Deep Autumn Heat (Star Harbor #1) by Elisabeth Barrett

November 19, 2012 Uncategorized 4

Deep Autumn Heat

(Star Harbor #1) by

(first published July 2012)
oveswept Contemporary Romance, 300 pages
Series:  Star Harbor
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
Source:

Courtesy of Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Amazon 


Worldly, famous, and notorious with the ladies,
Seb had planned a weekend of fishing and relaxation with his brothers.
Until Lexie, with her kissable lips and frosty “get lost” attitude,
makes him want to forget his culinary empire and create some magic with
her. After he fires up his charm—including challenging her to a
televised cook-off to break through her resistance—it’s now hotter in
the bedroom than it is in the kitchen and Lexie isn’t sure whether she’s
lost her mind . . . or just her heart.
 

Courtesy of Random House Publishing Group through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.

Deep Autumn Heat is the first book in the Star Harbor series which revolves around the Grayson brother’s and I must say, Sebastian Grayson is simply love. His a star chef that owns his own restaurant Helena in New York City and when he ends up in Lexie’s cafe, he steams her world.

The chemistry between the two cracks and pops out of the book. The attraction between them feeds and stems out of the fact that the two are both chefs and have a low for cooking and food in common. We get introduced to a small town, where characters come to life, making this book very well rounded.  Where everyone knows everyone’s business, the book really generates a great small town feel. The Grayson brothers are very likeable, and their personalities are different. Sebastian’s personality really shines. His a bad boy chef, who learns throughout the book how to get reacquainted with his love for cooking again and Lexie Meyers is just a girl to do it.

The pull between them has you wanting more, the attraction undeniable. The story is a mix of suspense and romance as Lexie Meyers is in town harboring her own secrets. After receiving nasty threats on the back door of her little dinner, she invests the help of Cole Grayson the local police chief for help, and Sebastian has a hard time staying away from the woman that pulls to him like a magnet. Of course Sebastian Grayson really knows hot to generate heat, leaving Lexie Meyer’s unable to draw away from everything it promises. I really enjoyed the beginning of the series, especially Sebastian and his story. Thus far he is one of my favorite  character’s in the series and it was almost a shame when the book ended. It left me wanting more. It kept me on the edge of my seat with the pages turning.

                                                      

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The Mermaid Collector by Erika Marks

November 18, 2012 Uncategorized 0

The Mermaid Collector by

(first published October 1st 2012)
 

Paperback, 368 pages





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Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed (Sons of Sin #1) by Anna Campbell

November 16, 2012 Uncategorized 2

Seven Nights in a Rogue’s Bed

(Sons of Sin #1) by

(first published January 1st 2012) 
Mass Market Paperback, 385 pages
Series: Sons of Sin
Genre: Adult Historical Romance 
Source: Goodreads First Reads in exchange of an honest review

Amazon
Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+

Summary from Goodreads

Will a week of seduction…


Desperate
to save her sister’s life, Sidonie Forsythe has agreed to submit
herself to a terrible fate: Beyond the foreboding walls of Castle
Craven, a notorious, hideously scarred scoundrel will take her virtue
over the course of seven sinful nights. Yet instead of a monster, she
encounters a man like no other. And during this week, she comes to care
for Jonas Merrick in ways that defy all logic—even as a dark secret she
carries threatens them both.


…Spark a lifetime of passionate surrender?


Ruthless
loner Jonas knows exactly who he is. Should he forget, even for a
moment, the curse he bears, a mere glance in the mirror serves as an
agonizing reminder. So when the lovely Sidonie turns up on his doorstep,
her seduction is an even more delicious prospect than he originally
planned. But the hardened outcast is soon moved by her innocent beauty,
sharp wit, and surprising courage. Now as dangerous enemies gather at
the gate to destroy them, can their new, fragile love survive? 

Review

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads

A glorious delight, a sinfully delicious page turning masterpiece. Anna Campbell’s craft of brilliance has created an endearing romance novel with characters that practically dance out of the pages. The emotions feel so raw and real that it left me feeling and hurting for the characters. Sidonie Forsythe a young woman who agreed to repay her sisters debt had me drawn to her from the first introduction.
The relationship and temptation between Sidonie and Jones make the pages burn with their desire, a read that felt almost impossible to put them drawing you back over and over again like the pull of lust between the two characters.

I loved Anna Campbell’s writing, the emotions she bought out felt so real. It made me happy and ache for their torture. A little gem I was happy to discover and cannot wait for more from this amazing author.

