Review: Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews

Publication Date: December 2nd 2013
Finished Date: January 3rd, 2014
Publisher: Self-published
Format: eBook
Series: Innkeeper Chronicles #1
My Rating: 4/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.

And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered before. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.

My Review

My first Ilona Andrews book and it's pretty not bad! I have never read anything like this before, and that made CLEAN SWEEP a refreshing and exciting read. Judging from the cover I was expecting Fantasy, but it turned out to be URBAN fantasy. I was in the mood for some fantasy, but this turned out to be an unexpectedly-fortunate mistake.

My Summary

Dina is an innkeeper, and that means she has magical abilities and she's strongest when she's within the boundaries of her inn. Innkeepers have a sort of connection to their inns that allows the inn to respond to commands and comments from their keepers. They're sort of like a really loveable pet dog - the inns, I mean. Inns thrive with the flow of customers and guests, so with good business, the inn becomes stronger; Too little or no guests will cause an inn to go into hibernation.

Dina's parents were innkeepers that run a thriving inn, with a booming business and top ratings, a whopping five-stars. A highly-rated inn will be reflected in the directory and that tells customers that it is safe and guarantees quality. Dina's learnt the ropes and is pretty familiar with the codes and etiquettes that comes with being an innkeeper. However, about three years ago, her parents and their inn vanished without a trace and her brother and her had spent a few years attempting to find clues to their disappearance but to no avail. She decided to settle down and The Innkeeper Assembly allocated to her Gertrude Hunt, an inn that went into hibernation years ago.

With time, patience and lots of TLC, she slowly coaxes Gertrude Hunt out of its slumber and even have a permanent guest, the eccentric but elegant Her Grace Caldenia who has a thing for Funyuns and Mello Yello...and who's cannibal too. Anyway, it's all peaceful until her neighbor's dogs start to turn up at public places grotesquely mauled that Dina starts to investigate. Innkeepers are neutral ground, and that means staying out of anything that does not directly threaten their inns and their customers. But Dina can't just stand by and let this...whoever it is start killing and threatening the lives of the people in her town.

In walks Sean Evans, ex-military and resident werewolf who just moved into town a few months back. When their town is threatened, werewolves usually feel the need to protect it and establish their claim on the town. Then the Marshal of vampire house Krar, Arland, from some other planet drops by too claiming that the one responsible was a wanted criminal from their planet. And so Dina will have to work with two very big, bad, infinitely stubborn and protective dudes to save their little town.

My Thoughts

I want to be an innkeeper too, dammit! This writing-duo made Clean Sweep such an adorable and fun read that I just want to be a part of their imaginary world for just awhile.

Dina is a very relatable character. She might not be kickass, but she has a broom that can change shape when she sends her magic into it, a Shih Tzu that isn't really a Shih Tzu but is still plenty cute and an inn that can send out roots to hold down attackers and wield guns to help defend itself and Dina. Then there's the cool, calm and gorgeous werewolf, Sean, and reserved, mysterious and muscular vampire, Arland. I wouldn't say that they were terribly unique love interests in the UF genre, buuuut they do provide comic relief that's for sure. (Watch out for Arland with coffee, hahaha. Vamps have this funny reaction when they ingest caffeine)

CLEAN SWEEP is a short, light and fun novella with just the right amount of humor, action and good ol' UF mystery. The ending provided enough closure, but I sense so much more adventure coming our way. CLEAN SWEEP was originally published free at this website, chapter by chapter each week, and it's been announced that they're doing it again for the sequel starting early 2014. I'll probably wait for the final copy of the book cause I prefer to read my books in one shot. I'll definitely be checking out the Andrews' other works in the mean time though!

My Rating

        

Quickie Reviews: Once Burned and Twice Tempted by Jeaniene Frost

Publication Date: June 26th, 2012
Finished Date: September 28th, 2013
Publisher: Avon
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 346
Series: Night Prince #1
My Rating: 4.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
She's a mortal with dark powers...

After a tragic accident scarred her body and destroyed her dreams, Leila never imagined that the worst was still to come: terrifying powers that let her channel electricity and learn a person's darkest secrets through a single touch. Leila is doomed to a life of solitude...until creatures of the night kidnap her, forcing her to reach out with a telepathic distress call to the world's most infamous vampire...

He's the Prince of Night...

Vlad Tepesh inspired the greatest vampire legend of all—but whatever you do, don't call him Dracula. Vlad's ability to control fire makes him one of the most feared vampires in existence, but his enemies have found a new weapon against him—a beautiful mortal with powers to match his own. When Vlad and Leila meet, however, passion ignites between them, threatening to consume them both. It will take everything that they are to stop an enemy intent on bringing them down in flames.

My Review

I didn't expect to like this so much right after devouring Unchained by J. Lynn (another UF) just a week ago, but I loved ONCE BURNED!

The plot was simple yet superbly enjoyable, and there were the action, the gore, the romance, so ONCE BURNED is far from a mindless good read, it's an amazing read. I loved the entire cast of characters - Leila, Vlad (though he does take high-handed to a whole new level), Maximus, Marty, everyone. Each character had their own distinct voice and (very endearing) personality.

Frost's version of vampires (and Vlad, the Dracula of old, the source of inspiration Bram Stoker drew from) was the classic, fly-superhuman-speed-and-strength, kind. If my memory doesn't fail me and Dracula could fly. Well, at least they don't sparkle in daylight (thank you, Jeaniene!). But in addition to the original vamp model, Vlad had an affinity for fire, able to summon and wield it. Others have other powers they inherit from their sires but it will only manifest after some time. Also, this is perhaps the first time the cover model matches the image of Vlad in my head! Hehe. The only thing that didn't really sit well with me was Leila's abilities to sense a person's essence - to see said person's defining moment in life, be it their darkest sin or life-changing tragedy, trace the essence to the person's present location and glimpse his/her possible future - and being a walking electricity generator after touching (and almost dying) a downed power line during a storm. I mean, come on, this might be an urban fantasy, but still. And the lack of world-building.

However, even with the minimal world building, ONCE BURNED had all the thrills and fuzzies that reminded me why I fell in love with this genre a long time ago, and it kept me glued to it's pages so much so that I didn't bother to update my reading status on Goodreads and grab the second installment, TWICE TEMPTED, right off my shelf once I was done with it. I don't know why I haven't ventured into Frost's Night Huntress world earlier, but I'd definitely check out Cat and Bones' story. I'd say ONCE BURNED is a pretty classic UF read, but there's just this something I can't put my finger on that makes it so addictive; Strongly recommend this to any UF/PNR readers and vampire lovers out there!

My Rating

 

 

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Publication Date: March 26th, 2013
Finished Date: September 29th, 2013
Publisher: Avon
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 360
Series: Night Prince #2
My Rating: 4.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
Dating the Prince of Darkness has its challenges...

Leila's psychic abilities have been failing her, and now she isn't sure what the future holds. If that weren't enough, her lover, Vlad, has been acting distant. Though Leila is a mere mortal, she's also a modern woman who refuses to accept the cold shoulder treatment forever–especially from the darkly handsome vampire who still won't admit that he loves her.

Like choosing between eternal love and a loveless eternity...

