Books I Want: December 2012

The Cat’s Meow by Stacey Kennedy (TBA December)

In Charleston, Libby is an Enchantress—a witch gifted by the Goddess to conjure spells. When a magical presence is detected around a recent string of feline slayings, Libby must take the case to discover the reasons behind the odd deaths. Much to her displeasure, the coven has also sent the sexy warlock, Kale, to assist her.

While having the muscle around proves to be useful, fighting the
attraction between them is worse than a hex, especially considering Kale is keeping secrets. Libby has good reason to believe that Kale is there to evaluate her performance as a witch, and fears her job is on the line. But soon, Libby has bigger problems than the elusive warlock and career stability. Her spells are turning up clues that point to something far more sinister than slaughtered cats, leading her to a threat that could shake the very foundation of her world.

Now Libby lands herself in the midst of an uprising. She trusts no one and isn’t safe. Not from the warlocks stirring up trouble. Not from the worrisome rebellion she can’t escape. And certainly not from Kale who is weaving a very dangerous spell over her.

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Review: Deliver Me From Temptation by Tes Hilaire

2.5out of 5 scoopers

Deliver Me From Temptation by Tes Hilaire
Sourcebooks (Dec. 4, 2012)
Mass Market: $6.99; ebook: $6.99
ISBN: 9781402264375

Favorite Lines: “No person, no matter what sort of freaky shit he was into, would lie there and willingly let someone gnaw on his neck–and come back for more. Obviously their ME had been watching way too much True Blood recently.” (p. 131, e-galley)

Logan Calhoun is the last full-blooded Paladin, the future leader of a race of immortal warrior angels. The heavy responsibility of continuing the Paladin line falls to him, and the last thing he should do is get involved with a human. Then fate throws Jessica Waters, a homicide detective who doesn’t believe in fate or divine intervention, into his path. Her devotion lies in her Glock and a good set of handcuffs. Like Logan, she’s a warrior for her people, and she awakens within him something he’d never thought he’d feel. But she’s also as human as they come…

I got to tell you that Deliver Me From Temptation, book two in Tes Hilaire’s Paladin Warriors series, is not what I was expecting. I started it excitedly hoping for a quick fix on two secondary characters that I became obsessed with in Deliver Me From Darkness. Unfortunately hope dwindled to sadness by mid-book and I set the story aside for a while. Once I started reading it again with thoughts focused on Logan, who I really didn’t care for from the first book, and Jessica, a detective that I didn’t like, I was able to complete the story…barely.

Deliver Me From Temptation can be read as a stand alone, but different aspects of Deliver Me From Darkness (book one) are brought up to tie the two books together, along with the back story of the Paladins who have an angelic ancestry. Expect to see demons and vampires, as well as the paladins in this good vs. evil love story.

I wanted to like Deliver Me From Temptation, but I was bored. I disliked the heroine from start to finish. I didn’t really care about Logan and since Deliver Me From Temptation is a paranormal romance all about Logan and Jessica’s relationship, it doesn’t bode well for my feelings about the book. The story wasn’t bad, it just didn’t do it for me. In book one I got to see a world that straddled the paranormal romance-urban fantasy fence. That fence doesn’t exist in Deliver Me From Temptation. Every time I thought things were going to get dark it would leach into a gray that just didn’t deliver.

I was hoping to get more about Gabby who was introduced as a teen vampire prostitute in Deliver Me from Darkness, but that look was so quick that it didn’t even whet my palate. I’m pretty much to the point where I don’t see myself reading more of the Paladin Warrior series unless it’s Gabby’s story.

What others think:

• Literary Escapism
• Wicked Pixie
• The Jeep Diva
• Novels on the Run
• Bitten by Paranormal Romance

Review: Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden

4 of 5 scoopers

Angel in Chains by Cynthia Eden
Kensington (Nov. 27, 2012)
Trade: $14; ebook: $11.99
ISBN: 9780758267634

Favorite Lines: “You loved me once.”
This was it. The moment that she’d known would come. Jade stared him in the eyes, refused to let the fear take her, and said the words she knew would break him. “And now I love him.” (p. 290, ARC)

As a fallen Angel of Death, Azrael is cursed to walk the earth alone in search of redemption. One night, as he wanders the streets of New Orleans, he discovers a woman surrounded by panther shifters. No longer able to contain the anger simmering within, Az summons his dark powers and attacks, determined to protect this innocent human from certain death.

