{Review} of Vampire Blues by Stephany Simmons

Vampire Blues by Stephany Simmons
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Werewolves, Ghost, Vampires
RECEIVED: For Review from Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Stephany Simmons Blog


BLURB:

Lian and Figg are still recovering from events that almost destroyed their lives, but when a good friend comes to them with a serious problem, they can't turn him away. Soon, Lian and Figg are neck-deep in local vampire politics and framed for a massacre they had little to do with. On top of that, the local werewolf pack is sniffing around, looking for favors.

REVIEW:
Once again Stephany Simmons writes a story that keeps me begging for more. Bringing back her duo Lian and Figg for an even more action packed story, along with romance and characters that I loved with every turn of the page. So far this is my number one book I’ve read in the New Year, it had everything I love about Urban Fantasies.

After all that happened in the first novel Voodoo Dues, you would think that Figg and Lian could catch a break. But when one of their friends is threaten and vampires get involved, the two get put right in the middle of some dangerous vampire shenanigans. To top it off the local werewolf pack also needs them and even more so since a certain someone was turned in the last book.

Figg is back in action and as dangerous as ever with her heels in tow.  Figg fits the perfect persona for a kick butt heroine, she takes on not only vampires but also deals with the werewolves who seem to be hanging around. I love this girl, she’s just all around snarky and really knows how to either make good friends or make some fantastic enemies.  Plus with Lian by her side not only protecting her but also making her weak at the knees, these two have some great scenes together.

Lian has definitely grown up a little and more open to communicating with people.  With being all alpha and protective with Figg, he makes for a seriously good ally with all his connections and knowledge. And can I just add there is one awesomely sexy scene with him and Figg that also made me laugh because of her frustration. This guy really knows how to push and pull all her buttons.

Carl is back in action as well, always making me smile with his friendly gay ghost pal from the 70s. An awesome new addition is Skip, who is in every way not the drop dead gorgeous vampire all the girls love. But he’s an extremely smart and all around nice vampire guy.

Overall there’s action, mystery, romance and a storyline that keeps the heart pumping. I can’t emphasis enough how much I love this series and the characters that the keep me wanting more. I highly recommend this series and really can’t wait to read the next one!

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a sharp, witty, action packed short story. You will laugh out loud and you will be turning pages as fast as you can to see what happens next. Fans of Jennifer Estep and Rachel Caine will love this series by Stephany Simmons.

View all my reviews
Tweet

{Review} Witch Song by Amber Argyle

Witch Song by Amber Argyle
My rating: 4 of 5 stars


GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Witches / Magic
RECEIVED: Review Request by Rhemalda Publishing
AUTHORS BLOG: Amber Argyle's Site

PURCHASE Witch Song:

BLURB:

The world is changing. Once, Witch Song controlled everything from the winds to the shifting of the seasons--but not anymore. All the Witches are gone, taken captive by a traitor. All but Brusenna. As the echo of their songs fade, the traitor grows stronger. Now she is coming for Brusenna. Her guardian has sworn to protect her, but even he can't stop the Dark Witch. Somehow, Brusenna has to succeed where every other Witch has failed. Find the traitor. Fight her. Defeat her. Because if Brusenna doesn't, there won't be anything left to save.

REVIEW:
After reading the synopsis for Witch Song I knew this story was going to be a unique and an original tale about witches. I was definitely right; Amber Argyle created a world and fantastic characters that sucked me into the story of Witch Song.

Witch Song follows a young witch named Brusenna who has lived a life in hiding with her mother because they are witches. But when a powerful dark witch captures her mother and other witches, Brusenna finds herself to be the last witch. She is left with the task of saving her mother and fellow witches while learning the ways of her powers that she’s never fully mastered. Along with her trusty dog Bruke and soon to be Guardian Joshen, she has to prepare to go face to face with the strongest and most evil witch.

I love when authors create an entire world and Argyle created the Nefalie’s and the Tarten’s. It always gives the story that separation and originality to stand-alone among all the other young adult novels. At the beginning of the book there is a map of the two areas that’s shows the land and the reader can follow Brusenna in her journey to save her mother.

