Second books in a series can often be a little awkward and Wicked Kiss was no exception. That is not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did, but it was not a...moreSecond books in a series can often be a little awkward and Wicked Kiss was no exception. That is not to say I didn’t enjoy it, I did, but it was not as good as Dark Kiss, the first book in the Nightwatchers series.
One of the biggest improvements was Sam. In the first book she made bad choices and could be a tad annoying. She is made of stronger stuff in this and her character improves tenfold because of it. I also preferred her friendship with the snarky Jordan, her ex arch enemy, over her relationship with her best friend Carly in the first book. Jordan is a great character full of life and personality; she had a lot more depth than I originally thought.
I have exactly the same feelings on the romance; nothing has really changed for me. My biggest problem with this series is that I am always going to prefer Kraven over his brother Bishop. I do like Bishop but find his brother infinitely better as a character and a love interest. I thought there would be a love triangle in this, I almost hoped for it, but it didn’t happen.
My big issue with this book is the length. It was far too long and too much happened in it. To be honest this could have easily been two books instead of one. One thing was resolved and everything seemed finished then another problem cropped up, it felt a little endless and a tad all over the place.
Wicked Kiss ends on a good note with everything neatly tied up. I am not sure if there is going to be another book in the series, it was left open enough for a third book but was completely resolved. If there is another book, I will definitely be reading it.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
I really enjoyed this paranormal romance; it was funny, quirky and interesting. It had great characters, a grea...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
I really enjoyed this paranormal romance; it was funny, quirky and interesting. It had great characters, a great storyline and a swoon worthy romance. It grabbed my attention from the start and didn’t let go.
The writing and storytelling was really good and I like the way Kennedy subtly uses humour. It was not in your face but it managed to make me giggle often.
I really love the characters. Libby is a lot of fun; she is sassy, funny and stubborn in the best way possible. I loved that this book was told from her point of view only instead of split POV between her and Kale, because I liked her voice and personality.
Kale is also awesome, he is dashing and charming. He is tough as nails but also possesses a gentler side that comes out when Libby is around. I did get annoyed with all his secret keeping and has refusal to tell Libby the truth about himself. I understand that he had no choice but the deception lasted a little to long for me. What I liked about that situation was his acknowledgement that he had caused Libby pain, and that her pain caused him pain. It showed he really cared and it made me love him just that little bit more.
The Cat’s Meow is a very entertaining and enjoyable book. it was a lot better than I thought it would be and also a lot of fun.
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
Two and Twenty Dark Tales is an anthology made up of 20 stories by various different authors.
I really enjoyed t...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
Two and Twenty Dark Tales is an anthology made up of 20 stories by various different authors.
I really enjoyed this anthology, I must admit that I was unsure about it at first but I am glad I took the plunge and read it. I am not all that familiar with nursery rhymes but most of these I had heard of. I was not really sure how it would work, how do you retell these rhymes to make something new? I did not take the imagination of the authors into account and that is what really made this book come alive, it was just so imaginative.
Each story was very short which might be a problem for some readers, but each story was entertaining and different. There were many different genres touch on, some were historical, some modern. There was fantasy, romance, horror, tragedy, paranormal, urban fantasy and many more. There was a little something for everyone.
Two and Twenty Dark Tales was a massive undertaking and quite a triumph. Every story was well written. Sing a Song of Six-Pence by Sarwat Chadra was standout with Blue by Sayantoni Dasgupta and Boys and Girls Come out to Play by Angie Frazier close behind.
I recommend this to everyone, there is a lot to enjoy and admire here and the proceeds from this title go to charity!
The publisher provided me with a free copy of this book in exchange for and honest review (less)
*The publisher gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
This is the first book in this series I’ve read and to be honest I should hav...more*The publisher gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
This is the first book in this series I’ve read and to be honest I should have read the others first before attempting this one. Plot wise for this book I was ok, I mostly knew what was happening. It was the mythology and the history that I struggled to understand. Eventually it was fine but it took me a while to get used to what was going on and that distracted me quite a bit.
What didn’t help me was the way the narrative jumped from one character to another. I struggled to keep up with who was telling the story and what was going on because of it.
