Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

The dark had brought us visitors.

That line right there is pretty creepy, and it sets the story up well. Revamp is the story of Emma and how she deals when the world goes to hell around her…or rather, goes to the vampires. I really liked Emma. She was a tough character. Even though she wanted to sometimes curl up in a ball and cry, she picked herself up and did what she had to in order to survive. Her sarcasm and dry humor kept the book entertaining. The supporting characters were well written, too. They grew on you as you learned more about them.

Sherman is an excellent storyteller. In this book, the present was broken up by flashbacks to how it all began in order to help you understand things better. This is a tricky thing for authors to do, because it can so easily backfire, but it worked with this book. I enjoyed the author's writing style, and the plot was fast and engaging. I would most definitely recommend this book to fans of Stephen King.

4 Stars!

I admit I've been going between 4 and 5 stars on this one. I ultimately decided on 5 because I think the little things that annoyed me weren't bad enough to knock of an entire star. Here's what I liked:

Mac is a pretty fun character. Annoyingly stereotypical blonde girly-girl at times (think Reese Witherspoon in Legally Blonde), she also stood up for herself and wasn't afraid to get in anybody's face who got in her way (namely sexy and mysterious Barrons). All in all, MacKayla is a fun character. You could actually see her development, both outward and inward, over the course of the story, and I look forward to seeing where she goes from here. Barrons' domineering manner commands attention. We know pretty much nothing about him except that he is mysterious, sexy, rich, and dangerous. Enough to keep us interested? Definitely.

I like how the Fae are portrayed in this book. Though we don't know a lot about them yet, they are interesting in how they work and their background. I'm intrigued enough to want to know more about them. I enjoyed the author's writing style. The setting is serious, yet the book is not dark with just the right amount of humor (mostly from Mac) thrown in.

Now, what I didn't like: Really, it was small things. Mac did some pretty stupid things sometimes, enough to make me actually cringe. And the fact that, although the book was full of action, nothing really happened. This book was a setup for the rest of the series, but there was nothing in this book that came to a conclusion. However, I gave it 5 stars because, as I said above, those two small things don't cancel out everything I liked about the book.

I listened to the audio of Darkfever. The narration was good in every way except when she did Barrons' voice; that made me cringe every time. I think she was going for sexy but ended up raspy and kind of creepy. Anyway, I have books 2-5 already cued up on my iPod waiting for me, so off I go to #2!

5 Stars!

I wasn't sure going into this if I would like it as well as Graceling. Turns out, I liked it even more. Book 2 in the Graceling Realm series could be a standalone. In fact, I really hope the author will take this book and go forward with it. There is so much potential here…Here's what I loved: The setting, the characters, the originality of the story, the plot twists, the emotion the author drew out, the descriptiveness, the tie in to one of the characters from Graceling � That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure more will come to me later.

Fire is amazing. I love her and the idea of her. The last human monster. The monsters are beautiful and deadly, but Fire especially. She's beautiful, she's strong, she's not afraid to show emotion. She's also afraid of herself. She is afraid she really is the monster everyone believes her to be. It's really heartbreaking watching her as she resigns herself to the fact that everybody hates her. She can't see how wonderful she really is. Luckily, the people who love her can. Now, don't worry…she's not one of those winy girls who sits around feeling sorry for herself because nobody likes her. She understands why they don't and accepts it. It's her way of life.

There is romance in this book, but it is an underlying theme and doesn't take over the story, which is fast-paced and action packed from beginning to end. And, wow, the twists the author throws at you. There is no way you could see them all coming.

The one thing that bothered me a bit at first was how similar Fire was to Katsa (Graceling). I actually made a list of similarities and decided it was not coincidence; they were definitely based on the same person. However, as the story went on, Fire became an individual. She was most definitely not Katsa, but her own strong character.

5 Stars!

Warner, Warner, Warner�

If you loved Shatter Me, you have to read this. Actually being inside of Warner's head is pretty much…creepy, sad, scary, painful, wondrous…all of the above.

Mafi did such a great job with this story. She was able to put in so much emotion into Warner's story, I don't know how someone could read this and not feel for him. He is full of so much pain, and he loves Juliette to a fault. As with Shatter Me, the writing is beautiful. The style was different since we are inside Warner's head instead of Juliette's, but no less powerful. We also see in this story that he is maybe not the monster of a person he tries to pretend he is, and the way he is falling apart over losing Juliette makes the title apt. I'm afraid she is going to ultimately be his downfall.

5 Stars!

The author of 'Red' promises us a story that is well written, a story that doesn't just have kinky sex but an actual plot, and a story written by someone who knows what she's talking about when it comes to the kinky world of BDSM. I have to say, she delivered. This book is an erotic thriller. There's not a lot of romance, but an incredible murder mystery divulging into the world of BDSM that will leave you guessing until the very end and then leave you shocked. Talk about twists you won't see coming.

The author is great at building up tension and anticipation in her writing. The story itself is dark, complex, and violent, but she is able to throw in humor relief, mainly through Hanson's partner, Griggs, that keeps it on the edge of becoming too dark. I just had to mention Griggs because I like him :)

So who my favorite character? Hard to say. Gina is a strong female character and isn't afraid of what she wants. She is sexy and confident. Hanson is pretty much the opposite of Gina. It's interesting how their characters come together so well, but they do. I love how the author was able to portray her characters as real people with real lives, worries, and desires. She was able to use them to bring dimension to the story and give it purpose. All of the characters are believable.

As for the erotica/BDSM aspect � This is not erotic romance. If you open this book looking for that, you'll be disappointed. However, keep reading. The BDSM is successfully woven into the storyline rather than just being a side story as it is in so many other erotica books, and rather than just throw us into the world of BDSM assuming we know everything about it, the author gives us a roadmap to guide us in the form of Detective Hanson. He knows next to nothing about BDSM, and as things are explained to him, they are also explained to the reader.

