ARC Review - MIdnight Secrets by Lisa Marie Rice

Midnight Secrets
by Lisa Marie Rice

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Former Navy SEAL Joe Harris nearly died—twice—on a medevac helo after being blown up by an IED. He’s not moving too great these days, but if there was ever a woman designed to jump start a man’s hormones, it would be his new neighbor.
Meeting Isabel—loving Isabel—brought Joe back to life.
Isabel Delvaux came from one of America’s foremost political dynasties, until the greatest terrorist attack since 9/11 killed her entire family. She barely survived the Washington Massacre, only to become prey for rabid reporters. Fleeing to Portland and changing her name was a way out, a way to start over. The only way.
She knows she’s safe with Joe Harris. Not just because he's big and strong, not just because he's part of a security team that obliterates threats on the regular, but because he’s been to the abyss and back.

But as they help each other heal--through talk, through touch, through spectacular sex—the past comes back to play. When Isabel’s memory starts to return and a mysterious stranger sends Joe emails indicating she’s in imminent danger, he'll do anything to help her uncover the truth. Even if that truth is the most terrifying thing of all…

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley; this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

I am just like an excited puppy when it comes to Lisa Marie Rice's Midnight series, and the excitement has not died down as I stare at book 6. Just picture the excited little puppy having a full body shake and wriggle over a milk bone. Yeah, that is me when it comes to this series. There is a repeatable format that just works for me. Damaged (in some way or another) hero who is totally sweet and protectively alpha. Damaged (in some way or another) heroine with a heart of gold. Some mystery or Machiavellian scheme that needs solving and/or thwarting where they save each other or at least each save the day, and then happily ever after. Honestly, with as much serious trauma and drama as these former Special Forces security consultants have in their personal lives, it is just amazing they can be so successful financially.

It seems repetitive, and I suppose if you read them back to back, it would be. However, the characters and the plots are all just different enough to make it fun, and it is just so energetically done, that you cannot help liking them. Plus, you have this really tight knit group of men who are like family, and they fold the women into their group seamlessly. Everybody just loves everybody, and it is happy and idyllic. Is it realistic? Absolutely not. But this is my happy time, so I suck it right up.

And oh, Isabel and Joe kept me all happy wriggly in the very best ways. Yeah Isabel is mentally/emotionally damaged, but despite the quickness it happens, you do see her healing arc. And Joe is physically damaged, but already getting better. So you see them as human, but it isn't all about the angst. It is often about longing, fun, and sexy times. And food, all the delicious food. There is also the aforementioned Machiavellian plot, but honestly, that was so ridiculously over the top I couldn't really take it seriously. It was just part and parcel of the whole over the top world we have here. Suspense without the angst or nerves, if you see what I mean. And even Isobel gets to kick butt. The only real niggle I have is the whole fetishization of going condom-less. It is idiotic and irks the hell out of me, and I would completely love more condom positivity from Ms. Rice.

Overall, 4 stars because it embraces what it is, and I enjoy the ride.

ARC Review Spiraled by Kendra Elliot

Spiraled
by Kendra Elliot

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I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is third in the Mason Callahan series, and thus far, I've really enjoyed reading about the lives of adults, and I really like her monsters (of the human variety).

This book though, I am really struggling on how to rate it. I enjoyed it, I really couldn't put it down, but it did frustrate the beejesus out of me.

The story starts out with a bang, literally. Agent Ava McLane is on vacation and with a friend at the mall when a mass shooting breaks out. The reader is dragged head first into the drama and suspense. And poor Mason is stuck outside waiting to find out if Ava is safe. It was an exciting start to say the least.

But then it slowed back down to the more contemplative pace that I have come to expect from Kendra Elliot, which threw me out of the story. It took me a minute to dial back down to it, but once I had, I was back into enjoyment mode. There is quite a bit of headspace time for both Ava and Mason, and the suspense was more cerebral than action oriented. And despite Ava's vacationer status, she was very much on scene for most of the procedural parts. Following the cops and the FBI as they tracked through the clues was interesting, and I didn't initially guess the villain, though I knew something was going on. It was pretty tricky, in a good way. And then it all blew to hell in a way I am not entirely sure I was expecting. Family is the damnedest thing isn't it?

And then the denouement went right back to being action packed and explosive. It was a hell of an ending for the monster. But we were left with a remarkably broken Ava.

I think that may be what bothered me the most about this book. While Bridged felt like a complete book, this one feels very much like we need another book to have any sort of resolution for Ava and Mason, despite the relatively high note.

3.5 stars and somewhat reluctantly recommending it until the next book comes out.

Review - Cat's Lair by Christine Feehan

Cat's Lair
by Christine Feehan

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The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Leopard’s Prey returns to the feral underworld of her astonishing Leopard novels in an arousing new romance of forbidden animal instincts…
Cat Benoit has finally escaped the past—and the man who was the source of her nightmares. She’s off the grid, underground but watchful, and creating a new life for herself in Texas, far from the torrid dangers of her native New Orleans. She’s safe. He’ll never find her this time. Cat has to believe that. It’s the only thing keeping her sane.
Yet she can’t escape the attention of Ridley Cromer, the instructor at the martial arts dojo where Cat takes lessons. She arouses the animal in Ridley—and something feral comes to life when their body heat rises. Cat is in no position to let her guard down with anyone, especially someone who could be endangered by her past. But Ridley has secrets of his own—secrets only Cat would understand. If she dares to trust him..

