Review: More

More by T.M. Franklin

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

What a surprising read! I was eager to dive into this book because the title and cover were telling I would like it. They weren't wrong. This book gave me paranormal without following any of the typical paranormal stories. This followed a girl in college (gasp -- not a high schooler?!) and gave us a world full of people with something "more." I loved the unique premise and the world that was created in this book.

Yes, there was action and some truly awesome moments of power (including a great tough chick). That was good and all, kept the pages moving. What I really enjoyed about this book, though, was the adorable relationship between Ava and Caleb. Sigh. Watching their rather unconventional relationship develop throughout the book was really great. Even with all the surprises that the book kept throwing at them, they were amazing to watch.

The book also did something I love, and it wrapped things up for this chapter nicely. We aren't left with a cliffhanger or some evil villain laughing. Instead, I feel like I can sleep tonight, knowing the characters aren't in immediate danger. I still want to dive into Book 2 and will probably bump it up my list immediately.





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Review: Full Blooded

Full Blooded by Amanda Carlson

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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

This book was *fantastic*! I really put off starting this book for fear that I wouldn't enjoy the big, tough female werewolf on the cover. I should have read this book a long time ago, because everything about it was really well done. I wouldn't classify this as an urban fantasy or a paranormal romance. It was certainly something in between and represented the best of both worlds.

The first chapter really gets you ready for what the rest of the book will be – action packed story, with some really wonderful characters and a great, gritty writing style. I loved every second of it! Jessica isn't just a tough chick main character – she is a very relatable woman who is thrown into some uncertain circumstances. I couldn't help but be happily drawn into her mind, which includes an interesting struggle between wolf and woman. As the only woman in an all-male werewolf world, she’s deemed the harbinger of doom, which can only lead to more chaos and uprising in the books that follow.

Aside from Jessica (who, really, I can’t say enough good things about), I also adored all of her supportive pack mates. The relationship with her brother and his friends was so… real and very well done. Then there’s Rourke. I’m a sucker for a big bad alpha male in these types of books, and Rourke was just perfect. He’s enough of a mystery to suck you in, and tough enough to keep Jessica alive (while still letting her fight and be independent). Love love love! I was so rooting for him that I had to force myself to put the book down and go to sleep last night. Stopping the book was almost impossible for me.

If I had to say anything that wasn't positive about this book, it was that we don't get everything wrapped up. This, of course, is driving me to read the next book to find out what happens! No real cliffhanger, though, so it didn't hurt as bad as that would have. I'll just have to wait until Book 2 to find out where all the characters end up.

I don’t think I can recommend this book enough (it even got my very elusive 5 star rating!), so if you are at all interested in a paranormal read, pick this book up right now!



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Review: Hearts in Darkness

Hearts in Darkness by Keri Arthur

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This was a fantastic read! After the ending of Book 1, I was a little worried about Nikki & Michael. This book picks up a few months after the previous one, and we dive right back into the action. Nikki has finally firmly made up her mind and it is up to her to convince Michael to stop being a grumpy vampire! I was really happy with just about everything in this book. It was filled with lots of yummy Nikki/Michael smut, some good detectivey mystery, some good and original paranormal elements, and some rich character development.

The pacing of the book was also really well done. I didn't even notice when hours had flown by and I had not even looked at the clock (or my kindle countdown). The story was so engaging, I couldn't wait to see what happened next for Nikki and Michael (and their blossoming relationship). I was also really happy that for the first time in my recent reading history, the characters acknowledged that they don't really know enough about each other to rush right into a relationship. I mean, I want the HEA as much as anybody else, but sometimes it just feels rushed if they don't acknowledge that they just met one another.

I am also really in love with Nikki's tough chick character. She's becoming one of my favorite heroine's, and it's nice to see the female lead step up to the plate here.

I can't wait to see where these books go! They are such good reads!



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Review: Descent

Descent by Cameo Renae

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I picked this book up to continue on in the Hidden Wings world. I didn't even read the synopsis, because I knew that (as a person who needs to read a complete series, no matter what) I'd be picking it up.

This was a neat little glimpse into Samuel and Alaine's history. It was really nice to see where they came from, learn more about the world that we find Emma in from Book 1, and also get sucked into even more mysteries. Who is Alaine's father? Will we ever find out? What power will Emma have? What does the mark mean?