Here are my only two grievances with the book: One, the first few chapters seemed a bit muddled to me. You were kind of thrown into the middle of things, and it was a bit hard to follow. However, it quickly came together nicely into create a wonderful story. Second, the quotes at the beginning of each and every chapter I found unnecessary and annoying and would have rather had them not there. Because of these two things I have been hovering between 4 and 5 stars. However, I ultimately decided that my small qualms weren't enough to knock off a star. Overall this story was sexual, violent, suspenseful, and complex. Read it.

5 Stars!

I have conflicted feelings about this book. The story was excellent, and based on that alone I would have given the book 5 stars. It was fun, playful, kinky, and definitely sexy. So why the mixed feelings�??

Here is what I loved:
1) Dylan � Dylan is your typical rich, sexy, smart alpha male. He was great. I love how his character was written. He liked control of everything, but at times his alter ego got the better of him, making him say and do things he regretted. I do wish we could have gotten a little more into his past. It's hinted on, but there were no details. However, the way this book ended (don't worry, no cliffhangers) made me highly suspicious there is going to be a second book possibly dealing more with Dylan's past. Yay!

2) Dylan's POV � The book was broken up into Dylan's POV and Isa's POV, switching every other chapter. Dylan's parts were pretty much awesome. I loved being in his head and I thought the author did a great job writing him.

3) The story � I really enjoyed the story. When I first started reading I was worried this was going to be a FSoG re-write, but it most definitely wasn't. The story was wealthy alpha male meets shy, somewhat inexperienced female (though not the way too overused I'm a Virgin and Don't Know What a Dick Is type of female, thank God) thrown together with some kinky sex, but that's where the comparisons ended. The story line was original and very well thought out.

Here is what I did not love:
1) Isa - Isabel's self-depreciation got old very quickly. I did like the few times she stood up for herself and took control of herself (and Dylan), but the whole I'm not good enough, I'm not pretty enough character is…I don't have a word at the moment, but I hated it. She was also very immature at times.

2) Isa's POV � First, I did not like having to go back and re-read the same scene as the point of view changed. The actual change was not the problem, as it was done well and it was made clear who was speaking each time. It was more of having to read the same thing from two different perspectives. When switching views, it would have been better to pick up where the last one left off rather than going back through and re-doing the same scene all over again. It was redundant and ultimately did not add anything new or useful to the story. Additionally, rather than stick to the 1st person POV, Isa's portions of the book were more of a stream of consciousness, which was not very fun to read and it did not flow well. Ultimately, I would have loved the book better if Isa's parts would have just been left out completely and we would have only had Dylan's story. About 70% into the book Isa's story finally became different from Dylan's and it was not quite as tedious after that.

3) The dialogue � There were many times in the book where Dylan and Isa would be having a conversation and only part of it would be dialogued out for us. Meaning the dialogues seemed incomplete, as part of it was written as thoughts and we were just supposed to assume it was spoken out loud, so really it looked to us as the reader like Isa/Dylan was reading the other one's mind and it got very confusing. Make any sense? That's hard to explain. This could be easily fixed with a few strategically placed quotation marks to denote conversation.

Ultimately, if Isa's parts of the book weren't in there I probably would have rated it 5 stars. As such, I have been going between 3 and 4 just for these things mentioned above. I ultimately decided on 4 because I loved Dylan so much and the story itself was great. Holy long reviews. (You'd get that little joke if you've read the book.)

4 Stars!

This book has so many good reviews, and I had been looking forward to reading it for a while. But, I had a really hard time getting into the story. It's not that it was bad or badly written, I think it was just too sickly sweet and sappy for me. The "I'm so scared where this is going," "I love you more,", No, I love you more," and "I miss you so much" lines got old really, really fast. What the story came down to was a lot of missing each other, saying I've loved you forever but was scared to tell you, and then ultimately sex and more sex. The story really just needed…a story.

I also had a hard time connecting with the characters. I did not find myself caring for them or caring about their lives. Ultimately if the author would have killed them all off at the end, it would have been fine with me. In the end, the book was okay. If you are into sap and sex and no real storyline, read it.

3 Stars!

I listened to the audio of Thirteen Reasons Why, and I recommend that over reading the book. The audio was done by two narrators, a male for Clay and a female for Hannah. The way it was read it was like we could hear Hannah's tapes the same way Clay did. It brought the reader deeper into the story than just reading alone would.

I love Clay. The author was fantastic at his conveying emotions and feelings, and he is just an overall nice guy. I love Hannah too. She seemed so sweet but sad. The things leading up to her suicide seem small as single events, but add them all together and they cumulated to drive her into depression and despair. I think the thing that really made this book great was that the characters seemed so real. Hannah could be the girl sitting alone at the back of the diner while you are messing around with your friends. She had such an ordinary life, but somewhere along the way things started going wrong. She represents all the girls (and boys) who are somehow overlooked in life.

I love how the author had 13 stories on 13 tapes but was effectively able to weave them all together. He also showed how small, seemingly insignificant actions can have huge effects. The author was able to put so much emotion in this story, from happiness and joy to pain and sorrow, so be prepared to cry...

5 Stars!

I really enjoyed this book. I only wish it had been a bit longer. It seemed that just when things started getting exciting, there was the end. Although the characters might be a bit cliché (shy, pretty 'good girl' versus handsome 'bad boy'), it works for the story. I love Megan and Antonio and the circumstances surrounding their relationship. They've known of each other their entire lives but have been kept at a distance.

This is a classic story of star-crossed lovers, which I immensely enjoyed. The author is a great storyteller, going back and forth between Megan's and Antonio's points of view. With this style, we get to see a bit of both of their worlds. The author kept enough of the story back to keep us guessing but told us enough that we wanted to know more.

