A Review of Haunted Honeymoon by Marta Acosta

Five Fangs for Marta Acosta's Haunted Honeymoon

Book Description:

THERE’S MORE THAN HER HEART AT STAKE. . . .

As the only human to survive vampire infection, Milagro de Los Santos has become quite a celebrity among the blood-drinking elite. Too bad the perks of her condition—increased strength, super-fast healing—don’t pay her condo fees. There are other complications too. She’s feeling guilty about her fling with enigmatic Vampire Council member Ian Ducharme, and pining for her ex-fiancé, Dr. Oswald Grant . . . the fabulous man whose kiss changed her life. It’s when Milagro—irked by Ian’s attentions to his neighbor—travels to London and enjoys a sexy flirtation of her own, that the blood really hits the fan.

Suddenly, those around her are dying gruesome deaths and Milagro’s being interrogated. Who would kill to set her up as a murder suspect? Milagro just wants to turn back the clock and have another chance to make things right, but no sooner has she escaped to Oswald’s ranch than an accident obliterates her memory. Will the murderer come after her now? And will amnesia spark a romantic do-over with Oswald—or will she make all the same mistakes before she ever gets to say "I do"?

My Review:

If I had known Marta's books were so damn hilarious I would have started reading them along time ago.

Seriously I had so many laugh out loud moments...then I kept snickering and my four year old kept asking me why I was laughing.

Come on the first line reads "The next time a sex toy sales consultant offered to teach me how to unlock handcuffs with a paper clip, I would accept."

Then every time Ian tells Milagro he has something for her she says "Is it in your pants?"- that got a giggle from me especially when he finally said "as a matter of fact..."

Sure there are some serious parts in the book- like Milagro being held against her will and people trying to kill her and then there's the amnesia but just like Milagro all the bad stuff comes with a shrug and a way of just getting beyond it. She sure has a way of looking to the positive or else completely ignoring the negative- either way it works for her.

I would have thought I would hate a party girl, leopard print loving, fashionista like Milagro- she's just the opposite of everything I am, except the books. She loves books, I love books then there's the men, she loves men, I love men. So we have more in common than I would have suspected.

And her wacky sense of humor...it works without being annoying. Milagro is likeable and believable and even non-Californian, non clothes loving, non party girls can relate.

This action packed book kept me turning pages wanting- no needing to know what was going to happen. Would Milagro end up with Oswald or Ian? Would she get her memory back so she could make the right choice?

Fabulous book.

This is the first Casa Dracula book that I've read- now I have to go back and get the whole story even though this filled me in quite a bit easily letting me know what has happened before without going overboard on the detail. I'm sad to say this is the fourth and final book in the series but don't fret it has a happy ending- just perhaps not the ending you were expecting. Of course it depends on which guy you were rooting for.

A Review of Seduced by the Wolf

.5
4.5 Fangs for Seduced by the Wolf by Terry Spear

Seduced by the Wolf is probably the Terry Spear's best wolf book so far. S

he knows how to make werewolves sexy and this book is definitely sexy and filled with plenty of action and adventure, along with twists and turns- enough to leave you breathless and wanting more.

I was a little confused at first by the vast assortment of characters introduced into the story in the beginning- Cassie, Leidolf, Aimee, and all the wolves in Leidolf's pack along with Alex the wolf biologist following Cassie, the guy from the zoo and even the wolf mother and her pups.

I was like "wow that's a lot to take in" and I had no idea where everything was going and how all those characters were going to fit into the story- which is a good thing because I hate seeing the end right from the beginning. You know what I mean - when you see all the set ups and immediately know where the book is going to go- I kinda hate that. I like a book to surprise me. And this one did.

Cassie and Leidolf are the two main characters and are fun to read- they are so into each other right from the start but Leidolf has to battle his feelings because he is the alpha and thinks Cassie to be human- His main priority is to his pack which means he needs to mate with a werewolf. Cassie is battling her feelings because of her past and because her first priority is the mother wolf and pups that she wants to protect.

When Cassie and Leidolf finally join forces they still have to combat rogue werewolves, determined zoo keepers, and hunters along with the growing feelings they have for each other. We all know that's a battle they'll lose but what's going to happen with everything else that's stacked up against them?

This fast paced book will suck you in right away. Once I picked it up and started reading I was hooked. I couldn't wait to see how things would fit together and how everything was going to turn out.

Fabulous read.