Only Jade Pierce is no delicate flower. She’s spent years learning to survive and fight the evil forces sent by her ex-lover who refuses to let her go. But after seeing Az in action, she figures she could use a little supernatural help. And so she plans a course of seduction guaranteed to arouse his interest and his angelic passions. . .

I’m not a huge fan of angel romance books, but Cynthia Eden‘s Fallen series is an exception. I started the series with book two, Angel Betrayed, and knew that I had to read Angel in Chains when it came out. Let me tell ya, I’m very glad that I did.

Az was a stickler for the rules every time he was shown in Angel Betrayed. He’s a cold and detached guy whose actions cross over into villainous. In Angel in Chains he’s a new fallen angel who has yet to come to terms with losing his wings and flat out refuses to believe he’ll never have them again. When he sees Jade, he is attracted to her, but sees her as his way back to heaven.

Jade’s been running from her ex-boyfriend for quite a while. The psycho killed her family and will kill anyone who gets close to her. He is the leader of the panther shifter clan with a whole lineup of shifters to send after Jade, but she keeps managing to slip away. When Az steps in to help her out, Jade tries to create some distance between them, but he refuses to let her handle the situation alone.

Jade is damaged and Az is damaged but together they have the power to heal. Watching Az and Jade fall in love and sacrifice what they valued most during the process made me want more. I wanted them to be happy and the fight and flight scenes kept me moving through the story. Angel in Chains was hard to put down.

If you’re looking for an action packed romance with an alpha hero who protects the woman he loves regardless of what it could cost him you’ve got to pick up Angel in Chains. It’s filled with sexy scenes, drama and great secondary characters. If there’s a book four, I’ll be reading it.

Review: Shadow Rising by Cassi Carver

4 out of 5 scoopers

Shadow Rising by Cassi Carver
Samhain (Sept. 25, 2012)
ebook: $5.50
ISBN: 9781619211056
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “No, she wouldn’t be pathetic and call Alden just because she was lonely and scared. She had her pride–and a hell of a right hook. As long as she had those, she could handle whatever came her way.” (p. 31)

When Kara Reed learns her bondmate, Julian, is truly dead, and that Gavin has seemingly skipped town, she figures things have hit rock bottom. But soon, a string of bizarre accidents has her doubting those closest to her. And to make matters worse, the demon-king’s brand carved into her best friend Abbey’s stomach is deteriorating by the day.

Then a powerful coven of witches issues Kara an ultimatum. Bring them the blood of a true fallen angel—the only thing that will heal Abbey—or die. Kara would do anything to help her friend. Problem is, the only fallen angel she’s seen lately is the disoriented black-wing who attacked her scouts. One who looks suspiciously like Julian. Getting his blood might be easier if he was more interested in kissing her than killing her.

Caught between a coven of vengeful witches and a murderous dead lover, Kara must deliver the blood, heal the slow poison of Abbey’s brand, and save Julian from being consumed by the Abyss. But to do this, she may need the help of the one man she swore never to trust again…Gavin.

Readers who loved Slayer’s Kiss are going to have a great time with Shadow Rising.

Book two in Cassi Carver’s Shadow Slayer series picks up after the events of book one, Slayer’s Kiss. If you haven’t read it, don’t start the series with Shadow Rising.

At the end of Slayer’s Kiss the reader is left reeling from devastating blows which stripped apart Kara and Julian. We also have a type of hope that Kara will find comfort in the arms of their friend Gavin. Unfortunately what we get in Shadow Rising is Cassi on her own with no Julian or Gavin. For a while.

I had such hope for Gavin. I thought he’d bond with Kara and together they’d work on saving Julian. I had no idea I’d end up despising Gavin. Yes. Others may see him as sacrificing himself for Kara, but I see him as someone who will have to work his ass off to get any “Yay, Gavins” from me. Honestly I don’t know how Carver will redeem Gavin. I’m hoping there will be another heroine for Gavin, because I’m not really feeling more than a friendship between Gavin and Kara.

