages.  All the twists and turns kept me wanting MORE! I really hated to put the book down.  The only thing I didn't really care for was how LONG it took me to get this book read....DANG YOU REAL LIFE!

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Title: Iron Kissed
Author: Patricia Briggs

Series: Mercy Thompson #3

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal

Publisher: Ace

Release Date: 2008, January 2

Format: Paperback, 287 pages

Source: Public Library

 

Rating: 4/5

 

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

 

When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to shapeshifting car mechanic Mercy Thompson to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not. And she'll have to choose between the two werewolves in her life-whether she wants to or not.

 

Review:

 

I have heard so much about this series on the Internet that I thought that I would give it a whirl.  It wasn't until I got down to writing this review that I realized I had started with the 3rd book in the series instead of the first book.  Yeah me and my blonde moment!

 

When I started this book it sucked me in right away.  I am actually short sleep and cranky today because I stayed up reading instead of sleeping.  I thought that the character of Mercy was a kick ass heroine who is loyal to her friends and loved ones.  This is really the first book that I've read where the heroine takes names and kicks butt.  I loved that there was an air of mystery to the story as well.  In the case of this book it was "who done it."  And Mercy has to figure it out to clear Zee.

 

Being that I started with the 3rd book instead of the first book in the series I'm not quite sure if there is build up to Mercy having to chose between Adam and Sam but I do like the way it finally played out.  I'm not going to say anymore about it other than read the book to find out who she chooses. HAHAHA.

 

I was really impressed with how well structured the dialogue between the characters was.  From other reviews that I've read by other bloggers who have reviewed other Patricia Briggs books, this author is REALLY good at writing engaging and well thought out dialogue.  The other characters in the book may have only had small parts but even the smallest part was an important piece of the puzzle.

 

Overall, I should have started with the first book.  But I am really happy that I picked up the series out of the library.  I'm defiantly going to continue reading it.  I have to know more about Mercy Thompson!



Arson by Estevan Vega

Title: Arson

Author: Estevan Vega

Series:

Genre: YA, Paranormal

Publisher: Tate Publishing

Release Date: 2010, May 4

Format: Paperback, 318 pages

Source: Received from the author

 

 

Rating: 4/5

 

Smuttiness: N/A

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

 

ARSON GABLE FEELS LIKE A FREAK. HE CAN CREATE FIRE. HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT. HE NEVER WANTED IT. BUT HE CAN'T SHUT IT OFF.

 

 

Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl-who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin-moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears the most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Dark, moody, and breathtakingly relevant, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated boy with unimaginable ability, is sure to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.

 

Review:

 

Oh my goodness!  I've seen reviews for this book all over the book blogging community and it really caught my attention.  The cover has just enough "creep factor" that I had to get my hands on it.  I mean just look at the cover!  A Freddy Krugerish "mask" and flames!  Anyway....moving on.

 

What really turned me on about this book was the writing.  From the very first sentence until the very last sentence the way that it was written kept me engaged and reading and pretty much putting my life on hold because Arson's life was oh so very interesting.  Oh well, Arson is oh so much more fun than doing laundry anyway.

 

The characters in the story for the most part I really enjoyed.  I did at times have trouble relating to/understanding a couple of the characters.  That is the main reason that I wasn't able to give Arson 5/5.  After learning all sorts of secrets as the book progressed I am looking forward to learning even more about all of these very interesting characters in the sequel that's coming up.

 

Overall, Arson is most definitely the most "different" (in a good way) book that I've read in the past couple of months.  Once you get past the "creep factor" I think this book is pretty dang good.  I think that Estevan Vega hit a home run with this one!



Radiance by Alyson Noel

 

Title: RadianceAuthor: Alyson Noel
Series:
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Square Fish
Release Date: 2010, August
Format: Paperback, 192 pages
Source: Bought

Rating: 3.75/5

Smuttiness: N/A

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Riley Bloom left her sister, Ever, in the world of the living and crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. Riley and her dog, Buttercup, have been reunited with her parents and are just settling into a nice, relaxing death when she's summoned before The Council. They let her in on a secret—the afterlife isn't just an eternity of leisure; Riley has to work. She's been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a curious boy she can't quite figure out.
Riley, Bodhi, and Buttercup return to earth for her first assignment, a Radiant Boy who's been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But he's never met Riley...
 
