Victoria Limbert's Blog, page 9

Who Glares Wins (Lexi Graves Mysteries #2) Book Review

Author- Camilla Chafer

My Rating- 5 STARS

Synopsis- Only a few weeks into her new job as a private investigator and Lexi Graves thinks she may have bitten off more than she can chew with her first solo cases.

In between going undercover as a plush pony and following her cheating brother-in-law, she’s got a saboteur turned killer to catch and a missing woman to find. Two of her cases may be connected, but how? There’s no short list of suspects to investigate but as Lexi
closes in on the killer, her life is put in jeopardy. Narrowly escaping being framed for a murder she didn’t commit, Lexi knows her luck is running out.

To make matters worse her boyfriend, sexy Detective Adam Maddox, thinks she’s out of the PI game faster than she got into it and her boss, the mysterious Solomon, wants nothing more than to get her between the sheets by night as well as solving cases by day, and Lexi’s "just say no" resolve might
not be as strong as she thinks.

All she wants is for them to take her seriously and there’s only one way she can do that—solve the case, whatever it takes

My Review- Another great book with all the favorite characters. I am very glad I stumbled on this series and cant wait to get stuck in to book three.

Lexi is now working for Solomon (who is yummy) in his Private Investigator Agency because she sees the world a little differently to those hardened, more experienced ex detectives and fits well in under cover situations. Adam Maddox, her boyfriend (also yummy) is not keen on the idea and the amount she has to lie to him while undercover.

The plot in this book is, in my opinion, better than the first. I did kind of guess the ending in the first book but only had an inkling in this one. There is the main plotline, Lexi working undercover in a hotel to find a saboteur hell bent on getting the hotel closed down. Then there are two subplots, one is a missing persons case, the other is an investigation for her sister, catching her cheating husband in the
act. Two of these cases, unknown to Lexi, are intricately entwined. I loved the pacing of these plots and enjoyed the revealing towards the end.

Lily, Lexi's best bud, grows on me through every book. She is the kind of friend everyone needs. Non-judgmental, understanding no matter the situation and would possibly help you commit a crime...which she does, many times....Solomon is still a sexy hunk of mystery and Maddox has become the overprotective cop boyfriend who remains delicious in every way. Lexi herself is growing on me too. She cares about people...and clothes...and shoes... and her hair, but she is also very smart and brave. She hates to break a heel on a shoe but will twist her ankle jumping out of a window after being bashed over the head! She is a great, all round heroine you cant help loving. And along the way, you cant help but cheer when she comes out of it all with all her nails intact!

Awesome....where is the third book?

Armed and Fabulous (Lexi Graves Mysteries #1) Book Review

Author- Camilla Chafer

My Rating- 5 STARS

Synopsis- All Lexi wants to do is get through the day at her boring temp job with Green Hand Insurance. That’s until she discovers the vice president, Martin Dean, in a pool of blood and herself at the center of an investigation into insurance fraud. Millions of dollars are missing, the chief suspect is dead and her mysterious, sexy, new boss is not what he seems.
Recruited by the joint task force working on the case, all Lexi has to do is work out who killed Dean and where the missing millions are. That’s easier said than done when her sister insists upon the baby shower to end all baby showers, her wise-ass cop family just wants to keep her safe, someone keeps leaving her creepy gifts, and all the clues point to a seedy sex club on the wrong side of town. As the bodies start to pile up, Lexi is on a race against time to find the killer and the money, before she’s the next one in the murderer’s sights.

My Review- Simply the easiest FIVE stars I have given in a while. Everyone should read this. The standard of writing/editing surpasses many of my recent reads and I was fully thrown in to Lexi's character, the plot and the two hunky men she can barely choose between.

Lexi is sassy, smart and unique. She chooses a boring temping job over a career she could easily have with her brains, wits, looks and ambitions. Still, her life is plunged in to darkness and danger and crime when she discovers her boss's dead body and ends up helping the FBI and local PD uncover a deep fraud and murder case. 

This book reminded me of Legally Blonde in many ways, only much, much better with deeper plotlines. She is, on the surface, the stereotypical blonde (not my personal view, of course), she acts dumb when it suits her and definitely has a lot of FUN! Only, things begin to get very real when her life
is on the line and two men, Adam Maddox and the dark, mysterious Solomon, are working to keep her alive. Lexi is by no means incapable of taking care of herself, however. Its nice to read this kind of book.

