Friday, May 31, 2013

Fifty Shades of Brains

Title ~ Fifty Shades of Brains
Author ~ BF Dealeo
Publisher ~ Abauminable LLC
Published ~ 16 February 2013
Genre ~ Parody/Paranormal/Post-Apocalyptic

My Rating ~4 bites out of 5


Aurora Foyle and her friend Penelope Spunk are doing their best to survive the zombie apocalypse in Seattle. They attend the Survival School and Aurora works at a store that carries scavenged items. When it’s known that Master Zombie Hunter Caligula Green will be speaking at their graduation Penelope wrangles an interview with him for the school newsletter. However, before her appointment to meet him she gets food poisoning so she sends Aurora in her place. Caligula makes it known he lives to kill the undead, but now he’s interested in Aurora and wants her to work with him. Aurora would rather stay alive, but Caligula has all the good stuff, so she considers it while he works on wearing down her resistance. In the end, not even intelligence can keep people alive when they do stupid things.

I tried reading Fifty Shades of Grey, but had to stop before all my brains leaked out of my head from the sheer crappiness of the writing. Having read this book and the fun it pokes at FSoG with a malfunctioning cattle prod I have to say I’m very happy with my decision to cease and desist. Everything I need to know about it I learn in this book and it’s much funnier, too.

Aurora is an innocent with an inner slut and Penelope is just a slut. Caligula is weirder than weird. Everything else is just cake. And not post-apocalyptic cake either. This is Cake Boss cake. Fun to look at and even better to eat. I mean, read. The humor in this book isn’t for everyone. It’s not cute funny, it’s sick, twisted funny and I love it. There’s so much going on I just know I’m going to read it again just to see what I missed because you can bet I missed a lot with all my giggling. I swear I forgot how much I love parodies.


*Book source ~ Many thanks to LibraryThing and the author for providing me with a  review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

The Chosen

Title ~ The Chosen
Series ~ The Legend Chronicles, #3
Author ~ Theresa Meyers
Publisher ~ Kensington ~ Zebra
Published ~ 4 March 2013
Genre ~ Paranormal/Steampunk

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5


Remington Jackson is a part-time attorney in Tombstone and a part-time Hunter of Darkin. Oh, and he might also be part of a prophecy about The Chosen, three brothers who reunite the Book of Legend to close the Gates of Nyx thus defeating the archdemon lord, Rathe from propping the gates wide open allowing the hordes of Darkin to escape Hell and overrun Earth and eliminating mankind. All his life Remington thought the idea of The Chosen was a bunch of hogwash. Until signs started piling up and they were all pointing towards him and his brothers, Winchester and Colt, as being The Chosen. Now, it’s a race against time to find the three sections of the book, reunite them and close the Gates of Nyx all before Rathe can get his ugly toes wedged in the door. Piece of cake, right? Right?

Each brother needs a Darkin to help get through the traps set up around each piece of the book. Remington’s partner is China McGee, a shapeshifter with a little something extra though Remington doesn’t know that yet. The attraction flares hot between them, but China has been an occasional lover of Colt and that doesn’t sit well with Remington. Unfortunately, his libido doesn’t give a flying fig about her past and wants her all for himself. Can he come to care for a Darkin? And if he can, will she trust him not only with her life, but her heart? Where’s that cake?

This is the conclusion to the trilogy and I must admit to dragging my feet in reading it. I enjoyed books 1, The Hunter and 2 The Slayer so much I didn’t want the series to end. But I needed to get a move on, so I picked it up and savored it instead, reading a bit here and there. Yeah, I know, not much better on the feet dragging part, but we all cope the way we know how and at least I was moving forward. The story is well-written and the descriptions are wonderful without being overly long-winded. I love, love, love the characters and will miss them very much. A few of the traps and obstacles to the book were a tiny bit hokey, but that’s the only ‘bad’ thing I can say about it. Otherwise this is a great end to a wonderful series.