Review:
 
I had read some pretty great things about this book on my travels through the book blog world.  When I started reading it I was really impressed with how well the author was able to write form the point of view of a pre-teen.  In my opinion she did an excellent job of connecting with the teen reader.
 
The different descriptions were well written also.  The description of life in "here" was really good.  There is no sense of time in "here" hence why Riley says she lives in the "here and now."  The description of what being dead feels like was even better in my opinion.
 
Riley in the beginning of the book was more of a follower/tag along who also happened to be pretty mouthy.  But as the story went along she grew stronger and wasn't so much of a follower anymore.  I think that she was headed more towards being a leader....even though she was still pretty mouthy.
 
Bodhi is Riley's guide.  When Riley first meets Bodhi he's dressed as a bit of a geek.  But the more time that Riley spends with him the more she realizes that there's more than what meets the eye.  In this case it also hands Riley a pretty sizeable piece of humble pie.
 
Buttercup....poor Buttercup.  See Buttercup is a LARGE MALE Labrador Retriever that accompanies Riley and Bodhi on their journey. I feel for Buttercup...His name alone is, in my opinion, meant for a k-9 that is much smaller and FEMALE.
 
I guess what disappointed me about the book was that it was one "mission" for both Riley and Bodhi and then the book is basically over.  I guess I was just hoping for a little more out of the book.
 
Favorite Quote: "You do know you can manifest a whole new wardrobe right?  We're really not bound to the mistakes of our past.  So go ahead, knock yourself out.  Just close your eyes and ask - What would Joe Jonas wear?"

Review ~ The Iron Daughter **Contains a few spoilers**

Title: The Iron Daughter
Author: Julie Kagawa

Series: Iron Fey #2

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: 2010, August 1

Format: Paperback, 359 pages

Source: Bought via Barnes and Noble webpage

Rating: 5/5

Smuttiness: 2/5

Synopsis:

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review:

I LOVED The Iron King and I could hardly wait for the second book in the series to come out. This book came out and because I ordered it with a pre-ordered book I had to wait for it!  It was the LONGEST 26 days EVER!

The story starts out with Meghan saying good bye to her family, yet again as she's about to fulfill her contract with Ash and head for enemy territory. When Meghan get's to the Winter Court she is basically a prisoner to Queen Mab and Prince Ash abandon's her.  Needless to say that the Winter Court is NOT happy to have Meghan around at all.  SPOILER AHEAD>>>When the Sceptor of the Seasons is stolen and Prince Sage is murdered by the Iron Fey, Mab becomes enraged, because she doesn not believe that these Iron Fey exsist and think that Oberon took the Sceptor, and a war between the Courts is in the works.  The Iron Fey are looking forward to the long trail of death and destruction that will come from the war. END SPOILER.  Now Meghan and her crew are on a journey to find the Sceptor of the Seasons, return it to the Winter Court and stop the bloody war that is taking place.  All of this while being hoplessly in love with Ash.

Book number 2 in this series is just as captivating as The Iron King was.  The writing is very intense and extremely passionate.  In book 2 Julie Kagawa continues to build the world of Nevernever even bigger and badder than in the first book.  Nevernever only get's even more dangerous (as if that were even possible) in this book.  There are new characters that will have you completely mesmerized.  The plot, I think is better in this book, there are all sorts of twists and turns and it keeps you guessing.

This book is very fast-paced and I totally felt like I was there in Nevernever and as another member of Meghan's team trying to get back the Sceptor.  I had a hard time putting this book down.  Ms. Kagawa does an excellent job of describing Faerie politcs in this book, just to show how very dangerous the Fey can be.  The book is also a little bit of an emotional rollercoaster.....Meghan learns some things along the way...some good and some not so good.

I was really happy with Meghan's personal growth along the way.  She's powerful and yet vulnerable as well....You mash those two things together and you get a pretty badass combination if you ask me.  There are times when she's struggling pretty badly with all the things that are going on around her.  She also makes some pretty bad decisions too....But in the end she rises to the occassion.  Meghan really is a force to be reckoned with!

OMG!  The romance triangle! As much as I love Puck I'm Team Ash (I have a "thing" for the "bad boy" types).  Puck has a lot of amazing qualities and when things started to heat up with Meghan I got a little bit worried.  But then along comes Ash, who has long since given in to his feelings for Meghan, and things get a "little bit" explosive.

My new favorite character is most defiantely Ironhorse!  He's a bad guy turned good.  And that's HOT!

