The Keepers: Archer (The Keepers #1) by Rae Rivers

 

Summary:

 

‘Don’t ever look for me again, Archer.’
His mouth curled into a smile. ‘Game on.’

Central Park. Sienna Beckham is out jogging in the autumn sun, feeling almost ordinary. Trouble is, she'll never be. She's on the run from her life as a powerful witch and the three Keepers blood-bound to protect her.

Evil is hot on Sienna's tail and Archer Bennett is searching for her, desperate to find her before they do. As one of her Keepers, he will fight to his death to defend her.

Sienna must return and defend her hometown, Rapid Falls – but she has to face the past and master her powers. And as forbidden feelings blossom between Sienna and Archer, will their love survive the ultimate war?

The Keepers: three strong and handsome warrior brothers, born to protect.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 288 pages (Kindle)

Source: NetGalley Arc

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: June 20th 2013 by HarperImpulse

 

Back in the latter bit of 2013 I had the pleasure to read both The Keepers: Sienna and The Keepers: Archer. The first one was a Kindle freebie and the second, The Keepers: Archer was curtesy of Rae Rivers passing along my request to her publisher which got me approved for the ARC.

 

I was so impressed with the first novella in the series that when I got to Archer's book I was so excited to see where things were going to go since the first book was a prequel novella I had a lot of unanswered questions about Sienna, Archer the rest of the Bennetts and their enemies.

 

Right from the get go the story caught me. While some books can seem too busy if there's a lot of action, River's was able to utilize all the action in the book to give context to the emotions of the various characters and let me tell you this right now, there was a lot of emotion.

I liked that Sienna struggled with her powers and her love for Archer and I think that the fact that while the book is centered around Sienna I thought we got to know her cohorts (keepers) quite well in the first (full length) book in the series though I do have many questions left unanswered that I hope to have resolved in the next book. Aside from Archer and Sienna, I liked Archer's brothers Declan and Ethan a lot. I thought they added much to the story and I liked how they weren't afraid to speak their minds. I'd actually say that the whole cast of characters are extremely head strong and I loved it.

Overall, I'd say this was a spectacular first book in a series and I'm so very glad that I had the opportunity to read and review it. The writing was amazing and I loved how the author handled and wrote the different characters so well as well as the plot twists. The only complaint I have was that a couple parts in the book were a little rushed (for me) and I wish the book was maybe 15 pages longer. Other than that it was wonderful and I cannot wait to read book two.

I would recommend this to all fans of anything with witches, romance and lots of action!

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

Loved It!
★★★★★

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Slave to Sensation (Psy-Changeling #1) by Nalini Singh

 

Summary:

THE HOT NEW NAME IN PARANORMAL ROMANCE.

Nalini Singh dives into a world torn apart by a powerful race with phenomenal powers of the mind-and none of the heart.

In a world that denies emotions, where the ruling Psy punish any sign of desire, Sascha Duncan must conceal the feelings that brand her as flawed. To reveal them would be to sentence herself to the horror of "rehabilitation" - the complete psychic erasure of everything she ever was...

Both human and animal, Lucas Hunter is a changeling hungry for the very sensations the Psy disdain. After centuries of uneasy coexistence, these two races are now on the verge of war over the brutal murders of several changeling women. Lucas is determined to find the Psy killer who butchered his packmate, and Sascha is his ticket into their closely guarded society. But he soon discovers that this ice-cold Psy is very capable of passion - and that the animal in him is fascinated by her. Caught between their conflicting worlds, Lucas and Sascha must remain bound to their identities - or sacrifice everything for a taste of darkest temptation...

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 334 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio

Publication Date: September 5th 2006 by Berkley Sensation

I've been a fan of Nalini Singh's since I first came across her Guild Hunter series back in 2011 and I've been wanting to try her Psy-Changeling series for just as long, and last week I finally bit the bullet and borrowed the e-book from my library.