This book resembles beauty and the beast, as the male in this story is horribly scared due to his past and has an issue with his appearance, believes that Sidonie is revolted by his scars.

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The Trouble With Lucy by L.J. Young

November 15, 2012 Uncategorized 6

The Trouble With Lucy by L.J. Young

Published
 November 15th 2012
by Penguin Books Australia I Destiny Romance
Ebook
Genre: Romance
Source: ebook courtesy of Penguin Books Australia, Destiny Romance through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review

Summary from Goodreads

Lucy Lockhart had it
all. A glamorous job, a successful boyfriend and a fabulous apartment.
But when she’s sent to recuperate at her parents’ country house
following a sudden illness, she meets dreamy, blue-eyed, Tom McGregor,
and suddenly starts to realise what she’s been missing.

Tom takes
one look at city girl Lucy, and decides to avoid her at all costs. He’s
been hurt by girls like her before. But there’s something about Lucy
and as their paths continue to cross, he realises there’s more to her
than meets the eye.

Despite their deepening feelings, neither can
imagine a future together. Lucy could never live in the country and Tom
could never go back to the city. The very idea horrifies them both.

Their hearts however, have other plans.

An
often hilarious, rural romance with lots of laid-back country charm, a
rich cast of characters and a sizzling love affair between two opposites
who are deeply attracted to each other 

Review 

Courtesy of Penguin Books Australia, Destiny Romance through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review

The Trouble with Lucy is a story of a city girl meets country boy. Lucy is a city girl with a sophisticated job and a very successful boyfriend. After undergoing a fit, Lucy is given time off from work to regroup herself so she travels out to the country to spend a few weeks with her parents. Since her boyfriend (Zip) doesn’t seem to care about her as he does for his job, her parents become the only ones that can look after Lucy.

This book was basically insta-love. It was a light fast read that I just happened to tear through the pages. Even being from the city myself, I couldn’t relate much to the main character. I really didn’t like her. She was kind of too city for me and a type of girl I am happy I myself did not become. She wear expensive clothes and expensive shoes, doesn’t think highly of the country or the people – it kind of irks her. Everything is different for her in the country, no cell serves, and no computer or internet. Chickens come and go in the house, and there is only instant coffee – which she happens to hate.

When Lucy first runs into Tom McGregor  they basically look into each others eyes and are in lalaland on the spot. Now honestly I sometimes don’t mind insta-love books, but at other times they can be downright frustrating. Both Lucy and Tom jump to different conclusions about each other. They have a hard time every time they want to kiss, something interrupts them. This happened four times, at which point it really got frustrating. She also jumped into conclusions about Zoe, and I didn’t understand why she kept reminding herself about her boyfriend Zip. He abandoned her and left to New York City for a job, which I found her reaction to it self-fish – especially since she didn’t really want to marry him to begin with.

Anyway, it was a very light read and very fast paced. I got through it in a few days reading it before bed time. I liked Tom, mostly because I felt a little sorry for him, and I also really liked Lucy’s parents. At the end of the book, it was refreshing that Lucy had somewhat changed, mostly because she really needed to change. The story line itself, was really just good enough to keep my interest till the end. 

                                                          


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First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

November 14, 2012 Uncategorized 6

First Grave on the Right (Charley Davidson #1) by Darynda Jones

Published
July 5th 2011
by St. Martin’s Griffin


(first published February 1st 2011) 
Paperback, 338 pages
Series: Charley Davidson
Genre: Paranormal/Urban, Mystery 
Source:  Self-bought paperback
 Amazon
 
Mature Content Advisory, must be 18+
Summary from Goodreads. 
 

A smashing, award-winning debut novel that introduces Charley
Davidson: part-time private investigator and full-time Grim Reaper
Charley sees dead people. That’s right, she sees dead people.
And it’s her job to convince them to “go into the light.” But when these
very dead people have died under less than ideal circumstances (i.e.
murder), sometimes they want Charley to bring the bad guys to justice.
Complicating matters are the intensely hot dreams she’s been having
about an Entity who has been following her all her life…and it turns
out he might not be dead after all. In fact, he might be something else
entirely.


Review


** possible spoiler alert **

Funny, witty, entertaining
and original. Charlie Davidson is a grim reaper PI, that helps the
departed cross over. I have never read or seen a grim reaper book until
the Charlie Davidson series, so I must say I was pleasantly surprised. I
love the character interactions, it could be comical as well as the
dialog. Its humor and fast paced, over all a good read that kept the
pages turning and I wasn’t able to put it down. As soon as I was done, I
needed to get my hands on book two.