Overall, I'm hopelessly hooked on this series and I'm finding it VERY difficult to wait until February for the Iron Queen to come out!

Mini Review ~ Spirit

 

Published: January 14th 2010 by AuthorHouse

Details: Paperback, 356 pages

Rating:

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Randall Lender was a Wanted Man. He was wanted by the Clergy of the Major Organized Religions, the Governments and the New World Order, but that was the least of his problems. After going out of body (astral projection) Randall Lender suddenly found himself in such a paradox where the surrealism meets dilemma. Within this phenomenon of Looking Through the Hour Glass he unfortunately after leaving his physical body ended up into another's. This was his paradox. This was his dilemma. This was his surrealism. And regrettably for Lender this was the real quantum problem. Randall Lender found himself on an unexpected journey with its twists and turns until he realizes that he must die to live for his return to his former body. And now the elixir of questions remains: What? How? And Why? Then you'll ask why me? Why him? And What If?

Review:

I was asked a little while ago if I would read and review this book on my blog.  I agreed because the synopsis really drew me in.  When I was e-mailed about the book I was warned about the strong language that was used in the book as well.  I guess that is what really turned me off to the book.  I thought the well written prologue was the beginning of great things to come but I was saddened when it went drastically downhill from there.  I'm not opposed to the occasional "four letter" word but used as a regular part of conversation it's a turn off.  As a result of this I easily lost interest and was not able to finish the book.

On the plus side I did like the premise of the story and the author is a very talented man but the excessive strong language is what did his book in for me.

A House Afire

Published: December 1st 2009 by PublishAmerica

Details: Paperback, 506 pages

Genre: YA, Paranormal
Rating:

Synopsis (from Good Reads):

Phyllis Sorin has seen all sorts of people. With two kind Aunts who rent out the rooms of their house to anyone in need, the people she calls family are a little different from most. There’s Bill, who takes on the personalities of movie characters. There’s Quincy, whose best friend is a drag queen. There’s Anna, an opera singer and kung-fu master. And Phyllis, well, she’s not exactly normal herself. But even as she begins to navigate high school’s social jungle, Phyllis finds comfort and humor in her odd home.

When Dominick Siddons moves in, however, all of Phyllis's priorities become inferior to finding out his secret. A young lawyer with a vicious wit and ferocious temper, Sid may understand Phyllis in a way no one else can. And through truth and fiction, through the inevitable chaos of the house, Phyllis finds much more than she bargained for.

Review:

I was asked by the author to review her book a little while ago. I apologize that it took me so long to get this review up. Well anyway on to the long awaited review......

I LOVED the characters in this book! They were all extremely original....not an ounce of "cliche" to be found anywhere with the characters. I especially loved the main character Phyllis. She's written in a way that makes her very real with a rich honest voice. Even going through that weird teen stage where she feels weird and unsure of herself, she wasn't cutting herself down. For me it's a major turn off when I read a YA novel where the female characters are constantly cutting themselves down.

Phyllis has the awesome (in my opinion anyway) ability to breath fire. How this ability came to be is very original....you never really would have expected it to come about that way. Phyllis has shall we say a very interesting "family," which ultimately was one of my favorite parts of the story. See Phyllis lives with two of her aunts and these aunts rent out rooms in the great big house that they all live in. Her aunts have spent their lives trying to help the people who rent the rooms, so naturally there are some very neat characters, with very neat characteristics. Of these characters my favorite was Bill, he liked to take on different movie persona's.....my personal fav was Captain Jack Sparrow (cause honestly Captain Jack is my favorite character in the Pirates of the Caribbean movies). Followed closely by Anna, the opera singer/kung fu master.

Figuring out Sid's "mystery" becomes the number 1 priority of Phyllis when he moves in. It was very exciting for me to follow along as she kept trying to figure out what it was. That and he was written in a way that had me thinking HOTTIE!

Overall, I really enjoyed Emma's unique writing style. I think she's excellent at dialogue and character developement. It seemed to me that when Emma was writing this book she wanted to get right inside the head of all her characters. The dialogue was very realistic....which is a major plus, because the story is pretty dialogue driven. Being that the story is so dialogue driven it is a little on the long side (504 pages) but they honestly go by very fast.