Do you hear that shriek? That's the sound of being completely irked because you want to quit a series, but you're still waiting for one particular character's story.

Review - Never More by Dana Marie Bell

Never More
by Dana Marie Bell


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I enjoy the Gray Court series. Bell takes familiar Seelie characters, and then spins them a bit. Leprechauns, fairies, Oberon, Tatiana, and The Hob all have their roles, and within this world she incorporates vampires as a type of Sidhe, sirens, and dragon shifters. And somehow with all that mish mash, she makes it work and weaves it into something really cohesive and interesting. They have action, a story arc that ties it all together, lovely romances, and since these are from Samhain, a rather high steam rating.

Never More is the 6th story in this series and is not remotely a standalone. Honestly, this is the LEAST capable of being a standalone because it is one of those books that serves to bring the entire main cast back together to serve the overall arc, while still giving us a satisfying new romance. But it is a series I recommend to Fae and paranormal romance lovers. It is also a hard one to recommend because I think this series started out a little shaky and then really hit its stride around book 3. Unfortunately this a series that must be read in order. The first two books are by no means bad, I just don't think they adequately show how good this series gets.

As for this story, it features Raven Goodfellow (yes, related to THAT Goodfellow) and Amanda Pierson. Amanda played a pivotal role in the first book but has only been mentioned since then. She is a fire cracker with a penchant for dares and a smart mouthed attitude that I enjoyed tremendously. And in this story we get to see the sweetheart behind the bad-boy image Raven has previously presented to the world. There has been more than one heartbreaking incident in his past, and consider this your trigger warning, because Bell goes to a trope that is only rarely used on male characters. It is neither graphic nor gratuitous, but it is definitely a significant element of this story because it impacts what Raven does. With all the wedding shenanigans and appearances of other characters, the romance is a bit shoehorned in, but lovely nevertheless. I was so glad to see Raven get his happily ever after. And the thing I enjoyed most about this particular story, is how very playful the tone is. Raven has had a hard life but when given the chance and the freedom to play by Amanda, he goes full tilt toward it. This results in a barrage of goofy, groan inducing puns. If you are like me and adore some good groan worthy puns, you'll get a big kick out of it. If you don't you might just find this story "hawkward".

4 stars

ARC Review & Giveaways - Beyond Innocence by Kit Rocha

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Beyond Innocence
By Kit Rocha

For years, Jared has existed on the fringes of both Eden society and Dallas O'Kane's Sector Four gang. He travels between these worlds, protected by his money and power--money he earned selling his body, and power that comes from knowing secrets. He's untouchable—until he starts a new life gathering intelligence for the O'Kanes.
Lili Fleming walked out of Sector Five with a gun, the bloodstained clothes on her back, and an icy determination to survive. She finds herself in a world where people live hard and love harder, and nothing's more terrifying than how much the O'Kanes wake her up, make her feel—especially Jared.
Emotion is a risk he can't afford, and a complication she doesn't need. But neither can resist the lust simmering between them, and the sparks that could either melt the ice around both their hearts…or get them killed. Because the only thing more dangerous than loving an O'Kane is loving a spy.

This is book 6 in Kit Rocha's sexy post apocalytic series. Previous books I've reviewed in this series include Beyond Shame, Beyond Control, Beyond Pain, Beyond Temptation, Beyond Jealousy, Beyond Solitude, Beyond Addiction, and Beyond Possession. Needless to say, once I found them, I inhaled them. We've got a couple of giveaways here, and then my review.

Review - Let it Ride by Vivian Arend

Let it Ride
by Vivian Arend

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I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

He’s her rock in the midst of the storm
When Maggie Ward’s world is torn apart by sudden tragedy, the only thing that makes her days bearable is Clay Thompson’s unwavering presence. He’s protective, caring, and everything she could ask for in a friend. But when she finds herself longing for more than friendship, it will take a little seduction to convince the stubborn mechanic she’s ready to start living again.
She’s his heart, whether he knows it or not
Clay Thompson’s got the taking-care-of-others business down pat, only he’s never faced this particular challenge before—the one woman he’s always wanted is unexpectedly his to care for. Suddenly it’s not just responsibility driving him, but a wild desire to make Maggie truly his. But following his heart might mean sacrificing the family he’s held together for years.

This is book 3 of the Thompson & Sons series, which is actually a spin-off from the Six Pack Ranch Series. You can read the Thompson & Sons series without having read the 6 Six Pack Ranch series, but I highly recommend both series because it paints a picture of the community life and the familial bonds when you put it all together.

