{Release Day: Review, Excerpt + Giveaway} of Dire by Alyssa Rose Ivy

We are so excited to bring you the Release Day Launch for Alyssa Rose Ivy's DIRE. DIRE is a first novel in her The Dire Wolves Chronicles Series.The Dire Wolves Chronicles Series is a New Adult Paranormal Romance! The Order of the books is: Dire, Dusk, Dawn. We can't tell you enough how excited we are for Alyssa's newest series, The Dire Wolves Chronicles!

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iTunes ** GooglePlay ** Kobo

EXCERPT:

A single howl made me stop short. “The wolves!”

“Let’s hope they are farther away than they sound.” Gage tightened his hold on my hand and pulled me forward.

Three more howls filled the night. “They sound closer.”

We picked up the pace, and I chanced a glance behind me. That was a mistake. Several large grey wolves came into view. “Run!”

Gage didn’t need to be told twice. He broke into a run without letting go of my hand.

I ran as fast as possible over the frozen snow, but we didn’t get far before the wolves started circling around us. “Oh my god.” Could things get any worse?

“You have to make a run for it.” Gage’s voice quivered. “They’re going to kill us.”

“I’m not leaving you.” I tried to stay strong, and I kept my eyes locked on the wolves. There were five of them. All of them were massive, much larger than any wolf I’d seen before, but one of them was even bigger and had a large silver streak running down its back. That wolf seemed to be staring right at me.

“I’ll distract them. You run. I’ll catch up.”

I spotted an opening next to one of the smaller of the wolves and went for it. I didn’t make it far before one of the wolves stepped in front of me. I froze, paralyzed with fear, before my legs were knocked from under me. Suddenly, I was lying in the snow with a giant wolf hovering over me.

“We’re fucked.” Gage voiced exactly what I was thinking.

The silver streaked wolf stared down at me. It’s almost glowing eyes bored into mine. Was I really going to die as half-frozen food for a giant wild animal?

Then things got hazy and the air seemed to buzz. Moments later it wasn’t a wolf on top of me—it was a man. A completely naked man with a faint scar across his face.

“What the heck?” I tried to scurry back, but Hunter didn’t move. His very exposed parts nearly touched me. I didn’t want to notice his size, but I did. He was huge. He also didn’t look remotely concerned with the cold.

His lips brushed against my ear. “Were you going somewhere?”

Dire by Alyssa Rose Ivy
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Werewolves and Witches
RECEIVED: Tour

BLURB:

Dire: The Dire Wolves Chronicles

Gage was the first guy I ever wanted. He was my first crush and my first fantasy, but he wasn't my first in any other way because he never saw me as anything more than a friend— at least not until the night that changed everything.

It was all Gage's fault. He insisted we drive through the storm and take the back roads. By the time the storm hit full force we had no chance. One night of snowbound sex changed our relationship forever. The problem was at the same time I caught another guy’s attention. This other guy happened to be the alpha of a pack of shifter wolves. I thought the wolves were the worst of my problems, but I was wrong. When things went from bad to worse I had to make a lifelong sacrifice to save Gage, but what price is too much to save the one you love?

REVIEW:

As a werewolf fanatic I was super excited to be introduced to Alyssa Rose Ivy’s writing through my favorite shifters. I was very surprised with how the werewolves were introduced, as Ivy takes a different route with not only the paranormal aspects but also the romance. If you’re looking for romance it’s all here and then some, but it’s not the normal paranormal romance I was expecting.

Dire follows Mary Anne who is heading home for winter break, but her excitement about going home is all about who she is traveling with. Mary Anne’s long time crush and star of her dreams, Gage, is heading back to his hometown that is also hers. But on their way they hit a massive snowstorm, which causes them to be stranded on an empty back road. Even though things start to heat up with Gage while waiting for the storm to die, they notice their not alone outside. Risking the cold they venture toward a hopeful town only to come face to face with very large men, who seem to want Mary Anne safe. Now Mary Anne isn’t so sure about their little road trip, as well as her and Gage’s safety. But what these men want, especially one named Hunter, in particular isn’t anything she ever thought she’d come across.

Mary Anne is known for being smart and the girl who doesn’t attract guys, well…so she thinks. She actually catches the eye of many guys but only has them for her “friend” Gage. With the chance to be with him on a road trip back home, she jumps at the chance. Mary Anne is a sweet and innocent girl, her personality is hard to grasp at first as she is a bit different with her best friend than she is with Gage. I can tell she’s going to grow a tougher exterior with everything that’s happened in this book. She is put in a scary as heck situation and I feel she acts the way I would, she is on guard, knowing the as long as she sticks with Gage she’ll be safe. But in all seriousness she is on her own and I can tell she’s going to be taking the lead in how everything goes.

Gage is the popular guy, always getting girls attention and does find Mary Anne attractive but tries not to go past friends. But being stranded with her makes him realizes he’s making a mistake in letting a good girl slip through. But when they meet the strangers in the woods he not only becomes more than a friend he becomes her protector. I actually liked Gage more than anyone in this book, they way that he acts and wants to escape is what I’d hope someone would do if I was in their situation. He has the best intensions for Mary Anne and I’m glad doesn’t trust Hunter and the other people. Realistically who the heck would trust some random people in the woods? It all sounds like a really creepy horror story.

