Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood series #11)

Book: Lover at Last (Black Dagger Brotherhood series #11)

Author: J.R.Ward

Rating: X (for explicit sex scenes (m/f and m/m)

Bookshelves: 2013, Black Dagger Brotherhood, Caldwell (NY), J.R. Ward, New York, paranormal romance, romance, urban fantasy, vampires

Begun: March 26, 2013

Finished: March 26, 2013

Media Type: hardcover book

Setting: Caldwell, New York (suburb of New York City)

Characters: Qhuinn, Blaylock, Saxton, John Matthew, Wrath, Tohr, Rhage, Zsadist, Phurry, Layla, iAm, Trez, Beth,

Synopsis: Qhuinn is a male on the edge. He has been half in almost every world available to him as a male born into the glymera. Born with the “physical defect” of one blue and one green eye, Qhuinn was disowned from his family after his transition when his eyes did not correct themselves. He’s always been made to feel like a freak and unloved from almost everyone in his life. Everyone, that is, except Blaylock (Blay), his best friend in the entire world. He best friend until Blay admitted to Qhuinn that he loved him and Qhuinn did not reciprocate. Time has passed, though, and Blay has moved on … to Qhuinn’s cousin, Saxton.

Qhuinn has finally realized that the emotions he’s feeling towards his former bestie is a little more than friendship. But is it … love? How much more of a freak would that make him if he were … gay? But something deep inside is churning and the fates have something in store for Qhuinn and Blay. They can never go back to being best friends, but can they become something more than that?

And will either of them get past the hurt and unspoken emotions that they both feel to realize that there is something they both need in the other?

Review: I loved this book. I have been waking for my Qhuay for so long. These two boys were meant for each other since day one.

[HERE BE SPOILERS]

You knew this was coming. You knew the romance and the love would be there. But, damn Ward, you made me hurt so much before they came together. Almost right away (well ok in the first 50 pages), I was already in tears. There is a part when Qhuinn gets his Hummer stolen and flipped and Blay ends up in the tow truck with him while they are bring it back to the Brother’s compound. Qhuinn has no idea what to say to Blay who knows that he has slept with Layla (the Chosen whom he serviced during her needing in Lover Reborn (Tohr’s book)) and gotten her pregnant. Qhuinn just stares at Blay because he has no idea how to tell his best friend and the only person who has ever given two shits about him that he feels like he betrayed him and cheated on him with Layla (whom Qhuinn knows he serviced because both he and Layla have never really had family and they want to create family). When Blay all but says “so what,” Qhuinn takes off out of the truck and Blay stops him, telling him that they can’t go back to the way they were before (before Blay told Qhuinn he was in love with him and Qhuinn didn't reciprocate) but that they should be civil to each other since they have to work together. And Qhuinn believes that Blay no longer loves him and (like I said) Ward just breaks your heart.

I wouldn’t want it any other way though. Blay and Qhuinn need the heart break and hurt so that they can work their way to a place of peace for both of them. Ward out did herself this time. The book is beautiful and transcends the stupid “oh, it’s a book about gays” bullshit. It’s a beautifully written masterpiece of the romance genre where one heart finds both its pieces and becomes one again. I found myself crying and laughing at the same time. Ward is an excellent writer who weaves in pop culture and humor into all of her novels.

As always, this book will be reread numerous times and enjoyed more and more each time I get my hands on it. And, as always, I can’t wait to read more of the adventures of the BDB.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Blood Rights (House of Comarré series #1)

Book: Blood Rights (House of Comarré series #1)

Author: Kristen Painter

Rating: V (for violence)

Bookshelves: 2013, blood donor, fiction, Florida, France, future, House of Comarré series, Kristen Painter, paranormal romance, vampires, urban fantasy

Begun: January 1, 2013

Finished: January 3, 2013

Media Type: paperback

Setting: New Florida (assumed to be in the same location as our Florida), Corvina, France

Characters: Chrysabelle, Maris, Maddoc “Doc,” Malkolm “Mal,” Katsumi, Ronan, Fiona

Synopsis: Chrysabelle is royalty in the hidden world of vampires. She is Comarré, part courtesan, part blood donor. She was a blood virgin when she was bought by her master for the highest purchase price ever. Beautiful, blonde, and tattooed from head-to-toe in intricate gold threated that were imbedded under her skin, Chrysabelle finds herself on the run from the vampire society when she finds her Master beheaded. Not knowing who did murder her Master, Chrysabelle runs to her aunt in New Florida to look for help. What she finds there is Mal. Mal is a vampire but a low class vampire who killed another of his kind. How can this outcast help a murder suspect?