Soon circumstances send Leila back to the carnival circuit, where tragedy strikes. And when she finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who may be closer than she realizes, Leila must decide who to trust– the fiery vampire who arouses her passions like no other or the tortured knight who longs to be more than a friend? With danger stalking her every step of the way, all it takes is one wrong move to damn her for eternity.

My Review

 

LOVED, loved, luuurved Leila. Loved Vlad. Loved the simple yet oddly satisfying, addictive and fast paced plot! Admittedly, there was more focus on the development in the romance department between the commanding, enigmatic Vlad and Leila in TWICE TEMPTED, but that didn't take away from the overall story or pace.

I'm not sure how to describe Leila, other than that she's loyal to the people she loves to a fault, she's stubborn, but oddly vulnerable to her feelings for Vlad and her family. She's such a beautifully flawed yet amazing woman, y'know wha' I mean? After acclimatizing to the harsher, more brutal (and oddly medieval) world of vampires, she's starting to stand on her own again, and she's gotten more badass! I liked that she faces her problems, that she tries to help Vlad any way she can while also thinking for her family, she doesn't make the same mistake of doubting Vlad again when people whisper poison in her ears, and have I mentioned she's definitely become more badass?

A determined new love interest, a vengeful ex-lover, and a stubbornly sexy man unwilling to open his heart. What is an electricity-wielding woman to do when life keeps throwing excretion in her fan? (Ok I tried to be less crude about it, but wasn't very successful I can tell. And sorry I butcher the English language. Whoops.)

Anyway, I couldn't ask for a better sequel, and I am dying to get my hands on book three. (Which still doesn't have any information released yet other than it's the last in the series. *sobs hysterically*) If you enjoyed ONCE BURNED, you'll definitely like TWICE TEMPTED. Maybe even more so! RECOMMENDED. :)

P.S. Spoiler --> (view spoiler)I have some questions about the book as I was reading ONCE BURNED and TWICE TEMPTED... Like when Vlad and Leila were hunting for the mastermind behind Leila's kidnap in OB, why couldn't Vlad just see Szilagyi's face in Leila's mind after she did her essence-tracing thing? Couldn't she just think of Szilagyi so Vlad can pick it out of her mind? And in TT, why Vlad couldn't read Leila's mind after she turned into a vampire? Vlad could read Maximus' mind before, so being a vampire shouldn't have given her extra neuro-protection... I'll email Jeaniene to see what she says. ;) 

My Rating

Re-Review: Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: May 31st, 2011
Reread's Finished Date: May 30th, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Hardcover
Format: Hardback
Pages: 415
Series: Psy-Changeling #10
My Rating: 5/5!!!

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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.

 

So, a few weeks ago before the release of number 13th in this amazing series, I decided to reread Kiss of Snow cause, well, Hawke is my favorite, favorite, FAVORITE in this entire series (yay, Hawke~ ;P), but I remembered not liking his book as much as I thought I should have. I went back to reread it, and OMG, was it one of the best book decisions I've ever made cause I enjoyed it so much more than the first time! I think that now that I have a handle of who's who (the names and all) and of the entire plot, I could really enjoy the story and Hawke and Sienna's romance that much better.

 

My first review I gave this book an appalling 4-4.5 rating, but I'm going to up this book to a solid, resounding 5. :)

 

Here's my re-review of the book if you're not bored of my little revelation up there (hehe):

 

 

Edit (5/30/13): Just reread KISS OF SNOW and I am wondering how in the world did I not fall in love with Hawke and Sienna in my first read. I mean, THEY'RE AWESOME and Hawke is, let me tell you, one perfect male specimen, right there. With the tortured past, alpha persona, protective nature and silver-gold(even though I imagine him as white)-pelt-hair-ice-blue-eyes (yeah, just had to add that) he has going on for him, and Sienna. She's such an amazing, courageous and beautiful young woman, smart too! I think, like Sascha, she'll make for a really good mate for an alpha, one that gained my respect quite early on in KoS.

The other couple that found their happy ever after (for now, at least) was Lara and Walker. Quite contrasting to the intense, steamy and fast-paced love story that was Hawke and Sienna's, theirs was a more subtle, sweet and tender romance that was as toe-curlingly heartwarming.

The plot and writing were just the right amount of complex and amazing; All that military strategizing and deducing and guessing-games...it really differentiates Singh's novels to other Urban Fantasies-PNRs out there that makes reading her books such a unique and refreshing experience, with equal amounts of the dark-gritty components as with the humor, camaraderie, sense of family and of course, there's her signature writing style of romance. Though there were times when the story scaled just a little too much to the romance than the thriller and the pace got just a teensy bit dull, but hey, who am I to complain? Anyhoo, I'm actually more of a Guild Hunter (if you don't know it yet, this is Singh's amazing other UF/PNR series) fan and not much of a Psy-Changeling fan that I've only read a few installments in this series, but I think KISS OF SNOW has officially amped up the hype for me with regards to the release of HEARTS OF OBSIDIAN this June 4th, just 6 more days away!! I wasn't planning to read it at first, but omg, KoS is just that good.

To sum up this re-review, KoS is as heartwarmingly tender as it is heartbreaking, as complex as it is fast-paced. I loved every heart-pounding moment of it and I'd recommend this series to any Were/UF-PNR/romance fan that doesn't mind a little supernatural and action thrown into the mix.

P.S. Please ignore my very horribly written review way back in one of my earliest posts, written 2 years ago. (That was close to when I first started writing reviews and when I haven't started capitalizing my "I"s yet.) I'm only not erasing it for memory's sake, so don't read it! It's as spoilery as spoilers get. :)

 

 

 

 



Review: Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: June 4th, 20113
Finished Date: June 8th, 2013
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Format: eBook
Pages: 368
Series: Psy-Changeling #12
My Rating: 5/5!

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Blurb from Goodreads:

Step into New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh’s explosive and shockingly passionate Psy-Changeling world…

A dangerous, volatile rebel, hands stained bloodred.
A woman whose very existence has been erased.
A love story so dark, it may shatter the world itself.
A deadly price that must be paid.
The day of reckoning is here.

From “the alpha author of paranormal romance” (Booklist) comes the most highly anticipated novel of her career—one that blurs the line between madness and genius, between subjugation and liberation, between the living and the dead.

I basically devoured this book the moment I got out of camp. Everything about this book was so awesome - the romance, the plot (the arc of the series really moved quite a bit in HoO), the interconnection between Psy, the changelings and the humans. This book did not disappoint the waves of anticipation and hype prior to it's release.

“And when she looked up, it was to see Kaleb's eyes looking down into her own. There were no stars, but the obsidian was sheened with midnight colors, beautiful and mysterious.

Her fingers clenched on the muscled heat of his back, the fine cotton of his shirt crumpling under his touch. "You came back." ”

I won't go on very much about the plot cause there's a lot of mystery enshrouding the two protagonists in HoO, and learning them along the way with them is vital in this amazing series.

This story literally revolves around the lives of two people - ex-Councilor Kaleb Krychek, known to be the most powerful Psy in the world, rumored to be a dual cardinal with enough power to level cities and cause earthquakes, and his childhood friend, (view spoiler)Sahara. I hope that's not too big of a spoiler (I didn't reveal her last name, so you can't blame me for not trying!).

