Review: Cast in Hellfire

Cast in Hellfire by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This book was filled to the brim with surprises and even gave us a nice revelation at the end. If you’re looking for answers in this series, this book goes a long way towards giving us all the answers. Of course, there’s still more to learn and I’m not quite sure who I’m rooting for just yet.

Marion managed to muddle through the summit without her memories, but is still desperate for answers. Lucas/Seth dropped a bomb on her with his big reveal and now she’s left guessing at his motivations. Seth, meanwhile, is still rescuing damsels in distress and getting into bigger and bigger trouble. There’s also a long list of “symptoms” he’s gotten since coming back after Genesis. The only one who might be able to get him answers from the gods is the one person he is trying to stay away from. While Marion and he have a certain draw towards one another, Seth would also really like to kill her. Maybe not “like” but he would do it all the same if he let his more animal nature take over.

Marion’s also juggling her new role as Stewart of the Winter Court with being girlfriend to a sidhe prince. He’s been pretty patient waiting for her to get back into bed with him, but his patience isn’t infinite. There’s deception and games always being played and Marion without her memories just isn’t tough enough to really “play.” While I love Marion and Seth and think that they could really work, it seems like the more political choice would be the prince. Either way, Marion is pretty much playing blind without any memories in her head. The big reveal went a long way with me to make up for some pretty crappy choices earlier in the book. When will these people learn to trust? Maybe never, right? Either way, this book was completely addictive and left me wanting so much more.


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Review: Dragon Soul

Dragon Soul by Katie MacAlister
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

These books are wacky, fun, and filled with magic. This one in particular was filled with some truly entertaining antics. While it can probably be read as a standalone, it is better read as part of the series.

Sophea is a broke woman who has gleefully agreed to help an elderly woman to her cruise in exchange for a free vacation of her own. What starts as a seemingly easy task quickly gets out of control. Aside from her own thieving tendencies, Mrs. P has apparently attracted quite a crowd of assassins, the first of which strikes before they even land in Europe. Luckily, a helpful hottie ends up assisting in Sophea's protection of Mrs. P and they are able to arrive alive. Sadly, this helpful hottie has other motivations.

Rowan (aka the Dragon Breaker) has one chance to save his own life. Simply steal a ring and then beg for forgiveness from the first dragon. Without any leverage, he will surely be sentenced to death. Oh, and he is also completely smitten with the woman who has been tasked with protecting the new owner of said ring. Sophea quickly outs herself as being completely innocent as far as dragon politics and magic go. She may have married a dragon for a day a couple years ago, but somewhere along the brief romance he never mentioned anything about breathing fire.

These two together are amazing! The witty banter and sizzling chemistry made for a truly excellent read. Even if you don't know who all the other characters are from previous books, the zany antics are hilarious. They even manage to get a nice wrapped up HEA where good gets to conquer evil. If the books continue to be this good, I'm eager to see where the author takes us next.

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Review: All We See & Seem

All We See & Seem by Tammy Blackwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This short story reminded me why I loved this series. My review is full of spoilers if you haven't read the series (and if you haven't, then you shouldn't be reading this book yet anyway).

This takes place while Scout and Liam are on the run together. The much unseen relationship development between Jase and Talley is the focus of this book and (sigh) it is awesome. I don't think we really got enough of Jase and Talley in the main series so I was overjoyed when I found out the additional short story was completely about them. Sure, there's larger story at work, but we all know how that works out, so the focus is 100% the romance. And Jase's super awesome roommate, but that's just because I liked being reminded of him before his book happened.

We join Jase and Talley off at college, still trying to be double agents and plan this big rebellion. It was really great to watch Talley stand up for herself and essentially lay it all on the line for Jase. Sure, these two really needed a push, but once they realized how much they were lying to one another, it ended in a blissful (although already known) happy ending. This is a must read for fans of the series.

