Taking over the world, one book at a time
TITLE: Power Unleashed
SERIES #: Miami Scorcher Series #3
CHARACTERS: Adam Tucker & Paz Cabrera
AUTHOR: Savannah Stuart
PUBLICATION DATE: August 15, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
She has a big secret…
After a year in captivity, werewolf Paz Cabrera is trying to figure out her place in the world. While her sister’s new family is welcoming, Paz still doesn’t feel like she belongs to the Lazos pack. She has a big secret that could harm them all and give The Council ammunition to kill her. When The Council sends their legendary enforcer to hunt a rogue werewolf terrorizing Miami, she makes a shocking discovery about the one man she’s supposed to be avoiding. He’s her mate and she’s terrified he’ll uncover her secret.
He’ll stop at nothing to uncover the truth…
As enforcer and one of the oldest living werewolves on the planet, Adam Tucker had fated himself to a lonely life. After centuries by himself, he never expected to meet his mate while on the job, but now that he’s found her, he won’t let her go. Paz denies their connection, but she can’t escape the sizzling heat between them. No matter what it takes, he plans to uncover the truth behind her resistance and bond her to him forever.
Miami Scorcher Series, #3
Length: 35,000 words
REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Adam is the Council’s enforcer. He is the one that has to clean up all the dirty work. His has been sent by the Council to investigate the two she-wolves saved from the lab and track down a rogue werewolf. Adam knows how to do his job and he does it very well. He is always prepared. Always. Except this trip to Miami he not prepared. Because he never prepared for her.
Paz has survived being kidnapped and locked away in a lab for over a year. She is safe now. As long as no one finds out her secret. A secret that if the Council’s enforcer find out about could lead to her death. Paz’s only chance is to lie and hope that the enforcer never finds out.
I really enjoyed Adam and Paz’s story. Both Adam and Paz have a lot of secrets in their past which makes them perfect for each other. They will also learn what the meaning of trust and love are. I am looking forward to the next installment in this series.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & KR Press, LLC in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
TITLE: Rage/Killian
SERIES #: Bayou Heat #17/#18
CHARACTERS: Rage & Lucie/ Killian & Rosalie
AUTHOR: Alexandra Ivy & Laura Wright
PUBLICATION DATE: August 11, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Get Wild in the Wildlands
From New York Times Bestsellers, Alexandra Ivy and Laura Wright, the heat of the bayou is back with Rage/Killian in an all-new dual ‘tail’. Enter the Wildlands, where a new, volatile danger threatens the sizzling hot Pantera.
RAGE
Rage might be an aggressive Hunter by nature, but the gorgeous male has never had a problem charming the females. All except Lucie Gaudet. Of course, the lovely Geek is a born troublemaker, and it was no surprise to Rage when she was kicked out of the Wildlands.
But now the Pantera need a first-class hacker to stop the potential destruction of their people. And it’s up to Rage to convince Lucie to help. Can the two forget the past—and their sizzling attraction—to save the Pantera?
KILLIAN
Gorgeous, brutal, aggressive, and human, Killian O’Roarke wants only two things: to get rid of the Pantera DNA he’s been infected with, and get back to the field. But the decorated Army Ranger never bargained on meeting the woman—the female—of his dreams on his mission to the Wildlands.
Rosalie lost her mate to a human, and now the Hunter despises them all. In fact, she thinks they’re good for only one thing: barbeque. But this one she’s guarding is testing her beliefs. He is proud and kind, and also knows the pain of loss. But in a time of war between their species, isn’t any chance of love destined for destruction?
REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts I am not catch up on this series, but Rage & Killian’s story can easily be read as a stand alone novella. Yes, it might be a tad bit spoilery for some. I didn’t have an issue, but just a warning.
Both Rage & Killian’s stories are very fast paced novellas. A lot happens very quickly in each story. I really enjoyed Rage & Lucie and would love to know more about these two. I have a funny feeling Rage is going to have his hands full with her ;). Killian & Rosalie have both suffered so much in the past it is great to see two lost souls find happiness.
I really need to get on the horse and get catch up on this series.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Evil Eye Concepts & in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
TITLE: Need Me
SERIES #: Dark Obsession #3
CHARACTERS: Devlin Shade & Julianna Smith
AUTHOR: Cynthia Eden
PUBLICATION DATE: February 24, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Innocent…or guilty?
