Weekend wrap-up: In my mailbox / On my blog/ In the blogosphere

First of all if you haven't had a chance to enter yet or if you want to tell me about your tattoos head over to my post and review about Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione and leave a comment. The contest will be over next Sunday and so far there are 21 entrants and a few people stopped by to say "Hi". Thanks for all your responses so far, this is one of my favorite things about blogging is connecting with people over books (opps sorry for the mushy stuff). I have to say that so far we are a heavily tattooed bunch! Out of those who responded about having tattoos, 40% have ink and the most popular places were on the back either in the middle or on the shoulder (okay, I'm a science student, I can't help but do statistics). I think that's awesome! If you haven't seen it yet, the SciFiGuy did a cute video of tattooed book cover heroines and book cover heroines in general that's pretty amusing, you can check it out here.

This week I posted two reviews one for J.A. Saare's book Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between which is a urban fantasy/paranormal romance with a big twist at the end so go check out the book then come back her and tell me what you think!

The other review was for Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione which I loved! If you want to be my book reading buddy for the rest of the series let me know - it's always fun to have someone to discuss the hotness of the demon brothers with.


Unfortunately no new books in my mailbox this week but it leaves me with the opportunity to read the books I have in my to be read pile and I have alot. I would take a picture of the pile but since most of it is on my ereader I just don't feel like it would have the same effect as a picture of a big pile of books. I just have a big pile of files.


On the blogosphere this week there has been a few things that came up that as a blogger I thought were interesting. First was the blog affiliate program. As a new blogger I am constantly struggling with how to promote my blog so like-minded people will find me and we can have fun and snarky chats about books. Also as a new book blogger I'm still trying to figure out how do I set-up my blog, what widgets do I want, etc. and I need less of an affiliate and more of a mentor I think. Affiliates give you a way to cross promote blogs posts, contests, and reviews on each others blog from what I understand. For more on the topic check out the post over at Wicked Lil' Pixie's blog and Mindful Musing's blog. Both bloggers have been great to me and Mindful Musings even featured me with a couple other blogs in her New Blog Finds post which I greatly appreciate! So what's your take on the affiliates program?

Another thing that lit up twitter at least this week was authors lashing out at the writers of bad reviews for their books. So not cool. Though I can see in some cases where reviewers go over the top (I once read a review where the writer had broken down each book paragraph in a chapter by what was wrong with it) but in this case the bad review was reasonable and the author was over the top. You can check out a post about it here. I hope I don't end up reading a book that gets one star from me, but if I do hopefully the author can respect my opinion and not go crazy angry devil on me.

There's also a great contest over at the Good, Bad, and Unread blog where you can write a crazy fan letter to win prizes (Including a Larissa Ione book) I think their example is hilarious and I'm going to be concocting my own letter soon. And make sure to check out this weeks WTFckery post about bad covers over at Babbling about Books blog - there's one called "Super Fetus" - really? That's a book title?

I'm also changing and adding features to my blog this week (like the March releases side panel) so let me know what you think!

Review of Rosemary and Rue by Seanan McGuire

It's hard out there for a half-fae. Or at least for the main character of Rosemary and Rue - October "Toby" Daye. She's trying to find her way in a world that has left her behind - quite literally. Toby is the daughter of a "faerie bride" (a fae bride that keeps her faery blood a secret from her human husband) and is half-fae, so as a way to find a place in the fae world she becomes a knight of the Duke of the Shadowed Hills, Sylvester Torquill. While on a mission for her liege lord to find the Duke's kidnapped wife and child, Toby gets trapped in the form of a fish by the kidnapper Simon, who is also Sylvester's brother. Flash forward fourteen years later and Toby finally breaks out of her fish form to find out her former lover and now 17 year-old daughter want nothing to do with her and to face a world that has greatly changed. Toby tries to avoid everyone she used to know and has shut herself off from all her previous friends. One friend though, the Countess Evening Winterrose, forces Toby back into the fae world by binding Toby's life to finding Winterrose's killer.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the setting - San Francisco. I lived in San Francisco for 4 years and in the Bay Area for two years more and fell in love with the area (though there were a few things - like price - that I didn't love). The fae live and intermingle among humans everyday under the protection of their glamour. The portals to access the faery hills are located all over San Francisco and the Bay Area and there were some locations - especially for the Shadowed Hills - that I could see being a faery mound. Another fitting location was the one for Home, which is in a very run down part of the city. Home is a place were fae go after they take to the streets. Usually the residents of Home are half-fae or changelings like Toby that can no longer cut it in pureblood society or get tired of being told that they are lesser by purebloods. But staying at Home has a price that is exacted by Devin, the owner, with whom Toby has a complicated history. My only complaint about the book was the pace, for me it was very slow in the beginning as Toby sorts through what happened to her life while she was "gone" and her catching up with present day took awhile. But as Toby gets into the meat of the mystery the story takes off.

Toby is an interesting character. She has a wide gaping hole in her life from being imprisoned in another form for so long that it seems like nothing else exists. But slowly feelings like loyalty, friendship, and honor start to seep in that make her interact with the world again. Throughout the story she is getting beat-up and lied too but eventually she finds her footing again in the fae and human worlds and begins to figure things out for herself. There were alot of plot twists, first with who killed Winterrose, but also with the overarching story of her imprisonment as a fish and what happened while she was gone. I'm looking forward to seeing how these are resolved over the next few books. Another interesting twist in the book that I loved is that for Toby to preform glamour on something to trick humans she would say nursery rhymes such as "The Queen of Hearts, she made some tarts, all on a summer's day." Another favorite twist was the rose goblin - he is so cute but not cuddly!

Before I finish my review I must mention my favorite character in the book, Tybalt. Tybalt is the King of the Court of Cats and Toby describes him as having the "sort of sleek, muscled build that only comes from a few specific types of exercise programs." Though Toby was referring to the exercise to keep Tybalt's throne, I definitely came up with a few others. Toby and Tybalt have a great antagonistic relationship, not a romantic one, but throughout the book you get the idea, or hope in my case, that more is possible between them.

This book is a 4 out of 5 stars for me, the book is a great introduction to a new heroine Toby in one of my favorite locations - San Francisco.