Review: House of Comarré … what can I say. I really wanted to fall in love with this series but there is just something there that makes this series very … one-dimensional. Yes, the characters were well written. Yes, the plot was good. But there were big holes in the plot, questions that were not answered, and an ending I saw coming from a mile away AND called about 1/3^rd of the way into the book. It was ok but it wasn’t fantastic!

In my opinion, this book gets:

Wild About You (Love at Stake series #13)

Book: Wild About You (Love At Stake series #13)

Author: Kerrelyn Sparks

Rating: M (Mature Audience – nothing out of the norm for a romance novel)

Bookshelves: 2012, Alaska, bear, fiction, Love At Stake series, Kerrelyn Sparks, New York (upstate), old wives tales, paranormal romance, romance, shapeshifter, werewolf

Begun: December 4, 2012

Finished: December 6, 2012

Media Type: paperback book

Setting: coastal Alaska, upstate New York

Characters: Howard Barr, Elsa Bjornberg, Roman Draganesti, Shanna Whelan/Shanna Draganesti

Synopsis: Howard Barr is a former football playing hulk of a hunk who secretly lusts after the Amazonian Nordic beauty, Elsa Bjornberg. Blonde and beautiful, Elsa works for a DIY home-wrecking/remodeling TV show that has taken the job of revamping (pun COMPLETELY intended!!) Shanna and Roman Draganesti’s cabin near the Dragon’s Nest School. Shanna and Roman (as vampires) can’t oversee the remodel of their cabin during the day … but Howard (head of security at the school) can. Howard is FLOORED when he sees Elsa, in person, for the first time. For the first time in … ever … Elsa feels like a feminine woman around a man. Howard is a huge, six-foot-six beast of a beautiful man with gorgeous eyes and hands that makes Elsa want to forget the stories her family passed down from the old country about the berserkers who would eventually kill her. Howard’s biggest problem? He’s a bear-shifter … and one of the berserkers that Elsa’s family has warned her about. Can Elsa give in to her feeling for Howard? Can Howard save the beauty he’s come to love … even if it’s from himself?

Review: I love, love, love, love, love Kerrelyn Sparks and all of her books in the Love at Stake series. This was a great book that finally tackled Howard’s story. I’ve been waiting for Howard’s tale since I started reading this series a couple years ago. The only problem I saw in this book, I actually remember more compassion and emotion coming from Howard in some other books that only mentioned him as a side character. Sparks is a fantastic writer but I feel like Howard needed a little more attention and to be a little more rounded. I just think Howard was almost a little too flat. But Elsa was perfectly rounded. I can’t wait to hear more about them as the series continues on.

In my opinion, this book gets:

Perfect … just perfect.

A Wizard For Christmas (A Protector Series novella)

This book was read as an Advance Reading Copy (ARC) provided for free by the publisher.

Book: A Wizard for Christmas (part of the Protector series)

Author: DorothyMcFalls

Rating: PG (slight violence - a creature attacks a woman and there a couple dead bodies but they aren't described in detail - just that they are dead)

Bookshelves: 2012, Chicago, fantasy, fiction, paranormal romance, romance, USA, wizard

Begun: December 6, 2012

Finished: December 7, 2012

Media Type: ebook (read on Kindle)

Setting: present day Chicago, Illinois (USA)

Characters: Holly, Hadrian

Synopsis: Holly was an orphan who grew up to be a loner. When her friends ask her about her Christmas plans, Holly lies and says that she’s going to her family’s home where all sorts of fun things happen (like a cousin who keeps the memory of her dead “uncle” Burl Ives alive by singing Christmas songs to the family). But a strange … stranger keeps popping up in her neighborhood. Hadrian is a Protector and knows that Holly is not what she thinks she is. She’s really a wizard, or, as they call themselves, a Protector. And Hadrian knows that to defeat the big baddie on the lose killing innocent mortal Chicagoans Holly will have to learn the truth and start to trust someone other than herself.

