Review: Death Over Easy

Death Over Easy by Tawdra Kandle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This third book in the series picks up where we last left Jackie and Lucas. They’re still sizzling in the sack and super supportive everywhere else. Sure, the end of the world showdown is rapidly approaching, but so is the retirement community pageant! It wouldn’t be such a big deal (other than Mrs. Mac entering) but Lucas is starting to notice that the other participants are dropping like flies. In the retirement community, this isn’t really that strange, but the clues just keep adding up and things are not looking good for the remaining contestants.

Oh, and on top of all this, Lucas brought home a young girl from one of his death broker scenes. Jackie, being the wonderful human being that she is, didn’t turn her away, and instead offered her the spare bedroom in exchange for some help setting up a new catering side business (or is that side-side business? Jackie has a lot of jobs).

So, as you can see, Jackie and Lucas have their hands full even before Lucas’s vampire maker reappears for a meet-and-greet with them and her estranged great-great granddaughter. I’m always happy to get another check in with Rafe and Nell (and, I guess, Catherine?), but all of the up-in-the-air items are just piling up at this point. If I were Jackie, I would’ve lost my mind already. As it is, I’m not sure how she and Lucas manage to handle all this stress, solve a murder-mystery, open a new business, “adopt” a young girl, and plan for their future all in one short book. Amazing!


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Review: Sex, Lies & Demon Ties

Sex, Lies & Demon Ties by C J Laurence
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was short, quick, smutty, but super-duper dark. There are some pretty shocking elements thrown in from a distinctly not-sexy place. Consider this fair warning for those readers who are in it just for the smut.

Azazel and Balthazar are on their yearly vacation from hell. They get 3 months a year to relax in any way they see fit. Azazel is the bad brother who spends his time screwing his way through one-night-stands. Balthazar is the one looking for love, the only thing that will allow them to become mortal and spend their time away from hell. They seem OK with their different approaches until they both lock onto a stranger and immediately become smitten.

In a very expected way, the bad boy brother uses a rather blunt approach to getting in Kyla’s pants. While she seems interested, they could easily spend just as much time bickering as they would in the sack. Somewhere along the way, there’s magick involved and secrets, and some ghost-type people, and people end up not being who they seem. In the end, though, everyone gets a solid HEA (even if we get there through a bit of really dark story).


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Review: Cast in Balefire

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

This series is breaking my head. There are so many tie-ins and surprises that I never know what to expect. The unique combination of gritty urban fantasy and insanely detailed world building makes these books take on a life of their own. Just when I think I have a handle on everything, we get an unexpected twist and I’m back at knowing nothing again.

This book gave us quite a few answers, which was completely satisfying. I’m not one who needs to know everything at book one, but I was starting to feel like we were never going to figure out Marion’s motives. I even came to grips with the fact that we said goodbye to Marion’s memories forever. I should have known that there would be way more plans in play. When last we saw Seth, he was dying (or his avatar was) and immediately following his death, Marion was forced to marry Konig in order to save the court. It seems like Marion is always put in impossible situations and forced to make an unenviable choice.

So, having made a choice for the good of the kingdom, does she get rewarded? No – she’s facing a possible uprising because it’s obvious that there is no love between Marion and Konig. On top of pretending to love Konig, Marion’s also got her mom to deal with, tasks from the mysterious Librarian (who may or may not be able to give Marion her memories back), and the never-ending desire to rescue Seth from wherever he is. Is it strange to want to rescue a god? Not in Marion’s world. I really don’t think it’s possible to summarize all the contents of the book in a review because even I had trouble keeping up. There’s double-crossing, rescuing, kissing, escaping, kidnapping, remembering, and lots of blood.

Overall, this delivered on so many levels yet left me hurting even more for Marion and Seth. Bonus, though, we get some very nostalgic flash-backs! This entire universe that the author has built can pretty much do no wrong. I am, however, looking forward to seeing where Marion ends up.


