Charmed by Erica Ridley
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this exchange for an honest review.

This book was a really silly, funny, sarcastic read. There was a lot of good dialog that had me totally sold on the "realistic" nature of this very decidedly unrealistic book. Trevor's reactions and motivations are totally believable, when confronted with a fairy in his tent...

The story was a light-hearted one that revolves around (of course) finding True Love when fairies are involved. There are naturally obstacles between the fairy and the human that keep them from simply running into each other's arms. These obstacles, rather than popping up and being dealt with, really make the book stall in places.

I'm not the type of person to typically take breaks when reading a book (I usually power through to the finish no matter what), but I stopped this book at about 50% to hop to something different. I restarted today and found myself once again checking the clock as I read. It probably has something to do with the fact that just about everything happens in a sort of "real time." We see all the events, hear all the thoughts and feelings, watch the misunderstandings with a cringe, and finally watch them try to muddle through. I guess maybe I'm spoiled in usually getting some summary passages in other books that move the plot along a little quicker.

That being said, this book was still filled with lots of fun, romance, and (yay) smut.

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The Necromancer’s Seduction by Mimi Sebastian
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This story was filled with a fun new world of supernaturals that sucked me in from the beginning. Ruby was a great tough chick reluctant hero. The book was filled with enough smut and demon dude hotness to keep the pages turning, too. It was a great combination that is sure to win me over - adult contemporary paranormal romance. If you like that sort of this (like I do), then this book will be a fun read.

I also particularly liked how the story was told. I'm not a fan of big drawn out histories at the start of a book, so I was pleasantly surprised when we simply met up with Ruby as if we'd already known her. The story takes off from there, and we get information when we need it, along with revelations at the same time Ruby gets them.

I loved the seduction part of The Necromancer's Seduction, of course. Between all the yummy baddies floating around, I am really eager to see where this story goes, assuming we get lots of more installments in this series.

Just to say what I'm sure other readers will point out -- yes, the combination of sex and necromancy makes my mind jump to Anita Blake. This is really nothing like the Anita Blake series, aside from the fact that they are both necromancers that have sex. There is no Jean-Claude, there is no annoying Richard -- I would actually say that if you're tired of the Anita Blake series, check this book out. It's a fun read that isn't weighed down by 20+ books of the same thing.

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The Sparrow and the Hawk by Meg Lacey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I'm not sure what I expected based on the cover of this book, but it was probably not what I got. This book is less in my comfort zone and more in the mystery/futuristic realm. That being said, I still tore through this book in one night's reading time.

I was really rooting for Jillie, the mouthy yet lovable main character. She didn't actually get any breaks in this book, though. Maybe it's because Gryff (weird, yet justifiable name) was such a hindrance to her ultimate understanding of what's going on around her. Most of this book takes place (I think) in some not too distant future, based on the technology we see. As an investigator, I think Jillie is sort of a failure. As a hot guy magnet, she is totally winning. None of those hot guys actually get anywhere with her, though, so I was left a little let down at the end.

The end is also not at all a good place to be. We are left with 100 more questions than when we started and no resolution whatsoever! I'm not a huge fan of cliffhangers, and this wasn't really a "throw my kindle across the room" type of cliffhanger. Instead, it was like the author just stopped writing. I was very conflicted. After dragging myself through a bunch of boring jewelry and historical artifact description, I guess I just want more payoff. Can we at least get some snuggle time with Gryff? I'll even take Declan at that point...

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Alpha Moon by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a great short, fun installment that ties up a few loose ends from the Cain Chronicles.

I tore through this one in a few hours and felt much better for it. At the end of book #6 I felt like Abel never really got his proper time spent with Riley. Yes, he ended up with the girl, but he really didn't spend a lot of human time with her. Wolf time aside, I thought he was really missing out.

Fast forward to this book, where we get lots of sexy hot time with Abel, and I'm a happy girl! We get to see how this new family unit interacts (which wasn't nearly as awkward as I thought it would be). This story sort of revolves around Jessica, Riley's mom coming to visit. I sort of forgot about her, to be honest, but this is yet another loose end that gets nicely tied up at the end of the series.

I look forward to reading this cross-over book involving Elise and Riley! I also want to know what is happening with Nash and Summer, but I guess that can wait a little bit. I am really James/Elise deprived right now.

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Darkyn's Mate by Lizzy Ford
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I had just finished book #2 in the Rhyn Eternal Series when I picked this one up, and I'm glad I did. All of my previous complaints about that book are blown away by the awesomeness that was this one. Maybe it's because I'll always be a vampire/fanged creature lover, but this one really did it for me. I was worried that it would go into the realm of uncomfortable relationships, but I am 100% on board with the Darkyn-Deidre relationship.

Even though there is an awful lot of crying in this book, I think Deidre is a really great, tough cookie. She fights and tries her hardest to make the best out of an originally horrible situation. If she wasn't who she was, this book would definitely not work. Her interactions with Darkyn opened a whole new world to me. I saw him as the ultimate baddie, but this book showed that even that isn't all he is.

I've got to comment about the smut, because, well, the "play" scenes are some of the best! I want more! I want more books filled with Deidre and Darkyn right now! Why aren't there any more?!?! This couple might be my favorite because, even though they are both flawed, they are still kicking past-Death and Gabriel's butt as far as trust and relationship development. Just goes to show you, you never know what characters you will ultimately be rooting for in the end.

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