And you know what? I loved it. I did, I really, really did. I was totally surprised by the fact that I loved it because of the sci-fi and paranormal blend which I thought was pretty unique compared to the other romances I usually read.

The book focuses on two people. First there's Sascha, a Psy. Someone who has had the emotion supressed in them, they have individual personalities, and powers but no emotion. Except something went wrong with Sascha and she does feel things, and that could get her killed if the wrong people found out. Then there's Lucas, the alpha of the DarkRiver pack of Leopard shifters, he's all emotion and can tell that there's something different about Sascha but it takes time to figure out just what that difference is.

I loved both characters, sometimes I struggle with alpha heroes but when it comes to Nalini Singh, I love them. She creates them in such a way that I can't help but adore them, even if they can be major pricks she always gives them redeeming qualities, and Lucas's most redeeming quality is his loyalty to those around them, plus he's a shifter. How could I not like him? I didn't always agree with him but I liked him a lot through out the whole book.

As for Sascha, I was really surprised to like her since I've read a romance like this before where I hated the heroine I loved Sasha. Unlike the other Psy we encounter in the book she's all emotion, even though she had to keep it under wraps around her kind, I enjoyed seeing her embrace her differences and use them for good.

As a couple, I loved this pairing of characters. Yes, Lucas is all macho but Sasha is able to smooth out his rougher edges and they went together so well both in and out of the bedroom. Singh has always been able to create a strong storyline that is both equally character and plot driven in her other series that I've read so it was nice to see that her ability to create scorching chemistry in one of her earlier novels was great.

The plot of the novel was a strong one. Both Lucas and Sasha are trying to find the Psy who is abducting and butchering other shifters, leopards as well as wolves and it becomes a game of cat and mouse, with both sides of the coin having much to lose if it comes to light that there's a rogue Psy in the world. At first I was very unsure about the whole Psy thing because of the sci-fi nature of them and race but in the end I enjoyed it and thought it was really refreshing. Yes, I have some questions about the Psy and the Changelings but I suspect many of those questions if not all will be answered in the subsequent novels in the series.

Overall, this turned out to be one of my favourite reads of this year. Nalini Singh is one of my favourite authors so I'm glad that I finally gave her first series a try, though I am kicking myself for not starting it sooner. The plot was complex and the romance between the characters was able to build up before it bubbled over. I liked the angst and the way that she set up this first book in her series and I'm dying to read the second one.

I would recommend this to fans of Nalini Singh who haven't yet started her Psy-Changeling series for fears that it won't have strong characters like those in her Guild Hunter series. If you love shifter romances but want one with a twist where there isn't a case of insta-love and want something refreshing in the genre I highly recommend picking this one up and if you long your heroines with a strong personality grab it as soon as you can

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

 

Loved it!
★★★★★

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.

*[Blog Tour Review] Hunted by Jill Kaelin

 

Summary:

 

8 That's how old I was when I found out I was special. I was given my rose quartz gem and taught about my past.

13 That's how many times I've lived in this world. This is my thirteenth life cycle as a human.

1 That's how many seconds it took me to fall in love with Mike. It's also the amount of time I had to say goodbye to him just before he was killed by Reggie, the hunter that's been after me for months.

Will Reggie succeed in killing me too, and possibly eradicating the planet of the unicorn race forever?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 218 pages (E-book)

Source: Review Copy

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date:  August 17th 2013 by InkSpell Publishing

 

 

Have I mentioned how much I love InkSpell Publishing before? No? Well I do. They work with some pretty amazing author's and I'm so glad to have the opportunity to work with them especially when it comes to reviewing some totally awesome books like Hunted. Since the book is still so new, I'm really going to try to avoid any spoilers so if I seem vague I apologize. I just don't want to spoil it for anyone.