I love both Maddox and Solomon equally and would hate to be the one to choose between them. They are both sexy, both strong. Maddox is by far the 'gentleman' and more caring while Solomon is like a deep chocolaty secret you have to unravel! Man, this book still has my head in a whirl!

This is a fantastic book. one I will read many, many times. I read this book in less than 6 hours and I think the rest in the series will be exactly the same! Can't wait.

Primal (Vengeance #1) Book Review

Author- Raven and Lain Bower

My Rating- 3 STARS

Synopsis- Pursued by a ruthless crime lord after witnessing the murder of an FBI agent, Wrey must rebuild the life they stole
from her. When she meets mysterious Arvon Night, her precious new life unravels as she’s thrust into a web of betrayal, lust and violence.

Arvon knows he must slay Wrey to keep his secret safe from those who hunt him. Each hour his enemies stalk closer, ready to kill.

Can Wrey’s powers of nature and spirit help her survive the yearning and dangerous Arvon and the tide of peril he brings with him? Or will an opportunistic hitman take advantage of them both?

My Review- I sat down for a long time thinking about how to write this review. There were many good things I liked about Primal, but also quite a few bad issues as well. Hence the 3 Stars.

One star I gave purely because the front cover is stunning, sexy, everything you want when delving in to a werewolf story. From the front cover I knew the scenes inside would be erotic, tantalizing and steamy and I was perfectly right. The erotic scenes in this book are fantastic, and that explains my second star. The descriptions were...well they brought a blush to my cheeks that my partner couldn't help grinning at! The third star I gave to Arvon and Wrey's scenes which were great. Their romance story had me flicking past the other endless pages of sub story and long winded descriptions. I wanted to know more about them, wanted the book to stay focused on their tug of war relationship.

I loved Arvon as a character. He was most definitely more animal than man. He was a true werewolf in his spirit and mind, being primal and animalistic gave him focus on only a few things. Sex, hunger and power. Human emotions meant little to him, until he meets Wrey who is an extraordinary human with a few gifts of her own. She is of the Old Blood, meaning she can contact the spirit of animals and nature and ask for their strength and guidance. Not only is she one of them, she was also meant to be in training to be the Leader of her kind. We learn the reason she has not finished her training is because she is in Witness Protection for witnessing a murder, and the killer happens to be a part of a gangster family who serious cant afford for her to give evidence against them. This is a great plotline and one that had me finishing Primal in 2 days.

Which brings me to the reasons I couldn't give Primal any more than 3 stars. The other side of this plot, the gangster, mob family, was very hard to follow for me. New names were put in very quickly, I found the descriptions very long winded and...well...a little boring. I flicked past quite a lot of these scenes. There were too many names, too many people to keep track of and to be honest I didn't
care about them. My focus remained on Wrey and Arvon who were by far the most interesting element. I did like where the plot joins up between the werewolves and mob/gangster family. The bloodshed and battle was nicely graphic. Unfortunately the ending was abrupt and I am not sure if it left me wanting to read the next book. I think the only reason I would continue is to follow Wrey and Arvon's story as it didn't end too well between them.

I guess we will see.

If you like something different give it a try and see what you think.

Marked (Soul Guardians #1) Book Review!

Author- Kim Richardson

My Rating- 4 STARS

Synopsis- Sixteen year-old Kara Nightingale’s ordinary life is suddenly turned upside down when she dies and wakes up in a strange new world with a new career—as a rookie for the Guardian Angel Legion. Kara is pulled into the supernatural, where monkeys drive the elevators, oracles scurry above giant crystal balls, and where demons feed on the souls of mortals.

With the help of her Petty Officer and friend, David, Kara hurtles towards an adventure that will change her life forever…

My Review- I couldn't put this book down and from page one I knew this would be a book I would finish within a day. I hated putting my kindle down for more than a few minutes to make a drink.

