Review: When You Dare by Lori Foster

Published Date: April 26th, 2011
Finished Date: June 30th, 2011
Publishers: HQN Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 448
Series: Men Who Walk the Edge of Honor Book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: The tougher they are, the harder they fall…

Professional mercenary Dare Macintosh lives by one hard and fast rule: business should never be personal. If a cause appeals to him and the price is right, he'll take the mission he's offered. But then the lovely Molly Alexander asks him to help her track down the men who'd had her kidnapped—and for the first time, Dare's tempted to combine work with pleasure.

Fiercely independent, Molly vows to trust no one until she's uncovered the truth. Could the enemy be her powerful, estranged father? The ex-fiancé who still holds a grudge? Or the not-so-shy fan of her bestselling novels? As the danger heats up around them, the only anchor Molly has is Dare himself. But what she feels for him just might be the most frightening thing of all…

My Review: Can I just say that I LOVED the cover? That is one hell of a man flash of an eye candy..W.O.W.

It all started out in Dare Macintosh's POV. Dare was out saving this girl from being sold to flesh traders(again), but this time was to save a good bud's sister, plus this time, he had to take up responsibilty for one captive who was more than a little unique, and hot(curvy's actually a much better word). Anyway, after having herself nursed back to health both physically and mentally(with lots of help from Dare), Molly hired Dare(who's some sort of a philanthropic mercenary) to help her find who her captors were and why did they take her since every evidence points toward someone specifically wanting her to be kidnapped. So the main story going on is about them uncovering the mastermind. Along the way, both Dare and Molly started being attracted to each other, slowly but steadily; Dare to her courage and honest character, Molly to his undeniable manliness, alpha attitude and unrivalled honor(ooh hubba hubba).

Molly: She, was kinda unnatural. I dont know...She was too calm and collected after Dare saved her from 9 torturous days of captivity, and that itself already is unthinkable and would've caused most people their sanity. I mean 9 days? Come on man, at least give us some hysteria, but no, she was plenty lucid and polite. Not the normal politeness, but the 18th century formal pleasantries infused with the many "if you might, could you...". Ok...weird. I even thought that she had some special ancestor's blood in her that could explain it. And when they finally got down and dirty, she was a little demanding and alpha-like in some ways. Yeah in bed. I mean, why? I get some peeps of the female race likes to be the dominant one, but one who's small and had gone thru an adversity so trying is just not normal. I mean if you're that confident now, how ginormous was your ego before the incident? Correct me if my logic is wrong, but i really think that it was plenty unnatural. To sugarcoat her personality is to say that it is unique, but to put it plainly, it is weird. Oh but i have to give her credit for being really smart; it was very cool how she could amaze Dare(and me) with her observant and logical self, it's just plain awesome, and that's why i do like her:)

Dare: Wow. Awesome kickass attitude. Plenty alpha dominance and protectiveness. Hot male flesh and hot bod(just look at the book cover..It's totally swoon-worthy!). Honorable. Master of combat. Perfect. Ideal. MINE(joking.........he's molly's..sigh. But i do think they're a good match).

Supporting characters, mainly Chris(gay and butler for Dare) and Dare's girls(bitches - as in real female dogs. 2 of em), were cute and they really added humor to every scene that they graced. Chris was a real charmer. He was plenty sarcastic and downright hilarious, which made me smile and burst out laughing more than once. Tai and Sargie, passive and impassive, both kept vouching for Dare and Molly's attention and were very obedient. They were adorable:)

For the romance part, i must say i am very satisfied. Foster took it slow and developed their feelings really well. She waited it out nice and slowly, and it worked out damn fine. I ached for them, felt for them, and were really happy for them at the end, albeit a little heartbroken that the journey ended there. They're relationship is really one to go down in history. It was funny, it was toe-curlingly sweet, and the best part was, they really respected and loved each other so much.

Another plus point is that Foster doesnt drag things to fill up the word count. She makes the story run smoothly and never in the whole process of reading was it uneventful. Some people would almost definitely think the ending too rushed, but when i thought about it, any other way would just be boring and would ultimately killed another one of the four stars im giving it. I loved it. I loved the constant heart-pumping action and grueling challenges that plagued the protagonists, the wicked cool logic of some parts, and the great twist in the end that really wrapped everything up nicely in a million dollar bow(haha im not making sense again, am i?).

All in all, a truly suspenseful thriller cum romance novel, and definitely worthy of a five stars rating.(It's just some parts that i thought was a little off for me, so i took one star away:/)

PS. What kind of a name is Molly? She sounds like some ancient barbie doll with a poofy, afro style hairdo, not the brave, intelligent woman she is.

My Rating:

      

Review: Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter

Published Date: September 1st, 2005
Finished Date: June 26th, 2011
Publishers: HQN Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 372
Series: Atlantis book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: Searching for her missing brother, Grace Carlyle never dreamed she would discover a secret world populated by mythological monsters--or find herself facing a sword-wielding being whose looks put mortal men to shame.

But there he was, Darius en Kragin, one of a race of shape-shifting warriors bound to guard the gates of Atlantis, and kill all travelers who strayed within its borders.

Now Grace's life was in his hands, and Darius had to choose between his centuries-old vow and the woman who had slipped beneath his defenses and stolen the heart of Atlantis's fiercest dragon. --------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: This book was a pure whine-fest. The plot was horrendously predictable, and the heroine is a major whiner, and a B with an ITCH. Seriously, what the hell is wrong with her? She's like those anorexic, cheerleader whiner-babies that is totally unsatisfied with her life. And don't get me started on the male protagonist. He was an emotional wreck when he saw her, all "i should kill you but i cant cause i get all tingly with this insta-love shit that i still dont want to acknowledge is love thing". Dont get me wrong, im more than fine with insta-loves(what's not to love and all right?), but you've got to build and elaborate it, not just go straight into the face sucking. And so it was downright draggy and uneventful that i stopped reading quite soon after i picked the book up.