Hunter is one of the many people in the woods that help get Mary Anne and Gage out of the cold. But he’s also a werewolf and leader of his pack, as well as interested in Mary Anne. When Hunter is first introduced he’s all mystery and all brawn, I wasn’t sure about him and his pack at first. His persona is way too overbearing and I couldn’t understand why they thought Gage and Mary Anne would trust them with the creepy way he and his pack acted. Nearing the mid point of the book, Hunter started opening up about the situation he was in; I can see some potential for a sweeter more alpha hot Hunter. I’m going to keep my fingers crossed because I always love my alpha males and Hunter just needs to stop being creepy and be more careful with Mary Anne.

Overall I loved the paranormal bits, the Dire wolfs and the introduction to the witches have a lot of back story, I can see Ivy has only just began to get into but it was awesome. The romance is heavy and smoking hot, but also I can see the love triangles and even potentially an old romances getting in the way. My number one pet peeve is love triangles, not a fan what so ever, especially when I feel like both guys have a chance. The characters need a bit more development as I was only really able to connect to Gage, but I can see Mary Anne is going to step it up a notch after the ending. Speaking of ending, holy moly!! Cliffhangers are another my big pet peeves, but thankfully Ivy doesn’t hit us with a major one just an exciting one that I seriously cant wait to see what’s going to happen.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an young adult novel with sexually content meant for readers over the age of 18+. Fans of Terry Spears Heat of the Wolf series and Sierra Dean’s Secret McQueen series will want to meet Alyssa Rose Ivy’s Dire wolves in Dire.

View all my reviews

About Alyssa Rose Ivy:

Alyssa Rose Ivy is a New Adult and Young Adult author who loves to weave stories with romance and a southern setting. Although raised in the New York area, she fell in love with the South after moving to New Orleans for college. After years as a perpetual student, she turned back to her creative side and decided to write. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and two young children, and she can usually be found with a cup of coffee in her hand.

Website ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Pinterest ** Novel Goodreads ** Author Goodreads

{Blog Tour: Review} of The Memory Witch by Heather Topham Wood

The Memory Witch by Heather Topham Wood
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Young Adult
THEME: Mature, Paranormal, Witches
RECEIVED: Review for Tour

BLURB:

Ten years ago, Quinn Jacobs’ mother made a bargain with a local witch—steal away Quinn’s memories from the first eight years of her life and in return, Quinn would spend a year in servitude to the witch.

On Quinn’s eighteenth birthday, she’s forced to leave her home and friends behind. For the next year, she’ll live at the Chadwick House, learning everything she needs to know about being a spellcaster. As her powers grow, Quinn begins to unravel the secrets of the past and the reason her mother was so desperate to conceal the horrifying truth.

REVIEW:

I was not prepared for the gripping, intense and magical story that Woods created in the first installment of The Memory Witch series. There is a mix of darker dramatic twists that weaved in a bit of romance and beautiful mysterious magic.

The Memory Witch follows Quinn Jacobs, her life has taken a major turn and not in her favor. She is being sent off to live a year with a woman who bargained with her mother, as in now going to train her to be a witch. Quinn learns a lot from the mysterious witch Stella, she is at first angry with her, but as time goes on she becomes intrigued with the magic. She even becomes close with Stella’s nephew Mason, who is the one person she confides in. But magic has a price and when Quinn wants to open the doors to her missing childhood memories, she may not be prepared to see what has been hidden from her for all these years.

Quinn is a young teen with a boyfriend and a future in a good university to look forward too. But her life takes a halt when her mothers past bargain changes her path into becoming a powerful witch. Quinn never understood why the first eight years of her life were missing from her memories, but Stella her new teacher holds the answers. It was interesting to watch Quinn’s development, she is a carefree type of girl in the beginning, but as time moves on she becomes powerful and determined, almost in a scary way. I knew something terrible must of happened to her as a kid for her memories to of been blocked, but was so sad to read what really happened. Luckily she has the help and comfort Mason, who knows about her magic and slowly starts to open up to her.

Mason is a bit of a mystery at first; Stella wants Quinn to steer clear of her nephew. But Quinn feels and sees something in Mason that connects them together and the chemistry is irresistible. Mason has a dark past, broken in a way like Quinn. He becomes protective over her and both start to fall for each other despite many reasons to stay away from each other. I loved every scene with Mason and Quinn, the chemistry is off the charts and they complemented each other so well, that it made the story push through at a great pace.

Overall this was an emotional plotline that will break the hearts of the reader, but also root for the characters to seek revenge or at least find happiness among the darkness. I enjoyed the character development of both Quinn and Mason, and hope to dig a little deeper into his past as well. The ending was intense and I have no idea what Quinn will do now that she has her answers.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a young adult novel with some beautiful magic and a darker more mature plot twist. Fans of Alyxandra Harvey’s The Lovegrove Legacy and Rachel Hawkins Hex Hall will enjoy The Memory Witch by Heather Topham Wood.

View all my reviews


Purchase: Amazon

About the Author
Heather Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance writer. She’s the author of the paranormal romance Second Sight series and the standalone The Disappearing Girl .

Heather graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such as USA Today, Livestrong.com, Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine. She resides in Trenton, New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV shows.

www.authorheather.com | twitter.com/woodtop255

{Book Tour: Review + Giveaway} of The Promise by Apryl Baker

The Promise by Apryl Baker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Young Adult
THEME: Romance, Paranormal, Witches, Magic
RECEIVED: Tour

BLURB:

Armed with kick-ass shoes, can CJ stop a maniacal coven leader, save the town, and still get Mr. Melt In Your Mouth Gorgeous while surviving the darkness coming for her?