The action starts immediately. Kara, our protagonist, is racing towards her dream of becoming an artist...but she is late for the presentation. Running across a road she is splattered by a bus...and when she wakes in Horizon (Heaven-like place) we learn she was chosen to become a Guardian Angel. Her petty officer David soon becomes her friend and the not-quite-there romance between them is fun to read. At one point I did think the whole insta-love was going to happen and was
pleasantly surprised when it didn't. Their relationship gradually builds....and then is thrown in to complications by a Demon Mark that appears on Kara's ankle, labeling her a traitor to angels, she must fight to prove her innocence and regain David's trust.

I enjoyed the pace of the story, how it all unravels piece at a time, and the extra surprises thrown in for fun. I wont say it was the most complicated plotline and some of it was predicable but with the fantastic standard of writing, the character voices clinging to your brain and begging to be read and the amazing descriptions and imagination you can easily forgive the straight forward plot.

I enjoyed Kara as a character. She was brave and not as whiny as the average teenage 'voice' in YA books and had a sense of independence that I really respected. Recently there have been a spate
of books and writers that have created very weak female protagonists who cling to the male love interests and lose themselves. I am glad Kara is capable of looking after herself in times of battle. David was fun, flirty, with the typical young lad ego and it was fun listening to his jokes and care free
attitude.

I enjoyed Marked and will soon be buying and reading the rest of the series. I hope they are all as good as this one.

Redemption (The Penton Legacy #1) Book Review

Author- Susannah Sandlin

My Rating- 4 STARS

Synopsis- For vampire Aidan Murphy, life has never been so desperate. The vaccine used to treat a global pandemic has rendered human blood deadly to his kind, leaving them on the brink of starvation and civil war.

In tiny Penton, Alabama, Aidan establishes a peaceful community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors. He dares to hope they can survive—until his estranged brother descends upon Penton and begins killing the humans. Determined to save his town, Aidan kidnaps an unsuspecting human doctor—and finds himself falling in love for the first time in nearly four centuries.

Dr. Krystal Harris thought she was coming to Penton for a job interview, but Aidan Murphy has other plans. Infuriated by his high-handed scheme to imprison her in the small town, Krys can't ignore the attraction between them. But is it love? Or does her dangerous, charismatic captor want only to bend her to his will?

My Review- I read this book on one sitting. I seriously could not put it down! The characters came to life off the pages and I watched this story play out behind my eyes. This definately takes the place of Twilight in my affections and Sandlin has quickly become one of my favourite authors, ranking high with those I idolise such as Laurell.K.Hamilton.

I recieved Redemption through a giveaway contest I entered and I am so glad I did! I have the second to delve in to and believe it will be just as good as this one. Aidan is hot, sexy, melt in your mouth chocolatey goodness. He is fair, ruthless, a brilliant leader and takes the wieght of the world on his shoulders, as well as alot of guilt if anything goes wrong.

This book centres around Aidan's brother and the revenge between them. Owen is kinda insane, loves being a vampire and is a litte sadistic. Aidan on the other hand is working hard to create a peaceful life for himself in a remote town called Penton where humans and vampires co-exist happily and even help each other. Vampires feed from them and the humans are protected in return. Aidan will do anything to protect this way of life and Owen will do anything to destroy it mainly out of spite, but also to save his own life.

Yet we learn that there is another deeper plotline beneath Owen's and Aidan's feud. A powerful Vampire Tribunal member is in search of his estranged son, who doesnt want to be found, and he happens to be in Penton. I cant wait to learn more about this in the next book

The wandering mind of a Writer

I love being a writer and everything that comes with it. The vacant expression on your face while a scene plays out behind your eyes, staring at that poor bugger opposite you on the bus because he has interesting features you would love to describe and use for a character in a book, constantly missing the last few words of every sentence when someone is talking to you because you are too busy thinking about your next plotline but....there is one thing that leaves a definate love/hate feeling deep inside my stomach...

The INSISTANT calling of another book while you are fighting to finish your most recent creation! I love that my mind is swimming with ideas, plots, characters, worlds, magical powers, terrifying monsters and many, many more things, but I WISH I had a little compartment I could store them in while I finish the project I am working on. A soundproof compartment preferably.