I also liked how Emma took the time to make sure that each of the characters were explained. It defiantely helped to keep track of all of them while I was reading. In the beginning I was a little bit weirded out by the relationship between Phyllis and Sid....the age difference had me thinking it was going to be on the creepy side. I am glad to say that that was not the case. If anything it was more of a friendship than anything else. I found A House Afire to a very unique and original story, that I enjoyed VERY much. I can hardly wait to read more by this author!

Ancient Whispers review

Ancient Whispers

Marie-Claude Bourque

May 25th 2010 by Love Spell (first published 2010)

Mass Market Paperback, 320 pages

Genre: Erotica, Paranormal Romance

Rating:

Synopsis (from goodreads):

“Make love to me, sorcerer. Show me your powers.”
Gabriel is the youngest member of the Priory of Callan—an ancient Celtic brotherhood of cursed sorcerers and alchemists, each with deadly abilities and each haunted by a tragic past. Tortured by the devastating loss of his fiancée in 1755, Gabriel wants nothing more than to reunite with his soul mate.
Two and a half centuries later, Gabriel is still searching for his love. And then he finds Lily Bellefontaine. Cool-headed and practical, she has no memory of Gabriel. But she also can’t deny the pull of attraction drawing her under his seductive spell, urging her to give in to the…
ANCIENT WHISPERS

Review:

NOTE: This book does contain EXPLICIT content, so it should only be read by adults!

A little back story first.....I was invited to join this tour a little while ago. In all honesty I remembered signing up for a tour but I couldn't remember what book it was for (life is getting crazy around here again!), turns out it was this one. Then the book itself was accidentally delivered to my neighbors while they were on vacation and I got it the next week when they came home from vacation....so I apologize if this screws up the tour schedule at all.

When I started this book I was a little bit confused as to why the prolouge started in 1755 and then the first chapter was "present day." But as I read further it all started to make perfect sense. Once all the pieces fell into place, I had a VERY hard time putting this book down! It's got a little bit of everything in there too, romance, action, uber sexy male lead, and uber sexy supporting male characters just to name a few things!

Personally, I think it's a steamy little love story of uber sexy sorcerers who have sold their soul to eventually be reunited with a long lost loved one. A few love spells are cast which leads to UBER HOT SEX (in my opinion anyway). After the first couple of pages (the confused pages) I pretty much fell in lust with the story....so much so that I did not want it to end! So much so that I went and purchased it in e-book format on my Barnes and Noble Nook so I can read it again and again and again.

I LOVED all the characters in this book. They are all very interesting and all have shall we say "complicated" pasts. Which is really going to make the rest of this series (yup there will be MORE uber sexy sorcerers and UBER HOT SEX) VERY, VERY interesting. The main character Gabe, well how can you NOT love a guy who's been in love with and devoted to the same woman for centuries, only knowing that EVENTUALLY you will get to see her again?! Call me weird, but I think that's not only romantic but a little bit hot too!

Devil May Cry (Dark Hunter series) review

Devil May Cry

Sherrilyn Kenyon

384 pages

Rating: 4/5

Source: purchased with my own money
Challenges: 100+ Challenge, 144 books in 2010, 2010 Romance Challenge, Romance Reading Challenge

Synopsis: (from Barnes and Noble)

Sin, a Sumerian fertility god turned Vegas casino owner, and Kat, the zealous servant of bossy Greek goddess Artemis, knock boots and kick butt in Kenyon's juicy 11th Dark-Hunter paranormal love-fest (after 2006's Dark Side of the Moon). Sin's been on the warpath for thousands of years, since Artemis stole his godhood. Sin's also upset about the disappearance of his twin brother, Zakar, and the imminent invasion of the vampiric Sumerian gallu, who plan to liberate the Dimme superdemons and destroy all humanity. Kat agrees to kill Sin before he kills Artemis, but instead the two fall in madcap love while trying to prevent Armageddon. It's just another day's work for the immortals, who act a lot like ordinary quarrelsome people with way cool superpowers. Though readers may need a scorecard to keep up with the cast, this series puts a contemporary spin on classical mythology that an increasing number of fans have found irresistible.

Review: This is the second book I've read in Kenyon's Dark Hunter series and I think I have a Dark Hunter addiction! Sin's a real bad ass who's been doing things pretty much on his own since Artemis took his godhood from him, trusting almost no one and looking to extract revenge on Artemis. Then Artemis catches him doing "something bad" and calls upon Katra to go and kill Sin only to find out that the "something bad" Artemis saw him doing was actually something good. See the Sumerian gallu are days away from escaping there prision and when they do escape they plan to liberate the Dimme and that pretty much means the end of humanity unless Sin and a small army can stop them.

