false 44 399 318 true 5661010 read 0 true 1442400 currently-reading 81 true 1442399 to-read 118 false 6964590 review--blog 75 false 6964597 fantasy 45 false 6964746 ya-fantasy 41 false 6964622 romance 40 false 6965101 sci-fi 34 false 6964614 historical-romance 30 false 6964533 ya-paranormal 24 false 6964606 paranormal 15 false 6964687 futuristic-romance 12 false 6964617 urban-fantasy 12 false 6964732 ya-historical 10 false 6964572 review--romance-reader-at-heart 9 false 6964742 ya 7 false 6983746 plain-fiction 6 false 6964577 manga 5 false 6965218 artbook 5 false 6964715 mystery 5 false 6965149 historical 5 false 6965091 ya-scifi 4 false 6964527 review--night-owl-romance 4 false 6983736 fandom-related 3 false 6964516 review--drollerie 2 false 7067028 futuristic 2 false 6993452 children-s-book 1 false 6991839 holiday 1 false 7066898 non-fiction 1 false 7067207 short-story 1 false 6965161 cookbook 1 false 8790588 anthology 0 false 8736652 wishlist http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78574017 to: The Eternal Kiss: 13 Vampire Tales of Blood and Desire (Paperback) by Trisha Telep
bookshelves: anthology, review--blog, ya-paranormal
For the record, I really don't like the back cover blurb. It wouldn't interest me at all if I wasn't already a fan of most of the authors herein. Stories are reviewed individually as well as an overall comment at the end.

"Falling to Ash" by Karen Mahoney
Moth is a (fairly) new vampire returning home for her mother's memorial service. Unfortunately her sire, Theo needs her to do a job for him that involves reclaiming the ashes of a dead vampire master from a deadly vampire killer. I really liked Moth and her ways of handling the various situations thrown at her. I want to know more about her, read more about her adventures. The only part I wasn't too happy about was the end, after her run-in with Vamp Slayer Jr, when it handles her family. It was rushed and we're not really given a lot of depth to understand why it was as sorrowful as I feel the author was going for.

"Shelter Island" by Melissa de la Cruz
A young girl meets a former resident of her house and the danger that has kept him from leaving. This was short, sweet and entertaining. Hannah is a level-headed girl, not prone to hysterics (thankfully) and the vampire boy she meets and befriends has angst issues, but they're understandable and not annoying. The story flowed easily and didn't seem like it was in a rush. The end came when the end came, but it was a satisfying ending.

"Sword Point" by Maria V. Snyder
Ava dreams of training under the Italian fencing master Bossemi at his illustrious school. She does not, however, dream of vampires ending that ambition before it even begins. This is only my second taste of MVS's writing outside of the Poison Study/Storm Glass world and I found this one to be as engrossing as her others. Ava is a likable character and Jarett is a fairly likable guy (dressed all in black, which is a sure marker for hero designation I sometimes think when reading her stories). You get a real sense of Ava from the story and fair sense of Jarett as well--who they are, their motivations and ambitions. The vampires (vampiros) were gruesome, creepy and totally deserving of their ending.

"The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" by Holly Black
Matilda used to be a normal girl, until she was bitten and made Cold. Now as she fights to keep her humanity by saying perpetually drunk, the friends she left behind may need her help. This was a different look at vampires and vampirism. I liked that you could, in theory, not turn into a vampire if you could hold out from drinking human blood for 88 days. The idea of Coldtown, where the vampires lived and where humans could go and party by bartering their blood for life, was also an interesting concept. While I was rooting for a different outcome to the story, I found the ending to be...poetic. It fit perfectly.

"Undead is Very Hot Right Now" by Sarah Rees Brennan
All Christian wanted to be a rock star--he got his wish, but is being the vampire gimmick of a boy band really what he wanted? Alternatively I think this should have been titled 'I'm not a brooding vampire looking for his soul kthaxbai' This is a snarky, amusing and slightly wistful tale of a guy who just happens to be a vampire that's being exploited by a grasping manager. I felt so bad for Christian, its not that no one understood him, it was more that they thought they understood him better then he understood himself. There are a bunch of really witty one-liners in here and I think that the pamphlet that Christian has memorized needs to be updated since it didn't help him handle an idiot lead singer with idol aspirations, nerdy asthmatic bandmate so very scared of him or a stoner drummer who just does not get anything, ever.