The cops think that Julianna Smith is a murderer. No one will listen when Julianna claims she’s innocent, and as the suspicions mount against her, only Julianna knows the truth…a killer is hunting her. Somewhere in the darkness, a stalker is closing in and preparing to deliver a final justice that she can’t escape.
He’s her only option.
Devlin Shade isn’t a man who trusts easily, and when Julianna Smith walks into VJS Protection, he’s well aware of her reputation—the sexy blond could be a cold-blooded murderer. Only when he looks at her, cold is the last thing that Devlin feels. There’s an instant attraction between them—hot, fierce, primal. And he agrees to take her case. He’ll be her bodyguard. He’ll keep her safe from the enemy hunting her, and he’ll also find out the truth about the mysterious Julianna. If she is a killer, he’ll turn her over to the cops himself.
She can’t let him get too close…
Julianna knows that she is walking a dangerous line with Devlin. She never expected to want him so much, and as they grow closer, she realizes that he’s working to uncover her secrets. But the secrets that she carries are worth killing for…and she can’t let anyone discover the truth, not even Devlin.
Killer or victim…
Soon the thin line between right and wrong is blurred. For Devlin, the case becomes personal, and all that matters is Julianna—keeping her safe and stopping the stalker who is on her trail. As he slides deeper into Julianna’s dangerous world, Devlin’s own darkness rises up. He’s played the good guy for so long, but now his mask is falling away. He isn’t controlled, he isn’t safe, and when Julianna is threatened, he will cross any line to keep her safe.
NEED ME.
Some needs can push you to the edge of sanity…
REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Need Me was another good story in Ms. Eden’s Dark Obsession series. We have got to see Devlin in the first to books as he is one third of the VJS Protection service. But we finally get to see what makes him tick. And of course we have seen Julianna before too. After finishing Want Me I was wondering what would happen to her and if she was indeed a murderer.
I enjoyed this book and I am very much looking forward to reading Ethan’s story.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Hocus Pocus Publishing, Inc. in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
TITLE: The Witches Of Cambridge
CHARACTERS: Amandine, Noa and Others
AUTHOR: Menna van Praag
PUBLICATION DATE: 02/09/16
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
For fans of Alice Hoffman, Sarah Addison Allen, and Adriana Trigiani, “The Witches of Cambridge” reveals an astonishing world where the heart’s deepest secrets give way to the magic of life-changing love.
“Be careful what you wish for. If you’re a witch, you might just get it.”
Amandine Bisset has always had the power to feel the emotions of those around her. It s a secret she can share only with her friends all professors, all witches when they gather for the Cambridge University Society of Literature and Witchcraft. Amandine treasures these meetings but lately senses the ties among her colleagues beginning to unravel. If only she had her student Noa s power to hear the innermost thoughts of others, she might know how to patch things up. Unfortunately, Noa regards her gift as a curse. So when a seductive artist claims he can cure her, Noa jumps at the chance, no matter the cost.
Noa’s not the only witch in over her head. Mathematics professor Kat has a serious case of unrequited love but refuses to cast spells to win anyone s heart. Her sister, Cosima, is not above using magic to get what she wants, sprinkling pastries in her bakery with equal parts sugar and enchantment. But when Cosima sets her sights on Kat’s crush, she conjures up a dangerous love triangle.
As romance and longing swirl through every picturesque side street, the witches of Cambridge find their lives unexpectedly upended and changed in ways sometimes extraordinary, sometimes heartbreaking, but always enchanting.
REVIEW:
This is the first story by this author and I found it really hard to follow. She has an odd way of writing. It felt more like I was reading from a script. Yes I know it was third person, which I have read before even though it is not one of my favorite ways, but the sentences were clipped so it felt like direction instead of conversation.
The witches are normal for lack of a better term. They are everyday women who happen to have an extra sensory power but the problem was I never connected with any of them. I really just didn’t care. Maybe it was because of the writing style. Maybe I wanted some “bubble, bubble, toil and trouble” which I really didn’t get but I just found I wanted to get done with the book.
I can see how someone would enjoy this story. I really can. I am just not one of them. This is a great book that you can pick up when you have time and put down for a while and come back to and not feel like you have missed anything but that is not the kind of book I enjoy.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TITLE: Staked
SERIES #: The Iron Druid Chronicles #8
CHARACTERS: Atticus, Graunaile, Owen and of course Oberon and Orlaith
AUTHOR: Kevin Hearne
NARRATOR: Luke Daniels
PUBLICATION DATE: January 26, 2016
AUDIO RUN TIME: 11 hours & 21 minutes
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
Iron Druid Atticus O’Sullivan, hero of Kevin Hearne’s epic New York Times bestselling urban fantasy series, has a point to make—and then drive into a vampire’s heart.