Review: I was not a huge fan of this novella. In the beginning of the novel, I found Holly to be a dynamic character and that her interactions with the mysterious Hadrian were intriguing. But, the author fell flat creating a completely three dimensional world with Hadrian and Holly at the center.  Very quickly, Holly became the kind of heroine that I despise: insular; never listening to anyone else (especially those with more experience that can help her); and one that runs away from problems (both real life and perceived problems). She spends more than 3/4^th of the books hating Hadrian and running from him and then in the last few pages (when the ultimate confrontation occurs), she totally flips her stance on the matter. Magic played a very, very small role in the novella and was discussed only as a cursory item (which is strange since the title is A Wizard for Christmas).

In my opinion, this book gets:

3 out of 5 stars (fair - could be better/could be worse)

You Suck (A Love Story series #2) by Christopher Moore

Book: You Suck (A Love Story series #2)

Author: Christopher Moore

Bookshelves: 2011, California, fiction, paranormal romance, romance, San Francisco, vampires

Begun: August 8, 2011

Finished: August 13, 2011

Media Type: book on CD (copied onto iPod Touch) (library copy)

Setting: San Francisco, California (present day)

Characters: Jody Stroud, C. Thomas Flood, The Emperor of San Francisco, Bummer (a dog), Lazarus (a dog), Abby Normal, and the Animals (a group of Tommy’s coworkers at the Safeway)

Review: Tommy and Jody are back after their first adventure with the living dead. After having her turned into a metal plated statue (along with her maker), Tommy “releases” Jody from her prison and she turns him into a vampire too. Now, to be able to function during the daytime hours, the pair has to find a minion.

Into their lives walks Abby. Abby Normal. Well, that’s not her real name but she’s decided to change it because she likes it better. Slightly nutty … ok bat-frickin’-crazy, Abby helps Jody and Tommy move from their loft to a new apartment, which isn’t too far from the first one.

Then, the Animals show up. In the weekend since they defeated Jody’s maker and then fenced all his artwork, they have spent their share of close to $1 million they earned. Of course, they spent it all on liquor, drugs and a blue hooker.

Blue, the hooker, wants more money so she can retire from the oldest profession on earth. Her eyes set on Tommy, she takes him prisoner and starts to “torture” him. As a new vampire, Tommy gets pissed at this impromptu session and kills Blue, who, the gang later finds out, becomes a vampire after the attack.

Now Blue’s going around changing and/or killing the Animals and Jody and Tommy are still dealing with Jody’s maker. What’s a vampire to do?

I don’t think You Suck was as good as Blood Sucking Fiends but it wasn’t bad. This series is more urban fantasy than paranormal romance.

Awards: none

Recommended by: Milli

Recommend to: Fans of Christopher Moore, paranormal romance fans, urban fantasy fans

First Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson series #1)

Book: First Grave On The Left (Charley Davidson series #1)

Author: Darynda Jones

Bookshelves: 2011, angels, demons, fiction, New Mexico, romance, paranormal romance, the Devil, the Grim Reaper,

Begun: August 6, 2011

Finished: August 8, 2011

Media Type: audiobook (book on CD – downloaded to iPod Touch)

Setting: present day New Mexico, USA

Characters: Charlotte (Charley) Davidson, her uncle, Reyes Alexander Farrow, Garrett Swoopes, Cookie

Review: Charlotte (Charley) Davidson is a little … different. Sure she’s like every other girl. She likes her car. She loves her job as a “consultant” to the Albuquerque, New Mexico Police force. She has a host of friends and neighbors. And she has a disturbing ability to see the death. Not so much “Sixth Sense”-I-See-Dead-People … as … I am a Grim Reaper and I help ferry people over to the other side.

Yeah, so that kinda makes life awkward at times. Charley has a dead man (she calls Mr. Wong) living in the corner in her living room and a naughty elderly (dead) neighbor who just walks into her bathroom all the time to look at her naked.

As a consultant to first her father and then her uncle, Charley helps out a lot of cases when the recently deceased come to see her and explain what happened (or even who killed them!). But there are some strange occurrences in Charley’s past that she is having trouble coming to terms with (and if Charley’s calling them strange, then you know that something has to be downright odd).