"Kat" by Kelley Armstrong
Kat and her 'Aunt' Marguerite have been on the run from the vampires hunters for two years, but are they after Marguerite the vampire or Kat the unknown supernatural? This loosely ties in with Armstrong's 'Otherworld' books and her young adult series 'The Darkest Powers' (also set in the Otherworld universe). For me this was a win because it fits nicely within The Darkest Powers books (which features the Edison Group's genetic testing on supernatural teens extensively) which I adore to pieces. I don't think I would have guessed Kat's supernatural truth though it does explain quite a bit.

"The Thirteenth Step" by Libba Bray
Lauren takes on an assistant's job at The Angelus House, a Drug Rehab center that has amazing results. But what exactly are those amazing results and how are they achieved? Okay Buffy fans, when you see Angelus it should say something to you right away (whether the author intended it that way or not). Anyhow, meta-analyzing aside, I wasn't sure what to think of this story at first. The vampires here aren't perfect, but they do help people so that's the important thing right? Lauren's choice isn't easy, but from a pragmatic standpoint I think it was the right one.

"All Hallows" by Rachel Caine
One Year after the horrific Dead Girl's Dance Morganville hosts another Halloween dance--but will this one turn out any better for The Glass House crew? The most interesting thing about this story was that it was told from Eve's POV, whereas the books are told from Claire's, and Eve has a distinctly different view of the world. More assured and confident in herself, Eve notices little things and remarks about other things that would otherwise not be mentioned in the series proper. The 'prophecy' that Miranda (the town's resident psycho-seer) says at the end, I'm not sure of the implications, but I'm definitely interested and hope to see how it plays out in the book series soon.

"Wet Teeth" by Cecil Castellucci
Miles has been a vampire for sixty years, but hasn't felt human for a single. When meets Penny he thinks that maybe things can change, and they do, just not how he expected. Sad, sad story. I had hope, because Miles isn't a bad sort, but sometimes happily ever after doesn't exist. I would have liked to know if this Penny was related to the Penny he knew, when he was a human. I fancied she was that Penny's grand daughter and that's why he felt so comfortable with her, but we're not told one way or another.

"Other Boys" by Cassandra Clare
Jennifer wasn't allowed to go out with boys, but when the new kid Colin--a self proclaimed vampire--draws her interest she suddenly finds the determination to be someone different. This was an all right story, though I probably wasn't as surprised as I should have been since a similar plot point is important to one of my favorite young adult vampire trilogies. I was however pleased with Jennifer reaction at the end.

"Passing" by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
As a young vampire hunter's graduation begins, she reflects on vampires, comrades and the coming battle that could mean her death. This story surprised me in that much of what the narrator was saying, later turns out to be misleading and there are surprises that come at you rapid fire at the end. I've also always been a sucker for those romances that have one of the leads 'against my better judgment...' sort of feelings. I kind of want more of this and would have adored this beyond measure if I had read it as a novel instead of a short story. I'll cross my fingers and hope!

"Ambition" by Lili St. Crow
Told in first person narrative--the charity case at a rich all-girls' Catholic school, a nasty trick by her oldest friend starts her on a path towards a darker tomorrow. The story was a little confusing, because sometimes it would be in in past tense and sometimes it would be in present tense. I related with the narrator strongly and the ending is sort of a 'Lady or a Tiger?' situation leaving it up to the reader to decide if Johnny came back or not and what her reaction was. There was less of a 'vampire' presence in this story then any of the others and the narrator never clarifies if he is or isn't. "I don't know what Johnny is. There's not a word for it." (page 371, US trade paperback), but contextually that's what he seems to be.