 

Hunted is Jill Kaelin's debut novel and she hit it band on. At 218 pages Hunted was a quick, fun, unique read written by a fresh new voice in the Young Adult genre. At first I wasn't all that sure what to expect since I wasn't able to find any reviews of it to give me some idea of what I was getting myself into and because I'm always nervous when it comes to trying a new author.

 

Right off the bat I liked the way that Kaelin chose to write Skye's story. It flowed so easily and so freely and she was detailed in her descriptions that I felt like I was in the book along side Skye as she had to endure everything that her 13th life through at her. There was something so endearing about Skye that I couldn't help but to love her and root her on through the story because I liked seeing her grow as a character. She was complex yet not so much so that it brought the over all feel of the book down. Plus I liked the paranormal aspect that surrounded her a lot as well. It wasn't over done and it fit well with the over all feel of the book.

 

As for Reggie, I wasn't a fan of him. Other people may or may not be but I wasn't although that isn't to say that he wasn't a good character, because he was. I just didn't see eye to eye with him really and I thought he made a good supporting cast member/co-star for Skye and their dynamic really intrigued me.

 

My only issue with the book was that I really think it could have done with an extra 15-25 pages to really flush a few scenes out and add a little more to the story line and add more dialogue to the story but that is of course just my opinion and other than that I thought Hunted was an excellent debut and I am totally looking forward to reading the next book in the series as soon as I can because I would absolutely love to see where the story line is going to go from where Hunted left off. Oh and the unicorn thing mentioned in the book summary? I know I didn't mention it before because of spoilers so just let me say, GO BUY THE BOOK AND READ IT IMMEDIATELY. Seriously though. Go buy it, and then you can find out why unicorns were mentioned because I'm not telling. It's too important. Trust me.

 

I would recommend Hunted to fans of young adult paranormal novels with a unique premise, a fresh perspective on the genre, a great heroine and fantastic writing that will get you hooked.

 

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

 

 Loved it!
★★★★ 1/2

 

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*[Blog Tour Review] City of the Fallen (Dark Tides #1) by Diana Bocco

 

 

Summary:

 

Five years ago, vampires came out of hiding and took over the world. It was meant to be a quick enslavement but it turned into a bloody battle that brought humanity to the brink of extinction.

Isabelle Bryant is one of the “lucky” survivors, now living in hiding, scavenging for food through deserted towns.

And she’s tired of it.

So she’s devised a plan: find the king of the vampires and drive a stake through his heart.

Except that wickedly sensual king Marcus is nothing like the monster she expected. And while landing on his bed was part of the plan all along, discovering that he might hold the key to humanity’s survival certainly wasn’t. The catch? Saving humanity also means ensuring vampire survival. It means giving up hope for a return to a human-ruled world.

As sparks fly and hate becomes heat, Isabelle must pick a side -- before the darkness devours them all.

** This is Book One of the Dark Tides trilogy **

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 191 pages (Kindle)

Source: Review Copy

Publication Date: June 27th 2013

 

City of the Fallen was my first read by Diana Bocco, and now that I've finished it I can say with 100% certainty that I'll be continuing on with the Dark Tides trilogy as the subsequent novels are released, as well as giving her other separate novels a try.

 

The novel was a little different than I was expecting but that was one of the things that I found so appealing. The post apocalyptic setting in City of the Fallen was well thought out and I enjoyed the overall premise of the story as well. It was serious but not too serious that the romance aspect between the human Isabelle and vampire king Marcus didn't seem out of sorts with the overall flow of the story. I also really enjoyed the alternating POVs that the author chose to implement in the story because I liked seeing things from the point of view of Marcus.

 

The chemistry between Isabelle and Marcus was apparent right off the bat even if both kind of tried to hide it. Especially Isabelle since she was on a mission to kill Marcus but that didn't stop them from engaging in some horizontal gymnastics.

 

I really enjoyed both characters and thought that they both brought something unique to the story and learning about Isabelle's past really helped me to understand how she came to be the way she is and I also enjoyed learning about Marcus and his back story.