5 Stars!

I read The Scarlet Letter many, many years ago. I was going into When She Woke thinking it was a re-telling of The Scarlet Letter, but although the underlying premise was the same, ultimately this was a completely different story from a completely different time. I liked the setting of the world created in this book and how the author did not spend chapter upon chapter describing it. She unveiled her world to us through the telling of the story, which was an interesting way to see it.

As for the characters, I had a hard time connecting with Hannah. I did like her more as the story went on, but I never really fell in love with her. Maybe it was the emotional distance that she kept from everyone that kept me at a distance as well. However, I did like how she questioned everything and was always looking for answers. I absolutely hated Aiden, but I think we were supposed to. He was hypocritical, self-centered, selfish…need I go on? However, it was pointed out to me that a good book brings out emotions. Hate is a very strong emotion. From the beginning Aiden orchestrated and controlled their whole relationship...He took advantage of Hannah's trust and innocence and abused his power over her.

Ultimately, the book definitely did not go where I thought it would, and although I really enjoyed the book, I did not really like the ending. I can't really pinpoint it, but something felt like it was missing to me. I guess I just wanted something more to happen. I felt the whole last section was too rushed. I would have loved an extra chapter on the end to tell how everything played out. What happened to Aiden and Alyssa? What is Hannah going to do now? Though, I think any good book gets into your mind and leaves you with questions.

4 Stars!

Though I do not generally read westerns, I love cowboys, and this book was a nice change for me from my usual. Zane is a fun, entertaining story. Though the plot was predictable, I enjoyed the way Kimberly Lewis told the story. She was able to bring her characters to life in such a way that they were believable, likeable, and the cowboys were sexy as hell. Lewis was able to bring out individual personalities, and you felt like you got to know each character. Lewis made the romance fun and believable, if not a bit quick. I also loved the sibling rivalry between Zane and Luke; they were really fun together. I am so looking forward to read Luke's and Norah's stories.

4 Stars!

You know a book (series) is epic when�
1. You cannot put it down. Literally. All life around you becomes unimportant. Sleep? Don't need it. Food? Will accommodate as long as you can eat one-handed while holding your Kindle in the other.

2. You invest in the characters. You dream of them. You wish you could meet them. You want to be them. You miss them when they are gone. More than you miss your family.

3. The story comes to life. You are driving down the street expecting to see a rhino-boy at any moment (or insert fictional creature of your choice).

4. You are in love with one of the characters and if he showed up on your doorstep you could die happy. Jericho Z. Barrons. Enough said.

5. Even the secondary characters that you know next to nothing about pique your interest so much that you want to stalk the author until she promises to write a book about them and then stalk her until she actually writes it and you have it in your hands.

This is what the Fever series did to me. I finished Shadowfever two days ago and I am craving more. I miss Barrons so much. *Sigh* There's not much else to say. I knew it was going to end eventually but still I went through it as fast as I could because I had to find out what was going to happen. As they say, don't cry because it's over, be happy because it happened. I'm happy.

5 Stars!

Life of the Party is one of those books. You know the type…it makes you think, and I mean really think; it sticks with you long after you have finished because you have become invested in the characters; it makes you cry. I hate it when books make me cry.

Mac and Riley are best friends. Their favorite pastime is to get drunk and high. Hey, they're young, why not? Everything is great until Riley decided he needs to get clean. Mac, feeling abandoned by her best friend, delves deeper into the world of drugs, trying to forget Riley and everything that is wrong with her life.

I loved, loved, loved the characters in this book (which I guess is why I felt so much for them that I was bawling my eyes out by the end). The author let us get into Mac's head and really enjoy being there. Mac, though young and stupid and obviously making mistake after mistake, was real. She had real problems and real choices and real feelings. And Grey…I so love Grey. It is obvious from the way he treats her that he loves Mac, but he is young and free and has the world ahead of him, so of course he makes mistakes, too. When he realizes, however, that things have gone too far he does the only thing he can think of to fix it, even if it is the wrong thing. We do not see much of Riley for most of the story and mostly get to know him through Mac's feelings and memories of him. Though Mac feels he abandoned her, he had always been there just waiting for the right time.

I think the thing I really loved about this story was about how realistic it is. From Mac's mom and dad (just ignore the problem, it will go away) to her sister and Mac's feelings of inferiority around her (which I can relate to having two perfect older sisters myself) to the drug use. The author did an exceptional job (in my humble opinion) of detailing and describing Mac's drug use and feelings. I did find myself thinking a few times, can someone really use that much cocaine and still be alive/walking/standing/coherent? But, I have absolutely no first-hand knowledge of the subject so it could be true. Even if it's not accurate, the author did a great job faking it and making me believe it was real.

I sincerely hope this author writes more books in the future. I loved everything about this story from the characters to the story to the writing style. She is an amazing storyteller and I thank her for sharing her story with us. �

5 Stars!

Traffic Jam is one of those books where you are not quite sure how it is going to end. Though the book was relatively short, there was plenty of drama and suspense to keep you interested. The book followed Val, a teenage girl who is a bit of a loner. I think a lot of teenage girls could understand Val. She fought with her sister, fought with her best friend, was too shy to tell a guy she liked him, and she kept secrets. However, she proves to everyone that, though at a shy and awkward age, when it comes to the important things like her family, she is determined to do the right thing and can hold her own when things get tough.
In addition to being a quick, entertaining read, Traffic Jam had life lessons implanted into it. Val learned throughout the story about family, trusting, and telling the truth, even if it hurts. The only thing that really bothered me about the book was the use of "dude." Once or twice would have been fine, but used at least once a page it really got annoying.

4 Stars!

Straight by the Rules is the third installment in the Lilith Straight series and is as great as the first two. The story follows Lilith as she desperately tries to balance her "normal" life with her succubus life. However, as she is sent on her crazy assignments she is finding this balance harder to find. I don't think I'll ever look at sushi the same way.

After her latest set of assignments, Lilith is more desperate than ever to get out of her contract as a succubus and will go to any lengths to find a way. As she tests the limits of her contract, she tries to stay true to herself as much as possible.

