Review: Sweet Inspiration

Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A feel good holiday romance story. It's short, so it feels pretty rushed, which is unfortunate. I would have loved it if it were longer so things didn't feel so rushed.



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Review: Sweet Inspiration

Sweet Inspiration by Penny Watson

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



A feel good holiday romance story. It's short, so it feels pretty rushed, which is unfortunate.



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Review: Kiss of a Demon King

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole

My rating: 2 of 5 stars



I really hated Sabine, really, really hated her. At the halfway point I was ready to stop reading and only continued on so I could continue on in the series without being confused. Sabine was spoiled, she was selfish, she acted like a child constantly. However, the ending of the book actually redeemed the book, and gave it an extra star, because until the end of the book, I definitely didn't like it, but the ending redeemed it. Definitely my LEAST favorite book in the series so far.



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Review: Archangel's Storm

Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Holy Snickerdoodles Batman! This book was fantastic. I was a little hesitant about it but I bought it because it's Nalini Singh and I love her books. The premise was intriguing but I was concerned about Jason's loyalty being divided, but no need to fret on that count! I really can't express how much I loved this book. When I finished it I started singing, swear to god, singing this: "Sweet Caroline
Good times never seem so good, so good, so good, so good" I really only sang the "so good" part, but you get the idea.
We got a look into Jason that we never have before, while staying completely true to the characterization of him present in the other novels. Sometimes authors struggle with keeping characterization of secondary characters constant when they get their own books, not so with Nalini Singh.
Mahiya was sweet, just completely sweet, there were no negative character traits for her at all. She acted with kindness and poise to everyone and everything.
Watching them become, well, them was great. They were both protecting themselves with shields of steel, but they each managed to slither their way in until they were indelibly entwined. I loved how Mahiya didn't push for what Jason felt he couldn't give her, she never through a fit because he told her he couldn't love her, never demanded anything from him. Everything he was, was perfect for her.
I also loved the brief insights in to Honor and Dmitri's new life, it was wonderfully written , I love seeing them together.

This book was fantastic, 5 out of 5 stars no question.



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Review: Hell on Wheels

Hell on Wheels by Julie Ann Walker

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I really enjoyed this book. The characters seemed, real. Their personalities were ones you'd meet on the street. Ali was really funny and sweet, I definitely enjoyed reading about her and Nate. The rest of the guys were really cool. You could feel their pain and emotions, the writing was really evocative.



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Review: Lady Luck

Lady Luck by Kristen Ashley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I skipped this one on accident, just clean forgot about it until I tried to read Breathe and got crazy confused, so I bought this one to read. I was a little iffy about it, but it worked. Lexie was hilarious, she was so sweet and spunky even though her life was not so great, ever. She was a fantastic foil to Ty's seriousness. I was glad to see Carnal get cleaned up and be free of the dirty cops that riddled the place, and glad to see Fuller get what was coming to him, I hated him in Sweet Dreams such an ass. Julius was crazy sneaky, but his plot to get Ty and Lexie back together after their split was so evil! I had my heart in my throat while that was working out.
I also loved that Ty and Lexie pretty much start out married which forced them into a sort of emotional intimacy very quickly. This book is on par with KA's usual work, and I enjoyed it.



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Review: The Gamble

The Gamble by Kristen Ashley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I loved Max and Nina. I started this series with Sweet Dreams, which is my all time favorite of KA's books. You see some of Nina (very briefly) in Sweet Dreams but it wasn't enough to make me want to read it, and the blurb didn't make me want to read it either, that being said, I'm glad I read it! I loved how Max called her Duchess, and all the secondary plots and characters were very engaging, as always. There was point where they were discussing the unknown bad guy and I thought "oh, I bet it's so and so" but then had to decide that no, how would they swing that, it didn't make sense, but oh boy was I wrong! I love when that happens, I definitely didn't see the ending coming, the bad guys plot was so involved and in depth that there was just no way to see it coming.

Nina was a fantastic heroine, I loved her quirky thoughts and how she was about her clothes, I also loved how she insisted she didn't have an accent. She was a lot of fun to read about. Sweet and funny, but also tough as nails. Max was the typical KA hero, and yet wasn't he had hidden depths and hidden tragedies. The interpersonal connections in this book were very , very complicated, but it worked.



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Review: Motorcycle Man

Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is my absolute favorite book of the "Dream Man" series. I absolutely adored Tack and Tyra. Tack was a major bad ass biker but he didn't have a problem exposing his softness to Tyra, he didn't think his feelings for her made him weak. Tyra was so out of her depth in the biker world but she stepped up and did what she did and was who she was and made a place for herself beside Tack. She didn't have a problem going head to head with Tack and still staying sweet. She was vulnerable but once Tack realized how she was he handled her with care and it was sweet. I just loved them!
The plot was in depth and you got to see a bunch of your favorite character from previous books, of course! I was glad to see the end of the Russians, and how it ended, wowza! I almost wish that KA had gone more in depth with Tyra at that point so we could see what else was happening, she was with them for hours, and we only got to see about 5 minutes of her captivity.