On the huge plus side, at the back of my paperback edition a novella regarding Marley is included called The Inventor. So not completely over yet! I can’t wait to read it!

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Just Add Water

Title ~ Just Add Water
Series ~ Hetta Coffey Mystery series, #1
Author ~ Jinx Schwartz
Publisher ~ Jinx Scwartz
Published ~ 25 September 2011
Genre ~ Mystery/Humor

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Hetta Coffey is an engineer working for herself and not doing too shabby. Except for that time in Japan where she fell for Hudson Williams. How was she to know that oily snake was a crook and would disappear taking money from her account as well as his company’s? But she’s moved on. It’s been years since he rabbited and a year since she heard from Interpol about him. About the time she gets bad news about her canine companion, RJ, she starts experiencing strange happenings around her house. Worried about RJ and dealing with the shock and outrage (as well as litigation) of being fired from a job in Seattle, she puts thoughts of weirdness to the side. Until Hudson Williams ends up floating like an expired goldfish in her hot tub. Why is he back, why couldn’t he have stayed gone and why, by all that’s holy, is he in her beloved hot tub? Hetta is about to find out.

This book is a lot of fun to read. Hetta is brash and bold with a mouth that doesn’t have much of a filter. Her friends are great and her life is amusing. The reason behind her mysterious happenings are easy for us to spot because Hudson gives us a clue in the beginning, but it’s hard watching Hetta putting the clues together. How can she possibly connect what’s happening to that creep Hudson? It’s like watching Columbo. We know who the killer is, but Columbo has to figure it out. That’s exactly what this book is like, only with more humor, shenanigans and booze. And yacht hunting. Because Hetta gets it into her head that she needs a yacht and, by golly, she finds one.

I recommend this book to anyone who likes a strong heroine and a story that has humor, some romance and a mystery to solve.


*Book source ~ Many thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Locked

Title ~ Locked
Series ~ The Alpha Group, #1
Author ~ Maya Cross
Publisher ~ Maya Cross
Published ~ 25 March 2013
Genre ~ Erotica/Short

My Rating ~ 2 bites and a nibble out of 5

Attorney Sophia Pearce is out with her friends bar hopping when they end up in a dive bar. While there an intriguing thing happens. Well-dressed people enter the bar, walk up to a previously unnoticed door now guarded with a large sentry and disappear through it. Sophia and her friends are curious, but it’s Sophia who decides to try for entry. When she manages to get through the door, what and who she finds behind it are not what she is expecting.

This short story is well-written, the characters are interesting and the steamy scenes are definitely hot. However, it just wasn’t a read for me. I’m discovering that I don’t like reading about submissives, most likely because I am not submissive in any way. I have no problem with someone who is a submissive or who is discovering that they are submissive, it’s just that reading a story told solely from the sub’s POV doesn’t float my boat. In addition, the abrupt end to the story was jarring. I understand that this is the first in a trilogy, but the ending could have been more smoothly done. On a positive note, I am highly curious as to what Sebastian actually does. A mystery man is so appealing!

I recommend this to subs or those who like stories told from the sub’s POV.


*Book source ~ Purchased on Amazon for a Goodreads group read.



Friday, May 24, 2013

A Vampire's Salvation


Title ~ A Vampire's Salvation
Series ~ Beyond Human, #1
Author ~ Virna DePaul
Publisher ~ Loveswept
Published ~ 22 April 2013
Genre ~ Paranormal/Erotica/Romance/Short

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5


Francesca Stewart has never wanted a man as badly as she does Jake Rios. The fact they both work for the California Governor doesn’t deter her from thinking of ways to jump his yummy bones. Unfortunately, his apparent disinterest in said jumping and his complete focus as Head of Security leaves her with just her fantasies. Until the day he drops the disinterest and lets it be known in no uncertain terms how very much he does want her, bone jumping and anything else she can think of.