A man has been entering Charley’s dreams and having mind blowing sexual encounters with her. Who is the strange man? She doesn’t know his face but there is something about him that is familiar to her … until one day, he calls her “Dutch.” No one has called her “Dutch” since a brief meeting with a teenage boy back when she was around 14 (and she estimated him to be 18 at the time).

Slowly things are starting to click for Charley and the case she is working on (3 dead lawyers all working on the same case of a wrongfully accused man who supposedly killed a runway boy) is moving fast and Charley is smack dab in the middle of it.

Great read. I’m glad I found this new series. I can’t wait to get my hands on Jones’ second book, Second Grave on the Left.

By the way ... Reyes is super model hot ... and this is Pickyme's depiction of him ... with all his flaws ... he can come and eat crackers in my bed ANY night. (check out Pickyme's blog - click on her name above - she's a fantastic cover artist with SERIOUS talent!!)

Awards: Romance Writers of America Golden Heart Award (2009)

Recommended by: Jade (Goodreads.com friend)

Recommend to: all lovers of paranormal romance

The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld series #7)

Book: The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld #7)

Author: Gena Showalter

Bookshelves: 2011, Budapest (Hungary), demons, fantasy, fiction, romance, paranormal romance, the Underworld,

Begun: August 1, 2011

Finished: August 2, 2011

Media Type: paperback (personal copy - later donated to the Grafton Public Library)

Setting: present day Budapest (Hungary) and the Underworld (aka Hell)

Characters: Amun, Haidee, Paris, Strider, William, The Lords of the Underworld,

Review: Amun was dragged from Hell, literally, kicking and screaming.

Keeper of the demon of secrets, Amun must remain mute or he will divulge all the secrets of those around him. As Secrets, Amun picked up some extra demons when he went into the Underworld and now he’s carrying those around with him too. Locked by himself in a cell and then his bedroom, Amun is literally waiting to die. The angels have decided that they will kill him if he doesn’t start to get better soon.

Bring in the Hunter Haidee, Strider is stricken to see his best friend in so much torment. Leaving Haidee in a locked bedroom adjacent to Amun’s Strider goes to check in with the rest of his Lord friends, of which Torin seems to be the only one around.

When she awakes from her drugged stupor (the only way to get the blood thirsty and vicious hunter back to the Lord’s mansion), Haidee hears Amun mentally calling for help. She fights her way through the wall, literally (she finds a closed off doorway between their two bedrooms).

Thinking that Amun is a former lover of hers, Haidee cozies up to him. Like salve on a burn Amun’s demons retreat and he is able to heal slightly while Haidee holds him in her sleep.

Sparks rage between the two and secret abound (no pun intended!). Haidee isn’t all human. She’s been reborn many many times but always forgets the “good” things about her former lives.

Will Amun help her or kill her once he finds out that she was the one who killed Baden?

Awards: none

Recommended by: Kim

Recommend to: Sherrilyn Kenyon fans, paranormal romance fans.

Beastly

Book: Beastly

Author: Alex Flinn

Bookshelves: 2011, fantasy, fiction, for teens, New York City, New York City, paranormal romance, romance, USA

Begun: March 15, 2011

Finished: March 17, 2011

Media Type: paperback (larger sized)

Setting: present day New York City, present day upstate New York

Characters: Linda "Lindy" Owens, Kyle Kingsbury (aka Adrian), Will Fratalli, The Witch (aka Kendra Hilfert), Magda, Rob Kingsbury

Review: I picked up Beastly because the movie was being released and I decided that I should read the book (at the time I really, really wanted to see the movie too – since reading the book, I think I will wait for the DVD to come out and then go get it for free at the library). The story is … well the plot, at least, in its most basic form, is a good thing. Think: an updated Beauty and Beast.

And what little girl didn’t love the story behind the Disney classic.