Here's how far i got: Darius shed any and all emotions he might have had way back ago after seeing his family get killed and having had his first kill(who was a totally innocent person who just so happen to have stumbled upon the entrance to Atlantis). Grace is a starved, lost girl in the Amazon jungle with a rifle in hand, and who has no qualms using it whatsoever(really? yeah because you go around shooting guys in their asses everyday in your very unfulfilling life like you just did earlier in the book right? totally understandable). She isnt happy with her life(have i said that already?), and is out being an adrenaline junkie when her tour guide, of sorts, bolted on her, taking with him all her supplies including food and the makeshift shelter. She stumbles upon this whole bunch of human-like apes which is a rip off of the funny baboon scene in Tarzan, and all of a sudden, this weird dragon necklace that her brother gave her started glowing and tugging her to this cave. She wandered further into the cave and got transported to Atlantis where she meets Darius at the cave entrance/exit. Both of them gets these lusty feelings INSTANTLY and omg..Yeah and so Darius managed to bring her to his private chambers in his palace(yes he is the king of the palace) and they knocked it off with lots of french kissing.

I stopped there. Cause it was filled in between with SOO much inner whining and draggy parts that i literally rolled my eyes(and i dont do that often cause i have a manly rep to protect ok..)and closed the book and was like, ah f*ck..this is a hell of a disappointment(sorry for the language. I think long term reading Hellion's reviews and the f word is flowing out of me like nobody's business). Because i had such high expections for this book which had an effing lot of plot potential. And i say effing lot cause apparently im a sucker for cool, reclusive, high-flying/status guys who fall for that one special, mortal girl with spirit. And Showalter is a rather renowned author with a hell lot of books to decorate her biography(ok awkward phrasing, but you get what i mean).

The female protagonist, Grace Carlyle, isnt endearing, at all. She's really like a crazy, wild and unappreciative brat who keeps getting into trouble and looking for hot sex(yes it was explicitly stated), and i dont get the lovey dovey chemistry that should be there(and this love or lust at first sight is hardly an acceptable excuse), like in Firelight by Sophie Jordan, that one i loved, and craved for more, but this one is just pushing it.

The male protagonist was ok...........weird, cool, but not ideal(maybe my impression was sullen-ed from all those repetitive "should i?but i shouldnt..Should i?but i shouldnt..SHOULD I?" oh god just effing make a freaking decision. My first impression of him wasnt bad tho..it just went down a steady steep decline as i progressed further into the book. but just freaking MOVE ON, dude. i should too..sigh.) There werent many side characters other than Darius' underlings. But they didnt really shine all that much..And especially with their rebellious, disrespectful attitude, it totally destroyed Darius' image as a commanding and well-respected king.

To sum it all up and tho i cant help repeating myself: Whiny. Draggy. Uneventful. Disliked female protagonist. Unendearing male protagonist(maybe just a little huh, not so unendearing). Not much plot building. Not much chemistry in the relationship. Appallingly predictable plot. Bad book. Did not even reach a quarter of the book. Painful reading process. And i repeat PAINFUL.

My Rating:

Review: The Demon Trapper's Daughter / Forsaken by Jana Oliver

Published Date: Febuary 1st, 2011/Febuary 7th, 2011
Finished Date: July 24th, 2011
Publishers: St. Martin's Griffin/MacMillan Children's Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 340/448
Series: The Demon Trappers book 1

Blurb from Goodreads: Demon Trapper Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself—and that’s exactly what Lucifer is counting on…

It’s the year 2018, and with human society seriously disrupted by the economic upheavals of the previous decade, Lucifer has increased the number of demons in all major cities. Atlanta is no exception. Fortunately, humans are protected by Demon Trappers, who work to keep homes and streets safe from the things that go bump in the night. Seventeen-year-old Riley, only daughter of legendary Demon Trapper Paul Blackthorne, has always dreamed of following in her father’s footsteps. When she’s not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing attraction to fellow Trapper apprentice, Simon, Riley’s out saving citizens from Grade One Hellspawn. Business as usual, really, for a demon-trapping teen. When a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley’s routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood, she realizes that she’s caught in the middle of a battle between Heaven and Hell.
---------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: Im feeling rather conflicted about how to rate this actually. More of a 2.5 maybe?

(Let me remind yall that my reviews tend to be rather spoiler-y)

Riley Blackthorne's life has been a total cesspit of tragedies and bullshit. Her mom died, her house got burned down, the economy took up diving lessons, then came the worst of them all, her dad's death. Now with her one solid pillar gone, she has to deal with the debt collectors, the sexist trappers who keeps giving her hell just because she's a girl, and all the lemons that life's got to throw at her. Bottomline: her life sucked.

Amidst all this misfortunes, the Holy Water that trappers use to neutralize the demons' evil is not working as it should and Lucifer's minions are starting to band together, which is a novelty and a serious problem. So Riley has to solve these problems.

Actually, that's about it. Story's plain ain't it? Yeah, you can say that again.

This story reminded me a lot of Lilith Saintcrow's adult novel Night Shift. The ass-kicking girl has had a rough life and is good in her line of work. Cliche much? But with this one being in the YA section, all the fighting was toned down way lower. That, or it's just because Oliver doesn't like violence that much.