Oh yes, and we got some more William in this book. Who would not love to be seduced by him?

4 Stars!

After inheriting a storage unit from a friend, Sara becomes obsessed with some journals she finds in the unit and decides she needs to find the owner. During her search, she meets the man she thinks may be the subject of the journals as well as another incredibly sexy man she cannot seem to stop thinking about.

I really like the characters in this story. We do not really know much about Sara, and I like how the author, rather than telling us her whole past right up front, made her past part of the secrets being unveiled through the story. She seems the shy, quiet "good girl" type, but as the story unfolds we find out she is able to stand up for herself and is not pushed easily. Chris is freaking awesome. I love him. He is Mr. Mysterious, sexy as hell, and carries a sexual tension with him everywhere he goes. The chemistry between him and Sara is fantastically erotic, but he has a way of putting her off balance that makes us as the reader never quite know where their story is going to go next. The rest of the characters at this point are rather remote thus far, but I'm sure hoping we will get to know more about them as the story goes on, particularly Mark.

This book gives us a glimpse into the world of BDSM, but really it's just a tease. The excerpts from the diaries are a great addition to the book. They show a world of danger, pleasure, pain, love, confusion that Sara just has to find. They make her feel like something is missing in her own life and she will not stop until she finds out exactly what it is. I am very much looking forward to the continuation of this series.

5 Stars!

I had a love/hate relationship with this book. I absolutely loved the first half, so I'll start there. Taryn is a fantastic character. She is a small-town girl who is tough, self-sufficient, and level headed. She is fun, not a Tom-boy but not girly-girly either. I love, love, love Ryan. He is a big shot movie star who does not like the fame. He has groupies following him everywhere, but deep down he's a quiet romantic who would like some privacy. When the two meet, it's just awesome. The two together are super fun. They have a playful, friendly relationship. Add in Taryn's friends, and we have a super fun story. Taryn and Ryan's getting to know each other phase was sweet and romantic. I loved getting to know them.

About halfway through the book things changed. Taryn went from tough, self-sufficient, and level headed to having this whole 'I'm not good enough for him" attitude that really got on my nerves. I get it. If I were dating a mega hot movie star (hmmm...daydreaming) I'd be jealous of him being in pictures with other girls or whatever. But she was getting jealous and/or upset over every little thing. It was way more annoying than sweet or romantic. The other thing I did not like was that this book was super long. The story was good and the writing was superb, but I felt there was a lot of filler that could have been left out and the book would have been just as good.

The story was maybe a bit predictable at times, but there was still enough unknown to keep me reading. As for the next book in the series...I can't decide whether or not I want to read it. Normally when I give a book 4 stars the next book is a must, but after reading the book description for Love Unrehearsed, it just sounds like a lot more of the same. If it's just going to be more of Taryn's insecurities, people trying to break them up, etc., I really am not interested. I guess we will see.

4 Stars!

I knew even before I picked up this book that it was going to mess with my mind. I had, after all, read the first book. Still, somehow I was not prepared. In the first book of The Dark Duet we were introduced to Livvie and Caleb, and I completely fell in love with them. Caleb, oh, Caleb. What are we going to do with you? In this second book, we see their "relationship" evolve into something dark, dangerous, and very unhealthy…for both of them. We learn about Caleb's past and why he is the way he is, and through everything, I cannot but help falling more and more for him. Yes, it's unhealthy. I get it. However, I completely understand Livvie and her way of thinking. We also find out in this book that Livvie is capable of doing what it takes to survive. She is a survivor.

Through flashbacks and bits and pieces of Livvie's present mind, a rather dark place to be, the author unfolds the rest of Livvie and Caleb's story. The author takes us on a journey through the world of sex slaves. The story is incredible, the writing is superb, and I cannot think of one negative thing to say about this book. The author has this knack of getting into her characters' heads that makes you, as the reader, live the story through the words on the page. Open your mind and give the story a chance. You will not regret it.

5 Stars!

The second book of the Mobster series picks up right where the first left off. I love Megan and Antonio! Their story is fun and romantic. I also loved getting to know Vito. He's a fun character and adds some laughs to the story.

This is a great series. The author does a great job of getting into mobster mode and making the thoughts, actions, and even the vocabulary seem real. There were many twists and turns in the story to keep me captivated. I just wish the books were longer! I am very much looking forward to see where this series goes.

5Stars!

I loved the humor in this book. I seriously cannot think of a book that made me laugh so much. I love sexy and fun Diesel, and Wulf seemed interesting. I have a feeling he's going to be making some mischief later in the series. I think those two are going to be fun to have together. I really enjoyed the banter between Lizzy and Diesel, and Lizzy's friends were funny, too. For these reasons, I will definitely continue the series. Oh yeah, and how can you go wrong with a monkey? I love Carl!

The only thing I have to say negative about the book is that nothing really happened. It was all setup for the rest of the series, I guess, and never really went anywhere. Not much action in the book. It was a quirky, fun read. The basis of the story is the seven deadly sins, and the road the author took with it will be interesting.

As a side note, after reading some other reviews I realize that this is sort of a spinoff of the Stephanie Plum series, which I have not yet read but am planning on reading soon. Apparently Diesel and Carl the monkey first appeared in the Stephanie Plum series.

4 Stars!

This was a quick, sexy story that was a lot of fun. Lauren was looking for a way out of her life for a short time; Jamie was looking for some fun. Lauren thinks she knows what she's getting into with Jamie, but ends up getting a whole lot more than she bargained for. Jamie opened her mind to a world she had only dreamed of before.

I loved this story enough to wish it had been longer. There was definitely enough hotness there for a full-length book. The characters were great and easily likable, and I could definitely see an interesting side story with Lauren's mother and sister. I would also love to have more of Sawyer! As there is a #1 behind this book, I will definitely be looking for more!