Those who felt like there was too much smexiness in book one will be pleased to hear there is much less in Shadow Rising. The passion is still there, it just is spaced farther apart and centers around Kara and Julian. Yes, there are other sex scenes, but the drawn out love fests surround Kara and Julian. Those scenes are as fiery as those in Slayer’s Kiss.

So much takes place over the 218 pages which make up the story that I’m only going to highlight a few reasons why you should read Shadow Rising.

5.     Shadow lands. We get a closer look at the way the shadow lands work. You know like who’s in charge and what it means to be beneath those in charge.

4.     Tray. You will never believe how far this secondary has come from his small role in book one to the end of book two. I knew something was up with him, but WOW. You won’t see this coming.

3.     Witches. Those witches are all over the place. Are they good? Are they bad? Whose side are they on? Who do they want to help?

2.     Betrayals. They come in many forms, from many places and not all of them are aimed at the heroine.

1.     Dark Julian. Oh my God! HOT. HOT. HOT.

Review: Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards

Soul Weaver by Hailey Edwards
Grand Central Publishing (Aug. 7, 2012)
ebook: $4.99
ISBN: 9781455523467
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “Sudden warmth ignited in his chest. “Do you feel that?” Love rushed through their bond until his head swam with the images she projected. “That’s me, loving you with everything I’ve got. I told you, we’re forever.”” (p. 237, e-galley)

Since the accident that nearly took her life, Chloe suffers from acute agoraphobia. Living alone above her family’s bookstore, she spends restless nights terrified by strange visions . . . until a mysterious stranger appears and offers her salvation. Chloe is drawn to the ethereal, gorgeous Nathaniel-but her haunted soul warns her there is more to him than meets the eye.

An archangel who roams Earth collecting souls of the newly departed, Nathanial is the sole witness to the accident that should have taken Chloe’s life. Seduced by the purity of her soul, he defies Providence by saving her life. But his attempt at kindness marks Chloe for damnation, and makes her an unwitting pawn in a game of unholy ambition. Now together they must fight the demons of Hell itself-for a love that defies the boundaries of Heaven and Earth.

Soul Weaver is the newest addition to the angel/demon section of paranormal romance books. It’s also book one in Hailey Edwards’ Wicked Kin series.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I read the heroine was agoraphobic. It’s kind of hard to accept that by the end of the story she will have a Happily Ever After. There just doesn’t seem to be enough pages for her to overcome her mental illness, find love and defeat any other obstacles in her way. I also wondered about the world building. Would there be any since the heroine couldn’t leave her home?

What I found was a mixed bag of answers. The world building came from the villain and hero. We learn the paranormal mythology as we watch them interact with their superiors and “co-workers.” By watching them we see parallel worlds as rifts are slit in reality. We learn about angels, pits in hell and the fight for heaven, or as it’s known in the series Aeristitia.

Nathaniel, the book’s hero, is a soul harvester and a soul weaver. Soul harvesters are fallen angels who collect souls for the pits in hell. Those souls which are placed in the pits cannot be reborn. Nathaniel is no “regular” harvester. He fell after telling a lie while trying to protect his brother Saul. Nathaniel has a special position among the harvesters as weaver. When the angels fall they are stripped of their wings. Nathaniel uses collected souls to create a soul material to cover the bare bones which used to be wings. Nathaniel loves his nephilim nephew, as if the man were his own child.

The details about the hero show him to be a better human than paranormal creature. The very things that are acceptable and wanted in humans place Nathaniel in dangerous territory as a soul harvester. He is family oriented and looks to protect rather than maintain the big picture as an angel or soul harvester should.

The heroine, Chloe, was pretty uninspiring. I never really cared for her because she didn’t do anything. I realize she has a mental illness, but it makes for pretty boring reading when the heroine stays in her bookstore or her apartment above the bookstore for 80 percent of the book. Chloe wants more, but is incapable of grabbing it because she is very aware of her limitations. To be honest, I was more interested in Chloe’s new employee, Neve.

Neve is obviously in need. Her situation is danced around for a good portion of the story. Once more information about her is told I expected her story line to move. I just wanted it to do something. Instead it kind of fizzled out and there was no more about her. I’m hoping this is because she’ll be a main character in a following book, but it drew attention to another female character who was introduced and shown as a jealous woman then forgotten.