The demons in this book were very un-demon-like. For a level one fiend, you just had to read it a complicated prose and it'll fall right asleep. Wow, that's real exciting. That's why i didnt feel that satisfaction that im supposed to feel after a good trapping by our protagonist. Which made for a more boring read.

One major flaw that i picked out was the lack in development in terms of the relationships with the love interests(Simon, Beck, and Ori). I dont see how she can fall in love with a guy after ONE effing meeting. And he didnt give off the worthy-of-my-attention feel(ok that sounds snobby but, it's a simple way of stating things:D), and he definitely wasnt very outstanding in any way. None of them was well-developed. Even Beck, whom Riley has known for practically the better part of her life, and who also had the most chances to hit it off with Riley. He seemed the most likely candidate because of their long-standing friendship(even tho Riley just refuses to see the good side of him because of him blowing her off when she was younger with a very good reason - what with her being his mentor cum saviour's daughter), and because he was the only one who seemed like he truly cared for her. The fact that Riley picked Simon over Beck(someone she only knew for 1 meeting vs someone who she has known for quite a long time even tho he tends to annoy her but is still very protective), and that she made this HUGE, GINORMOUS sacrifice for Simon in the end, pissed me off.

What's more, this book is a simple read. Simple plot, simple language(as in, not much vocab used) = not very climax-y climax when the climax comes. Which equates to no satisfaction when i was done with this book. Thru'out the whole reading process i was just wishing for the ending to come sooner.

The middle part got very draggy and just plain uneventful that i stopped reading a few times. The only time where it got interesting was when Ori appeared. I think he's the only reason why im gonna read the sequel. Or maybe it's just that i want to see Riley pairing up with him or Beck, just not Simon. AND to close up all the gaping loopholes that Oliver has left alone to fester. haha ok im exaggerating and being melodramatic.

I am disappointed with this book which had so much plot potential. Period.

PS. This review is pretty messed up because this is the second review im doing today and im not really in a good mood because both the books im reviewing have been major disappointments and my limbs are aching badly. So, yeah..

My Rating:

             

Review: Tempting the Beast by Lora Leigh

Published Date: November 24th, 2003
Finished Date: June 17th, 2011
Publishers: Ellora's Cave
Format: Paperback
Pages: 252
Series: Breeds Book 1 

Blurb from Goodreads: Book 1 in the Feline Breeds series.
Callan Lyons is a genetic experiment. One of six fighting for freedom and the survival of their Pride. Merinus Tyler is the reporter who will tempt him, draw him, until the fury of the "mating frenzy" locks them into a battle of sexual heat there is no escape from.


Deception, blood, and the evil Genetics Council are hot on their trail. Callan will use his strength to try and save them both...and do all in his power to keep his woman in the process.

My Review: wow, after reading more than half of this book, i still cant remember the protagonist's name..wait let me refer to the book...(ok maybe it's because i havent touched it in a few days but still..)

oh yes, Merinus is a journalist whose family of journalists are intent to save a man called Callan Lyons who was being hunted down by the Council, which is like a ruling government body(i think). Callan is an experiment of sorts, you see, of the Council's to merge the DNAs of an animal and human, and Callan ran away because he wanted to have a life where he could decide which underwear he wore. Merinus and her family, consisting of her father and what..7 brothers?, thinks that by letting the general masses know of the half-animals' existence, they can garner some support from them and effectively protect Callan and any of the surviving experiments from the nasty plans of the Council. Callan thinks its a stupid and naive idea and tells her to go f*ck herself(ok not direct quote). But he did quite soon after, cause apparently both their i dont what(genes? DNA? gamete types? cant remember)matched and so some chemical reaction's started occuring within them which they call the "mating frenzy", and so both of them cant seem to stop lusting over each other. I stopped where they FINALLY could stop having sex and get a grip, but just then the Council's people busted in and wanted to take Merinus away to do some experimenting on her after they've heard that Callan and her have successfully gone into the mating frenzy thing.

Well, this book has been just about one thing - sex. Yeah, violent ones. I didnt feel the connection between the two protagonists, the relationship wasnt well developed at all, and honestly at times i feel like there is so much hostility and tension between them, and a lot of times, Callan doesnt even respect Merinus. What kind of a joke is this? Sure he's not in his most stable of mental times what with the mating frenzy and all, but this just aint right.

Merinus is too stubborn and immature at times(dont get me wrong, i like headstrong and dominant females, but when it's overly so, then its a no-go for me), and Callan is also tipping onto the overly dominant side that they clash very often - which is where that tension came and builds from. And all this clashing, friction and not-very-nice feelings towards each other didnt even deter them from satiating their needs for each other like twice or thrice every day. And after those hard fucking sessions(and i stress on the 's' at the end of sessionSSS), they get back to their quarrelling. Maybe their need for each other are out of their hands, but i just think that the focus on the book is totally wrong and off-kilter that the effect rebounded and backlashed that it more than ticked me more often than not. And it made the reading process VERY laborious.

The SUPPOSED main plot of the book, which is about the bad ruling government body the Council re-capturing Callan and taking Merinus along with him for experimentation purposes, was only developed in the first few pages of the book and the last few tens or so pages, which is so insufficient for the real building of the climax. The content was dry and appallingly...tasteless? Y'know when a book is good, it's juicy? so just flip it around and get the antonym and you get tasteless:)

The book was uninteresting and it is clearly(for me at least)not worth your time. But if you just want a good, horny time and read,you can try this, even tho i know of a lot of eroticas that are better than this because the ones in this one are lacking in chemistry and left me feeling a little dirty instead of satisfied in the end.