A Review of Dark Oracle by Alayna Williams

.25

Book Description:

TARA SHERIDAN HAS A GIFT . . . AND IT ALMOST KILLED HER.

As a criminal profiler, Tara used science and her intuitive skill at Tarot card divination to track down the dangerous and depraved, including the serial killer who left her scarred from head to toe. Since that savage attack, Tara has been a recluse. But now an ancient secret society known as Delphi’s Daughters has asked for her help in locating missing scientist Lowell Magnusson. And Tara, armed with her Tarot deck, her .38, and a stack of misgivings, agrees to try.

Tara immediately senses there is far more at stake than one man’s life. At his government lab in the New Mexico desert, Magnusson had developed groundbreaking technology with terrifying potential. Working alongside the brusque but charismatic agent Harry Li, Tara discovers that Magnusson’s daughter, Cassie, has knowledge that makes her a target too. The more Tara sees into the future, the more there is to fear. She knows she has to protect Cassie. But there may be no way to protect herself—from the enemies circling around her, or from the long-buried powers stirring to life within. . . .

Book Review:

Dark Oracle is a novel filled with exquisite descriptions and rich detail that put you right in the middle of everything. While reading you feel as though you have been transported directly to the scene.

Tara Sheridan used to be a criminal profiler. She used a combination of science and her intuitive skills channeled through her Tarot card divination. Then she got too close and became a victim of the serial killer she was tracking. Left scarred and scared she quit work and pretty much quit life moving to a remote location with no one for company except her cat.

Now Tara has been asked by Delphi's Daughters, a secret and powerful group of women her mother was part of, to look into the disappearance of scientist Lowell Magnusson. She doesn't want to but can't let it go, so she heads back to her old life and ends up right in the middle of a dangerous situation.

Mystery, corruption, science, magick, even a little romance...it's all here in Dark Oracle. It is a richly detailed book full of characters you'll want more of. Totally unique.

I really loved the history and lore of the Tarot that was included, it made me pull out my old deck which I haven't touched in years.

Fab read, I look forward to more books by Alayna Williams.

A Review of Strange Neighbors by Ashlyn Chase

.5

Book Teaser from AshlynChase.com:

When all-star pitcher and shapeshifter Jason Falco buys a small apartment building, he sees it not only as an investment, but as a place to escape the demands of major league baseball.

That is, until he meets his tenants! A vigilante vampire: a wereraven with a morbid sense of humor; a werewolf thief who poses as a security expert; and two witches who work as phone sex actresses and own an owl familiar. Not to mention a beautiful, all too human nurse who gets Jason's blood pumping overtime.

With all the hooting, howling and hollering going on, how can an All-American guy get some peace and sweep a girl off her feet?

Review:

Witty and funny with laugh out loud parts- this is a book you won't want to put down.

The characters are hilarious (I read on Ashlyn's site that the book has been compared to the tv show Friends- of course this would be the paranormal version), the plot is wild and unique with all kinds of surprising twists and turns with plenty of sizzle between the main characters. It even has a ghost story and a murder mystery wrapped up with the romance and other paranormal twists. Combine all of that and you get a must read book different than anything else is the paranormal genre right now.

Merry is a nurse, finally getting out from under daddy's wing and living on her own. She moves into an apartment building owned by baseball player (and secret shifter) Jason, who also happens to be her neighbor. They have instant chemistry- but everything else tends to get in the way sometimes like Jason's nosey and very eccentric aunt, his patient uncle, two phone sex witches, a vampire, a morgue attendant, and of course the ghost. These are definitely some Strange Neighbors. And you thought your neighbors were crazy.

What a great read! At first I thought there would be too much going on with all the strange characters and different stuff but each element gets their own moment without horning in on the main characters.

The intricate weaving of the plots and subplots seamlessly mesh together in this fabulous book. If you are looking for something a little different but not too dark and sprinkled liberally with bits of humor- this is the book for you.

A Review of Honeymoon of the Dead by Tate Hallaway

5 Fangs for Honeymoon of the Dead

It seems all good things must come to end, this is another wonderful series that ended at book five.

If it doesn't end at 3 (making it a trilogy) the magic number seems to be 5. If it can go past 5 then it has the chance to make the long haul (which means it could go on forever).

Honeymoon of the Dead is the 5th and final book of Tate Hallaway's Garnet Lacey series.