The smoke from the fire burned her eyes, its heat caressed her skin and the taste of fear choked her. She was going to burn just as her ancestor did all those centuries ago in New Salem Village. How could she have been so wrong about everything?

Cassie Jayne Bishop grew up the only non-believer in town of Coven. When a stranger comes to the sleepy town of New Salem, everything she thought was true unraveled around her. Ethan made her question everything, even her sister’s death. Clues start to pile up and Cassie is determined to find out if the Coven was the real reason her sister died.

What she uncovers terrifies her to the very depths of her soul...

REVIEW:

I’ve always been intrigue by the story of Salem and the witch trials, how terrible it was that woman would be burned at the stake. This story focuses on the history of New Salem and that sometimes the past won’t ever go away. I really enjoyed stepping back into young adult books with Bakers first book in the Coven series and the magic, suspense and romance will hook you right at the start.

The Promise follows Cassie Jayne Bishop aka CJ, who lives in the small town of New Salem and strangely enough is the only non-believer of witchcraft. But when CJ meets Ethan and questions arise about her older sister death, CJ discovers her small town is hiding a big secret…and its all about her.

Cassie is a young girl whose life has shifted since the death of her best friend and sister Emily. Her parents no longer get along, the town has started looking at her differently and her best friend Kay is having dreams about burning at the stake. It was interesting to watch the secrets of this town unfold and how CJ put the pieces together with the help of her sister. CJ is easy to connect too, she is brave, smart, and always put her friends and family before herself. I was pretty shocked with some of the twist that the author threw at CJ, she is betrayed many times and I was rooting for her to get some revenge.

There are many secondary characters that I felt equaled importance to the plot line. Kay is CJ’s best friend and apart of the coven, but most importantly was shares a birthday with CJ. Jeff is CJ best guy friend and someone who wishes she would see him has more than a friend. And lastly there is the mysterious Ethan, who has a whole back-story that will surprise the readers. Each character plays a key role in CJ future; they can either help or hurt her. I found it interesting that even though there was romance, the main focus was true friendship and determination to do the right thing.

Overall this was a great start to a new series that got better and better with every turn of the page. Even though there is a slight insta-love, which I don’t care much for, I was happy the focus was more on magic, family and friendship. If your looking for a new series with romance, magic, shocking twists, and friendship than this is the book for you.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a young adult novel with a ton of mystery and fantasy elements. Fans of Jennifer Armenrtouts Covenant series and Amy Plums Revenant series will love The Promise by Apryl Baker.

View all my reviews

Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | KOBO

About the Author
So who am I? Well, I'm the crazy girl with an imagination that never shuts up. I LOVE scary movies. My friends laugh at me when I scare myself watching them and tell me to stop watching them, but who doesn't love to get scared? I grew up in a small town nestled in the southern mountains of West Virginia where I spent days roaming around in the woods, climbing trees, and causing general mayhem. Nights I would stay up reading Nancy Drew by flashlight under the covers until my parents yelled at me to go to sleep.

I love books, I love writing books, and I love entertaining people with my silly stories.

Author Links: Blog | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

{Blog Tour: Review + Excerpt} of The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston

The Winter Witch by Paula Brackston
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

GENRE: Fantasy
THEME: Romance, Magic, Witches
RECEIVED: Publisher
Paula Brackston Website

BLURB:

Fledgling witch Morgana must defend her love, her home, and her life in this enthralling tale perfect for fans of Discovery of Witches

In her small Welsh town, there is no one quite like Morgana. She has never spoken, and her silence as well as the magic she can't quite control make her a mystery. Concerned for her safety, her mother quickly arranges a marriage with Cai Bevan, the widower from the far hills who knows nothing of the rumours that swirl around her. After their wedding, Morgana is heartbroken at leaving, but she soon falls in love with Cai’s farm and the rugged mountains that surround it, while slowly Cai himself begins to win her heart. It’s not long, however, before her strangeness begins to be remarked upon in her new village. A dark force is at work there—a person who will stop at nothing to turn the townspeople against Morgana, even at the expense of those closest to her. Forced to defend her home, her love, and herself from all comers, Morgana must learn to harness her power, or she will lose everything.

Paula Brackston's debut novel, The Witch's Daughter, was the little book that could—with a captivating story, remarkable heroine, and eye-catching package, it has now netted over 40,000 copies in all formats. Now Paula returns with The Winter Witch, another enchanting tale of love and magic, featuring her signature blend of gorgeous writing, a fabulous and intriguing historical backdrop, and a headstrong and relatable heroine readers will cheer for.

REVIEW:

The second book in Paula Brackston’s witch theme novels, The Winter Witch captures a unique POV of a young witch who is mute. Brackston creates a magical world where the protagonist is challenge with romance, magic and a villain who may have been obvious from the start but definitely portrayed a great counterpart to the lead.

The Winter Witch follows Morgana, who has been mute since her father left. In hopes of finding a place away from the whispering of the town, her mother sends her to marry a drover from another village. Cai is a widower and still stricken with the loss of his wife, but sadly needs a new one because of his job. But Morgana soon learns her new home and community may be in danger because she is considered a threat by a powerful evil. After discovering her powers, she will do what it takes to protect Cai and herself from the evil that is after them.

Morgana’s character is very unique, I was curious on how Brackston would be able to portray a mute character and I felt she did a wonderful job. She used a lot of expression descriptions to show her spirit and meanings. I do however wished we got more detail in the reason for her muteness, as well as more about her father since that incident was what caused everything to begin with. She is a spirited woman who has a temper and does have to deal with a lot of troubles. But the connection for me was hard to grasp even though I really wanted to like her character. I couldn’t sympathies like I wanted too as I felt she could of done things way differently. In the end I loved the magic bits with her; it was interesting to see her development. I felt sorry for her at many points because she does have to suffer a lot of losses and I wished for her to find some happiness.