The next book is "A Local Habitation" (see cover below) and it comes out on March 2nd. I recommend to go out and buy them/ download them both! Seanan has been doing some interviews for her new book that explains some of the thinking behind things such as names and folklore in the book as well as tidbits about Tybalt - you can check it out at Book Love Affair here. Seanan also mentions that 5 books are in the works for the series right now and the 3rd one will be released in September. Also Kenda from Lurv a la Mode reviewed Local Habitation here. Hopefully I'll get to read Local Habitation soon and post a review!

Comes out on March 2nd!

Starting from the beginning of sexy - Review of Pleasure Unbound by Larrisa Ione and a Giveaway!

I recently won Ecstasy Unveiled (twice actually - hence giveaway) and read about how all my fellow book bloggers like smokin hot books, SmexyBooks, and Fantasy Dreamer love the series so I thought I should start at the beginning of the series with Pleasure Unbound - and man I'm glad I did! For those who aren't familiar with Larissa Ione's Demonica series her books focus on a group of brothers as they stumble upon/seduce/almost kill/etc. their forever lovers. But these brothers aren't ordinary - they are Seminus demons which are a type of incubus and every brother fits the incubus title well with their smokin' hot looks and bodies built for sin.

Pleasure Unbound introduces us to Underworld General Hospital- where Eidolon works with his brothers Shade and Wraith, and runs the only hospital that caters to demons, vampires, shapeshifter, and other creatures that go bump in the night. One night while receiving trauma victims, Eidolon finds a nasty surprise on one of the stretchers - a human Guardian that indiscriminately murders his kind. Tayla, the Guardian, is just as surprised to find out that such a hospital exists and to find out that the sexy doctor treating her is not human. Though thanks to the help of Wraith who has the ability to implant erotic dreams into someones mind, Tayla doesn't learn that Eidolon is a demon till after she consummates her wet dream with him. Little does Tayla know that she has something in common with Eidolon other than their lust for each other. Eidolon is attracted to Tayla despite his better judgment and pushes her to look beyond the prejudices she has been brainwashed with by the Aegis- the parent organization for the Guardians. Eidolon also tries to use Tayla to find out if the Aegis are involved in stealing and selling body parts from demons on the blackmarket. Soon Tayla finds herself in a lot of trouble as she begins to question those she used to trust and starts to believe in Eidolon.

Sometimes in books that are labeled paranormal romance I feel that mystery and suspense plotlines get pushed aside for relationship building - that is not the case in this book. The action got so intense that I admit I had to peak at the back of the book to see how things would turn out before I finished it or otherwise the suspense would have kept me up all night reading (unfortunately I had to work the next day). Tayla and Eidolon are great characters. Tayla annoyed me at first with her justifications for killing demons being "they are evil" even after she learns that some of the demons she's killed are vegetarians and would never purposefully harm a human. Tayla struggles as she begins to see the world is painted in more gray than black and white. Her prejudices are strongly etched into her soul but after she experiences a few betrayals of her own by humans she saw as friends she begins to unravel and see demons as more than just evil. Her own discovery about her parentage adds an interesting dimension to the book and her outlook on demons.

Eidolon is a one hot doctor who could work on me anytime! Although he tries to be rational and detached as a doctor, he is anything but when it comes to Tayla. She has a passion that he has never experienced in his own life and the more time he spends around her the more he becomes intoxicated by it. And the relationship between Eidolon and Tayla is scorching hot! They go from enemies with benefits to lovers that have genuine feelings for each other.

This book is a 4.5 out of 5 stars for me - it had it all, great characters, an action filled plot, and smokin' love scenes. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!

Be sure to check out Larissa's website for descriptions of her books and some free reads (including the Demonica Compendium that explains the demons and world that Larissa has built) as well as her blog.

So for CONTEST TIME - first if you are in the US or Canada you have the choice of winning Ecstasy Unveiled or you can chose one of the previous Demonica series books and join me with reading this sexy series from the beginning. For any international entries (anywhere Book Depository delivers) you can chose any of the Demonica series books. Please let me know what you want in your comments. There will be two drawings - one for Ecstasy Unveiled and one for any book of the series.

To enter answer this question in the comments (which is heavily influenced by the book covers): Do you have a tattoo? If so of what and where? If not do you like your book characters to have tattoos?

For an extra entry either become a blog follower or follow me on twitter @DarklyReading - just make sure to let me know in the comments! 

I'll post the winner on my site on March 7th so make sure to come back and check!

Review of Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between by J. A. Saare

What could be worse than working in a strip club having to sling drinks for all the not hot but horny men who frequent there - probably being assaulted by ghostly images of the dead in every gory detail. Unfortunately for Rhiannon she get's both! Rhiannon, the heroine of "Dead, Undead, or Somewhere in Between", has fled to New York City to escape her dark and desperate past in Florida and to start a new life for herself. What she doesn't plan on is that her gift of necromancy, or seeing the dead, will bring the attention of the undead in NYC. One night of hustling pool brings her to the attention of Disco (the reason for his name is revealed later in the book) and he makes her an offer she isn't allowed to refuse - to help Disco find out what's killing off local vampires. Rhiannon's gift for necromancy is so strong she can see vampires in their second death - a gift her fellow necromancer and co-investigator Goose doesn't possess. As Goose's and Rhiannon's attempts to track down the killers become more complicated so does Rhiannon's relationship with Disco.

Rhiannon is definitely one of the best new heroines I've read recently. J.A.Saare does a great job of slowly unraveling her bitter and caustic outer shell so that we learn what makes her tick. And let me tell you her past is not pretty but you definitely begin to empathize with her character and appreciate more the big steps she takes as she begins to trust those around her. At least she does face the world with sarcastic humor which you find throughout the book as well as in Rhiannon's Law's - one of my favorites is from the first page of the book:
Rhiannon's Law #27: When you're working in a gentlemen's club and one of your dancer's takes off those heels, alert the big guns, an ass kicking is on the menu.