Even though I haven't read all the installment in this series yet (but I am a hardcore Nalini Singh fan, I really am! I've read each book in her Guild Hunter series multiple, and I mean multiple times), I think this will probably take the top second spot right below KISS OF SNOW. (Hawke~!!)


My Brief Summary (Spoilers alert!)
(view spoiler)Kaleb has been searching for a certain someone for seven years, three weeks and two days, and by now, everyone knows it's this mysterious Sahara ahem-ahem-ahem. His abilities honed to a lethal edge, financially, politically, economically one of the world's powerhouses, he also has the infamous Arrow Squad behind his back. Now that he's finally found the only person in the world whom he cares about, he's going to make her abductors pay for what they've done to her for the past seven years.

Sahara's had a relatively stable and caring family, up until the day she was taken and held captive in sterile and brutal conditions. To keep the secrets in her mind safe and her unique powers from being controlled by the wrong hands, she did things to her mind that makes her now a shell of who she used to be.
(END of spoilers!)

Kaleb isn't the gentlest of caretakers, he can seem heartless and uncaring, but deep down, he's just a man who hadn't received much love or kindness in his life, and so doesn't know how to express his feelings very well. But he does a mighty fine job in his own way, and it's so heartwarming to see him protecting (view spoiler)Sahara any way he can, even if it means letting her stay away from him. It broke my heart just a little at the end when everything came full circle for them. ;)

I loved the interactions between the side characters too! How Aden, Vasic of the Arrow Squad, leopards from DarkRiver and even Nikita Duncan and Anthony Kryiakus came into the picture; It gave the story a depth and life to it. The plot moved so much more than the prequels that seemed more like backdrops for the romances between each couples, but HoO showed us where Singh is trying to lead the arc to, and I have a rough idea of what the plot for Psy-Changeling #13 will be. However, there were major parts of the book that was just about Sahara's healing/recovery and Kaleb's part in it, so the plot had to take a backseat and the pace dulled down quite a bit, only really picking up again around four-fifths through, that's why HoO comes in as a close second to KoS.

But all in all a mighty fine read with tons of slow, compelling, tender and sweet romance, redemption (really, I'm not trying to be melodramatic or anything...ok, maybe a little, but this book is quite dramatic!) danger, and political intrigue. I don't know how Singh does it, but her style is just as addictive as ever! Recommended to every Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance fan out there; Maybe throw in a little thriller and action!

5-amazeball-stars!

 

 
P.S. Miiiiight be doin' an interview and giveaway soon. ;)

Review: Down To You by M. Leighton

Publication Date: September 20th, 2012
Finished Date: March 1st, 2013
Publisher: M. Leighton Books
Format: eBook
Pages: 215
Series: The Bad Boys #1
My Rating: 3.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:

The scorching tale of one girl, two brothers and a love triangle…that’s not.

Olivia Townsend is nothing special. She’s just a girl working her way through college so she can return home to help her father run his business. She’s determined not to be the second woman in his life to abandon him, even if it means putting her own life on hold. To Olivia, it’s clear what she must do. Plain and simple. Black and white. But clear becomes complicated when she meets Cash and Nash Davenport. They’re brothers. Twins.

Cash is everything she’s always wanted in a guy. He’s a dangerous, sexy bad boy who wants her in his bed at any cost. He turns her insides to mush and, with just one kiss, makes her forget why he’s no good for her. Nash is everything she’s ever needed in a guy. He’s successful, responsible and intensely passionate. But he’s taken. Very taken, by none other than Marissa, Liv’s rich, beautiful cousin. That doesn’t stop Olivia from melting every time he looks at her, though. With just one touch, he makes her forget why they can never be together.

Black and white turns to shades of gray when Olivia discovers the boys are hiding something, something that should make her run as far and as fast as she can. But it’s too late to run. Olivia’s already involved. And in love. With both of them. Both brothers make her heart tremble. Both brothers set her body on fire. She wants them both. And they want her. How will she ever choose between them?

My Review

Not a bad adult contemporary romance! It's definitely steamy and piled with sexual tension, but it's the instant physical attraction kind that doesn't do much to leave a deep enough impression on the reader to let the memory last.

Olivia "Liv" Townsend is a sheep farmer's daughter who's responsible, loyal, has a unique blend of humor and...is always attracted to the bad boys. It's the reason why she's had her heart broken one too many times in the past, and the reason why she avoids them at all costs.

Liv is living with her rich, snobbish cousin in Atlanta to finish her college degree in accounting. She goes to school, bartends at a friendly club at Salt Springs every weekend, and goes out with her friends occasionally to club a little or just to chill. She never factored in meeting the sexy bad boy owner of the club that her friend held her bachelorette party at, Cash, or his twin brother, Nash, who's a lawyer, equally sexy, and her cousin's boyfriend...

Both drives her insane, both are equally desirable. Thing is, she's always been drawn to the bad boys, but she knows that Nash will be better, safer choice, the kind of guy she needs in her life. The only end she sees with Cash is one that ends in heartbreak, but she's not that kind of girl that'll steal an attached guy. Therein lies the problem: She's drawn to both brothers. Both brothers are drawn to her. But both also brings with them a whole lot of consequences that Liv'll have to contend with.

Thoughts: I'll admit it - the cover was the thang that drew me in. Dang, I mean, look at it! Haha, it's the kind of once-in-awhile, guilty pleasures that a girl wants to indulge in. It's a quick, steamy read that'll guarantee tide you thru this need-for-a-guilty-pleasure phase, girls! Not sure about the dudes out there, though. It's told in multiple POVs, from Olivia to Cash to Nash, so it's a little different from your ordinary contemporary romance.

I liked DOWN TO YOU, the only reason why I docked off a few stars is because there were times where I just thought that the characters were a little shallow - bimbotic, for lack of a better word. Shallow, yes, but it made for quite a fun read! One of Liv's friends, Ginger, can swear reaaaal colorfully! A quote:

"Stay in your lane you limp-dick, candy-ass, crazy mother fu--"
"Ginger?" I interrupt.
She quiets immediately. "Oh, Liv. Hi, sweetie. I didn't hear you answer."

Hahaha, you have been warned!

One thing that I really liked about DTY is that plot twist at the end! I didn't even see it coming when it hit! Though I don't think that it's really plausible in real life, it still made for quite a big shock. That's some real cool writing right there.

Anyhoo, all in all, I thought that DOWN TO YOU was a quick, steamy read full of lighthearted fun and laughter with a neat plot twist at the end that'll sure to catch readers off-guard. Enjoyed it!

P.S. Not sure whether I'll start on the next few books yet though. I think I'm back into the intense plot and action novels now, so I think I'll place UP TO ME somewhere in the middle of my Mt. TBR. :)

P.P.S. Have you seen the other cover for this book? The one that'll be released by Berkeley Trade this July? It's SO NICE. --->

 

My Rating

Quickie Review: Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh

Publication Date: September 6th, 2011
Finished Date: October 26th, 2012
Publisher: Berkley Sensation
Format: Mass Market Paperback
Pages: 310
Series: Guild Hunter #4
My Rating: 4/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

My Review

“So he held this hunter whose midnight green eyes said she saw him, shadows and all, who touched him as (view spoiler)Ingrede used to do, who made him imagine an impossible truth, held her so close that she was a part of his very soul.”