I enjoyed the characters, most of them were good. A couple of them stood out from the crowd (looking at you king vampire.) I loved Katie and the never-ending courage and strength she seemed to have. I liked the romance between her and Jordan but was put off by the repetitiveness of the sex. There are a lot of sex scenes in this book and I wanted a little more diversity.
I will check out the first books in the series to see if I prefer them…and for the vampire king. (less)
This book took me completely by surprise. I wasn’t expecting much at all but I ended up really, really enjoy...moreFor this review and more check out my blog
This book took me completely by surprise. I wasn’t expecting much at all but I ended up really, really enjoying it.
The opening is gripping and lets you know straight away that you are in for one hell of a ride. This is a very different take on the angel genre and I liked the spin. This book felt fresh and new. The storyline is ace; it was never boring and never slow. It had a couple of silly moments but those were few and far between and they didn’t detract from the story at all.
The characters are awesome. Essallie is a great lead she can be tough and strong but she had weaknesses to which I like to see in my books as nobody is perfect. Kayden is brilliant I really liked him. you are never really sure what his motives are or what he is about, you know he is not a ‘good’ guy but it is impossible to dislike him. There is a touch of romance here, a very small touch yet I found myself getting all worked up over it.
Illumine is one of the surprises of the year for me. It is short, exciting and engaging. I highly recommend it. I cannot wait to get stuck into the next book in the series.(less)
This is exactly what I have been looking for. I have massive love for PNR (Paranormal romance) but nothing has really captured me since the early Black Dagger Brotherhood books. Well finally something has. I just loved this book. It had everything; action, drama, humour and romance. It was just great.
Ok, so what made this book so great? I will start with the idea. I think Britt Bury is incredibly smart because she has taken the top three (or there about) romance sub-genres and somehow mixed them together. This is a Highland novel, it is set in Scotland. Our hero, Kelvin, is a Scottish clan warrior…but he is also something else. Kelvin is a paranormal being, closely related to shape shifters (although his species doesn’t actually shift). This novel might look and feel like a Highland novel but it is set in the modern world. So it is a highland, PNR, urban fantasy novel…but wait, there’s more (stick with me here.) This modern world has no humans (almost) they all died out. The world is full of paranormal beings but things are still somewhat derelict. So to conclude The Darkest Day is a highland, PNR, Urban Fantasy, Dystopian novel. Sounds a bit too much doesn’t it? Except for the fact that it works perfectly. Bury has written this book so well that the joining of so many genres doesn’t distract from but enhances the reading experience. This book is written in a way that is also utterly entrancing. I struggled to put this book down. It was engaging from beginning to end. The prologue set the tone immediately and that atmosphere and intensity stayed with the book the whole way through.
Let’s move on to the characters. Essentially there are only two characters in this book. There are others who pop their heads in (I think/hope this was more for the next books in the series) but there are only two people who really matter in this book, Kelvin and Izel.
Izel is a great female lead. She is funny, smart, sassy and just all round awesome. I didn’t once find her irritating or weak. She was not kick-ass or unemotional but she was no doormat either. Kelvin (honestly if you could see what this guy looked like in my head you would faint) is just devastating. If I met him I wouldn’t stand a chance. He is strong, hard and tough. He has responsibilities and obligations. He at times probably comes across as a little scary. He is rash, stubborn and infuriating. But behind all the brutishness he is loving, gentle and fairly emotional. When he loves he does it with all of his heart and he would do anything to protect that person. Like Izel he was not once annoying.
The romance between Izel and Kelvin was just amazing. I loved the growth of their relationship, from enemies, to annoyances, to lust then finally to love. Sure, there are some bumps along the way but it was not done just for the sake of drama. Most of the humour in this book came from the banter between them. In the beginning the sparred verbally back and worth which gave the book a light-hearted feel but slowly that turned to something darker. The tension and chemistry between them poured off of every page, it was fidget inducing brilliant. It oozed from the characters and created bucket loads of sexual tension.