The relationship between Rhiannon and Disco is filled with delicious sexual tension. Rhiannon goes from despising Disco to something more complicated. Saare doesn't try to re-invent the vampire myth, instead she puts her energy into her characters and it pays off. My only complaint is that we don't learn more about the secondary characters - our glimpses at Disco's vampire family were great and I hope we learn more about them in future books! And let me just say the ending of the book has left me ravenous for the next one!

4 out of 5 stars for me, a great start to a series with an ass-kicking heroine and that ending left a lot of possibilities as to what is going to happen next.

Be sure to check out J. A. Saare's blog here and you can buy the book here. 

Disclosure: I did receive a copy of this book from the author but the review is my own honest opinion.

Weekend wrap-up: In my mailbox / On my blog/ In the blogosphere

I finally got some books in the mail - Yeah! Since I'm primarily an ebook reader I rarely get print books but I won some contests and got some great books in the mail. And the covers are so pretty and shinny!

When Marty Andrews gets bitten by a mangy mutt while walking her teacup poodle, her blond hair darkens, the hair on her legs starts growing at an alarming rate, and her mood swings put her dream job as a sales rep for Bobbie-Sue Cosmetics in serious jeopardy.

Then a drool-worthy man shows up at her door claiming that he accidentally bit Marty. And since he's a werewolf, she is now, too. Thinking Keegan Flaherty is clearly insane, Marty refuses to believe a word until a kidnapping makes her realize there's more at stake than just her highlights. And she must put her out-of-control life in the hands of the man who makes her blood run wild in more ways than one...

DEMON ENSLAVED
Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.
AN ANGEL TEMPTED
Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side, sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary-even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.
Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again-one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.

One little bite, changes their lives forever.

In a winter setting in the wilderness in Maine, Faith O'Malley is searching for the man who stole her father's research, while Cameron MacPherson is trying to locate his missing PI partners. Together, the forensic scientist and PI team up to face murder and mayhem in this werewolf romance adventure, the 4th Book in the series!










And I received my first ever book to review from the lovely J. A. Saare:

One bad corpse can ruin your whole day.

No one knows that better than Rhiannon Murphy.

She left behind the flash and sass of Miami for the no-nonsense groove of New York City, eager for a clean slate and a fresh start. A bartender by trade, a loud mouth by choice, and a necromancer by chance; she managed to keep her nifty talent hidden from those around her—until now.

The deliciously good-looking vampire, Disco, knows her secret. When he strolls into her bar to solicit help investigating the mysterious disappearances of his kind from the city, Rhiannon discovers he’s not the kind of person that appreciates the significance of the word no.

But in a world where vampires peddle their blood as the latest and greatest drug of choice, it’s only a matter of time before the next big thing hits the market. Someone or something is killing vampires to steal their hearts, and unlike Rhiannon, this isn’t their first stroll around the undead block.  

This week I posted reviews of Crux and Crossroads by Moira Rogers, Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding, and Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry. They are all great books (though very different styles) so you should check them out if you get a chance!


There were some great posts around the blogosphere this week - here's a few:
*K. C. at Smokinhotbooks did a great post/review about First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost (check out my review here). She has a kittae cleanse for you to begin before starting the book. Check it here.
*BookChickCity has a post about whether YA is a category or genre - I hope to start reading and reviewing some urban fantasy YA so it's a good post to check out here.
*KatieBabs at Babbling about Books has a great WTFckery post here. I mean really - Diva cups?

Just saw a new release by Quirk Books called Android Karenina which is suppose to be a mash-up between Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy and steampunk written by Ben Winters who did "Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters". I haven't read any of the classics mash-ups yet but I'm a fan of steampunk so maybe I'll try it when it comes out in June.






Last but not least I signed up for the Book Bloggers Convention last week. I'm excited to go to the Convention and to BEA - hopefully I'll meet alot of fellow book bloggers and authors. Are you going to BEA/ BookBlogCon?

Review of Happy Hour of the Damned by Mark Henry

Zombie after-dinner clean up kit: Nordstrom shopping bag (to save some scraps for midnight snacks), box of wet naps, cans of Formula 409, Pledge wipes, and a bottle of Mountain Spring Clorox - just because you have to eat brains doesn't mean you can't do it with style. And Amanda Feral does everything in style even her undeath. She's a snarky, sexy zombie who loves vodka-tinis and trading humorous barbs with her friends Gil, Wendy, and Liesl. She's also limited to vodka-tinis and brains in her new "life" since all other substances, including coffee (which is difficult to avoid in Seattle), leaves her with a bout of explosive diarrhea. 


Amanda Feral isn't for everyone, her take no prisoners snark is startling and hilarious. She really has no filter so be prepared. She isn't trying to be your best friend, she doesn't care if you like her, but she can definitely entertain you. In Happy Hour of the Damned, Amanda is a freshly made zombie trying to figure out her undead life and making enemies and friends along the way. When one of her inner circle disappears, Amanda puts on her detective hat (which doesn't stay on for long - you know Amanda would never wear a hat for fear of hair mishaps) and between hitting Seattle supernatural hotspots and late night "food" binges she tries to track down the disappearance of her friend Liesl. 


The book reads like personal journal and a handbook of how to be cool in your undead life. Amanda is a "deadutante" in the the truest sense from the cloths to the drinks to the clubs she frequents she's all about style. I also loved that Mark Henry put in the music mixes from the clubs and drink recipes as well as the snarky footnotes. The only bad thing about the footnotes was since I was reading the book on a Sony ereader they were hard to follow while I was reading. 


But this book isn't all about the see and be seen crowd. Remember I mentioned she was making enemies along the way. Well some of those showdowns were the stuff of nightmares (and I really did have nightmares because I read the book before bed..opps) though the patch-up jobs to the undead flesh were pretty funny. 


This book was a 3.5 out of 5 stars for me. It wasn't my usual fare when it comes to books but it was definitely entertaining. Be sure to check out the next two books.