Oh and then there's Artemis' BIG secret that she kept from Acheron! Not going to give that one away though. Gonna have to read the book to find out what that is.

I really like how Kenyon wrote this story. Big ole bad ass Sin getting verbally slapped around by little ole Kat....Good times. The fight scenes were GREAT in my opinion too. All the characters, even the not SO good ones, were written in a way that made them all at least a little bit likeable. Oh and then there is the sex....those scenes were written really great too! Just saying.

What I was really thinking:

The Beginning: Sin's a bad bad guy! Get him Kat!

The Middle: Ya gotta save HUMANITY Sin! OMG THAT is one big ole secret to keep from Acheron! NOT smart Artie!

The End: Poor Artie! Sin and Kat are going to drive you CRAZY!

Never Cry Werewolf review **Tiny Spoiler**

Never Cry Werewolf
Heather Davis
224 pages
Rating: 4/5

Source: Public Library
Challenges:

Synopsis:

Moonlight can totally change your life.
And it all starts so simply.
You. Him.
The moon.
You're toast.
Okay, so maybe Shelby has made a few mistakes with boys lately (how was she supposed to know Wes had "borrowed" that Porsche?). But her stepmother totally overreacts when she catches Shelby in a post-curfew kiss with a hot senior: Suddenly Shelby's summer plans are on the shelf, and she's being packed off to brat camp. It's good-bye, prom dress; hello, hiking boots.
Things start looking up, though, when Shelby meets fellow camper (and son of a rock star) Austin Bridges III. But soon she realizes there's more to Austin than crush material—his family has a dark secret, and he wants Shelby's help guarding it. Shelby knows that she really shouldn't be getting tangled up with another bad boy . . . but who is she to turn her back on a guy in need, especially such a good-looking one? One thing's for sure: That pesky full moon is about to get her into trouble all over again.

Review:

I picked this one up at the library after waiting for what seemed like an eternity for my number to come up. Is it just me or does the girl on the cover look at least a little bit like Kate Hudson only brunette?! I really liked this book....I am really happy with it! Shelby has some issues...She's got a stepmom from hell, her dad would rather just believe her stepmom than try and communicate with Shelby, her mom passed away and on top of that Shelby doesn't trust anyone...herself included! After this last "miscommunication" Shelby finds herself shipped off to "brat camp" where she hopes she doesn't screw up (because if she does she get's sent to an even eviler "brat camp") and meets some interesting people....some good, some not so good and then there's Austin.

See Austin has his own set of troubles to deal with. See his family is "blessed" genetically....they turn into werewolves. And because his medication to keep his "condition" was confiscated from him he is endanger of turning into a werewolf while he's at camp! That and he has a super HUGE crush on Shelby and the feeling is mutual.

I guess in the end it all works out for the best. I was a little disappointed though...it wasn't anything terrible. It was a little disappointing that I had to wait until the LAST PAGE for Shelby and Austin to kiss!

What I was really thinking:

The Beginning: UH OH!

The Middle: I like Austin a lot! I could be friends with him.

The End: FINALLY! (A good finally...not a bad one.)

Born of Night review

Born of Night
Sherrilyn Kenyon
539 pages
Rating: DNF

Source: Public Library
Challenges: Support Your Public Library Challenge

Synopsis: from Barnes and Noble
Awakened from a drugged sleep in a cold cell, the Princess Kiara finds herself a prisoner of the merciless marauders who threaten her father’s planetary kingdom. Miraculously, a rescuer appears, but behind his fearsome mask is the handsome face of a dark avenger whose outlaw touch sets her very soul aflame.

Review: I had read all over the internet that this series was supposed to be really good. I am totally LOVING the Dark Hunter series so I thought I’d give this one a try and I was NOT happy. I tried several times to get into this book and it just was NOT happening for me. I guess what frustrates me the most is that I waited MONTHS for my number to come up in the library system and I wasn’t able to get into the book.