The Darkest Day proves that there is still some imagination in the romance genre. It is by far the best PNR I have read in a while and I strongly recommend it. I cannot wait for the next book in the series. (less)
*The publisher provided me with this book for review, via Netgalley.*
Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen is the latest book in th...moreReview also posted on my blog
*The publisher provided me with this book for review, via Netgalley.*
Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen is the latest book in the new craze of ‘Angel’ YA. I had a lot of expectations for this book, firstly it is published by Harlequin Teen (who have published some of the best YA around at the moment) secondly, it has a dark and moody cover with a really, really hot guy on the front. Thirdly, it appeared to be about kissing. (I am easily pleased)
For the most part Dark Kiss lived up to the expectation. Did it do something new with the genre? Not really, but it still didn’t feel like I had read this book before (which is something that is happening more and more often with these angel books.)
I did really enjoy this book. It was an easy read, it was easy to get into and it didn’t take me that long to get through. It had all the required elements, some romance, peril, humour and a ton of UST.
It was well explained, well thought out and didn’t drag or lose pace. It did have a couple of scratch the paper, smell the cheese moments but it wasn’t too bad and I can always forgive a small amount of cheesiness.
For the most part the characters were good. The males were significantly stronger than the females. Bishop is a good romantic lead. He is brave, brooding and a little cheeky. I also really loved his brother Kraven, who was extremely irritating but impossible to dislike. I think it is the relationship between the two brothers where Rowen really wins here. The drama and pain between them grows page by page and I think that is where the heart of the whole story lies, with two brothers who have done nothing but hurt each other.
My main complaint about this book is Samantha. She is not terrible, she starts well and she ends well. But it is the middle where I had a bit of a problem with her. She just seemed to freak out about everything which I understand but it was done in a really aggravating way. Then there is her decision-making skills which, to be honest, were pretty much non-existent. Also, she seemed to shift between insecure shy girl to over-confident kick ass girl in the blink of an eye and it seemed to happen all the time. It got to the point where I felt enraged. Luckily she cut it out fairly quickly and by the end I had forgotten how annoying she was earlier in the book.
This book is not going to change your life, it is not going to keep you up at night because you can do nothing but think about it. But it is a good enjoyable read that has some real potential for the future books in the series. (Although it is looking like it could turn love triangle-ish. However, if it goes into the triangle I think it is going to go into I could get behind it. I am probably wrong but that is the feeling I picked up on.)
I would recommend this to YA fans and I will definitely be reading the next book when it comes out next year. (less)
*The publisher provided me with this book for review, via Netgalley.*
Where there’s smoke by Karen Kelley is one of those weird ones to review. I really, really struggled with it; I lost interest I found myself skimming a lot but not because the book was bad.
This book had everything that a book like this should have. It had an ok story line, a female lead character that you could relate to and a male character that makes you a little weak in the knees.
The sex scenes are just right, they are not overdone and they are not under done. In fact some of them are top-notch.
So why did I struggle so much? I did find it a little far-fetched and a little repetitive but that is something I am used to when reading Paranormal Romance.
At the end of the day I think that this book just wasn’t for me. For some reason I just didn’t connect with it. I just found it all a little flat. There was just something missing.
Despite the sex I think this is supposed to be a love story more than anything else and I didn’t feel the burning romance as much as I think I should have. I think that is where my problems came from. I wanted more.
Despite that I would recommend this book to fans of the genre. I think people will like it. (less)
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.
The Claimed by Caridad Pineiro is the second...moreFor this review and more check out my blog
The publisher provided me with a copy of this book for review.
The Claimed by Caridad Pineiro is the second book in the Sin Hunters series. I have not read the first book (The Lost) but was still able to understand and follow this one. It can be read as part of a series or as a stand-alone.
This Claimed started very slowly and not very much seemed to happen at the beginning. It was readable but not terribly interesting. From the half-way point and especially towards the end the book really picked up and become a lot more interesting. There were a lot of action scenes which was great but at times it was hard to follow. Most of the problems I had with not only the action scenes but the book as a whole were the use of aura and colours, something that is heavily used in this book. It seemed to be mentioned in nearly every description and I struggled to picture all the aura’s, flashing lights and various other colourful things these ‘Hunters’ possess. It did work at but was over used.