Review of Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding

Three Days to Dead by Kelly Meding is a great gritty urban fantasy that operates under a unique premise: the heroine of the book is dead and resurrected in the body of another woman. The heroine, Evangeline Stone, wakes up cold and stiff on a table in the morgue. She doesn't know how she got there and quickly realizes she is not inside the body she was born. Evy has no memory of how she ended up in this new body or what happened in her old life before she ended up there. After causing the morgue tech to pass out due to shock of finding a living body on her morgue table, Evy finds out her new body is named Chalice. Evy decides to start her investigation of what happened to her, and get some better clothes, at Chalice's apartment. Evy is a Hunter, part of an elite fighting squad known as a Triad, that keeps the dark supernatural world (the dregs) from mixing with the ignorant human population. Each Triad has a handler and Evy's handler is Wyatt, a Gifted human that has some magical abilities. Once Evy returns to Chalice's apartment she runs into Chalice's old roommate which raises some uncomfortable questions of who is her rented body and how did she die. After leaving Chalice's old roommate feeling a little crazy after seeing her back from the dead, Evy hits the streets to track down Wyatt and he shares with her some dark truths. First is that she died a horrible death and now is back to help Wyatt find out why she was killed and what she learned before she died. Second is that she is on borrowed time, she only has 3 days to live. Lastly, she has no memories of the days leading up to her death and what really happened.  


As Wyatt and Evy move around the city and try to jog Evy's memory by retracing her steps before she died, Evy has to deal with the strange attraction her body has to Wyatt, a man that should be off limits to her as her handler, and then as her memories return so does understanding of why she has this attraction. As for Wyatt, his feelings for Evy are strong and muddle the reason of why Evy was brought back from the dead. Wyatt is tall, dark, and handsome and lethal when it comes to protecting Evy. Meding did a great job of building the relationship between Wyatt and Evy/Chalice. The relationship was uncomfortable when it began since Evy doesn't remember at first what passed between her and Wyatt before she died and thought her feelings for him where more platonic while the lust she felt was all Chalice. But as the book progresses and Evy/ Chalice merge more into one person and the relationship with Wyatt develops into something more touching and real. Also as Evy spends more time in Chalice's body her old reflexes and fighting ability become stronger. The melding of the two people- Evy and Chalice - was expertly done. 


The more Evy learns about her memories, the darker the story becomes. She remembers the death of the her other team members of the Triad who were killed by Halfsies (bitten vampires) and the blame that's laid at her feet for their deaths. She also remembers hunting down rumors of a possible alliance between the Goblins and the Bloods (born vampires) which if true would be devastating to the human race. But the deeper Evy delves into her memories the more she learns about betrayals by people she thinks are friends and that things aren't as they appear. Evy is a tough heroine but as her clock on her borrowed body winds down she begins to wonder whether it is worth it to remember what happened to her and she fears her second death. There were parts in the book where I was cringing and hoping Evy's memories would skip the really horrible parts of her first death but no such luck! But at least she gets to remember her sweet moments with Wyatt as well!


This book is a 4 out of 5 for me, it is a gritty urban fantasy unique premise and a heroine you will cross your fingers for and hope she makes it out alive.


The next book: As Lie the Dead is due out July 27th, 2010.

Southern Arcana series by Moira Rogers - Yummy supernatural lovin'

The Southern Arcana series by Moira Rogers is a great mix of sexy paranormal romance and urban fantasy. The world is the same as our own with the supernaturals living below the radar. Much of the action takes place in New Orleans, a hot bed of supernatural activity and sweet lovin'.

In Crux we meet Mackenzie Brooks who has been on the run for months from a crazy stalker that seems to find her no matter where she goes and is willing to go to any extreme to get her. After months of running, she ends up in New Orleans working at Mahalia's which is run by Nicole Peyton, a shapeshifter that comes from a world Mac knows nothing about. Nick enlists her friend Jackson Holt, a private investigator and spell caster, to find out more about Mac and to possibly help her out. Jackson gets a glimpse at the type of trouble she is in and being the southern gentlemen he is - offers to help her out. Mac is hesitant at first accepting help from Jackson, in part because she doesn't want to see him get hurt by her stalker and in part because she is attracted to him but can't afford to be distracted by her emotions while trying to escape a crazed stalker. As the danger surrounding Mac grows, Jackson steps in to protect Mac and figure out why the stalker is after her and risks everything to keep the woman he has begun to care about safe.

The book is a well-paced read where you want to rush ahead to the next pages to figure out the mystery of Mac's stalker as well as her upbringing. Mac is a tenacious heroine that has faced difficult trials in her life and particularly in the past few months. Mac really needs someone to trust and follows her instincts about making friends with Jackson and Nick. Nick is a great character that gives everything to help people she cares about. She is definitely a favorite of mine and I loved her in the second book - Crossroads. And Jackson, what's not to like - he saves damsels in distress and cooks delicious Italian food. The authors do a great job of creating dynamic characters that you understand and care about and fight scenes that you hold you breath during because you're afraid of what's going to happen. The villian they created as well was well done and super creepy. I was happy with the ending he met up with, it was well deserved.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, sexy shapeshifters and spell casters combined with a story you didn't want to put down.

Crossroads is the second book in the Southern Arcana series, and I have to say - my favorite so far. Crossroads focuses on Nicole Peyton and Derek Gabriel who we met in Crux. Nick is basically a shapeshifter princess who was born into the ruling family of the werewolves (her father is the Alpha) while Derek was changed two years earlier in a vicious attack. Nick ran from her life in New York City to New Orleans and ended up taking over the bar, Mahalia's, from her friend. Nick established a life for herself outside of the politics of the born - werewolf clans. Derek has been struggling with his new abilities and emotions ever since he was changed. He wants Nick badly, and all their friends know it, but is afraid to take it further because he's afraid he won't be able to control himself. Finally they both come to the conclusion independently (with much prodding from their friends) that if they don't go for it now they may forever lose their chance. After a birthday party for Kat, Derek's cousin, they try the age-old move for starting a new relationship - let's get really drunk and make-out. Unfortunately, their hot make-out session get's interrupted by Nick's sister, Michelle, and her bodyguard/ lover Aaron. They have done the big-no-no and gone against the werewolf clans, called the Coven, and had a relationship that resulted in Michelle getting pregnant. Since Michelle is a very powerful seer, her life is controlled by the Coven to keep her powers in check and to keep her from going insane, which seers have a history of doing. Now Nick is going to put everything on the line to help her sister out, even if means having to give up Derek and return to the society she thought she escaped.