After dealing with a zombie ex-wife and a moody eternal teenager at her wedding, witch Garnet just wants to have a nice, normal honeymoon with her vampire husband Sebastian.

Too bad normal suddenly seems to mean that Garnet sees gods and goddesses everywhere she goes and has run ins with the police at every turn. Wow talk about a honeymoon from hell!

Garnet has to deal with the police, FBI, Homeland security, the Austrian consulate, a kidnapping, crazy cultish vampire hunters, two quarrelling goddesses, supernatural crazies that seem to have in for Garnet, her old coven members that have not forgiven her past indiscretions, and an immortal husband she still has so much to learn about...

This is not exactly what a new bride hopes her honeymoon will be like.

I love this series and I am totally bummed this is the last book. A witch with great power Garnet just wants to do her own thing- but nothing, nothing ever seems to go right for her especially when after putting out a call for help she gets stuck with the mother of all demons inside her, Lilith. Why couldn't she get a nice Goddess full of light. Nope she gets bloodthirsty Lilith- which Garnet has come to think of as her own personal curse. Until she also ended up with the feminist, man hating Goddess Athena inside her.

Amid everything else she has to deal with on this honeymoon gone terribly wrong Garnet has to decide which Goddess to keep and which one to ask nicely to leave because the two of them duking it out inside her is making Garnet physically ill.

This book had parts that were so funny I laughed out loud (love that in a book) along with a few ultra sexy parts and the mandatory soul searching that Garnet has to do so she can come to terms with who and what she is.

This was a fabulous book and a great way to end an awesome series.

I will miss Sebastian the alchemist/college professor/car mechanic vampire (love that, really do). He is the embodiment of everything I imagine a vampire would be- completely multifaceted, ageless, adaptable, willing to experiment and change often without ever loosing who he is, sure of himself but not so sure and haughty that he forgets how to be silly. When I think of all the vampires in all the books I have read, Sebastian has to be one of the most well rounded and well adapted individuals. He is loving and kind, sexy and dangerous, both teddy bear and grizzling bear, and totally- totally freaking hawt! His main drawbacks have to be the zombie witch ex-wife and the eternal moody teenager (of course the son, Matyas, has his good moments).

For all of you Tate Hallaway fans do not fear, she also has a new series coming out- also YA

(I am sensing a trend here- thanks to Twilight-everyone's going YA- it's where the hopes of big money and massive book franchises currently dwell)

Anyway the new book is Almost to Die For: A Vampire Princess of St Paul Novel which will be out in August. Looks like it is going to be another YA series featuring vampires.

A Review of Shadows of Myth and Legend by EJ Stevens

.25

I love poetry, I especially love poetry that is lyrical or that creatively puts words together in a manner that I find pleasing.

The poetry doesn't have to be stuffy or take itself too seriously for me to be a fan, in fact I like it better when it doesn't take itself too seriously.

The poetry of EJ Stevens is dark, sometimes lyrical and always interesting. Stevens beautifully paints images with words, tells stories within the poems and holds onto a magical quality that is quite stunning.

But is it stuffy and serious? No. Is it something you might find in a literature class to decipher? Probably not. Thank goodness. I've had enough of that.

I just want to sit back and enjoy the flow of the words, the haunting world of myth and legend, of paranormal creatures and beasts of times long gone that Stevens has immortalized in the written word.

And enjoy it I did.

If you enjoy poetry as I've described you'll enjoy Shadows of Myth and Legend too.

Review of The Seventh Witch by Shirley Damsgaard

I love the Ophelia and Abby Mysteries. They have all the elements of the paranormal that I love without the intense violence and sexual drama that I usually read.

When I crave something a little lighter than my normal reads I reach for Shirley Damsgaard or Madelyn Alt, each write great books that I've dubbed witch lit. They are more chick lit than paranormal romance or urban fantasy yet they hold the paranormal elements = witch lit.

I stumbled across this series at the library when it was only 2 books in. I instantly fell in love with them and now have them on my must have list, they always get pre-ordered. I even share them with both my mom and daughter.

In the 7th book of the series titled The Seventh Witch, Ophelia and her grandmother Abby have gone to Abby's old home in the mountains of North Carolina for great aunt Mary's 100 birthday party.

What they encounter is more than they bargained for as old secrets, family feuds, and the long buried past all come to the surface to cause trouble.