Beautiful Creatures review May Contain Spoilers

*****MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*****
I am going to try and keep this review short and sweet and try not to give away too much. I’ve read so many great things about this book all over the book blogging community and when I finally got my hands on a copy of it I was definately more than happy with the book. I LOVED the book. I LOVED that it kept me guessing (will Lena turn Dark or not? what happens next in the “visions”). I even LOVED the length (I generally don’t care for 500+ page books)! I LOVED the characters (I especially loved the part on Halloween when Lena get’s even with the cheerleaders)….Ethan is just your “normal” 16 year old high school student, who happens to be having these weird dreams about a girl he’s never even met before…..and Lena….Lena has her own issues. She is so far from “normal” that it actually rocks Ethan’s world. All the characters are pretty likeable for the most part. I’ve never read a book that’s been classified as Southern Goth before and I am beyond happy with the results. Overall, I just LOVED the book. If you haven’t read it I highly recommend getting a copy.

Blog With Bite Ballad Review **May Contain Spoilers**

Ballad

Maggie Stiefvater

Synopsis - 9/10

Plot - 9/10

Characters - 10/10

Overall Story - 8/10

Conclusion - 9/10

Overall Score - 45/50

Synopsis: Remember us, so sing the dead, lest we remember you

James Morgan has an almost unearthly gift for music. And it has attracted Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and then feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. James has plenty of reasons to fear the faeries, but as he and Nuala collaborate on an achingly beautiful musical composition, James finds his feelings towards Nuala deepening. But the rest of the fairies are not as harmless. As Halloween—the day of the dead—draws near, James will have to battle the Faerie Queen and the horned king of the dead to save Nuala's life and his soul.

***** MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS *****

Review: In the beginning of the book I was totally confused....The characters kept talking about events that took place "last summer" which I took to mean "the last book, Lament" which I did NOT read before I started Ballad (bad me!). The book starts off telling us - the readers - a little bit about the Leanan Sidhe and then about the death of a Leanan Sidhe. Then we meet Dee, who we "hear" from in the book mostly in the form of text messages to James. James and Dee are new students at a prestigeous music high school called Thornking-Ash. James plays the bagpipe and is kind of a smart ass (which is an unusual instrument, but if you've ever heard it belt out Amazing Grace your hooked) and Dee plays the harp. James' roomate in the dorms is Paul who is a talented Oboe player but in my opinion a little bit too straightlaced for my liking in the beginning of the book.

The first week of school is just like any other school....learning the ground rules, learning your way around....all that fun stuff. Then week two starts and James and Paul are assigned to read Hamlet in Mr. Sullivan's first hour English class AND James is hearing and seeing the Antler King (king of the dead)...which means that there are fey around. Seems that there is a cloverhand (calls to the fey) at the school. Then to top is off James is sent to take private piping lessons from a piper who is nowhere near as good as James. Upon leaving his disasterous lesson James meets Nuala who is a Leanan Sidhe. In the beginning Nuala wants to make a "deal" with James but James refuses. But Nuala doesn't give up....Nuala has never not gotten what (read: who) she wanted, so she decides that she is going to send him a dream that will just make him want to take the "deal." The day after James' disasterous piping lesson he is informed by Sullivan that he will either have to learn the guitar or the piano instead to meet his musical requirements.

I didn't really like Dee....She seemed really weak and whiney....Not to mention more than a little bit of a "user".....Nobody likes to be used, especially James. This is the point where is feelings start to shift in regards to the ladies in his life....In the beginning all he wanted was Dee and he wanted nothing to do at all with Nuala....now it's starting to shift the other way. Nuala takes James one night to a movie where they get to talking about things and end up sitting down and writing the play Ballad. Upon the completion of reading Hamlet Sullivan assigns a 10 page essay on Metaphor to his students. James and Paul are so NOT happy about the assignment that it leads to one of my favorite scenes in the book...Paul getting "drunk." This is where James tells Paul about Ballad and we learn that James and Dee aren't the only ones who are dealing with the paranormal.

The further into the book I got the more I learned and liked Nuala. In the beginning I thought she was going to be some soul sucking leech but she really isn't like that. Come to find out she's part human and every 16 years on Halloween she must burn in order to continue to live. But the kicker is that once she comes back she has no memories. Also, the further into the book I got the less I liked the "relationship" between James and Dee....Very UNhealthy. You also learn who the cloverhand is and what James and Nuala have to do while she is burning to make there dreams come true. Also, Thornking-Ash isn't just any ordinary prestigous music school either. Oh and all the "dirty deeds done dirt cheap" whichs ends up with a new King of the Dead being crowned. Oh, and Ballad? Ballad ends up being AWESOME!

Overall, I was really happy with the book. Next time though....I will start with the first book in the series so things make sense in the second book!