My Rating:

Review: Fang Me by Parker Blue

Published Date: March, 2011
Finished Date: June 14th, 2011
Publishers: Bell Bridge Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 194
Series: Demon Underground book 3

Blurb from Goodreads: The vampires want it. The demons want it, too. And someone is willing to kill Val for it.Val and Fang have to find the powerful Encyclopedia Magicka before either of San Antonio's warring underworld factions locate it or the consequences will be deadly for the entire city. As usual, Val's vampire enemies (they still call her The Slayer) want her dead. Even some of her fellow demons may be less than trustworthy, since they'd like to grab the legendary book of spells before she does. Val has a personal claim to the Encyclopedia--her demon father left it to her when he died--but someone stole it recently. And that can't be good.Battling vamps and dodging demons, Val struggles to unravel the mystery and find the thief. At the same time, she's fighting her attraction to sweet, sexy Shade--her favorite shadow demon. Rumor has it that Val will lose her part-demon, vampire-fighting powers if she gives herself to him.With a crowd of vamps and demons out to trick her or kill her, it's not a good time for her to risk her job as the city's best vampire hunter by falling in love. The stakes are high and aimed right at her heart. But Lola, Val's hungry little lust demon, doesn't like being denied. Will Lola finally get her way?What's a part-lust-demon-teen supposed to do? Whatever it takes.
---------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: Im torn between a five and a four, but i'll just go with four since there IS some flaws in the book that i've picked up while reading but i just cant remember it now.

Val needs to find the Encyclopedia Magicka 1)to save the book from landing into the wrong hands=world destruction or sth, 2)to end the contract that she made with Alejandro, the head of the good vamps. But along the way, some half-demon who's mind Fang cant read(the only one who Fang cant read)comes along and announces that he is the keeper of the books. Everyone bought his story except for Val, who has the instincts of a true predator(or Slayer in this case). Anyway, no one believes her and she's all alone in her beliefs and yadda yadda, but she found the books in the end.

That is kinda the main plot of the story, but along the way, some things(some good some bad)happens which leaves me in a total tangled mess of emotions so this may not be a good review, cause i've just finished reading the book and i dont want to procrastinate writing this review to keep the feelings fresh.

Firstly, *BIG SPOILER,i am not joking. It is BIG* Y'know what im most annoyed at? The fact that Blue actually made Val do something absolutely and totally unnecessary and so goddamned stupid while using some f***ed up reason to cover it which is so not working on me. You remember that if virgin succubi and inccubi taint their virtue they lose their enhanced strength speed and whatever? Yeah, she did that. She effing did it. And you know what prompted her to do it? Because her dog, yes her DOG was in heat. Oh god, and because their minds are connected, she felt the pleasure and desire and wtv coming from and felt by her dog. Ugh, i dont believe this. Yeah and now Val is weak and slow. AND WEAK AND SLOW I TELL YA D:

Secondly, i dont know why, but im am so hooked to this book. I mean it is not like a WOW, THIS IS FANTASTICLE! kind of book. I dont know..the plot was reasonable, the characters were cute and witty and snarky...hey, maybe that's why i liked it so much. The humor? Yeah that and the fact that im drawn to strong and independent heroines. Val, is awesome. Fang, is absolutely sarcastic and adorable. Shade, is normal(ok im not giving him enough credit but juxtaposing him beside his girlfriend?...nehhhhh he's..slightly above average:)).

The bad guy was kinda cliche at the end, but i think the plot was well written(again) that i still had the satisfying shock when everything was out in the open. And i can tell Blue did her research homework well on the many types of demons there are and she does try to explain quite clearly what each of them do and all.

At some points in the book, i thought that Blue was making things go along a little too conveniently and so tried to add in some obstacles into the characters' lives(the spoiler thing for one)to make it more exciting, but...I just think that she should spend more time to work those out, make it more convincing rather than just throw some crap in to complicate stuff.

Her characters, especially the protagonists and main people Val, Fang, Shade, and maybe Trevor, were all well developed(from my unprofessional POV at least). I got to know Val(duh) and Fang pretty well after the first book, and im still liking them more and more in this one.

My Rating:

Review: Try Me by Parker Blue

Published Date: Febuary 19th, 2010
Finished Date: June 13th, 2011
Publishers: Bell Bridge Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 218
Series: Demon Underground book 2

Blurb from Goodreads: This part-demon teen vampire fighter and her faithful terrier hellhound are once again patrolling the dark city streets of San Antonio, Texas. Val's hunky human partner, Detective Dan Sullivan, is giving her the cold shoulder since she beheaded his vampire ex-fiancée. Vamp leader Alejandro is struggling to keep the peace between vamps, demons and humans. The mucho powerful Encyclopedia Magicka has been stolen, someone in the Demon Underground is poisoning vamps, and Val's inner lust demon, Lola, is getting very restless since Val's now partnered with sexy Shade, the shadow demon with the blond good looks of an angel.
The second book in Parker Blue's Demon Underground urban fantasy series plunges readers deeper into a heady world of passion, friendship, intrigue and mystery.

Parker Blue lives in the wilds of Colorado with her own faithful hellhound, and she's hard at work on the next Val Shapiro book in the Demon Underground series.