The characters were nice. Victoria is smart, she has a lot of pressure put on her but she handles it well. I really liked the tension between her and her parents (a storyline that was unfortunately dropped half way through) these moments really allowed you to see her strength. Christopher was a nice guy and a good leaded. The relationship between them is nice (I am a sucker for forbidden romances) it had all the right elements but I just never felt the chemistry between them. What I liked was that they didn’t do anything stupid. I never doubted their trust in each other and never though their relationship would fall apart. It made a nice change as that is something we tend to see a lot in romance books.
I feel like I got to know Victoria really well. There was a lot of effort put in to making her a well-rounded and complete character, but the same cannot be said for Christopher. I felt like I didn’t know much about him at all (even though part of the book is told from his POV) without his half everything was not as intense as it could have been and I didn’t care about their relationship as much as I should have.
The Claimed is an interesting take on the PNR genre but somehow doesn’t have the explosiveness of other books out there. It was good and entertaining enough but didn’t have that wow factor. Despite that I will be checking out the first book in the series and the follow up to this one. (less)
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
Edge of passion is one of those books that I enjoyed reading but will probabl...moreReally 2.5
*I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
Edge of passion is one of those books that I enjoyed reading but will probably not think about again now that I’m finished. It had all the elements you expect from PNR. It focuses on a man who has to protect a woman; we have seen stuff like this before so there are no real surprises.
The storyline is good, it moved along at a nice pace and there was plenty of action to keep me entertained. The issue I had with the book was the characters. Leila was a bit too uptight and at times I thought she was quite stuck up. She makes some pretty poor decisions but I didn’t find her as irritating as some of the other leading ladies in PNR. Aiden was better but some of his actions were questionable to say the least.
The romance between them was interesting. I liked the build-up and the way the characters danced around each other. They desired each other whilst managing to annoy each other to the point of rage. It created a lot of sexual tension which I loved. I lost a little interest in the romance when they got together. The sex scenes were hot but Folsom brings a supernatural element into their love making which I found distracting.
All in all Edge of Passion was an enjoyable read but us not a book I would rave about. (less)
Illuminate was a book that I was pretty sure I was going to dislike. The cover is too girlish and cute, the description d...moreReview also posted on my blog
Illuminate was a book that I was pretty sure I was going to dislike. The cover is too girlish and cute, the description did nothing to draw me in. All in all I had made up my mind before even starting this book that it was not for me. I love YA but I like it dark and this seemed all sorts of pretty and girly. But I was wrong.
This book is not perfect; it took me a long time to get into it. There were things that were not explained well, or that I thought were not well thought out. Also, the ending was really well built up but was a little disappointing.
Yet, for all its flaws Illuminate was a real page turner. I found it hard to put down and slipped very easily into the story once it had begun. I loved the characters. Haven is strong but not in that ‘I am going to save the world way’ instead she is smart and is able to see what is around her and the danger she is in, something that often female YA characters fail at. Lance, Dante and Lucian make great supporting characters that you can really get behind. The romance was hardly there which I think was a great idea. I find that I enjoy YA a lot more when romance is not the centre-piece of the story. The romance that is there is sweet and not overdone.
The middle part of the book was exciting and gripping but it did slow down towards the end which was a real shame. I do wish more of the angel mythology for this story had been explained, but hopefully that will be addressed in the next book in the series.
I really enjoyed Illuminate, it was not as gripping as other books of this genre but it was by no means boring. It was a good story that has potential to really grow as the series continues. After reading this I am not waiting with bated breath for the next book but I will definitely check it out when it becomes available.
If you like Paranormal YA or smart female characters then I would recommend this book. Also if you found books like Angelfall, The Hunger Games or Divergent to violent or brutal then this is also the book for you. It is not extremely violent, disturbing or gruesome. (less)
Before I started reviewing I always thought writing about books I hated would be harder than writing about book...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
Before I started reviewing I always thought writing about books I hated would be harder than writing about books I loved. But to my surprise I found that it was the other way round. Writing about why I disliked something turned out to be relatively easy. I can rant and rage and write down exactly why I didn’t like it. But putting into words how I feel about a book I really loved is difficult because I know that no matter what I write it will never do the book or the feelings that book invoked in me justice.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone is one of those books; it moved me, engaged me and threw me head first into a world full of magic. I do not stand a chance of conveying to you how much I loved and adored this book, but I am going to try.