Soul Weaver was a slow-moving horse until it broke into a sprint during the last 20 percent of the story. The agoraphobic heroine becomes capable of a HEA with her fallen angel. I’m not sure if the love was based on personalities falling in love or souls which were connected. I guess in the end I don’t really care. I’m happy that two people found love, but I, myself, never fell in love with the story. It was okay, but not one that I’ll read again. I’ll definitely pick up the next book if it is about Neve or Nathaniel’s nephew. Otherwise, I don’t see myself doing more than checking the library for a copy if I’ve nothing else to read.

(BTW: Hailey Edwards is the author of a book called A Hint of Frost, which I enjoyed because it featured people with spider-like abilities.)

Review: Angel Betrayed by Cynthia Eden

Angel Betrayed by Cynthia Eden
Kennsington (July 1, 2012)
Trade: $14; ebook: $11.99
ISBN: 9780758267610
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “She climbed into the bed, naked, and closed her eyes. Sooner or later, Sam would have to find a bed for himself. Even an all-powerful bad-ass had to sleep sometime. She’d know when he slept, she’d feel it. And the instant his eyes closed…You’re mine, Sam.” (p. 31, ARC)

Sammael–call him Sam–was an angel once. An Angel of Death. But the dispassionate, watch-from-above thing just wasn’t working for him when it meant watching evil torture innocent souls day in and day out. It might have cost him his wings, but these days he gets to apply the direct method on the bad guys. Problem is, what’s making his life difficult is a bad girl…

Seline O’Shaw needs protection, and with the hounds of hell on her tail, she’s not going to quibble too hard about where she gets it. Sam’s virtue is questionable, but he’s smoking hot, massively powerful, and owes her a favor. So what if she’s getting a little case of angel lust? There are some damn deadly sins after her hide…

Book two in Cynthia Eden’s The Fallen series focuses on the angel Sammael’s fall from grace. I didn’t read book one, Angel of Darkness, before picking up Angel Betrayed. Its main characters are secondary characters in Angel Betrayed, but the reader is given enough information that it’s not a problem. I didn’t wonder where they came from or their story. Those who do have the option of reading Angel of Darkness, but it’s no biggie as this book can be read as a stand alone.

I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about Angel Betrayed. It seems like there are a ton of angel/demon romance books on the market and they’re hit or miss with me. I loved Angel Betrayed. I adored my flawed angel who never really apologized for being a bad boy. He didn’t need to become gentler to receive the heroine’s love.

Sam didn’t have to show mercy in order for Seline to risk it all for her. She wanted the man she met and was willing to risk it all to have him. He in turn was spectacular. Sam was a violent fallen angel with extreme self-preservation skills. He didn’t let love make him soft and was the alpha of my dreams. Sam made the story for me, although Seline wasn’t too bad. Both were flawed, aggressive and used to winning which made it a pleasure to read about their battle of wills.

What you need to know: The sex is juicy and the story is exciting. Most importantly, I’ll be re-reading this one. It’s earned a spot on my keeper shelf. I love the flawed hero and heroine. I wanted them to be happy and the journey to happy ever-as-long-as-you-live was delightful. I can’t wait for book three, Anger in Chains, to come out in November 2012.

Books I Want: June 2012

I know this is late in being posted for the month. But here it is. The books releasing this month that I want to read.

Coming Soon: Black Lament by Christina Henry

I can’t wait for book four in Christina Henry‘s Black Wings series. It’s available for pre-order at Amazon and will be released in October 2012.

Review: Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen

Dark Kiss by Michelle Rowen
Harlequin (May 29, 2012)
Trade: $9.99; ebook: $9.99
ISBN: 9780373210473
Excerpt

Favorite Lines: “Grays consume souls. If they give in to their hunger, it can kill a weaker human. Stronger humans can survived losing their soul, but they will become infected–they’ll become a gray, too. Being gray changes them, and grays who feed too much, get too greedy, are incredibly dangerous.” (p. 88, e-galley)

Smart, über-careful, ordinary Samantha—that’s me. But I just couldn’t pass up a surprise kiss from my number-one unattainable crush. A kiss that did something to me…something strange. Now I feel hungry all the time, but not for food. It’s like part of me is missing—and I don’t know if I can get it back.