In this reworking of the fairytale, we open the book to an online chatroom transcript where the moderator’s name is Mr. Anderson (all I could think was Hugo Weaving playing Agent Smith from The Matrix asking Keanu Reeves (Neo/Mr. Anderson) saying “You hear that Mr. Anderson?... That is the sound of inevitability... It is the sound of your death... Goodbye, Mr. Anderson...”). Maybe others missed it but “Mr. Anderson,” is a not so cleaverly veiled reference to Hans Christian Anderson who authored many (if not most) of the fairytales that are still so popular today! In the chatroom we meet the little mermaid, a bear, and the frog (the prince who was turned into a frog) … and a beast who proceeds to tell us his story.

Kyle Kingsbury was the most popular person at his private prep school. But inside, he’s kind of messed up. His mother left his father and him without, really, any good reason when he was pretty young. His father, Rob Kingsbury is a self-loving and beauty obsessed anchorman. He doesn’t have that much time for Kyle other than to make sure he’s not getting into that much trouble.

Kyle, who is a shoe in for Prom King, plays a trick on the goth chick in his English class, Kendra Hilfert, by asking her to the dance even though Kyle is actually taking the “cool girl,” who becomes ticked at Kyle for getting her a “simple, common” white rose for her corsage instead of the exotic orchid she wanted. When they get to the dance, Kyle hands the offending rose to a “scholarship” girl who is manning the ticket desk. This simple act of making the girl’s day with the flower is the only thing that saves him from what is about to happen.

When Kendra realizes that Kyle has an ugly heart as she suspects and has been playing her for a fool, she reveals that she is actually a beautiful witch. She transforms Kyle into a beastly visage to match his heart. But, because he was kind to the “scholarship girl,” the Witch gives Kyle a chance to redeem himself. He is given two years to get someone to fall in love him.

He figures that this will never happen. He thinks he’s gross because he’s covered with fur, disfigured, and has claws. He’s basically an amalgamation of a bear, dog, man and gorilla. When the doctors can’t cure him of his physical deformities, his father gets him a five story apartment away from his apartment in Manhattan. Kyle realizes that his father can’t stand to look at him and has shunted him out of his life. Magda, the family’s maid, goes with him and his father pays for a blind tutor to become his companion and teacher.

Slowly over the course of the first year, Kyle comes out of his self imposed prison, changes his name from Kyle (which means “handsome”) to Adrian (which means “the dark one”), and builds a greenhouse where he begins to grow roses of all sizes, colors and types. One night, he catches a robber who broke into the greenhouse intent on stealing things in the house for drug money. The robber bargains his daughter for payment (of not being turned over to the authorities). His daughter is Linda (“Lindy) Owens who it is revealed is the “scholarship girl” from the dance.

Could she be the girl to break the curse? How could anyone see though the horrific exterior to see what’s within Adrian’s heart? And is that heart worth seeing?

To break the curse, make Lindy love him, and return to his “normal” life, Kyle/Adrian only got months left …

Awards:

• ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers
• VOYA Editor’s Choice
• IRA/CBC Young Adults’ Choice
• New York Public Library Books for the Teen Age
• Texas Lone Star Reading List
• Detroit Public Library Author Day Award
• Utah Beehive Award Master List
• Missouri Gateway Award Master List
• Volunteer State Book Award Master List
• Nevada Young Readers Award Master List
• South Dakota Young Adult Book Award Master List
• New Hampshire Isinglass Award Master List
• Woozles (Canada) Teen Battle of the Books list

Recommended by: myself after seeing a commercial for the movie which was released in Feb. 2011

Recommend to: Twilight saga fans, fans of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Kate U. (my friend)

Tiger's Curse (Tiger Saga #1)

Book: The Tiger’s Curse

Author: Colleen Houck

Bookshelves: 2011, curse, fantasy, fiction, India, romance, Oregon, paranormal romance, tiger, USA, were-creature

Begun: March 11, 2011

Finished: March 14, 2011

Media Type: hardcover

Setting: 17th century India, present day Oregon (USA), and present day India

Characters: Kelsey Hayes, Prince Dhiren (Ren), Mr. Kadam, Indian goddess Durga,

Review: When I started reading Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck, I was pretty sure it was going to be ... well ... boring. I had seen the book in the hands of a couple of my students and in the front section of the Barnes and Noble I frequent, but I wasn't sold on the book.

I had, also, heard that this was originally published online as a free book (or was it as a Podcast? I honestly don't remember).