The storyline was original and interesting, it was set in the modern day but there was a dark gothicness to it that made if fell more like historical fiction then modern fiction, but that worked really well. What helps is Lani Taylors writing, which does have its faults but I found it mostly rich and creative. The atmosphere this book creates is one of its highlights and I loved that it took a darker route instead of the lightness most YA books take. The world building is impeccable and I could envision everything in perfect detail.
Taylor also managed to create characters that were diverse, interesting and individual. I was able to identify with Karou immediately. She was different and likeable. I also loved Akiva, he wears his heart on his sleeve and does the right thing even though he knows it will cause him unbearable heartache. The romance between them was spellbinding; I loved them together even if it was angsty, which normally I hate.
The only fault I have is that the last quarter is not as free flowing and interesting as the rest, with exception to the last chapter/few pages which made me want to throw the book at a wall and sob into my pillow, somehow I resisted, instead I just sat there once I was finished in awe.
Daughter of Smoke and Bone is frankly one of the richest and most exciting YA books I have ever read, it was outstanding and if you have not read it yet, please do, I hope you love it as much as I did. (less)
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
Fang me is the third book in the Demon Un...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
*I was provided with a free copy of this book in exchange for a review*
Fang me is the third book in the Demon Underground series, which I am a massive fan of. I really enjoyed Fang Me but don’t think it was quite as good as the first two.
I found Fang Me to be a lot more predictable I knew what was going to happen pretty early on and so nothing surprised me. All of the character relationships seemed less emotional even between Val and her hell hound Fang, which was a real shame because the relationship between Val and Fang is what really makes these books great. I had the same problem with Val and Shade. They are in love with each other but I felt nothing. When things become intimate between them nothing seemed to mean anything when in fact it was a really big deal. Not enough was made of it. Also, there wasn’t as much from the vampires in this book with was a shame because the vampires and the characters with the big personalities.
What I loved about this book was the ending, it finished in an exciting place an I cannot wait to see where things come from here. Fang Me is a fun and enjoyable read but it couldn’t keep pace with the first to books in the series. (less)
The publisher gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for a free review.
Try me is the second book in the D...moreFor this review and more visit my blog
The publisher gave me a free copy of this book in exchange for a free review.
Try me is the second book in the Demon Underground series. It picks up three days after Bite Me finished and life for Val is pretty much the same. She is still trying to control Lola (her inner lust demon), still trying to keep the peace between vampires, demons and humans and still hanging out with a sarcastic telepathic dog called Fang. Try Me is pretty much the same as Bite Me, it is just a continuation of Val’s life. It is still funny, charming and an extremely entertaining read.
In this instalment we learn a lot more about characters like Micah, Gwen, Alejandro and Shade, it was really great to see their characters expanded on after their introduction in the first book. I noticed Austin a lot more this time, he is not an especially important character but I have to mention him because he is a vampire cowboy and because I am kinda hot for him.
This book focuses more on the demons instead of the vampires which meant there is a whole new cast of characters who have all different types of abilities. One of the more notable newbies is Princess, Shade’s spoilt and obnoxious hell hound; she adds a lot of humour to the book and is a welcome addition.
One massive change between Bite Me and Try Me is the romance. Dan, the older human detective is out and Shade, the demon is in. I like Shade a lot more as a romantic lead than I did Dan. (I am glad that Dan wasn’t written out because I still love him as a character and as a friend to Val) with the change of boyfriend comes a change in intensity. Shade is very…lustful and there are a few scenes that get a little hot and heavy. It is not every day you come across full male nudity in YA.
The only problem I had was that the romance between Val and Shade was very sudden, it came out of nowhere. One second Val was still thinking about Dan and the next she was rolling around on a bed with Shade. I would have liked to see the relationship between Val and Shade build up and go a little slower instead of going from zero to hero.