Overall the story was definitely interesting; it had a strong start that I felt slowed down in the middle, which made it hard to hold my attention. I’m a reader that likes a quick pace with lots of action and suspense one after another. I’m also a big fan of details as long as they’re not drawn out or over the top, as some were in certain chapters. The romance was a perfect pace for me, I enjoyed the development and the on and off angst that occurred throughout. However I was hoping for more spark and a connection that would make me want them together, I felt they both made mistakes and had a lot of moments where I was shaking my head. My favorite character was the housekeeper Mrs. Jones, she is Morganas ally, she helps her try and figure out about how to deal with the evil that’s after her.

In the end this story has its ups and downs but I feel it should be given a chance because the writing is beautifully done. It’s more of my nip picks that are what I look for in a story that this one just didn’t have. I like strong characters that catch my attention and a fast paced plot; I do look forward to trying another novel by Brackston as this one had lots of potential. If you are looking for a story with magic, suspense, romance, lots of mystery and a witch who is learning about her power, than this is the story for you.

View all my reviews

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} of Silver Moon: The Complete Saga by Rebecca A. Rogers

Seeing Night Reviews is the next stop in the Silver Moon Sage Blog Tour for Rebecca A. Rogers. Check out the rest of the tour with Irresistible Reads Tours and the Scheduled Stops.

Silver Moon: The Complete Saga by Rebecca A. Rogers
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Young Adult, Witches, and Werewolves
RECEIVED: Tour
AUTHORS BLOG: Rebecca Rogers' Site

BLURB:

Join Alaric, Ulric, and Daciana in ALPHA MOON as they discover there’s more to life in the 1500s than plowing fields and attending balls. A powerful witch, who practices black magic, won’t hesitate to place a curse upon them—one that will have them howling at the silvery moon.

In SILVER MOON, Candra Lowell is sent to live with her aunt and uncle in present-day Connecticut. She thinks it’s because she’s a troublemaker, but Candra’s parents only shipped her off for one reason: to learn how to become a werewolf. She’ll learn there’s more to the story, though, when a rival pack has their hearts set on making her visit a living hell.

The past and the present merge into one in BLACK MOON as Candra falls even harder for her star-crossed lover, Benjamin Conway, who also happens to be her enemy, and wrestles with the fact that she has awakened an ancient soul inside her body. Can she stretch her newfound claws in peace, or will she wish she had never become a werewolf?

In the final installment of the saga, BLOOD MOON, Candra and Ben travel back to the sixteenth century, where they’ll embark on their toughest journey yet—stopping Alaric and breaking the curse which started it all. But if ending the werewolf curse, and the powers that come with it, means Candra and Ben will be stuck in the sixteenth century, can they live with the fact that they’ll never return home and see their families again?

REVIEW:

I’m usually not one to read and review a complete saga as a whole but I had a blast reading this action packed supernatural series. Silver Moon follows two star-crossed lovers from beginning to end, trying to find away to fight the curse that was created so long ago. I really enjoyed how Rogers brought the readers into this series by introducing the original werewolves and where it all started before introducing the two main protagonist.

Silver Moon Saga follows Candra Lowell who is sent to live with her aunt and uncle far from home. She thinks it’s punishment for getting in trouble too much but it’s actually because of a long time family secret. She discovers her family is tied to a werewolf curse and that the town she lives in is full of them. But not only that her family is at war with a rival pack, to which she builds a connection with Benjamin. Ben is the only one who doesn’t treats Candra harshly and together they try and find a way to break their curse and stop an evil that started back in the 1500s.

Candra is a character that has ups and downs, a lot happens to her all at once and she has to grow up quickly. She like most people I feel would do is be curious, she wants answers and will get herself in some sticky situations to get them. I enjoyed the journey she goes through and how in the end she has to make some pretty tough decisions along with Ben. I really enjoyed the bond she has with Ben, together they want the same thing and can’t seem to stay away from each other no matter what danger it causes for them and their families.

Ben has lived a life knowing what he is unlike Candra and at the beginning has a hard time staying away from her. I liked how he picked her up from school and that they would sneak around, it showed that they were destined right from the start. His family is one crazy bunch and of course his biggest obstacle. It was a bit hard for me to connect to him until about half way through the Black Moon, and then he grew on me. But even more so in Blood Moon where he won me over.

Overall this was a great series with a lot of story telling. I feel its necessary for the readers to read the first story for Alpha Moon since Candra and Ben do go back and have to discover what happened during that book in the 1500s. I liked how I was taking back and remembering what happened and the suspense started all over again hoping the best for the leads. My only issue was with Candra’s family I felt that as much as they wanted to protect her is actually cause more unnecessary problems. The villain is in all the books, his presence adds to the suspense and I really had no idea how the duo were going to stop him. Also the last book had some sexual content that I felt wasn’t needed, I like the steamy moments but some of the stuff felt out of place from the other books.

In the end, I liked how everything wrapped up and it was such a great adventure to follow two people who were so right for each other. I was actually shocked with the ending and felt it was such a great twist, even better than the ending of Black Moon, which was great! I look forward to more books from Rogers and was glad to step into this unique werewolf tale. If you’re looking for a story full of magic, romance, betrayal, secrets and curses then this saga is a must!

