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R12: Team #8 ~ Vor8ious Readers



SERIES CATCHUP Space
No Quest For The Wicked by Shanna Swendson
Finished: August 6, 2015
Series: Enchanted, Inc. #6
Rating: ★★★½☆
Number of pages: 278
Review: The gang's all here. Six books later and the characters I've enjoyed from the beginning of this series, I'm still enjoying. Their antics are back in a familiar setting, NYC; even the enchanted frogs make a reappearance. Having read and reviewed first five books, I'm not sure I have anything original to say in this review--or that I won't be giving away spoilers to anyone who hasn't read the previous books.
The ending ... ooh ... aah ... now that's going to make for an incredibly interesting next book—plus there were gnomes, gotta love a book with gnomes. It wasn't a cliffhanger ending; just something happened to throw a twist in the story.


Shelf: Series Catch-Up
Book: Heart of Venom"
I'm on "Venom" in that series. I like the series and Gin. Not the same old same old compared to other UF series -- but some repetition on some phrasings. Not as completely addicted as I am to some series.
Nichole wrote: "That sounds like a great series to read when you're looking for something fun and Paranormal. I added the first book to the Mountain!"
It's pretty much pure chicklit fluff. But fun to read. I've been reading last few via public library ebook loan so have also not impacted the book budget.

My library doesn't have them :( I suggested they get them but I might have to check the Half-Price Bookstore :)


Book:Heart of Venom by Jennifer Estep
Finished: 8/8/15
Rating:★★★★★
“Family takes care of family. Simple as that.”
And let me tell you, nobody messes with Gin's family and lives to talk about it. In true Gin fashion, The Spider comes out to play and leaves a mess of dead bodies in her wake. The action starts up immediately and it was good to see the real Gin back in all her Spider glory. She didn't have to make those hard decisions that might make people turn their backs on her. No, she just goes in and takes care of the problem. It was awesome!
The problem turns out to be the nightmare from Sophia's past. An evil man still obsessed with Sophia. Harley and Hazel Grimes are a twisted pair of siblings. Their victims are raped, beaten and tortured with fire magic until they get discarded (barely alive) to his men or to the pit. They enjoy breaking people, most often innocent college girls. Now that Fletcher is gone, Harley wants the one who got away-Sophia. It's creepy, his obsession with her, and he will stop at nothing to get her.

Gin gets Sophia back and introduces those evil bastards to The Spider. Of course, they're arrogant and think they can take one lone assassin but they soon realize that The Spider has spun her web and they walked right into it.
The thing I love most about this series is that Gin doesn't have to be the only hero. She might be the assassin but she accepts the help of her friends. They're a family and they all work together to right the wrongs done to them or anyone they feel needs protecting. Another thing I love is the flashbacks we get with every book. They fill in the blanks for us so that we can see the how/why/what made Gin into The Spider. It's not just her story, it's their stories.
One more thing...
Thank you, Owen. Thank you for manning up and not just telling Gin how you feel but showing her. Gin may be an assassin but she has a big heart and it get's broken just as easily as the next person. I love you all! And I'm really looking forward to future books with the set up for the next big bad coming our way.


8/7/15
4.5 ♥'s
Review: I love the world that Ms Jones has created. A grim reaper falls in love with the Son of Satan. Yep, only in fiction, lol. As usual I had a ton of ROTFLMAO moments during this book. I'm enjoying the books more as Reyes is finally admitting his feelings and not being an assh*le to Charley anymore. The series keeps getting better and better. We have two mysteries to solve in this one - one paranormal and one regular. We meet a 'new' character from Reyes past - will he be a good guy or a bad guy..... jury still out. Garrett has continued to work with the Dr trying to figure out the prophecy. Charley pushes her weird ways of fixing things onto Ubie and Cookie with turn about being fair play which I thought was hilarious and fitting for Charley. The little twist at the end LOL - I kind of already figured that out a while ago so I had to laugh when Reyes and Charley were a wee bit dumbfounded. Looking forward to book 7.