4 Stars!

I read this short story before reading The Siren, and now after reading some of the other reviews, I feel I am going to have to come back and re-read it after I have read The Siren. That being said, I enjoyed the short story anyway, even if, as the other reviews say, you should have read the other book first to fully understand the implications of what happened during the story.

A trained submissive, Eleanor will do whatever her master commands...even spend a week with a stranger. Eleanor was given to Daniel to 'keep him company' for a week while her master was away on business. Apparently Daniel and Eleanor's master are good friends, and the master thought Eleanor would be good for Daniel. Daniel, a former dom, takes to Eleanor and she to him.

The short story is well written and fun to read. Eleanor is a well-trained submissive with a bit of an attitude. I'm looking forward to reading more about her in The Siren.

3 Stars!

This was a relatively short story at just over 100 pages, but it really packed a punch. The story is about Valerie, your typical teenage girl who is looking for a good time just like everyone else. Her good time, however, ends with her being raped. We get to see very little of the events leading up to the rape, in fact, only a few hours. What this book deals with is the aftermath. You see rapes in books often, but never a book based specifically around the act.

Valerie's story, I suspect, is not that unusual. It was incredibly well written and very emotional. The author did not drag the story down with a lot of detail, but focused mainly on Valerie and her reactions to everything going on around her. It was heartbreaking reading about Valerie trying to 'get over it,' as the saying goes, and get back to her life. Because she chooses to face her attacker, she loses everything, including her reputation and her best friend.

I would have loved for this story to be longer so we could see where Valerie goes from here. She proves herself a strong individual and I would have loved to see a happy ending for her.

4 Stars!

The third installment of the Alexa Montgomery series is amazing in that the author took the word "twist" to a whole new level. No way could anyone have seen that coming. The story continues right where book 2 left off but plunges into a dark abyss that will be difficult to climb out of. The book is action packed with never a dull moment. There is a lot of love in this story, as well as loss, pain, hope, fear, emotion, emotion, emotion, and the author did it all quite well.

Through the whole story, even still at the end, Alexa is conflicted with what and who she is. She knows her fate and never questions it, though she does wonder, why her? What makes her so special that she should be able to do what is being asked of her? Though I love Alexa and her badass self, her whole crappy attitude did get on my nerves a bit in this book (is it really necessary to be so freaking rude to EVERYBODY? I'm sure she has some niceness in her somewhere…I hope it does come out eventually. It would be a nice change for her…maybe at least to be nice to Kayden).

And Jackson, oh my true love, Jackson. What could I possibly say about you? I cannot possibly leave you out of my review of this book; however, I'll just leave it at that. I love you. Enough said.

On top of all of that, the books are incredibly well written. The author really has a way with words, painting almost whimsical pictures with her poetic-like words. I would definitely recommend this series as a must-read to everyone!

4 Stars!

Book 2 in the House of Slide series is, in short, amazing. We come into the story shortly after Dariana has gotten her soul back and becomes "normal" (if there can be a normal in this story) again. She has to learn to live a completely different life than she had been, and I love the character development we get to witness as she deals with everything thrown her way. The continuation of the world we first entered into in Hotblood (book 1) is completely unique from anything you've read before…and the complexity! I am amazed how the author is able to strand everything together to make it into a coherent, engaging story. Delving into the world of the Hotbloods, Cools, Wilds, and Hybrids is an amazing journey. The author's incredible imagination feeds the story and grows it into this fascinating creation.

In Hybrid we are reintroduced to our favorite characters from Hotblood, Dariana and Lewis (oh Lewis, how I love him!), plus we get more of Satan and Grim! Yay and double Yay!

Haven't read Hotblood yet? Go get to it now!! Then come back for this one�

4 Stars!

Dark Waltz is the first book in a spinoff of A.M. Hargrove's The Guardians of Vesturon series. This book takes the characters from the YA series and brings them into a whole new light in this adult series, set a few years in the future. Don't worry…if you have not read The Guardians of Vesturon books, you do not absolutely need to in order to understand Dark Waltz. However, you will get a lot of background understanding by reading those books first.

That all being said, one of the reasons I loved this book so much was Jurek. I absolutely fell in love with him in Determinant, and here he is again, all hot and sexy. Now, at first Jurek is kind of…a jerk. But, can you really blame him? Look what he's fighting against and everything he has to deal with. He pretty much has the weight of the world on his shoulders. So I will forgive him if he acts a bit defensive, protective, and untrusting at first. He certainly redeems himself.

As for the rest of the characters, they were a lot of fun. I really loved Jurek's group of friends and can only hope the series continues with them. Liasare is a great lead. She's a bit naive about some things, but she's tough and does not back down to anyone. She's fighting for something she believes in and is willing to take risks to get there. Liasare's stubbornness and Jurek's demand for control do not go well together. Their relationship is hot and heavy and definitely explosive until they learn to trust each other.

Overall, a great sexy sci-fi story.

4 Stars!

The second book in the Alexa Montgomery series picks up right where the first one left off. In this book we get to see Alexa grow into her role as a Sun Warrior. It is a difficult struggle for her, though, to embrace her destiny and accept what she sees as a monster inside of her. We also got to see her grow as a person as she searches out her feelings for Kayden.

I loved that we got Nelly's POV in this book. She is a great character and you can see, though she did not play a big role in book one, she is quickly becoming crucial to the plot of the story. I liked the fact that we got to know her a little bit better and were able to invest ourselves in her more.

The world the author created for this book was wonderful. She has a way of painting a picture with her words that flow right off the page. This series is fast becoming a favorite for me.

4 Stars!

Writing this review is bittersweet. I absolutely fell in love with this series and the characters therein, but it came to a necessary end. You have to love a book that can punch you in the gut in the last chapter. It was not at all what I was expecting, but then, why read a book if you know exactly what's coming?

