Friday, December 28, 2012

A Soul For Trouble (Soulbearer #1) by Crista McHugh

A Soul For Trouble (Soulbearer, #1)


A Soul For Trouble (Soulbearer #1)


When you’re a witch named Trouble, chaos follows.

Arden Lesstymine (known to everyone as Trouble) likes attention as much as the next girl, but this is getting ridiculous. When an insane stranger is murdered at the inn where she works, Trouble becomes the next Soulbearer for the disembodied god of chaos, Loku. Yes, it comes with the ability to channel the god’s limitless power, but at the cost of her sanity — literally. Now she has a sexy but cynical knight claiming to be her protector, a prince trying to seduce her to his cause (and his bed), and a snarky chaos god who offers a play-by-play commentary on it all, whether she wants to hear it or not. To make matters worse, a necromancer wants to capture the soul of Loku for his own dark purposes, and the only way he can get it is by killing her first.
My Review
A Soul for Trouble is the first book in the Soulbearer series by Crista McHugh. Ms. McHugh is a new author to me so I didn’t know what to expect when a friend recommended this book. I had been living in the world of urban/contemporary fantasy the past few months so it was a welcome change to go back to my first love of straight-up fantasy.

What can I say… this book was well written and a lot of fun! The story weaves together many archetypes such as Greek gods, Elves, Mages, a Necromancer, a fire wolf and it’s all set against a medieval backdrop. Now doesn’t that sound fun? Ms. McHugh very creatively pulled all of these elements together and made one heck of a story that’s full of honor, duty, action, chivalry, compassion and betrayal.

The main protagonists are very well written and developed. I’ve said this in past reviews and I’ll say it again. I know the author is well written when I actually care about the characters. When I cheer for them, want them to find happiness or when I want to see the antagonist destroyed means you’ve got me sold. Yes, that is what makes a character driven novel go from meh to Great! My only lament with this book was there could have been little more development in regards to the necromancer antagonist. Just a little more would have rounded it out nicely for me.

There is a bit of a love triangle in this book. It’s pretty subdued and didn’t detract or distract from the main thrust of the novel, I appreciate that. With all of the other elements involved in the story it would have felt forced adding any more romance to an already great book.

Crista McHugh is a fantastic descriptive writer. One can definitely visualize all that is going on in the Soulbearer world she created. There is a nice flow to her writing, almost like she is an old pro that has been writing for decades.

If you love a good fantasy novel with a touch of romance then give this a read. It will not disappoint.

I give A Soul for Trouble 4.5 stars

Friday, November 23, 2012

Impulse (Mageri #3) by Dannika Dark



Impulse (Mageri #3)
by Dannika Dark

 
Almost one year ago, a Mage attacked Silver and changed the course of her destiny.
Immortals exist, and now she is one of them.

Within the dark and supernatural city of Cognito, Silver is living under the watchful eye of her Ghuardian and dating her mortal enemy. Neither man can protect her from a dark secret, one buried within the contents of a box. As rival factions struggle to gain control, she finds herself in the middle of a centuries-old feud that threatens to drive a wedge between her and Logan Cross, the man who intends to seduce her.

In an explosive turn of events, one life is saved and another is forever altered. Can Silver trust those around her, or are they hiding a dark secret of their own?

Review

I have been anticipating the release of Impulse for months and the wait was well worth it!  Impulse is Dannika Dark’s third installment in the Mageri series and it’s just a brilliant as the previous two! In Impulse, the reader is provided with a lot of character development, some back stories and, lets not forget, a couple of new and exciting characters.

In book 2, Twist, we were left wondering where the relationship between Logan and Silver was headed. *Mini Spoiler Alert* Hold on to your e-readers. They DO take it to the next level! Uh, and I will leave it at that *wink wink*.   I have to say, I wasn’t totally sold on Logan in book 2. I mean, towards the end he was starting to win me over but I wasn’t convinced.  Well, book 3 did it. I’m sold! I’m all about team Logan! Ms. Dark does a fantastic job of writing the über alpha male, but one that also has a sweet, gentle and caring side. Okay that’s a very dorky and Fabio-ish way for me to phrase it so I will add by saying, his character is written in such a fashion that it isn’t cheesy nor eye roll worthy,... no way Jose. Just believe me when I say, she wrote the perfect man when she created Logan.