They are just always quick quirky fun reads. Always puts a smile on my face and with Reyes getting better (even with Son of Satan thing) just an even bigger win :)


Finished 8/9/15
Rating 3.5♥'s
Review; This series is an interesting take on our world battling another world that is held off by the 'barrier' and the Paladin warriors who fight for us to be safe. They live in secrecy among the humans. Unable to share their job with 'civilians'. Makes dating rather hard. Jarvis is out in the woods separated from his team when he is attacked by what he thinks is just one Other but the Other had his buddies near by. Gwen and her brother Chase live in these woods. Gwen finds Jarvis half dead (he has healed some prior to her finding him) when her dogs won't stop barking and lead her to him. She brings him home as she see's one of his wounds heal before her eyes - just like she has recently seen happening with her brother. Decent story of what happens when Jarvis wakes up and meets both Gwen who he finds attractive and then her brother - who he knows immediately is a Paladin and the son of one of the men who had his final death approx. 18 yrs ago - before he knew Chase's mom was pregnant. What to do ...what to do?? This was a fun quick read. Not a lot of furthering the storyline on what is really happening. Just adding a 'new' generation to the ranks. Jarvis is much too hard on himself and Gwen has been sheltered much her life as she had to give up her life to return to raise her brother (10 yrs younger than she) when her mom passed. during her college yrs.

We leave on vacation today. I will check in for next shelf call but might not be on Wednesday depending on what we are doing. I'll be back in town next Monday.


Free Space read 4/4
D.A.:Dead Heat (from SOS BEST OF: Urban Fantasy Series Listopia), 7/18/2015, ★★★★1/2 Review
Elizabeth: Night Reigns (from SOS BEST OF: PNR Series), 7/17/2015, ★★★, Review
Melissa:Darkness Unknown (group bookshelf), 8/9/2015, ★★★1/2, Review
Nichole: Queen of the Darkness (group bookshelf), 7/19/2015, ★★★★ Review





You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'free space'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D


A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
Date finished: 8/11/2015
Rating: ★★★1/2
Review: No Tyrion, no Jon Snow, a little bit of Daenerys, and mostly Cercei, Jamie, Sansa, Arya and lots of intrigue and world-building for the next book. I found myself bored in some parts but overall an enjoyable read. Off to watch Season's 5 episodes!

Shelf #4 ~ 5 August: Series Catch up 4/4
D.A.: No Quest For The Wicked, 8/6/2015, ★★★1/2, Review
Elizabeth: A Feast for Crows, 8/11/2015, ★★★1/2, Review
Melissa: Sixth Grave on the Edge, 8/7/2015, ★★★★1/2, Review
Nichole: Heart of Venom, 8/8/2015, ★★★★★, Review





You now have an updated BINGO card with a stamp on 'series catch-up'.
[Your updated BINGO card can be viewed on page 1]
Good Job!! :D




2 of 9 | 2 of 9 | 3 of 9 already stamped.
ETA: today's shelf call is a potential 3-of-9 for middle "/" pattern


(Yeah, I know I can go to book page, look at top shelves to see if on a shelf but clicking "demons" on top shelf to make sure it was same shelf as called keeps cycling you over "demons" genre instead. *%#@!* goodreads/Amazon for so insistently trying to hide our shelves plus "demons" are not a book genre. At time I posted, it was on that shelf at https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/... )



World After by Susan Ee
Date finished: 8/14/2015
Rating: ★★★
Review: Fast-paced but darker than the previous. I didn't enjoyed it much, I found it a bit boring and a bit disturbing, so I won't continue with this series. Raffe was missing for a long part of the book, which was also negative.



DEMONS Space
Under Attack by Hannah Jayne
Finished: August 15, 2015
Series: Underworld Detection Agency, #2
Rating: ★½☆☆☆
Number of pages: 322
Review: Had all the right elements. Just somehow didn't "gel" for me. Possibly a mood. Quite likely other readers would be more into this one. Paranormal meets chick-lit meets cozy mystery.
Humor was a sporadic chuckle but mostly seemed force. Main character couldn't seem to do anything right for me — I didn't like it when she was too TSTL or too smart, too doormat or too gung-ho, didn't like the relationship when it was romantic or when it was whine-y, didn't like the family moments when heart-stringing or when dysfunctional. The big reveals fell flat but were there as was a story, plot, Angels, fallen angels, vampires, pixies, fairies, demons, guardian angels, the same underworld bureaucracy from first book ...
First in series was kind of fun and was hit or miss (mostly hit) with me so gave this second book a try. (Plus it fit the BINGO call.) I'm not continuing on with this series.
Probably would have helped if hadn't immediately gone to designer name dropping by way of Jimmy Choo and Manoli Blahnick type of thing. Or an immediate continuity problem where a pixie was pinned to the wall but a fairy was cleaned off of wall.