 

The writing was very good. It flowed extremely well and I didn't find myself having to go back and re-read anything at all. I liked all the action that the author put into the story but I'm most impressed with how she elected to use both the paranormal romance theme mixed with that of a post apocalyptic love story.

 

Overall, I would say that City of the Fallen was a strong debut for a new trilogy and I'm looking forward to reading more from the author in the future. My one and only complaint is that some parts could have been drawn out a little more and I feel that and extra 30 pages or so would have been great.

 

I highly recommend City of the Fallen to all fans of paranormal romance who love vampires and aren't afraid of reading one with a post apocalyptic twist. If you want a story that has great characters and a great story this one might just be your next perfect read.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

Really Liked It!
★★★★

To become a "Fan" of Diana  on Goodreads CLICK HERE

To visit Diana's Website CLICK HERE

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Blood of the Demon (Kara Gillian #2) by Diana Rowland

 

Summary:

 

BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL, MAN AND DEMON, SHE’S ABOUT TO FACE THE ONE THING SHE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO SURVIVE.

Welcome to the world of Kara Gillian, a cop with a gift. Not only does she have the power of “othersight” to see what most people can’t even imagine, but she’s become the exclusive summoner of a demon lord. Or maybe it’s the other way around. The fact is, with two troublesome cases on her docket and a handsome FBI agent under her skin, Kara needs the help of sexy, insatiable Lord Rhyzkahl more than he needs her. Because these two victims, linked by suspicious coincidence, haven’t just been murdered. Something has eaten their souls.

It’s a case with roots in the arcane, but whose evil has flowered among the rich, powerful, and corrupt in Beaulac, Louisiana. And as the killings continue, Kara soon realizes how much there’s still to learn about demons, men, and things that kill in the night—and how little time she has to learn it.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 369 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

Source: Own

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: February 23rd 2010 by Bantam  

 

I discovered the Kara Gillian series by Diana Rowland about 3 years ago and I was hooked! When I finally picked up book two I was so excited to finally read it. Unfortunately it's taken me 9 months to sit down and write my review but thankfully I've got a good memory.

 

This second book in the series was even better than the first one which I absolutely loved. In this one we become more familiar with Kara, her demon summoning abilities and the characters of FBI agent Ryan and demon Lord Rhyzkahl and this is one of the few instances where I really like the idea of a love triangle happening in a book.

 

What I love most about this series is that while they are paranormal/urban fantasy novels they also great mysteries as well. Since the author herself has a police officer and a police detective I think her experiences as well as her training has been a real asset to her writing Kara's series so well because the crime and detective elements are well detailed and thought out.

 

I really enjoyed the plot of this book in the series and while I enjoyed the first book in the series a lot I thought that the author really hit her stride and I felt that this one flowed much better than the first. The characters were written very well and even though I still don't really get Rhyzkhal's character I do like his brooding nature and I really hope to get to know him better as the series goes on. I also really want to see where the story line with Ryan goes because there was a pretty big cliffhanger when it came to him at the end of the book.

 

There was lots of action, violence, gore, mystery and a hell of a lot of sexual tension in this one and I loved how well thought out the mystery element was because I honestly had no clue where it was going and I love when an author can keep guessing. Overall, I loved this book and am glad to see that Kara is still just as smart, funny, strong and kickass as she was in the first book and that she has a growing support system of people who know more about her gift. The story was well thought out, fast paced and had it's share of lighter moments to offset the killings. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in this series and hope to read them soon.

 

I would highly recommend this book to everyone who loves a good paranormal/urban fantasy detective series with demons, murder and a love triangle.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

 

Loved It!
★★★★★

To "Like" Diana  on Facebook CLICK HERE

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Interview with the Vampire (The Vampire Chronicles #1) by Anne Rice

 

Summary:

 

Here are the confessions of a vampire. Hypnotic, shocking, and chillingly erotic, this is a novel of mesmerizing beauty and astonishing force–a story of danger and flight, of love and loss, of suspense and resolution, and of the extraordinary power of the senses. It is a novel only Anne Rice could write.    