When a druid has lived for two thousand years like Atticus, he’s bound to run afoul of a few vampires. Make that legions of them. Even his former friend and legal counsel turned out to be a bloodsucking backstabber. Now the toothy troublemakers—led by power-mad pain-in-the-neck Theophilus—have become a huge problem requiring a solution. It’s time to make a stand.
As always, Atticus wouldn’t mind a little backup. But his allies have problems of their own. Ornery archdruid Owen Kennedy is having a wee bit of troll trouble: Turns out when you stiff a troll, it’s not water under the bridge. Meanwhile, Granuaile is desperate to free herself of the Norse god Loki’s mark and elude his powers of divination—a quest that will bring her face-to-face with several Slavic nightmares.
As Atticus globetrots to stop his nemesis Theophilus, the journey leads to Rome. What better place to end an immortal than the Eternal City? But poetic justice won’t come without a price: In order to defeat Theophilus, Atticus may have to lose an old friend.
Review:
5!!!
Quickie: Epic!!!! Tears!!! Laughter!!! Always pay the trolls and what where you punch them….. oh and loved the Mulder reference!!!
Full Review:
It was so good to get back into the Iron Druid world!! I have been in love with this series since the very beginning. The combination of Kevin’s story telling and Luke Daniel’s talent and voice makes for some epic adventures. STAKED was another epic journey for Atticus, Granuaile and Owen.
**spoiler if you haven’t finished SHATTERED**
STAKED picks up where we left off in SHATTERED with Atticus trying to figure out a way to rid the world of vampires, Granuaile trying to find away to free herself and Owen well, just being Owen…
There was a lot that happened in this book. And I don’t want to get anything away with spoilers. So let’s just say that I will never be able to look or think of Trolls in the same way, not sure Owen will either. Granuaile comes into her own and kicks some serious butt. Atticus learns that sometimes you have to trust the wrong people to get the right answer. Oberon and Orlaith are fun as always!!
There is heartbreak in this story. Which I will tell you is really bad when you are driving and listening to the audio book and start crying.. So just be warned.
As always the wickedly talented Luke blows me away with his ability to bring Kevin’s characters to life.
I can’t wait to see what is next in this series and where Kevin will take Attiucs, Granuaile and Owen next. Oh and the hounds too!!!
Disclaimer:
I purchased an audio version of this book and I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & Del Rey in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
02.01.16
Kimberly reviews Breakdown by Jonathan Kellerman
02.02.16
Spotlight Feature & Kelly’s review of Heather Graham’s Blood on the Bayou
Kelly & Kimberly review SEAL Wolf In Too Deep by Terry Spears
02.03.16
Kelly reviews The Shadow by Sylvain Reynard
02.04.16
Spotlight feature of Yasmine Galenorn’s DARKNESS RAGING + a giveaway
Kelly reviews Blood On The Bayou by Heather Graham
02.05.16
Kelly reviews The Dirt On Ninth Grave by Darynda Jones
02.06.16
02.07.16
Spotlight feature: Devious Minds by Collenn Helme + a giveaway
Devious Minds When special agent, Blake Beauchaine, shows up to collect a debt from Shelby, things get even more complicated, and Shelby is soon on her way to Paris. A routine meeting with a rogue agent reveals a sinister plot, putting Shelby into the cross-hairs of a known terrorist. Even worse, she doesn’t speak French, so it seems her mind-reading abilities won’t help her this time.
Things go from bad to downright dangerous for Shelby, especially since her usual guardians, Uncle Joey, and his hit-man, Ramos, are back in the states. Lost and on her own in the streets of Paris, can Shelby escape the cold-blooded killer in time to stop his devious plans, or will this be the end of the line for Shelby Nichols?
Excerpt 3 – Devious Minds
My mouth watered at the thought of chocolate, and I eagerly followed him into another maze of buildings and cobbled streets. We passed a few outdoor cafés before Blake stopped at the one he wanted. We sat outside, even though it wasn’t real warm, and ordered lunch. My order of a buckwheat galette filled with ham, cheese, tomatoes and mushrooms seemed to melt in my mouth.
After finishing up and, after a quick restroom break, we left for the chocolate store. On the way, we passed the real, honest-to-goodness, Louis Vuitton shop. I swallowed and glanced inside at all those expensive and non-knock-off handbags. Blake slowed down and studied me. He was thinking I had that glazed look of a woman just about to spend more money on a purse than it was worth.
That settled me down some, and I snapped my mouth shut. Letting out a breath, I caught up with him. He shook his head at me, and I only looked back once before we continued on. Several twists and turns later, we came upon another shop with a sign above it that read “Henri Le Roux Chocolatier et Caramélier.”
I understood the chocolatier part pretty fast and eagerly stepped inside. All the chocolates were displayed behind the glass case just like jewelry in a jewelry store, and I took my time looking at them all. A young woman came out to help us, and Blake spoke to her in French, so I didn’t know what they said. She got out a box and wrapped it up, then handed it to him.
“For you madam?” she asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted.
“What do you like?”
“Chocolate covered marshmallows,” I replied.
“Ah… I have just the thing.” She left and came back with a circular shaped plastic container with lots of square chocolates inside. “These are chocolate outside, and inside is a tender cocoa marshmallow heart. You will love it.”
“Oh, thank you… uh… merci beaucoup… très bien!”
“De rien,” she said with a smile.
While Blake paid for the chocolates, I couldn’t wait to try a piece and opened the container. I pulled out a square and carefully placed it on my tongue, then closed my mouth around it. As the chocolate flavor burst along my taste buds, I tried not to moan, but I did anyway. Next came the sweet marshmallow center, which sort of melted in my mouth. It was the most perfect chocolate-covered marshmallow I’d ever tasted in my life.
“Come on, Shelby.” Blake steered me out of the shop and checked his watch. “We have just enough time to see the Eiffel Tower, but we’ll have to take the metro. There’s a station this way.”
I followed him in a daze. I didn’t know if it was the jet lag finally catching up, or the excitement of being in Paris, or all of that chocolatey goodness. I only knew that if magic existed, this was how it felt. We came to a stairway with a railing around it and a metro sign posted above. Several kiosks lined the wall at the bottom of the stairs. Blake inserted his credit card into a kiosk and tapped on the screen until several tickets came out. He handed me half of them.
“Keep these for later.”
As the author of the Shelby Nichols Adventure Series, Colleen is often asked if Shelby Nichols is her alter-ego. “Definitely,” she says. “Shelby is the epitome of everything I wish I dared to be.” Known for her laugh since she was a kid, Colleen has always tried to find the humor in every situation and continues to enjoy writing about Shelby’s adventures. “I love getting Shelby into trouble… I just don’t always know how to get her out of it!” Colleen lives in the Rocky Mountains with her family. Besides writing, she loves a good book, biking, hiking, and playing board and card games with family and friends. She loves to connect with readers and admits that fans of the series keep her writing.
TITLE: The Dirt on Ninth Grave
SERIES #: Charley Davidson #9
CHARACTERS: Charley Davidson, Reyes Farrow, and the whole crew
AUTHOR: Darynda Jones
NARRATOR: Lorelei King
RUN TIME: 10 Hours & 15 Minutes
PUBLICATION DATE: January 12, 2015
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | B&N | Audible
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
In a small village in New York lives Jane Doe, a girl with no memory of who she is or where she came from. So when she is working at a diner and slowly begins to realize she can see dead people, she’s more than a little taken aback. Stranger still are the people entering her life. They seem to know things about her. Things they hide with lies and half-truths. Soon, she senses something far darker. A force that wants to cause her harm, she is sure of it. Her saving grace comes in the form of a new friend she feels she can confide in and the fry cook, a devastatingly handsome man whose smile is breathtaking and touch is scalding. He stays close, and she almost feels safe with him around.
But no one can outrun their past, and the more lies that swirl around her—even from her new and trusted friends—the more disoriented she becomes, until she is confronted by a man who claims to have been sent to kill her. Sent by the darkest force in the universe. A force that absolutely will not stop until she is dead. Thankfully, she has a Rottweiler. But that doesn’t help in her quest to find her identity and recover what she’s lost. That will take all her courage and a touch of the power she feels flowing like electricity through her veins. She almost feels sorry for him. The devil in blue jeans. The disarming fry cook who lies with every breath he takes. She will get to the bottom of what he knows if it kills her. Or him. Either way.
REVIEW:
3.5 Hearts Oh man… You know when you pick up a book (or in this case listen to) you have the highest of expectations? Well that was me when I picked up The Dirt on Ninth Grave. I will let you know that I really love Charley!! I mean I really love her. But I was really torn on my love/non love of this book. At first I really enjoyed Charley’s memory lapse but as the story went on I got more and more flustered by this.
I truly loved listening to Charley seeing Reyes through new eyes. I also enjoyed Reyes being so patient and showing a totally different side of his love and devotion to Charley.
I will let you know that I felt the story was a little slow. But the last few chapters had me bawling like a baby (which made driving tough). But the ending. OMG!!!!! The ending of this story is everything you hope and dream for a Charley Davidson story.
I can’t wait to see what is next and how Ms. Jones is going to write herself out of the corner she just painted herself into.
As always Ms. King does an amazing job of bring Ms. Jones words to life. And making Reyes so very very yummy to listen too. 🙂 I am very happy that Ms. King has lent her voice and awesome talent to this series. Until next time Ms. King. Until next time!!
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.
Release day: February 2, 2016
Book 18 in the Otherworld/Sister of the Moon series
Order your copy here Amazon | B&N
The New York Times bestselling author of Panther Prowling returns to the Otherworld where one of the D’Artigo sisters faces a terrifying challenge that’s more personal than she ever could have imagined.
We’re the D’Artigo sisters: savvy half-human, half-Fae ex-operatives for the Otherworld Intelligence Agency. My sister Camille is a wicked-good witch. Delilah is a two-faced werecat and a Death Maiden. And me? I’m Menolly, a vampire married to a gorgeous werepuma. As the war in Otherworld arrives, Blood Wyne, Queen of the Vampires, summons me. Apparently, my position as Roman’s consort entails more than I imagined…
As the Demon Lord Shadow Wing creates his own sinister version of the Keraastar Knights—the guardians of the spirit seals—to destroy the portals and free himself from the Sub Realms, his ally, the necromancer Telazhar, leads an assault from Otherworld into the streets of Seattle. And my sisters and I are caught dead center.
Then, on the eve of war, my wife, Nerissa, is captured. The enemy demands we surrender the rest of the spirit seals, or they are going to kill her. I will do anything to save her. Even if it means leading an army of vampires into the very depths of the Subterranean Realms…
In celebration of Yasmine Galenorn’s newest book DARKNESS RAGING (February 2nd, 2016) we’re giving away the following items in a fabulous Yasmine-themed giveaway:
ONE copy of Panther Prowling
ONE copy of Priestess Dreaming
ONE set of character art cards (9 cards total in one set)
A little about Yasmine:
New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling author Yasmine Galenorn writes paranormal romance and urban fantasy for Berkley: the Otherworld Series, and the upcoming Fly By Night Series and Whisper Hollow Series. She’s also known for her Indigo Court Series, her paranormal mysteries, and her nonfiction metaphysical books. She is the 2011 Career Achievement Award Winner in Urban Fantasy, given by RT Magazine. She lives in Kirkland WA with her husband Samwise and their cats. Learn more about Ms. Galenorn and her books here: Website| Facebook| Facebook Discussion Group | Twitter | Goodreads
TITLE: Blood on the Bayou
SERIES #: Cafferty and Quinn #3.6
CHARACTERS: Micheal Quinn & Danni Caffery
AUTHOR: Heather Graham
PUBLICATION DATE: January 26, 2016
ORDER LINKS: Amazon
BOOK SYNOPSIS:
From New York Times bestseller Heather Graham…
It’s winter and a chill has settled over New Orleans, binding a stream of blood that leads a tourist to a dead man, face down in the bayou.
The man has been done in by a vicious beating, so violent that his skull has been crashed in.
It’s barely a day before a second victim is found . . . once again so badly thrashed that the water runs red. The city becomes riddled with fear.
An old family friend comes to Danni Cafferty, telling her that he’s terrified, he’s certain that he’s received a message from the Blood Bayou killer–It’s your turn to pay, blood on the bayou.
The two quickly become involved, and–as they all begin to realize that a gruesome local history is being repeated–they find themselves in a fight to save not just a friend, but, perhaps, their very own lives.
REVIEW PROVIDED BY: Kelly
NUMBER OF HEARTS: 3
Just to let you know I have not read any of the books prior to this one in the Cafferty and Quinn series. I liked this story, but it didn’t grab me the way that I had hoped when I started. I did enjoy the history of New Orleans and the monster in the story. I think It may have been better if I had read the prior books to understand the characters a little better. But even with that I think that this story can stand alone.
Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Evil Eye Concepts in exchange for an honest review. This review is my own opinion and not a paid review.