As I have said in all my reviews for this series, I love H.D. Gordon's writing. She has a way with words and is able to take this complex storyline with so much going on and make it smooth and beautiful. She has quite an imagination and brings it out well with her words.

It was difficult to watch Alexa go through this book. She was so very young and innocent in so many ways, yet had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Everyone looked to her to fix their problems, knowing what the outcome would be, while she struggled with her own inner turmoil. I loved Kayden all the more for being her rock and sticking with her even though he knew the most probable outcome.

The story overall is rather dark. It tells a tale of life and love and loss and asks the question, how much are you willing to sacrifice? For some, the answer is everything.

5 Stars!

I love how Kristine Cayne is able to make her characters come to life on her pages. She is able to create such depth and emotion in them that you feel invested in their story and cannot help but hope for a HEA for them.

Jamie and Erica have been separated for a while and are trying to fix their failing marriage. Jamie is a firefighter, a dom, and is used to taking charge in every way. Erica is fighting her past and is scared of what it would mean to give up control. Ultimately, both Jamie and Erica have made mistakes in their marriage and now they have the challenge of correcting those mistakes if they want to stay together. It will not be an easy road for them, but if their Hawaii honeymoon is any indication, they are definitely off to a good start! Through the story we get to watch them grow both as individuals and as a couple. Jamie learns that he cannot be a good husband when he is pretending to be something he is not, and Erica learns that giving up control can be a good thing…sometimes a very good thing.

I have been waiting for this book for a while, and it did not disappoint. The story was sweet and incredibly sexy, a great start to a new series.

4 Stars!

I have a new boyfriend. His name is Pearce. Don't tell my other boyfriends � they get jealous.

So…what I love about this book (besides that cover!)-
I love Alexia. Though a bit too immature for her age at times, she was a fun character. She's been through some tough times and let them get her down, but ultimately, with the help of a great friend and great guy (my boyfriend) is able to begin to pick herself back up and get her act together again.

I love Pearce. Yummy, sexy, rich, sweet, romantic…oh my God, why even go on? He's perfect. He is able to see something good in Alexia and goes after it despite the fact that they come from completely different worlds. He holds onto her when she tries to let go. I love him.

I love that although Alexia and Pearce are attracted to each other instantly, their relationship is slow going. Pearce is a little crazy for Alexia, but she needed some time to sort her life out before she can for forward with it, and he was willing to give that to her.

I think what I love most about this book, though, is how it shows how diverse A.M. Hargrove is. She has a young adult series with a spinoff adult series. Both of these are in the fantasy/sci-fi genre, and now she throws this one out, which is contemporary adult, completely different, and is just as good as her previous books. I think sometimes it is hard for an author to break the genre barriers successfully, but she has done it.

So...here's what I didn't like-
Alexia and Pearce together…he is supposed to be mine!

This story is sexy and sweet. I knew where it was heading long before the end, but knowing the outcome did not ruin the journey; instead, it made it more delightful to be reading on to see which path the author would take us on to get there. As they say, the journey is half the fun.

4 Stars!

I have to admit that after all of the great reviews for this book, I was a bit disappointed with the stories.
The good-
These short stories were a good setup for the longer novels to come. In them, we got to meet the main characters and get a good look into their personalities. This will be important later when getting into the main books. These stories show how the characters' lives all come together for the next step in life.
The bad-
I felt as if there were too many inconsistencies in these stories. The characterization was not uniform even from the beginning of one short story to the end, and definitely not from story to story. Then there were so many moments where I stopped to say, that didn't really just happen! (I call these WTF moments). There were just too many of them to make the stories believable at all.

Ultimately, I think I am leaning towards reading at least the first full length book in the series just to see where the author takes the story and what she can do outside of a short story. Hopefully with more room to work she is able to fix the character flaws and inconsistencies in the story.

3 Stars!

If you had the chance to change the course of history, would you?

As usual, Stephen King has rocked my world. His ability to weave a tale and get into the minds and lives of his characters is second to none. When I first opened this book (or as it was, turned on my iPod), I was expecting a story about traveling back to stop an assassination. While that did happen, it turns out it was not the main story. True to King fashion, he took us on an incredible journey to get to the heart of the matter. There were many side stories, which turned out to all tie into the big story. It was an incredibly complex journey, but as a reader it was easy to follow along and enjoy the ride.

Jake, the main character and narrator of the story, is an easily likable English teacher with a simple life who is drawn by chance into this crazy world of time travel. Back in "the land of ago," he becomes George, another likable character but by circumstance has to be more hardhearted and indifferent to goings on than Jake.

I really love how King intertwines his stories. If you have not read some of his other books you would not get the references, but you would not be feeling like you were missing anything; you would just think it another side story. But, they are there for us who know King. It is like being on the right side of an inside joke.

I listened to the audio of 11/22/63. The narrator, Craig Wasson, did an excellent job of creating his characters and fleshing each of them out. Though not a terribly emotion-ridden book, he was able to add it in through his voice where needed. I would love to listen to more of his work.

5 Stars!

Any book that makes me laugh this much deserves at least four stars, in my opinion. Add in a great story, exciting plot, super sexy vampire, kick-ass female lead, and excellent storytelling and you have Halfway to the Grave.

The story being told through the Night Huntress series is unique � you often get vampire/vampire, human/vampire, werewolf/vampire, or any other combination therein, but never before have I read half human-half vampire/vampire. I love it! Cat is such a great lead. She is very innocent and naive, yet she goes out every night hunting vampires to try to pay for a sin that was not hers. Bones is just�.wow. I love the chemistry between them and their banter.

I actually read Once Burned before this series, and fell in love with Frost's writing then. I knew without a doubt I was going to be reading this series as well. I just wish I would have started sooner!

5 Stars!

I have been hearing about Cat and Bones from practically everyone for practically forever. So when I finally decided to pick up the first book and read it…whoa! I realize now what everyone is talking about!