Usually I give every Guild Hunter novel an immediate and resounding 5 stars. I wasn't the biggest fan of Dmitri...and I still ain't one, but I'm starting to understand him more now. And respect. Wow, he gave his heart to this amazing village woman centuries ago, and even after her very tragic demise, his heart and soul still remained with her. Until now.

Enter Honor, a Guild Hunter who was very recently saved from some crazy vampire. Honor's sanity was on verge of cracking, and only after months of therapy and stuff, she just managed to walk out on her own. But she prefers locking herself up in the Guild library. That is, until a job at the Angel Tower required her expertise and Honor forced herself to meet up with Dmitri. From there, you can probably deduce the rest for yourself. As they spent more time together solving a series of murder cases in which Honor finds out how deadly--and sexy--Dmitri is and Dmitri finding out the side of Honor that made her a hunter in the first place, the courage and innate strength before her unfortunate abduction.

As always, Singh's delivery was AMAZING, and she knew just how to feed us little tidbits about Dmitri's past here and there, which was hard to piece together a complete picture until right at the very end when she gave a final piece and bam, everything just falls into place. And the gradual change in Honor and Dmitri in the end was really heartwarming. Quiiiiiite a typical wounded hero/heroine finding love and healing (that's why I docked off one star), but well, it's Nalini Singh, so naturally it is still in a league of its own.

A dark novel about an inspiring love that heals. A sort of spinoff to the main plot, so it is technically fine to skip this go directly to book 6 which is confirmed to be in Elena's and Raphael's POV where, I'm assuming, the main arc will continue but I have to admit it, now that I have read it, I do feel this bond to Dmitri (and Honor) now that wasn't there. I'll be noticing him more now. ;)

My Rating

      

 

Review: My Lady Mage by Alexis Morgan

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2012
Finished Date: November 26th, 2012
Publisher: Signet Eclipse
Format: Paperback
Pages: 316
Series: Warriors of the Mist #1
My Rating: 3.5/5

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Blurb from Goodreads:
A cursed destiny. A band of warriors. And one troubled kingdom. It is whispered in Agathia that the legendary warriors of the mist—cursed by the gods—can be summoned only when a champion is needed and the cause is just. Gideon, their captain, knows this to be the one path that will lead his men to redemption—lest they face an eternity of damnation. Years have passed since anyone has journeyed to the river's edge, but times are desperate. Oppressed by a cruel guardian whose dark magic threatens to destroy her people, the beautiful and courageous Merewen calls upon the bespelled warriors. In Gideon she finds more than a champion, and in his arms, more than protection. However, their enemies are fighting with a power darker than anything than they imagined, and should Gideon fail, she will lose everything she holds dear—including her heart.

My Review

MY LADY MAGE was a very nice blend of High Fantasy and Romance. There was a development of plot where we were initially plunged directly into the fear that Merewen constantly lives with, and how she found her way to the river where she could summon the warriors of the mist.

Just a brief summary of the story (a little more detailed than the official synopsis which might contain spoilers):

(view spoiler)In times of dire need, when a person deemed worthy by the gods stands beside the lake and summons the legendary Damned warriors of the mist, six champions will rise up and help rid the world of its evil. It has been centuries since the last time the gods have granted a request.

An evil has been growing in the heart of Agathia, but bringing it closer to home for our protagonist, Merewen, daughter of the recently-deceased Lord of a keep a few days ride from the capital of Agathia, her keep isn't in good shape at all under the government of her uncle, the new lord of the keep. Her uncle is a selfish ruler, a cruel husband, and just inherently a cold man who enjoys watching his subjects squirm and cower in fear or pain, or both. It is a bad time for Merewen and her people, and in the dusty tomes of her father's rather expansive library collection, she stumbles upon an ancient spell to summon help from the river.

Captain Gideon and his men has been asleep in the cold, winter river for many centuries and only been slightly jolted awake a few times by failed summons, however, this time his gods are allowing them to rise up from their sleep and allowed time on land for three months. Three months to feel the sunshine on their face and smell the scents of fresh grass - and to rid the land of an evil far larger in scale than just Merewen's uncle. If the warriors fail, him, his men and Merewen would have to spend the rest of eternity wandering the cold depths of the Afterlife together. Gideon has enough on his mind so far, but add in to his plate is a brash but kind, loyal and sweet woman who has opened his heart up after all these lonely centuries...

END of summary.


MY LADY MAGE was an enjoyable read, very relaxing and engaging, however, it is quite a typical High Fantasy novel plot-wise, and the romance was ummm...it could have been developed a little more. I mean, where's the sexual tension and suspense? Not that I'm against the attraction at first sight stuff, but I would've preferred if it was dragged out a little more, and if they didn't started kissing and all quite so soon after they met.

The characters were lovable! Merewen was the usual courageous and headstrong heroine now commonly found in High Fantasies and more often than not, Urban Fantasies and Paranormal Romances, even Contemporary and Historical fictions; Gideon and his men were very, VERY similar to the dudes in the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J.R. Ward! Especially Kane! Kane was the ultimate doppelganger of Zsadist, I swear! With that dark mage mark on his cheek, that mysterious, you-mess-with-me-and-I'll-skin-you-alive-dice-you-into-pieces bad boy thing going on. He's cool. And add to that, each of the warriors had an avatar that can be called to life from their shields, which were animals that could form a mental link with each of the warriors. All the avatars had a personality of their own which was very endearing. And of course, Kane had the coolest avatar. (view spoiler)[Highlight to read (spoiler)] A GARGOYLE!! *swoon* haha.

Morgan was writing mainly in the selective third person POV, but often switching from one character to another. It was mainly Merewen's and Gideon's, but she does switch to the other warriors' and Alina's (Lady of the keep) and even Fagan's, Merewen's evil uncle. It didn't get confusing at all throughout the entire novel and I thought that that spoke a lot about Morgan's stellar writing style.

Overall, I thought that MY LADY MAGE was a light and enjoyable read, some quite-intense fights here and there (not reaaaaally considered battles), and a few intimate scenes, and the building of an even greater plot up ahead in the following sequels. It wasn't as intense as I first expected it to be, that's why I didn't give it 4 stars.

My Rating

 

Review: Black Howl by Christina Henry

Publication Date: Febuary 28th, 2012
Finished Date: March 25th, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Format: eCopy for Review 
Series: Madeline Black #3
My Rating: 3/5

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
Something is wrong with the souls of Chicago's dead. Ghosts are walking the streets, and Agent of Death Madeline Black's exasperating boss wants her to figure out why. And while work is bad enough, Maddy has a plethora of personal problems too. Now that Gabriel has been assigned as her thrall, their relationship has hit an impasse. At least her sleazy ex-fiance Nathaniel is out of the picture--or so she thinks...

My Review

I was hard-pressed to get the ARC of BLACK HOWL after reading book 2, BLACK NIGHT, which was amazingly engrossing, and looking at that cover? It potrays everything that I thought Maddy was - strong, badass and all ready to kick some demon butt. I was going crazy waiting for a reply from Henry's publisher (it took 1 to 2 days, but it was like a small eternity to me at the time), and when I got it, I jumped into it as soon as I could.

All that said, I'll be honest and say that BLACK HOWL did not meet my expectations. There were parts of it that dragged, were dull or just really monotonous.