"All Wounds" by Dina James
A young girl gets a late night visitor from a classmate in need and learns that some interesting things about herself and her the grandmother she's been taking care of. According to the author blurb this story is the start of a new young adult series the author is working on. GOOD. I really want to see what sort of hijinks Becky gets into as a healer-in-training and what sort of snarky banter her and Sydney engage in. That being said, the story made me tear up because I would give (and do) anything to have had more time with my grandmother when she was cognizant of her surroundings.

I don't think you can rightfully call these romance, or at least not most of them in the Harlequin sense. Certainly some of the stories deal with that sort of romance, but all of them look at vampirism from a romantic standpoint--the mystery, the darkness and power. The allure of the unknown right? Each author took a different view of what it means to receive a vampire's 'kiss' and depicted the consequences thereof.

I honestly enjoyed all of the stories, revisiting some of my favorite series (Morganville and Darkest Powers), reading new fiction from some of my favorite authors (Snyder, Bray, Black and Brennan) and being introduced to new authors (Mahoney, and James) made this anthology a great buy and a recommended read for the post-Twilight crowd. ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78706494 to: Queene of Light (Lightworld/Darkworld, #1) by Jennifer Armintrout
bookshelves: paranormal, review--blog, review--romance-reader-at-heart, romance
Queene of Light is the first book in Jennifer Armintrout’s new series Lightworld/Darkworld. This time she focuses more on Fae creatures and the Faery Court than vampires, however (which suits me fine).

The book begins with Ayla in the middle of an assignment tracking a werewolf through a disgusting, stinky sewer. Armintrout does a very good job of setting atmosphere throughout the entire book—from the dank, dreary, and stench-ridden Darkworld to the only slightly better-off Lightworld—visually. Actually, I thought I could smell the sewers that are Ayla’s home at one point.

The world Armintrout builds is just this side of desperately bleak. Between the denizens of the Lightworld (who seek to re-take the above from humans by any means necessary) and the inhabitants of the Darkworld (who at least don’t want to eradicate humanity, but are nasty critters in a multitude of other ways), hope seems to be as foreign as sunlight. Selfishness, greed, violence, hatred...these emotions drive most of the characters’ actions.

Ayla and Malachi's relationship begins rocky, continues to be pretty rocky and manages to smooth out just enough so that they're not at each other's throats, at least. They don't go from enemies to "'Oh, my God, I love you!" quickly (thank goodness). In fact, Malachi spends a good deal of his time away from Ayla devising ways to kill her with his bare hands, and Ayla alternately hates him and feels guilty over his condition.

My favorite character, hands down, is Keller. He is a Bio-Mech (a human that believes that a body's everything can be easily interchangeable with mechanical parts...pretty much a cyborg, but seems to be more a way of life/belief) and helps Malachi out. He’s just plain fun—takes the world as it is and makes something from it. I wouldn’t say he’s an optimist, but he’s a good deal happier than almost every other character we meet.

A good start to the series, I’m eager to find out the consequences of the final chapter and see where the future shall bring Ayla (nowhere comfortable and happy, I’m willing to bet). ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78706218 to: Playing with Fire (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl, #1) by Gena Showalter
bookshelves: paranormal, review--blog, romance
Playing With Fire is kind of like every kid's dream right? You go from being an ordinary person to a superhero because of some freak accident that no one would believe could happen in a million years. Yesterday all Belle could do was make a (bad) cup of coffee and then whammy! Some crazy kook gives her a mickey and she can control the four elements (in theory at least).

I'm telling you half my dreams began and/or ended that way as a teenager. And Rome? Well...not Rome exactly, but usually some sort of hunky guy also featured heavily in those dreams (except I was saving him, not him saving me!). So really one could say that not only does Showalter play to romance fantasies, but she plays to comic book romance fantasies.

Things aren't all peachy and perfect of course, Belle is put through a horrific physical ringer before her body settles down somewhat to the changes the formula wrought. There was also the distinct possibility that the hunk that was at her bedside was going to be her executioner. Oh and the kookie mad scientist really wasn't certain she'd live through the changes, so now not only does he want to know why, but a whole host of other people want to know why. And they're not afraid to do it postmortem quite frankly. This is all assuming that Belle doesn't set herself on fire, freeze to death, or drown herself somehow with her rapidly changing powers.