I am really loving the easy writing style and the complex world created for this series. I can't wait to pick up Book 2!



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Review: Red Moon

Red Moon by M.A. Grant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book was a really excellent read! I've been kind of stuck in this endless loop of shifter reads, but this one really stood out. Something about the deep character development, flipping POVs, and awesome smut really had me loving this book.

The story revolves around Evie and Flynn, who are thrown together thanks to their own dysfunctional previous relationships. Also helping push them together is Flynn's really patriarchal family of shifters. His brother, Connor, was a great broken sort of character that we will hopefully see more of in a book 2 (please?). The boy meets girl is a little twisted up in this book, giving Evie a great deal of power of the seemingly most powerful shifter/man/general hottie. It was great to watch them learn how to interact like normal folks, and the chemistry was sizzling. There was also a good deal of action to keep the pages turning.

Like I said before, even after a nice HEA ending, I want to see more of Connor! I really hope to see more from this author in the future.



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Review: Breaking the Storm

Breaking the Storm by Sedona Venez

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This book was a sexy adult paranormal romance, complete with BDSM and yummy wolf shifters. The story is sort of complex, requiring a prologue and some pretty long chapters to get the reader up to speed. To oversimplify – throughout the centuries, women from the Credence line of supernaturals have been cursed to always lose the men they love. There are some restrictions on what starts the ball rolling, but this has largely led to a bunch of family drama and backstabbing. At first, I thought this curse was some sort of supernatural type, but I think it’s supposed to be more of a normal curse (like when you say “I’m cursed” if something goes wrong over and over again). Enough about the story, though – let’s get to the good stuff – the romance.

The romance happens between Knox (a hot rocker) and Stormy (one of the last Credence women). Stormy and Lightning (I know, the names were killing me, but the characters agree with me) meet up with Knox at a show where we see that Stormy is heading dangerously into curse territory as far as her feelings are concerned. After an awful night, we see them part ways for what ends up being 5 years. This puts Stormy and Lightning almost in charge of their mothers’ business (for escorts, of course) and trying to figure out how to live the rest of their lives without real love. After some confusing circumstances, Stormy ends up filling in for an MIA escort who was intended to meet up with none other than Knox.

From there on out (I know, this is getting long, right?) they struggle to find their balance and trust. The smut was HOT and the mystery was hard to untangle. In the end, I fell in love with Stormy and Knox’s relationship and was hoping they could defeat all their adversaries to live happily ever after. There is some wrap up at the end (as far as their relationship goes) but we are left to wonder what will happen next for the Credence business and Lightning. I can’t wait to pick up book 2!



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Review: Hidden Wings

Hidden Wings by Cameo Renae

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Wow! I finished this book in an evening because I could not bear to take a break! Where to begin? I loved so many things about it. I really enjoyed the YA sizzle that exists between Kade and Emma. They had my heart racing and my lips smiling throughout the book. The storytelling was done in my favorite way, also. I love reading a book without getting bogged down in a bunch of back story and history at the beginning. This book jumps right in and doesn't let go!

We are thrown immediately into the world of Emma, newly orphaned and set adrift in a world of paranormal creatures (both dreamy and scary angels and their related beings). The first scare we get in the book genuinely scared me (and I'm not one to be easily book scared!). Emma is "escorted" from her home to Alaska, complete with a new world of dangers and secrets. Lots of secrets. Okay, we don't really get all our answers in this book, there are so many secrets.

The action only took a break when the romance was sizzling (and even then, not for long, or sometimes at all). I can't wait to see where this story goes and I'm really excited to have discovered this new author for my shelves (thanks to Indie Inked on NetGalley!). Where will Kade and Emma end up? We were sort of left with a cliffhanger at the end, so I'm eager to check out the other books in the series as soon as possible!

To summarize (because I might have gotten a little bit too gushy and sidetracked along the way) -- this book is a really great YA paranormal romance that has great pacing, lots of action, and a wonderful new world filled with both dreamy and scary angels. Check it out!



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Review: Revelry

Revelry by Peta Crake

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This book was a dark paranormal romance, jam-packed with secrets and shifters! Revelry is on the run from her abusive ex-pack when she mistakenly settles in shifter central. She is introduced to a number of shifters, most importantly -- Connor. He's an "enforcer" who is on a month long break from enforcing, only to wander into some big time shifter drama. Revelry appears to attract drama and dangerous guys to her relatively easily, no matter how hard she tried to blend in.