BWB Scale - 3/4

*****Blog With Bite Discussion Questions*****

1. James is a flawed and heart broken character, do you find his mental peculiarities charming or annoying? Please do explain.

I find them a little bit of both. Nobody likes to be used and I feel that in a sense Dee was using James.

2. What did you think of James and Dee's kiss? This being a pivotal moment for their relationship, how do you think it changed James?

I agree that the kiss was a pivotal point in the story but I also think with that kiss James finally realized that things with Dee were never going to be the way he wanted them to be.

3. Whom do you prefer Dee or Nuala?

Nuala hands down. Dee was a little bit tooo weak and whiney for my taste.

4. What's your verdict on the best way to read Ballad? Is it a stand alone book or do you need to read Lament first? If you read Lament, what did it add/not add to Ballad? If you haven't read Lament, do you think it would have added to your reading of Ballad?

In my opinion I think you need to read Lament first. I was sort of confused by some of the conversations that were taking place because they kept talking about events that happened "last summer" which I took to mean "last book."

5. We've been reading a lot of stories with fairies as the central paranormal creatures. What are your thoughts on the "Fair Folk". Do you believe in faires?

From what I've been reading in the books for the group fairies aren't necessarily nice creatures....so I'm not real sure how I feel about them. Do I believe in faires?....I'm not sure to be honest.

Dark Side of the Moon Review

Dark Side of the Moon (Dark Hunter novel #11)
Sherrilyn Kenyon


Synopsis - 9/10
Plot - 7/10
Characters - 9/10
Overall Story - 8/10
Conclusion - 7/10

Overall Score - 40/50

*Optional*Smuttiness - 8/10


Synopsis: Susan Michaels was the hottest reporter on the Beltway Beat until she walked into a setup that ruined her reputation. Now she’s working for a small Seattle paper, penning stories about killer moths and alien babies, convinced that her life couldn’t get any worse…
That was before an idea for a breaking news piece brought her to a local animal shelter where she ends up listening to her source rant about vampires and gets coerced into adopting a cat despite her allergies. But when her new pet suddenly reveals himself to be a gorgeous—and lethal—shapeshifter, Susan realizes that there’s far more at stake than a career-saving by-line.
Born into a world of predators, Were-Hunter Ravyn Kontis was betrayed by those he loved best. Soulless, pitiless, he has spent three hundred years battling the Daimons who seek to subjugate humankind. Against all odds, Susan evokes in Ravyn feelings of tenderness. Desire. Love. And with the ultimate battle about to begin, this one very human woman holds the power to shatter both their worlds...

Review: This is the first book that I've ever read by this author. I liked it but I didn't really LOVE it. Ravyn and Susan are both characters that are dealing with some extra "baggage" shall we say. Susan is this reporter who always get's her story (which has cost her dearly) but at the same time has a pretty quirky sense of humor (which you see a lot in the book) and Ravyn he's pretty much a no-nonsense kind of guy who doesn't particularly care to be around humans at all because they have cost him dearly. Well now that the Daimons (with the help of some humans) are trying to kill both Susan AND Ravyn they are kind of stuck with one another. The more time they spend together the more that we the readers learn about these two character's pasts...Not a pretty picture. There is even a little twist thrown in for good measure too. If you like a little Death, Destruction and Mayhem with some smutt thrown in this is a good book to check out.

A Cover Alert! Lover Mine by J.R. Ward

I found the image for the cover of the next Black Dagger Brotherhood novel on Lovin' Me Some Romance. I can HARDLY WAIT until April!

Synopsis: In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly war raging between vampires and their slayers. And there exists a secret band of brothers like no other - vampire warriors, defenders of their race...John Matthew has been through his vampire transition and taken to the life of the Brotherhood with a vengeance, but he still can't shake the nightmare of his past and is unsure of his future as a warrior hero. He's made a promise to honour the Brotherhood and their fight with the slayers at all costs, until the love of his life is kidnapped and he is forced to make a choice that could change his life and the Brotherhood's forever...

Shiver Review

Shiver

Maggie Stiefvater

390 pages

Synopsis - 9/10

Plot - 9/10

Characters -10/10

Overall Story - 9/10

Conclusion - 9/10

Overall - 46/50

Synopsis: For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Review: It took me a little longer than I would have liked to get this book read (dang real life!) but I throughly enjoyed it. This is a good old fashion young love story...of course with a twist. There ALWAYS is a twist! See when Grace was younger she was attacked by wolves, then there was the wolf with yellow eyes that saved her. Now Grace is in love with those eyes and that wolf...which strangely enough she only sees in the winter months. It turns out that Grace has seen those eyes before...In there human form.