Let it Ride has elements of second chance romance and friends to lovers. It is a good story, there just really wasn't enough of it. Maggie and Clay were friends in high school and possibly headed toward more, but when his life imploded with the death of his mother, and he stepped up to keep his family together, they drifted apart. Years later Maggie is back in town when tragedy strikes, and Clay being the big brother and stand up guy, he is there for her.

There are just some really lovely parts to their story, and some undeniable conflicts. The one in particular with his father was heart wrenching. It was believable that a man who hasn't stopped mourning his wife might feel some negative emotions toward someone who is willing to live and love again after tragedy. That part was believable. Some people might find the speed of Maggie and Clay's relationship problematic, but honestly I didn't. Where it broke down for me was in the speed of the resolution. It was a small let down though in what was otherwise an enjoyable book with characters I rooted for. 3.5 stars

Advance Review - Day Shift by Charlaine Harris

Day Shift
by Charlaine Harris

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I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

There is no such thing as bad publicity, except in Midnight, Texas, where the residents like to keep to themselves. Even in a town full of secretive people, Olivia Charity is an enigma. She lives with the vampire Lemuel, but no one knows what she does; they only know that she’s beautiful and dangerous.
Psychic Manfred Bernardo finds out just how dangerous when he goes on a working weekend to Dallas and sees Olivia there with a couple who are both found dead the next day. To make matters worse, one of Manfred’s regular—and very wealthy—clients dies during a reading.
Manfred returns from Dallas embroiled in scandal and hounded by the press. He turns to Olivia for help; somehow he knows that the mysterious Olivia can get things back to normal. As normal as things get in Midnight…

This is the second book in Charlaine Harris' Midnight, Texas Series. I enjoyed Midnight Crossroad, but had some concerns at the aims for the series.

And I think I was right to be concerned with the aims. While there were flashes of brilliance, and elements that I enjoyed in this book, great big old chunks of it seemed like nothing more than backlist baiting. We have one very popular character of a former series who has shown up with what appears to be a retconned back-story and completely stripped of any of his former personality. (As an aside, due to events in this story it is apparent Harris has decided that the Dead But Not Forgotten book of stories is not canonical-which I find insanely frustrating.) And a second character from that series also made an appearance but it seemed contrived and not anything that couldn't better have been handled with someone in this series.

I enjoyed seeing more of Manfred, and I definitely enjoyed getting to know Olivia (she's so delightfully morally ambivalent). And Fiji, Chuy, Joe, and the Rev were very integral to the story and we were able to see more of their character's hidden facets. Bobo was more of a side character this time, as was Lemuel, and that is okay because trying to make everyone take center stage would have made this book even more scattered than it turned out to be. I think Ms. Harris might be struggling with a series that doesn't just have one or two main characters. And Manfred's mystery was overall very entertaining as was the side plot involving the new business in town. There were some "what were you thinking?/why aren't you thinking?" type moments with Manfred and Olivia, but they usually acknowledged those and corrected. But a third shoehorned in mystery was just too much and done for no real purpose that I can see at this time.

Finally, the book just sort of ended. Only one thing was resolved, and the rest was just left hanging. I suppose it is to set up for the next book, but really it felt abrupt and unfinished and I kept paging back and forth looking for the rest of it. I'll probably try to catch this at the library to make sure there isn't something that was fixed for the publication from the ARC.

Overall, I am rating this 3 stars, but bottom line-get it from the library, wait for paperback pricing, or cost share with a friend.

If you enjoyed this review, please consider "liking" it on Goodreads or Amazon.

Review - Mate Bond by Jennifer Ashley

Mate Bond

by Jennifer Ashley

Fair warning, there may be spoilers, either for the previous 6 stories or this one. This is the point in the series where I don’t know how to do this any other way.

Jennifer Ashley turned the feels up to 11. While I knew she would never pull a J.R. Ward, I was emotionally invested in this couple in a way that does not happen often for me, I felt anxiety, and heartbreak and despair, and of course joy. Previous books in this series I read for the fun and smexy times. I enjoyed them but was starting to have some doubts with the last book Wild Wolf, but this one took it to another level.

Arc Review - Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti

Total Surrender
by Rebecca Zanetti

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, this does not affect my opinion of this book or the content of my review.

This is the series finale to the Sin Brother's series. The third in the series was one of the first ARC's I ever received and I was so excited I jumped right in and gobbled up and quasi-reviewed the previously listed titles as well. I was new, and the series was tricky, so I didn't have much to say, or maybe just didn't know how to say it. But considering my love for the rest of the series, I was so glad when Grand Central Publishing contacted me to review Total Surrender.

As a whole, this series somewhat reminds me of Christine Feehan's Ghost Walker series, just not as crazy and with a tighter deadline. And while they won't make my all-time favorites re-read shelves, they are an enjoyable set of books that I think fans of PNR and military romance will enjoy.

Now, about Total Surrender in particular. I swung wildly from loving it to getting extremely frustrated. Some of the plot was not smoothly done at all. I know why it was done that way, there were scenes in there to make Jory and Piper more like real people rather than stock characters, it was to get the reader to care about them and their happily ever after. It just wasn't always well done, in my opinion, and sometimes those scenes took me out of the story. Dinners with parents that didn't move the story, sex at inappropriate times and places that didn't always have a motive. Things like that frustrate me when it takes me out of the story.