Jake Rios is a vampire who needs a mate and soon or bad things will start happening to him. Luckily, in his bid to reach the Governor, he finds her. Francesca is his. Now, all he has to do is convince her of that fact. And well, that he’s a vampire. It shouldn’t be hard, right?

Well-written and quick-flowing this short gets right down to business. I love the characters and look forward to reading more about them. I have a feeling that the villain is going to be one of those guys who you want to hate so much, but he’s not completely evil. I love those guys. It’s easy to hate a complete blackguard and cheer for his downfall. Harder to hate one who has bits of grey and maybe even some white to his character. I’m not saying the big baddie in this book is like that, it’s just my impression. I can’t wait to read more.

The different take on vampires is interesting, the steamy scenes are definitely steamy and I’m curious as to how the baddie is connected to Francesa and why. Although the ending seemed a bit rushed to me, for a short story it has me hooked and, so far, I’m intrigued and waiting for the next installment. Bring it on!


*Book source ~ Many thanks to NetGalley and Loveswept for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Time Turner Tuesday ~ The Rowan



Title ~ The Rowan
Series ~ The Tower and the Hive, #1
Author ~ Anne McCaffrey
Publisher ~ Ace/Putnam Books
Published ~ 20 August 1990
Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Fantasy

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5


A natural disaster on Altair has left a three-year-old girl the lone survivor of The Rowan Mining Company’s base camp. When her mental cries reach every telepath on the planet a search for her becomes a race against time. She was trapped in a hopper under a landslide of mud. No food, no water, no comfort and running out of air. The trauma has left her no memory of her previous life, so she becomes a ward of the planet Altair and is known as The Rowan. The Rowan grows up a powerful telepath/telekinetic and it’s inevitable she will become one of the few Primes of FT&T (Federated Telepath & Telekinetic).

Her life is a lonely one until she meets Jeff Raven, a Wild Talent from a far flung colony on Deneb VIII. Together they face the alien invaders pummeling his planet and then they begin a life together. Sounds easy, right? Oh, no…nothing is ever easy for a Prime, let alone two.

Picking up hundreds of years after the original Talents series, The Rowan begins a new era for FT&T. Well-written with a fast pace the story of the Rowan’s life flows by smoothly. An orphan and a powerful T-1 the Rowan is an unusual child and leads an interesting, if lonely, life. I was happy for her when Jeff entered the picture. He’s quite the character and even more of a powerhouse than she is with considerable more charm, too.

I also loved reading about a descendant of Peter Reidinger. Peter Reidinger IV is Earth’s Prime and it’s nice to see the family line continue. Another interesting part of the story is how Deneb is handling the aftermath of the devastation. A new colony only three generations old and they just lost three-fifths of their population and both of their major cities. Deneb is a cash-strapped planet that needs to get it’s major export (minerals) up and running again in order to pay off the colonization debt. It makes me appreciate all of the things I have and how I can just make a run to the store if I need something. All-in-all a great story to get lost in.

*Book source ~ My home library

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Her Husband's Lover

Title ~ Her Husband's Lover
Series ~ Georgian Rakehells, #5
Author ~ Madelynne Ellis
Publisher ~ Mischief Books
Published ~ 21 March 2013
Genre ~ Erotica/Historical/Romance

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5


Lord Robert Darleston ends up at Field House in an effort to escape the rumors his vile harpy of a wife, Lucy, is spreading about him in London. Little did he know that on the country estate he would cross paths with the one man he always loved even after he’d lost him.

Not only is Lyle Langley overjoyed to see his former lover, he’s more than willing to take up where they left off nine years previous. However, after everything that Robert has been through, he doesn’t want to cause problems or scandal for Lyle or his wife Emma. Besides, Robert isn’t just enamored with Lyle. While he’s had men as well as women for lovers, Emma draws him like no other woman has. When Lyle informs him that Emma knows of his sexual orientation and makes no protest and then they catch her watching them during a tryst, Robert thinks that maybe he just might have found the long term relationship he’s been searching for. If he plays his cards right they could be a happy threesome. If he doesn’t…well, harpy Lucy will be the least of his worries.