Normally I would follow my heart and listen to the screaming voice telling me to work on that new idea, that new character, that new romance scene, but I am planning the release of my second Twin Souls Novel for the end of March! 4 weeks! anyone who writes knows the pressure of an upcoming deadline. There is Beta reading, edits, contacting bloggers and a range of readers to review the book and thats not even close to what is left to do on the list!

I am known for having many projects on the go, sift through my website and you will find The God of the Darklands, a trilogy I have been working on over the years (feel free to check out the excerps) I give it my spare time between work, Twin Souls, my family and my friends. I am good at multi-tasking and taking on stress, I love that feeling of nerves and excitement and fear as the deadline draws near to the release of a new book.

But...there is a book I recently started working on because the idea would not shake loose. Harmlessly, I breathed life to a plot that I was sure I could put aside and work on later when I had finished Fateless, the second book in the Twin Soul Series. I was foolish! How could I have not known what I was getting in to?! And so I have been working on a story that has consumed far more of my time then I ever intended and I want to share with you a short excerpt to find out what you think. The few people I have shown snippets to are very excited.

So meet Jade...

"I was born Jade Heartbearer, daughter of Enya and Anick, but that was before my life was torn to shreds"

I stared at my reflection in the mirror and wondered if light would ever shine in my eyes the way it once did. As my mother's did before she was murdered and taken from this world. The chestnut brown of my irises had glittered with flecks of green. Now they were dull and dark, emotionless. The smile at my full lips appeared genuine; it hid the sorrow that punished me night and day. 

Dark hair was piled on my head in irksome curls, cascading down my shoulders to flow over the silk that wrapped around my body. The little flowers woven in to my hair insisted on grazing my ears irritatingly. I resisted the urge to scratch them, or rip them from my head.

This evening I had a part to play. It wasn’t the usual type of Assassin work I was accustomed to but it was a means to an end.

The end of a life. 

The Undying God Book Review

Author- Nathan Wilson

My Rating- 5 STARS

Synopsis- The Undying God explores this terrifying truth, distilled into a dark fantasy thriller laced with heated passion, treachery, and sacrifice. A tormented man emerges from isolation to execute his vision of a moral society. When his methods leave hundreds dead, one woman named Nishka dives into the chaos. Is Virginity truly sacred? A new disturbing ideology rears its hideous head in response to this question. As more murders unfold, Nishka finds herself drawn to the extremist who believes his ideology is worth killing for. And ideology never dies.

My Review- Wow! ok what did I just read!

There is so much to this book that I will review it in sections. I will start with the theme of Ideology. I had no clue what it was before reading this book. I didnt think I had ever read a book with ideology in it before. Marzgor, the villian of this story, has faced much horror in his life. It was very easy to feel sorry for him. This led to a demon using his body and mind to gain a higher power, to become a demigod of virginity. It soon came clear to me that many villains in books and films and even in real life do the things they do because they believe in something, they believe their ideals are right and they fight to change the world around them, whether for better or worse. Marzgor is seeking to cause a change because he believes in it so powerfully, he is driven to murder, mass slaughter and torture to achieve it.

I adored the relationship between Nishka and Arxu. Nathan Wilson successfully created one character full of passion and love and kindness while showing us the exact opposite in the other. Arxu can not feel emotion, he is empty inside and searches for something to fill
the void. Having died and come back from the dead through a spell he had cast, he is tormented with a lack of feeling, seeking out places he can be alone. Nishka helps him to discover his emotions one by one and reading this book I felt like I could see their interactions in my mind, the conflict, the awkwardness. Nishka's advances on Arxu were heart-warming, humourous and tragic all in one hit and I loved it! Now, the Darkling in this book I wont even attempt to spell his name!!! he, for me, was the strangest character. It both liked Nishka and Arxu, yet continuously planned their deaths at every opportunity. He was both brave and quick to run at times of trouble, especially with city guards. He was extremely fun to read.

Now the writing style and the language use were fantastic! There were some beautiful word choices that pleasured the brain and inspired me to find a better vocabulary!. The
descriptions were perfect and carried me through the more informative chapters. Nathan Wilson has an extraordinary volume of descriptive words stashed in his mind and he uses them to play with your imagination. Every scene I pictured vividly in my head, I literally watched this book play out like a film in front of my eyes. In fact, if it became a film I would love to watch it.