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an young adult novel with minor sexual content in the final book. Fans of Chloe Neills Chicagoland Vampire series and The Wolves of Mercy Falls series by Maggie Stiefvater will enjoy the Silver Moon Saga

View all my reviews

AUTHOR BIO:
Rebecca expressed her creative side at an early age and hasn’t stopped since. She won’t hesitate to tell you that she lives inside her imagination, and it’s better than reality.

In short: I’d insert something here along the lines of living in the Northeast or Europe with my wonderful husband and our dogs, but these things haven’t happened yet. Instead, I’ll tell you I’m an avid gamer, chocoholic, coffee addict, animal lover, and own way too many books and shoes.
Website | Facebook | Twitter

Prize: 10USD Amazon Gift Card

{Review} of Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising by Lara Parker

Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon Rising by Lara Parker

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal
THEME: Vampires, Witches Romance, Werewolves
RECEIVED: Publisher

BLURB:

When a portrait is lost that has maintained Quentin Collins’s youthful appearance for over a century—and has also kept his werewolf curse at bay—Quentin begins to dread the full moon.

Meanwhile, David, the sixteen-year-old heir to the Collins fortune, has fallen in love with Jacqueline, a young girl living at the Old House who is the reincarnation of Angelique. David and Jacqueline are swept back in time to the prohibition era of the Twenties, where David uncovers the dark secrets of the Collins family history

Most threatening of all, Dr. Nathanial Blair, an expert in the paranormal, has come to Collinwood because he suspects they are harboring a vampire. Fortunately, Barnabas Collins has returned to his coffin after a disastrous flirtation with life as a human. Nevertheless, what Blair discovers places the entire Collins family in jeopardy.

REVIEW:

I was super excited to have an updated and continued storyline to a classic television show called Dark Shadows. As I haven’t seen the 1970s version I own the 90s version which I absolutely loved. What I found that attracted me most to the story is that the author of this novel was the actress who portrayed Angelique in the original TV version. I can really tell from her writing how much this show and now novels mean to her personally, there is so much thought and details that are reminiscent of the television show. I also haven’t read the other two novel that were before this but if you’re a fan of any of the television shows I feel this was a great stand alone to get sucked into.

Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon follows a complex group of entertaining characters such as: A young boy David Collins who has fallen in love with Jacqueline, who lives in the Old House as is actually the reincarnation of Angelique. She lives in the Old House with her mother Antoinette after its been restored from a fire. Then there is of course Barnabas Collins the vampire and Quentin Collins the werewolf both competing for Antoinette. Unfortunately for Quentin he’s having some problems with his wolf, as his painting has gone missing it’s the only thing that helps his turning. All the while David and Jacqueline are helping with the search are mysteriously sent back in the 20s where David learns about the Collins family secrets.

For me this is a difficult book to review since there is so much happening and the characters themselves along with the storyline are complex. I did feel a little lost at times, but I think that what’s supposed to happen in the Dark Shadows world. If you’re a fan of the shows and past books chaotic circumstances that occur, this plot will seem very normal. What is truly great about how Parker wrote this story is that I felt like I was watching the show again, it had the same tonnage, paranormal elements of mystery, the characters who seems to never change, and the romance that always circulates the family.

The downside of this novel is that if I hadn’t known who these characters already were then I would be completely lost. I feel this is a book for the fans and it is dedicated to the fans as Parker mentions in the dedication. It may be hard for those who are just picking up this book and I would probably recommend reading at least the first book Parker wrote.

In the end the crazy moments are all there, with all the paranormal goodies of witches, vampires, werewolves that always follow the unusual Collins family. There is also a lot of danger for them as a paranormal expert seeks a vampire. But I’m only mentioning some of the fun without giving away too much, let’s just say paranormal lovers should read this book and be prepared for something out of this world.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an adult novel with all that will jump the reader back in time to some exciting and strange tales of a very strange family. Fans of gothic novels will enjoy Dark Shadows: Wolf Moon by Lara Parker.

View all my reviews

{Review + Giveaway} of Under A Spell by Hannah Jayne

Under A Spell by Hannah Jayne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Urban Fantasy
THEME: Werewolves, Vampires, Supernatural and Witches
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Hannah Jaynes' Site

BLURB:

Sophie Lawson was seriously hoping life at the UDA would get back to relative normal now that her boss Pete Sampson has been reinstated. Unfortunately, her new assignment is sending her undercover into a realm where even the most powerful paranormals fear to tread…her old high school. Being a human immune to magic is no defense against soulless picture-perfect mean girls—or a secret witch coven about to sacrifice a missing female student. And Sophie's Guardian, uber-proper Englishman Will, is determined to convince Sophie he's the kind of temptation she should indulge in permanently. Now, as the clock ticks down to apocalypse, he and Sophie will have to summon every trick in the book to battle devilish illusion, lethal sorcery—and betrayals they'll never see coming…

REVIEW:

I can’t believe its already been five books for the Underworld Detective Agency, I feel like this series is still just getting started. Jayne’s writing is still strong and her lead character Sophie is growing up more and more, starting to hold her own and fight back. As a die-hard fan I’m hoping that we finally get to know more about the Vessel of Souls in the next book because I’m ready to find out more about what Sophie is.

Under a Spell follows Sophie Lawson who is once again stuck in the middle of some supernatural chaos. But not only that…she has to go back to the one place she never wanted to see again, high school. Sophie is sent to go undercover with her Guardian Will to her high school where missing girls maybe connected to witchcraft. As always with Sophie things never go smoothly and it seems she may be getting closer to finding out what it means to be the Vessel of Souls.