HOWL started off slowly, with our heroine, Madeline "Maddy" Black, doing her first and foremost duty of being an Agent of Death, leading some poor soul who had a heart attack to The Door. However, much like the previous two instalments, her life takes a serious nose-dive straight off the beginning. It started with a visit from the infamously hostile Jude, second-in-command of the local wolf pack. Looks like Wade (alpha of said wolf pack) and the kids were gone, and one of the last things Wade told Jude to do was look for Maddy if something went wrong. Jude's not going to defy his alpha, even if it means visiting one of Lucifer's spawn, whom he hates with a terrible vengeance. Being the compassionate soul that she was, she agrees to help him even when Jude was being all rude and annoying. Now that's actually putting it lightly when all he does is question her, threaten to kill her, insult her, and express his reluctance to cooperate when SHE was the one helping HIM. Seriously, I don't see why Maddy puts up with his shit.

But anyway, along with J.B, Beezle, and an aloof Gabriel, they set off through a demon portal at the site where Wade and the cubs disappeared and starts to look for clues. Along the way, many curveballs are thrown at them, which I shall not spoiler, including twists in her ever-confusing love life.

Speaking of love life, everything happened so fast! Gabriel was actually being his mercurial self - one moment aloof, distant and annoying, another hot, passionate, and protective - when something happened that changed him and Maddy forever. And that something happened to be one of Lucifer's scheming plans. It was a real shocker, and one I didn't know how I felt about because it was quite literally thrown into my face. And then when the ending came... Let's just say that I wasn't too happy about it. That's putting it lightly; More like, furious and mortified; It was totally uncalled for! I can't believe Henry could be so cruel! All I can say is, it wasn't a happily ever after, and I'm holding onto my hope that there is something bigger planned for Maddy. Something fantastical and phenomenal that will either eclipse what happened or reverse what transpired, or really, heads will start to roll. The only good thing about the ending was how beautifully it was written. Vivid descriptions which it evoked deep feelings within me and made me cry a little.

I mentioned that HOWL was slow-paced, and that encompasses many aspects of the book - the action, plot, and romance. Oftentimes, there wasn't much progression, or if there were, there would be an interruption and everything would revert back to square one (referring to a certain making-out scene). Henry tends to describe too much sometimes, about the scenery, the details and whatnot. Like in Amarantha's castle laying in ruins (find out why it's in shambles yerself, lads ;P), the forest, and others. Imagery is important, yeah ok, but anything in overdose is still an overdose. Henry's writing style, though, is quite typical of an Urban-Fantasy author. The same first-person "I" of a snarky heroine.

The characters were pretty much the same as in the other books - Maddy: Tough, badass, sometimes too kind for her own good; Beezle: Cute, sarcastic, just the way I love him; J.B: Annoying boss, sexy love interest. The only two characters that changed much was Jude and Gabriel. Jude was initially still being an out-of-this-world pain-in-the-butt, but as the story progressed, there were things that were revealed that justified his annoying ways. At the end, I was actually starting to like him. Gabriel...ugh, let's not start about him. He was, I don't know how, even more annoyingly indifferent to Maddy. He keeps trying to distance himself from her in this way that makes me want to reach into the book, strangle him and give him a piece of my mind to "treat the woman nicer!" I know what he's doing is to follow the law, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. Maddy's screwing the law for him, why can't he do the same? But then, there was that shockingly epic thing that happened which I mentioned in Paragraph 5, and he changed drastically. It was kind of unnerving, but it was definitely an improvement to how he was treating Maddy. (Let me enlighten you a little: He was giving in to his passion for her! Finally!)

Nathaniel was back, and his intentions seemed to be genuine and sincere initially, but Maddy just had to continue bringing up the past. A past where an illusion of Nathaniel had debased her. An event that came to past with Natheniel being powerless to stop. So she shouldn't be such a bitch to him over it since he had no hand in whatever happened.. He is the proud right hand angel of Azazel, after all. He's handsome, powerful, and wealthy, and she practically trampled all over him, which made him change in demeanour quite drastically. I was rooting for him actually, even though he isn't as morally upright as Gabriel, but at least Natheniel had a backbone and had fought for what he wanted, not cower and hide like Gabriel.


All in all, I was numb when the book ended because seriously, anyone else would too. It was unexpected to say the least, more like a punch-in-the-face jack-in-the-box. I'm holding out on my judgement for this, and I'm expecting something big to salvage the situation. Real big. It was a major cliffhanger, and because of which I do recommend that if you haven't read HOWL, you'd better wait for BLACK LAMENT (which happens to have a very nice cover! Very nice cover, indeed. ;) to be out first before you start on it.

*eARC courtesy of Ace via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

My Rating

Review: The Last Girl by Kitty Thomas

Publication Date: Febuary 14th, 2011
Finished Date: April 19th, 2012
Publisher: Burlesque Press
Format: eBook for Review
My Rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
Six years ago strangers broke into Juliette’s house; she was home alone and only thirteen. She kept her eyes closed, praying that if she didn’t see anything, she wouldn’t be killed. No one harmed her. In fact, one of the thieves protected her. Now Juliette’s dreams are haunted by him.

Christian has waited to take her, resisting the urge each night. It always ends badly with human pets. They’re too fragile. The longer he can wait, the better, because the moment he takes her, the clock on her life starts ticking down.

Then she’ll be gone forever.

Warning: This book is dark erotica meant for a mature audience only.

My Review

What is the first thing that comes to mind when you look at the cover? My first thoughts were: Surreally mysterious and darkly sensual. I'm a girl who likes a dark erotica once in awhile and am entitled to my occassional guilty pleasures, and I think my erotica side was more dominating at the time, so after reading the synopsis, I was hell-bent on getting a copy of THE LAST GIRL. I went straight to Thomas' website, found her contact list and requested a copy. She generously gave one to me, and after that, I signed up for THE LAST GIRL's tour when the sign ups were up.

THE LAST GIRL holds a certain similarity to COMFORT FOOD, Thomas' very first novella and another dark erotica. Both were deeply disturbing and highly, well, stimulating, but I have to say that THE LAST GIRL captivated me more.

My Summary (a.k.a. SPOILERS!)
The story's almost exactly as the synopsis portrays it to be - Julia was thirteen years old when her house was broken into. Her parents were out, and Julia was home alone. She hid in her cupboard and hoped that the burglars would steal what they would and just leave her alone. Unharmed. Unscathed. Unseen. But what she didn't expect was for those very burglars be able to smell and sense her out. The cupboard door opens but she doesn't open her eyes. She pleads for her life, saying that she hadn't seen them, and she wouldn't rat them out if they would just let her live. One of them, a male, spares her. Something about him calms her. And after some time, they left.

Julia has been living with the same nightmare where the male burglar would somehow come back for her six years after the incident. And of course come back he did.

Christian has been alive since before the 14th century. He's taken many women as pets, but he ends up killing all of them in the process. Or they end up killing themselves. Either way. He's been abstaining from getting another one, but this one's too hard to resist. Since the time he saw her, eyes shut tight and compliant, he couldn't stop thinking about taking her. But the time is not right yet. He will bid his time until the moment she is ripe and for the reaping to come to make his presence in front of her again.

He's determined to keep this one alive, but how can he? When he is the lion and she the lamb? When his blood lust keeps trying to take control?