Love, love, love this story! I’ve always enjoyed historical romance, but when you add erotica to a time that is seen as so stiff and proper it just adds to the enjoyment of the story. Well-written with well-developed characters the emotions of Robert, Emma and Lyle flow off the page. Yes, the erotica makes for some steamy reading, but the emotions of the trio are what make it stick with me long after I’ve finished it.

Not one to normally read a book in the middle of a series, the blurb for this story grabbed my attention and I decided to take a risk. I’m happy to say that I had no feeling that I missed anything that came in previous books. This book, for me, is a standalone though after reading it I do want to go back and see what the other stories are about since this one was sooooooo good, delicious decadence that pulls at the heart.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Mischief and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Friday, May 17, 2013

Red Adept Tour ~ To Katie With Love

Title ~ To Katie With Love
Author ~ Erica Lucke Dean
Publisher ~ Red Adept Publishing
Published ~ 18 April 2013
Genre ~ Contemporary/Romance

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5


Banker Katie James has a serious obsession with romance novels. On her 29th birthday she’d rather be home reading one of her books, but her coworkers have persuaded her to celebrate with them at a local bar. Pushed into singing karaoke, it’s while she’s belting out a song that her crush walks in. Cooper Maxwell is one of her bank clients and one hot hunk of man. As a client he’s also off-limits even if she thought he was interested in her. The way he’s staring at her right at that moment though makes her wonder if it’s possible he is interested. Getting drunk, waking up at his house and barfing on his feet weren’t really in her plans, but somehow they adapt, overcome and start a whirlwind romance to rival any in some measly book. Katie’s life would be perfect if he would only stop dodging her questions about what he actually does for a living because clues are piling up and she fears she’s falling in love with a paid assassin.

Well-written, fast-moving and smooth-flowing with excellent characters this story is great entertainment. Cooper is hunky and mostly sure of himself except when it comes to Katie. Katie, after a lifetime of being put down by her mother, has low self-esteem and is finding it very hard to believe that Cooper is interested in her. Their mutual nervousness is endearing and yet so much fun to watch. Steamy without being graphic the sex scenes make me feel like a voyeur. Yum! For an afternoon of humorous delight I recommend picking this one up.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Red Adept Publishing for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Muzzled

Title ~ Muzzled
Series ~ Kat McKinley Greyhound Mystery, #2
Author ~ June Whyte
Publisher ~ Untreed Reads
Published ~ 7 August 2012
Genre ~ Mystery/Humor

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5


Kat McKinley is a greyhound trainer. After having her kennels burned to the ground and nearly being killed a few weeks ago, things are finally starting to fall back into place. That is, until some geriatric dude in purple pants tries to dognap her foster greyhound Stella. Then after he nabs her, he brings her back, tosses her over the fence and later tries to steal Stella’s brother Stanley. Why on earth would anyone try to steal a greyhound that can just be adopted? Furious at the treatment of Stella, the attempt on Stanley and the possibility her greyhounds are in danger from a dognapper, Kat once again puts on her sleuthing hat to get to the bottom of the mystery. And we know how well that went last time, right?

Well-written with a fast pace the dognapping plot is one that keeps the pages turning. I couldn’t figure out why anyone would steal a dog up for adoption or who was behind it all. I like the character of Kat and the fact her best friend works in a sex shop called The Luv Bug cracks me up. Fascinating facts about greyhound racing, interesting characters, lots of humor and a twisty mystery all combine together to make a great afternoon read.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Untreed Reads for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.


Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Making Him Wait

Title ~ Making Him Wait
Author ~ Kay Jaybee
Publisher ~ Sweetmeats Press
Published ~ 15 October 2013
Genre ~ Erotica
**Mature Adults 18+**

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5


Maddie Templeton is an artist whose work has evolved over her career until she is currently doing erotic works. She helps people overcome their sexual insecurities by putting them in erotic poses while she paints them. Sometimes those sessions end in orgasm, sometimes the model is made to wait. The anticipation, as well as the wonderful art, keeps them coming back to the Dominant artist.