Overall though, I bought them as a couple. They were fun, they rubbed each other the wrong way, and sparks flew. And the story itself was action packed and fast paced with enough plot twists to satisfy me. Who shot Jory? I bet it'll blindside you just like it did me. There were feels galore here, plenty of tearjerker fodder that didn't hit angsty, a nice gooey romantic ending, and plenty of feels for that whole family. The author also left it open for a spin-off, but left the Dean family in a nice, solid, happy place. It didn't feel cliff hanger-like.

Overall, I am pretty pleased with this story and enjoyed the conclusion for this series. 3.5 stars

Total Surrender by Rebecca Zanetti Preview & and Giveaways!!!

There are TWO giveaways involved in this post. One is from me and the other is from the blog tour. Bear with me, because I am pretty sure the rafflecopter thing I have done (not the blog tour one) is a hot mess, it's my first time, I have a feeling this is going to be rough.

a Rafflecopter giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt:

“Madison? I have one week to live. For once, have a heart and let me live out my last days.” It was the closest he’d come to asking the brilliant scientist for anything after she’d started hitting on him when he’d reached puberty. She had a record for playing with cadets, and he’d kept his distance, as had his brothers, he was sure.

“I didn’t raise you to be a quitter. Don’t worry. I have a plan,” she said.

As usual, he’d have to work against her. He shoved a hand through his hair, which had begun to curl at his nape.

“What’s the plan?” If he was going to figure out a way to save his brothers, he had to get out of there.

“For one thing, I’d like to schedule you for another MRI. Your brain is functioning . . . abnormally.” She stared at his forehead as if she could see into his gray matter, her lip curling. “I’m having a PET scan set up for later today, also.”

Fuck, shit, and damn it all to hell. He couldn’t let her discover his special abilities, nor those of his brothers. They’d succeeded for years in hiding the very skills that had kept them alive. But ever since the coma, something new percolated in his mind. Something he apparently couldn’t hide now.

“You’ve been doing scans for months. Nothing is different.”

“The scans from last week are different.” She tapped a red fingernail against her lips.

Yeah. His best guess was that new paths had been forged in his brain during the coma, and a weird tingling in his lobe had begun the previous week. Maybe it was his special abilities increasing in power, or maybe it was something new. Either way, he had to mask the truth.

Two heartbeats echoed from outside the room, so he tilted his head to hear better while trying to appear bored. Dr. Madison had no clue about his heightened senses or his extra abilities, and he needed to keep it that way.

A soldier entered first, followed by a woman in her mid-twenties, who slid out from behind him.

Jory’s breath caught in his throat. Exquisite  Jory’s breath caught in his throat. Exquisite. For once, that word could be applied accurately. She stood to about five foot six in black boots wearing a matching leather jacket. Light mocha-colored skin, curly black hair, and eyes greener than the most private parts of Ireland.

She took one look at him and stepped back.

He moved forward and flashed a smile that made her eyes widen. If he had to scare her to make her leave, he’d do it.

Anybody seeing him in captivity would be killed by the commander after serving their purpose. So he forced sexual tension to filter through the room.

How he could do it, he wasn’t sure. Maybe pheromones and bodily heat waves, and the ability came easier now than it had before the coma. It was a hell of an advantage to use sometimes, and he ignored Madison’s quick intake of breath when he employed it.

“Is she for me?” he asked, forcing his gaze to run over the newcomer’s body and surprising himself when he hardened in response. God. He’d been on a mission and then in a coma for two years before spending time in captivity recuperating. When was the last time he’d gotten laid? Way too long ago.

He’d always liked women, although he’d never gotten close to one. Not really. They were either part of a mission or worked as doctors in the facility, and those certainly couldn’t be trusted.

This one was petite with delicate bone structure and clear, intelligent eyes. Whatever her purpose, she sure as hell didn’t belong in the dismal place. Hopefully she’d turn on her heel and get out since he’d leered at her.

Instead she lifted one eyebrow. Her face flushed. “So that’s him.”

Well, damn. Another angel with the heart of a demon. A pang landed squarely in Jory’s chest. Beauty should never be evil. “Yeah, that’s me,” he murmured, dropping the sensual attack. “Who are you?”

She opened her mouth and shut it as Dr. Madison shook her head. “It doesn’t matter who she is,” Madison muttered. Grasping the woman’s arm, Madison led her over to a computer console. “Get to work, and remember the rules.”

The woman jerked free and stepped away from Madison. She eyed Madison like an opponent in a boxing ring—with wariness and determination.

Jory frowned, and his instincts started to hum. Was the woman a prisoner, like him? Maybe he could gain them both freedom, with her help. She was outside of the cage, now wasn’t she? He smiled.

Dr. Madison glanced back toward Jory, her gaze narrowing. “Leave her alone to work, and I won’t have you tranquilized again.” With that, she allowed the soldier to escort her from the room, and the door nicked shut behind her.