I really enjoyed the push-pull relationship that begins to develop between Connor and Revelry. They are both damaged in their own way, but find a way to somehow survive. There were also a great number of supporting characters that grabbed my attention -- Tilly, Mac, etc. The world is rich and believable, even if there are a number of different shifters as residents. The last act has so much action that I sped to the end. This book did not lack excitement and surprises!

There are a few loose ends here and there, but overall, the story was a good read for those of you looking for some shifter action.



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Review: Heaven and Hellsbane

Heaven and Hellsbane by Paige Cuccaro

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

For the record, I have not read book 1 in the Hellsbane series. I really don't think it impacted how I enjoyed this book at all, so in my opinion, you could start here if you really wanted to. This urban fantasy/paranormal romance novel revolved around nephilims? (nephilii?) and their magisters (or angel bosses, essentially) as they fight in the larger battle against fallen angels. Emma (the main character) has a bit of a hard time with the world that is no longer black and white, but revealing itself in various shades of gray. It's a little hard not to reveal some major plot points and spoil everyone, but there are *a lot* of problems that arise for poor Emma and her quest for a so-called normal life.

Now on to the other main character, Eli. I LOVE him. Love him love him love him. He's Emma's magister and wow is the chemistry between them sizzling! He battles against his love for her and his reluctance to become a fallen angel. The scenes between them were utterly sigh-worthy and completely hot.

I admit that the first half of the book had me a little worried. It was hard for me to get into the story at first (possibly because I wasn't already invested in the characters), but from 50% onward, I couldn't put the book down. I usually don't throw quotes in my reviews, but one really struck me from the book, and I don't think it's really spoilery.

"It seemed every moment something new would make my mind turn to ask for your thoughts and my eyes search for your face. A comfort I'd grown accustomed to without realizing. A comfort I am finding it difficult to live without. I am lost without you." Sigh.

So if you're looking for a sizzling hot paranormal read with a heart-wrenching amount of romance thrown in there, pick this book up!



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Review: The League of Delphi

The League of Delphi by Chris Everheart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

The League of Delphi was a really fast paced read that had me quickly turning pages to see what happened next! The chapters were short, which really helped set the pace properly. The story is told in one of my favorite ways -- you just leap right into the story and get the character history when you need it. This book also had the bonus of being set after a major event happened, which only grabbed my attention even more! Love it!

This first installment of the Delphi Trilogy follows "Zach" around as he tries to get a grip on the life that has begun spiraling out of control. There's a good dose of secrets, betrayal, and oracles to keep him on his toes. I was a little worried that a book lacking the usual players in the YA paranormal romance game (i.e. shifters, vampires, etc + some "girl moving to a new town") wouldn't keep my interest, but I was pleasantly surprised by this unique tale.

I can't wait to see what happens in the rest of the trilogy, especially considering where this book left us!



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Review: The Reluctant Reaper

The Reluctant Reaper by Gina X. Grant

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

I'm not sure what I expected when I was offered this book, but I was blown away by how hilariously silly and awesome it was! This book is filled to the brim with puns and dorky humor (in a good way!) that had me alternately rolling my eyes and laughing out loud. The wordplay was smart and silly at the same time. You gotta love an author that can keep up that sort of thing for an entire book (or series, I suppose). The writing style was really great and hooked me right away.

Kirsty is a girl who just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, which ends with her being reluctantly reaped. Her hot reaper, Dante, and her end up on a journey to file an appeal. Much hilarity and punning ensues. It's a little hard to describe the story without giving anything away, so I'll just stop there.

I really can't say enough wonderful things about the refreshing style that this book was written in. Sure, the puns and wordplay might sound gimmicky, but they flowed seamlessly in the story that I couldn't imagine it any other way. I can't wait to check out the next book in this series!



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Review: Tigress

Tigress by J.E. Taylor

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

As the second book in the Night Hawk series, the story picks up without missing a beat. I really wish I had stacked reading these books back to back so I wouldn't have struggled to remember the back stories from book 1. We meet up with Naomi and Damian 5 years later. Of course their happily ever after couldn't last, right?

