Welcome to my humble book review blog. My reading tastes are eclectic, spanning various genres including but not limited to: fantasy, romance, young adult titles, erotic adult titles, and most anything with vampires that isn't horror. Some reviews may contain spoilers, but they will carry a warning if so. Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. All Amazon links are affiliate links and can earn me a small commission if you use them.
Showing posts with label Ghosts/Spirits. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ghosts/Spirits. Show all posts
Sunday, January 24, 2016
Nice Girls Don't Date Dead Men by Molly Harper
Following Nice Girls Don’t Have Fangs, the second in a hilarious, smart, sexy romantic series about an out-of-work librarian who is turned into a vampire.
With her best friend Zeb’s Titanic-themed wedding looming ahead, new vampire Jane Jameson struggles to develop her budding relationship with her enigmatic sire, Gabriel. It seems unfair that she’s expected to master undead dating while dealing with a groom heading for a nuptial nervous breakdown, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and the ugliest bridesmaid dress in the history of marriage.
Meanwhile, the passing of Jane’s future step-grandpa puts Grandma Ruthie back on the market. Her new fiancĂ©, Wilbur, has his own history of suspiciously dead spouses, and he may or may not have died ten years ago. Half-Moon Hollow’s own Black Widow has finally met her match.
Should Jane warn her grandmother of Wilbur’s marital habits or let things run their course? Will Jane always be an undead bridesmaid, never the undead bride?
Combining Mary Janice Davidson’s sass and the charm of Charlaine Harris’s Sookie Stackhouse novels, this is an incredibly satisfying read for fans of paranormal romantic comedy.
Where to Buy
This book picks up more or less where the first book left off, though there is the implication that a certain amount of time has passed. Jane continues to settle into undead life while having to deal with a variety of different relationship issues, both her own and others'. She manages to navigate all the pitfalls with grace (for the most part anyway), sass, and good ol' Southern charm. While there are certainly limits to how much crap she'll put up with from others, and she rarely hesitates to stand up for herself, still she recognizes that sometimes you have to pick your battles and compromise is often the best policy. Still, for all the leeway she's willing to give those around her, she draws some definite lines in the sand that those others would do well not to try to cross.
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Night Lover by Rosanna Leo
Canadian soprano Renata Bruno is tired of waiting for her big break. Unfortunately, her boss, the conductor of a chamber ensemble, sees her as little more than background material. When she learns of an opportunity to sing solo with a different troupe in England, she knows she must seize it. Especially when she hears the group is to perform Mozart's Requiem, her favorite work.
As soon as Renata decides to make her move, a strange, sultry presence invades her life. She begins dreaming of a man, one who makes love to her, bewitching her. It isn't long before her night lover leaves startling proof of his nocturnal presence, making her doubt her senses.
To compound her discomfort, she learns her new conductor is the college boyfriend who broke her heart years ago. As Renata grapples with old hurts and renewed passion, she must also fend off the increasingly fervent advances of her night-time visitor. She realizes she is under the influence of an incubus, a sexual demon.
It becomes harder to resist the incubus when she learns he has a name and had a tragic history. The more she discovers about his past, the more she realizes they are linked in more ways than one. Renata begins to rediscover love and her sense of faith, but will it be enough to save her night lover from an evil curse? And will it destroy her in the process?
Where to Buy
Another amazing departure from the norm for Rosanna Leo, though this one does take her back into paranormal romance territory rather than contemporary. That said, this still reads as much like a contemporary as it does a paranormal so those who generally prefer contemporaries shouldn't rule this one out simply because of the other-worldly element to it. As with all her books, the characters are very realistic and have their problems and failings just like real people do. There are many familiar themes at work here, yet they are presented in such a unique way as to be fresh and not entirely as predictable as you might think.
Saturday, April 18, 2015
Up From the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
There's always one more grave to dig.
Lately, life has been unnaturally calm for vampires Cat Crawfield and her husband, Bones. They should have known better than to relax their guard, because a shocking revelation sends them back into action to stop an all-out war....
A rogue CIA agent is involved in horrifying secret activities that threaten to raise tensions between humans and the undead to dangerous heights. Now Cat and Bones are in a race against time to save their friends from a fate worse than death...because the more secrets they unravel, the deadlier the consequences. And if they fail, their lives - and those of everyone they hold dear - will be hovering on the edge of the grave.
Where to Buy
I am very conflicted about this book. The writing is Frost's usual stellar quality and the story progression from what has happened before now is understandable and makes sense. In many ways I suppose it could be argued that we should have seen this coming. Still, I can't say I particularly like where she went with the story or how she wrapped up the long, tumultuous saga of Cat and Bones' love story. Despite the fact that much of this had been building for longer than anyone realized, I still think there are other paths that could have been taken with it so that things didn't have to end they way they do here.