The woman sat at the console and turned toward him. “Piper. My name is Piper.” She eyed the partition. Her voice was smooth and sexy . . . feminine. She guarded her expression well. “They didn’t give me your name.”

Yeah. They wouldn’t have thought to give his name. “Jory.” He really liked the way her tight jeans hugged her curves, and he appreciated the intelligence sizzling in those spectacular eyes. She’d have to be smart to help him escape.

“Why are you here, Piper?”

She exhaled slowly and stretched out her fingers. “I’m here to save you, Jory.”

Stay tuned for my review, and come back for more chances to win!

Advance Review - The Unleashing by Shelly Laurenston

The Unleashing
by Shelly Laurenston

Available 03/31/2015

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Foremost, this is not a rehash or a continuation of her previous novel Hunting Season. While I admittedly enjoyed that book, it was, to say the least, rough. The premise was something very intriguing though, so I was excited to see she started fresh with it.

From Edelweiss:

With the kind of outrageous humor that made Linsay Sands a bestseller and the larger than life characters that put Nalini Singh on the map, Shelly Laurenston—author of the New York Timesbestselling Pride series—introduces a new paranormal romance series featuring a band of tough-as-nails female fighters and the men who aren't afraid to stand up to them.

Winging It

Kera Watson never expected to face death behind a Los Angeles coffee shop. Not after surviving two tours lugging an M16 around the Middle East. If it wasn’t for her hot Viking customer showing up too late to help, nobody would even see her die.

In uncountable years of service to the Allfather Odin, Ludvig “Vig” Rundstrom has never seen anyone kick ass with quite as much style as Kera. He knows one way to save her life—but she might not like it. Signing up with the Crows will get Kera a new set of battle buddies: cackling, gossiping, squabbling, party-hearty women. With wings. So not the Marines.

But Vig can’t give up on someone as special as Kera. With a storm of oh-crap magic speeding straight for L.A., survival will depend on combining their strengths: Kera’s discipline, Vig’s loyalty…and the Crows’ sheer love of battle. Boy, are they in trouble.

Oh Shelly Laurenston, how do I adore thee? Over the top, kick-ass heroines? Endearingly sweet alpha heroes rather than alpha-holes? Plenty of action? Fun world building? Shelly Laurenston always provides a wild ride and endearing (and typically hysterical) characters.

Kera isn't exactly making her life all it can or should be since leaving the Marines, frankly she's floundering a bit. But she's got her job and her dog and her life. And then suddenly she doesn't exactly have her life any more, but she's unwilling to leave her dog. So Skuld, who has always been a bit of a rebel (she's got the only clan who isn't full of pure bred Vikings), brings her along, and drops them both in with the Crows. These ladies are crazy, a band of women who were killed and brought back as hammers for their particular god, but with a motto like "let rage be your guide" what else can you expect. And of course there is conflict with a by the book Marine getting dropped in with a band of no holds barred women living out their second chance at life, but that's half the fun. This book is action packed, largely angst free, and has a nice action and mystery to counterbalance the romance. Vig is just the kind of sweet alpha Viking hero I love to read about. And can I just say the dog, Brodie Hawaii; she's the best plot pet EVER. Yes there are probably some mythology issues, and we do just get dropped into this world with very little information (but then so did the heroine), and it is over the top. But I couldn't put it down, and I've already re-read it twice. I LOVED this book. It was fun and already has me hooked for the next in the series, and I can't wait to see what those other crazy ladies get up to.

5 stars

Review - The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire

The Dangers of Dating a Rebound Vampire
by Molly Harper

As an aside, I think this cover is atrocious.


This is Molly Harper's 3rd book in her Half Moon Hollow series (the spin off from her Jane Jameson series), and there's a nice Christmas novella to reconnect us to this tale's heroine since the previous full length-novel didn't feature her at all. Upfront, I really adore Molly Harper because of the way she handles female relationships with characters other than the hero, and their general quirky, feisty, no holds barred personalities.

The sensible beige pantsuit was mocking me.

It was hanging there, in my closet, all tailored and boring. And beige. Yes, wear me to work, and let all of your new coworkers know that you have no personality! It jeered at me. Look at you, all nervous and twitchy. Why don’t you just stay home and work for the Apple store, you big baby?

"That is one judgmental pantsuit.”

I do so love Molly Harper's heroines. They are the snarky voice inside of my head just dying to get out. They are the girlfriends I have, and the girlfriends I wish to have. Granted, I don't live in an alternate reality where at the turn of the century an accountant who has become undead sues for equal rights under the ADA (really, if you haven't already read these series, what are you waiting for?) resulting in the mass outing of the undead population. But based on these ladies, I kind of wish I did. All that being said, I was rather disappointed by Gigi. The too stupid to live meter pinged almost off the scale for almost the first two thirds of the book. It basically comes right in the end, and I suppose I might have been asking for too much from a 20 year old, but still. Don't be surprised by the New Adult flavor.