So really the deck is stacked so badly against Belle she should indenture herself to the house to pay off her debts.

Belle doesn't let any of this stop her though. She indulges in the occasional 'why me?!' routine, but for the most part she does what she has always done--she perseveres, finds a way to make it work for her and then work it, hard, until she gets the results she wants. Along the way she even finds that she was enjoying herself, felt like things were really clicking for her. I don't feel that Belle grew as a character in the book, but she grew as a person in the book (if that makes sense). By the end she isn't really any different then in the beginning character-wise, but as a person she understood some important truths and finally learned that they were what she should focus on.

My first time reading through, I was really not a Rome fan. I remember thinking he was such a jerk and really needed to learn a bedside manner. He also had to be one of the least sympathetic heroes I have read in any book whatsoever. If he didn't casually dismiss Belle's problems, he poked holes in them. On my re-read though, with the knowledge of why he was suck a stick in the mud a lot of the time, I understood him better and was able to concentrate more on the romance developing over time.

The book is from Belle first person POV, so we're only given a hint at the inner workings of the other characters. I would have liked to know more about Rome's daughter, Sunny (which I hope is explored in the sequel) and Lexis grew on me by the end of the novel. She wasn't such a bad lady, just stuck in a bad spot.

All in all this was a fun adventure that then and now has me anxiously waiting to read the second book (which thankfully I have for review, so I'm not sitting twiddling my thumbs like I was for 3 years when this book first came out...)! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78706235 Bitten in Two (Jaz Parks, #7) by Jennifer Rardin
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78574682 The Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance (Paperback) by Trisha Telep
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78574093 The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Paperback) by Mary E. Pearson
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/78573993 Swan Kingdom (Paperback) by Zoë Marriott
bookshelves: to-read
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73380756 to: Her Cinderella Season (Historical) by Deb Marlowe
bookshelves: historical-romance, review--blog, romance
This is the third book in a series that are all loosely tied together by a villain called Batiste, his search for the Pharoah's Lost Jewel and those that oppose him. Kind of. I haven't yet read the 'first' book, Scandalous Lord, Rebellious Miss but I do that it features Jack's older brother Charles finding love, so it gets to be included!

The Jack of An Improper Aristocrat and the Jack here are two different fellows. At least, Jack shows two (or three) different sides of himself throughout the course of the novel and really I'm not certain which side I preferred. There's the charming, enthusiastic Jack--who was so excited to show off his knowledge of history and ancient civilizations. Aloof, distant Jack--afraid to become too close to people because affection hurts and only leads to pain. Then there's the Jack that is both when he's with Lily. She undoes him, in so many ways, and he doesn't know whether he hates it or if its a good thing.

Lily is almost as complex. A childhood of innocent pranks and adventures didn't prepare her for the staid, strict existence of adulthood after her father died. Used to having a parent who adored her unconditionally, she was at a loss as to regain that support in her reserved and disproving mother. Her small rebellions--reading frivolous novels, enjoying the sun on her face--spoke a lot of how much she wanted to keep her mother happy. The end I think rushed their reconciliation (not that they fought, exactly, but circumstances changed for them both) and I was hoping to see if her mother's views changed. Marlowe hints at it, in the epilogue, but I would have liked a scene for it.

Together they bait each other incessantly. Lily teases and taunts him to come out of his shell and Jack plays devil's advocate a few times to manipulate the situation in his favor. Or what he hopes will be in his favor. Even though most of the novel is spent in Jack trying to determine whether Lily will help him find Matthew Beecham (his tie to Batiste), Jack forgets this often because Lily does something. Laughs, or smiles or nibbles on her lower lip, he often has to remind himself of the end goal.

I do think that Lily was a little too overdone in her anger towards Jack, when she finds out. He makes a very good point that she was being hypocritical. Jack...he finally decides on a path, a path that leads to him and Lily being happy, and flip flops. I was ready to smack him with a frying pan for it.

Its a Happily Ever After ending however--for all concerned and ties up many of the loose ends from the previous book(s). I certainly was happy by the end of it! ]]>