I am not even going to talk about one of the final scenes in this book. You will have
to read it and find out!!! I can tell you I blushed! This was a great read and I thank the author for taking the time to write it.

The Hands of Tarot (The Hands of Tarot #1) Book Review

Author - S.M. Blooding

My Rating- 5 STARS

Synopsis- She killed his father. She imprisoned and beat him. And now she thinks he’s her trophy.

Synn El’Asim will do almost anything to prove her wrong. But he’s only proving her right.

Queen Nix awakened his Mark of power and inducted him into the House of Wands. She knew what she was doing. The son of the two most powerful Families standing against her is the ultimate prize.What she didn’t take into consideration was that maybe he was too strong for her. Maybe. But the Families aren’t. They’ve been weakened and it’ll take a lot more than one young man with a powerful Mark to take on the Hands of Tarot

My Review- Wow! What did I just read?? The story was deliciously complex, full of fear, wonder, magic, gadgets, gizmos, one heck of a psycho Queen and wonderful friends. Every character brought something to the story, each with a unique personality that came to life through the book, each with their own fears to overcome.

I didnt quite expect the story I got. The title/cover hinted at something else entirely...this is in no way a bad thing. The surprise kept me facinated. I loved the fact that S.M Blooding
created a character with flaws, weakenesses, someone who doubted himself, had pride for the things he achieved, guilt for the plans that failed and had a focus I wish I could achieve! Young Synn is introduced to us as a youth who enjoys being aboard an airship, doesnt take life overly seriously but has a great sense of right and wrong. When he is captured by Nix, that way of thinking soon changes. We watch him transform from a boy with no magical mark, to a man with unrivalled strength. Much of that strength comes from within. Synn might have great power on the outside, the but real battle takes place in his mind, against a bond the evil queen Nix has formed with him.

I enjoyed so much about this book. The writing was great, the descriptions perfect, painitng a picture in my mind of what this world looks like. The realtionships between the
characters were fun, unexpected and a pleasure to read. It was very steampunk, very techinical and geekish, with a dose of magic, fantasy and paranormal. 

The Hands of Tarot is not my usual read, but sometimes it is healthy to step outside your usual genre. If anyone is worried about not enjoying this book because they prefer fantasy, horror, crime or any other genre, then put your mind at ease and try this one out. There is a little something for everyone. 
 
I look forward to reading the Knight of Wands and can't wait to see how Synn climbs out of the dangerous hole he is in....talk about cliffhangers!

Forgotten Time (Ravenhurst Series #1) Book Review

Author - Lorraine Beaumont

My Rating- 4 STARS

Synopsis- Katherine Nicole Jamison never imagined when she took a job at a prestigious auction house for the summer, that one moment of impulsiveness could change her life forever. When she "borrows" an ancient amulet she inadvertently sets in motion a series of events which results in her waking up in 18th century England, betrothed to an arrogant, self-centered Earl.
Katherine and Sebastian are thrown together by forces unknown, and are unwitting participants in a legend as old as King Arthur’s Realm. As these two very different, but very real people succumb to their hidden desires, they find in each other what no one else can give them, an everlasting love which time cannot forget.

My Review- When I sit down to review a book I try to be honest and constructive. I won't lie. Lorraine Beaumont's Forgotten Time has a few editing issues and there were a few noticeable slips in to first person from a third person point of view. These errors, in my opinion, were minor and didn't detract from the story but is was one of the reasons I couldn't give a full five stars. As a self published author I can completely relate to problems concerning editing and finding good editors.

So now moving swiftly to the reasons this book deserved a 4 star rating:

Katherine was a thoroughly enjoyable character to read. She is funny, hopeless, clumsy and about as normal as a person can be! Which is lovely. As a reader I was able to relate to her more than characters with super powers or teens in YA books that fall in love with a boy at first sight. She is a little naughty, makes bad choices and is flawed. We learn she is beautiful through the eyes of the gorgeous, yet arrogant, Sebastian, though I liked that she was not skinny and perfect. She is also disastrous romantically and has no clue how to seduce a man such as rich, brooding Sebastian.