The story is filled with action and drama that centers around a lot of angel lore with some interesting new twists. The writing style was super easy to read and understand, which led to a really quick read time for this book. The pacing in this book was better than that of the previous book, making it easier to get sucked in. I found myself rooting for Damian and Naomi along the way, too. Usually a headstrong and impulsive main character would've put me off, but something about the struggle in this book really endeared Naomi to me.

If you're looking for a quick supernatural read, this is the book for you.



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Review: Dead Sexy Dragon

Dead Sexy Dragon by Lolita Lopez

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

I really really really enjoyed this book! What more could I ask for? This book jumped right in with a shifter romance that sizzled! The way the story was told is one of my favorites – just give me what I need to know, when I need to know it, without a lot of time wasted in the beginning giving me facts. This was especially appreciated in this short book, where I just wanted it to take off running.

Stig (who I couldn’t stop associating with Top Gear) is a dragon shifter, which made me hesitant at first. How were they going to make a dragon sexy? Oh, but they did! He’s an ex-military immortal dragon who has oodles of baggage and the little sister of his dead friend crushing on him. Again, usually I don’t go for the rushed “I love you”’s and whatnot, but something about this book really sold it to me. I wish there were more books in this series out already because I want to dive right into another one!

I know there were a lot of exclamation marks in this review, but I guess this book just really surprised me. I went in with zero expectations and was pleasantly surprised (hence the !!!). I highly recommend this book if you’re at all into paranormal romances with a good amount of smut.




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Review: Zoey Rogue

Zoey Rogue by Lizzy Ford

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



From the intro, this book really tells you that you are not reading your typical Lizzy Ford book. It sort of smacks you in the face with it; just to make sure you don’t get shocked later on (even though, to be honest, I did). I’m your usual contemporary paranormal romance reader, so I appreciate some smut with my romance – when this adult book was announced, I gladly signed up for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Adult, in this book, comes in the form of lots of hot succubus/incubus loving with very few boundaries. If you’re into that, you won’t be disappointed.

This book was a little slow to get into, but it really grabbed me about halfway through. The fact that the Declan/Zoey relationship really started to blossom at about 50% probably helped me get more invested in the story. There was so much action going on that I sometimes felt like I wanted more of the Zoey/Declan story than the overall storyline. I generally prefer more romance to action, but with their “occupations”, it seemed hard to avoid.

While Zoey and her gang of misfits did finally grow on me by the end of the book, I really preferred to see more of the brothers in the story. I loved the witty banter they had and all the “suffering” they talked about for their soul mates. Their characters were a lot easier for me to like than Zoey, who often seemed like she went back and forth between robot and whiney teenager.

This story certainly had a futuristic feel to it, even though it was presumably set in contemporary times. The energy drinks and technology as well as these “alien” races made me feel like it was less based on earth and more based on some other alternate universe. Either way, I appreciated the normality that the author injected in the form of Eric and the Professor. Without them, Zoey might have seemed even more robotic and alien to me.

To summarize, this adult book was an interesting departure from Lizzy Ford’s typical “fade to black” paranormal romance. I’m eager to see where she takes us, although I’m not sure how willing I am to forgive Declan his sins in this book. He better do some serious groveling in the installments to come!




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Review: Demon Lovers Boxed Set

Demon Lovers Boxed Set by Kate Douglas

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This box set was a collection of 5 books, all of which were based around the same 3 characters: a pair of demon hunters and their fulcrum. The mythos was unique as far as demon hunters and demons go, and the main character was a tough, rapidly adapting (in more ways than one) woman. There was a lot of M/F/M and M/M/F and M/M/F/M, and oodles of smut in general, but there was also an interesting storyline. The books are basically about demon hunters who are tracking demons and destroying them. Some of the demons come from a cartoony place while others are sadistic and scary.

I really enjoyed the fact that the books were short and relatively self-contained. The writing style was easy to read and follow. Because of the short nature of these books, the main characters felt a little rushed into their sexual relationship, and just about everything else. There were multiple bedroom (or mineral bath) scenes in each book, which equaled about one per fight scene. If you’re looking for something quick, paranormal, smutty, and involving a healthy dose of M/M and M/F/M, check out this bunch of books.