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 342 pages (Mass Market Paperback)

Source: Gift

Available Formats: Print/E-book/Audio

Publication Date: 1976

 

I've been wanting to read this book since I was 11 years old so exactly half of my life has been spent wanting to delve into the pages of Anne Rice's work but something kept holding me back. Often it was the fact that other books got in the way but a lot of the time I was afraid that I would be that one person who didn't enjoy her writing.

 

After finishing Interview with the Vampire I can honestly say that it is one of the best books I've ever read and I can totally see why Anne Rice is the queen of this genre. From the first page I was gripped by her writing style which was fantastic.

 

Interview with the Vampire is a complex novel dealing with darkness and light, life and death, passion and cruelty. The characters were so detailed and I loved getting to know Louis, Lestat, Claudia and Armand but Louis was definitely my favourite character. Despite all he had done in the novel there was still such a lightness and innocence to him and though he could be whiny and pretensions I thought he was the most well developed character in the story and he still remains an enigma to me.

 

Lestat, Claudia and Armand were all brilliant in their own unique ways. I loved how all the characters in the book had a lot of similarities but had some very prevalent differences as well. I loved how harsh and cruel they could all be but enjoyed they're very few tender moments when the last semblances of their humanity shined through.

 

I thought the whole plot of the book was intriguing and I thoroughly enjoyed being whisked off to New Orleans in the later bit of the 1700's into the 1800's as well as the sweeping city streets of Paris where Louis and Claudia journeyed to in the second half of the novel. Anne Rice has an amazing gift for transporting her audience to the locations she sets her writing in.

 

This was definitely a provocative read what with the relationships between Louis and Lestat, Louis Lestat and Claudia, Claudia and Lestat, Louis and Claudia and Armand and Louis especially with the fact that Claudia was turned at such a young age not being much more than a toddler but she handled their unconventional relationship with grace as she did the other relationships the characters had in the book. I was pleased that she didn't reduce her writing to vulgarity and thought the sensuality of the novel spoke volumes.

 

Overall, I thought this was a stunning novel and one that while I'm sad I didn't read sooner am glad that I gave it a chance now that I'm at an age where I can grasp the intricacy of the many story lines and undercurrents of the plot. The writing was absolutely superb and really swept me up in this story that I can best describe as one of love, lust, loss and longing. If you haven't read Interview with the Vampire yet I strongly urge you to do so especially if you've been waiting to read it for some time. Hopefully you love it as much as I did and it leaves you reeling, questioning and wanting to read more of Anne Rice's books immediately.

 

I read this book for the following reading challenges:

 

2013 150+ Reading Challenge

2013 Anne Rice Reading Challenge

2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge

 

Loved It!
★★★★★

To "Like" Anne Rice on Facebook CLICK HERE

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To visit Anne Rice's Website CLICK HERE

To purchase the book via Chapters Indigo CLICK HERE

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Outfoxed (Cougar Falls #4) by Marie Harte

 

Summary:

 

"When a cat tries to outsmart a sexy fox, only love can save him. "

A "Cougar Falls" Story

Grady Chastell, Shifter extraordinaire, wants to take a mate the delectable Gabby Easton. She s sexy, kind, and has the extraordinary ability to shift into "two" animal spirits, cat and fox. There s just one problem.

Gabby won't take him seriously.

He s at his wits end trying to convince her to give him a chance when trouble comes knocking at his door. Before he knows it, he s unwittingly party to one whopper of a lie that finally has Gabby where he wants her but will she feel the same when she realizes she s been duped?

It will take all his cunning, the help of the pride, and a good bit of mutual trickery to convince his foxy lady to forgive and forget. And more, to love him the cat born to be hers.

Warning: Arrogant cats who think they can outsmart the slyest of foxes. A cat war, devious siblings, hijinks with consequences, and the threat of sexualized danger as a foxy feline turns the tables on a man who likes to tell tales.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 115 Pages

Source: Toronto Public Library

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: March 13th 2012 by Samhain Publishing, Ltd.

 

Outfoxed was my first read by Marie Harte and even though it is the fourth story in the Cougar Falls series I felt like the book was completely able to stand on it's own. The book does mention the characters from the previous books but the romance between Grady and Gabby is completely their own and is the main focus of this 115 page e-novella.

 

I thought that Outfoxed was a decent read given it's novella status. I'm not much for shorter reads but this one was an okay one. There were things like the fact that Grady was the biggest playboy. I don't get the appeal but I can't really handle books where the writers make the male leads into alpha males who have to coddle the women they love. In that way I felt the relationship between Grady and Gabby was a little "meh". Even the naughty bits of the story were a bit repetitive and shallow but the one saving grace was that Gabby despite being a ditz was actually quite adorable and she was so sweet and kind to the people she cared about.

 

My main thing I liked about the book other than the humour, which I would describe as mildly funny was that it was a quick and easy read that helped me get back into the shapeshifter romance genre. I wouldn't say the plot was amazing but it was alright and had enough substance to keep me reading to find out what the outcome of the story would be and if Grady and Gabby would make it. For 115 pages I'd say the author did a nice job of mixing things up and making it feel like a longer read.

 

I would recommend this romance novella to fans of shapeshifter romances especially if you're in the mood for a quick read. I can see this being a weekend read or one that can be picked up when you have an hour of free time and would like to start and finish a book in one sitting.

 

Really Liked it!
★★★★

 

To become a "Fan" of Marie Harte  on Goodreads CLICK HERE

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Wolf Moon Rising by Miranda Simon

 

Summary:

 

Clare Sorenson has a boyfriend, but there is something so very intriguing about her new next-door neighbor. She's never seen anyone with eyes so — golden. Those eyes rendered her speechless. Pale skin, unruly dark curls, and the lean, wiry body of a distance runner don't hurt, either. Soon the high school senior is falling head over heels for the mysterious Nicholas. She'll risk everything to be with him.

But something isn't right in the small town of Hadley. It begins with ravaged livestock and rumors of wolves. Clare begins to suspect that Nicholas knows much more than he's willing to admit. How many gruesome deaths will it take before she confronts him -- and discovers his true nature? And can love survive that terrible truth?

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 125 pages (E-book)

Source: Kindle Freebie

Available Formats: E-book

Publication Date: November 13th 2012 by Capuchin Publisher

 

Wolf Moon Rising turned out to be one of the more surprising books that I've read so far this year. Usually if a book is under 150 pages I'm not likely going to enjoy it but when I got this as a Kindle freebie last week I had a feeling about it.

 

Right away I was taken in by Miranda Simon's story of Clare Sorenson and the new boy in town, Nicholas Hadley. I was surprised by how much I liked both of the main characters because usually in shorter books there isn't quite enough character development but this one didn't have that problem whatsoever.

 

Clare was such a super sweet and caring girl I couldn't help but feel bad for her loss over the suicide of her mother several months before the events in the book took place. She was totally devoted to her father and she wasn't a brain dead heroine at all and I was glad to see the author gave her some smarts.

 

As for Nicholas, I thought he was a jerk in the beginning when he was so rude to Clare when she was just trying to be friendly but he grew on me even though his denial about his father's wolfish tendancies being as bas as they were annoyed me a lot. He did love his little sisters with all his heart and I loved how selfless he was for them.

 

The other characters in the book were minor but they also had good character development and I didn't have any real issues with them. I thought that Nick's father was a major nutter and for me there was no love lost between him and I. Especially after reading about how he treated his family.