------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: Val has solved the myestery of who was the head bad vamp in the previous book, but a week after that, Dan, Val's detective partner and supposed-lover, starts ignoring her when a new female detective enters the Special Crimes Unit(SCU). Val is sad and heartbroken and Dan is being his usual jerkish, mood-swingish self to her. Amidst all her emotional turmoils, she was informed that the books that were the last and only things left for her from her dead demon father, the Encyclopedia Magicka, is actually a prized possession of the demons that was stolen by her father that it could be deadly in the wrong hands. So Val acted the part of a good girl and handed it over to Micah, the head of the Demon Underground. But Micah stupidly, VERY stupidly(what is wrong with him?), announced to a whole crowd of half-demons and vamps that he has it, and it went missing immediately after. Lame much? Ok, so everyone was shocked and worried(yeah, i wonder who caused it..), and Val was once again on the case. And the baddies once again used her family to threaten her to lay off. But Val did lay off this time cause the consequences to not lay off seemed pretty serious. While Val was taking her much needed break, she hooked up with Shade, but found out that if she loses her virginity, she would lose her super strength, speed, senses and whatever, all said and known when she was lying on the bed with Shade half naked and all. Haha, visual overload. So the baddie's scheme was uncovered JUST as he was about "ignite" a serious war between the two factions and once again, Val saves the day(you'll get the double quotations after you read the book:)). Big surprise.

The plot was a little more complicated this time, and that made the sudden realization at the end all the more shocking. I think it was because(ok i know it is because) of the unknown parts that hooked me to this book, which showed that Blue really did her research and planning well. Cause usually if i could guess everything that was about to happen, that would just suck. Ok im ranting. Blue really know how to make the culprit look like one particular individual, then it became a whole lot of other people, and then make them seem innocent again, but were guilty in the end those sort of thing. And in a way, its kinda like those adult mystery-detective books, just simplified and supernatural-ified. Well, i prefer this, so it proves my youthfulness at heart:)

Anyway, Val is getting good at controlling her powers and her relationship improved drastically with her parents since the previous book. Her romantic status has improved from impulse-driven, sweet-sometimes-but-mostly-annoying Dan to sweet, understanding, warm and sexy Shade(on top of his moral virtues, his powers are way awesome, to boot). But she comes to a moot point in all this progress cause Blue decided to torture her(and maybe some of the readers)by placing her in a stupid dilemma- lose your powers, or lose the prospects of having a proper love life. Yeah..that sucks. But at least she can control her powers really well, AND she gets to be the one who has good relationships with the vamps and demons, which i think would make her feel more important and wanted(even tho she doesnt realise it but i think it kinda helps, indirectly at least).

Ok, not much comments cause i wouldnt say this book(or series for this matter)was THAT impressive, but more of the average kind of good? I dont know.. But i am eager to start the next book:D am i contradicting myself? ah well, all i know is that it didnt disappoint me.

My Rating:

Review: Adversary by Kate Kaynak

Published Date: August 20th, 2010
Finished Date: July 13th, 2011
Publishers: Spencer Hill Press
Format: Paperback
Pages: 238
Series: Ganzfield book 2

Blurb from Goodreads: The break-in at Eden Imaging put everyone at Ganzfield in the crosshairs of a killer. Do they have what it takes to stop Isaiah? Who will survive and who won't? Find out what happens next in the sequel to Minder.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: I'm not gonna say much in this review cause then i'll just repeat what i'd said for Minders. But there are a few things that i must say have improved that i thought this book deserves a good 4.5 stars.

(I may get some facts wrong because it's been awhile since i put down the book. Forgive me^^")

Here are the main points in the book:
1) Maddie&co(her, trevor, Rachel, Hannah, and latest recruit and charm, Grace) starts stimulated trainings around camp together as a team, preparing themselves to go save people or get information or whatever in the outside world.

2)Maddie gets injured while sleeping(non-sexually)with Trev in their old church and has to go to town to have it looked at with all the high tech machines. Dr Williamsom thought it unsafe for any G positives to be out alone, so he sends her whole gang along with her and Trev.

3)When Maddie&co gets back to camp, they find a bloodbath. Everyone they knew save a few sparks were lined up outside their dorms and were shot, all in their PJs.

4)Maddie&co finds out that Dr Williamsom is detained by CIA and figures that she has to get him out, after which she has to neutralize Isaiah Lerner.

Yep, that's about it.

First things first, i have to say that i find the decrease in "oh i love you so much" from Maddie and Trevor a major improvement; Not that there isnt any, oh there are still quite a lot, but it is now on the believable and comfortable region. Now that it's tamped down, im kind of looking past Trev's shy-ness(which is a major turn off for me at first in Minder) and starting to really like reading about them being together. Trev's protective of Maddie, but in his own quiet, sweet way, which i find that Kaynak has a way of putting it across as very romantic.

The plot itself was engaging, and at times, the action got really adrenaline-pumping. Oh i loved it. All that fighting and plotting and scheming and running away and protecting each other and teamwork..wow. Just wow. This is a well deserved 4.5 stars. Really, the action was incredible, especially at the end. Kaynak doesnt pull any punches. One moment everyone's dead, the other Maddie&co's fighting to survive, another a betrayal is uncovered(yeah, it punched me in the gut.real hard. It was totally unexpected), and the list goes on. So bottomline: Eventful to the max!

There was humor in it too. Haha. Oh god. Maddie tried investing and got a full $6 million if im not wrong. And then she was all "oops" when Dr Williamson(or was it their lawyer, Nick Coleman?) got a call from whoever's in charge of stocks and shares to ask how on earth did a first-timer, teenage girl earn six freaking million the first time she entered the investment world. Wow, that was funny.

yeap..that's all i can remember for now. I'll add more stuff when i remember them but one thing(or impression) is still clearly etched in my mind: This is 10 times better than Minder(and Minder wasnt even boring, nuh uh), and it was - i repeat - Eventful to the max!