Gigi Scanlon is all grown-up, kind of. She's finishing up with college and all set to embark on a career that her sister is sure to despise, by taking an internship with the Council for the Equal Treatment of the Undead. She's also got vampire problems of the non-employment related variety. A seriously hot vampire is out to kiss her, or kill her. Don't worry too much about him; he's really just place holder fantasy vampire man with little else going on. Really it's a jumbled mess when it comes to that relationship. Witches, and vampires, and computer programmers oh my. But, Gigi's sneaky, and snarky, and pretty effing funny. There's plenty of undead shenanigans, a nice twist of a mystery, and a pretty satisfying conclusion to a "nice-guying" situation.

This wasn't the best or most satisfying book in either of the two series, but it was an enjoyable enough way to pass a few hours. And it opened up the future for some really entertaining undead shenanigans. I've got just a few words for you: See Dick and Jane legislate!

3.5 stars

Review - Prudence

Prudence
By Gail Carriger

This is a spin off from The Parasol Protectorate Series. You could probably read this without having read that series, but why would you want to? It's got steam punk and gaslight elements with all sorts of supernatural creatures, and manners, it is quite the most mannerly steam punk series to date. Plus, if you don't read the Parasol Protectorate and maybe the Finishing School series first, I may just spoil them for you. Alexia Tarabotti, being soulless, had to come up with some way to behave in polite society, and manners worked nicely enough. Her daughter on the other hand is an entirely different sort of creature.

“Frankly, all I learnt is that I must give up bloomers. Perhaps a short silk underskirt would work better? It’s the tail, you see, it rips the seams."

Rue (and she definitely still hasn't forgiven her mother for naming her Prudence), grew up to be just as spunky, and funny, and slightly spoiled as I had expected her to. How could she not, having been raised by the most fashionable Rove vampire, the Alpha werewolf, and a soulless mother - yes there were politics involved in that decision, but you are going to have to read the Parasol Protectorate to get that cleared up. Primrose, on the other hand, grew up to be no where near the flibbertigibbet her mother was. And Quesnel grew up to be quite a rake, though that's hardly a surprise as he is after all, French.

When Lord Akeldama gives Rue a new dirigible and a mission for new tea in India, a precipitous leave taking due to a fashion emergency leaves our intrepid heroines in the lurch as far as information. Rue is well on her way in espionage, like her mother, though she doesn't precisely know that. Rue and Primrose have mad cap adventures, intrigue, and disasters. And they discover the world isn't quite what they were led to believe, and that with adventure comes responsibility.

That sounds rather staid, but frankly, this book is charming, and for the most part so is Rue. It is sort of like the film The Avengers, except charming instead of irritating. Rue and Prim put on these ridiculous characters, for the most part, knowing they are being ridiculous but not caring so long as it obtains their ends. Overall, I really enjoyed this story, and I think the travel angle was an excellent choices so the reader could learn about Rue as an adult instead of merely being bogged down by characters from the previous series. But, I'll admit, I am definitely looking forward to the next book when Rue will be back in the heart of London. There was also a touch of a romantic element, but nothing that detracts from the story.

4 stars

Review - Rocky Retreat

Rocky Retreat

By Vivian Arend

This is book 7.5 in the Six Pack Ranch series. I've reviewed 1-6 previously, and really enjoyed them. They don't make my top re-readable list, but nice family stories with some smexy times and romance are exactly what I need on occasion. Book 7 was kind of meh for me, but didn't stop me from wanting to continue the series.

We'd met Rachel and Lee previously, and as much as he wanted her, it wasn't enough for her to choose him over their age gap. She picked the wrong man. And now that Rachel's seperated and thy're both trapped in a snowbound cabin, Lee's absolutely ready to show her he's the right man for her.

The snowbound enforced intimacy trope works for me as a device to speed up the connection between the two main characters in a novella, particularly when those two characters have past history and knowledge of each other. It neatly side steps many of my issues with romance novellas. Though they don't stay stuck, it was a nice bridge between their past relationship and their new more intimate one.

And I adore condom positive scenes:

“Condoms, yes. I know you’re clean, but…”    He shook his head. “This is your choice, your body, and you never have to explain.”

Plus we got the reprise of Jesse the Jerk. I'm not sure how Arend is going to salvage that spoiled brat, but it should be interesting.

Lee and Rachel's romance was sweet and I enjoyed catching up with the Coleman's. There were just two things I didn't care for, them hooking up before her divorce was finalized, and using a big dramatic thing to finally get them talking. What I like about this series is that it's about families and real seeming people, no matter how ridiculous some things in life get (life gets ridiculous for real people too), so the drama seemed like cutting corners. But I still really liked their story and look forward to getting the rest of the horde of Coleman's settled down.

3.5 stars

Review - Dead Heat

Dead Heat
by Patricia Briggs

(P.S. I am going to try adding covers again and see if I can keep them without breaking them now)

Patricia Briggs is one of my auto buy authors. I adore her Mercyverse, which includes the Alpha & Omega series. Some people suggest that you don't really need to read the Mercy Thompson series in order to understand or read the Alpha & Omega series, but I am going to have to politely disagree. Events that happen in each series influence and inform the events of the other series. This is the 4th story in the Alpha & omega series, and there are 8 stories in the Mercy Thompson series. In my opinion, you need all those stories, and you need to read them in order. But, at the least you will need to read the preceding Alpha & omega books before reading this one.