Then there’s Bishop. At first I thought he was just a street kid, but the secrets he’s keeping are as intense as his unearthly blue eyes. If he’s what I think he is, he may be the only one who can help me. But something terrifying is closing in, and the one chance Bishop and I have to stop it means losing everything I ever wanted and embracing the darkness inside me….

Dark Kiss is book one in Michelle Rowen’s Nightwatcher series. It is marketed toward kids 14 and older according to the B&N website. The heroine is a teenager whose life was forever changed by a kiss. The hero is an angel and part of a team composed of angels and demons sent to destroy a threat to world, of which the heroine is somehow involved.

I started reading Dark Kiss on April 15, but put it down for several weeks. It’s not that the story was horrid or boring, it just didn’t hold my attention over other books which had recently become available. I needed to write this review so I picked the book back up May 29th and flew through its angst filled pages. My fingers itched to put the book down until I hit chapter 13. Then I didn’t want to stop reading.

Some young adult books that resonate with adults. Michelle Rowen’s Dark Kiss was not one of those books. The heroine was not mature beyond her years nor did she come off as on the cusp of womanhood.  Samantha–the heroine–gets kissed by a guy she’s been crushin’ on for years. It’s a soul stealing kiss that changes her. Now she can do and see things she was never capable of doing before the kiss. What it doesn’t do is make her into a cold, uncaring person ruled by her hunger to kiss others. That ability to ignore or manage the hunger to kiss people makes her different from others who’ve lost their souls.

When Sam meets a young guy and finds out he’s an angel sent to stop the soul suckers she  makes a deal with him. She’ll help him find his teammates who are wandering around town if he helps her get her soul back. It’s a great premise and works quite well. I just kept getting irritated with the heroine’s inability to see what was right before her eyes. Thinking back I know it’s because she is so young. She has no life experience to change her initial reaction to different situations. She takes things at face value when an older woman would (hopefully) know better.

Dark Kiss is a book for younger people than I. I expect several plot lines to be picked up in the second installment, Wicked Kiss, when the book comes out in 2013. I wasn’t impressed with the first half of the book, but the story got much better as the action picked up in the second half. Had the heroine not been “special” she would have died many times. Her naivete makes her an easy target for the many supernatural beings who are all following their own agendas. I don’t think I’ll revisit this series.

 

Semi-Review: Kiss of Pride by Sandra Hill

Kiss of Pride by Sandra Hill
HarperCollins (April 24, 2012)
Mass Market: $7.99; ebook: $4.99
ISBN: 9780062064615

Some men are too bad to be true . . .

Is he really a Viking with a vampire’s bite? An angel with the body of a thunder god? A lone wolf with love on his mind? Alexandra Kelly, his prey, thinks Vikar Sigurdsson is either flat-out crazy or he’s trying to maneuver her into his bed—which is hardly where a professional reporter should conduct an interview, tempting as that prospect might be.

And some men are too good to be true . . .

Until Vikar does something a teensy bit unexpected, and Alex begins to wonder whether her mystery man could really be everything he says he is: a Viking Vampire Angel on a thousand-year-long mission with his pack of sinful brothers—and a man who’s finally found the woman of his dreams. By then, Vikar is already wrapping his chiseled arms around Alex’s body . . . and sinking his wicked fangs right into her neck. If this is sin, why does it feel so good?

I did not finish this book. In lieu of writing a complete book review I’m going to post my GoodReads updates so you know what I thought and why I chose to not continue reading Kiss of Pride. This is unusual because I normally enjoy Sandra Hill’s books. Without further ado I give you my reading thoughts:

Page 37: Not loving it so far. I keep rolling my eyes and sighing. I think it’ll get better, but the irreverence and set up for the story is silly. I especially didn’t like it when I read “Without words, Michael could see down below to what had so offended his Lord. “Tsk, tsk!” was the best he could come up with.” That’s all my kick ass archangel Michael can come up with? I think my prob. is that it (the story) came off as a soft fairy tale.

Page 37: I can’t do it. This book is irritating the crap out of me. DNF