Anyways, I started reading it and thought: Oh damn, it's set in Oregon. This is going to be another Twilight-esque knock off. Well, come to find out, Houck was inspired by Twilight to the point that she began writing this series of books. And unfortunately, the main female and male characters will remind you WHOLE HEARTEDLY of Bella Swan and Edward Cullen. (And I, personally, think the world has had enough of these characters and their incarnations!!!)

I was pleasantly surprised when I got into the story. The writing is mediocre (at best) but Colleen Houck does a pretty good job of weaving a lot of information (there is soooooooo much info dumping) into the plot. The problem for me was that the writing off set the whole "good plot" she had going on.

The story goes like this: Kelsey lost her parents a while back to an accident. She's in foster care. To pay for junior college in the fall, she goes to a temp agency (she's not yet 18 ... how many temp agencies take 17 year olds?) to get a job for the summer. They send her out to a circus that is going through town who needs help (her foster parents don't even bat an eye at the fact that the circus expects her to sleep there for the two weeks she'll be working with them). Slowly, she develops a bond with the white tiger in the circus. A man, Mr. Kadam, comes and buys the tiger and wants to take him back to a nature preserve in India. He wants Kelsey to help him. Kelsey agrees to fly half way around the world ... and, apparently, that too is ok with her foster parents because they let her go.

Surprise of surprises, Kelsey finds out that her white tiger buddy is really a 17th century Indian prince, Dhiren, who had a curse placed upon him (and his brother). Mayhem ... long long drawn out mayhem ... and dialog written with a tin ear (shame on you Houck ... ensues. Houck tried to teach us about the Indian goddess Durga but the writing and the repeated usage of the main characters names in the dialog (i.e. “Mr. Kadam, do you think … (next line) “No Kelsey, …” (next line) “But, Mr. Kadam …”) take away from the plot.

There is a cliff hanger at the end which prompts readers to get the second book.

Will I read it? Probably with the caveat that I understand this is not a novel of epic/mythic proportions, that this is just a book to pass some time with ... not to call "literature."

Awards: Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2010)

Recommended by:

Recommend to: Twilight series fans

Untamed (House of Night #4) by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Book: Untamed (House of Night #4)

Bookshelves: 2010, fiction, read, romance, paranormal romance, vampires, USA, Tulsa

Begun: October 18, 2010

Finished: October 22, 2010

Media Type: book on CD (listened to on iPod Touch)

Setting: present day Tulsa, Oklahoma (USA), alternate reality where vampires exist as part of everyday life

Review: (Spoilers for book #3 ahead!) Oh Zoey. Poor kid. There’s nothing like being a teenager. The hormones screw with your mind and cause you to do the worst things sometimes.

After Stevie Rae rejected the change and “died,” Zoey was so overcome and confused with all the things that had happened to her that she turned to poet laureate, Loren, who literally screws her over. Erik catches them post coitus and turns from Zoey. A confrontation later with Zoey, her friends, and the newest red fledgling, STEVIE RAE, leaves Zoe … all but alone.

She still has Aphrodite. I never would have seen this friendship coming two books ago but I do say it shows what a 3D character Zoe is that she can befriend Aphrodite after what she did in the first book.

Aphrodite is having visions left and right and most of them show poor Zoey’s death in one manner or another!

Suddenly, there is a malevolent presence on the House of Night campus and it’s after Zoey. Flapping wings in the night and something lunging at her out of the dark. Zoey’s forced to travel from building to building with a friend in tow.

Speaking of friends, Zoey has a new friend from the House of Night Chicago, James Stark, the international archery phenom. But once again, nothing goes right in Zoey’s life. Hours after meeting Stark, she watches him reject the change. Knowing this is her chance to out Neferet and shed some life on the Native American tale of Kalona, that her grandmother told her about after one of Aphrodite’s prophecies, Zoey and the “nerd herd” set up some surveillance on Stark’s body … but it all falls apart … again.