Up until this point, I would have said that the Mercy Thompson series was the Urban Fantasy branch, and the Alpha & Omega series was the Paranormal Romance branch. Dead Heat tends to move away from a stricter paranormal romance sensibility and more into an urban fantasy one, and despite my die hard romance reader soul, I was not only OK with that, I was thrilled. Charles and Anna are settled, their relationship is strong, yes there is and will be friction to their relationship because of how their pasts have shaped them, it would be impossible to be otherwise. But their relationship is strong. And that was the problem I had with Fair Game, it seemed to be trying so hard to be relationship focused and romance novel centric, that in places if made them caricatures of themselves. Not to say I didn't like Fair Game, because I did, but there were some uncomfortable moments for me, and not because of story elements, but because the character's actions didn't always seem to fit them. Dead Heat wasn't like that at all. This story was positively joyous despite the threads of violence and endangerment of children. We got to see more of how Charles and Anna are as part of a larger world, one that isn't all misery, but spans the scope of human (and werewolf) emotion and experience. Joy, love, anger, regret, fear, compassion. Yes, they focus on each other and continue and learn each other, as they should, but their relationship isn't the only focus of their lives and their actions. And that for me is what makes it possible for a series and a couple to continue to progress. We also saw the return of Special Agent Leslie Fisher, which I appreciated for one thing because I simply like her, and for another, because just as we are seeing Charles' relationships outside of Anna, I'd like to see Anna develop relationships outside of Charles.

Some threads that were picked up are: Anna's wish for children and Charles' fears, the effects of almost-immortality matched against the reality of loved ones who die, how werewolves are changed and the politics involved in that, the Fae war, and of course, good vs. evil because it wouldn't be Patricia Briggs if we didn't have that. This wasn't the sexiest or most sensual book, and we didn't get to see as much of Anna's wolf as I would have liked (yes we saw her in werewolf form, but not really her wolf), but it kept me frantically flipping pages and completely absorbed for the entire book. It doesn't resolve everything, which is good because that would cause the book and the series to feel static, but nothing pressing was left out.

5 stars

ARC Review - Delirium

Delirium
by Erin Kellison

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the 6th story in Erin Kellison's Reveler series. I am not entirely sure how I missed this for so long, as it came out in January, but I am glad to get it.

1.  Darkness Falls
2.  Lay Me Down
3.  Darksider
4.  Night's Deep Hush
5.  Bring Me a Dream


As I have previously said, I cannot in any way, shape, or form guarantee a spoiler free review. These are not stand alones, they aren't even interconnected novels, this is a serial.

This is the second entry covering Marshall Harlen Fawkes and Sera. There isn't a ton of growth in their relationship, though there is some, but this sixth novella really drives the story arc, the relationships, and it brings back Steve Coll. I still love the premise and the world building, I still love the characters, and I absolutely need to find out what is happening with the Sandman and with the Scrape (those are also the titles for the upcoming stories according to Kellison's website). Shared dreaming and lucid dreaming are such fascinating concepts and the way this is executed in this series is enthralling. What I am still not fond of is the price, and the way this is being dragged out. Assuming there will be a total of 8 novellas, and assuming the first one remains free (not things I am entirely sure you can assume any more), you are looking at $20.93 to buy this story. I am just going to reiterate, as much as I really enjoy these stories, if I had to buy them, I don't know that I would do so at this price point. I am hopeful when Ms. Kellison has completed the serial, she'll put them all together into one book and sell at, what I would consider, a more reasonable price like Ms. Brook did for the Kraken King, because the story itself is excellent.

ARC Review - Need Me

Need Me
by Cynthia Eden

I received an ARC of this book from the Publisher, via Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

This is the third book in Eden's Dark Obsession series, and I have previously read and reviewed Watch Me and Want Me. We got to see Julianna and Devlin's first interactions at the end of Want Me, and it was fairly explosive. I was super excited to get the next book, and Cynthia Eden didn't let me down. The one thing that truly had me concerned while reading it was that we would not be getting Ethan's book. I get to the end and even through the excerpt for her next new series, a little disappointed and feeling let down. So let me reassure you, so you don't have to feel that way as I did. Ethan (the antagonist/anti-hero from the previous books) IS getting his own book, Beware of Me, and it should be releasing Spring/Summer 2015.

So let's get down to the nitty gritty. Julianna is accused of murdering her husband, and all the evidence seems to point right toward her, but she maintains her innocence. She hires Devlin and V.S.J. to protect her and find out the truth of who is really after her. Devlin is yet another action character (and yes, I still think of all these men as Bruce Willis, which is I am sure NOT the author's intent, your mileage may vary, but these are action heroes more so than romance heroes). He just enough tragic back story and emotion to tip him out of alpha-hole caricature status, but really, it's all about the action, mystery, and smexy times. This story was particularly twisty, and while the twists weren't over the top ridiculous, they did really keep me engaged in the story.