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Review: Released

Released by Jus Accardo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Wow - you ever read a series that just gives you everything you want? This series has taken me on a rollercoaster that had me crying, laughing, and smiling at various times, but it ultimately left me incredibly satisfied. I'm happy to have met these characters and been introduced to this world, but so very sad to see it end.

It's here, the final showdown, only none of the characters really know yet. When we last left our main characters, they were not in the best of places. Sam was safe and claimed, but Jax was trapped by Azirak and unable to escape his own head. This book picks up soon after the events of the last (don't read these books out of order!) and we find Sam struggling to accept that her boyfriend's body is controlled exclusively by a demon. Sure, before it was a balance and there was even some sexy fun time between them, but now it is something entirely different. In true Sam fashion, she knows she just has to hold out hope for a solution, no matter how far fetched.

This book somehow managed to convince me that Azirak has feelings. They aren't really human feelings by the true definition, but I found myself rooting for him almost as much as I was rooting for Sam and Jax. While sometimes the bad guy, he was a surprise hero when the time called for it. The overall mission for this book (as assigned by Abel) was to track down the stone that we briefly encountered in the last book. With lots of magical powers, it has to be stopped before more hellish things start entering their world.

It takes a lot to have a book make me cry, but this one did it. I was 100% engaged to the point where I almost didn't want to finish the book because the experience would be over. All of the characters struggled in such "real" ways and managed to make the best of their truly heartbreaking situations. It had me really begging for some truly spectacular happy endings. We get a very satisfying wrap-up to the series that made all the turmoil worth it. My real question is, without these characters, now what do I read?!

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Review: Embraced

Embraced by Jus Accardo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This series just keeps getting better and crazier and hotter with every turn of the page! Fair warning - this one has a cliffhanger-ish ending that would've driven me bonkers if I didn't have the next book to *immediately* dive into. I think no matter what, though, how could you *not* dive right into the next and last of the series, right?! That being said, this was another stellar paranormal read with all the sizzle you could ever want.

Jax and Sam and walking a tightrope at the start of this book. They each had to make sacrifices and deals with Abel to survive the last book relatively intact, but that has left them struggling in the confines of "friends." Neither is really sure what happens if they break the rules, but it is probably pretty bad. As if that wasn't hard enough, Jax still has a psycho brother roaming the world who always manages to mess with his semi-happiness. In this case, he shows up under the guise of helping and hooks Sam up with a magical ticking time bomb. Oh, and turns out that Sam is now the most coveted prize among angels and demons, which risks her life even more.

We all know what happens when people try to kill Sam - Jax does bad things to them. In this book we really get to watch more of the Azi/Jax interaction and realize exactly how blurry the line is between them. While Azi might be a royal who has live oodles of lifetimes, he just might be becoming more "human" during this life with Jax. Sam and Jax's epic love story might just teach an old demon a thing or two. All of this is contingent on Ari's old flame not resurfacing along the way. That would get awkward (and it does).

This book delivers a steady stream of twists and turns, action and romance (do I even need to mention their chemistry again?), and some truly wonderful characters. Seriously, I dread the day that I don't get to visit with these characters anymore. They are all (even Azi) pretty amazing. With a bit of a cliffhanger at the end, I highly recommend loading the next book onto your kindle immediately (when it comes out)!

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Review: Ruined

Ruined by Jus Accardo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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

Wow! From start to finish, I couldn't put this book down! I read a lot of PNR and it takes a book being re-readable to get a 5 star rating from me and that is exactly what I gave this first installment of The Eternal Balance series. I can't believe I didn't read this book until now!

Jax and Chase are brothers descended from a line of cursed (or infested) men. It skips generations here and there, but eventually someone is born with a demon inside of them. That demon drives the infested brother to do evil up to and including killing the other brother. Jax has struggled with this burden all his life, convinced that he is essentially tainting all of those around him. The only ray of light in his life is Sam, his next door neighbor growing up and his closest friend. He is also madly in love with her. Sadly, for him, happiness is what drives his inner demon crazy, so it is for the best that he runs far far away from this temptation.