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Review: Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal by Natalie J. Damschroder

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Wow -- this was a really great read! I haven't read book 1 in this Goddess Rising series, but will definitely be checking it out! I had no trouble catching up, and actually had no idea there was a book previous to this one. This works great as a stand alone or as part of the series (now that I've read the synopsis of the first book).

This book follows a "goddess" in a world that acknowledges these magic wielding women. The powers and backstory were really quite unique and not your run of the mill witches or Greek gods. The only books I can think of with a similar take on goddesses or at least the powers they have, is the Cassandra Palmer series, and even that isn't too close.

In this story, we get to watch a sizzling relationship develop between Sam and Riley. There are a few interwoven stories going that kept the action level pretty high, but tempered it with steamy scenes or some adorable romance (well, as much as you can jam into a book where everyone is on the run in one way or another).

I was absolutely sucked in from page 1 and couldn't put the book down! The writing was clever and quick paced, but still delivered all the drama and seriousness that I need to feel really invested in a book. This author is now firmly on my "to-read" list. I hope there's more Goddess Rising books coming!



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Review: How To Discipline Your Vampire

How To Discipline Your Vampire by Mina Vaughn

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This was a sweet romance read that just happened to revolve around S&M. I'm not really that S&M knowledgeable, but this book really had most of the makings of a great book for me. There was romance, paranormal, and a good amount of smut.

William and Cerise make a wonderful, if at times dysfunctional, couple throughout the book. I really enjoyed the interesting twist on the vampire myths as well as the unusual way the author approached a paranormal romance. This was the first S&M, vampire, roleplay book I've stumbled upon, and it was a great combo.

This book was self contained, which is another plus sometimes. The story and all the characters go through struggles, grow, give us lots of smut, and then we are left with hearts and rainbows at the end. Always a plus to have a happy ending with such conflict driven books.



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Review: First Days

First Days by C.L. Stone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

These books are really fun little YA stories that keep me guessing! I'm still dying to know more about The Academy and all the boys, but this installment gave me a lot of answers to the questions I had. We're still following around Sang, who has really started to grow into her new role with the boys. She's stronger and even stood up for herself pretty nicely in this story. I'm glad she didn't stay in her timid shell this time.

I'm eagerly awaiting some YA dreamy romance to begin any minute! All these adorable boys are driving me crazy. I'm hoping that things don't spiral out of control too quickly, but this insane love octagon is starting to worry me. Who do I want Sang to end up with? The choices are endless! So many boys!!

In case you can't tell, I'm completely hooked on this series and was completely bummed that I can't just jump right into the next one. These are the perfect books for a light afternoon read.



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Review: Introductions

Introductions by C.L. Stone

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

I’m a sucker for a good YA book, with all the heart fluttering goodness that goes along with it. This book was filled to the brim with adorable boys and flirting along with tons of secrets and questions. It’s hard to say where this series will go without delving deeper, but as a first installment, I’m completely hooked.

The main character, Sang, starts the book in a bad place. Her home life is horrible. Her mother makes me want to punch things. She’s essentially running away at night. From there, circumstances propel her into a world where friends and leaving the house (ok, sneaking out) are now an option, where they were forbidden and avoided before. We are introduced in rapid succession to 7 different characters with all different personalities. The only commonality that I can see is that they all are attracted to Sang and they are all ridiculously attractive. I’m not complaining, really. I love to read about attractive men and YA flirting. I can’t wait to see where this love octagon ends up.

To be fair, there was a lot about this book that would have bothered me in others. I don’t usually go for the damsel in distress main character. I also don’t usually like tales involving abusive relationships. The packaging of this book, however, made me overlook my usual concerns and dive right in. I’m hoping Sang really steps up and becomes a stronger character in future installments, which would also help her deal with the home life that she’s got in more ways than she is currently.

I usually need a healthy dose of paranormal with my YA romance. This book kept teasing me about possibly having some supernatural elements, but I’m still left wanting answers to all the questionable actions from this book. Do the boys all have powers? Are they in a cult? Who are all these teachers we meet? What is “The Academy”? I’m eager to start Book 2 to see where this story ends. I blew through this book in an evening and could not put the darn thing down! Here’s hoping Book 2 is just as addictive.