 

The plot of the book was very good as well. I liked that it wasn't your standard young adult romance novel and that while there was romance it wasn't all sappy like the kind a reader of the genre would typically find, especially in such a short book. I thought the plot was well developed and I was very pleased with how the overall story played out and thought it was a really enjoyable read. My only issue is that the author seemed to leave it on a bit of a cliffhanger so I'm hoping that she does pen a sequel since I'd really like to see how things with Nick and Clare turn out after things ended the way they did with Nick's dad and the killing of livestock.

 

Overall, Wolf Moon Rising was a surprisingly detailed and well written 125 page novel and left me wanting to read more by Miranda Simon. I'm very glad I picked this Kindle freebie up when I did and very glad I gave it a try.

 

I would recommend Wolf Moon Rising to fans of young adult shape shifter novels. Unlike many books in the genre I thought this one stood out as a shining example of how well a book of it's nature can turn out. Plus if you're looking for a quick read this is a great book to pick up.

 

Really Liked it!
★★★★

 

 

To purchase the book via Amazon CLICK HERE

 

 

 

 

 

What's a Witch to Do? by Jennifer Harlow

 

Summary:

 

A suspenseful brew with a dash of passion

High Priestess might sound like an ’80s hair band, but its Mona McGregor’s life. She runs the Midnight Magic shop in Goodnight, Virginia, and leads a large coven. She’s also raising two nieces and hasn’t been with a man for fifteen years…until a handsome doctor takes an interest in her. But Mona’s life really heats up when Adam Blue, a sexy werewolf, arrives at her door. Adam informs her that someone wants her dead and he is there to protect her. Hell’s bells! When a demon begins stalking her, Mona has to suspect her coven members, and even her family.

With two handsome men and a determined demon after her, Mona teams up with Adam to find out who really wants her dead . . . and who really wants her.

Summary & Cover taken from Goodreads.com

Length: 336 pages (Paperback)

Source: NetGalley ARC

Available Formats: Print/E-book

Publication Date: March 8th 2013 by Midnight Ink

 

When I first requested this book I didn't know what to expect because I'd never heard of the author before and looking at the summary the book reminded me of the Sookie Stackhouse series by Charlaine Harris.

 

Thankfully, despite that fact What's a Witch To Do was much better than I expected. There was nothing that I didn't like about the book. I absolutely loved the plot. Finally someone has written a funny, witchy, paranormal mystery novel with a romantic twist that actually doesn't rely on old, overused clichés.

 

From the first page of the of What's a Witch To Do I was hooked and I read the book all in one shot it was that darn good folks. Mona, the high priestess of the coven in Goodnight, Virginia was a lovely heroine and one that varies from the stereotypical norm. Instead of the buxom supermodel figure that is often presented in this type of read. Instead we have a plus size heroine who is witty, charming and strong and completely lovable despite how hard some people put her down.

 

The rest of the cast of characters is just as eclectic as Mona. Young and old the book is full of vibrancy when it comes to the population of Goodnight. They're wacky and I absolutely loved them as their craziness helped push the book along.

 

The overall plot was also very good and the mystery aspect of the book was very well thought out and I kept me guessing. I was really surprised and pleased to find that the author put to much work into writing the mystery into the story because I've found that this genre can be pretty light on the actual mystery factor but there was enough twists and turns to keep me interested until the very end. Plus the romance in the book was just what I wanted. It wasn't the main focus of the book but neither was it swept to the wayside. It was just perfect.

 

Overall, I loved this book and ever since I finished it I've been recommending it to friends left and right. I hope this isn't the last we'll see of Mona and the witches coven in Goodnight and that Jennifer Harlow turns this into a series. Until then I'll just have to start reading her other series

 

I would recommend this book to everyone who is a fan of the paranormal romance and mystery novels that are set in a small town and love a quirky mixture of characters. Especially if you want to laugh your butt off.

 

*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.

Loved It!
★★★★★

 

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