Sophie has always been an awkward, clumsy and well liked character. She may be the Vessel of Souls but in the end she’s just a human who has no special skill, except for getting in the middle of trouble. I think that’s why I can connect to her so easily is because most Urban Fantasy heroines are usually kick butt super powered woman and Sophie is just like the reader, normal. She has been dealt with a handful of dangers in the last four books, but this one hits a personal note. She connects to a student who reminds her of herself in high school. Her character has started to become a super sleuth, she’s getting to be more confident in her detective work. I’m also rooting for Sophie to keep going in the direction she is now, independent and determined to get the case done and save people.

The boys this time around actually switched places for me. I liked Alex the fallen angel and cop with a major bad attitude in the first two books, but he’s too much drama and changes his mind too much. I didn’t like how he treated Sophie, and pretty much if he’d listen to her the case would of moved a lot quicker. I’m glad Sophie is opening her eyes more and I really don’t want her to like Alex again. Until I get some answer about his mood swings, he’s on my bad list. I’m rooting for Will on the romance side, he’s a sweet charmer and protector, but I also feel like he’s letting Sophie make decision for herself, he’s not always jumping in to protect her now. Plus we get Sophie and Will working together to sole this case. I adored their scenes together, I was either laughing or feeling the chemistry. So I’m definitely team Will and can’t wait to see how his job title will change a little more in the next book due to the spoiler in the end of the book.

Overall I still love this series, the characters are always fresh and can make me laugh. I like Urban Fantasies with a splash of humor, mystery, intense villains, and surprising twists; this book had it all. Nina is back as well; along with her nephew Vlad and the duo have some great one-liners that always make me smile. The plot in this one was spot on; I can see the author is starting to connect to the back-story plot now. I can wait to see what Jayne is going to surprise the readers with next!

RECOMMENDATION:

This is an adult novel with humor, action and all the right stuff that everyone wants in the Urban Fantasy story. Fans of authors Ann Aguirre and Jennifer Estep will be captivated by Hannah Jayne’s novel Under A Spell.

View all my reviews

1 Print copy of Under A Spell

{Blog Tour: Review + Giveaway} of Keeper of the Lost Souls by Kristy Centeno

Welcome to my stop on the Keeper of the Lost Souls blog tour hosted by 

YA Bound Book Tours.  Click HERE to see the full blog tour schedule!

Keeper of the Lost Souls by Kristy Centeno
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal
THEME: Romance, Witches, and Magic
RECEIVED: Tour

BLURB:

Bryn McCaskey is young, naïve, and can talk to ghosts...

Like her mother and grandmother, Bryn comes from a breed of witches called The Keepers of the Lost Souls. Their main purpose is to guard those spirits who are permanently or temporarily grounded in the world of the living. Handling supernatural creatures is something which comes naturally to Bryn, however, dealing with people is a whole different story.

As her 18th birthday approaches it's time for her to take on her first assignment. Bryn is forced to confront her inability to communicate with others in an effort to save the one soul that can mean the difference between life and death for mankind.

Johnny Shaw is a lost soul with a personal vendetta against witches...

A vendetta he has carried on even after death. As much as he hate's them he must join forces with a keeper witch, in order to stop a century old threat. When fate brings them together, not only will they be forced to learn how to work as a team, but they will have to depend on each other to stop an evil witch carrying a six hundred year grudge!

REVIEW:

This is my first introduction to Centeno’s writing and I’m definitely going to be looking up her other titles. This has everything I enjoy about paranormal stories, with magic, mystery, evil magical villains and a female lead that is probably the nicest and most forgiving character I have ever read about.

Keeper of the Lost Souls follows recent high school graduate Bryn, who is also a witch and can see ghost. Bryn is no ordinary witch but one known as a Keeper Witch that helps souls and protects them from evil. When she is assigned her first batch of souls (Charges) there is one in particular who is about to make Bryn’s life very difficult and dangerous.

Bryn is what many would define as an outsider or loner in high school. The students often thought she was strange or talking to herself and made her life difficult. What I liked about her character was that she was so forgiving, putting aside her anger towards those who treated her bad and helped them instead. Even though she doesn’t have friends, she has the strong love of her mother and grandmother, along with her ghostly former classmate and popular girl in school Marianne. Though Marianne is quite annoying for Bryn, she helps her along the way with her Charges. Her one problem is a magical charge named Johnny Shaw who lost his soul and doesn’t like witches one bit. He brings a lot of trouble for Bryn and her family, but his enemy he finds out is her enemy.

Johnny is a complicated guy, he is angered with is passing as well as beging the last in his family. He had the burden of protecting something very powerful against a witch who wants to release a bigger evil. He ends of trusting a witch, which is against everything he ever believed. The banter and connection between Johnny and Bryn was classic, they had a lot to learn from each other about each of their families and magic. The readers get more in depth information about his past and family history, it was actually really interesting to find out how he was connected to the evil witch.

Overall I enjoyed the strong writing by Centeno, I could tell by the development and back-story she really loved creating these characters and their world. The magic was my favorite along with the characters; I loved the differences between each Witch, Elemental, and Demons. There is romance and its sweetly done and not rushed. The secondary characters are strong and added to some humor, suspense and hectic moments for Bryn. I look forward to reading more from Centeno and hopefully get to continue to follow Bryn and Johnny on their next adventure.