Try Me is entertaining and fun. It is no better and no worse than Bite Me so if you liked the first one you are sure to like this. (less)
*The publisher provided me with this book for review, via Netgalley.*
Bite Me by Parker Blue was not at all what...moreVisit my blog for this review and more.
*The publisher provided me with this book for review, via Netgalley.*
Bite Me by Parker Blue was not at all what I was expecting. I read the words ‘Vampire Slayer’ in the blurb and got certain ideas about what this book would be like and what it would include. I was thinking troubled heroine (which in some ways was right) with a troubled past. I thought this heroine would find herself stuck in a love triangle between a nice ‘pure’ boy next door and a ‘dark’ smouldering anti-hero.
What I got was a lead female character with more sass than Buffy, an inner and very horney lust demon and a sarcastic and telepathic dog called Fang. Needless to say I was more than a little surprised.
Bite Me is not a book that should be good, let’s face it is doesn’t sound very good but somehow all of this bizarreness works and it works because it doesn’t take itself too seriously and it asks the reader to not take it seriously either. YA has gotten into the habit of taking itself very seriously lately, (not that I am complaining, I love the direction YA has taken in the last few years) there is a lot of drama, darkness and heartache. Bite Me felt like a glorious breath of fresh air, it left behind all the seriousness and chose to be fun and at times funny instead.
Yet, it is not just the ‘fun’ element that makes this book worth the read. It has a lot of other redeeming qualities as well.
Val is an awesome heroine, she is kick-ass in the best kind of way but she is also really smart. She goes through some quite frankly horrible family anguish and she handles the situation with a maturity rarely found in a YA character. She has an awesome personality and is not only funny and tough but extremely caring as well.
I also think the relationship building in this book was great to. I liked the way Val built up relationships with Dan, Fang and Alejandro. The real achievement in this category goes to the relationship between Val and Fang. (yes, the talking dog) I think it is probably one of the most genuine relationships I have read in YA. It was not just friendship but companionship as well. I thought it was all extremely well done.
The one problem I had with this book was the romance. Dan is a really nice guy and a likable character. I do have a bit of a soft spot for him, but it seemed to me that he was not ready for a relationship after his rocky past. I also don’t think Val is ready for the complexities a relationship with Dan would bring. I fully support their friendship but struggle to see more to it than that.
Bite me is fast paced and action packed. It is fun, humorous and light hearted. If you don’t mind your fiction on the slightly bizarre side then I highly recommend this entertaining read. If you like your fiction to be as realistic as possible then you might want to give this a miss. (less)
It takes a lot to render me speechless but for a few hours after reading this book I was just that. Eternal Pleasure has to be...moreUm what did I just read?
It takes a lot to render me speechless but for a few hours after reading this book I was just that. Eternal Pleasure has to be one of the strangest PNR books I have ever read. It is about a bunch of dinosaurs trapped in the bodies of attractive men. One day they are woken from their slumber (by a silver haired, leather pant wearing god who saved their souls after all the asteroids hit earth), given a mental download of how to act and how everything works in a modern human world and then are sent to Texas to save the world from some evil, other worldly being that want to see the Mayan 2012 prediction come true.
So straight off the bat the storyline is a little unusual, but it doesn’t stop there. There dino/men are able to morph into their original state (in the main characters case a T-Rex) but the dinosaurs are semi – transparent and inside them you can see the figure of a human.
If course there is a love story, despite being human for only a couple of days Ty walls in love with Kelly (his chauffer) who seems unconcerned that her stud muffin is a dinosaur. They do the deed (on a balcony because there is a werewolf inside their apartment and it is not private enough to do it indoors, in the bedroom. Of course the balcony is a lot more discreet *facepalm*) and she sees into his soul and from there things get a little mushy.
I am going to be honest this book is terrible. The premise is silly, the writing poor, the characters boring and the dialogue cringe worthy. There is far too much going on; there are dino men, vampires, werewolves, demons, floating evil clouds, otherkin, mind reading, and impromptu power point presentations.
But it is also really funny. I laughed so hard at some points that I cried. In its own way Eternal Pleasure is extremely entertaining but not in the way it was supposed to be.
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