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Review: On Unfaithful Wings

On Unfaithful Wings by Bruce Blake

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book was a bit of a departure from what I normally read. It was a very dark urban fantasy with a bunch of religious themes thrown in. We follow the character of someone with the unfortunate name of Icarus Fell. He's an ex-husband, ex-junkie, somewhat current alcoholic, and generally doomed person. The writing is really great and the story is very good. I can't really fault anything but the dark nature of the story that made me not love this book.

The paranormal aspect of this book was Ric's job as a grim reaper, essentially. This job comes complete with Angels to somewhat guide him and overdone scrolls with the soon to be departed's name on it (not a post-it, like in Dead Like Me). I really enjoyed the wit and pop culture references. They helped keep me entertained while dealing with the rather heavy subject matter.

Most of the story revolves around Ric's poor decisions or failings which, personally, I found really depressing. If you can look past the doom and gloom, this book was really great.



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Review: One Hot Knight

One Hot Knight by Christy Gissendaner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This book was super light and silly (c'mon, a dog who is a knight who falls in love with a dog groomer? What were you expecting??). There was a lot of puns and cuteness and some smut thrown in for good measure.

The story was obviously not rocket science. We just *right* into the story with no backstory to begin with. The history is revealed as it goes along, which is usually fine with me, but this book just gave me the overall impression of being very rushed. Dialogue flew by, decisions and choices were done in the blink of an eye, and oftentimes I had to go back a few paragraphs to make sure I didn't miss something.

If you're looking for a super quick and light read, this is it. Typical paranormal romance, with a little twist.

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Review: Elysian Fields

Elysian Fields by Suzanne Johnson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

As a disclaimer, I've never read any other "Sentinels of New Orleans" books prior to this one. That being said, I didn't have any trouble picking this book up and feeling right at home. The author's writing style was easy to follow and gave me enough information to keep me current on each of the characters. The main character, DJ, struck me as a good "tough chick" female lead. She really reminded me of Rachel Morgan (from Kim Harrison), except with a bit better decision making skills. Her love triangle (or octagon... or ... well... just a mess) was also sending me vibes from the Hollows universe. That's pretty much where the similarities ended, though. In this world the "pretes" are not out of the closet yet, so much time is spent trying to hide things from outsiders.

The main story line followed a police investigation. Usually not my favorite, but since this was done with such a paranormal element, I really enjoyed trying to solve the mystery. I even enjoyed the relationships and chaotic situations forced on DJ. All of the characters were really well written and sent me searching for other books by Suzanne Johnson immediately after finishing. This book was a lot more in depth than some of my recent reading, which means that there was a lot more substance and a lot less smut (although we did get a teeny bit!). I'm looking forward to checking out more from this author in the future.



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Review: Crave

Crave by J.R. Ward

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I'm not sure why I am not in love with these books. Maybe it's because I'm listening to them instead of reading them. Either way, the combination of angels and the military just doesn't do it for me. If I didn't get these for free from the library, I'd probably just stop right here.

There was a good amount of things that I usually love: smut, paranormal, the usual. It was probably just the package those things came in that turned me off with this book. I listened to it on drives up and down the parkway and it wasn't too much to multitask with, but I found myself almost bored most of the time. Hopefully they ramp up, because I have the next one from the library, too. I'm interested in Jim's overall story line, and was hoping for some massive game changer in this book, but am still stuck waiting.

Oh, and also, kind of a bummer ending (other than the romance/smut element).



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Review: Glow

Glow by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love this author. This world is so rich and wonderful that I wish there were way more books in this series/world. The love stories that we get to see glimpses of throughout the trilogy are all so wonderful and different that I wish everyone had their own book!

This book finishes out the Zellie Wells Trilogy and we finally see the end of the obligatory “big bad.” There was also a lot of wrap up and pairing off of characters that warmed my heart and had me grinning while reading. A lot of characters get a POV in this one, which is probably why I wasn’t as in love with it as I was the previous ones. Too much jumping around tends to take me out of the story a little bit. I still loved this book for what it brought to the characters I’ve come to love. I was sighing and laughing along with them every step of the way.

If you’re looking for a good, unique paranormal YA series – you should read this trilogy. It really hooked me from book 1 and totally delivered. Completely self-contained and awesome, I wish more people would read these books. Then they could fall in love with these fabulous characters, too!




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Review: Glimmer

Glimmer by Stacey Wallace Benefiel

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This book might be my favorite of the series. I know that I’m only two books in, but the characters are just so absolutely great. I’m not saying that they aren’t flawed and whatnot, it’s just that I’ve fallen in love with each and every one of them. The author’s writing style is also one of my favorites. I love the language and the “realness” of the characters. Yes, they’re young. I don’t care if they are drinking and having sex. It’s like I’m getting the best of both worlds – a YA book with adult themes and plotlines. I love it.

Maybe I’m a sucker for an ensemble cast, but this group of characters really had me furiously flipping pages to get more! Ben, Christopher, Zellie, and Avery (and Mel) are so fabulous together that I wish this weren’t just a trilogy. The dialogue is fast paced and matches the action jam packed into this book. For me, the pacing was perfect. I don’t like a drawn out final battle and this book wrapped things up nicely for me. No cliffhangers (really... kind of… sort of) and we see the character developing and growing with each chapter. Give me a hundred of these books and I still would want more. I’m addicted to this author now!




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Review: Never Deal with Dragons

Never Deal with Dragons by Lorenda Christensen

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

I have to admit that I am not usually that big a fan of mostly humor books and based on the title, I expected this book to be fluff with not much of my typical paranormal romance. I was *totally* wrong! This book was all the greatest combinations of romance, humor, wit, and action. Our main character, Myrna, is so entertaining and adorable. Her “go getter” attitude and relationship baggage made her all the more real and likable. Of course, I’m a sucker for a paranormal twist to contemporary romance, so this book was really right in my comfort zone. It gave me some romance, some smut, and all while surrounding me with dragons and fantasy. Loved it, loved it, loved it. I even forgave this book for being set in a somewhat dystopian future (which I’m really not a fan of!), so that should tell you how much I got sucked into this book and world.

The fast pacing and witty dialogue made the pages really move quickly (as you can see, since I tore through it in a day at the beach), but it was filled with rich characters that made me fall in love with the series (even if it hasn’t been written yet). I really love the way the author set up such a rich world to make a series out of, instead of the usual forced introduction of new spinoff characters or other sub plotlines that drive me bonkers! I’m looking forward to seeing what happens next for everyone.




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Review: Lives of Magic

Lives of Magic by Lucy Leiderman

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book was a unique blend of a past life story and a magician/witch YA paranormal romance. I’m not quite sure when it happened, but this book really sucked me in. It starts as surely as any other YA book, with a girl in a new town going to a new school. It even had some dystopian elements thrown in (which usually I don’t like, but in this case, was necessary for the plot). Girl meets boy, then all hells breaks loose. That’s where we are thrown into this great world of the magicians (not what I picture – you know, the guy with the top hat and the rabbit? Yeah, no.) and a group of essentially reincarnated kids who are tasked with saving the world.

Gwen and Kian were the focus of my YA paranormal romance addicted brain. They were adorable and sweet and (of course, as is always the case) doomed from the get go. Gwen’s fellow “superheroes” were also really fun to read. The subject matter got a little dark and heavy at times, but was balanced nicely with the lovey dovey sigh-worthy Kian/Gwen interaction. While this book didn’t really end in a true cliffhanger – there are no puppies and rainbows for everyone. It was clearly meant to be part of a series, and after this stellar first book, I’ll gladly pick up the next one! I can’t wait to see what happens with all the characters from this book, especially after all they’ve been through.




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Review: Real Vampires Don't Sparkle

Real Vampires Don't Sparkle by Amy Fecteau

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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

This was a really great read, right up until the abrupt ending. I guess it really says something when, after reading a long book, I just want more!!! I dragged my feet a little before starting this book because, well, the title scared me. I’m almost a strictly paranormal romance type of girl, and the title made it sound like this would be a light comedy with no romance. I should really have trusted that this book would deliver what the synopsis said. This book gave me all that and more. It was romantic and funny – action packed and interesting, too! It takes a special book to get 5 stars out of me, and this book did it. I won’t fault it for ending abruptly (even though it gave me serious book hangover) – I’ll just hope the author gives me even more of Quin and Matheus. Please. More. Yes.

I absolutely fell in love with Quin and Matheus. We follow the story along with Matheus as he embarks (rather reluctantly) on his life as a vampire. I thought this book would be something like Love Sucks or one of those books, but this was so… original. The wit, sarcasm, and humor were so great! The dialogue and interactions had me laughing out loud one minute and sighing dreamily the next. There were some really great scenes between Quin and Matheus that kept me reading well into the wee hours of the morning. I really liked the way the author told the story, too. We get hints of Matheus’s past along the way, almost putting us into Quin’s position. Really great storytelling and completely addictive. I had trouble putting the book down and let out a groan (complete with pout) when it was done.

Pick this book up, seriously. If you want romance, it’s there. If you want action, it’s there. If you want a really rich and interesting storyline, it’s there. The humor and genuine heart in the story was such a great departure from the typical formulaic books out there.




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Review: The Earth Painter

The Earth Painter by Melissa Turner Lee

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Wow, this is a completely original mythos – one I’ve never encountered before at least. The title of this book didn’t really have me jumping up to start it. The Earth Painter conjured up images of some sort of abstract hippy artwork or something. Whatever I was thinking, this book was not that. I was shocked in a good way! Holly is an independent high schooler who has just moved to a new town (as most YA books begin). That’s about where the similarities to other books end. Holly sees Theo in her drama class and the real good stuff begins. Theo is the dreamy love interest in this story, even though he is something completely different.

Holly and Theo’s interaction was great and frustrating and awesome all at the same time. Watching Holly and her parents was also something gritty and completely not expected. With all the twists and turns along the way, I was constantly rooting for poor Holly to really set everyone in her life straight! I hoped for good things between her and Theo, I hoped for her mother to grow up, I hoped for the well to get saved, and, well, I guess this book really broke me a little bit. I had such hope for a happily ever after ending with hearts and rainbows and unicorns. This book doesn’t give you that. Not at all! The girl that voted for hearts and rainbows and unicorns was completely crushed. The avid reader who likes surprises was pleasantly surprised by a book that broke away from all her preconceived notions.

This book was a smidge away from 5 stars for me. If it just gave me a teensy bit more happiness or resolution, it would be at 5 stars. Right now it’s hovering around 4.5 stars. Maybe if the next book gives me warm fuzzies in one way or another (or more resolution), this book would look like it had less of a bummer ending. Either way, this was a completely original and exciting start to a new series that I’m already hooked on!




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Review: Beautiful Danger

Beautiful Danger by Michele Hauf

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

I’m a big fan of just about any sort of contemporary vampire romance, so this book really called to me. Lark is a vampire hunter, who in my head looked like an extra from Underworld. Scarred from her previous interactions with vampires, Lark has a huge chip on her shoulder because she’s the only woman in an almost exclusively male vampire hunting cult. Domingos is an equally scarred (physically, too) vampire who is out to get revenge on the werewolf pack that tortured him. In your typical fashion, Lark ignores her assignment to kill Domingos and instead, they fall into a dysfunctional sort of relationship.

The action and plot were interesting enough to keep my attention. The only thing that detracted from this book was the sort of forced smuttiness. The romance and plot were great, but the smutty scenes were sort of … awkward or missing something. Maybe they just fell into bed too soon? Maybe there was just a rush to finish up the overall plotline? I’m not sure, but it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading. I’m still curious where this series will go, so I’ll keep an eye out for some more books in this series.




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Review: A Tale of Two Demon Slayers

A Tale of Two Demon Slayers by Angie Fox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I'm pretty sure that I liked this one more than the previous books. It had its faults, but there was way more Dimitri and that's always a good thing!

This book started off great -- Lizzie is finally going with Dimitri to meet his family. That made me stupidly think that we would get a vacation book out of this, filled with smut and awesomeness. Totally not the case. I should have learned my lesson from the other books -- Lizzie never has a moment when she is not in mortal danger. Really. Ever. Sure, she gets some kisses and a teeny bit of smut time, but right afterwards, everything blows up, or catches fire, or blows up and catches fire.

This book also reinforced Lizzie's insecurities. It pretty much revolved around her wanting to break up with Dimitri for his own good (again, just like in the last book). This kind of stuff drives me crazy when it comes from someone who should be a great tough chick main character. Dimitri really needs to finish whipping her into shape, because he is still the same amount of awesome he was when we met him.

There was a good dose of insanity and hilarious scenes that kept me entertained. I really hope the next book involves more of Lizzie's tougher side and she gets rewarded with oodles of smutty scenes.



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