RECOMMENDATION:

This is a paranormal story meant for reader Young Adult to Adult, who are looking for magic and love. Fans of Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins and Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl will love Keeper of the Lost Souls by Kristy Centeno.

View all my reviews

Available from: 

About the Author
As a child, I used to lose myself in an imaginary world by the means of a good book. Now that I’m all grown up, I get to create my own fictional realms and make them come to life in ways that most readers might not expect.

I’ve always had a passion for writing but never had the opportunity do so until now. After trying out numerous options I realized that writing was what I loved the most so when I found myself with some free time on my hands, I decided to give it a shot. As it turned out, my very active imagination helped me achieve my goals of creating believable plots with some ordinary, and some not so ordinary characters that helped the stories move along in one way or another.
As I keep moving along in achieving my dreams of becoming a published author, I divide my time in between my four children and my very understanding husband.
Author Links:

    

3 e-books of Keeper of the Lost Souls, Open Internationally

{Review} A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper

A Witch's Handbook of Kisses and Curses by Molly Harper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal Romance
THEME: Witches, Vampire, and Shifters
RECEIVED: Edelweiss
AUTHORS BLOG: Molly Harpers' Site

BLURB:

Nola Leary would have been content to stay in Kilcairy, Ireland, healing villagers at her family’s clinic with a mix of magic and modern medicine. But a series of ill-timed omens and a deathbed promise to her grandmother have sent her on a quest to Half-Moon Hollow, Kentucky, to secure her family’s magical potency for the next generation. Her supernatural task? To unearth four artifacts hidden by her grandfather before a rival magical family beats her to it.

Complication One: Her grandfather was Mr. Wainwright and the artifacts are lost somewhere in what is now Jane Jameson's book shop.

Complication Two: her new neighbor, Jed Trudeau, who keeps turning up half naked at the strangest times, a distraction Nola doesn't need. And teaming up with a real-life Adonis is as dangerous as it sounds, especially when he’s got the face of an angel and the abs of a washboard—can Nola complete her mission before falling completely under his spell?

REVIEW:
I adored Molly Harpers Naked Werewolf series, I’m always looking for paranormal romances with a great sense of humor and Harper is the go to author for that. I hadn’t read the first in the Half Moon Hollow series but was easily pulled into this fun and humorous world without feeling lost. This series does mention many characters from the Jane Jameson series, fans of that series will be excited but don’t worry the new characters are the main focus.

A Witch’s Handbook of Kisses and Curses follows Nola Leary, a witch who travels to Half-Moon Hollow to keep her promise to her grandmother. She is searching for special artifacts that will secure the magic in her family for the next generation. But she has a couple of obstacles in the way; one being a rival family of witches, two that the artifacts are hidden in who knows where in town, and three her very attractive new neighbor. Nola has a time limit, the clock is ticking and the enemy is getting closer.

Nola is such a fun character that is definitely overwhelmed with trying to keep a secret from her boyfriend, meet long lost relatives and accidentally ending up with two jobs. As always in Harpers books the humor is my favorite and Nola has some great one-liners and scenes. I loved her friendship with everyone she meets in town, especially her neighbor Jed. What frustrated me the most was she obviously wasn’t feeling that connection to her boyfriend; he doesn’t even like her family, I wanted her to see that this guy wasn’t for her a little sooner. But nonetheless I adored Nola as characters on a mission and her journey as she discovers more about herself and that her enemies may surprise her.

Jed was a unique character; I knew he was up to something and that he was a supernatural in some manner. This guy will surprise you in every way, I had know idea there was going to be such a shocker with his character. He always seems to catch Nola at some funny moments; of course she can’t seem to get this guy off her mind. The relationship between the two was paced well with lots of banter and chemistry that made me love this couples development.

Overall Harper does a fantastic job introducing characters into an already evolved town from another series. I didn’t feel that I needed to read the other series to understand because Nola was the focus. I loved every character, they all brought something special to the plot and of course humor. In the end I’ll definitely be coming back to this world and can’t wait to see what happens next with Nola and what new characters Harper introduces.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult novel with lots of humor, steamy moments and unforgettable characters. Fans of authors Katie MacAlister and Lynsay Sands will love this series.

View all my reviews

{Review} of The Mist-Torn Witches by Barb Hendee

The Mist-Torn Witches by Barb Hendee
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Fantasy
THEME: Magic, Mystery, Adventure
RECEIVED: Publisher
AUTHORS BLOG: Barb Hendees' Site

BLURB:

In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop. Céline earns additional money by posing as a seer and pretending to read people’s futures.

But they exist in a land of great noble houses, all vying for power, and when the sisters refuse the orders of a warlord prince, they must flee and are forced to depend on the warlord prince’s brother, Anton, for a temporary haven.

A series of bizarre deaths of pretty young girls are plaguing the village surrounding Prince Anton’s castle. He offers Céline and Amelie permanent protection if they can use their "skills" to find the killer.

With little choice, the sisters enter a world unknown to them — of fine gowns and banquets and advances from powerful men. Their survival depends on catching a murderer who appears to walk through walls and vanish without a trace — and the danger around them seems to grow with each passing night.

REVIEW:
This was my first book by Barb Hendee and definitely won’t be my last. The Mist- Torn Witches is her latest series that dives deep into a creatively mysterious fantasy world that was not only wonderfully written, but also brought to life many memorable characters to which I cant wait to follow in the next book. I love stories that surprise me by easily hooking me right at the start, before I knew it was was half way through the book and didn't want it to end.