Sam is... amazing. She's damaged, dark, but ultimately determined to make the most of her life and that includes dragging Jax back into it. Sure, Chase is around and he might look a lot like Jax (being twins and all), but he is no substitute for her partner in crime. She's also got this little problem with people trying to kill her. The first few times it was easy to write off as coincidence but it's becoming more and more obvious that the target is truly her. The timing couldn't be better, though, because Jax is finally back in town and he's going to have to make a choice.

These two are just my absolute favorite. I thought I would get annoyed by Jax's constant sacrifice, but the book managed to balance that fine line for me. He's a great character and he constantly surprised me. They also manage to have a chemistry that was off-the-charts hot. Sure, it might be cursed or doomed or they're on the road to destruction, but watching these two together was the best. The tension was so good that I wasn't even mad when another twist or turn was introduced. I want more - so much more! I'd read anything as long as these two were the main characters. Something about the combination of gritty realness and paranormal surprises kept me flipping pages at high speed. Obviously, I dove right into the next book. You should, too!

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Review: The Haunted Heist

The Haunted Heist by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This series is filled with fun and entertaining hijinks by the wonderful mix of ghosts and small town characters. If you like a little paranormal in your mystery (and a teensy bit of romance), this series is definitely worth a peek.

Verity has been having a tough go of it. She lives in a small town with a long memory. Sure, breaking up with her groom at the wedding and keeping her reasoning a secret wasn't exactly going to make her a star, but I don't think she anticipated just how much it would change her. What started out as a bit of "minimalist living" (aka selling all her possessions because she is now broke) ended up introducing her to her new ghostly BFF, Frankie, who she inadvertently trapped. So, fast forward a little bit and we are back with Verity, still mostly in the same situation. She's trying to free Frankie (eventually) and she's still broke, but she has now mostly embraced her ghost hunter-like skills. Oh, and she's still got the maybe-boyfriend Ellis, who is just about the best man ever.

So what's this installment about (other than moving along the above larger storylines)? Well, Verity appears to be finally making headway in her life. Being asked to do a presentation of her design work for one of the town's biggest businessmen should have been a good thing. And it was - until the murder. Verity at another crime scene isn't exactly new in town, but she is still determined to do the right thing and use her ghost connections to try to solve the mystery. While I had my guesses along the way, I wasn't able to guess how this one ended, which is always good. This was a fun adventure in the life of Verity and friends. I was happy to dive back into this ghostly world and can't wait to see what's next for this bunch of characters.

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Review: Cast in Angelfire

Cast in Angelfire by S.M. Reine
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This world is my favorite. If you haven't read any books from this author before, I highly suggest you start from the beginning and build your way up. I'm pretty sure you can dive in, but it is just so much better when you get all the hints and clues, references and cameos. Have I mentioned that I love this world.

We join Marion at age 18, now a powerhouse in the supernatural community and being hunted. Flash forward to her now having lost her memory and being forced to rely on the kindness of strangers. Oh, and lots of people want to kill her. Her powers seem to be inexplicably linked to her memory loss and she only has one name in her head: Seth. Lucky for her, she finds herself in a hospital with a doctor who clearly has a hidden past (and agenda), oodles of supernaturals with dubious motives, and sidhe who either want to court her or kill her.

The fun of this story was trying to figure out the truth from the fiction. Even having known some of these characters in previous books didn't necessarily help much. With Genesis throwing all the pieces up into the air, some people didn't really end up the same person they started as. This is becoming increasingly clear as some secrets are slowly revealed through the events of the book. While we do learn a lot in this installment, it is also clearly setting up lots and lots of things to come. I have to say, I haven't been this excited about a series in a while. I cannot wait to see where Marion ends up at the end of all this (and who we see along the way!).