After deciding she needs some lighting installed, the electrician who shows up is handsome, hot and more than fascinated by her work. Maddie decides he’s perfect for her to dominate and when Theo doesn’t tell her to take a hike, not only allowing the domination, but upping the stakes, she thinks she may have found the perfect man for her.

When Maddie is invited to showcase her work at a hot gallery she has only a short amount of time to get together 12 pieces to show. Working with her models and Theo isn’t going to be enough to get the job done. She has no choice but to call her ex lover, Tania to help. Tania may be a real pain in the ass, but she can hold a pose forever. It’s a race against time to get all the pieces completed before the show and keep her sexually charged models under control. Will she succeed? Or will she fail?

This was one hot story! Well-written and fast-paced with well-developed characters I felt as if I was right there experiencing it all firsthand. The book is filled with a wide variety of hot scenes and the emotions spill across the page. I also enjoyed seeing the many mediums an artist can use to showcase their talents. Not being an artist myself it was interesting to see Maddie create her pieces. Not just because they were so very hot *fans self*, but because they were so varied and fascinating. Kay Jaybee paints a most visually delicious story to be sure!

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Sweetmeats Press for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Time Turner Tuesday ~ Pegasus in Space



Title ~ Pegasus in Space
Series ~ The Talents, #3
Author ~ Anne McCaffrey
Publisher ~ Del Rey Books
Published ~ 31 May 2000
Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Fantasy

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5


Padrugoi Space Station is complete and now attention has been turned to building Moon Base and Mars Base. Little do Peter Reidinger and Johnny Greene know they will be instrumental in making that happen at a much faster pace than anticipated.

In the meantime, an orphaned five-year-old girl named Amariyah, is found after the floods in Bangladesh. When it’s discovered she has a lot of as-yet-unknown Talent she is brought back to the Center and raised by Dorotea. There are sinister machinations going on and Peter is in danger when he turns 18 and takes up his official duties for the Center up on Padrugoi. After an accident involving Peter on his 19th birthday the true scope of Amariyah’s Talent becomes known and it’s a doozy. And when Johnny tricks Peter into teleporting a small package from Australia to Moon Base, after getting over his shock, Peter slowly begins to realize he truly can reach for the stars.

Even though this is the 3rd book in the Talents series it was the last to be written after the Tower and Hive series was complete. In my opinion, it makes a better bridge between the two series than Pegasus in Flight and I’m glad it was added since Peter’s story is as fascinating as it is heartwarming.

There is a lot going on in this book, but most of it revolves around Peter. Since Peter is the catalyst for all of the books that follow, it’s only right that we learn the history of how FT&T (Federated Telepath and Teleport) comes about. FT&T features heavily in the Tower and Hive series.

Once again the story flows smoothly and the plot proceeds quickly. My favorite characters are back, some with much larger roles and we pick up Amariyah as well as a few more. The story still fascinates me and makes me wonder how much faster we would be exploring space if we had people with Talents such as these. The mind boggles at the wonder of it all.

I’m looking forward to picking up The Rowan to continue with the series. As I’ve said before, it’s been a long time since I’ve read this series and I’m really enjoying my immersion back into the world of the Talents.

*Book source ~ My home library.

Monday, May 13, 2013

My May Reviews ~ InD'tale Magazine





Title ~ Serenya's Song
Series ~ Tallenmere, #2
Author ~ Mysti Parker
Publisher ~ Melange Books
Published ~ 29 April 2012
Genre ~ Fantasy/Romance

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5

Full review in May issue of InD'tale Magazine.





Title ~ Gracie's Touch
Series ~ Zion Warriors, #1
Author ~ S.E. Smith
Publisher ~ S.E. Smith
Published ~ 14 July 2012
Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Romance

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5

Full review in May issue of InD'tale Magazine.