I had sort of been on the fence about reading this one, the blurb just didn't do it for me, and while I liked Tack in the previous books I didn't like Tack, but I am crazy glad I sucked it up and read this, because it's definitely my favorite of this series and right up there with Sweet Dreams as one of my all time favorite KA books.



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Review: Crystal Gardens

Crystal Gardens by Amanda Quick

My rating: 3 of 5 stars



I enjoyed this book, but definitely not as much as previous books I've read of hers. The characters felt very flat to me, and the plot was definitely lacking. There were too many things going on at once, and none of them made much sense. The idea was intriguing and I did enjoy it, but overall this book was forgettable and I'm not likely to re-read it.



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Review: Canyons of Night

Canyons of Night by Jayne Castle

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



I know alot of people complain about how JAK's books are formulaic, and they ARE in a way, but each character brings a little something different, a little something extra to every book she writes.

This book's plot is the usual, boy saves girl as a child, girl falls in love with boy, boy leaves to find himself, they meet again many years later, etc. It works, I truly liked the characters, both the main characters and the secondary characters. Slade was brooding and sexy, and Charlotte was easy to love, she was normal, her personailty wasn't one extreme or the other, she was just..normal. Rex, the dust bunny...I love the dust bunny's in her stories and Rex was definitely no exception, he was such a character and a lot more feral than the other dust bunnies we've seen. This book made me laugh out loud at some parts (they were supposed to be funny, and they definitely were). The 'suspense' portion of the book was actually the weakest part of the book, but still enjoyable. When Slade enters his house and comes face to face with one of Bridewell's inventions I definitely cringed, we've see what those things can do!

All in all I really enjoyed this book, and an looking forward to the next one set on Rainshadow Island.



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Shadow Rising by Kendra Leigh Castle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have a major weakness for books where the hero calls the heroine “Kitten” like a huge weakness. This book did not disappoint. This is the 3rd boo k in the series by Kendra Leigh Castle, we got to know the hero in the previous books, and I absolutely adored learning more about Damien. He was such a sympathetic character but never crossed the line into pity. He was wounded but he covered all of that with a devil may care attitude it was great watching Ariane get under his skin and burrow her way to his heart.

Ariane’s naivety actually charms and does not come across fake in any way, it comes across as real, and her sass makes her interesting. There were points where she fell a little flat, but overall she was definitely a wonderful heroine for Damien. They were wonderful together, and watching Damien come to understand what she really meant to him was fantastic. There was a lot of drama, but it didn’t seem over the top in any way, everything fit.

The evil is growing and some good guys got corrupted along the way, we finally have a Big Bad for this series, something that was previously lacking, I’m looking forward to seeing how the different factions react to this new common foe. I’m giving this book: Shadow Rising by Kendra Leigh Castle a 4 out of 5 stars.


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The Vampire Shrink by Lynda Hilburn
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was...hmmm. There were several times I had to put the kindle down because I was laughing so hard, and pretty sure I wasn't SUPPOSED to be laughing at that point, but sometimes it was just so melodramatic, over the top, and cliche, that I couldn't help myself! It was the british version so the editing and punctuation is slightly off from what I'm used too, it look me forever to get used to ' versus " during dialogue. It was slightly campy, but totally engrossing at the same time.

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Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book started a little slow, but once it starts moving you better hold on to your seat! You will not want to put it down. Nathaniel was a very sympathetic figure, and remained that way throughout, however don’t make the mistake of pitying him, he is one big bad alpha hero willing to take care of business and get down and dirty to do it.

Chloe on the other hand seems a little pale in comparison especially in the beginning. Chloe definitely started to come into her own and towards the end you're definitely rooting for her. Unfortunately, her Agoraphobia seemed more like a forced plot point and felt contrived.

The bad guys were seriously evil and all you could ever wish for in a bad guy. They definitely gave me the heeby jeebies, and I can’t wait to find out how they’re defeated in following books. When you really understand how twisted one of the bad guys is, it’s shocking how far he’s fallen and how deluded he is. It definitely pulls you farther into the story because on the one hand you want him defeated but on the other you want someone to shatter his delusion so he can see how insane he is and be consumed in guilt and horror.

This book was very well written overall and very evocative; I give it a 4 out of 5 stars, and highly recommend it to those looking for a book with angelic tendencies that isn’t your usual angelic or fallen angel romance.


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*NEW* Weekly Recap!

I think I'm going to start doing a weekly recap of the  books I've read during the week, not reviews, just a list of what I've read that week.


So this week I've read the following:
1. Grave Witch by Kalayna Price
2. Grave Dance by Kalayna Price
3. Grave Memory by Kalayna Price 
Her website is here: http://www.kalayna.com/
I love the Alex Craft series, her other series, not so much.


4. Kindling the Moon by Jenn Bennett
5. Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett
Her website is here: http://www.jennbennett.net/
This is the Arcadia Bell series, it's an urban fantasy with some romance. It's almost like a softer Kate Daniels.


6. Mark of the Demon by Diana Rowland
7. Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland
8. Secrets of the Demon by Diana Rowland
9. Sins of the Demon by Diana Rowland
Her website is here: http://www.dianarowland.com/
This is the Kara Gillian series, very urban fantasy, also, the book covers started getting a bit weird.


10. Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews
11. Magic Burns by Ilona Andrews
12. Magic Strikes by Ilona Andrews
13. Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews
14. Magic Dreams (a novella) by Ilona Andrews
15. Magic Slays by Ilona Andrews
Her website is here: http://www.ilona-andrews.com/
This is obviously the Kate Daniels series, one of my favorites, I can't wait until the next one (not counting Gunmetal Magic)


Of the above, the only new (to me) books I've read are: Grave Memory by Kalayna Price, Secrets of the Demon by Diana Rowland,  Sins of the Demon by Diana Rowland, and Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett.


I'm currently re-reading the World of the Lupi series and working on my first review for NetGalley.

Sins of the Demon by Diana Rowland
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful as always. I can't wait to see what happens next, although I'm not a fan of a certain part of the ending (view spoiler)[ The "I Love You" part with Ryan (hide spoiler)] It was like, wait, what? What about sexy demon lord, and you hardly even know this guy, and you CERTAINLY have never been romantically involved with him, so wth? It just kind of came out of the blue. It also ends on a hell of a cliff hanger.

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Secrets of the Demon by Diana Rowland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A great addition to the series, things are heating up and getting more intense. Kara is starting to find out more about this world she has entered and starting to realize that not everything, nor everybody is as they seem.

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Grave Memory by Kalayna Price
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Another brilliant entry into the Alex Craft series. As a rule, I don't like love triangles, I DO enjoy this one, but I'm not going to lie, at this point I want her to PICK one and STAY with him. ( I have a clear favorite in mind of course) Lots of interesting twists and turns, Alex is a strong heroine as always, but I absolutely adore her vulnerabilities, they're written so well. Even though she has all this magic, she still seems like a regular person, someone you can relate to . Just for GS please pick a man already!

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Summoning the Night by Jenn Bennett
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I love Arcadia Bell, and I have no idea why it took me so long to finally read the 2nd book in the series. I guess I forgot how much I liked the first one!
You got to see more of Cady and Lon as a couple, and Cady, Lon, and Jupe as a family. It was fantastic, yes, there was a lot of drama and action, but there was also the quiet times where it was just the 2 of them, or the 3 of them. I love how Cady gets so flustered by simple comments from Lon and Jupe about them being family.

It's also nice to see heroine that struggles with using or not using her ability. She doesn't WANT to use her moonchild powers, and does so only under the most extreme of circumstances.

This book was a fantastic read, and I can't wait for the next one!

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Once Burned by Jeaniene Frost
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This book was super awesome. I loved spending so much more time with Vlad. I'm giving this 4.75 stars, mainly because i n the beginning Leila seemed really, really, masculine and I had trouble getting past that and seeing her as a woman. However, that aside, this book was fantastic. It was definitely up to par with Ms. Frost's usual work. I really can't say enough good things about this book. Vlad was himself, domineering, arrogant and sexy as hell. Leila started out seeming masculine and I really struggled to see through that, however, if you ignore my hang up, she was spunky, funny, brash, and a perfect match for Vlad, she let him take care of her, but she did n't faint and flutter, she also had no trouble calling Vlad for help when she needed it and wasn't obsessed with being independent to the point of idiocy. I love that we got to see Bones and Cat for even though it was just for a second, it's always nice to see old friends pop up. This book ended on a semi-cliff hanger and I absolutely cannot wait for the next book.

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Wicked Nights by Gena Showalter
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This book was fairly decent read. I was very absorbed in the first part of the book but about halfway through it started falling really flat. The tone was a little weird through out the book, it stayed relatively consistent however there were parts where one of the characters says something flippant, or it's worded flippantly and it kind of jarred. There is one section where she uses the word laved waaay too much] The sex scenes were not very engaging, I skimmed over most of them, I just didn't really feel the heat between "Zachie" (I kid you not, she calls him this at one point) and Annabelle. Overall I'm giving it 3 stars because I was really engaged in the beginning. This book had a lot of promise , but for me it fell short of expectations.

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Heart of Brass by Kate Cross
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was fantastic. I've already re-read it a handful of times. I love the character of Arden, even though she was so stubborn it drive me crazy at times. Ms. Cross writes extremely evocatively, there were times when my heart was in my throat as I waited for what would happen next. I love how Lucas came back into her life, and I loved how it wasn't like, "here he is, he's back, life is wonderful again" There was a period of transition and you saw clearly how both Arden and Lucas struggled with their new-again marriage. I adore steampunk and this didn't disappoint. I highly recommend this book to those looking for books like The Iron Duke.

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Sweet Dreams by Kristen Ashley
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is my first time on the computer today, I never even turned on the TV, once I started this book, I couldn't put it down!

Tate and Laurie had a wonderful dynamic, I really enjoyed their banter. All the characters were fully fleshed and I definitely never saw the identity of the bad guy coming. This book is a major re-read for me. I love how Tate and Laurie's relationship came about. It wasn't the typical boy meets girl , boy and girl fall in love, happily ever after. Tate and Laurie were real people, and had real people flaws. Phenomenal book!

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