I admittedly didn't like Sebastian as a character. He is arrogant, selfish and cared little for the women he slept with. Katherine, though he believes she is his estranged fiance Marguerite, brings out all his
best and worse traits. There romance scenes were frustrating, written well and left you wanting them to be together yet hoping Sebastian would shake off his demanding, selfish side.

The plot itself kept me riveted. So much was going on behind the initial romance story. Katherine, through the power of an old magical necklace, is sent back through time and takes the place of marguerite a has a riddle she must solve in order to set right a mistake that was made long ago. But beneath this is a twisted tale of debauchery, murder, sex, lies and torment.

I thoroughly enjoyed Forgotten Time though the quick POV changes sometimes confused me. At first I found them a little frustrating but by halfway through I was used to it and found I enjoyed dipping
in to the mind of every character, especially Katherine and Sebastian. This is a great book with a few naughty moments. I would suggest ignoring minor errors and just enjoy the fun story being told. I look forward to reading book 2

Back with an Excerpt of Fateless!

I'M BACK!!!!! I never would have believed that losing the internet for a week would have driven me to insanity. As a writer I have always been a fan of books, pen and paper and all that good old fashioned stuff. I mean, I thought I would love to live in the Victorian era or in the Middle Ages. But no....the loss of internet and everything it offers from socialising and networking to marketing and Googling, rendered me useless.

AND THE BOREDOM!

The boredom can not be described!

On a positive note it did force me to address some issues in my new book Fateless, The sequel to Lilith, in the Twin Soul Novels series. Having no internet meant there were no distractions while editing my ...what?...third draft, which has undergone alot of changes and I am slowling coming round to liking what I have written. So I am going to share some with you all and hope you enjoy it. Feel free to comment, even if it is just to pick out a grammar/spelling error.

For those of you who have read Lilith, you will remember Calum, the young university student who found himself mixed up in a whole lot of trouble with some seriously disturbed demons. In this piece we glimpse what his life is like with his very own demon soul. ENJOY!!

Fateless :

    
“Calum?” I whispered gently.

The demon turned towards me and for a second it was human, the young man I knew. It did not last long. The demon enfolding his human soul took over. Spittle dripped from his mouth. Sharpened teeth grew until its lips could no longer hold them back and they were forced to curl over, splitting them open. Blood ran in rivulets down his chin to stain the glossy feathers covering his chest and stomach.

“Raum,” I said his name firmly.

Crow eyes found mine and narrowed. His head was free of feathers; leaving raw looking skin exposed to the cold elements of the surface. He stood in a fluid movement, gripping the granite breakfast bar with sharp talons, gouging chunks out of the counter with a sickening screech that sent my nerves ringing. 

“You must stop this and relinquish your hold on Calum. You know it won’t last.”

“Yet, here I am. Here I have been all night.”

I held out my hand, gesturing to the sore state of his head. “And look what it’s doing to you. This fight for control is only hurting you further. He will never stop challenging you, trust me.”

“Trust is a human concept.”

“Either way, I speak the truth. Your time in control of the boy becomes shorter and shorter as the days pass.”

“He relies on you to call on his humanity,” said Raum with a flashing glint of malice in those black eyes. “I kill you and he will have nothing to hold on to in this world. He will be mine.”

“Don’t be so sure.”

Even though I poured confidence in to my voice I still took a step backwards. I was unarmed and the only thing between us was a sofa. If it came to a fight I needed enough of a head start to get to a gun. Wounding him would be enough to call Calum back; I had done it before....if I could make it to the bedroom in time. 
 
Lilith appeared in my mind, her voluptuous body naked and throbbing with power. Firm breasts gave way to a slim waist and heavy hips, golden hair cascaded over one shoulder and large blue eyes consumed most of her face. She was beautiful and terrifying; a Goddess from your most pleasurable dreams and your worst nightmares. 

I didn’t realise, until I heard Raum’s sharp intake of breath, that she had called enough power to become visible. His eyes, though angry, were heated and distracted.

Lilith, what are you doing?

You need to bring him under control, she said.

I am not having sex with Calum.

She rolled our eyes, Raum is not Calum.

I gave her impatient thoughts. Raum exists within Calum’s body. I won’t force this on him.

I doubt he would mind.

No, Lilith.