Sunday 31 March 2013

The Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylor

The Witch Hunter (Witch Hunter Saga #1)The Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Witch Hunter by Nicole R. Taylor is the story of four friends, Zac, Sam, Liz, and Gabby, who happen to be three vampires and a witch. Zac has a knack for getting himself into trouble and dragging his friends along with him. After Gabby calls on Aya, the Witch Hunter, for help getting Zac out of some trouble, things really get interesting.

As for the characters, my favorite was…Zac. Yes, I know he's kind of a jerk sometimes, but…hey, who doesn't like the bad boy? Sam is way too goody-goody for my taste, and Liz and him fit together perfectly. I also really like Gabby. She was not so sure of herself at the beginning of the story, but she was definitely finding her place towards the end. Aya, of course, was pretty awesome. I love a girl who can kick some butt.

There was a lot going on in this book. Vampires, witches, werewolves, you name it! Add them all together, and you have a fun, action packed story.


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Tuesday 26 March 2013

Swept by Becca Lee Nyx

Swept (Swept Trilogy, #1)Swept by Becca Lee Nyx
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Swept is the story of three high school friends, Crystal, Ryan, and Kelly, going off to college together and their experiences therein. Focusing mainly on Crystal, the story is told in varying viewpoints going between her, Ryan, and the mysterious Gabriel. The storyline itself is a lot of fun with all the adventures of being on your own for the very first time.

I think this book has a lot of potential to be great, but I felt like it was missing some key elements. I would have loved to have more of the story and less of the random sex. Don't get me wrong, the sex scenes were amazingly hot, but they didn't seem to fit well into the story. If they would have been integrated as part of the storyline rather than having the story built around them, it would have flowed easier and fit better overall.

I also would have loved to have more background or insight on the characters. It was really hard for me to connect with them, and there were too many personality inconsistencies to make getting to know them possible. For example, in the beginning of the story Crystal is portrayed as the geeky, innocent, kind of the "good girl" of the group. Yet a few chapters later she is having sex with everyone and their roommate as well as making plans to string along two guys she doesn't want to have to choose between, neither of which she is in love with. There was no transition from the beginning Crystal to the end Crystal.

Overall, like I said there is a lot of potential in this story, and I think it could be great. It is a relatively short story, so elements could easily be added to it in order to flesh out the characters more and give them sustenance without making the story overly long.

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Saturday 23 March 2013

Mobster's Vendetta by Amy Rachiele

Mobster's Vendetta (Mobster, #3)Mobster's Vendetta by Amy Rachiele
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In the third book of the Mobster series, the saga continues as Antonio tries to take care of family business while trying to leaving Megan out of it, to keep her safe. Unfortunately, Megan is already in too deep into the mob world and won't be left behind, not when she can help.

There are so many things I love about these books. First is Antonio and Megan's relationship and how it evolves over the course of the books. He is deep into the mob, the son of a Mafia boss looking to take over the family business when the time comes. In the first book, Megan is innocent to the things going on around her. By the third book, she is aware and accepting of what Antonio does and even willing to help do whatever she can to keep him safe. She's grown up a lot through the pages and that shows through their relationship and her relationships with others.

Second is just the story itself. I admit I do not really know anything about mobsters, their code of ethics, or their language, but the author does such a great job immersing the story in details that she make it completely believable.

Third is Vito. He is the kind of friend everyone needs. He sees what needs to be done and does it, no questions asked. He's always got Antonio's back, no matter the cost. I am glad we got to see more of him and get to know him better in this book, and I look forward to his story coming soon.


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Skin Games by Adam Pepper

Skin GamesSkin Games by Adam Pepper
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Sean O'Donnell is an excellent protagonist. He has a strong character, but he is not perfect. He makes bad decisions. On the outside he is the classic "bad boy," but when you understand why he does the things he does, lines get blurred. At times during the story, I was not sure if I should love him, hate him, or just feel sorry for him. But, Sean is a man of his word, always keeping a promise no matter the cost. But when he falls for the mob boss's daughter, things get rough.