Recommended by: Michaleen (sister in law)

Recommend to: Mindy

Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole (Immortals After Dark #10)

Book: Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole

Bookshelves: 2010, fantasy, fiction, read, romance, romance-paranormal, vampires, demons, witches

Begun: October 19, 2010

Finished: October 20, 2010

Media Type: Book (paperback)

Review: Demon from the Dark by Kresley Cole opens on Malkom (I assume pronounced just like the name Malcolm) Slaine, a demon who was once a blood slave to a vampire in the demon plane of Oblivion. His mother was a prostitute who sold him off to a horrible vampire master when he was seven. Eventually, the master threw him out (because he was a perv and Malkom got too old for his tastes – this part skeeves me out!), but Malkom was able to make a life for himself and eventually got to be friends with the much older Demon prince who eventually became his best friend. That is until the Viceroy captured them both when an ally of Malkom’s becomes a traitor and gave up Malkom and the prince. The Viceroy tortures and beheads Malkom and the prince only to force the demons to come back … as vampires. Now they are what the Lore calls Venoms (vampire/demon combos). They are locked together in a cell and forced to wait until one kills and drinks from the other. The prince succumbs first but Malkom has a fight to live and will not allow himself to be drunk from again (like he was when he was a blood slave). The prince dies by Malkom’s hand.

Oh did I mention that all this action is JUST THE PROLOGUE! This book is action packed and hilarious as most of Kresley Cole’s books are!

Eventually, we get to the main plot where a group (called the Order) has kidnapped a witch, Carrow Graie. Carrow is the epitome of the poor little rich girl. All she ever wanted was for her parents to give her five minutes of attention and to love her but they were more interested in dry martinis and golfing. She is forced by the Order into the demon plane of Oblivion to seek out Malkom (who now controls huge amounts of water – a big deal in the desert wasteland of Oblivion) and bring him back to the Order’s strong hold (an island masked from all other creatures of the Lore somehow).

Carrow finds Malkom where another problem arises … language. Malkom spoke what he calls Anglish (English) hundreds of years ago but he refuses to speak it now (it was the language his vampire master used). And, Carrow only speaks a few words of Demonish. The two try so hard to communicate that it’s comical. And all the while, Carrow is starting to feel something for this Venom … this vemon who has recognized her as his Bride (for his vampire side) and his Mate (on the demon side).

But he doesn’t know that she’s going to betray him. Carrow has to get him back to the Order’s stronghold or they will kill another witch who they’ve captured, a seven year old recently-orphaned witch named Ruby.

Hilarious, heart warming, heart-string pulling … typical Kresley Cole. I can’t wait for more from her! But her next book, Dreams of a Dark Warrior, doesn't come out until February 15, 2011.

Recommended by: no one

Recommend to: Mindy, Michaleen, Erin

Chosen (House of Night #3) - PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Book: Chosen (House of Night #3)

Bookshelves: 2010, fiction, read, romance, paranormal romance, vampires

Begun: October 16, 2010

Finished: October 18, 2010

Media Type: Audiobook (from CD)

Review: Sometimes, I really hate that I can get so into a book that a change in mood or plot can put a funk over my day. PC Cast andKristin Cast's novelChosen (Book #3 in the House of Night Series)definitely did that for me today. It put me in such a bad funk that I HAD to go outside and mess around in the yard and play with the dogs for a while.

Poor Zoey. That's all I can say at the end of this novel. Poor, poor Zoey. She's getting it from all around her. Heath, her imprinted human boyfriend who just can't let her break up with him; Eric, her major-ly hot and very suspicious (with good reason) fledgling boyfriend; Loren, the vampire poet laureate who is showing an affinity for Zoey; her nut job mom and her horrible step-loser (step dad) who she suspects is murdering vampires; Stevie Rae, her best friend who is technically un-dead; and to top it off, it's Zoey's birthday.

Recommended by: Michaleen (sister in law)

Recommend to: Mindy

Twice As Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl series #2)

Twice as Hot by Gena Showalter



I cried reading Gena Showalter's Twice as Hot and I don't often cry over books (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows aside because really who didn't cry at the end of that!).

I didn't find Twice as Hot as good as Playing with Fire where we were introduced to Belle, Tanner, Sherridan, and Rome but I did find it compelling and found myself reading at 4 a.m. instead of sleeping (yes, this is something I do ... deprive myself of sleep so that I can continue reading!).

Very good. A must read for any fan of the Lords of the Underworld series.