Brusenna is only fifteen and is given such a difficult task, not only does she have to save her mother, but she must learn to advance her powers and witch song as she makes her journey across the lands. I loved the idea of a witch song; through the story the song is the power of the witch and Argyle created a rhyme of songs that are used for Brusenna’s power. Her mother kept her hidden from the world of magic so she has to learn a long the way and her growth was paced well for everything that was going on. The only part that bothered me a bit was how she kept pushing people away thinking it would protect them, but it did show her immaturity with being around people.

Joshen is a young man himself, he is the son of a Guardian, those who help and fight with the witches. He goes along with Brusenna in her journey and I felt kept her pretty grounded. His goal in life is to be just like his father and protect Senna with his life. She gives him a hard time through out the book because she grows to care for him. Their relationship is sweet and is slow in development; I loved the chemistry they have together.

Overall many characters are introduced and hold their own in importance to the plot. I loved the world, action, romance, magic and the pace is wonderfully done. This story has everything a fantasy reader could ask for and I look forward to more stories from Amber Argyle.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult book with a youthful tone and magical elements. Fans of the world of Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore will devour this book in one sitting.

View all my reviews

{Review} Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule

Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance/Horror
THEME: Witch/Ghost/Demons
RECEIVED: Review Request from Author
AUTHORS SITE: Sherry Soule's Site

PURCHASE:


BLURB:

Thirteenth daughter. Heritage witch. Demon slayer.

They say every town has its secrets, but that doesn’t even begin to describe Whispering Pines. The townsfolk are a superstitious lot and the mystical disappearance of a local teen has everyone murmuring about a centuries old witch’s curse.

Sixteen-year-old Shiloh Ravenwolf is a heritage witch from the Broussard family, a family both destined and cursed. When she takes a summer job at Ravenhurst Manor, she discovers a ghost with an agenda. That’s where she meets the new town hottie, Trent Donovan, and immediately becomes spellbound by his charms. Yet she is determined to discover the connection between them before it’s too late.

Finally, Shiloh's met someone who is supercute and totally into her, but Trent may be the next victim on the supernatural hit list. And Shiloh is the only person with the power to save him. Complicated much?

It sucks to have a destiny, especially since Shiloh would rather spend her summer being a normal girl who worries about clothes and boys, not the supernatural. But she’s never been
normal and the stranger things become the more her own magical senses awaken.

With cryptic messages from a pesky wraith, she will begin to understand the mysterious significance of the strange mark branded on her wrist, and decide how much she's willing to sacrifice to protect the other teenagers in town.

Unfortunately, for Shiloh, not all ghosts want help crossing over. Some want vengeance.

REVIEW:
Talk about the not wanting to read a book in the dark, I love it when a story give you the creeps but adds some humor with some romance. Beautifully Broken has it all and wrapped in a haunted house. Soule creates a creatively haunted story for young adults with a strong lead female character.

Shiloh has gone through her whole life known as the Freak or Witch in her town. She has a few friends, a father who is clueless about everything and a mother who is not only full of herself but has some deep dark secret that Shiloh can’t figure out. When a new guy comes to town she can’t help but feel her heart start racing every time she see’s him.  Luckily she lands the perfect job working for his unusual uncle at the “haunted” Ravenhurst Manor.  When teens in the town go missing around the manor Shiloh is determined to find out what’s happening and protect her friends and her the new guy Trent from disappearing too.

Beautifully Broken started off with a bang having Shiloh be introduced in a really not so fun situation with a very haunting creature. She has pretty dysfunctional parents; her mother really was out there with her bipolar type attitude.  Shiloh discovers more and more about her families’ history with witches and her connection to them and it might be the reason why demonic forces are following her.

Trent, the new guy in town was a bundle of quirky, sweet and hot all rolled into one. He along with his home the Ravenhurst Manor are major keys to the towns haunting secrets and possibly a link to Shiloh herself.  I really enjoyed the relationship that grew between Trent and Shiloh, though it was quite a rocky ride all the way through, I loved the development and the interesting circumstance that went along with them.

I felt the best part and what made the story extremely exciting was Ravenhurst Manor. So much happens in this house with freak accidents., ghostly siting’s and demon like being showing up it really gave Beautifully Broken that fantastic supernatural vibe.  Who doesn’t love a good haunted house? Plus I liked the backstory of a ghost haunting the manor; I loved the twist with the ghost who haunts the manor.