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Review: Playing the Witch's Game

Playing the Witch's Game by Zoe Forward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

While I missed the book in between, I've had experience in this world before reading this one. I think this can be read as a standalone if it needs to be, because it is mostly the story of Nikolai (aka Nick) and Jen.

Jen has cast a spell to draw her soulmate to her. At the same time, the host of a reality survival show has run into her more times than is natural. Putting two and two together, she assumes that this is it. The only catch is that Owen (the host) says that in order for them to date, she has to go on his show, which also happens to be a special couples version. After striking out with random guys, Nikolai proves to be a worthy candidate to help her out. Oh, and he's not above making her promise to spend the night with him when all this is over.

Nikolai knows that they are fated, but is a little stumped about why she is so insistent that she prove herself to Owen. She surely won't survive this show with anyone else, so he's willing to put himself in this position knowing that he will never be good enough to actually be the man for her. They both realize rather quickly that the show has it out for them (and involves bonus characters from Nikolai's past). Throw in some hexes, hot soulmate action, and a few surprises along the way and you've got a solidly entertaining read.

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Review: Amber Flame

Amber Flame by Caris Roane
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

I admit that I may have jumped around a little bit in the series, but it didn't seem to impact my enjoyment of this 4th book of the set. There is a very rich world that we are thrown into that comes along with some history that we are reminded of along the way.

Fergus and Mary have been having dream sex for a while now. While Fergus can accept that he wants to mate with Mary in real-life, Mary has constructed blocks preventing her waking self from remembering all the naughty things they have done together. All of this comes to a head when Fergus is fatally wounded by a cheating challenger. In order to save his own life, he has to reach out telepathically to Mary and drawn her into his dangerous world.

These two have some ridiculous chemistry that helps them find some common ground when the world around them is exploding (sometimes literally). There is a war brewing in their world and it seems like Mary is the key to avoiding an incredible loss of life. With her fae heritage and his alpha wolf experience, they are tasked with keeping the peace and finding the traitors. Oh, and there's lots of sex along the way.

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Review: Prophecy Girl

Prophecy Girl by Cecily White
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

I'm not sure what's up with the negative reviews of this book - I really enjoyed it from start to finish. Who wouldn't be drawn into a book that has a title that brings back memories of Buffy with some other Academy books thrown in?

Amelie is a bit of a bumbling academy student who has a bad reputation. Her family's history with the academy leaves a lot to be desired and her participating in some permanent record worthy actions didn't really help either. She spends her evenings hunting (which is against the rules) and convinces her BFF to come along, too. Another year begins and it brings with it even more mayhem. And a hot new substitute teacher. And pressure to find her bondmate (a requirement to hunting successfully).

Jack, the hottie teacher, runs hot and cold with her. Mixed signals are his game and it is a little frustrating until we get to the heart of the matter. These two have some sizzle (possibly indicating more than frustration) but they also appear to be gigantic magnets for trouble. Said trouble gathers momentum until they are on the run from just about everyone, second guessing any real alliances, and trying to solve a string of murders in their community. There are tons of twists and turns that had me guessing until the end. This book was impossible to put down and now I want to dive right into the next!

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Review: The Remingtons: Cooking Up Love

The Remingtons: Cooking Up Love by Stacey Wallace
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This was a short and sweet romance with some realistic and gritty twists and turns. If you're looking for a more "real life" romantic read, I would definitely check this set of books out.

Fabiana is a divorced mother of a special needs child who is just trying to make ends meet. Having once been a wonderful chef alongside her now ex-husband, she has had to adapt to being essentially shunned in the food industry. As a cooking instructor, she's found a way to continue sharing her love of cooking, which is exactly what gets her into a conversation with James. James was sent to the store to buy some ingredients as a bit of a hazing ritual. Turning to ask Fabiana some questions begins a flirty relationship right from the start.

These two are both wonderfully genuine characters that have some seriously epic lines. The romance, the "real-ness" and the great HEA make this a must-read to brighten your day. If you have any interest in the romance genre, please pick this one up.

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