The second book in the Night Huntress series was just as action packed, fun filled, and hot and steamy as the first. I was a bit worried at first having Cat without Bones, but I figured he would not be able to stay away for long � although four years! What was he thinking? That was definitely long enough. I love that Cat is kickass and does not take crap from anyone. She sees what needs to be done and goes for it. She does not question herself or second guess her decisions. Many times you have heroines hemming and hawing over their decisions for chapter after chapter � boring! Cat is a go-get-em type of girl. I love how Bones just takes charge of everything. He walks into a room and commands it. The tension and chemistry between her and Bones is awesome and adds that little (or a lot) extra oomph to the story. Interesting ending to this one. I am getting ready to start the next in the series to see what happens!

4 Stars!

This is a great end to a great series. Not to be outdone by the first two Undermountain books, Starkiller is full of action, adventure, mystery, and suspense from the very first chapter to the very last. While some of the bigfeet are planning on revealing themselves to the people of earth, it is up to our heroes and heroines to save the earth from certain destruction at the hands of the tangoga.

Not only do Danny and his friends have to stop the end of the world, they have many conflicts along the way, including Breyona's struggle with her new abilities, the loss of loved ones, and, though it would not seem like a conflict, the Oath. "How does peace prevail," Shiv asked, "if those who are peaceful are all dead?"

As an overview of the whole series, the books are wonderfully written with incredible attention to detail. The world Eric Edstrom created is positively unique and surprisingly complex. Throw in some very likeable characters, some humor, and a lot of adventure, and you have an amazing story.

4 Stars!

Once again I find myself conflicted here. I had originally given this 3 stars but after writing my review moved it up to 4. The story is fun and steamy, a continuation starting five months after the first. In the interim, Isa and Dylan have been getting to know each other and building their relationship. I loved the chemistry between them. Plus there was quite a bit of action (ha ha, besides just the hot sex) and suspense. I enjoyed having the different points of views, much better done in this book than the first. The technical issues with the first book (quotations, dialogue) were fixed in this one, as well, so that is a definite plus. This book delved much deeper into the world of BDSM as well.

My biggest issue with this book was Dylan himself. I absolutely loved Dylan in book 1. He was not perfect by any means, he made mistakes, but he was a great guy. In this book, he is too domineering, too controlling. He wants to control Isa 24/7, not allowing her a say in anything…which, if they were in a typical D/s relationship would not be such a big deal and actually I could have respected that. However, they are now married; she is his wife, not just his sub, and although he obviously cared for her, he had absolutely no respect for her. At times I even thought his behavior as borderline abusive rather than hot and sexy like it was supposed to be. Isa herself was a bit too wishy-washy, although she had that issue in the first book as well. She would start to stand up for herself but then back down with the promise of great sex (and it was great!). At times it almost seemed that she did not feel safe and was afraid of what her Dom was going to do. I would love to have seen her stick to one of her decisions…to make Dylan realize that her feelings are important too.

I did like that we got to see more into Dylan's past. Overall, I enjoyed the story and look forward to more.

4 stars!

Sheri wrote: "

If you had the chance to change the course of history, would you?

As usual, Stephen King has rocked my world. His ability to weave a tale and get into the minds and..."
I loved this book so much and the it has one of the best love stories I've ever seen. Enjoyed your review. :)

Thanks :) I think it made it to the top of my "favorite King books" list.

Mr. Bear is an enjoyable short story with alluring characters and an entertaining and effortless story line.
I like the bear shifter � different from the usual.

5 stars!

Another installment in the Cat and Bones saga. Not my favorite thus far, but very good nonetheless.

My favorite things about this book:
- Bones, of course. Still incredibly hot and sexy, and now even more powerful than before.
- Cat. I like her attitude overall. She's not a wishy-washy female lead. She sees what needs to be done and does it. She does not let emotions interfere with her actions.
-Cat's mom (Justina). This book shows a whole new side of her. I was laughing so hard reading the sections about her. Rodney deserves a medal!

I wish:
- We would have gotten more of Dave's transition to ghoul. This book picked up about four months after the last book, so we missed the newness of him. I would have really liked to see what it was like for him and the struggles involved with that. I'm sure it cannot be easy waking from the dead!
- We would have gotten more of Patra. There was so much potential for a whole background story on her and Menechres, and I feel that it was all just pushed to the side and let die. I would have loved to know more about the magic used and the daughter of Cleopatra.

4 stars!

I am not exactly sure what I was expecting when I started this book, but I was pleasantly surprised. The authors' use of simple language rather than flashy prose helped make Hannah more believable. She was a simple girl from a small town, maybe a tab bit too naive. She had dreams of doing something important and meaningful with her life but had to get out of the rut she was stuck in. Answering an ad in the local newspaper seemed to be the answer to all of her problems.

The world as Hannah knows it is perfect and sweet. She is innocent and trusting. The story as reality knows it is dark and dangerous. People lie, steal, and cheat, and sometimes they do worse.

A few chapters in I was worried that this book was going to drag too slow. While it is true there was not a lot of action until close to the end, the time seemed to speed by quickly. I enjoyed the side story of Jimmy and really liked how his character came out in the end. The authors did a wonderful job of weaving fact into fiction and combining religion into this story without it stealing the show.

4 stars!

I was told going into this one (my many people) to have the Kleenex handy. I did, and I needed them. I wonder if anyone has thought to tell authors it is hard to read their books with tears in your eyes.

I loved this story so much. It was not your usual high school drama boy meets girl love story � it was so much more. The characters are hard not to fall in love with. Echo's life was seemingly perfect once. Now all she wants is to be "normal." It was heartbreaking watching her go through her days trying not to be noticed, trying to hide herself, and doing things she did not want to do just so she could maybe feel normal again, if only for a little while. I really enjoyed Echo's transformation throughout the story. You can actually see her grow emotionally with each turn of the page.