Overall a thrilling read that is a whirlwind of haunting mystery and romance. Be ready for lots of twist and turns and shocking moments that will leave you wanting more. I can’t wait for the next Spellbound chapter and highly recommend this new series.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult book with lots of horror, romance and mystery mixed with paranormal elements. I recommend this to fans of Courtney Moulton and Tessa Gratton will enjoy Beautifully Broken.

View all my reviews

{Review} Amaretto Flame by Sammie Spencer

Amaretto Flame by Sammie Spencer

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
GENRE: YA Paranormal Romance
THEME: Witches/ Magic
RECEIVED: Copy from Author
AUTHOR: Website & Twitter
DATE POSTED ON BLOG: April 13th

ORDER: Amaretto Flame (Eagleton Coven)

REVIEW:

You know when you finish a book and your smiling and just feel that sensation of awe; well that’s what happened to me when I finished reading Amaretto Flame by Sammie Spencer.

Olivia Landry is a 19-year-old girl who lives a certain life that is hidden from humans. She is apart of a coven that protects others who have magic abilities like herself from the harm of Venators. Olivia’s gift is unique; she holds a great power that can destroy the Venators easily with just one scream. After an incident while she and her brother Everett seek out a young boy, with a gift of controlling fire, doesn’t go as planned, she is sent a town far from her Coven.

Olivia has never experience being around people who aren’t like her; she is saddened and feels betrayed by her Coven Priestess who sent her away. But after meeting two human girls who needed some self-defense advice and accepting a job at a bar in her new town, she starts to accept her new home away from home. At her new job she meets the very intriguing and attractive Jackson, whose Amaretto color eyes put her in a trance.

With the danger of Venators coming after her family back at home and also threatening her new friends, Olivia will use her gift to fight back no matter the cost. I do wish there was a bit more information on the Venators, so I’m hoping for a sequel.

The characters were so well written, I love when you can feel the emotions through the writing and Sammie really did a fantastic job. Olivia is the one character who changes a lot through out the book having to life apart from her coven. I love her relationship with the friends she meets in her new town, Erika and Jenny, it gives her a new perspective on humans.

The magic in this book was brilliant, I loved how each person’s powers characterized who they are and brought so much to the plot and moved the story along nicely.

Now for the romance, I’m a softy for some great romance. Jackson was my favorite character because his personality was so much fun and mysterious. His relationship with Olivia was the center of the whole book and brought to life such wonderful chemistry.

This is a must read, for anyone who enjoys Paranormal Romance. There were a bit of spelling errors that I caught, but it’s just something that I noticed. Otherwise if you’re looking for something that doesn’t have the same old vampires and werewolves story and want to spice up your reading, then read Amaretto Flame!


RECOMMENDATION:

This is an Adult novel, but can really be for anyone. Recommended to fans of Michelle Rowen and P.C. Cast.

View all my reviews

{Review} Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw

Interview and Review with Leia Shaw

I had the pleasure of interviewing Leia Shaw Author of the Paranormal Romance book Destiny Divided.

Synopsis : "Pure power flooded her body flowing freely through her veins. She had just found an emotion stronger than anger and fear combined. Lust. And there was no containing her now".
After fleeing her native city — and nightmares of a traumatic childhood — Sage Peterson meets the overbearing, pretentious, yet haunted Professor Elias. He’s the only one who knows about her mysterious powers, which seem to be spiraling out of control. When he convinces her to train with him, she finds herself thrust into a five hundred year war and on the run from vampires, werewolves, and even worse — her budding feelings for James Elias.

James had been living a dull and empty existence for the past century and a half. When a fiery half-sorceress, half-witch with a stubborn streak and sharp wit enters his life, he sees her only as a potential weapon to use against his greatest enemy. But when he discovers the vulnerable woman beneath the angry mask, instinct screams to keep her safe. To protect and provide. And to claim her as his.

But will it be too late? As passion and lust ignite between them, vengeance is slipping away. And when Sage is confronted with fulfilling an unexpected destiny, will she choose to trust James with her heart?