Heading into my kids start of school. Hubby and I are happy they are going back but our kids aren't, lol
I'm about halfway done with my book. Hoping to be done by tomorrow.
@ D.A. - sorry you didn't like your book. I think I have # 1 of that series on my tbr....



Uuummmm.... nope - no shows. Hubby has been talking about Branson for the last few yrs as we have a timeshare through Marriott. His face was hilarious when we were driving down the road past other hotels for the entrance to ours. Incredulous look - like really - our you sure we didn't take a wrong turn, LOL. The resort was/is actually really nice with really nice rooms. It was just funny.
We rode the ducks, went to the outlet mall, visited caverns, 2 pool days, Butterfly Palace, Aquarium ( my daughter loved - I thought was horrid - luckily got a groupon for $25 for the two of us....the smells inside were terrible and I've been to several zoos/aquariums in our travels. The neon mini golf within the complex made up for the 'zoo' part IMO), went hiking, drove up to Springfield Mo to visit the Science museum (awesome), went to Land of Ozarks College and saw their museum (again awesome)...this is a working college were kids come out without any debt, they work 15 hr a week and (2) 40 hr work weeks during their 4 years there - any state/federal grant/funding they get is given to the school and the rest of their tuition is paid for by donors and alumni's donations. WOW. Found an awesome cajun place for dinner up in Springfield Mo and found a great BBQ place right by our resort.
@D.A - school these days (to me) is terrible. It is all about the schools scores on testing and teaching to the testing and why isn't johnny/jane doing better on the testing vs teaching children a love of learning - it's a crying shame. My heart goes out to teachers everywhere as this was probably not what they signed up for when they decided they wanted to be a teacher.

We ate at a BBQ place there too, small place, and it was the best pulled pork sandwich I've ever had!

We probably will do Dixie Stampede if we go back - we heard a lot of good things about it.
Butterfly room - wasn't too hot but didn't have a lot of different butterflies. First one we ever went to was in Aruba - smaller place but a lot more different butterflies and you were allowed to attract them to land on you with nectar. Tons of butterflies landed on my daughter there so she was sad when none landed on her here. Still it was fun



By Darynda Jones
Finished 8/18/15
Rating: 4♥
Review: hard to do a review without spoilers - this book continues to solidify Reyes and Charley's relationship. She and Cookie are their ridiculous selves. We learn a little more about Devea. Amber was a surprise for me. Cookie and Ubie are finding their way together. Garrett's ex's revelation was interesting. Hell hounds have been released. We have the whiny ex bf following her around. OMG if she said my affianced one more time - UGH!! Watching Reyes try to keep Charley safe through all of her shenanigans - I think he's gonna have a heart attack. She can try a saint, that Charley. The ending - did not see that coming. Even with some tiny annoying bits - looking forward to #8.


Book: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet by Darynda Jones
Finished: 8/18/15
Rating:★★★★
Charley is still recovering from the torture she endured in the last book. She's holed up in her apartment wearing her pj's and Margaret (her gun) and keeping the Home Shopping Network in business. Doesn't everyone need 3 rice cookers?
Finally, a client comes to her apartment asking for her help. Charley needs the work and decides to come back to the living. Of course, nothing is ever that simple with her and the hilarity ensues. Seriously, she's a total nut job! The things that float around that head of hers, lol.
As usual, the hot and cold between her and Reyes is still present but things are starting to change between them. For one thing, he was pretty forthcoming with her about her powers and where she came from. Finally!! She gets some answers. It's not enough but it's a start.
But I have to say, I wish her Dad would stop trying to kill her to prove a point! Geez, Dad! I enjoyed it though and had plenty of chuckles from the queen of one-liners.

Shelf #5 ~ 12 August: Demons 4/4
D.A.: Under Attack(p.24 of Demons shelf), 8/15/2015, ★1/2, Review
Elizabeth: World After, 8/14/2015, ★★★ Review
Melissa: Seventh Grave and No Body, 8/18/2015, ★★★★ Review
Nichole: Fourth Grave Beneath My Feet, 8/18/2015, ★★★★ Review




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Good job, Ladies!