A family of rival witches seems to be at the center of it all as Sharon Doran evil bitch witch spews out her hatred making everyone in town fear her and setting her beady little sights on Ophelia. And Ophelia with her knack for finding dead people -stumbles across a dead body once again and is sure that Sharon is behind it. To make things even more complicated Ophelia also stumbles across a familiar face that makes her heart race, too bad he's undercover and tangled up with Sharon too.

Who knew life in the sleepy mountains could be so dangerous? Secrets, lies, drug dealers, witches, fires, murders, sexy undercover agents...

The Seventh Witch is a page turner you won't want to put down until your done.

Witch Lit at it's best.

Review of Blood of the Demon by Diana Rowland

In Diana Rowland's second book in the Kara Gillian series, Blood of the Demon, demon Summoner and Louisiana Police Detective Kara Gillian is back on the job tracking down a killer that does more than just offs its victims, somehow it is eating their essence.

Kara doesn't know who or what could be consuming the essence of a string of victims that appear to be unrelated. Her job is to connect the dots and find the killer. Good thing she has the gift of othersight along with her demon summoning abilities to help her crack this confusing case.

She also has the help of sexy FBI agent Ryan Kristoff who has his own set of powers that even he seems not to be too sure of. Kara doesn't exactly know what all his powers are but at least he's helpful and he is someone that Kara can confide in. Life as a demon summoner can be lonely since everything is so secretive. Especially now that she doesn't even have her aunt, though Kara is struggling to find a way to bring her aunt Tessa's essence back to her body.

She also has the powerful demon lord Rhyzkahl to summon, sexy and so dangerous Kara is torn between her attraction to him and being scared to death of him. He doesn't seem to like Ryan and says he is more than he appears to be. Hmmmm...aren't they all.

Blood of the Demon is a fabulous book. I love the complex interaction between characters and the world building is phenomenal.

Rowland has expertly and seamlessly combined crime drama and the paranormal in a must read series for urban fantasy fans.

This was a great follow up to the first book Mark of the Demon. I eagerly await the next books in the series so I can see where Rowland takes Kara.

A Review of Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

I must say Cole never disappoints.

Kresley Cole knows what paranormal romance readers want and continually delivers.

Her books blend danger and desire with action and romance then toss in a dash of humor- which all adds up to the perfect recipe for paranormal romance.

If you have a thing for rough Alpha males with a strong desire to mate with stubborn females that a little too good at playing hard to get then Cole's Immortals After Dark series is for you.

In the 9th story in the IAD series, Garreth MacRieve, the Dark Prince of the Lykae, comes across his mate in New Orleans after centuries of searching.

The problem? She's a stubborn Valkyrie known as Lucia the Archer and she's has taken vows of celibacy. But it's much more complicated than simple religious vows. Everything she is is tied up in those vows including her destiny to keep the world safe from ancient evil.

Garreth doesn't understand and all he wants to do is claim his mate.

This triggers a hunt that spans the globe and over a year where Lucia runs and the Lykae follows. When he finally catches up to her sparks fly, both good and bad.

This is one hot book I didn't want to put down. While not my favorite cast of characters (I think my fave was Kiss of a Demon King, damn I loved Rydstrom) it was true Cole style filled with action, hot and steamy sex scenes and plenty of stubborn lorekind determined to stay apart even though Fate has obviously decided they should be together.

I am eagerly awaiting Regin's book and can't wait to see what happens with Nix. I really hope each ends up with her won book. The Nix book is sure to be a doosy if it ever happens.

The next book in the series, Demon from the Dark, features a few rather new characters - Carrow the witch and a demon/vampire named Malkom? Hmm...too bad it's not any of the more familair characters though I am sure it will be fab.

A Review of Her Vampire Husband by Michele Hauf

Title: Her Vampire Husband
Category: Paranormal Romance
Reviewer: Michele Rioli
Reviewer Email: Deseng@crown.net
Author: Michele Hauf
Publisher: Harlequin
Release Date: April 2010
ISBN Number: 978-0-373-77499-9
Author Homepage: http://www.michelehauf.com/
Rating: 5 Fangs
Format: E-BOOK/PRINT


A female werewolf puts the “P” back in pizzazz as she struts her stuff on her fateful wedding day to a vampire lord. HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is a deliciously fiendish story mixed with a hot and cold romance.