SNR: Can you tell us a little b

it about Destiny Divided in your own words?

LS: Destiny D

i

vided is set in modern times where the supernatural races hide what they are from the humans. For the most part they live in their own communities and don’t

have much to do with the human world. Sage is a 25 year old girl raised in foster care with no knowledge of her biological family. She has these mysterious powers that

she can barely control and has no idea where they

come from. James is a sorcerer who runs into her by accident and recognizes what she is. He convinces her to live with him so he can train her to use her powers responsibly. Turns out she’s a half-sorceress, half-witch and very powerful. There’s a lot of sexual tension between the two of them, though they hate each other at first. James is very alpha, pretentious, but loyal. Sage is a sarcastic, smart ass who’s only ever relied on herself and has some anger issues. Pretty quickly she finds herself in the middle of a war between the sorcerers and the Underworld. And she seems to have a big role in it though she doesn’t understand why. Her journey throughout the book is figuring out who she is and learning to trust her heart and soul to James. James has secrets of his own and his journey is about giving up on centuries old prejudices, which leads to a choice between the girl he’s grown to love and his dream of ultimate revenge.

SNR: What got you interested in writing Paranormal Romance?

LS: Well I’ve always had a thing for vampires (ever since I saw Interview with a Vampire in high school). And I’m a sucker for a good love story. Mix the two together and…well…paranormal romance was just a good fit. People ask me if I’ll ever write any other kind of romance but I don’t think a story without a paranormal element would hold my attention long enough. I need fantasy. I need to get away from real life and be taken somewhere magical. Must be my inner child (it hasn’t quite grown up yet).

SNR: What made you choose to write a series?

LS: Honestly I didn’t mean to. Destiny Divided was meant to be a single story. I had another series in mind when I began writing but Sage popped up in a dream and demanded to be written (isn’t that just like her?). Pretty quickly other stories within this world started writing themselves and now, six months later, I have six books planned. Each book is the love story between two characters, usually having a secondary role in a previous book. Each book will contain action, humor, and of course, romance. Some of the previous characters will continue to have roles but I try to let the lead characters be the stars. Writing a series, honestly, is so much easier than single titles. You don’t have to keep creating new worlds over and over (which suits my lazy side. Lol.).

SNR: Sage’s character is a very tough and character, what inspired you to write her?

LS: Both my children are adopted from foster care. And before that I’d worked with foster kids in a variety of settings. A lot of her anger and disconnect from relationships I’ve observed first hand. Foster care has always been a passion of mine. When I created Sage, I needed her to be a kick-ass, don’t-take-crap-from-nobody kind of girl. Having her raised in foster care was a good catalyst for that. In book two however, her foster sister is the female lead. She turned out opposite. Instead of having a nasty temper and impulse control issues, she has an anxiety disorder and is very shy. So, two different ways of reacting to trauma.

SNR: I really enjoyed the world you created for both the Underworld and the sorcery world (Caerwyn). What inspired you to create them?

LS: Hmm…good question. I’m not sure I have an answer. They just kind of wrote themselves. I knew I had to keep the story in modern times and somewhat within our own human world. I love reading historical romance novels but I knew my limits regarding writing historical accuracy. Plus the language…major props to writers who can use “twas” and “thou” appropriately. But creating another dimension between earth and hell worked for the series in so many ways. The sorcery world is going to take a back seat in the next few books, then come back later on. But the Underworld will continue to be a back drop for the next few books. Mostly, I think I just needed somewhere to hide all these supernatural creatures I was creating.

SNR: What did you enjoy most about writing this story?

LS: Oh, so many different things. I loved writing the fight scenes. Creating characters. The steamy scenes were fun too. Expressing my silly sarcastic humor (my husband got a break from it). The best part? Reading it when it was done! Lol.

SNR: What are some of your favorite Paranormal Romance Series?

LS: Immortals After Dark!!!! Kresley Cole has been a huge inspiration to me as a writer. I also love the Changeling series by Nalini Singh. Right now I’m reading the Dark series by Christine Feehan. I’ve read so many wonderful series and each has inspired me in some way.

SNR: What surprises you most about being a writer? Something you didn’t expect?