If you've read Minder but didnt like it because of the overly-mushy stuff, pick up Adversary and you'll forget about it! wow, i feel like a sales promoter or sth.:/

My Rating:

Review: Bite Me by Parker Blue

Published Date: September 30th, 2010

Finished Date: June 12th, 2011

Publishers: Bell Bridge Books

Format: Paperback

Pages: 299

Series: Demon Underground

Blurb from Goodreads: Bite Me

Young Adult Vampire Hunter

A Fictionwise Fantasy Bestseller

An edgy book for teens that spans the gap between YA and adult fiction. Life after high school is tough enough without having to go 15 rounds with your inner demon. Val Shapiro is just your ordinary, part-demon, teenaged vampire hunter with a Texas drawl. And a pet hellhound named Fang. Soon enough she finds herself deep in the underbelly of the city, discovering the secrets of the Demon Underground and fighting to save those she loves. Whether they love her back or not.
---------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: Quick gloss of the book: Half-lust-demon Valentine Shapiro hadnt had a perfect life- her mom was wary of her hell spawn of a daughter, her father died when she was five, she was led to think she was the only one of her kind on earth making her feel so goddamn alone for the better part of her life, not being able to have a proper relationship because of the demon within her that always came out to play when she gets close to someone physically and then it would suck on a person's energy till they're half dead, or dead. List continues but i think you get the idea: her life sucked. And now, on her eighteenth birthday, her mom disowned her and she's left to find her accomodations and a new job(it's getting worse even now..shocking isnt it. Her life=hellhole) Feeling depressed, she went to the beach and met her half-hellhound dog and subsequently got a job as a detective in the San Antonio's Special Crime Unit through a new found friend, Officer Dan Sullivan. Vampires cause trouble, she tries to solve it, but her annoying brat of a sister got involved in the whole business and now, Val's family is screwing with her emotional life by treating her like trash cause somehow, they thought EVERY stupid problem on their doorstep was Val's fault(okay maybe it's just her mom. Her BIRTH mom at that:/). But surprisingly, she doesnt cry or break down very often, only when things really accumulated into such a mountain of hurt in her that..yeah so she cried a few countable tear drops and that's the end of her whinny side.

I wouldnt consider this a fiver(five star book in my terminology dictionary), but somehow, i was completely engrossed in the book i hadnt realised it was 4 in the morning last night as i was reading this book. It's that good, it sucks you into a world of dark demons but not too cringe-worthy cliche that would have immediately turned people off.

Val is a headstrong and courageous girl, full of compassion and wit, and definitely have a fully human heart. She sticks up and looks after her family even tho they dont deserve it, she continues to love the man who was a jerk after finding out about her demon side, and she's just so selfless it's hard to not like her. But not too much as to be unrealistic. She has imperfections and flaws, but that only makes her all the more real and alive.

Dan is a noble, heroic soul, but he can be a jerk sometimes. I cant believe he insulted Val after she just spilt all her secrets out for him, laid herself bare and he just spit in her face. And although his real reasons for doing that was because he was scared for his incontrollable reactions for a girl who was still so young, it made me even angrier that he broke her heart to soothe his own screwed up emotions. But he made up for it in the end so im happy with them. And he isnt bad, not at all other than that incident. Rather, he was kinda sweet at times, and very man:)

Hmm..the baddies in this book werent really bad..very cliche type, nothing special..The only cool part about them was how Val found them out. Tho it was kinda too easy and convenient how she did it, like BAM! you, you and you, GUILTYYYY! And 'click!' you're under arrest. Y'know? it's just... Very anti climatic.

Tho there wasnt much danger and suspense, no real climax, i still did enjoy this book. There must be something wrong with me this days.. I dont know. It was a simple enough read, relaxing and captivating. It's a commendable vampire-demon-succubus addition for the young adult section. A great start to a series with lots of potential. If you're looking for a soft, not gruesome or something that doesnt induce strong intense emotions book, but one that is interesting enough that warrants a one-sitting reading, this is it:)

My Rating:

Review: Hunter's Prayer by Lilith Saintcrow

Published Date: September 4th, 2008
Finished Date: June 11th, 2011
Publishers: Orbit
Format: Paperback
Pages: 400
Series: Jill Kismet Book 3

Blurb from Goodreads: Another night on the Nightside…


An ancient evil looms over Santa Luz. Prostitutes are showing up dead and eviscerated. And Jill Kismet just might be able to get her revenge against an old enemy.


There's just one problem. Someone wants Jill dead—again. And if they have to open up Hell itself to kill her, they will.


Sometimes, even when you're Jill Kismet, you don't have a prayer…

My Review: The rating is harsh, but i must say that the reading process was rather painful.

EXCESS inner commentating, a not-so-dominant Were lover, too much focus on one single thing- which was the case, and at places too unrealistic.

The fact that her lover, Saul, was passive and a by-stander when she kicked hellbreeds' butts was pissing enough. And with the seriously annoying, braggy inner commentating on Jill's part scrawled over more than half the pages was really pushing it. The final straw was the cases were all so gruesome and repetitive(continued from the first book) that i was immune to it even before i finished half the book. I initially was feeling a little sorry for the victims, but after the what, 10th case i just shut the book and was like ah heck..this is wasting my time. And chugged it aside. For weeks. I even renewed my library loan and couldn't finish it on time cause i was seriously getting bored of it. And weeks later, i sit here writing this review cause i was reluctant to even think about it before.