Those yellow eyes and wolf body belong to Sam. After an incident human Sam finds his way to Grace's house where things start to fall into place for Grace. She knows those eyes...They belong to her wolf. This wounded boy IS her wolf.

From the "chance" meeting there are ups and downs for Grace and Sam. There is also a little bit of drama thrown in to keep the story from becoming a "sappy" love story. Overall, I really love how Maggie draws you in with her writing style. I giggled a bunch and there were a couple "chance for tears" moments. LOVED IT! Can hardly wait until July to read book 2 of the series...Linger.

Linger Cover and first paragraphs!

• grace •

This is the story of a boy who used to be a wolf and a girl who was becoming one.
Just a few months ago, it was Sam who was the mythical creature. His was the disease we couldn’t cure. His was the good-bye that meant the most. He had the body that was a mystery, too strange and wonderful and terrifying to comprehend.

But now it is spring. With the heat, the remaining wolves will soon be falling out of their wolf pelts and back into their human bodies. Sam stays Sam, and Cole stays Cole, and it’s only me who’s not firmly in my own skin.

I don't know about anyone else out there but I am totally excited for the second book in this series. I totally enjoyed Shiver and I can hardly wait to see what happens next. Linger is due out on shelves July 20 2010.

I found all this information on A BookLover's Diary who found it at The World According to Maggie.

Blog with Bite - Intertwined Review

Intertwined
Gina Showalter
440 pages

Synopsis - 8/10
Plot - 9/10
Characters - 10/10
Overall Story - 9/10
Conclusion - 6/10

*Overall Score - 42/50


Synopsis: Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they're causing him all kinds of trouble.

Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or, he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.

He's so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he's with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late. . .

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden... doomed. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger... but not everyone will come out alive...








I had heard a little bit about this book on a couple of different blogs and forums before I stumbled upon Blog with Bite. At first I was a little iffy on reading it because it's not something that I would normally read....Honestly I'm a big ole sap for a sappy love story. But I'm really glad that I decided to read this book. The first chapter was a little creepy in my opinion but that's exactly what it is...my opinion. The main character Aden Stone is viewed by society as a "troubled" teen but in actuality he is possessed by 4 souls...LOVE the souls...There's just something about them I just really liked. Aden wants to go public high school so that he can spend more time with Mary Ann...who has a couple "issues" of her own. Heck there is even a little forbidden romance thrown in for both Aden and Mary Ann. I don't want to say too much more because I don't want to give away anything. I really only had two gripes with the book....Just a tad bit too many paranormal characters make an apperance in the book and the rushed ending. Overall, I'm SUPER happy with the book and I'm glad that I decided to purchase a copy instead of wait for a copy from my library.

Discussion Questions:

#1 Do you feel the ending was cut short and needed more to be resolved before the book ended? I feel that the ending was pretty rushed...It wasn't the worst ending in the world but I wasn't particularly happy with it.

#2 Regarding Question #1, what are your thoughts on series books? For one you get more and more and more - depending on how long the series drags on - for another some series leave you with very little resolution at the end of the novels, i.e. the Merry Gentry series where only a couple of hours pass within the time span of one book. Do you find this is just an authors way of having guaranteed book sales - or do you really enjoy series and love reading about your fav characters over and over again? There are some series I feel that have been written just to get the books sold...Others I have enjoyed immensly...Overall I LOVE a GOOD series and enjoy reading about my favorite characters over and over again.

#3 Which "trapped" soul was your favorite and do you see potential in the future story lines with the remaining three? I liked Eve a lot....I felt that sometimes she was the "voice of reason" for Aden.

#4 When a larger-than-life character such as Vlad Tepes aka Dracula is used as a side-plot character do you believe it gives the story a more factual base, or makes it less real? I liked that Gena used actual characters in the story...I think it made the story more "real" for me personally.

#5 What did you think of the side plot involving Tucker and Penny? Do you think the issues from that plot were adequately resolved? Honestly, I didn't care for Tucker or Penny.

#6 What is your best guess as to what Aden Stone's superpower is - the power he possess without his souls? I think he's kind of got the "Jack of all trades" superpower...But that's just me.