LS: How much psychology is involved in writing characters. Thank God for my best friend, who is a family therapist. I’m always on the phone asking, “Would so-and-so with such-and-such personality really do ____?” Then she talks me through it. But it’s my favorite part. I’ve always been intrigued by personality types and which go together and why.

SNR: If you could be any one of your characters which one would you be and why?

LS: I would have to say Morgan, who’s the lead in book 4. She’s a fey spy and totally kick-ass, but not in an angry way like Sage. She’s a happy-go-lucky girl, very funny. She reminds me of the Cheshire cat (who was my favorite cartoon character when I was little). She’s happy, easy going, but just a little bit creepy.

SNR: Are you working on any other projects that you can tell us about? Possibly Book 2? (maybe some more Maddox, lol he just intrigue me with the few scenes he had.)

LS: Oh yes! Book two is out this June. It’s Marcelo’s story, a vampire introduced at the end of Destiny Divided. He finds Sage’s foster sister, Erin, and basically has protection detail while he takes her to the Underworld to see Sage. Erin’s sister is almost the opposite of Sage. She’s sweet and timid but by the end of the book she’s transformed into a proud warrior. Marcelo starts off gruff and demanding but he has a few surprises as well (turns out vampires can be very romantic.). Maddox, a sorcerer from Destiny Divided, I’m afraid has a very rough road ahead of him. I’ve already got a book planned for him in the series. The funny, boy-next-door goes through a transformation that is very sad. But don’t worry, the female lead will find the true Maddox and bring him back for us!

Thank you so much for having me and I hope you all enjoy my book!

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal Romance

THEME: Sorcerers, Vampires, Witches, and Werewolves

RECEIVED: Copy from Author

AUTHOR LINKS : Site & Goodreads

PURCHASE : AMAZON & SMASHWORDS

REVIEW:

More and more I’ve been meeting new authors that have such great work, I was grateful to be asked to read and review Destiny Divided by Leia Shaw.

I’ve read a lot of PNR’s and so many vampire books in my time you would think I’d get tired of reading the same thing over and over again. But Leia Shaw adds her own touch to a very exciting new Paranormal Romance, with her twist of witches and sorcerers. This series started out with a bang and a very promising start, Who wouldn’t love a story with kick butt fight scenes, some smoking hot sorcerers, powerful witches and a lead female character who isn’t your average bad girl. Nope she’s got an attitude that would make a burly biker man cry.

Sage has had it rough, in and out of homes all her life, never being able to feel that connection and love from anyone. She always felt like she needed to run, fight, and steal to get through life. She lives in a basement and the only way she can earn enough money to get by is to steal from people, mostly when she’s at school.

And at school, I mean Sage is sneaking in the classes, not only to get some goodies but also to learn. Little does she know she caught the attention of a young Professor. Arrogant and snooty, James is a man with power and secrets and he finds Sage to be everything he’s been looking for. Not only because of the attraction but because she possess unbelievable power.

James offers to help Sage with her power since he possesses a lot himself. This is where the story really starts to pick up. Sage is an extremely tough girl, she doesn’t like being helped or told what to do and with James being a “do as I say” guy they seriously have a lot of issues to deal with.

I felt that both Sage and James really needed to cool down their attitudes a lot; I just wanted to yell, “Calm down! Which made me realize how into this book I was, and loved it! I was pulling for these two to overcome the many challenges that they had ahead and figure out that they both needed to say how they felt about each other.

There was one part in the book that confused me a bit. Where it felt like a whole scene was missing. I went back a noticed that I wasn’t skipping anything but that the issue wasn’t addressed, but we still get a bit of information on what happened as I read on.

I’m very interested to see what happens next, since the ending gives a hint that we get to learn more about some secondary characters that I’m dying to know more about.

Overall I was addicted to this book and couldn’t put it down, I felt myself smirking at many scenes because the sarcasm is just seeping out of each page with brilliance. I love a story with great sarcasm and bickering, makes me smile each time. I highly recommended Destiny Divided!

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an Adult Novel with Sexual Content and Adult situation, with a bit of violence. Recommended to fans of Christine Feehan and Kresley Cole.

View all my reviews