My Thoughts
I thought that the romance and plot of the book moved a little too fast that it bordered on impracticality sometimes, but most of the other times, I thought it was good and comfortable. It got confusing sometimes too, but Thomas seemed to have address those few points in the book. For example, Christian was lost in his blood lust once and was killing Julia when all of a sudden, he snapped out of it and says, "I think I love you." And I went, "okayyyy". Julia went on to reminisce about the time when she read Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, feeling cynical about the possibilities of true love developing over only a short time, and that now she finally gets it. Only those who went through the torturous yet wonderful process will understand its magic and complexity. Well, that's one way to solve the problem. Even though it wasn't as much of an explanation, she did tie up all the loose ends in this book, and for that I thought that it was a job well done.

Also because TLG is a novella, the originally goody-two-shoes Julia had her inhibitions about "public displays" stripped away rather quickly. It happened in this club that catered to patrons with more extreme sexual needs (think BDSM), where hypnotic, erotic electronica plays in the background that soothes away your fears and throbs and "envelopes [her] like a primal scream as [they, meaning Julia and Christian] step into manufactured fog". I've never heard of music that could turn people horny, but I'll keep a lookout for that and give Julia the benefit of the doubt in the mean time. But anyway, the other patrons there are enough to give the sexually-charged atmosphere, so it was pretty, well, lascivious.

I loved the vivid descriptions that Thomas wrote. She has this way of writing that can paint a clear scene in my head.

Christian was a damn fine hero-villain to the story, mostly. He was the dark, mysterious, powerful, ancient, handsome, commanding (maybe a little too commanding sometimes) vampire that I prefer, it was just sometimes he wasn't as brooding and person-of-little-words as was my personal ideal. But still, I still liked the way he was with Julia - caring and tender at times, and domineering and sexy in others.

I think that all of Thomas' books have their own specialty and unique feature about them. In COMFORT FOOD it was the psychological play that she did on the readers and heroine's mind, in this it was the haunting past that connected her to a vampire obsessed with her. Someone who had so much power over her, and someone who stalked her and knew everything about her for years. Someone who was as much looking out for her as preventing her from being touched by other males.

It did get boring at one part where I almost stopped reading the book, but after that the pace picked up, and I couldn't stop reading it. I'd recommend this to fans of dark erotica and BDSM.

P.S. One thing I don't like - American slang!! What's 101 mean if it's written in a note? I didn't get it, and I assume it's an American thing. :( Lol.

Update on P.S: I talked to Kitty some time ago, and she cleared up my confusion regarding the 101 note. Apparently, I was too dense to get it while I was reading TLG. My bad. :P

My Rating

Review: Fire Baptized by Kenya Wright

Published Date: January 28th 2012
Finished Date: March 1st, 2012
Publisher: Dragonfairy Press
Format: eBook for Tour
Series: Habitat #1
My Rating: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
Since the 1970s humans have forced supernaturals to live in caged cities. Silver brands embedded in their foreheads identify them by species: a full moon for Vampires, a crescent moon for Shifters, a pair of wings for Fairies, and the list goes on, for each supernatural species has been tagged and categorized by humans.

Lanore Vesta is marked with a silver X, the brand of Mixbreeds, second-class citizens shunned by society. She stays to herself, revealing her ability to create fire only during emergencies. All she wants to do is graduate college and stop having to steal to survive. But when she stumbles upon a murder in progress, she catches the attention of a supernatural killer. Now all she wants is to stop finding dead bodies in her apartment.

Enlisting help from her Were-cheetah ex-boyfriend MeShack and a new mysterious friend named Zulu, she is steered through the habitat’s raunchy nightlife. But their presence sometimes proves to be more burden than help, as they fight for her attention.

While the corpses pile up, and the scent of blood fills the air, Lanore is left wondering: will she find the psycho or die trying?

My Review

FIRE BAPTIZED was an unexpectedly captivating novel! I haven't been enjoying the books that are provided for the blog tours that I've signed up for for the past few months, so I wasn't expecting much from FB initially and was even a little prejudiced toward it at the start, somehow convincing myself at page 2 that I will not like the book. But imagine my shock when, as I continued flipping its pages, the flippin' got faster and faster, and I just had to finish it in one sitting (I did it in two, actually, because I still need my beauty sleeps at night:P).

My Summary

Lanore Simone Vesta is a Mixie, a mixbreed with both Fairy and Demon blood within her, who can create and manipulate fire with any part of her body. She lives with a childhood friend and past lover, MeShack. He happens to also be a Were-leopard. A really protective, possessive, and ultra hot one.

Lanore is part of the Mixbreeds For Equality (MFE), a revolutionary group that aims to fight for the rights of Mixies who are looked down upon by both the Humans and Supernaturals (Supes) which is headed by Zulu, Lanore's current lover and an alpha-male Mixie who has the connections and wealth.

The Supernaturals and Mixbreeds live in the Habitat, where there is a boundary that they cannot cross. It's not a bad world, with proper schools, universities, clubs and such, but when Lanore stumbles upon a live murder scene one day, she becomes a target of a serial killer with a fetish for draping the crime scene with the victim's decorated body parts. But what if the serial killer isn't just dismembering random passers-by? What if, there was a pattern and a purpose to all these killings?

Not only must Lanore solve these issues and handle MFE matters, she must also deal with the emotional confusion that is Zulu and MeShack, two very hot-headed and sexy half-Shifters...

My Thoughts

I was honestly hooked to FB while I was reading it, and felt so sorry when the epilogue came up. I even chanced reading it in class! There was that steamy hot love triangle that I was seriously not expecting, and a complicated murder case that was mind-blowing. The suspense was intense, and the plot scared me a little for awhile, and I LOVED it.

Lanore's a very cool heroine. She's just the right amount of kickass and feminine; She sticks up for herself, fights her own battles, but when things got real bad and horrific, she did lose it for awhile, and had to be taken care of by the boys, but that all just made her seem all the more real and....well, cool! MeShack and Zulu too. I thought that their names were so odd when I first read about them, but it didn't matter anymore as I got to know them. They. Were. HOT. Haha, and so protective, possessive, romantic, cheeky, hot-tempered, testosterone-y, and sexy.

I liked Kenya's writing style too - the plot flowed smoothly and the scenes were illustrated vividly. The murder scenes were portrayed in all their gory detail which did gross me out quite badly, and it truly seemed like a horror story at one point. But that just goes to show how truly well FB was planned and written. Lanore was becoming obsessed with finding the murderer as it was becoming clear that she was going to be one of the next victims, and I was as confused as she was while she was still trying to solve the case. But when the big revelation came, you would go, "Why didn't I make the connection?!" It was so shocking, and I couldn't, for the life of me, have guessed who the bigass mastermind was! That part was fantastically well done.

I'd recommend FIRE BAPTIZED to fans of Paranormal Romance and Mystery/Thrillers. I'm so glad I took this tour up, and I'm anxiously awaiting for book 2, THE BURNING BUSH.

My Rating

     

Review: Desperate Betrayal by Hildie McQueen

Published Date: September 10th, 2011
Finished Date: Febuary 19th, 2012
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
Format: eBook for Tour
Series: The Protectors #1
My Rating: 3.5/5
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Book Depository | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
Cynden Frasier (Cyn) is a member of a group of immortal warriors, the Protectors, assigned to protect humans in Atlanta, Georgia, the epicenter of a major uprising in demon activity. When Cyn is approached by a beautiful woman in a dirty alley, he is intrigued by the fact that she can see him for what he is, a terrifying demon slayer, and still dares to approach him.