This book was great! I felt like I had to take a cold-shower after Nick and Derek were interrupted during their slightly inebriated hook-up. Their relationship is red hot in part due to the mating instincts they have, but as the story progresses they begin to realize they have feelings for each other that go far beyond their basic instincts. I loved Nick as a heroine, she is willing to sacrifice everything for the people she cares most about and steps up to take care of her sister. Though she does have her moments of fear and doubt that makes her more real as a character. We also get to see more of the secondary characters in this book as well as Jackson Holt and Mackenzie from the first book and we meet Mama Holt. The more I read of Andrew (Derek's construction business partner) and Alec (slightly-crazy born werewolf and Jackson's business partner) the more I like them. They both have their own alpha male sexiness and I can't wait till they get their own books. I like Kat, Derek's cousin, as well, she is not only a psychic but an awesome tech goddess.

The shapeshifter politics also figure heavily into the plot and the prejudices the born shapeshifters have against the made shapeshifters. Nick and Derek are perfect for each other except in the eyes of the shapeshifter movers and shakers. Since Nick and Michelle's dad is the Alpha, the only bargaining chip that Nick has to save Michelle and Aaron's life is marriage and the position her potential husband would gain in werewolf society, a society that Derek doesn't understand and has no power in. The glimpses of Michelle and Aaron's relationship we see are charming as well as bittersweet since there's such a feeling of doom over their forbidden relationship. Things have never been easy for Michelle since she is always controlled by the Coven, the fight to save her child and lover is a difficult dance Nick has to play with the members of the Coven.

This book gets a 5 out of 5 stars from me: sexy romance, political intrigue, and difficult choices all mixed together to make a delicious story.

The next book in the series is Deadlock (there is a blurb about it on their website here) which won't be out until January of 2011. In the meantime there is going to be another Southern Arcana story that comes out in the Mammoth Book of Paranormal Romance this year and you can check out their blog here where they answer all your Southern Arcana questions!

A Book Trip - Meeting Awesome Authors and Winning Prizes!

This weekend I went to Borders in lovely Farmington, CT for a book signing event I found out through twitter from @Eververse (Stella Price). Stella and her sister Audra write books "with a love for the weird, dark and macabre, especially for dark takes of revenge and dark lusts." There website is http://www.stellaandaudra.com/ and on Saturdays you can go to their blog for "Sexy Saturday Sex Scene" where you can read steamy excerpts from their books and try to match a song to the scene to win that book. I have to say it's a great way to sample their writing and get a little hot and bothered on the weekend. If you want to check out more of their writing the books are on ARe and they also have free reads there.

I had an awesome time at the event. Stella was great and entertained us with stories about her sister and discussing how weresnakes are sexy! I also met a new to me author Jessica Andersen and found out that she used to be a geneticist (so as a science Ph.D. student there's hope for me yet that I might end up doing something fun :). Kathryn Smith stopped by and I ended up getting one of her books signed as well even though she wasn't part of the event. Since I learn about books mainly through other peoples blogs and on twitter I had a few awkward moments of speaking in code of "Hey, I'm Darkly Reading - I mean that's my twitter name" or upon finding out what books Kat wrote I said "Hey I know you" and then had to explain that I meant I knew of her books but that no we just met so I didn't really know her..hehe. But overall I think I kept my freak flag in check. I also met Isabelle Santiago and Cat Johnson who are both romance writers and awesome people in general. And since I stuck around most of the event, I won fabulous prizes which are shown below. Mostly I stuck around at the event because Stella was hilarious and everyone was fun to chat with. It was also nice to met authors and learn about books that the bookstore doesn't traditionally carry. Having an ebook reader has definitely been great to get me to branch out and find new authors and now going to events like this one are going to be at the top of my list!

So I purchased Entwined by Fate, Night Keepers, and Be Mine Tonight but the rest was part of the prize pack (which came in a cute basket with heart cut-outs). Also if you can't read the shirt in the pic it says "Weresnakes are sexy...They do it with flexibility...and forked tongues." Now I have alot of reading to do and eating chocolate (and yes if you look close that's a chocolate penis..yummy).

Review of First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

So if you have read Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress books, I recommend before reading this book that you tell yourself that Denise and Spade are not Cat and Bones, not even close. That doesn't mean that this book is not worth reading, you just have to remember it's different than previous books set in the Night Huntress world. I mean really it's hard to compete with Bones, a centuries old male gigolo and Cat, the half-vampire all-tough girl heroine.

This story picks up over a year after what takes place in "At Grave's End" which is the third book in the Night Huntress series. Although Denise does show up in book four "Destined For An Early Grave" it is really book three that shapes Denise's world view at the beginning of "First Drop of Crimson"(FDOC). Though it is not required to read the Night Huntress series before FDOC, I think it helps a lot to be more sympathetic to Denise at the beginning of the book and understand where her guilt, grief, and PTSD is coming from. In the beginning of FDOC, Denise is coping with the sudden deaths of some of her relatives and watches while her cousin is killed in front of her by a demon. This demon, Raum, is killing all of the descendants of a long lost cousin of Denise's that did not follow though on a deal he made with Raum. Now Denise gets branded by the demon and given an assignment of finding her long lost cousin Nathanial or her closest relatives will suffer. Denise ends up enlisting the help of Spade, a good friend of her best friend's husband. Spade is reluctant at first to help Denise but the more time the two spend together the more they realize they have feelings for each other. Though with the impossible tasks of finding Nathanial and outwitting a demon while staying alive will they give their growing feelings a chance? Though given this is a stand-alone romance with a HEA, you'll get the answer to that question by the end of the book.

This book started out kind of slow for me. I love the Night Huntress series and have read the books more than once, therefore I am used to a faster, action-packed start to the book. In FDOC, Denise and Spade carry a lot of prejudices and baggage about each others world (vampire vs. human). They end up having to work through these problems before anything can really happen. Though once Denise and Spade get a lead on Nathanial the book starts to pick up. Denise also begins to grow from a scared, shattered woman to a stronger more tenacious character. I have to say that at the beginning of the book I did not like her very much but by the end I grudgingly admired her. And Spade, what is there to say about a former baron who still does all the gentlemanly things such as opening doors but is no gentlemen in the bedroom.