Reyes is a childhood past
that keeps appearing in Charlies dream. He is sexy, powerful, mysterious
and dangerous. I love the relationship between MC and Reyes, it made me
want more.

The plot of the first book was good. Three lawyers
show up looking for Charlies help because they got murdered and working
with her uncle who is a cop and Garrett, Charlie finds herself in all
kinds of trouble trying to find the people responsible. Through and
through I loved this book, it has exceeded my expectations. The
characters are really loveable and the story line flowed.

                                                    

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Dead Witch Walking (The Hollows #1) by Kim Harrison

November 13, 2012 Uncategorized 3

Dead Witch Walking

(The Hollows #1) by

 

Paperback, 1st Edition, 416 pages
Series: Hollows
Genre: Paranormal/Urban 
Source: Self-bought paperback  
Amazon 

Summary from Goodreads



All the creatures of the night gather in “the Hollows” of Cincinnati, to hide, to prowl, to party…and to feed.

Vampires
rule the darkness in a predator-eat-predator world rife with dangers
beyond imagining - and it’s Rachel Morgan’s job to keep that world
civilized.

A bounty hunter and witch with serious sex appeal and an attitude, she’ll bring ’em back alive, dead…or undead.

More like 4 ½ stars.

First I wanted to say that I have heard a
lot about this series, a lot, and most of it was good. So the first
chance I had, I picked it up in the store and dug into it. I didn’t
think it was going to take me this long to finish it, but I have done
it!

The series of The Hollows revolves around a white witch
called Rachel Morgan, who use to work for a company called I.S as a
runner. She tags the baddies that they send her out to pick up and bring
them back to her boss Denon. Unfortunately for Rachel, she is suddenly
being stuck with very low jobs that she feels her skills are wasted on
so she decides to quit and start her own business. That is as far as I
will dwell into the book. The first book starts out slow, I really had
to push pass all of that to get to the good parts

The characters,
I really didn’t like the main character at first. Rachel Morgan is
really hard to like when she is first introduced and perhaps the reason
the book felt slow for me at first. She jumps into things, makes a lot
of mistakes, and doesn’t trust anyone. Sometimes the way she acts all
together made my teeth grind. I realized why I didn’t like her. Because
unlike other paranormal books that I have read, Rachel Morgan was the
first one so far that I have come across where the main female seems a
lot more human. She has her flaws, she makes mistakes, get’s in stupid
situations and get’s caught. By the end of the book in all honesty,
Rachel grew on me.

The other character that I absolutely love was
Jenks the pixy. He was funny and entertaining, and overall the way he
was written was really good. His wife is possibly one of my other
favorites and I hope there will be more of her in the upcoming book.
Kim Harrison really has created a stunning world with a different
outtake on the supernatural world. Not only are her pixies different
from what I had imagined them to be, but so are her vampires as she
portrays them through Ivy, Rachels so called ‘partner in crime’. She
even gave an interesting outtake on the witches and how their magic
works.

Overall, I really loved Kim Harrison’s writing. I thought
its fascinating, interesting, and different. The story line had a nice
flow to it, the characters were interesting and engaging, you either
hated them or loved them, but they really popped out of the pages. There
was magic, laughter, danger, and even a hint of a possible love
interest in the upcoming book. Amazing read, Harrison really knows how
to catch your attention and lure you into the Hollows until your sad
that it was the last page. I will have to find the next book and add it
to my list.

                                                     

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Cold Kiss (Cold Kiss #1) by Amy Garvey

November 13, 2012 Uncategorized 0

Cold Kiss

(Cold Kiss #1) by

Hardcover, 292 pages
Series: Cold Kiss
Genres: YA Paranormal 
Source: My own ebook copy 
Amazon 

Summary from Goodreads

It was a beautiful, warm summer day, the day Danny died.


Suddenly
Wren was alone and shattered. In a heartbroken fury, armed with dark
incantations and a secret power, Wren decides that what she wants-what
she “must” do-is to bring Danny back.


But the Danny who returns
is just a shell of the boy Wren fell in love with. His touch is icy; his
skin, smooth and stiff as marble; his chest, cruelly silent when Wren
rests her head against it.


Wren must keep Danny a secret, hiding
him away, visiting him at night, while her life slowly unravels around
her. Then Gabriel DeMarnes transfers to her school, and Wren realizes
that somehow, inexplicably, he can sense the powers that lie within
her-and that he knows what she has done. And now Gabriel wants to help
make things right.