Noah is a girl-using stoner boy and jacket-loaning savior. But, there is so much more to Noah than what you see on the outside. He has the tough bad-boy image going on, but inside he is so full of love and strength. He is not afraid to fight for what he believes in. I thought Echo's and Noah's relationship was done well. The author took them on a journey of ups and downs, joy, fear, pain, and self-discovery before she finally brought them together. Because of the things they had to go through, it made the end result that much sweeter. Katie McGarry is definitely a new favorite author of mine. I cannot wait for Beth's story to find out more about her and see where her life goes.

5 stars!

This story was sexy and sweet. Married for fifteen years, Jessica and Alex are comfortable with their lives, but it is not terribly exciting. Jessica wants to bring some spice into their relationship like the types of things she reads about in her romance novels. She has reservations bringing these things up to her husband, afraid of what he will think of her ideas. I like that the author chose to write about a married couple with a long history. This was not some fly by night romance. The couple has an almost perfect life; all it is missing is some excitement. The author did a good job getting both Jessica's and Alex's emotions into the story as they began to communicate inside the bedroom and began to really learn what the other wanted and needed.

3 stars!

I have been looking forward to Crimson Darkness ever since reading Crimson Midnight. The second book in the series is packed full of action, adventure, and danger. After London was plunged into darkness, everybody left is fighting to save themselves and the world as they knew it. All of our favorite characters are back, and there are some new players who I am very interested in reading more about. Rose is struggling with some decisions she has had to make and some new information she has to deal with about herself.

Crimson Darkness was much darker and more sinister than the first book. You can see the definitive shift from the old world to the new one and the toll the stress of fighting every moment for life has taken on the characters. Tension is high and everyone knows that likely disaster is imminent.

Once again the storyline was unpredictable and exciting. I love being surprised every step of the way. And, oh my God do the authors know how to write a cliffhanger! I will not be able to get my hands on the next book to find out what happens soon enough!!

4 stars!

Daywalkers, Nightwalkers, and Sentinels. They are out there.

This was a great book. It was fast paced and well written. The world building was amazingly complex and detailed. The author was able to put his thoughts and ideas into words in such a way that helped to create this stunning portrait for his readers.

The inner structure of the different races was incredibly intricate. It was a bit confusing at times trying to understand the hierarchy within each group and the alliances and rivalries between the vampire species, but it was well thought out and written well.

The characters were great. Nick, the protagonist, was easily likable. All of the characters were complex with deep backgrounds and painful pasts, though I found emotional attachments to the characters difficult, which is one of the only things I found lacking in the book. When I am reading I want to be able to feel for the characters, and it just did not happen here. There were also times throughout the story where it seemed to jump time without warning, and that a bit confusing as well.

Overall, this was an entertaining story.

4 stars!

This installment of Cat and Bone had a lot more angst than usual. Let me just say, Cat and Bones know how to fight. They don't do anything halfway. Besides dealing with Bones, Cat is also having to deal with someone from her past, and he sure knows how to make an entrance.

My favorite part of this book � Vlad! We got to see quite a bit more of him in this book. I see now why he has his own series!

4 stars!

The Athena Effect is a sweet, engaging story. It is the story of Cali, 17-year-old girl raised isolated from the big, bad world. She is perfectly happy with her life, until tragedy strikes. When she is thrown into the real world, she must find a way to acclimate herself and find a balance between the life she knew and the life she must now learn to live.

The characters in this story are great. Cali is sweet and innocent, a bit naive, perhaps too much so at times. All she really knew of the outside world was what she had read about in books. Despite her innocence, or maybe in spite of, Cali is strong and independent and will do whatever it takes to survive the cruelties of the world. Cal is the ultimate bad boy; you know - the one all the girls fall for just to have their hearts broken. I know, sounds cliché, but it's really not. The author adds enough twist to the story to make it unique and incredibly enjoyable. I honestly had a hard time putting it down. The story flowed very well and was written well. The author did a really great job of making her characters come to life, so much so that you could feel their emotions build with each turn of the page.

The names may be strange, but the story is a must. I will definitely be looking for the next book. Hopefully we will find out what happens with Layla and Michael!

Favorite quote:
"Because with a really good book you get something new every time you read it. Because…Well…Because you're a different person each time."

4 stars!

Following her husband across the country, Alexia cannot seem to stay out of trouble. Add in her crazy traveling companions, and you have a trip with a twist in every turn.

There was a lot going on in this book, which helped keep the pace up; never a dull moment with Alexia. The only downfall to the book was all the technological speak that got quite dull. I found myself skimming to get past those sections.

I really liked learning more about Lord Maccon's past. And the ending! I saw the first part coming, but Lord Maccon's actions were quite the shocker! He had better be ready for some serious sucking up in the next book!

4 stars!

This was my first steampunk book, and I have to say I loved it. Set in the Victorian era, the story is about Miss Alexia Tarabotti, a sassy, independent, strong-minded woman, who happens to be soulless. Alexia is a definite laugh generator. She is quick witted and not afraid to speak her mind. Team her up with Lord Maccon, the rough, no nonsense werewolf sent to investigate a murder, which Alexia happened to commit, and you have a spirited, entertaining story.

It took me a few chapters to get into the story simply because of the Victorian-era language. Once I got used to it, however, I read through quickly, enjoying the story and the humor, and the language added a great deal to the setting.

4 stars!

This third installment of the Overworld Chronicles is packed full of action and is seriously entertaining. You will not want to stop reading, even at the end of the book. Lucky for us, there is more to come.

Once again our hero, Justin, is overcoming the odds and fighting for his life and his love, this time with the fate of the world on his shoulders. I love that we can mark Justin's character development throughout this series, from nerdy high school student to hero. He has had to go through many challenges to get where he is now, but his character has not changed, and he is an overall good guy, the kind of guy that is easy to like and easier to love.

When you pick up this book, prepared to be entertained, prepare to be enchanted, and prepare to laugh out loud. This series is a must read!

5 stars!