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Review: No More Black Magic

No More Black Magic by A.L. Kessler
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Abby is an independent woman who just so happens to also work for the Paranormal Investigation Bureau. Oh, and she’s also a super powerful witch who was raised by a super powerful vampire. Throw all of this in with a serial killer on the loose and you’ve got the chaos that is Abby’s life.

This latest case forces Abby to look a little closer at her tragic past. Her parents were murdered in a pretty horrific way when she was a child but she has never really wanted to dive into the possible motives surrounding their murder until signs just keep pointing her to her father’s linguistics work. While exploring that avenue, she’s almost killed, nearly stripped of her powers, and her car explodes. Normal people would back off at this point but Abby is only more determined than ever. She’s also got her almost-partner/friend/werewolf/maybe-date to help her get drawn into even more drama along the way.

The mystery really takes you all through this brand new world and I can honestly say that it has me hooked! At times I found myself comparing it to Kim Harrison’s Hollows series, but it had less of a magical spin and more of a gritty urban fantasy feel. Lots of blood and body parts were thrown in for good measure, too. If this is only the beginning of the series, I can’t wait to see where else it will take us.


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Review: Charcoal Tears

Charcoal Tears by Jane Washington
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was a fast-paced and interesting introduction to the world of Seraph Black. It was by no means a standalone book, so if that will bother you – reader beware! The story revolves around Seraph’s rather abrupt introduction to a world filled with powers and pairs.

Seraph’s live revolves around protecting her little brother from their father’s abuse and trying to be as invisible as possible. She manages to eke out a life for a little while without incident until lack of food and distraction almost gets her run over by the new kid’s car. One touch from her rescuer (another new kid) informs her that strange things are afoot. Combine their obsession with her, the very involved art teacher, and her only friend from the club where she works, and Seraph starts to suddenly feel… popular? That brief reprieve ends when she starts getting threats via some pretty creepy stalker photos. Someone is able to get rather close to her without any knowledge, even after her mysterious new friends step in to offer assistance.

We get to go through this entire process along with Seraph. There is no bonus information available to us, the reader, so we are just as lost as Seraph when clues pop up. The draw she feels to her new friends, the dependency, the risks, it all combines to make for a very dangerous new world for her. Part of me wishes we got more answers in this book, but the other part of me really enjoyed the addictive nature of such a mysterious introduction. Of course, I can’t wait to get more from this series. Will these bonds prove more trouble for Seraph? Will she meet the larger organization? What about her stalker? So many questions!


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Review: World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War

World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I listened to this one as an audiobook and am very happy I did. The setup of the story is told in lots of little short survivor accounts. Without the repetition of the voices, I’m not sure I would have remembered who was who when they popped up again.

I should add a disclaimer that I am not usually a fan of zombie or war stories, but everyone told me that we absolutely had to grab up this audiobook. Meh. It was not my favorite read but it was clearly well thought out. There were some stories that were more engaging than others, but overall the voice actors did a really great job (and it was nice to hear some familiars popping up along the way). If you like reading about war, zombies, and post-apocalyptic survival – I don’t think this book could possibly disappoint you. It has thought of everything, including what would happen to people in space when the zombie apocalypse happens. I was pleasantly surprised by having all of my questions answered by the end of the book.

Now, the reason that this book left me a little unsettled had nothing to do with open storylines. They were all nicely buttoned up at the end of the book. The thing I felt was extremely lacking was a real theme of any sort. Sure, the thread that connects them all is zombies and surviving in this new world, but we just got individual glimpses of the survivor lives, no any sort of “moral” (for lack of a better word). I was kind of expecting a more definitive takeaway after all the time we spent with the characters, but none was there that I could see. Some countries preached that individualism was what saved a lot of people. Some countries preached that the close-knit and farm-to-table approaches were what sustained them. While interesting, I wish it had some sort of takeaway other than “wow that zombie war sucked!”


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Review: Deader Homes and Gardens

Deader Homes and Gardens by Angie Fox
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This series is always a joy to read. If you haven’t yet picked up a book in this world, you should probably start from the beginning, but these definitely have a standalone feel to them.

Verity has finally fully embraced her ghost hunter occupation. Rather than keeping it under wraps, she’s been pounding the pavement trying to get work with her new and unique skillset. Armed with little more than tenacity, she doesn’t have much hope for getting a first customer but is surprised to find a very famous client in the form of the Rock Fall mansion. Her human client is a very skittish relative of the original owner who has not stepped foot in the house since its haunting. He’s being doing his best to restore the grounds, but even those are filled with ghostly activities.

This book was jam-packed with the wonderful characters that I’ve come to expect and was definitely the most mysterious of the mysteries in the series. Did that make sense? It will when you dive in. Verity is challenged in this one to not get dead, solve a really complicated mystery, and keep her partying ghost companion in check. Hilarity and scary scenes kept the pages quickly turning in this great installment. I can’t wait to see what craziness Verity cooks up next!


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Review: Legal Wolf's Mate

Legal Wolf's Mate by Eve Langlais
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wow – this was a book I just couldn’t put down! Something about the combination of the twisty-turny characters, the mystery, and the alpha male just made for a very addictive combination.

Gavin is a reluctant werewolf who has continued his very successful law firm business even with the added benefit of his shifter genes. Lured in by the chance to get dirt on his maker, he accepts Megan’s case. Megan has been accused of murdering her boss. A secretary who was found with some pretty damning evidence, it seems like there is no way out. Once Gavin meets her, however, he knows that he will do anything to protect his fated mate.

Megan is definitely more than meets the eye. She is supposed to fall into his arms (as per Gavin’s information about fated mates) but she definitely does anything but. These two fiery characters have some amazing chemistry and some deep dark secrets. Navigating their complicated lives proves almost more difficult than getting Megan’s charges dropped. What a good read!


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Review: Vega Brothers: Julius

Vega Brothers: Julius by Kim Fox
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a quick, romantic read with a shifter twist. If any of those things interest you, it’s worth checking out as an afternoon read.

Julius and his band of brothers have just lost their father. They were all previously forcefully recruited to some sifter army-type gig that unfortunately overlapped with their father passing away. Upon return to the family ranch they are confronted with an ultimatum left by their dear departed dad – marry before the end of the year or lose the ranch. Through a game of chance, Julius ends up getting stuck being the first one to search for his mate. A quick look at a mail order bride site, though, and he immediately falls into lust with Ava.

Ava had a bit of bender the night she signed up to the website. High on pills for her dental work and alcohol, she quit her job, broke up with her cheating boyfriend, and put herself out there. After essentially forcing herself to start over in the morning, what did she have to lose by going on a date with the hunk that contacted her? Fate seems to find a way to throw these two together and even end up with a much deserved happy ending. This was a fun read and intro to this world.


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Review: Vice

Vice by Genevieve Jack
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

Laina is the princess of the Fireborn werewolf pack and she hates it. She’d much rather live her life as a vet and find love on her own time. Instead, she is rapidly being pushed into marrying for politics rather than love. Unfortunately, there is a murderer still on the loose and he’s getting closer and closer to finding Laina. Through a witness relocation of sorts, she ends up abandoning her business and staying with a troll. Even undercover, however, she can’t seem to shake Kyle.

Kyle is the heir to a wildly popular chain of clubs that just so happens to move into the troll’s territory. Through some complicated troll-logic, Laina gets forced to make an attempt to get the club shut down, but easily gets tracked down afterwards. Kyle uses this as an excuse to get her in his house to train his dog (long story) and the romance can finally begin. Yes, there’s still suspicion and questions along the way, but I really enjoyed this romance. Something about the way they reconnect and find common ground really made me root for them. I was happy to see things work out in the end.


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Review: Bears Do It Better

Bears Do It Better by Jessie Lane
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

OK, I admit, this story started out a little weird. Misha is an orphan bear who was raised by Russian tigers. She ends up going to Grayslake chasing down a lead on her blood relatives. Borys is immediately smitten with Misha before they announce their reason for visiting. There are some confusing family trees discussed, but ultimately this is a fated mates tale for these two. I especially enjoyed his nickname for her and the mindless way that he is driven to her at the beginning.


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Review: Grayslake: More than Mated: Make Her Howl

Grayslake: More than Mated: Make Her Howl by Flora Dare
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

It was completely exciting to dive back into this side story after having finished up the main book. If you’ve read the series, then you know that Magda is the adoptive mother of a newly mated girl that ultimately drove her back to her hometown of Grayslake. Having already gone through the love and loss of a mate, she has no interest in getting involved with anyone. Marc, however, won’t take no for an answer. He knows what loss is like and is still willing to take a shot at happiness. All he has to do is convince Magda that he is worth it. It felt great to finally wrap this tale up in a way that has all the characters ending up where they should.


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Review: Grayslake: More than Mated: Sunday Bear-becue

Grayslake: More than Mated: Sunday Bear-becue by Celia Kyle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

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

This short story shows a glimpse of the craziness that is life in Grayslake. In this tale we revisit Mia as she and her mate host a barbeque. What could possibly go wrong? There are wild and crazy kids, completely un-funny antics, and sneaky steamy sessions. A little taste for those of you not familiar with this world and a nice little peek at what everyone has been up to for those of us who read the books.


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Review: License to Shift

License to Shift by Kathy Lyons
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This book was a high school crush story with a twist. Having met Mark in the previous book, I was definitely excited to get to his story this time.

Mark is doomed to die within the year. His bear is just too strong for the man to contain and one of these times, he won’t be able to shift back. He’d been working on a last chance effort with the local folklore expert until he suddenly fell ill. His daughter is in town to visit him and try to get his house in order for his return, but her visit brings up all sorts of things thought lost in Mark.

Julie previously spent summers with her father and was subsequently shunned by the local people. She didn’t understand that they weren’t just being typical kids, and instead were trying to protect a lifelong secret for the bear shifters. Mark was the only one who snuck away to be with her. Running hot and cold, Julie had her heart broken when Mark finally did hook up with her only to promptly run away. Imagine her surprise when Mark greets her naked and grumpy but utterly smitten. Suddenly high school doesn’t seem so long ago and she’s reconsidering her memory of that night so long ago.

I was desperately rooting for Mark to get his happy ending and this book definitely delivered just that. Sure, there are some bad guys and some mysteries to solve along the way, but the love story is what held my attention. Julie and Mark are perfect for each other and the way they wrap this book up is a perfect ending for Mark’s story. We get a little snippet of where the next book is headed, and I’m equally excited to see that story play out.


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Review: Renegade Dragon

Renegade Dragon by Lolita Lopez
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

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

This short read was jam packed with dragon-y smutty goodness. While you don’t have to read any other books in the series first, it would probably give you a better understanding of the world you’re diving into.

Eris Jones is on a mission to rescue her missing friend. Some illegal hacking has given her the first clue – that Ivy is on some secluded property. Niko never expected a fellow dragon to break into his house, so his wards were not exactly set up that way. His safeguards aren’t really an issue until she wanders into his back yard and bites one of the golden apples. Eris appears to have been the level-headed friend to Ivy until confronted with the alluring apples. Everything in her should be screaming at her to stop, but the draw is too strong.

When Nico and Eris meet face-to-dragon-snout the magic truly begins. These two are wonderfully reluctant fated mates. Watching the balance between the scientists in both of them to the lovey-dovey couple was entertaining and engaging. While the story was short, it felt like a solid installment in the series.


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