Emma Blake, a half-demon, has to convince Cyn to help rescue her sister from powerful demons. Terrified that the Protector will kill her if he realizes what she is, she still goes against every instinct and approaches Cyn for help. Despite knowing that she is leading them both into territory so wrought with treachery, neither of them may survive.

Can Cyn and Emma overcome betrayal, the ancient rules that prevent Protectors from taking a wife, unless she is his one true mate? And if they do, will it even matter?

My Review

My Summary
DESPERATE BETRAYAL is about a group of immortal men who took an oath to protect the innocent from demons who mean harm. They are all lethal, and highly-skilled in battle; They are all loyal towards one another and sexy-as-hell; They cannot marry unless it is a marriage arranged by their leader, Julian, or if it is with their life-mates; They are called the Protectors.

Cynden "Cyn" Fraser is one such man. Born three centuries ago in Scotland, he undergone the transformation and took the oath to become a Protector, and is now assigned to keep the demonic at Atlanta at bay. He was slaying a group of demons in an alley one day when Emma walked into the scene. She has been looking for him for quite some time now. Her sister's been held hostage by the Supreme demon, Gerard, and he wants Emma to lure Cyn into his den. Briana's all Emma has left, and so she agrees to this bargain.

Emma is a half-demon, borne of a high-level demon for a father and a human mother, and so naturally, she keeps her heritage a secret when she first confronts Cyn, afraid that it will incite a negative response from him. Cyn refuses to help her the first time, something about his senses tells him that something about her is amiss, and his immediate attraction to her isn't helping matters either. But the second time Emma manages to find him, he caves in to her request.

As Cyn and Emma sets out to track her sister down, sparks fly, but many treacheries and betrayals abound at the same time. It's hard to trust each other, but it's hard to refuse each other too. Worse still, survival at this point is not certain, put into account all the other lives that they are risking... They're in it big this time.

My Thoughts
Well, that was an awfully long summary. Lol, that aside, I must say that DESPERATE BETRAYAL's main fous seemed to centre around the romance between Cyn and Emma. Not that it was a bad thing, far from it, being the romance-junky that I am. In a way, the PROTECTORS series resembles the BDB series by J.R. Ward. Each instalment in the series is the story of one of the "brothers". Lots of action, but with a larger dose of romance.

Emma is the type of woman everyone wants to be - smart, loyal, beautiful (apparently, this is a prominent trait of hers as many of the boys seem to take note of this point), courageous, stronger than and not fully human, but not fully demon with a compassionate heart. She gave her all in saving her sister, even gave up her love life. Cyn on the other hand, is a tall, intimidating Protector who was fiercely protective, and not only was he skilled on the battlefield, but in bed too. He may appear cold and indifferent on the outside, but he's actually quite the passionate guy when they get down and dirty. Even though it was more of a lust-at-first-sight relationship, they did make a really cute and sweet pair.

As far as the plot goes, it was not bad. One thing I can say about it is, it doesn't drag. The first part of the book flowed smoothly, and I thought the character development and all were done really well, but it detoriated a little as we get to the end. There was one part where the whole scene got rather confusing, and the sentences became a little abrupt. Even though McQueen's style of writing changed at the end, I was still hooked to its pages. I think I can safely say I finished DB within two sittings. :)

I actually got the review copy of DB for its blog tour late, so I'm only reviewing it now, but it was really good! I'm tending more towards romance than action now (but not so far as to go for contemp romance with no action at all whatsoever), so if you're like me, you may want to try DB out. I'd say that DESPERATE BETRAYAL is a mix between the BDB series and the Curse of Gremdon by Ciara Knight. So if you're a fan of either one, you might like to try this out too. :)

My Rating

Review: Broods of Fenrir by Coral Moore

Published Date: November 20th, 2011
Finished Date: January 27th, 2012
Publisher: Bared Teeth Publishing
Format: Paperback
Pages: 213
My Rating: 4/5
Goodreads | Amazon | B&N | Author's Website

Blurb from Goodreads:
Shapeshifter Brand Geirson was raised to rule the Broods of Fenrir, but he refused his birthright. Instead, he killed their brutal leader–his own father–and walked away.

For hundreds of years he’s avoided brood society, until a werewolf kills an innocent human woman and Brand finds himself dragged back into the violent politics of the shapeshifters. When the two brood women who mean the most to him come under threat, he must take up the throne and risk becoming the kind of vicious bastard his father was, or let the broods descend further into chaos–taking the friend he swore to protect and his lover with them.

My Review

My Summary
The world of the broods is a terrible, cold, heartless one, with leaders and earls who control their broods through fear. Brand was raised in such an environment, his father being the King of all the broods. His father was a heartless bastard who tortured his mother and friend, and for that, Brand killed him and left the world of the broods.

Now, Brand is working alone to keep his world secret to the humans and to silence all those shapeshifters who's as much a bastard as his own father was. He meets Dagny, daughter of an old friend now turned a little looney from all the torture that Brand's father put her through. She's tougher and braver than most males shifters out there, yet also very compassionate and sensual. And when Dagny is forced to return to the cruel earl of her former brood, Brand has no choice but to face his people again, enter their violent politics and acknowledge his birthright as King.

My Thoughts
BOF is a relatively short novel. It started out depicting the dark and bloody world that Brand lived in, but as the story progressed, the dynamics changed. I loved that subtle change as Dagny and his other friends entered the fray and we see small pockets of kindness, affection, and love. Especially in a such a violent world, any display of soft emotions is few yet all the more cherished and heartwarming.

We got to know more about the softer and more passionate side of Brand, his loyalty and devotion to his friends and loved ones. He was so sweet to Dagny even though they were amidst such gore and brutality. We got to know more about Alice, a weak shifter who was sold as a slave to a cruel shifter and then saved by Brand. She was very weak physically, but as events happened, Alice showed remarkable inner-strength. She's been Brand's closest companion for a hundred years and the way she and Brand talked to each other and teased each other even though one is a towering, mighty beast and the other a fragile female, they were really cute together. And then we got to know Dagny, fierce and courageous enough to butt heads with Brand's inner wolf. Together, Dagny and Brand made a formidable couple, and behind closed doors, both of them can really create some steam. More sexual tension though, since the action under their covers were not explicit and few.

I was expecting Alice to be Brand's mate, and was quite miffed when Dagny came into the picture. Lol, well, Alice is the gentle and kind heroine that's no longer common in Fiction novels nowadays, but thinking back, Alice wouldn't have been compatible with Brand cause he would have to be so cautious not to trample over her if they were indeed together.

The plot was well-planned and everything flowed out smoothly. Not to say that there weren't any curveballs thrown in, there were plenty, and I couldn't foresee anything that was to come. So much action, deception, and WOAH! The curveballs didn't only come in the form of betrayals and such, there was an unexpected side love story that was extremely heartwrenching. It pulled at my heartstrings, and I loved it so much. Then there was this totally unexpected death at the end that almost made me cry while I was reading it in public! I was waiting for my dental appointment and suddenly Moore came full-on with such a vivid, emotional scene! GAH, it was superbly well-written, I felt so keenly for the loss and actually teared. A very bittersweet ending. Amazing. (But I could have so done without it!!!! It isn't fair that _____ has to die!! D:<)

Just a few pointers that I picked out while reading BOF:

1. His calloused fingers moved over her cheek, rough, but gentle. --Pg 16  Um, rough but gentle? 
2. Wolves drink blood. Ok, this is the very first time I've heard of that, but oh well.