But Wren alone has to undo what she has wrought-even if it means breaking her heart all over again
My Review
Wren is a special girl with abilities that she doesn’t yet fully understand and her mother, the person who should be explaining them to her, refuses to. So Wren turns to her estranged aunt in order for some guidance. When Wrens boyfriend Danny dies in a terrible accident, she does everything within her reach to bring him back to her. Not understand the cost that came with it.

I enjoyed this book and once I started it, I had to finish it. I got it from a free nook Friday a couple of weeks ago and it grabbed my attention. I like Amy Garvey’s writing. Wrens mother irritated me a little, she seemed a little too closed off and if she doesn’t want her daughter using her ability she probably should have explain it to her instead of shutting her out. Telling a teenage daughter not to do something, only made her want to do more.

There is a lot of mystery in the book, like why Wrens father left them, why her mother won’t talk to her about their abilities, and why her mother and her mother sister won’t talk to each other. Unfortunately, none of that get’s answered here, which is okay as I wait to eventually hope getting the next book.

It was sad and the ending made me teary because it’s understandable how a loss like that can be hard to get over and let go. Overall I enjoyed the beginning of this series, and hope to have some questions answered soon.  
                                               

                                                 

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One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost

November 12, 2012 Uncategorized 0

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) by Jeaniene Frost

Published
April 29th 2008
by Avon  
Mass Market Paperback, 357 pages
Series: Night Huntress
Genre:  Paranormal/Urban
Source:  Self-Bought paperback  
Amazon 
Mature Content Advisory 18+
Summary from Goodreads

You can run from the grave, but you can’t hide…
Half-vampire
Cat Crawfield is now Special Agent Cat Crawfield, working for the
government to rid the world of the rogue undead. She’s still using
everything Bones, her sexy and dangerous ex, taught her, but when Cat is
targeted for assassination, the only man who can help her is the
vampire she left behind.
Being around Bones awakens all her emotions,
from the adrenaline rush of slaying vamps side by side to the reckless
passion that consumed them. But a price on her head – wanted: dead or
half-alive – means her survival depends on teaming up with Bones. And no
matter how hard Cat tries to keep things professional between them,
she’ll find that desire lasts forever … and Bones won’t let her get away
again. Original
Review 
Possible Spoiler Alert…Maybe

Being a one time fan of the Anita Blake series, I was more then excited to come across another series that I thoroughly enjoy.

I absolutely love Cat and Bones and the relationship between them. After taking on a new life and working under Don, Cat trains her own unit of soldiers in her quest of ridding the undead.

I got a little giddy when Bones was the man that showed up to her friends weddings, it was one of the most amusing scenes in the book - the attraction between them and the jealousy that Cat rides every time she meets one of Bones old flames are all rather amusing.

More of the past comes hunting both Bones and Cat within these series and you can watch them come to life and grow with excellent character development that doesn’t skip a beat. I grow more and more attached to these characters, and the ending over all in this book has me hoping to get my hands on the third one to continue this fascinating journey. 
                                                    

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Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost

November 12, 2012 Uncategorized 1

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress #1) by Jeaniene Frost


Published
 October 30th 2007
by Avon (first published September 1st 2007)

Mass Market Paperback, 358 pages
Series: Night Huntress Series 
Genre:  Paranormal/Urban
Source: Self-Bought paperback
Mature Content Advisory 18+



Summary from Goodreads

Half-vampire Catherine
Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of
these deadbeats is her father-the one responsible for ruining her
mother’s life. Then she’s captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter,
and is forced into an unholy partnership.


In exchange for finding
her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her
battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She’s amazed she doesn’t end
up as his dinner-are there actually “good” vampires? Pretty soon Bones
will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn’t have to be all bad.
But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter,
Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to
choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any
man with a heartbeat.

Review


Love love love this Series.

Cat is a vampire huntress, who has been hunting and killing vampires in hopes of seeking justice to what once happened to her mother. Too bad one night she has a run in with the wrong kind of vampire that twists her whole world and heart upside down. Bones is everything her mother hates, and nothing what Cat has expected. As they join together to fight the same kind of battle against a vampire who has been killing mercilessly, sparks fly. Cat’s view starts to shift between whats right and wrong having Bones on her side.

The characters are amazing and well rounded. Bones is simply delicious and the attraction between the two of them is magnetic. The book is written very well, flows very well and its very humorous. Some of the conversations had me laughing out-loud. The story line is very well done as well, keeps you drawn to the book and turning the pages.

                                                               


 

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