Silver does a lot of soul searching and growing in this book. As a reader we get a little more back story into her human past. The family dynamics and relationship with her Mother sheds a little light on her spit-fire personality. We can understand why she is mouthy and guarded, why she keeps everyone at a distance. It was a real sad glimpse into her past and I hope her character gets some more closure in the books to come. Don’t get me wrong, I do love it that Silver speaks her mind and I hope she doesn’t lose that. Her character cracks me up and I had many a LOL moment. My two favorite scenes in the book were the Gathering and the scene where Silver confronts Justus in the parking lot. It's brilliant because it’s all stuff we wish we could say to people in real life when we confront them. Who knows, perhaps you are the type that gives a good mouthy retort? However, I for one am not thus, I get to live vicariously through Silver when she pops off her one liners. I have a feeling Ms. Dark has and older brother judging by her snappy comebacks, to men especially.

Another character that got some more page time was Justus. We didn’t see a whole lot of Justus in book 2 so I was excited to see he had more of a pivotal role in Impulse.  And, oh my is his back story ever so heart breaking. Again, this was another huge character developing moment for us readers. We get to see that Justus and Silver aren’t so different. They both have huge barriers, albeit they stem from different sources, but they are both guarded beings that won’t let anyone get too close. I won’t spoil what Justus’ deal is but let me tell you, it’s a flippen Greek tragedy.

I absolutely adore this world Dannika Dark has created. It’s creative and different with a life of its own. I love that it’s a little world hidden in plain sight, right under the noses of regular human beings. If you love Urban Fantasy then this is Urban Fantasy at it’s finest! Ms. Dark is so talented, I have yet to be disappointed, bored or lack-luster about any of her work thus far.

5 Stars for Impulse. Keep-em coming Danni!

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Caged By Amber Lynn Natusch

Caged (Caged, #1)

Caged (Caged #1)

I stood in the middle of the room, unmoving – I barely breathed. My life had just become surreal, impossible, and one enormous lie. I needed to go, to run somewhere, anywhere to beat back the reality that was rapidly closing in around me. The image of him was burned into my retina, flashing over and over again like a warning. He was trapped somewhere between human and decidedly not, and I realized that was my new reality.

My Review

Wow! I had no idea what this book was about before I read it. And disappointed I am not! This book and series really deserves so much more attention then it has been given.  

Caged is written from our heroine Ruby’s POV; a woman in her late 20‘s who grew up blind. However, after a tragic event she miraculously regains her vision.  Here’s the fun, the reader gets to experience all of the weird little nuances that a recently sighted person might have. It’s a neat little perspective and backstory we get on our heroine and immediately makes the reader want to like her. Caged is sort of a slow build as Natusch is introducing us to characters as well as Ruby’s perceived world. She does this to create a wonderful set-up before the big bombs drop. And boy do they drop. 

Normally I am not a huge Werewolf fan but Natusch’s Caged is making me sing a different tune. Yes, yes, I know reviewers always say, “Oh what a new or different take on blah, blah, blah...,”  well, in this case they are correct. Natusch does take a classic paranormal baddy and gives it an interesting twist.

I drank this book down faster then I would guzzle a nice micro-brew after a long run. Yeah, it was that good.  I am extremely impressed with Ms. Natusch’s writing. She is wonderfully descriptive and has the gift to keep her audience engaged and interested. Her character’s have a lot of depth and are not your typical cookie-cutter black and white good guys versus bad guys.  This I appreciate, as it adds a little bit more reality to the story.

If you enjoy Werewolves, PNR, Urban Fantasy and a plot driven story with fantastic writing, then please, please give Caged a read. You won’t be disappointed.