Disguised as a crime novel, this romance was excellently written, fast paced, and easy to follow. Though there may not always be a happily ever after, vengeance is almost just as good.


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Thursday 21 March 2013

Special Offers by M.L. Ryan

Special OffersSpecial Offers by M.L. Ryan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I think my Kindle is defective. It didn't come with a man. Maybe I should send it back.

The thing I loved the most about Special Offers was the characters…no the quirky humor…no the inventive storyline…I'll have to get back to you on that. Long story short, I loved this book. I knew from page one that I was going to like Hailey. First of all, she has this sarcastic wit going on. She made me laugh through the entire book. I loved being in her head. Second, she is a book hoarder, so I can relate to her. Hailey decided it was time for a Kindle because she didn't have room for any more books (I can sympathize). Only her Kindle came with a "special" special offer…in the form of a man. But, there is a catch – that man, Sebastian, wants to share Hailey's body.

Sebastian is so much fun. I loved having his commentary in the story, albeit inside Hailey's head. The banter between Sebastian and Hailey is hilarious. Alex is a sweet guy, and him and Hailey hit it off right away, which is good since they have to work together to get Sebastian out of Hailey's body.

This story was easy and entertaining, and the author's writing style made me a fan.


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Saturday 16 March 2013

In Gods' Hands by Jessa Callaver

In Gods' HandsIn Gods' Hands by Jessa Callaver
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

In true form, this short story by Jessa Callaver is hot and steamy. The story finds us at the Carnival in Italy with Cassie, who is down on her luck after a fight with her boyfriend. She runs into (literally) a couple of guys and for lack of anyplace better to go, she ends up going back to their hotel with them. However, no one in this story is how they appear, and Cassie gets the surprise of her life.

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Who is Candid by Carole Remy

Who is Candid by Carole Remy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Who is Candid? is a super fun story that kept me laughing all the way through. Lucy, aka Candid, is on a journey of self discovery and unintentionally takes the whole nation with her. Told through journal entries, emails, and phone conversations, the story follows Lucy and her sordid tales of adventure across the country as she causes trouble everywhere she goes.

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Twelve Nights by Carole Remy

Twelve NightsTwelve Nights by Carole Remy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Twelve Nights is the charming story of Angela and Aggie – identical twins who get themselves into some twin trouble. Angela, the 'bad' twin, manages to talk Aggie, the 'good' twin, into answering a personal ad together. What can go wrong?

This is the classic story of an identity switch gone amiss, with many adventures along the way. Sometimes, we as the reader do not even know which twin is which, and it was a lot of fun trying to keep it all straight (believe me, you won't be able to!).

This super sweet and sexy romance will keep you entertained and laughing at the girls' misadventures.

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The Coven: Fire and Ice by Verdell Walker

The Coven: Fire and IceThe Coven: Fire and Ice by Verdell Walker
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book has a lot going on. You have the beginnings of your typical romance - girl and boy meet, girl and boy fall in love - but The Coven has so much more thrown in to the tangle, including witches and warlocks with some pretty amazing powers, a jealous ex-girlfriend, an evil minion intent on destroying humankind and controlling the world, and some wickedly awesome action-packed fight scenes.

Kat moves to a new school for a fresh start and makes some new friends, and a few enemies. She falls hard for Blaze (but hey, who wouldn't?), and they have to fight against the odds to stay together. Kat is an amazing character. She is strong, independent, and does not follow the crowd. Though this was not always the case and it is not always the easiest thing for her, she is determined to make herself a better person. Blaze is used to girls throwing themselves at him, so when Kat doesn't, he definitely takes notice. Blaze is a nice guy, though he finds out he is not perfect. I have gotta say, he has got some amazingly awesome friends. I love those guys! I am very much anticipating learning more about them in future books, especially Q and Cody; they are my favorites.

The Coven also takes on some very tough social issues, such as bullying and suicide. There are more issues incorporated into the story, but these are the two foremost. As I said, there is a lot going on, but the author was able to weave it all together into an engaging tale that was really fun to read.


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