3.5 stars from me. It requires a lot of willful suspension of disbelief as they are instantly attracted, the relationship spans a very short time, and by the end they are in love and completely devoted. This is par for the course for Eden's shorter romantic suspense, but they are just too fun and exciting to give up. I adore her books. This is my drug of choice and I can't wait for my next hit!

Review - The Immortal Who Loved Me

The Immortal Who Loved Me
by Lynsay Sands

I am absolutely flabbergasted. If I were talking instead of writing, I would be practically speechless. We're up to book 21 in the Argeneau series, and while Sands has at times struggled to remain fresh and coherent, it has still been an enjoyable series. But this book? I had problems with this book. Don't even bother reading if you don't want spoilers, because that is all I am going to be doing here.

The book starts off kind of novel, lots of drama and violence, and Stephanie (the teen Edentate i.e. vampire without fangs who isn't crazy from previous books) is the heir apparent in finding life mates. And this time, instead of maneuvering, Stephanie is very up front, hey vampires are real and this is your life mate, this is what a vampire is, all of that, it is right out in the open. Consequently, I think a new reader could actually start here, which is unusual for such a long running series. Everything was going along fairly smoothly, and while Sherry and Basil's chemistry wasn't the best (nothing like Basil's bother Lucien and his lifemate Leigh) I was enjoying this more than the previous couple of books, and then we hit the first speed bump: the hero Basil, has been having babies every 100 years or so over the past 3000 years with a friend of his, and as recently 25 years ago. Ok, that threw me for a loop. But he explained and while I was still not precisely thrilled with it, I understood his motivations, life is boring and they found having children fulfilling. So on we went. Then we got closer to the end and we started realizing Sherry had been controlled by a vampire her entire life. Turns out her father, while an effed up drunken immortal 19 year old, used mild mind control to convince Sherry's happily married mother to have sex with him. Later he found Sherry's mother in a hospital after she tried to kill herself over a pregnancy from an infidelity she couldn't understand, and he used mind control on them to try to fix his mistake and he stuck around. When Sherry's parents eventually divorced, he stepped in as an uncle. As Sherry aged, he wiped his image from her mind to show back up as her best friend. Later he did it again and got her to hire him for her new business. And all the while wen she went off the rails, so to speak, he would control her or wipe her mind to "fix" things. Naturally, Sherry was completely devastated and righteously angered. But then Elvi, who seemed a reasonable and sensible person in her own book, turned into a sociopath and explained how what Sherry's sperm donor did was alright because mortal parents would do it if they could, and the rape really wasn't that bad because it wasn't a violent violation. WTF? Then Basha (from a previous book also) finally had to/got to kill her own son Leo, who is the true villain of this current story arc. And Sherry realized everything is hunky dory and she looks to go rescue her dad from the horrific punishment he is due (violent though the punishment was, it seemed like an appropriate one to me). Sherry and Basil admit their love, they find out Sherry's paternal grandfather will be showing up, and the book basically ends. 

So basically, I am not at all pleased with this book. I am not pleased with the way this book handles consent, and I am not pleased with this lopped off ending. I honestly don't know if I am finished with this series, but unless something spectacular is happening in the next book I am doubtful I will continue. I am sorry to say, but this story has negatively colored the entire series for me. No rating from me, only disappointment.

Review - Viper Game

Viper Game
by Christine Feehan

WTF did I just read? No really, WTF? The first chapter or so, I kind of heaved a sigh of relief, I could maybe put this series down. This is almost a spin-off of the spin-off of the series. She's introducing new characters all the time without finishing the ones we already have. And the evolution of the powers and manipulations have become more and more off the wall. I don't think I have really LOVED this series since Deadly Game and Conspiracy Game (books 4&5 which I went back and re-read those two this weekend and I still love them).We're on book 11 now, and all I can say is WTF you guys.

We have viper assassin toddlers, y'all. I'm not even playing with you, so let me say it again y'all - VIPER ASSASSIN TODDLERS. I could probably just stop right there, but that isn't the end of the WTF-ery. We also have a heroine who is addicted to sex, but the hero can temporarily "cure" her if she gives him blow jobs. Yep, so that happened, and it gave Feehan a reason to amp up the whole why are they even having sex during this TSTL moment? We also have a man who can walk THROUGH walls, and mutant zombie cyborgs. Yep, that happened too. Furthermore, there was virtually no cohesion with the rest of the series or past characters, just a whole bunch of sequel bait potential heroes. And Whitney's reach has just grown unbelievably vast and his scope so psychotic that I am just waiting to find out that he is being controlled by Xavier, Xaviero, and/or Xavyion, and that the animals he spliced into the Gostwalker genes are actually from the leopards or werewolves, and that Zenith is based off vampire blood. It is THAT crazy.

Unfortunately, for me, I literally could not put this down, and the sequel bait totally worked, because I really must read the next book to see what she pulls out of her hat next. So yeah, I am still in, but I am not exactly happy about it, nor is it for any really good reason.