Blu Masterson, a stunning werewolf princess, is in for a big surprise. Her wicked father, Amandus Masterson, pack leader of the werewolves, conspires with the vampire nation to marry off his only daughter, to a vampire lord of Nava, one of the oldest vampire tribes, in order to restore peace to both sides. Blu is not happy one bit! She already has a fiancée named Ryan. However, her father doesn’t approve of him. How she wishes her mother were there to confide in. Her father intimated to her when she was young, that her mom left them. In the back of Blu’s mind, she wonders what really happened. She also has an uneasy feeling about the whole marriage business. It is mere minutes to alter time. Vampires, ugh! She certainly doesn’t want any longtooth breathing on her, let alone kissing her. Does she change her mind when she sees her new husband-to-be?

Creed Saint-Pierre, a devastatingly handsome vampire, with many secrets, is to wed the spoiled princess Blu Masterson. What did he get himself into, he wonders. When he sees Blu make her sassy way up to the altar, he is taken aback. What is up with her hair? It is lime green! However, her voluptuous, statuesque body makes him catch his breath. Be still my heart! Marriage to Blu might not be so bad after all. Will they fall in love, just for the spell of it?

HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is an exciting blend of thrills, chills, wit, romance and real emotion that will leave readers wanting more. A spoiled werewolf princess and a dangerously handsome vampire are wed to restore peace to their dueling nations. Michele Hauf delivers a winning combination of undeniably gritty danger and a deliciously sexy risky romance. The tension is high between this unusual pair as they strike out a balance in their arranged marriage. Boundaries are set by Blu as Creed works his magical charms on her to win her over. This unlikely couple shoots more fireworks than the Forth of July when they are together. The plot is filled with many intricacies and unsuspecting twists galore! Love and deception plays an important role in the story. HER VAMPIRE HUSBAND is an enormously, engaging novel filled with nonstop action that you will find yourself reading again and again! I absolutely loved it!

Review of Hallowed Circle by Linda Robertson

.5

Blurb:

And you think beauty pageants are scary?

Persephone Alcmedi has been persuaded to compete for the position of High Priestess of the Cleveland, Ohio, coven -- now that the former priestess, Vivian Diamond, has strangely gone missing. Unfortunately, there are a few small problems with the idea. Not only does Seph know rather more about Vivian's disappearance than the other witches realize, but the epic struggle she's just survived has left her with some highly unusual powers -- ones that could be dangerous to reveal. Despite her reluctance, she agrees to participate, if only to prevent snooty Hunter Hopewell, an obnoxious but talented witch, from ending up in the winner's circle. Can Seph hide her secrets -- including her connection to the master vampire-wizard Menessos -- from the terrifyingly wise judges? Plus, there's her rock 'n' roll werewolf boyfriend, Johnny, and some angry fairies to deal with....

Once the competition begins, a finalist turns up dead. It looks as if one of the contestants is willing to do anything -- including murder -- to win. Suddenly Seph has even more on her plate than she thought: from solving a murder to working out what her new powers really are...and exactly why they're creating so much havoc in her love life.

I love the way Robertson has blended many elements of the witchy world into her series. She has the old images of witches in pointed hats riding on broomsticks (which many modern witches hate) but she's put a new spin on them and made it hip and sassy and completely non-insulting plus she's thrown in aspects of wicca, old world witchcraft, mythology and mixed it all together to create something unique.

I just have one question: what's the answer to the test question on page 155?

Seriously I want to know, Persephone never gives us the answer and I curious to know if there is a correct answer.

This book was great. I was instantly pulled in by the descriptive writing that put me right there on the page. I could "see" everything- it was amazing, great descriptions that fit right in with the story without being intrusive or overdone put me in that world like I was walking around inside a movie in my head.

And the complications...Persephone has a kinda sorta werewolf boyfriend and ties to a master vampire and she's coming into her own powers as the Lustrata- the witch who dishes out justice. Persephone's grandmother lives with her and she's adopted a young girl who recently lost her werewolf mother.

This series has all the makings of a good PNR/UF series- a detailed alternate world that knows witches, weres and vamps walk among them, a witch coming into her own torn between a vampire and werewolf. Then add in everything else life throws at her.

Wonderful.

It's another series I'll be adding to my must read pile. Book 3 is already on my wish list and book one is in my current to-read pile since I started with this book, which is actually book 2. The first book is Vicious Circle which I am going to read to get the whole story about how all of it started and I really want to know more about the mysterious vampire who only plays a minor role in Hallowed Circle. Fatal Circle, book 3, comes out in June.