 Other than those points, I thought that BROODS OF FENRIR was a really nice Shapeshifter/Lycan tale, choked-full of action, suspense, romance, loyalty, and friendship. The beginning was a little too gory and dry, and I considered give the book a 3 star rating, but then as I continued reading it, it was a clear 4 or maybe 4.5. As I've mentioned previously, the change in dynamics was very subtle, but it made the book all the more engrossing. Every part of this book was intense, and I'd recommend this book to any reader who likes Paranormal Romance and a little Mystery/Thriller to go along with it.

Random Musings:

The book's paper quality is very good. It's thicker and smoother than most books'. Lol. And the BOF bookmarks are BEAUTIFUL, I tell you! I was so surprised by it when I received it in my mail.

My Rating

   

Review + Giveaway: Shaedes of Gray by Amanda Bonilla

Published Date: December 6th, 2011
Finished Date: January 21st, 2012
Publisher: Signet Eclipse/NAL
Format: Paperback
Pages: 317
Series: Shaede Assassin #1
My Rating: 4/5

Blurb from Goodreads:
In the shadows of the night, Darian has lived alone for almost a century. Made and abandoned by her former love, Darian is the last of her kind—an immortal Shaede who can slip into darkness as easily as breathing. With no one else to rely on, she has taught herself how to survive, using her unique skills to become a deadly assassin.

When Darian's next mark turns out to be Xander Peck, King of the Shaede Nation, her whole worldview is thrown into question. Darian begins to wonder if she's taken on more than her conscience will allow. But a good assassin never leaves a job unfinished...

My Review

My Summary

Darian is a Shaede made by another - a past lover, in fact, one that abandoned her almost a century ago. She's the last of her kind, or so she was led to believe, and with only stealth in her arsenal, she trains herself to be one of the best assassins in the field. She can become incorporeal after twilight, and move in the shadows as nothing more than a ghost.

Tyler has been a long-standing friend (a friend who makes her body feel all warm and flushed) and agent who informs her of her new targets/marks. And this time, her mark happens to be a man named Xander Peck. Nothing special, just a name that isn't commonly heard of. Just another man that has pissed off someone with the goods to hire her services. But when she was about to deliver the killing stroke, Xander slips into the shadows. That's when her world tilts around and she finds out she's no longer the last of her kind.

Xander turns out to be the King of the Shaedes, and her assignment was actually a test. Now, Xander - or should I say, High King Alexander - is training her up for his real task, for her next target may just be one of the most powerful Shaedes alive. That, and someone whom she may have known quite intimately in the past...

My Thoughts

I have to say that SOG is really a "my" type of book - witty, kickass heroine who has awesome powers, a friend that has always looked out for her, another more powerful, high-ranking love interest comes along, and amidst the love triangle troubles, nothing's better than a big and complex plot to up the thrill and suspense. Typical for a PNR novel, but the idea of the Shaede, well that is very unique, and very cool. The only regrettable thing was Darian didn't pick the guy that I was rooting for! But that is for a later paragraph to elaborate.

Darian was witty, snarky, and a girl who sticks up for herself. She is the master of her own decisions, and she will allow no one to be her king, or to make her a pawn of some twisted game for power. I think that's what attracted the attention of the King of the Shaedes himself. Haha, she sure is one special and beautiful woman.

As far as the love interests goes..I'm a fan of love triangles. Not all of them though, cause some of them are just insufferably immature, and in a lot of cases the protagonists are highly self-centered as they get all frustrated with life when they have more than one person vying for their attention, and they go all, "Life is tough." Yeah, ok, have you seen what other people in Third World countries have to go through? That's tough, so suck it up. But as for Tyler, Xander, and Darian, they're all awesome. Tyler's sweet and fiercely-protective in his own silent way, but he is also funny and easygoing; Xander is intense, highhanded, powerful, but very romantic and male; Darian is scared to surrender to the fragile thing that is love, is unsure of what love truly is, or if the thing that she's feeling is actually love at all after what happened in the past. The confusion on Darian's part was very well-written. I used to think 'How can you be unsure if what you're feeling is love or not?', but after seeing what happened to her, it became believable.

The plot was good, not a "WOW!" kind of impressive, but not bad. There was quite some overlaying storylines, and the main point to the storyline only surfaced towards the middle of the book, but I had fun getting to know the characters. After knowing who's the read baddy in here, there was constant action, deceptions - and betrayals and lies..lots and lots of 'em - and the likes! And all that excitement escalated till the end where I just couldn't tear my attention away from the book; I HAD to know where the story went, and how it concluded. And now that the conclusion is read, damn if I don't want to get my hands on the sequel.

However, there were a few questions that I had when I was reading:

1) When Darian just met Xander and they were still strangers to each other, Darian divulged all her personal information to Xander when he asked for it without question. Maybe not all, but she did spill quite a lot. Which is weird, even more so since she's a skilled assassin who has lived in solitude for the past century.

2) It was mentioned that Lyhtans - the counterpart of a Shaede, which means they can slip into the light and be invisible as long as the sun shines, and also the enemies of the Shaede - are easily controlled. Well, if they were so easily manipulated, why aren't they under the control of the good people? Why are they, so coincidentally, under the influence of the bad Shaede?

3) Midway through the book, Darian was attacked by a Lyhtan and was lying in bed unconscious. But when she started to wake, she heard Tyler and Xander quarrelling and she referred to the two voices as "two of my favourite voices". Thing is, she keeps mentioning how much she dislikes Xander for lying to her, for treating her like one of his subjects, and now you're telling me his is one of your favourite voices? Really?

Actually, other than those, the book was very enjoyable. I loved Bonilla's humor and her writing style. She is consistent and I often find myself laughing along with the characters. There was only one sex scene in SOG, but let me assure all Romance-junkies out there - have no fear, the sexual tension in here is as good as any panties-combusting scene.

Overall, SHAEDES OF GREY is an amazing Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance novel packed full of fast-paced action, suspense, witty humor, sarcastic and kickass heroine, love triangle that'll leave you feeling so conflicted as to who to side with, a complex plot with curveballs at every turn, and betrayals and deceptions that will leave you reeling hours after you've put down the book. Even though the plot was a little typical, it was still fun, intense and never dull; A real page-turner, indeed.

Random Musings:

Don't you find it freaking cool that the word "Shaedes" in the title Shaedes of Gray is so unique that you don't even have to type the full title of the book in search engines or book stores or Goodreads to search for the book? It's the one and only one that shows up in the results.

My Rating

     

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Giveaway Time!

Ms Bonilla and NAL are so generously giving away a PRINT copy of Shaedes of Gray to an INTERNATIONAL winner. No strings attached, just fill in the Rafflecopter form below and you're good to go!

*Just a reminder: All ABS giveaway winners will be announced on ABS's Facebook page. So be sure to check back!