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Stay The Night (Darkyn series #7)

Stay the Night by Lynn Viehl


My rating: 2 of 5 stars
It seems that Lynn Viehl is trying to take the route of J.R. Ward and turn what was a good paranormal romance series into a mediocre urban fantasy.

Mediocre. That's what Stay the Night had written all over it. This was to be Robin and Chris's novel but just like Lover Enshrined(which was everybody's book but Phury's) this is everybody's book but theirs.

We figure out pretty early that Rob (or Robin) is Robin of Locksley (aka Robin Hood). And he's got a grudge against his cousin, Guy (who is Sherwood - of Sherwood Forrest fame). But we don't find out until MUCH later why.

Then there's Chris Renshaw who is a FBI agent. We don't get all the details but they are setting up a sting to capture a criminal known as the Magician. (This Magician as you can guess is Robin). But upon scoping out a bar to meet the Magician, Chris runs into Robin. Robin tries to work his Kyn flower power on her and it doesn't work. But he still propositions her to spend the night with him in his swanky downtown Atlanta highrise condo.

Of course Chris goes even though we aren't given a lot to work with on her emotional provocation for this. They kiss for a while and then she wakes up the next day. We are completely cut out of the equation. In Lynn Viehl's previous books, we were always given insight into the characters (why Valentin did this, what Jayr was thinking at this point in time, and what the impetus for Michael's actions on this matter were). But we were given NOTHING to go on for this story.

At one point, Chris even mentions his "vine tattoo" around his neck that someone had kind of messed up. Now it took me a while to figure out that he didn't really have a messed up tattoo. He is Kyn. He's allergic to copper and someone clearly tried to garrote him with barbed wire made from copper.

There is a plot even though it's murky. Our suspicions on Jayr's parentage are confirmed. And there is more of Michael and Alexandra's relationship shown and expanded upon than anyone's.

Seriously, the best part of this whole novel was the "scene" between Michael's second, Phillipe, and the second of a Chinese Kyn. Though it's not my cup of tea, the male on male action was the best written of the whole novel.

And to hear that this novel will be the last in the Darkyn series makes me think that Lynn Viehl was just trying to get the book finished and off to her publishers. I was very disappointed in this one.

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Many Bloody Returns (Sookie Stackhouse series # 7.1)

Many Bloody Returns by Charlaine Harris


My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Just read Charlaine Harris's addition to this anthology.

Sookie is invited to Fangtasia where Eric is hosting a birthday for Prince Dracula who is rumored to appear at one party every year.

Hilarity and the trouble that always follows Sookie around ensues.

A great read and a must read for any and all Sookie Stackhouse fan.

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Fear The Darkness (Dark-Hunter series #17)

Fear the Darkness by Sherrilyn Kenyon

My review

rating: 5 of 5 stars
A fantastic short story from Kenyon that can be found on her website. A must read for Kenyon fans!

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Harmony's Way (Breed series #8)

Harmony's Way (Breed Series, #8) by Lora Leigh

My review

rating: 2 of 5 stars
I'm really starting to get sick of Lora Leigh's writing. There doesn't seem to be much of a plot behind any of her novels ... or any true emotions. Just one character having a lot (and graphic sex) with another character who Lora Leigh then declares the mate of which ever character is breed.

Harmony's Way (Breed Series, #8) isn't much different. You find out Harmony is a Breed they formerly called Death. Her brother, who you are lead to believe wants revenge against her for killing their mother, sends her to Broken Butte, a small town in what I assumed was the southwest, to a man named Lance Jacobs, who is her mate. Harmony's brother, Jonas, knew Lance was Harmony's mate but we are never told how he knew.

The plot never really develops and there is a twist of fanatical supremists thrown in there but the book never really takes off. Poor excuse for a book if you ask me.

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Darkness Revealed (Guardians of Eternity series #4)

Darkness Revealed by Alexandra Ivy

My review

rating: 4 of 5 stars
Anna Randal has no idea why she doesn't age ... and why she doesn't die but she blames it all on Conde Cezar and the night that spent in his bed 200 years before.

Living the passed 200 years as all but an eunich, Cezar has been Anna sworn protector, even if she hasn't know about it. Now that he's right at her side, will he be able to save her heart?


Morgana le Fay is after Anna's head. And Cezar wants her heart. What's a future Oracle to do?

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