I'll give you the quick gloss over till the part i stopped(as much as i can remember anyway): She was tracking a hellbreed, or meeting one, and fought(with a lot of lame comments in her head again). Then went to Saul who was smoking cigar in the car. Jill gave him some commands(yes, SHE gave HIM commands and he didnt even show bristle with irritation or sth..ANYTHING.) and they drove off. No lovey dovey parts to soften the grim and emo world she lives in. She gets case after case after case from her police contact. After case. All of the bodies left along roadsides, all bloodied beyond recognition, but most of them miraculously having one fingerprint undamaged on that one finger pad for ID-ing. Well that's convenient. And i ended when things started to get interesting(just i minor spark of the brewing plot, but still boring to me)- the church was hiding something from their protector, which was her. She got pissed, almost hit the priest and left. Yep, i stopped there.

I liked Saintcrow's Strange Angels series, but this one fell REALLY flat in comparison. Tho her habit of excess inner commentating was omnipresent, the plot pretty much saved everything. But this...is just...sigh..

I dont know, i've got nothing nice to say so i'll just stop here. When i remember something then i'll update this review. If not, i'll end off with: I am NOT going to continue reading this series. Period.

My Rating:

Review: Beyond the Shadows by Jess Granger

Published Date: May 4th, 2010
Finished Date: June 10th, 2011
Publishers: Berkeley Trade
Format: Paperback
Pages: 320
Series: Realms Beyond

Blurb from Goodreads: Commander Yara must return home quickly and claim the Azralen throne to prevent war, but the only ship available belongs to the rebel Cyn, an Earthlen trader with no regard for authority- especially hers. Manipulating Yara onto his ship, Cyn has to keep her from Azra long enough to ignite the revolution. But when he awakens a vibrant and feeling woman beneath that icy exterior, he gets more than he bargained for: love. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: In a world where the female population ruled,

Yara was all set and ready to ascend the throne. Cyn has gathered and amassed an entire nation ready to rebel against the Grand Sister, the Matriach, and the Elite.

When Cyn "kidnaps" Yara, she was forced to see the ugly side of her beloved Azra; Being sold to the flesh traders and all that. And when it was time to choose sides, she chose him, and conveniently for the greater good of Azra.

Yara's journey towards the great realization that not every part of Azra was ruled as justly and orderly as she was taught in Training was fraught with a lot of doubts, but there was the humor bits that leveled the seriousness. All those snark comments from the cold Yara was funny in a serious way, haha, if that even makes sense. She is a good fighter, and she lives up to her regal bloodline of Yarine the Just(if i remember her name correctly..which i dont think i did..oh well). But under all that, she is rather naive and soft(in a good way), which made her rely on Cyn a lot in the outside world(universe in this case) and ultimately falling in love with him in the end.

Cyn is a headstrong, INCREDIBLY witty, protective, selfless, heartwarming, loving, brainy man. He is awesome. He leads the rebellion like a true leader, he talks like a charmer, he loves so swoon-worthy-ly, and yeah the list goes on.

The Grand Sister(or the Grand Bitch, as Cyn calls her), was plenty wicked. I mean, this is one of those books where they portray the real ugliness of the baddies of humankind with less reservations. And her ending was WOO! COOL! READ THAT PART!! She had more than what..20 knives thrown into her!

The ending was kind of weird..but still very satisfactory. It ended without the war that seemed so inevitable. The final fight was wicked, i totally loved it. It lasted long enough for my violent side to be sated enough:)

Overall: The fighting bits were vivid, suspenseful and i totally fell in love with both of them when they fought. The lovey dovey part wasn't overly mushy and excessive.

.:THIS IS A BOOK TOTALLY WORTH READING:.

My Rating:

Review: Daimon by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published Date: May 10th, 2011
Finished Date: June 4th, 2011
Publishers: Spencer Hill Press
Format: eBook
Series: Covenant book 0.5

Blurb from Goodreads: Love in my world usually ended up with someone hearing “I smite thee!” as she was cursed to be some lame flower for the rest of her life.

For three years, Alexandria has lived among mortals—pretending to be like them and trying to forget the duty she'd been trained to fulfill as a child of a mortal and a demigod. At seventeen, she's pretty much accepted that she's a freak by mortal standards... and that she'll never be prepared for that duty.

According to her mother, that’s a good thing.

But as every descendant of the gods knows, Fate has a way of rearing her ugly head. A horrifying attack forces Alex to flee Miami and try to find her way back to the very place her mother had warned her she should never return—the Covenant. Every step that brings her closer to safety is one more step toward death… because she's being hunted by the very creatures she'd once trained to kill.

The daimons have found her.
----------------------------------------------------------------

My Review: 17 year old Alex has been hiding and running away from the Covenant for three years now, and she doesn't know why. But after an attack by some Daimons, she has to fend for herself now. She is scared and alone, but she is determined to live through it all.

*Ok spoiler alert*
This book has some serious fighting mojo going on- and i must say,i really like it. The first fight scene, the one at the beach where she face planted 2 boys, was illustrated vividly with wicked moves from Alex.

But apart from the fighting and action, the part where her mom died really plunged me into a state of despair along with Alex even tho her mom only had the spotlight for one scene. I mean, i could really feel her state of loss and her desire to just give up and shrivel up on that motel bed after a week of running away with little supplies.

It was a short, but captivating story of a courageous(and funny:)) girl just starting out her journey alone to find the place where she belonged and where she could feel safe again. The emotional journey(mainly the sad part where her mom died)was pretty intense too. A great start to a series and i would definitely recommend it to my friends.