There is also a glimpse of people in FDOC that have appeared in the Night Huntress series. One of my favorite appearances was Ian who added a nice touch of bad boy to the book. Cat and Bones also make an appearance in this book but only as minor characters. Unfortunately we have to wait till 2011 for the next Night Huntress book but the next book set in the same world, Eternal Kiss of Darkness is out July 27th of 2010. There is a little blurb at the end of FDOC that talks about the next book which will feature Mencheres.

Overall this book is a 4.5 out of 5 stars for me. A sweet romance, some vampire and demon ass-kicking, and we learn about interesting piercing choices of one of the characters ;)

A Little Valentine's Day Love Triangle

I thought for Valentines day I would do a love themed post and what better to talk about than awesome love triangles! Mandi from Smexy Books started me thinking about favorite love triangles with her post here.. which included some good love triangles but not my absolute favorite which is the love triangle from Richelle Mead's Dark Swan series which is so very yummy! So please read on and let me know what you think of love triangles in books - love them or hate them?


A little blurb about the series from the author: Eugenie Markham never asked for any of this. Until now, she's been content with her job as a freelance shaman in Tuscon, battling and banishing Otherworldly creatures. When a prophecy suddenly makes her the Otherworld's most popular bachelorette, Eugenie finds herself fighting off unwanted supernatural suitors, as well as the evils that begin emerging from her past...

So I seriously love Richelle Mead's Dark Swan series..and I mean love! She has a tattooed ass-kicking heroine and two smoking hot man candy love interests..what's not too love! And there is a love triangle that is deliciously tormented. In the Dark Swan series, Eugenie (yup..really unfortunate heroine name but we all can't be blessed with good names and ass-kicking abilities) has two potential fates before her and two hot men that in a way represent those fates. One of the men, Kiyo, is a kitsune (japanese fox shapeshifter) who is both honorable and passionate when it comes to Eug and also is a vet who takes in strays (how can you not swoon). The other man in Eug's life is Dorian, a gentry king. Dorain is an interesting mix of arrogance and brutal honesty though deep down he cares about Eug. Both of these guys have ties to the Otherworld, or fae kingdom, whose denizens Eugenie regularly banishes or kills when they misbehave in our world. When the story starts out it is clear that Kiyo is the good guy that wants what is best for Eugeine whereas Dorian has his own agenda. But as the story goes on the good guy/ bad guy line gets muddled. And these two men are very different in other ways as well..hehe.. Since Kiyo is a kitsune he is a bit of an animal between the sheets (not literally). Dorian is immortal and has a very refined taste for bondage. When Eug gently chastises Kiyo for being eager to get down to business Kiyo's excuse (which I love) is "I think it's the fox in me." To which Eug replies "Never heard that excuse before." Though I have to say Dorian is my favorite, he doesn't apologize for who he is and has never hidden the truth from Eugenie. He also has a hobby of intricately tying silk cords that comes into play during a very intimate moment. I think the best part about these books, and about Richelle Mead's books in general, is that she writes such good characters. That's what makes the love triangle so delicious and so tormenting as well because eventually Eugenie will have to pick just one. All I can say is that I can't wait till her new book, Iron Crowned, comes out in 2011.

Snarky and Sexy Molly Harper's Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs

Molly Harper's books first caught my eye when fellow book blogger K.C. from Smokin' Hot Books posted this book as one of her favorite vampire romances next to two of my other fav's Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series and Chloe Neil's Chicagoland vampire series. And I was so happy I did pick this book up (or download it as the case may be). Although it doesn't have the same ass kicking and taking names heroines as in the other two series, Jane Jameson has alot of other attributes to offer like snarkiness, bad luck, and the awkwardness that the rest of us non-ass-kickers have to face on a day to day basis. Check out my review below and let me know what you think - do you prefer the ass kicking heroines or the more plain Jane?

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do?

 I loved Jane - both her internal snarky dialogue and what came out of her mouth cracked me up. She was definitely not born with the ability to filter. At some points I was giggling so hard while I was reading in bed I was afraid that I would wake the hubby up. I also liked the little knowledge bombs from The Guide for the Newly Undead at the beginning of each chapter. One of my favorite knowledge bombs is from the first chapter: Vampirism: (n) 1.The condition of being a vampire, marked by the need to ingest blood and extreme vulnerability of sunlight. 2. The act of preying upon others for financial or emotional gain. 3. A gigantic pain in the butt. I think that about sums up what she becomes, what she faces during the book, and what her undead life has become.

Another gem in this book were the secondary characters. Jane's interactions with her friends and family as well as the new people she meets were hilarious. I loved Zeb, her best friend. Not only is Jane having to deal with her change to becoming a member of the undead but she also has to deal with Zeb having a girlfriend and her new vampire mental abilities that let her have a little too much insight into that relationship. I also thought Dick Cheney (nope not former vp, this vampire was born first) was great, who doesn't need a lecherous new friend. Jane's sire and love interest, Mr. Tall, Dark, and Yummy Gabriel remained sexy yet mysterious, I'm looking forward to seeing how that relationship develops in future books. 

And the women in Jane's family were a whole bag o' crazy. My jaw dropped at some of the antics her Grandmother, Mama, and sister got up too. Boy am I glad I don't have a Southern mother that can lay on the guilt as thick as gravy on a chicken-fried steak. The setting for this book is definitely as rich as the characters, the small town antics reminding me of my own childhood in a small town (shudder!).

Overall I give this book a 4 out of 5, the snarky dialogue and ridiculous situations Jane finds herself in were great, The next book Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men is already on my to-be read list.

On My Wishlist and Burning Up My Ereader!

New Releases I'm looking forward to this week (and will probably be purchasing):

February 9th Releases: 

The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows – her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield – and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family’s dark past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness – and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. You can read the first 20% of the book here.

I loved Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress series (and will hopefully post a review of the series soon) and can't get enough of Cat and Bones. Now we get a closer glimpse at the Night Huntress world with this book that features Spade and Denise - two characters you first meet in the Night Huntress Series.

Derek Gabriel was born human in family of psychics, aware of the supernatural world but never a part of it...until a rogue shapeshifter took humanity from him in a vicious attack. He's spent two years struggling to adjust, not just to a change that's driven many insane, but also to the prejudices of a culture where transformed wolves are considered inferior. A serious struggle, indeed, when the woman who attracts the man and the wolf inside him is the daughter of the most powerful wolf in the country.

For Nicole Peyton, nothing is more important than escaping the stifling confines of elite shapeshifter society, an old-fashioned world where women are valued only for their bloodlines and bank accounts. In New Orleans, she has a bar she loves, friends she cares for, and a smoldering, unspoken tension with an unsuitable but incredibly attractive man.

Neither could predict how quickly forbidden longing would erupt into burning need, but Nick and Derek have more than themselves to think about when Nick's sister arrives in the city with a shapeshifter strike team hard on her heels. The only way Nick can save her sister may be to play by the Conclave's rules--but it will mean giving up the man she's falling in love with, unless he's willing to risk everything in a challenge that will shake the foundations of their world.
To read the first two chapters click here. 

The first book of this series which features Jackson and Mackenzie's story was a dangerous and sexy romance- I loved it! I also liked the glimpses we were given of Nick and Derek and can't wait to read their story!

What else is on my wishlist:

Who said being eaten by the big bad wolf was a bad thing? Maizie Hood struggles to keep her bakery turning a profit, her landlord from evicting her, and her dear Granny in a nursing facility. Wrestling with the decision to sell Gran’s cottage is hard enough. The last thing she needs is her childhood big-bad-wolf nightmares turning into real-life adult fantasies. Sexy businessman Gray Lupo’s sudden interest just makes matters worse. Is he the answer to her problems, or just a wolf in gentleman’s Armani?

Since his wife was killed twenty-one years ago, Gray’s life has been focused on two things: protecting the pack and avoiding the grown daughter of his wife’s killers. When it becomes clear he can’t do one without compromising the other, Gray finds playing “big bad wolf” to Maizie Hood’s “Little Red” is a role he enjoys far more than he expected.

A real bad wolf’s attack on Maizie changes everything. Gray can’t deny the pull she has on his instincts—and his heart. Suddenly he finds himself taking on a role he never thought he’d want, as her protector and mate. Until the truth about his connection to her nightmarish past comes to light…

Warning: This book contains cookies, pastries, pies, hot-guy-on-girl sex and animalistic passion, all for zero calories. Enjoy! You can read the first chapter and purchase the book here.
I love the cover of this book and with a book warning like that how could you not want to read this book!

Books I'll be reading as well this week:
So this week is the kick off of the League of Reluctant Adults Reading Challenge over at Literary Escapism. I have a couple of hot Leaguer books on my list that I want to finish before the week is done. Yeah!

 

Happy Reading!

Sweet Lovin' - Review of Sweet Enchantment and Wicked Enchantment by Anya Bast

Anya Bast introduces us to the world of Piefferburg and her new Dark Magic series in her short novella and full length novel - Sweet Enchantment (from Hot for the Holidays anthology) and Wicked Enchantment. Piefferburg is a detention center for all creatures fae that was created centuries ago by the Phaendir, a mysterious and powerful group of druids that are now the enemies of the fae. Bast does a great job of world building though her two books by revealing interesting glimpses of the world of Piefferburg without making it an information dump while building on the possibilities of what could happen in the next books. The first book in this series, Sweet Enchantment, is part of the Hot for the Holidays anthology.

Only days before Yule, Bella learns that her former flame, Ronan, has been imprisoned. Despite all the painful history that lies between them and the fact they haven't spoken in the 30 years since he hurt her, Bella finds herself drawn to his prison cell and desperately trying to find a way to save his life. Ronan is shocked that Bella is trying to rescue him and the hope that she still might have any feelings for him revives his will to survive..and escape his prison cell. 

I really loved this story. After finding out how Ronan betrayed Bella, I wanted her to kick him hard in his sensitive bits and leave him. Though once learning more about Ronan's reasoning and the feelings between the two of them, I decided to give Ronan and his sensitive bits a chance and I'm really glad I did. Though really when his looks are described by Bella like this how could you not like him: "The sight of him made a woman want the iron silk of his body rubbing up against hers, made carnal thoughts crowd the most prudish of female minds." 

Overall this was a great read and great introduction to the world of Piefferburg. The characters Ronan and Bella show up again in the next book, Wicked Enchantment, though you don't have to read the two books in order (I didn't).

This story gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me. The story of finding love again was sweet and the descriptions of Ronan's smoking hot bod and what he can do with it were yummy too

How can you resist the seductive charm of a sexy-half incubus? Aislinn finds herself trapped between her growing physical attraction to Gabriel the half-incubus and the need to protect her heart after a terrible public break-up with her former flame Kendall. Aislinn has been assigned to play host to Gabriel, a potential defector from the Unseelie court in the Black Tower, by the Queen of the Seelie court. What Aislinn doesn’t realize is that Gabriel has an agenda as well, one to seduce her in...moreHow can you resist the seductive charm of a sexy-half incubus? Aislinn finds herself trapped between her growing physical attraction to Gabriel the half-incubus and the need to protect her heart after a terrible public break-up with her former flame Kendall. Aislinn has been assigned by the Queen of the Seelie court to play host to Gabriel, a potential defector from the Unseelie court in the Black Tower. What Aislinn doesn’t realize is that Gabriel has an agenda as well, one to seduce her into his bed and over to the Black Tower.

This book is equal parts interesting world building and sexy romance. The world that Aislinn and Gabriel occupy is fully realized, from the history of how the fae came to be interred at Piefferburg to the development of conflicts that the characters will most likely face in the future. The author Anya Bast even has a map of her fae detention camp on her website. The love story is well-crafted as well. The characters fall for each other without even realizing it at first and then almost lose everything when their insecurities and prejudices keep them for saying how they really feel. At some points I just felt like screaming at the characters “say the L word already”. But thankfully the wait is well worth it. Additionally, the secrets that Aislinn and Gabriel keep from each other, once revealed, make it all the more obvious that they belong together. And Gabriel is one naughty half-incubus that has well-written and delicious love scenes with Aislinn.