Title ~ Wander Home
Author ~ Karen A. Wyle
Publisher ~ Karen A. Wyle
Published ~ 12 October 2012
Genre ~ Paranormal

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5

Full review in May issue of InD'tale Magazine.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Club Monstrosity

Title ~ Club Monstrosity
Series ~ Monstrosity, #1
Author ~ Jesse Petersen
Publisher ~ Pocket Star
Published ~ 29 April 2013
Genre ~ Paranormal/Mystery/Humor

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5


The members of Monstofelldosis Anonymous meet in a church basement twice a week and discuss things like when was the last time they were outed, problems they are having and anything else that comes to mind. When Ellis the Invisible Man not only turns up dead, but has been killed according to His Story (by H.G. Wells), the others begin to get uneasy. Is there someone in New York City going around killing monsters? They need to get to the truth quick before more members die because no one wants to go out like they did in their Story.

This is an interesting, creative, humorous take on monsters. Well-written with well-developed characters this is a mystery that had me turning the pages as fast as I could read them. I’m happy to see there will be another story involving the monsters from Monstofelldosis Anonymous. I look forward to reading it!

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Pocket Star Books and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Time Turner Tuesday ~ Pegasus in Flight




Title ~ Pegasus in Flight
Series ~ The Talents, #2
Author ~ Anne McCaffrey
Publisher ~ Del Rey Books
Published ~ 31 October 1990
Genre ~ Sci-Fi/Fantasy

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5


Taking place about 80 yrs after To Ride Pegasus Rhyssa Owen, granddaughter of Daffyd op Owen, is now the Director of the Center for Parapsychic Talents on the North American East Coast. Along with many descendants of the original members, Rhyssa is under extreme pressure to provide kinetics to complete the Padrugoi Space Platform. Without the kinetics the space platform construction is falling behind schedule. With Earth’s population already straining its resources to the limit the space platform needs to be completed on time in order to use it for a jumping point for colony ships to be sent off to habitable planets. But that’s not the only problem the Director has to deal with.

Rhyssa is being visited in her sleep by someone who can travel out of body. She can’t get enough of who or where he is to pinpoint his location, so they have to search for him. Someone that powerful needs to be under the protection of the center and he needs to be trained in his Talent, whichever Talent that may be. When they finally find 14-yr-old Peter Reidinger in a hospital, paralyzed from the neck down as the result of an accident, and realize he’s been boosting his kinetic talent with electricity they are staggered by the thought of his potential.

In another part of the city Tirla is a 12-yr-old girl living in Residential Linear G. Her parents are dead, but she makes a decent living serving the many different ethnic groups in her linear never realizing that her knack for survival and speaking many languages is actually Talent. When the Center and Law Enforcement and Order try to crack down on a child kidnapping ring in Linear G they discover Tirla and her unusual Talent. Coaxing her to the Center she thrives along with Peter. Then the unthinkable happens. Both Tirla and Peter get kidnapped and everyone rushes to find them before it’s too late.

After discovering this series back in 1990 I couldn’t read them fast enough. I had them in my hot little hands as soon as they were published. I like that this book picks up a few generations after To Ride Pegasus because we can see the progress already made while learning the problems this generation of Talents have to deal with. I have to say that I’m glad our world isn’t as crowded as McCaffrey portrayed in this book. Yikes! Those Linears! *shudder*

Well-written with rich characters and a great plot this book is another winner with me. The potential of Peter just boggles the mind and in this book it hasn’t even really been tested yet. Tirla is also another great character with an unusual Talent. It makes me wonder how many more ways Talent will evolve over time. Oh, wait…I’ve already read all the books, so I know. *grins* That doesn’t dim my enjoyment of the re-read. I haven’t read this series in a number of years, so I’m thoroughly enjoying them all over again.

*Book source ~ My home library.