My Rating:

Review: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Published Date: May 31st, 2011
Finished Date: June 3rd, 2011
Publishers: Berkley
Format: Hardback
Pages: 315
Series: Psy-Changeling Book 10

Blurb from Goodreads: The hardcover debut of New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh and her highly acclaimed Psy/Changeling novels.


Since the moment of her defection from the PsyNet and into the SnowDancer wolf pack, Sienna Lauren has had one weakness. Hawke. Alpha and dangerous, he compels her to madness.


Hawke is used to walking alone, having lost the woman who would've been his mate long ago. But Sienna fascinates the primal heart of him, even as he tells himself she is far too young to handle the wild fury of the wolf.


Then Sienna changes the rules-and suddenly, there is no more distance, only the most intimate of battles between two people who were never meant to meet. Yet as they strip away each other's secrets in a storm of raw emotion, they must also ready themselves for a far more vicious fight...


A deadly enemy is out to destroy SnowDancer, striking at everything they hold dear, but it is Sienna's darkest secret that may yet savage the pack that is her home-and the alpha who is its heartbeat.

My Review: Strangely, this book did not quite live up to my expectations..I would give it a 4.5, but i wouldnt round it up because it fell short on my expectations.

Sienna and Hawke's story was interesting in its own way, but it didnt have that intense pull that great books have that would make me very much obligated to finish the book in one sitting..in fact, i took 3 for this one. Which is definitely unusual for a Nalini Singh's masterpiece.

**OK it's gonna turn really spoil-ery from here on out**

There were 2 love stories in this book, Hawke and Sienna's and Lara and Walker's. Hawke and Sienna's one was definitely wilder and rougher(big surprise-a good one at that), Lara and Walker's a little more hesitant and gentle(but not any less toe-curlingly sweet).

At first it was Hawke who pushed Sienna away, believing in his lonely destiny ever since his tragic mate-to-be died when he was 10. But Sienna managed to goad and bait Hawke into starting the relationship, with much help from Kit and other leopard and wolve friends, and of course her courage and bravery to stand up to someone so dominant. She made him see sense and went all the way to fight for their happiness(ok..cliche much..) But towards the end, it was Sienna who pulled away because of the exponential build up of X-power inside of her that could very well eradicate an entire continent off the map if she reaches this level called synergy. So to protect Hawke and everyone she loves, she ran away. But of course, with a fast-as-hell alpha wolf as her lover, she didnt get very far before Hawke, in wolf form, caught up with her. That was a really..exciting? scene. A really nerve-wrecking moment.

For Lara and Walker, it was Walker who was the obstinate one, apologising after they kissed rather passionately one day. Well, Lara made up her mind to move on and started dating other pack members when Walker got all jealous and started showing off his dominant side. That scene was cute. And so, in the end, because of the dual relationship, Singh didnt get to explore and elaborate the thing between them as much as i think most people would've wanted. But it was all still nice enough, the easing into the relationship a gentle read compared to the rough tanglings with most of her other pairings. haha to say the least.

Oh, and with the love and cupid angels running amok in the air, a war with a few members of the Psy Council was brewing. A big one. I love the fight, especially the one with the sonic explosion that caused the wolves' ears to bleed. wow..

My favourite part: the ending(tho i do like the war and coupling parts tooXP). The part where Hawke lay curled up in Sienna's lap in wolf form and them talking about their pasts, finally opening up to each other..my heart nearly broke..it was uber sweet and endearing.

The funniest part: After Sienna released lots and LOTS of accumulated energy into the web connecting SnowDancer's people and the lieutenants were having their meeting with their alpha pair. I quote:

“I had sex,” Drew said with a grin. “Lots and lots and lots of sex.”

Indigo threw a balled-up piece of paper at him, but she was grinning. Catching the paper, he said, “Hey, no use in good energy going to waste.”

Yep, the book was witty, intense, erotic(never forget that one), and mindblowing(literally.there were alot of bombs in the war that ensued at the end). A definite good read. Maybe i will change the rating to 5...maybe..4.75? oh well:)

My Rating:

    

Review: Summer's Crossing by Julie Kagawa

Published Date: June 1st, 2011

Finished Date: June 3rd, 2011

Publishers: HarlequinTEEN

Source: Free on B&N

Format: eBook

Series: The Iron Fey book 4

Blurb from Goodreads: A Midsummer's Nightmare? Robin Goodfellow. Puck. Summer Court prankster, King Oberon's right hand, bane of many a faery queen's existence—and secret friend to Prince Ash of the Winter Court. Until one girl's death came between them, and another girl stole both their hearts.

Now Ash has granted one favor too many and someone's come to collect, forcing the prince to a place he cannot go without Puck's help—into the heart of the Summer Court. And Puck faces the ultimate choice—betray Ash and possibly win the girl they both love, or help his former friend turned bitter enemy pull off a deception that no true faery prankster could possibly resist.

An ebook exclusive novella from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

My review: Wickedly smart. Plot and scheme was really ingenious and unexpected. And Puck, woo, was hilarious. I love his sarcastic humor and wit, and the deep and serious attitude and the roiling emotions within him that he only keeps to himself.

The plot was not too complicated neither was it simple, adding to it the characters' charms(especially ice-boy..haha he was, in his own way, really funny), this is one good read that i must say has been really worth my time(or anyone else's for that matter)..hehe not to sound pompous or anything..but well. Kagawa really does Shakespeare proud to be able to write a novella which is short yet sweet, simple, and riveting.

My Rating: