Review: A Secret to Die For

A Secret to Die For by Sierra Dean

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I put off reading this book for a while because I was afraid of how the series would end. Yes, it’s emotional at times and frustrating at others, but it’s still an excellent Secret McQueen read and delivers everything you’d want in the final installment.

First, there are no loose ends. Everything I wanted answered has been answered. All decisions that needed to be made were made (although sometimes in Secret’s frustrating way). Oh, and there’s even a nice little happily ever after for the fans. This book picks up where we were shockingly left off in the previous one. There are zombies (or “risen” as they are named by Keaty) and they have taken over New York. The city is burning and there are very few people still roaming around that aren’t bad guys or “risen.” Secret, with her band of misfit supernaturals has somehow been tasked with saving the city from total annihilation (of course). There are a lot of things that needed to get done in this book and while I was worried about the final resolution, they all managed to get checked off the list.

First, Secret’s secret is … not so secret anymore. Just about everyone knows she’s half vampire/half werewolf and the repercussions have to be dealt with. Through some magical end of the world/last book of the series turnaround, Lucas is backing Secret in her reveal. Sig, being our favorite, lovable vampire, has backed a sneaky plan to help Secret handle the vampires (and tie up all the loose ends with the Arturo storyline). That just leaves the romantic love triangle-ish situation that Secret is still kind of in, even after she became engaged (has that stopped her before?). While there is a definite decision made, I still feel like things were left in typical Secret fashion with some hurt feelings and unresolved issues. I guess that’s the best we can hope for in this messed up situation. All in all, I laughed, I cried (a little), but it was well worth the wonderful ride. Yes, people died. Yes, it was sad and frustrating, but it was a really fun read nonetheless.




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Review: Hunger's Mate Part 4

Hunger's Mate Part 4 by A.C. Arthur

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

In this final installment of the series, we see a nice conclusion for our main characters and a little bit of setup for Eli’s story. The action primarily revolves around the kidnapping of a shifter baby in the last attempt to perfect ADAM and the other genetically engineered hybrids. There are new characters introduced, and even more backstabbing and betrayal (for the bad guys). Overall, the good guys win, giving us a nice HEA. Ezra and Jewel fully embrace their mated status and force those around them to accept it also. While most of the time was spent either setting the stage for Eli’s story, or addressing the kidnapping plot, we still get good resolution to the main Ezra/Jewel story.




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Review: Hunger's Mate Part 3

Hunger's Mate Part 3 by A.C. Arthur

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book marks a turning point in Ezra and Jewel’s relationship. They are both committed to each other, and willing to risk it all to put their past behind them. For Ezra, this means confronting his demons and acknowledging that Jewel is strong enough to handle anything he can throw at her. For Jewel, this means confronting Crowe and ending that chapter in her life.

There was a lot of action in this installment that kept the pages turning quickly. All the characters were faced with tough decisions. When we got a glimpse into the enemy’s camp, we got to see a lot of conflict and backstabbing, which hopefully bodes well for the good guys. In the end, it looks like we are setting up for a big showdown that will bring final closure to both our main characters.




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Review: Blood in the Water

Blood in the Water by Cleo Peitsche

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Ooh – this was a really good installment! This might be my favorite so far because we get a lot of everything!

Monroe is a woman trapped in a sharkshifter world. Sure, she’s making the best of it, but there are a lot of things that she just can’t seem to get over. Koenraad is training her so she can take on her challenger, Victoria. This isn’t going so well for her, but it is certainly bringing the two of them closer. Koenraad is also searching for his missing son, Brady, and trying to avoid the “sick” that still permeates the ocean. While Darius and Victoria are clearly up to something, I am definitely more focused on the more romantic side of the story.

Koenraad and Monroe’s relationship is growing with each book. In this one, there are a lot of big events. They manage to find a balance between the shark way of mating and the more human way. Monroe’s mother also has a chance to weigh in on their relationship. Finally, we also get some mind-blowing hotness at the very end that changes everything. If you’re looking for some crazy unique and hot shifter romance, this series is IT.




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Review: Second Nature

Second Nature by Marie Lavender

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

The rating for this book was 3.5 stars. It had vampires, oodles of sexy times, and heartbreaking romance.

This book is primarily a romance. It starts a little… strangely, but heads right into the kind of romance that makes each partner want to sacrifice themselves for the other. Alec finds Des at a festival by tracking her yummy blood. He’s instantly attracted and probably experiences love at first sight. Des, being completely oblivious to Alec’s discovery, goes about her daily life as an editor, still trying to get over her ex-husband’s betrayal. Alec proceeds to essentially stalk Des, which ends in him mostly attacking her. After his bite, they both tumble into each other’s arms and have some surprising sex. In the aftermath, there is a lot of use of the word “rape.” If this offends you, you should be warned that it gets used quite a bit. While their first encounter isn’t actually rape, there’s a lot of roughness that could make a frightened woman associate the two.

Once Des gets over her traumatic first meeting with Alec, the two get along wonderfully. Sure, the vampire/human thing is a bit of a challenge, but they seem willing to take that chance. They go through some pretty big challenges, but in the end we get the HEA we want from them. While there are some action elements, this is definitely a romantic read from start to finish.




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Review: Paranormal Keepers

Paranormal Keepers by Jen Naumann

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book reads like Buffy meets Harry Potter. Harper is a great tough chick heroine who manages to confront some extraordinary challenges. There’s romance, magic, and lots of different paranormals all rolled into a truly fun read.

Harper watched her boyfriend get killed and it drastically changed her popular high school life. In the months that follow, she abandoned her popular friends and threw herself into finding the explanation to the unexplainable. She’s 100% convinced that there are vampires, werewolves, ghosts and more out there, and she’s determined to find her proof. This search led her to an online chat room where she “met” a new online friend who shares her beliefs. On the search, Harper ends up being abducted by the paranormal keepers. This hidden group of individuals is trained from birth to defend the world against and hide records of the paranormals out there.

No one is happy that Harper is there, except her online friend, Dex. There’s a lot of backstabbing, pranks, and hate that make Harper’s life pretty miserable. The only bright spot in all of this is Dex, who is working hard to show Harper that he is for real (even if he was put up to the task of chatting with her online by the keepers).

This book has lots of twists and turns, keeping you guessing until the end. As the first book in a series, it totally sucked me in. I can’t wait to see where Dex and Harper end up next!




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Review: Burned

Burned by Karen Marie Moning

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I’m still not sure if I liked this book, loved it, or if it really bothers me. I guess I should’ve expected that KMM would push the boundaries of the series once I heard we’d be going back inside Mac’s head.

This book hops POVs probably more than any of the other books. We get Barrons, Dani, Mac, Kat, Lor, a mystery player, Christian, and the UK. I think I got them all, but you get the idea. Don’t get too excited about the Barrons POV, though, because if you’ve read the alpha alternative, you already know what the first few pages of the book look like. That “incident” plays a big role in all the Barrons/Mac drama of this book. Sadly, Mac reverts back a little bit to the girly girl about her relationship with Barrons and we have to watch her tailspin. I guess the story really has to be split up by character, because there’s a lot going on at once here.

For Barrons, the story is… well… OK, maybe I should start with someone that emotes. I guess his story is about Mac. For Dani, her story begins where we left off in the last one: with Mac. They haven’t really interacted since their horrible split, once Dani confirmed that she killed Mac’s sister. For Mac, her story is about getting rid of the book. She’s struggling to control the book in her mind and has also attracted some strange new friends. Oh, and she’s still being a girly girl about her alpha “boyfriend.” Sadly there is not much sizzle in her story. For Kat, her story is still centered on the abbey and her struggle to resist Cruce’s temptations. In an act of desperation, she reaches out to Ryodan to help her protect he girls. Lor’s story introduces us to a new species. His story is wonderfully filled with exactly what I’d expect from Lor: lots of sex. We also got to see a gentler side of the warrior. Christian is still be torn apart by the Crimson Hag, so he’s really the center of the “big bad” side of the book. He’s trying to maintain his sanity (or whatever sanity he had before the Crimson Hag got him). The UK’s story picks up where we left him wayyyyyy back in the original Fever series. He’s got his love back, but she doesn’t remember him. In an attempt to win her over, he agrees to help save the world. It was nice to see him on the streets again, but I feel like nothing actually came of it. So, now that I’ve covered the oodles of stories going on in this book, I should acknowledge skipping the “mystery player.” I don’t want to get too spoilery, but this one really surprised me. It takes a bit to catch me by surprise, and this reveal did it.

My overall feelings on this book were (as I said) very conflicted. It felt a lot like KMM used this book to rewrite some things from the first few books of the series. Because I love them so very much, it felt like a sort of betrayal to throw things into the history that I’ve become so familiar with. Making the “alpha alternative” an actual thing and not just a hypothetical situation?? That felt a little sneaky. The big reveal of this book also hit me like a slap. What do you mean we are stuck like this? I knew we would have to address things, but this seemed like cheating. Even with all these issues, I still devoured this book in a day or two. I couldn’t put the darn thing down no matter how much I was bothered by it. This book almost started to set up the series as a formulaic paranormal romance. We meet a lot of the nine and they start to pair up (perhaps to be followed up in future installments?). There was also a lot of time spent “spying” on the nine, which gave us less mysteries and more… feelings? From the nine? I don’t really understand what KMM is doing to these guys.

This review kind of rambled, but overall it was still an enjoyable read. Obviously I’m hooked and will read until it implodes (probably even after that). One point I’d make is that the highlanders are prominently featured in this book, so you should probably think about reading that series to compliment this one if you haven’t already. Other than that, expect the unexpected. KMM sure keeps me guessing.




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Bridges Burned

Bridges Burned by Chris Cannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

If you’re looking for more of the wonderful characters from the first book, this book exceeds expectations. Something about the relationships and characters just has me hooked on this series. Even though there was some traumatic girl drama in here, it still had me captured.

We meet back up with Bryn on her return to school. She’s had a busy life as of late. After escaping getting blown up, rescuing Jaxon, getting recognized by her grandparents, she’s still expected to attend classes. The dynamic between all the characters definitely changes in this second installment, though. Sure, her friends are still amazing, but her love life takes a bit of a hit. Maybe we were all just the love-struck teen in the first book, but Zavien suddenly starts to look like… a jerk. He’s always running to his intended (who he claims is just a friend). He’s pretty much lying by omission every time he talks to Bryn. I’m sure there’s some big secret that is causing him to act this way, but I am still up in arms about his treatment of Bryn and think she should never take him back. That being said, they obviously have chemistry and attraction, but enough events occur in the book to make me question if that’s all there is.

Moving on from my romantic ramblings, there are a lot bigger things going on than just Bryn’s love life. A group of dragons from different clans have joined forces to attack. Each attack takes on a flavor of a different clan’s power, making it difficult to fight against unless they actually worked together. Of course, Bryn is always thrown into these situations and struggles to make sense of it all. Through all this, I found myself hating Jaxon less and less. Somehow the author manages to show us a side of Jaxon that makes him look better than before. As I found myself settling into this new life for Bryn where she is subjected to attacks constantly, might be friends with Jaxon, and is still struggling to find her place in the dragon world, suddenly we are struck with a SHOCKING turn of events. Really, this blew me out of the water. I won’t spoil the reader, but these events completely changed Bryn’s world. It also put her in closer proximity to Valmont (which is always good, in my opinion).

The ending of this book felt a little abrupt to me. We are left with lots of questions and only a vague hope of what’s to come. I can hope for more Valmont/Bryn romance. I can also hope for a safer dragon world to come. Oh, and maybe some gender and clan equality. Either way, I’ll be happily reading the rest of this series.


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Bridges Burned

By Chris Cannon

Review: A Christmas Tail

A Christmas Tail by Trinity Blacio

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

I haven’t read any of the other books in the master of the cats series, so I really dove into the deep end of the pool with this one. There are people from other planets, shapeshifters, demons, and other assorted paranormals thrown into a world where 3 guys and one woman is the norm.

Betsy is still recovering from years of abuse when her 3 mates make their intentions known. She’s hesitant and not quite sure of herself, but willing to trust her internal cat’s decision to accept them as mates. With Christmas looming, she is more determined than ever to find her missing children (that I guess she birthed while in her torturer’s captivity). Her mates and Betsy’s new extended family all take on the task with enthusiasm. Betsy’s sister even postpones her wedding to join the cause.

The romance was your typical fated mates story. The smutty scenes were filled to the brim with all sorts of interesting ways to combine these 4 people. While the setup of the world and the character’s relationships left me a little confused, the sizzle was definitely there. I’m sure reading the other books in the series would help the reader to appreciate this interesting world even more. Overall, this was a quick and rewarding read that delivers a nice HEA.




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Review: Torment

Torment by Alisa Woods

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

Poor Jak can’t catch a break. He was a bit of a hero in the previous series (True Alpha) and I was glad to see he got his own spinoff serial. He has a bit of a crush on his alpha’s brother’s mate, Arianna. Obviously there are some issues he has to deal with in this situation. First, he can’t possibly mate someone who is already mated (unless they are dead, and I don’t think anyone would mind Mace being killed). Second, Jak is walking a fine line with Mace and he has to make sure he doesn’t wind up in trouble again, especially after secretly helping Mace’s other would-be mate escape. With the odds stacked against them, somehow Jak and Arianna manage to begin a relationship in this book. It’s forbidden and hot, but is doomed to get them both in a lot of trouble. I’m rooting for them, but I’m sure they have a long way to go before they get a true HEA.




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Review: The Day Human Prince

The Day Human Prince by B. Kristin McMichael

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book dives deep into a world of sidhe, night humans, and day humans. The plot picks up after some big events and doesn’t let up until the end. I was pleasantly surprised to find myself drawn into this world of political intrigue and preconceived notions.

Devin is a warrior, trained and raised as a day human surrounded by night humans (aka vampires?). He was tasked with protecting a girl who almost stole his heart. After being freed from that task, Devin was mortally wounded. To save his life, Vanessa (a sidhe) bonded with him under the assumption that this could be undone once he was healed. The story pretty much begins right there, with Vanessa and Devin stuck in a car together on a journey to the sidhe village where Nessa has inherited the throne. A killing blow from her brother (the king) backfired and ended up killing him instead, leaving Nessa the reluctant queen. Caught up yet? All of that gets explained rather quickly at the start of the book, leaving me to believe there must be a book before this one that I missed. Either way, once you get used to the different races, it’s pretty easy to follow.

Of course, breaking the bond is not as simple as Nessa believed. While juggling research into bonding, the two of them are fighting off assassins, a court trial, romantic advances, and (most of all) their feelings for one another. This was an adorable and awesome YA paranormal romance with everything you’d want to see – action, romance, mystery, and a truly unique world. We even get a wonderful HEA for Devin and Nessa. I would love to see what happens next in this fabulous world!




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Review: Darkness of Light

Darkness of Light by Stacey Marie Brown

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This book was really great read! What a way to start a series! This wonderfully adult in a YA wrapper had everything I like in a first installment. There was a unique world, oodles of mystery, sexual chemistry, and wonderful characters.

Ember has always been different. She is always around when things blow up or catch fire mysteriously. Sure, she doesn't plan it that way, but it's starting to get a little suspicious. The principal of her school and the local sheriff are definitely done with her excuses and conspire to send her to an "alternative learning center." This ends up being pretty much a detention center for teens. After some strangely realistic dreams and her stressful last few days, the last thing that she needs is a dangerously magnetic bad boy in her life.

Eli is an alpha male that stomps into Ember's life with a wild hot and cold personality. One minute, you can practically see the sparks between them and the next minute he appears to hate her. Their relationship was very reminiscent of the Barrons/Mac relationship from KMM's Fever series (complete with eye communication and overbearing alpha attitude). While their relationship is growing, Ember's strange powers continue to manifest. There are creepy brothers lurking, continuing dreams of people she's never met, and some reason to fear the woods.

With all the mystery jam packed into this book, I was worried it would end without delivering any revelations. Don't worry! We get lots of answers and everything begins to click into place at the end. I couldn't put the book down and managed to tear through it in an afternoon. I absolutely cannot wait to see how Ember deals with her brand new world!



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Review: To Eternity

To Eternity by Daisy Banks

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

I admit that I did not read the first book of this series (and really didn't realize there was one). This story is a direct followup to the actions from the first, so I think skipping book 1 was not a good idea. Having some experience with these characters would have probably helped to understand a bit more of the underlying motivations and histories.

Magnus is an old werewolf who was set in his ways until Sian walked into his life. She has the ability to share dreams with him, so they can really spend all their time together if they truly wanted to. In the previous book, they met through Sian's hunt for a perfect filming location. Her obsessive and creepy boss ended up caught in the crossfire of Magnus's protective tendencies and ended up torn apart (literally). Being a werewolf, he obviously created a bit of a monster from an already horrible person. We spend the book flipping back and forth between characters POV (including the monster, be warned, and he has some pretty awful thoughts). Sian spends the majority of the book trying to convince Magnus that she can handle being his mate. Magnus spends the majority of the book trying to balance his own guilt with his love of Sian.

There is a mix of steamy scenes, action, and a lot of romantic drama. It reads a lot like a historical romance in language and setting (it's pretty much in a castle), but is set in current day. If you're looking for a paranormal romance that has some historical elements, this series might be a really great blend for you.



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Review: Southern Spirits

Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This adorable read was a complete joy from start to finish. Quick paced, well written, fun, and cute, the book starts what could be a completely addictive new series.

Verity is a woman scorned and her small southern town will not let her forget her past. Being the polite young woman that she is, she has let her ex-fiance spread horrible rumors without stooping to his level. Unfortunately, his family pretty much runs the town and has led her to both her financial and social downfall. On the verge of losing her house, she has sold everything except a hideous vase filled with dirt. Here's here her luck turns around... I guess? Turns out, the dirt was actually ashes, and by rinsing them out in her rose bushes, she's trapped with a ghostly gangster sidekick.

The real mystery elements of the story come in when her ex-fiance's brother ends up contracting Verity for some ghostbusting work (against his better judgement). Throw in some detective work, and this book really makes for a pretty comprehensive read. You get everything you want in one nice little bundle - action, mystery, paranormal, romance, and adorable southern characters. I can't wait to see where this series goes!



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Review: Bridges Burned

Bridges Burned by Chris Cannon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

If you’re looking for more of the wonderful characters from the first book, this book exceeds expectations. Something about the relationships and characters just has me hooked on this series. Even though there was some traumatic girl drama in here, it still had me captured.

We meet back up with Bryn on her return to school. She’s had a busy life as of late. After escaping getting blown up, rescuing Jaxon, getting recognized by her grandparents, she’s still expected to attend classes. The dynamic between all the characters definitely changes in this second installment, though. Sure, her friends are still amazing, but her love life takes a bit of a hit. Maybe we were all just the love-struck teen in the first book, but Zavien suddenly starts to look like… a jerk. He’s always running to his intended (who he claims is just a friend). He’s pretty much lying by omission every time he talks to Bryn. I’m sure there’s some big secret that is causing him to act this way, but I am still up in arms about his treatment of Bryn and think she should never take him back. That being said, they obviously have chemistry and attraction, but enough events occur in the book to make me question if that’s all there is.

Moving on from my romantic ramblings, there are a lot bigger things going on than just Bryn’s love life. A group of dragons from different clans have joined forces to attack. Each attack takes on a flavor of a different clan’s power, making it difficult to fight against unless they actually worked together. Of course, Bryn is always thrown into these situations and struggles to make sense of it all. Through all this, I found myself hating Jaxon less and less. Somehow the author manages to show us a side of Jaxon that makes him look better than before. As I found myself settling into this new life for Bryn where she is subjected to attacks constantly, might be friends with Jaxon, and is still struggling to find her place in the dragon world, suddenly we are struck with a SHOCKING turn of events. Really, this blew me out of the water. I won’t spoil the reader, but these events completely changed Bryn’s world. It also put her in closer proximity to Valmont (which is always good, in my opinion).

The ending of this book felt a little abrupt to me. We are left with lots of questions and only a vague hope of what’s to come. I can hope for more Valmont/Bryn romance. I can also hope for a safer dragon world to come. Oh, and maybe some gender and clan equality. Either way, I’ll be happily reading the rest of this series.




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Review: Bridges Burned

Bridges Burned by Chris Cannon

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

If you’re looking for more of the wonderful characters from the first book, this book exceeds expectations. Something about the relationships and characters just has me hooked on this series. Even though there was some traumatic girl drama in here, it still had me captured.

We meet back up with Bryn on her return to school. She’s had a busy life as of late. After escaping getting blown up, rescuing Jaxon, getting recognized by her grandparents, she’s still expected to attend classes. The dynamic between all the characters definitely changes in this second installment, though. Sure, her friends are still amazing, but her love life takes a bit of a hit. Maybe we were all just the love-struck teen in the first book, but Zavien suddenly starts to look like… a jerk. He’s always running to his intended (who he claims is just a friend). He’s pretty much lying by omission every time he talks to Bryn. I’m sure there’s some big secret that is causing him to act this way, but I am still up in arms about his treatment of Bryn and think she should never take him back. That being said, they obviously have chemistry and attraction, but enough events occur in the book to make me question if that’s all there is.

Moving on from my romantic ramblings, there are a lot bigger things going on than just Bryn’s love life. A group of dragons from different clans have joined forces to attack. Each attack takes on a flavor of a different clan’s power, making it difficult to fight against unless they actually worked together. Of course, Bryn is always thrown into these situations and struggles to make sense of it all. Through all this, I found myself hating Jaxon less and less. Somehow the author manages to show us a side of Jaxon that makes him look better than before. As I found myself settling into this new life for Bryn where she is subjected to attacks constantly, might be friends with Jaxon, and is still struggling to find her place in the dragon world, suddenly we are struck with a SHOCKING turn of events. Really, this blew me out of the water. I won’t spoil the reader, but these events completely changed Bryn’s world. It also put her in closer proximity to Valmont (which is always good, in my opinion).

The ending of this book felt a little abrupt to me. We are left with lots of questions and only a vague hope of what’s to come. I can hope for more Valmont/Bryn romance. I can also hope for a safer dragon world to come. Oh, and maybe some gender and clan equality. Either way, I’ll be happily reading the rest of this series.




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Review: Delirium

Delirium by Erin Kellison

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

Wow, if you haven't read the earlier books in this series, you will be totally lost. As it is, it took me a little bit in the beginning to reorient myself in this wonderful world. This is definitely a pivotal book in the series.


We dive back into the world where dreaming has become a full time job and dreams can be bought and sold in the black market. All of the usual faces are in this one - Rook, Vince, Jordan, Sera, and Harlen. This is pretty much a story about Harlen and Sera, but there are a lot of larger stories at play also. Sera and Harlen are struggling to figure out their relationship and how to make it work with their crazy schedules. Harlen is the new face of what the protesters are calling the "dream police." Their real goal is to police the nightmares that are destroying dreamers (and some during their waking lives).

The sandman worshippers are still lurking and up to no good. Things escalate quickly following the assassination of a key person in the new dream police. Such large scale war has been waged on the dreaming world that I don't even know how it will look in the installments to come. While this was definitely a departure from the smuttier early installments, the action was non-stop and kept the pages turning.



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Review: Hunger's Mate Part 2

Hunger's Mate Part 2 by A.C. Arthur

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This installment is really where reading the previous books in this world begins to help out. A lot of familiar names and characters start to pop up along the way. I still think this set can probably be read as standalone.

Ezra and Jewel are still trying to trust one another. I think Ezra is still in denial about his feelings for Jewel (and she is, too), but between all the action and craziness of this book, they didn't have much alone time. One of the best scenes in the book happens in the few minutes they do get to spend alone (and no in the bedroom) and they are simply chatting like two normal people.

Of course, normal doesn't last very long in this universe and Jewel's past comes crashing through the front door. With these two now on the run (and hopefully less in denial), I'm optimistic for their budding relationship.



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Review: Hunger's Mate Part 1

Hunger's Mate Part 1 by A.C. Arthur

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



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

This new serial finally gives us Jewel's backstory and her (hopefully) mate. Coupling a damaged shifter guard with an equally damaged human might be the perfect match for this world. I really hope we get a good HEA at the end of this set.

Jewel is in hiding. She's been on the run (well, really staying still, but in hiding) for the past few years after escaping from her abusive ex and stealing his fortune. Instead of living large and running out of the country, she chose to take care of her ailing father and maintain a job at a resort. Somehow she ended up at a resort filled with shifters but maintains a healthy distance from most of the inhabitants. She even starts to relax until Ezra shows up on the scene.

Ezra is a bit damaged himself from his time growing up in the care of a sadistic woman. He's got tons of baggage, but doesn't let it hinder his attraction to Jewel. The two of them start their rocky romance in this first book, but things that they both thought were in their past manage to come up to bite them (literally).



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Review: Southern Spirits

Southern Spirits by Angie Fox

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This adorable read was a complete joy from start to finish. Quick paced, well written, fun, and cute, the book starts what could be a completely addictive new series.

Verity is a woman scorned and her small southern town will not let her forget her past. Being the polite young woman that she is, she has let her ex-fiance spread horrible rumors without stooping to his level. Unfortunately, his family pretty much runs the town and has led her to both her financial and social downfall. On the verge of losing her house, she has sold everything except a hideous vase filled with dirt. Here's here her luck turns around... I guess? Turns out, the dirt was actually ashes, and by rinsing them out in her rose bushes, she's trapped with a ghostly gangster sidekick.

The real mystery elements of the story come in when her ex-fiance's brother ends up contracting Verity for some ghostbusting work (against his better judgement). Throw in some detective work, and this book really makes for a pretty comprehensive read. You get everything you want in one nice little bundle - action, mystery, paranormal, romance, and adorable southern characters. I can't wait to see where this series goes!



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Review: The Second Lie

The Second Lie by Anna Richland

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

It's been a while since I red the first installment of the series, but it didn't seem to have any impact on my enjoyment of this one. In fact, if you wanted to, you can probably just dive right into the series from here. While there is a larger storyline at work, there is certainly enough detail to help you catch up.

Stig is the central character in this one. He's masquerading as the imaginary partner to one very determined woman. Christina didn't realize how much trouble she'd be inviting into her life by making a fake male business partner. She's hid behind him countless times to gain entrance into the "boys club" world of wine. Now, when she's trying to track down who is counterfeiting bottles of wine she procured, she's confronted with her imaginary boss.

Christina and Stig's fun cat and mouse game quickly spirals out of control when other members of the immortal vikings club show up to force Stig back into a life of more dangerous crime. It would be easy enough for him, if he hadn't already forged a bond with Christina and developed a bit of flexible morals. There is a lot of action jammed into the continuous getaway schemes and a lot of fun along the way. The book reads like one big heist with the twist of having the thief be an immortal. The pairing of a paranormal genre with a more typical thriller story read like a non-stop action film. Oh, and there's romance. And sizzling scenes that will set your kindle on fire. And some heartache, but we get a very satisfying HEA in the end. For fans of action, drama, or even history, this could be a great book to get your feet wet in the paranormal genre.



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Review: The Darkest Touch

The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I completely admit that I wasn't particularly looking forward to Torin's story. After many installments where Torin floundered around relationships, this just seemed like a train wreck waiting to happen. How can we get a sizzling romance when the couple can't touch? We watched his story with Cameo fizzle and I expected something similar to happen here.

At the end of the previous book we were left with an even more broken Torin. He touched Mari and ended up infecting her (I'm not sure how Cronus got around that one...). When Mari died (really? we met her just to have her die?), Mari's fellow prisoner ends up freed from the bond between them. Keeley is a curator, or some sort of mix between an earth spirit, a human body, an immortal and energy parasite. She (obviously) blames Torin for her best friend's death and swears vengeance. An ordinary person swearing vengeance on a Lord of the Underworld seems crazy, but Keeley is the Red Queen, the crazy powerful ex-girlfriend of Hades, who has powers greater than anything we've seen so far in this series.

Their battles end up making them respect one another and eventually grows to a sizzling chemistry. Their chemistry is, however, continually dampened by Keeley's sickening. I stupidly believed that we would be gifted with a woman who was immune to Torin. This put a bit of a darker twist on their "mistakes" because the afterglow was completely removed. Along the way, we are also introduced to the Lazarus/Cameo show. We also get some resolution to the realm wanderers (or inhabitants of the rod?). Oh, and the sympathetic twist with Hades.

Overall, the events of this book led to a much happier house filled with a new royal, happy families, returned warriors, and a bit of a path towards redemption (for Galen of all people). While the series might have deviated from a more satisfying smuttiness, it still delivers some zany characters that you can't help but love. I'll continue reading it until the very end.



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Review: Can't Bear It

Can't Bear It by Celia Kyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Meg is on the run from her old lion pride. After being pretty much forced to mate with the male lions, she's determined to be in control. The leader/organizer of a small town of Strange Hollow somehow ends up connecting with Meg to offer her a place to stay with the rest of their "misfits." Jacob is one such misfit - a bear who wants to mate with both men and women. He's become a bit of a known slut in town, but it seems to work for him until Meg shows up.

Even after he has been warned off Meg, Jacob can't seem to stay away. Her scent, the way she looks, all of these things end up drawing him in. This story revolves around a sort of "love at first sight" type of mating, controlled by their internal animals. While I'm not a big fan of the rushed l word thing, this story manages to sell it (and throw in some bonus retribution for Meg).



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Review: Bite Me

Bite Me by Celia Kyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



This was a *very* short little read. If you've read the author before, you know that the smut level will be high and you've probably come to expect a bit of fun in the bedroom.

Constrained by the loss of her scale, this dragon shifter has been bound to a harpy for years. On one of her last days of enslavement she finds herself gifted to a sexy vampire. Somehow they end up marked as mates (I really have no idea how). The length of the story shows as much as it can, but it's obviously rushed.



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Review: The Darkest Craving

The Darkest Craving by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This book finally gives Kane a chance to be more than a punchline. He's always been the joker, smirking in the background, but here is where we learn everything there is to learn about Kane.

Being trapped in hell has forever changed Kane. He's rescued by the most unlikely rescuer, a fae girl who has the ability to "borrow" powers from anyone she touches. Kane foolishly agrees to grant her request in exchange for his freedom, only to find himself reluctant to follow through. The two play a game of cat and mouse that only makes the fae girl (Josephina) that much more likable in my book. Josephina has lived her life accepting the punishments her sister, the princess has accumulated. Being the daughter of her father's indiscretion, she's shunned, beaten, and jailed most regularly. That all changes when Kane sets his eyes on her.

I love the idea that for the fae, the Lords of the Underworld are like a soap opera. It was fun to watch them swoon all over the keeper of disaster while he is destroying their palaces. This couple might have had a lot of obstacles, but the end result was worth the drama. I can guess that the next book will follow Torin as he recovers from his latest mistake.



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Review: Battered Not Broken

Battered Not Broken by Celia Kyle

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



Is it bad that it took me this long to figure out the Goldilocks thing? I guess I was looking forward to a nice fun, smutty read and wasn't looking for any deeper meaning or reference.

Gillian is on the run from her abusive ex-boyfriend. After her car breaks down, she is forced to hike through the snow for miles, heading towards the only house she can see. After she passes out in a bed, fighting off frostbite, the three bear shifters come home to find a strange woman in their alpha brother's bed. Turns out, this clan of bear shifters has a history of having all the twins/triplets/etc bonding with one mate. The brothers immediately identify Gillian as such a mate and proceed to "woo" her.

The chemistry between all the brothers and Gillian was pretty good and there were oodles of sexy scenes to keep a smut fan happy. Of course, you can expect the ex to show up and force the brothers to protect their mate. I'm never disappointed with the fun, quick reads from this author.



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Review: Death Scream: A Descent Short

Death Scream: A Descent Short by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I read this free little short on the author's website. It was short, quick, and... fun. I thought I was done reading James and Elise, so I will gladly gobble up any additional stories the author puts out there.

This story takes place while James and Elise are still traveling and hunting evil together. James is still wonderfully in love with Elise, but diligently hiding his feelings. Elise is still adorably young and trying to find a way to be a woman in a field of all men. The two of them are such a wonderful pair that they communicate without any extra words or discussions.

The main story is a paying gig from a castle owner. He's been subject to a haunting and wants the spook gone (no matter how much business he's getting from it). While James and Elise follow through to banish it, neither feels the job is really done. Obviously, nothing can ever be easy for them. This one ends very messy, even for James and Elise, but a lot is learned along the way.



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Review: After Dark

After Dark by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This was a combination of 2 books that really didn't have a continuous theme. I'll review them separately because unless you're familiar with one series or the other, reading both was just... disjointed.

Darkest Angel (4 stars)
I'm a fan of the Lords of the Underworld series and this was a nice little treat to read. It's probably the same length as a full novel, and is certainly fully developed. The romance in this book is between Lysander (the Sent One we've met before) and Bianca (the Harpy I am in love with). As can be expected, the harpy is the only one that ends up using her brain (and her body) to get what she wants out of the situation she finds herself in. That situation is being kidnapped by Lysander and forced to hide out in his "cloud."

Lysander is obviously struggling to deal with his attraction to Bianka and has instead decided to try to "reform" her. Their romance is one of my favorites if only because they are so very opposite. If you have read the rest of the series and love the harpies like I do, this is a must read that will leave you smiling.

Shadow Hunter (3 stars)
I'm not really familiar enough with the series that this book predates, but it is certainly more gritty than I usually like my books to be (especially after the yummy HEA from the previous book). Brock is on a mission to hunt down the vampire who killed his best friend. He works for a shadowy organization that boosts their warriors so they have a better shot at protecting the city against beasts that prey on innocents. Tiffany is the sister of Brock's fallen friend. She suffered the loss and decided to being a hunter herself. That's where Brock and Tiffany first meet each other in person, but they met each other through letters years before.

While Brock was in training, he reached out to Tiffany as a pen pal to "ground" himself. After his friend got killed and he was somewhat implicated with negligence, Tiffany and Brock ended up unable to heal the divide. When they butt heads over the hunt, the sparks really fly (even if it takes Tiffany a little longer to put together who he is). The romance was definitely a highlight of this book, but don't expect a HEA. You are thrown a massive cliffhanger and no resolution here. I can only assume that this prequel is necessary for character insight later on in the series.




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Review: The Darkest Prison

The Darkest Prison by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I feel like I read this story somewhere else (maybe it's included at the end/beginning of one of the Lords of the Underworld books?). Either way, it was relatively short, so even a re-read wasn't a burden.

Atlas has finally turned the tables on Nike. Once his jailer, now Nike will have to suffer all the things she put him through over the years. Somehow, though, Atlas and Nike developed something hotter than hate. The chemistry sizzles, even though they are an unlikely pair.

I don't think this story is necessary to complete the series, but it certainly doesn't hurt. Who would mind a sexy read from this author?



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Review: The Darkest Fire

The Darkest Fire by Gena Showalter

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



In an effort to complete my Lords of the Underworld reading, I went back to the beginning to read this prequel. Warning: If you're looking for a HEA, this delivers a pretty dark and unhappy one.

Geryon is a man who sold his freedom for a woman who didn't want him. Transformed and self-conscious, he was tasked with guarding the gates of Hell. Kadence is the goddess of oppression who has unwittingly bonded with the wall into hell. Each crack in the wall hits her like a direct blow. Her constant visits eventually begin to bond the two unlikely allies. On a mission to fix the wall and destroy the demons who are determined to break it, she bargains for Geryon's freedom.

Yes, expect hot sexy times (as with all Gena Showalter books), but this short story doesn't really give you a lot of development. It suits its purpose, though, in that we end up with Kadence setting up her next role in the series.



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Review: The Witch With No Name

The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. 13 books is a lot of time to invest in a main character and I wasn't sure what to expect in this last installment. Yes, I'm on Team Trent (for some reason... I mean, he was torturing her and threatening her life in the beginning of the series, right?). I wanted to big resolved ending with HEA for everyone. If that's what you're looking for, you will be endlessly satisfied by this book. We get just about everything tied up in a happy way. So why do I have mixed feelings? I guess the fault probably lies with my other expectations - growth from Rachel.

Before I start in on my issues, let's discuss the main plot here. As expected, we are finally tying up some loose ends. First, remember how Rachel promised Ivy to work on her soul/vampire problem. Now it's been bumped up to priority number one, thanks to your favorite vampire kingpin. As if that wasn't a big enough task, Landon is back and being as manipulating as ever. He's got his hooks in Trent's ex, the elves, and even the vampires. While this overlaps a bit with the vampire story, it also manages to force another loose end to completion - the goddess story.

Much action ensues (of course) with a lot of luck, a parade of familiar characters popping up, and (yay) lots of Al (and the demons... but Al is really important... and the best). To balance the best of all things, we are still stuck in the head of one Rachel Morgan. Rachel started this long series as a bit of an annoying whiner. It's part of why it took a lot of effort to move through the first few books, but I persevered. I was rewarded by a character that recognized her faults and grew endlessly stronger and more likable. Unfortunately, at the end of the series now, I'm confronted by a Rachel that looks a lot like the one who started this series. She spends a large portion of the book throwing a big pity party, forcing herself to believe that she doesn't deserve Trent, that she will have to leave him so he can go after bigger and better things, etc. Rather than being able to bask in the glow of the final installment of the series, I found myself questioning how I got here.

All in all, this book delivered a solid last installment (which was greatly redeemed by the amount of Al). If the first few books bothered you, then you will probably be in the same boat as me -- conflicted. If you loved the entire series, you probably think *I'm* the whiner. Either way, it felt good to finish and I'm completely satisfied by the many, many happy endings.



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Review: Forbidden Witches

Forbidden Witches by S.M. Reine

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

This second book in the Tarot Witches series and it is even hotter than the last! We get a new tarot witch story mingled with a sexy rocker tale.

Leah is a straight-laced overachiever who would never dress up and go to a Goth concert. Her BFF Chad ends up convincing her to go after she received a mysterious tarot card in the mail (that they assume is the ticket to a much sought after “Forbidden” concert). All gothed up and sexy looking, they head to the concert only to get separated before they even go in the door. Turns out, the card she got has attracted the dangerous attention of Donne, a member of the band’s road crew.

Much sinful sexiness ensues, pretty much detailing everything I assume happens to hot rock stars backstage and in the tour bus (oh, and throw in some magic, too). Leah really takes her “destiny” pretty well. Save the werewolves and figure out her magic? All while being bombarded by unstoppable attraction? Sure! In reality, Leah struggles to digest what the previous tarot witch at least had some experience with before the card showed up. These stories are completely yummy and fun to read, linking together in a way that shows we’re heading somewhere awesome.




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Review: Revenant

Revenant by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



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

Sadly, this appears to be the last installment in the Demonica/Lords of Deliverance series (at least for now). The author manages to seamlessly weave the two worlds together in a really satisfying and well written end to all the outstanding storylines.

Revenant is the focus of the story as he attempts to reconcile his fallen angel past with his shadow angel future. He’s gained a twin brother along with all these conflicting emotions and (not surprisingly) he’s lashing out at everyone in his way. Rev is truly caught between the two worlds and yet is unable to live in either. In Satan’s domain, he’s simply a whipping boy being ordered around by the man responsible for his mother’s torture and his own misdeeds. In Heaven, he’s an evil force that damages even the ground where his feet touch. As Satan’s latest play to prove Rev’s loyalty, he puts him in charge of Gethel and her evil offspring’s care. Lucky for him, he already knows a doctor he’d love to spend more time with – Blas. Blas is also going through a lot of deep emotional drama. She’s spent her life hiding her race (vyrm, the child of a fallen angel and an angel) because they are universally hunted by both heaven and hell. As her enchantment wears off, she’s confronted with options to renew it with a sacrifice, or to go back on the run.

Aside from the sizzling hot romance between these two emotionally scarred supernaturals, there is also a bunch of wrapping up that has to get done. Raphael, still being the most horrible angel ever, is plotting against… everyone that we like. Also, as Lucifer grows, Harvester is weakening, making Reaver’s life tailspin out of control. Every one of the previous characters has a role to play in what could either be the end of the world or a gigantic reprieve. We get oodles of happily ever after out of this book, enough to satisfy even the most cynical of readers. It was wonderful to get this great blend of awesome romance (with super hot sexy time scenes) and a conclusion to all the big bad storylines we’ve accumulated along the way. I’m sad to see the conclusion, but so happy with how it was done. I’ll eagerly pick up whatever other series spawn from this great world.




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