The Mist-Torn Witches follows sisters Celine and Amelie from a young age of loosing their mother and learning to survive on their own. Celine follows in her mother’s footsteps as an Apothecary and so-called seer. Though her mother had the true gift, Celine pretends to be a seer to keep her sister and she afloat. But that is until one reading changes everything and Celine soon realizes she’s not pretending anymore.

Celine takes over her mothers Apothecary shop with her sister Amelie, they both have learned how to keep each other safe and stay away from trouble. Celine has a vision that changes everything. She is a go with what her gut/vision type of girl. I enjoyed watching Celines character mature, she has a lot to learn about herself and her gift. She isn’t perfect but she is follows the rules and tries to do what is best and help when she can. The only true person she trusts is her sister and their dynamic, and differences were so believable. For me having a sister myself I was able to connect to them both.

Amelie is the opposite of her sister; she is the more tomboyish one and always read to battle. Throughout the story she and her sister learn a lot about their mother and their family history, it was interesting to see how she connects to the magic and mystery behind their family. I liked how Amelie was never wanting to get all dressed up, she had the tougher attitude and she beat all the men in a game of cards.

There is a lot of magic and mystery, the plot take some interesting twists; the sisters must help a young prince who is surrounded by a darkness. There was action and spooky moments, I never knew who was behind all the terrible occurrences, but the sisters kept on helping until they could find out the truth. There are slight hints of romance; just attractions between the sisters and two men that I feel may get focused on in the next book. Hendee knows how to hook her readers with beautiful detailed settings, and. This could be read as a stand-alone since the story ends at a solid note and a great beginning to enter into the next book. After reading this in one sitting, I will gladly be continuing this series and look forward to reading more from Hendee.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a fantasy series that will allow you escape to another world while you read it. Fans of Robin LaFevers His Fair Assassin series and M.J. Scott’s The Half Light City series will love The-Mist Torn Witches series by Barb Hendee.

View all my reviews

{Review} of Immortal Eclipse by Sherry Soule

Immortal Eclipse by Sherry Soule
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

GENRE: Paranormal
THEME: Romance, Immortal, Witches
RECEIVED: Author
AUTHORS BLOG: Sherry Soules' Site

BLURB:

A devoted fashionata and practical New Yorker, Skylar Blackwell doesn’t believe in the supernatural—until she inherits Summerwind Mansion. . . .

When her uncle is brutally murdered, and the cops seem uninterested in following up the case, Skylar journeys to California to seek answers. Her search for clues is soon overshadowed by haunting nightmares of a young woman also murdered in the house.

Now the inhabitants of Summerwind are mysteriously dying, leaving no evidence as to how or why, and Skylar finds herself in a deadly race against time to expose the killer—before they strike again.

The problem is . . . whoever it is may not be human.

Armed with only wit and Pradas, Skylar begins questioning the servants, but the growing list of suspects includes the sexy and brooding caretaker, Dorian, a man desperately trying to forget his tragic past. And a major distraction for Skylar.

Determined to play detective—instead of the fashion police—and unravel the dark history of the mansion, Skylar is plunged into an otherworldly mystery that not even she can explain away. As the boundaries between reality and dreams blur, Skylar’s greatest challenge is to stay alive long enough to learn the truth.

REVIEW: 
After finishing this book I felt it reminded me so much of one my old favorite shows my dad and I use to watch called Dark Shadows (And I don’t mean that horrible remake). The twisted plot lines, the creepy mysterious characters, the confusing secrets and the romance. Soule created a unique storyline that was not only spooky but also had me trying to figure out which characters were innocent in all the unusual deaths that occur. I would say this novel felt like going back in time to the classic mystery horror stories that give you the chills.

Immortal Eclipse follows Skylar a young fashion photographer that seems to have hit a snag when it comes to her career. She decides to head to California after the loss of her favorite uncle who left her his estate. But with his mysterious death comes more questionable occurrences once she arrives. The staff is unusual and she doesn’t feel welcomed. She will stop at nothing to find out what happened to her uncle, but at what cost?

Skylar is an interesting character; she is portrayed as a fashionista type girl, who loves Photography. I really felt bad for this girl in the beginning with the many losses in her life; Soule created this lonely sad character that needed a little happiness. I liked her determination to unfold the mystery behind her uncle’s death, as the story moves forward I try to put the pieces together along with her. I did find it a bit hard to connect to her, the answers were in front of her constantly and she just ignored them. Plus the whole fashion obsession was a little too over detailed in the story, it could have been left out. Even though that part frustrated me, I still liked the mystery of what the real reason for her being there was. Which once you read it you’ll find out. Her family has an interesting history as well as the family that once lived at the estate.

Dorian is the tall dark and handsome guy with lots of charm, secrets and mood swings. He of course was my favorite; I figured out his character pretty quickly and enjoyed watching him frustrate the heck out of Skylar. I however wished he would of opened up a little more because I feel that the plot would of moved a little quicker. Ever scene with Skylar and him were great, I loved the chemistry and the banter.

Overall I feel the best part of this story was the creepy vibes of the estate. The details Soule illustrated with the spooky noises, unusual staff and overall just how mysterious everything was is what made me enjoy the plot. The side characters and villains will definitely creep up on the readers, each have an importance to the plot and I loved how it unfolded. The whole back-story was well done and everything came together in the end nicely.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is an adult paranormal novel that you may need to leave the lights on when reading, as there are many scary bits that will sneak up on you. Fans of Dark Companion by Marta Acosta and Silence by Michele Sagara will enjoy Immortal Eclipse by Sherry Soule.

View all my reviews