Overall I really loved this book. I feel like first novels in a new series tend to sacrifice story to world building but this is not the case with Wicked Enchantment. I also liked that the 24 hour news crew that was assigned to Piefferburg was called Faemous - very clever.  The only issue I had with the story is that the main characters use colloquial language and I wonder how they learn such terminology when they are so isolated from the human population? Maybe while humans watch Faemous the fae are watching Extra? hehe...

This story gets a 4.5 out of 5 stars from me as well. The romance is well-written and believable and the sex scenes are steamy. 

The next book in the Dark Magic series is Cruel Enchantment and features Aeric the Blacksmith who we meet in this novel Wicked Enchantment. The book is scheduled to be out in September and I can't wait!

Tall, Dark, and Tattooed

So I have been noticing (and appreciating for various reasons) that many urban fantasy and paranormal romance books feature covers with leading characters that have some type of symbol or animal inked across their sexy topless ripply muscled bodies. So does having an inked hero or heroine across the cover inspire you to read a book in hopes of reading some bad boy action - because of course that is the promise of the tattoo.  Here are some of my favorite tattooed covers - please let me know if I missed any good ones in the comment section!

So I thought I would ease you into this topic with the understated arm tattoo. It says he's bad...but maybe not so bad to get the full sleeve tat...or is he...

Now we get into the definitely bad boy look full sleeve tat. This cover is just another reason why I should start reading J.R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series.












And now for the slightly tinted men with the hot bods and tats and torments..

And there are definitely some hot female main characters out there with tattoos. My favorite is Mercy from the Patricia Briggs books. I like how all the ladies are looking demurely over their shoulders : )

And last but not least the man who has it all, the tattoo, the bare chest, the long hair, the leather clothing, and the dark and mysterious eyes - it's like they went through a what's hot in PNR covers checklist and hit them all...and then call the book "Velvet Haven" - it puts bad porn flick music in my head..bow chica wow wow...(Though since Velvet Haven is the name of a nightclub in the book I can excuse the fact that cover model isn't dressed in crushed purple velvet :) Hope you like the yummy pics!

Holy Smoking Panties - Review of Candy Houses and Not Prince Charming by Shiloh Walker

These two books are part of the Grimm Circle Series by Shiloh Walker and are only available in ebook format.  I think the warning on Candy Houses best sums up what to expect "Warning: Dark, sexy, a little bit scary—this fairy tale is only for grownups and is best saved for bedtime."

I am, of course, a sucker for tormented male main characters and damaged yet strong heroines.  Thankfully, in Candy Houses, that particular sweet tooth is indulged. The book has elements of urban fantasy, fairy tales, and romance that are put together exceptionally well. The main characters, Rip and Greta are Grimms, which are kind of like super sexy ass-kicking guardian angels.  The Grimms protect humanity from demons that try to take over human bodies and destroy the soul that resides in the body.  Additionally, Grimms were once humans, whose past has been fictionalized in stories like Hansel and Gretel or Rip Van Winkle. You learn that the real stories happened quite differently.

Rip and Greta both end up in Ann Arbor, MI (yeah! I used to live there) on different missions that in the end become intertwined. The demons have it out for both of them and Rip arrives just in time to save Greta from a pretty dangerous situation. Though facing the demons seems a lot easier for them than facing the feelings they have for each other.  The romance between the two seems real and heartfelt while the love scenes are super sexy. Greta and Ren's struggles with trying to explain how they felt were great because I think most people are at their least eloquent when making themselves vulnerable to another person.

There were some great fights between Greta and Rip and the demons though I kept thinking -"What do they do with the bodies?" since the demons are possessing human bodies so dead demon equals body to hide from law enforcement. In a twisted way it's kinda funny to think of guardian angels leaving a trail of dead bodies as proof of their good deeds. There was also a pretty funny scene of Greta coveting Rip's "battle staff".

Definitely a 4 out of 5 stars for me – you’ve got battles with evil demons to save misguided human souls, engaging romance, and hot love scences – what more could you want?

So if you ever thought that Prince Charming never worked hard enough to get the girl then this is definitely the story for you.  Elle (as in Cinderella) shows up in Sandusky, Ohio (home of Cedar Point that has very awesome rollercoasters which I loved in my youth but now I think would make me barf) with her occasional lover Ren to clear out a nest of succubi and incubi that have set-up a nest in a very popular sex club. As Grimms, which are described as “unlikely guardian angels trying to keep the unsuspecting mortals from making bad, bad and worse mistakes”, Elle and Ren need to infiltrate the demon’s nest and take out the king or queen that controls all the lesser succubi and incubi. That means getting in to the sex club..oh yeah. What Elle doesn’t know is that another Grimm, her Not-so Charming Prince Michael, is also assigned to the case. Michael shows-up while Elle is in costume as “Barbie goes badass” and trying to get in the club with Ren.  There are some bad feelings between Michael and Elle which makes it very hard for the two of them to work together again, especially to try and infiltrate a sex club together.  Michael and Elle definitely have a complicated history that gets expertly revealed in tantalizing flashbacks as the story goes on.  You also learn that Elle and Michael’s real life story is much more tragic than the fictionalized fairy tale.

Michael’s torment at seeing Elle with Ren as well as facing the possibility that he might not end up with Elle in the end was heartbreaking. I won’t give away what happens but it was a great HEA. Though I have to say I loved the “in character” scenes when Elle, Ren, and Michael were infiltrating the sex club to try and save misguided humans from becoming sex slaves. And holy smoking panties the love scenes were hot, the “in character” and the more intimate scenes –woozah!

Definitely a 5 out of 5 for me for this book.  There was great action – both ass-kicking demon and the other kind, as well as an awesome love story and HEA.

The setting for these books were great! I went to college in Ann Arbor and can definitely imagine demons possessing college students - probably pre-meds- who would sell their soul to pass organic chemistry.  As a Michigan native I also drove down to Sandusky many times to go to Cedar Point and ride the rollercoasters. It seems only fitting that visitors might find a ride of another sort in book..hehe..

I hope there will be new additions to this series so that we can meet more super sexy ass-kicking guardian angels.