Friday, May 3, 2013

Red Adept Tour ~ Blood Echo

Title ~ Blood Echo
Author ~ Melissa Simonson
Publisher ~ Red Adept
Published ~ 27 March 2013
Genre ~ Suspense/Paranormal

My Rating ~ 4 bites and a nibble out of 5


Iris Avery and Estella Blake had been friends since they were kids. Two beautiful trust fund party girls living the life of alcohol and drugs. Until the night Estella takes her own life. After that fateful night, in some ways Iris is free from messed up crazy girl Estella, yet in other ways she’s more shackled than ever before. When people close to her are murdered and weird packages show up in her home she needs to figure out who knows the truth about the night Estella died before she’s next on the hit parade.

Well, where do I start with this book? Estella and Iris are some messed up people. Yow doggy. I know money can’t buy happiness, but to live the life they were just boggles my mind. Estella was pretty much beyond hope, but at least Iris was salvageable.

Well-written and fast-paced the mystery kept me turning the pages. The paranormal twist was very interesting, too. The only thing that kept this book from being a 5-biter was I had a hard time connecting to Iris. I hated her head-in-the-sand attitude and didn’t quite understand her love/hate relationship with Darren. Maybe I just missed something that someone else will get. The ending was a bit of a question. What the heck is Iris going to do now? Otherwise, this book is a keeper for me and I will jot Melissa Simonson’s name down on my Favorite Authors list. A most excellent read!

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Red Adept Publishing for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.



Thursday, May 2, 2013

My April Reviews ~ InD'tale Magazine







Title ~ Tower in the Woods
Series ~ Undead Fairy Tales, #1
Author ~ Tara Quan
Publisher ~ Liquid Silver Books
Published ~ 14 January 2013
Genre ~ Paranormal/Romance

My Rating ~ 5 bites out of 5

Full review in April's issue of InD'tale Magazine.






Title ~ The Succubus Gift
Series ~ The Telepathic Clans, #1
Author ~ B.R. Kingsolver
Publisher ~ B.R. Kingsolver
Published ~ 22 April 2012
Genre ~ UF/Paranormal

My Rating ~ 3 bites and a nibble out of 5

Full review in April's issue of InD'tale Magazine.





Wednesday, May 1, 2013

Dark Wolf

Title ~ Dark Wolf
Series ~ Spirit Wild, #1
Author ~ Kate Douglas
Publisher ~ Aphrodisia
Published ~ 30 April 2013
Genre ~ Paranormal/Romance/Erotica

My Rating ~ 4 bites out of 5


Sebastian Xenakis is a powerful wizard with the ability to shapeshift. Lily Cheval is Chanku, a shapeshifter who favors the wolf form. Lily and Sebastian meet at a function at the Museum of Modern Art. They have an instant connection, but something is wrong and neither Sebastian nor Lily knows what’s going on. When young women are being raped and murdered, Lily suspects Sebastian, Sebastian suspects his father and the public suspect the Chanku. Who is really responsible?

Having never read the first Wolf Tale series I had no knowledge of the characters in this book or of the Chanku world. That wouldn’t bother most people, but for me it was a bit like torture, so now I’m on a quest to find all of the Wolf Tales stories, so I can read for myself the backgrounds on how all of these couples came to be, well, couples.

The plot flows quickly and the world and characters interesting. The writing was decent, but there was a bit too much repetition. I got a little tired of hearing how Alex and Lily weren’t meant to be mates. It was discussed ad nauseum. I got it the first time. The characters wouldn’t shut up, either out loud or in their head, about how much they loved each other and how devoted they’d be to each other. I grasped it the first time it was mentioned and it was tiresome after the third or fourth time.

Ok, having said that, I did actually enjoy the story. And can I say how much I loved the sex scenes? Smoking hot! *fans self* I’m off to find those Wolf Tales stories now. I have this need to see if they’re all as hot.

*Book source ~ Many thanks to Kensington and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. Please see disclaimer page.