I give Caged 4.5 stars 


Sunday, October 14, 2012

Toxic Part One (Celesta Series) by Addison Moore


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Toxic Part One (Celestra #7)
By Addison Moore

Skyla Messenger’s days are numbered.

With an angelic Faction War riding on her shoulders, and her mother’s newfound need to cozy with the enemy, Skyla also has to deal with the fact someone close to her has openly deceived her. 

Skyla learns that sometimes in life, and in love, things aren’t always what they seem. 

My review

Toxic is the seventh installment in Addison Moore’s Celestra series. Originally the series was going to end on book seven, but, apparently book seven was too large and therefore, has been split and made into a two-parter. Thus, it sort of makes it hard for me to review.

This is the first time in this whole series I will not be giving Ms. Moore a 5 star rating. Gosh, even typing that hurt my soul.  My only hope is that the second part to book 7 is so awesome that I have to come back here and eat my words. Don’t get me wrong, the book is not bad. It’s just,..well,...nothing really happens.

Skyla is still in love with Logan, and Gage. In lust with Marshall and quite possibly, wouldn’t mind a little tête-à-tête between the sheets with Ellis. Yes, yes, yes, this we already know. 

Then there is the whole faction war. Yeah, it’s still going strong and Skyla keeps botching it and every other thing she touches. Again, I am still left wondering, how is Ms. Moore is going to wrap this up? The same stuff keeps happening and I feel like I've been sucked into some sort of crazy loop of events. Call me impatient, but after 6 previous books I want something new, more, with perhaps some resolutions.

Okay, you see how difficult this is?!? Knowing that there is a second and final installment gives me pause and consideration when writing up a review. I honestly have faith that it’ll all get sussed out in the end and we will get all the answers to all of our burning questions. Well, okay, that’s my hope at least and I think Ms. Moore is a talented enough Author that she can pull that off.

It’s no secret to many of my friends that I am a huge fan of Addison Moore. A witty Author, with prose so beautiful and eloquent it makes me want to cry. Even when her characters are being funny, there is still so much depth and grace in her words. So in that respect, I love reading her work, regardless of the conflict and resolution.

I am anxious to see how this series will wrap-up.

I give Toxic 4 stars. Based on the merit of beautiful writing, not storyline.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

Blood Singers By Tamara Rose Blodgett


Blood Singers (Blood, #1)



Blood Singers (Blood #1)

A sub-species of human beings...

Twenty-year old Julia Wade, a young woman tragically widowed, is in the middle of a bizarre bid between two mythical species who are vying for the unique properties she offers; her blood. The vampires need her to balance the food load of the human species and give them their coveted “Lightwalkers.” The Were wish to be moonless changers; a Rare One can make that a reality. 

Julia wants to belong to herself. 

Can she free herself and begin a new life?


My Review

When I read the synopsis for Blood singers I was immediately intrigued. It seemed like a different spin on your typical vampire, werewolf fare. Plus, I am an admirer of Ms. Blodgett’s writing. Thus, I was pretty stoked to sink my teeth into a different series written by her.


Julia and Jason were high school sweethearts. After graduation they sneak off to Vegas and elope. They return to their home town in Alaska when Julia is immediatly met with the terrible tragedy of Jason’s violent death. Dang!... Talk about ruining the honeymoon.

The main protagonist Julia, is a blood singer and her blood calls out too every vampire, werewolf as well as other blood singers out there. Her blood is “extra special”, Rare, as it contains something magical that can be used by each of the varying species in order for them to gain something they lack. An example, for vampires, its the ability to walk in the daylight. 

We soon find out Julia is wanted by every creature that goes bump in the night. She is kidnapped, held captive and always on the verge of completing some crazy ritual that would bind her to that particular breed of creature. And right when that's about to go down some other faction swoops in to takes her away. It did get kind of funny that everybody wanted Julia. But, I quickly picked up on the tongue and cheek humor from Ms. Blodgett when she wrote, “ Was it vampire? Were? What the hell...trolls? Could there be more mythological creatures  springing to life to kidnap her....” Yeah, after I read that,  I was assured of the author’s awareness that this was getting a little ridiculous-even for our heroine.

I will admit, I had a difficult time getting into the groove of this book for the first couple of chapters. There are many POV’s and quick scene changes within a given chapter, making it a little hard to follow...at first. However, once I found the tempo and rhythm the author had set forth I was immediately captivated and found that I enjoyed this style of writing. 

With all that said, the book ended with a gnarly cliffhanger leaving me frantically swiping my finger over my phone in desperate hopes of there being another chapter. Heck, even another page! But, sadly no, and Ms. Blodgett just left me hangin’.

Overall, I give Blood Singers a 4.5 out of 5 stars. I have the second book Blood Song all queued up and ready to read. I am curious to see who will end up with the coveted Julia and her Rare blood.

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Twist by Dannika Dark



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Months after moving to the mysterious city of Cognito, Silver is developing her gifts as a Mage, and learning how to live under new laws. Forced to give up her old life, she must now live in secret among the humans. She finally has hope of leading an ordinary life . . . until Logan Cross walks into it.

Their chance meeting leads her close to discovering the identity of the nameless Mage who once stole her light and discovered the unique power she possesses. That knowledge poses an unimaginable threat to Silver, fueling her search to find out who he is, before he finds her first.

Lives are at stake. Truths are revealed. And an unexpected passion ignites.

My Review

I started 3 books this past week and sadly I could not finish a one. That almost sucks as much as giving a bad review. So, instead of plodding along and torturing myself with another possible fail, I decided I would cleanse the proverbial palette and read Twist for the second time.

I must confess, it is a rare book or series that comes along, that I love so much I want to re-read it. Well, Ms. Dark, you have won my heart and I have re-read your work. And I do, whole heartily declare, I loved it as much the second time around!

Twist by Dannika Dark is the second book in the Mageri Series. It starts right were Sterling left off. But, with the added bonus of a few new characters, and a couple of chapters from different POV’s. Fear not fans, Silver, Justus, Simon and Adam are still in the mix and as awesome as ever.  
The major new addition is Logan Cross, a Chitah, and he is superb! He is not the typical guy Silver would fall for and that just makes it feel so perfect. In fact, the majority of the romantic sub-plot seems to be centered around the theme of mismatched couples. I really liked this element. It keeps the humanistic, real world vibe nicely intertwined throughout . Because hey, this happens in life a lot. Sometimes we end up with a man or woman whom we least expected. And they are perfectly designed to meet our needs. However, It usually takes some time for us to realize that. Analyzing our hearts and figuring out the damage, and what is needed to repair it, is never fun, and usually ends up being a very painful process.  Anyway, that’s exactly what Silver comes to realize with Logan. He seems to be exactly what Silver needs. Making it a wonderfully realistic and romantic journey. 

Twist doesn’t skimp on the action scenes either. They are packed full of nail biting tension, great descriptive writing that allows the reader to practically be a part of the fight scenes themselves.

We do learn a little more about the Benefactor and his devious plans. This is the major conflict in the story and main vehicle that is pushing the series further along. I am curious to see what is going to happen here. I feel like Ms. Dark is just beginning to scratch the surface on something big. I feel like a major bomb is gonna drop!

Dannika Dark is a very talented, witty, funny and entertaining writer. You can guarantee a few laugh out loud moments, a couple of teary eyed moments and some nice, well rounded, thought provoking plot lines.
I can barely contain my excitement about the very soon to be released third book in this series, Impulse

If you are a fan of PNR and UF then you MUST, MUST, MUST, read Dannika Dark’s Mageri series. You won’t regret it.




Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Master Of Crows by Grace Draven

Master of Crows

Master of Crows 
 by Grace Draven

 What would you do to win your freedom? This is the question that sets bondwoman, Martise of Asher, on a dangerous path. In exchange for her freedom, she bargains with her masters, the mage-priests of Conclave, to spy on the renegade sorcerer, Silhara of Neith. The priests want Martise to expose the sorcerer's treachery and turn him over to Conclave justice. A risky endeavor, but one she accepts without hesitation--until she falls in love with her intended target. Silhara of Neith, Master of Crows, is a desperate man. The god called Corruption invades his mind, seducing him with promises of limitless power if he will help it gain dominion over the world. Silhara struggles against Corruption's influence and searches for ways to destroy the god. When Conclave sends Martise as an apprentice to help him, he knows she's a spy. Now he fights a war on two fronts--against the god who would possess him and the apprentice who would betray him. Mage and spy search together for a ritual that will annihilate Corruption, but in doing so, they discover secrets about each other that may damn them both. Silhara must decide if his fate, and the fate of nations, is worth the soul of the woman he has come to love, and Martise must choose continued enslavement or freedom at the cost of a man's life. And love...

My Review


First order of business;  I have to gush about the cover art! Best cover art ever! This beautiful piece of work was created by the talented Louisa Gallie. She is a Concept Artist, Illustrator and she also designs e-book covers. And after reading this book, I have to agree with what Ms. Draven wrote in her dedication.

”... an enthusiastic thank you to Louisa Gallie who found the heart of this book and brought it to vivid life...” 
                                                   
That she did! This artist really captured the essence of this book. It’s exactly the way I pictured it. Amazing! 

Okay, well, I could ramble on and on about the importance of fantastic cover art. How crucial and sometimes overlooked it can be. But, I won’t bore you with my musings and statistics. Instead,  I’ll get right to reviewing the content.

Master Of Crows is a Fantasy/Romance that is threaded with darkness, arcane magic and has an antediluvian/medieval vibe

This book seemed more like a romance then fantasy to me. The romance is a slow progression, but once it’s out there it’s all about the lovin’ and the fantasy aspect takes a back seat. For some reason that disappointed me.  I was really getting into the fantasy world that Ms. Draven so beautifully created that I sort of forgot this book was categorized as a Romance as well. I would have liked the romance toned down just a little in order to evenly balance with the fantasy. 

However, I was not disappointed in the characters. I thought the consistency was there. I know some reviewers scoff at the servant/master role between Martise and Silhara but I have to disagree.
 Martise, was raised  a slave. Taught to serve in the house of Asher. This is all she knows. That is who she is and we do see her progress slowly out of that role as she discovers her powers. Later on, we see she is treated like a mate and equal. 
Silhara, is a brooding loner type who has pushed people away his whole life. Other Mages have feared him and treated him as an outcast. He assumes that role. However, Martise is able to break through that protective wall he has so stubbornly created and thus, drops his guard long enough that we as readers get a chance to see the man Martise has fallen in love with.
Silhara and Martise are the main protagonists  is this tale but my heart goes  to the supporting character Gurn.  Gurn is the man-servant of Silhara, and is mute. I was so impressed with how skillfully Ms. Draven wrote his character. Obviously he has no dialog but his personality shines through the pages with the way she has so artfully scripted his actions and expressions. From a writing stand point, that is truly an impressive feat. I smiled when he smiled and felt frustrated and angry when his character did as well. Gurn’s character was an unexpected surprise and he stole the show for me.

Grace Draven is a wonderful descriptive writer. She sucked me into the land of Neith and I had no trouble at all visualizing all of the layers and subtile details. A talented and promising author that I expect will produce nothing but superior work in the future.

I recommend this book for those of you who love a romance first and a fantasy second. I give Master of Crows 4 stars. A great book for the antiquated romantic at heart.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A Hidden Fire by Elizabeth Hunter






A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries Book #1)



             A Hidden Fire (Elemental Mysteries #1)


Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Madley and the Jackal by M. Leighton



                                       Madley and the Jackal (Madley 3) by M. leighton 


How deep does love run? Deeper than the ocean? Deeper than memory? Deeper than magic?

Following their plan to save Atlas, Madly and Jackson return the spirit of Wolfhardt to his prison beneath the sea. But even the best laid plans couldn’t account for the surprises they find. This time, Lore aren’t their only challenges.

Madly is special in ways no one could have guessed and dark forces seek to control her. They want her power, but first they must weaken her. They need her beaten. Vulnerable. Near death. And alone. But that task isn’t an easy one with Jackson at her side. The strongest of their kind, the only way to separate Jackson from Madly is to destroy his love for her, to erase it from his mind. And his heart.

Is it possible to steal Jackson’s love from Madly? Or is their love the only truly unbreakable thing?
Review

I must confess I should have been reading other novels and writing up reviews for those first. But the sweet, sweet siren’s call of M. Leighton’s beautiful and lyrical writing pulled me asunder; deep into the world of Madley James.

Madley and the Jackal is the third installment in M. Leighton’s Madley series, and it does not disappoint. It starts off right where book 2 ends. Jackson and Madley have finally declared their love for one another. And with their combined strength, they make their way to atlas to return the first Lore that has escaped. Returning him to his imprisonment. This is the first look the reader gets of Atlas and of the neat little world Ms. Leighton has created. 

I won’t spoil what happens in Atlas. But lemme tell you, the end result is swoon worthy...sigh. Yep, I think all women will “heart “ Jackson after reading this book. 

Madley has upped it a notch in book 3. Her maturity, strength and confidence really shine through. She really has to suck it up and rely on her own strength in order to save her mate and ultimately the world. She can’t lean on Jackson this time around. Madley has to depend on her years of training and upbringing as a Royal in order to save the day. This is where I really give props to Ms. Leighton in staying true to Madley’s character. At no time do we find Madley sitting in a big pile of emotional mess, all tears and snot. No, not really, not even in her darkest hour of heartache and terror. However, Madley isn’t queen of stoicism either. The way she deals with her emotional struggles, fear and stress seem very realist. This is what makes Madley a very relatable and likable character. 

I have just been wow’ed time and time again by M. Leighton’s work.  All that I have read thus far has been nothing less then exceptional. Her work is so diverse. Spanning the gamut of YA Paranormal Romance to New Adult Romance. Each series has it’s own voice, tempo and feel. I have yet to read something from one of her series and say, “oh, this is just like what happened in...”  or, “ This protag is just like the one she wrote in ...”   That is the mark of a smart and creative mind IMHO.

Well folks as you can probably tell, it’s official. I have crossed the line and have gone all fangirl for M. Leighton!
I highly recommend reading anything from her work. If Madley’s world doesn’t sound like your bag, then I know there is defiantly something that Ms. Leighton has written that will appeal to anyone.

I gladly give this book 5 stars! And eagerly anticipate book 4.  

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

The Forever Girl


The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey (Forever Girl, #1)


The Forever Girl: Sophia's Journey (Forever Girl #1) by

Sophia's family has skeletons, but they aren't in their graves.

At twenty-two, practicing Wiccan Sophia Parsons is scratching out a living waiting tables in her Rocky Mountain hometown, a pariah after a string of unsolved murders with only one thing in common: her.

Sophia can imagine lots of ways to improve her life, but she'd settle for just getting rid of the buzzing noise in her head. When the spell she casts goes wrong, the static turns into voices. Her personal demons get company, and the newcomers are dangerous.

One of them is a man named Charles, who Sophia falls for despite her better judgment. He has connections that might help her unveil the mystery surrounding her ancestor's hanging, but she gets more than she bargains for when she finally decides to trust him.

Survival in his world, she learns, means not asking questions and staying out of the immortal council's way. It's a line she crossed long ago. If Sophia wants to survive the council and save the people she loves, she must accept who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.


The Forever Girl is a full-length Paranormal Fantasy novel that will appeal to lovers of paranormal romance, urban fantasy, witches, vampires, ghosts, paranormal mystery, and paranormal horror.


Review

Wow! I was pleasantly surprised by this novel! While I do enjoy para-romance and urban fantasy, the occult and wiccan’s don’t really pique my interests. So, I thought I would go out on a bit of a limb in choosing this book and I am very glad I did.

While I sat down to start reading this novel, I was thinking,  “ Oh boy, is this gonna be some emo-goth girl grumbling about her life, meet some hot guy and all the while, get sucked into witchcraft and the occult sort of story?”  However, I set that thought aside,  opened up my ereader and began. As I read the first chapter I soon realized this book was not what I expected and I was in for a treat.

Author, Rebecca Hamilton weaves such an imaginative tale that it makes one sit-up and take notice of the rich complexity and creativity between the character’s and story line. All is not totally how it seems, and as the story unfolds most, if not all is revealed leaving the reader wanting more.

The story is from Sophia’s POV. She isn’t the strange, goth-girl pariah that the small town of Belle Meadow makes her out to be. She is very likable and sweet. Sophia also isn’t a push over and she stands her ground on her convictions. 



There is a buzzing in Sophia’s head that forces her to perform a ritual in the hope that it would silence the sound. Instead she sets off a chain of events that lead her to discover who she really is and was destined to become.

During this journey she falls in love with Charles. At first I wasn’t a big fan. He later grew on me though. My initial impression was that he was a smug, indifferent, I think to highly of myself type. He gives Sophia mixed signals and ,well frankly, it just irritated and annoyed me. However, as the plot thickens and the story progresses, Charles drops his guard and softens into a character any woman would fall for. The reader learns that both characters (Sophia and Charles) have fears and trust issues. Hence, all the tension. But, I won’t spoil the plot by revealing what those are. However, know that what’s revealed makes total sense and the characters become more personable and forgivable.

The Forever Girl spans over time and distance and as the reader we are blessed to get some delicious back story. So much so that it made me say, “ Well, I didn’t see that one coming!” I love it when I am taken by surprise by some sort of twist and that’s just what Ms. Hamilton did.

This story was not formulaic at all and I am in awe of the creative genius that went into this endeavor. Therefore I give this story 4.5 stars.

I look forward to reading more of Rebecca Hamilton’s work!

Friday, August 10, 2012

To Kill A Warlock (Dulcie O'Neil #1) by H.P. Mallory


To Kill A Warlock

To Kill A Warlock (Dulcie O'Neil #1) 
The murder of a dark arts warlock. A shape-shifting, ravenous creature on the loose. A devilishly handsome stranger sent to investigate. Sometimes working law enforcement for the Netherworld is a real bitch.

Dulcie O’Neil is a fairy. And not the type to frolic in gardens. She’s a Regulator—a law-enforcement agent who monitors the creatures of the Netherworld to keep them from wreaking havoc in the mortal world. When a warlock is murdered and Dulcie was the last person to see him alive, she must uncover the truth before she’s either deported back to the Netherworld, or she becomes the next victim.

Enter Knight Vander, a sinfully attractive investigator sent from the Netherworld to work the case with Dulcie. Between battling her attraction to her self-appointed partner, keeping a sadomasochistic demon in check, and fending off the advances of a sexy and powerful vampire, Dulcie’s got her hands full. As the body count increases, Dulcie finds herself battling dark magic, reconnoitering in S&M clubs and suffering the greatest of all betrayals.
If you looking for a fun, fast paced urban fantasy with out any pretense or deep character drama, then this is the book for you! 


My Review
To Kill a warlock is the first installment in the Dulcie O’Neil series. This book reminded me of (dare I compare?) the Sookie Stackhouse novels. However, and here’s my caveat; it’s cleaned up in the bedroom department and laced with a bit more humor.

The main character, protagonist and first person POV is Dulcie O’Neil. She is a likable, saucy gal with a great sense of humor. Dulcie is very relatable, she may be strong and miss independent but she still possesses many human flaws (even though she is a fairy). She struggles with self-esteem and rejection issues, and hey, what women hasn’t walked through that raging inferno a few times in her life? So yeah, I found myself really rooting for ol’ Dulcie. Oh, and I just loved that she was an aspiring writer. We get a  peek into Dulcie’s novel and writing process and it-is-a-hoot!

Her male counter parts and bff Sam are just delightful in their own ways. They each have very distinct personalities and play to their roles quite nicely. Sam, the bubbly and supportive friend, Trey the gross, kind of frat-boyish partner, Knight who is tall dark and sexy, Bram the snarky seductive vampire and Quill the handsome, encouraging boss. All of these characters played well off of one another and remained consistent and true through out the novel.

With murders to solve, a book to write, and betrayal looming around the corner Dulcie O’Neil is the girl,...er, um,... fairy, who can tackle it all!

A very fun read, that I defiantly recommend. 
I give it 4 Stars  

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

To Kill an Angel (Blood Like Poison #3) by M. Leighton


To Kill an Angel (Blood Like Poison, #3)

To Kill an Angel (Blood Like Poison #3)

Ridley Heller thought her life would be perfect and trouble-free once she had Bo back. Unfortunately, she couldn’t have been more wrong. Learning Bo’s true identity has left them with their most difficult decision yet. They have two options. One, they can run away together and spend eternity looking over their shoulder, hiding from both God and Sebastian. Or, two, they can find a way to kill Sebastian. Ridley feels like there’s really only one choice, but killing Sebastian has a major down side for her—it will leave Bo mortal and her a vampire. She’ll be doomed to walk the earth alone for all eternity.

What will they choose? And who will have to die in order to see their goal accomplished? Find out in the exciting conclusion of the Blood Like Poison series, To Kill An Angel.

My Review 

 Angels, vampires, and demons all in one! Score!  Another fantastic series by indie writer M. Leighton. To Kill an Angel is the final installment in the Blood Like Poison series and Ms. Leighton wraps things up quite nicely with a pretty red ribbon on top.

This was a great series. Each book had its own vibe and feel. The pacing and tempo of each novel was spot on. Nothing felt clunky or stilted and I really couldn’t find any inconsistencies or gapping plot holes.

This isn’t to say I wouldn’t have minded a little more back story on some characters. For instance, we are introduced to a couple of new characters, Cade and Annika. These two characters just seemed a little thin and watered down. I would love to have had a little more backstory on Cade. He’s a sweet sweet piece of candy that doesn’t mind stirring the pot every once in a while. Gotta love that!  It would have been cool to see the relationship between him, Bo and Ridley develop a bit more. It is my sincere hope that in the future, Ms. Leighton will expound upon these two.

All in favor of giving Cade his own novel say, “Aye!”

What made this series a winner for me, were the characters themselves and their relationships with one another. Our main protagonist and POV comes from Ridley. Ridley is a very strong gal. She is compassionate, but she isn’t a push over. Nor will you find her wallowing in self pity. She is a pick yourself up by the bootstraps kinda girl. She gets a wake-up call in book one.  From that point on, she decides she is finally going to be the person that she wants to be and not the person others want or expect her to be. As a reader you get to see her transform into that particular person and I always love to see change, growth and development take place within a novel or series.
Bo, well, what can I say except,...sigh. He is divine, pretty much perfect in every way. Seriously! I think M. Leighton can pat herself on the back for conjuring up the most perfect boyfriend ever!
The supporting characters, Savannah, Devon and Lucien all add to the humor, strength and gravitas of the novel. This story just wouldn’t have worked with out them.
Then, there is the antagonist, Sebastian. He’s defiantly Mr. beautiful and deadly. A great villain.  

One major thing I really appreciated about this book and series is the smart balance of combining a love story, with personal tragedy, with growing up; all while trying to destroy evil and save the day. Normally, with this genre, one would find a large portion of the plot devoted to trying to destroy the “bad guy.” This book didn’t do that. It was a perfect amalgamation of all key emotional elements. Fear, humor, anxiety, sadness, hope and love. It was beautifully executed and awesome.

I very much recommend this book. If you liked twilight (eye roll) then seriously, read this! I assure you, you won’t be disappointed.

I give this book 4.5 stars. I knocked off half a star because, I selfishly wanted more Cade!