Friday, April 10, 2015
Home for the Holidays by Jeaniene Frost
Originally appeared in the print anthology The Bite Before Christmas.
'Tis the season to join Cat and Bones for some holiday cheer in this Night Huntress novella by USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Jeaniene Frost.
They were looking forward to a normal holiday—at least as "normal" as it gets for vampires Cat and Bones and their otherworldly friends and family. But their yuletide plans are shattered when a mysterious stranger shows up and reveals long-buried secrets that threaten to take a bite out of their holiday cheer … and lives.
Where to Buy
Thanksgiving and Christmas seem to be cursed holidays for Cat and Bones. I don't think they've managed to have a quiet, completely normal holiday season yet because their enemies always seem to pick that time to start crap. This time is no different, with the stuff starting to hit the fan even before all of their guests have arrived. What follows is a fun, action-packed story that's fully in the spirit of the earlier Night Huntress novels. Cat is shown at her butt-kicking best, and in a somewhat surprising and interesting turn of events, Ian gets to play the hero helping to pull his friends' fat out of the proverbial fire instead of being the irritating and self-serving jerk we're more used to with him.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
One Grave at a Time by Jeaniene Frost
The grave is one wrong step away.
Having narrowly averted an (under)world war, Cat Crawfield wants nothing more than a little downtime with her vampire husband, Bones. Unfortunately, her gift from New Orleans' voodoo queen just keeps on giving - leading to a personal favor that sends them into battle once again, this time against a villainous spirit.
Centuries ago, Heinrich Kramer was a witch hunter. Now, every All Hallows Eve, he takes physical form to torture innocent women before burning them alive. This year, however, a determined Cat and Bones must risk all to send him back to the other side of eternity - forever. But how do you kill a killer who's already long dead?
Where to Buy
** Warning: This review contains some possible mild spoilers, primarily regarding the ending. **
After hitting a lull in This Side of the Grave (in my opinion at least), this series found the energy it had in the first books again in this one. Once again Cat and Bones and their friends are facing a truly evil adversary, and this time their vampire powers won't necessarily help them all that much. True, they do still have a few handy tricks up their sleeves they can use, but how do you catch the wind much less fight and destroy it? It's a question that they don't really have a real answer for up until the very end almost, and the struggle is real as they do their best with trying to beat the clock and outwit Kramer. Add in another serious growing problem with regards to changes with Cat's former team since the game changing event there in the last book, and life is very "interesting" indeed for them now.
Monday, March 16, 2015
This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
Danger waits on both sides of the grave.
Half-vampire Cat Crawfield and her vampire husband Bones have fought for their lives, as well as for their relationship. But just when they've triumphed over the latest battle, Cat's new and unexpected abilities threaten to upset a long-standing balance . . .
With the mysterious disappearance of vampires, rumors abound that a species war is brewing. A zealot is inciting tensions between the vampires and ghouls, and if these two powerful groups clash, innocent mortals could become collateral damage. Now Cat and Bones are forced to seek help from a dangerous "ally"—the ghoul queen of New Orleans herself. But the price of her assistance may prove more treacherous than even the threat of a supernatural war . . . to say nothing of the repercussions Cat never imagined.
Where to Buy
After the high energy and edge-of-your-seat suspense in the previous novels of this series, this one came as a bit of a disappointment to me. That's not to say that I didn't enjoy it, or I didn't think it was good, for I did and I do, but it just didn't seem to be quite up to the level I'd come to expect. Overall this one seems to be more about character building and refining some of the relationships more than it is about fighting the bad guy(s). Worthwhile and entertaining reading to be sure, just don't expect to be wow'd as much as with the previous books in the series.
Saturday, November 15, 2014
Christmas Spirits by Christy Gissendaner
Kia Mays has little time for anything as her lifelong dream of being a fashion designer comes to fruition. For Christmas, she takes time out of her busy schedule to visit her family in Georgia. Her beloved grandmother, Naya, reveals a secret of her Baule heritage. In Baule, located on the Ivory Coast of Africa, the people believe in spirit lovers, which you are separated from at birth. Tedros, her lover from the spirit world, appears to her and reveals that he is there to assist her in finding a mortal lover.
Elliot Melton, the brother of Kia's new sister in law, is also invited to share the season with the family. With the help of a meddling grandmother and an otherworldly spirit, Elliot and Kia soon find out that Christmas is the best time to fall in love.
Where to Buy
I found this to be a rather refreshing holiday romance story that doesn't rely on any of the "alone for the holiday" tropes that seem to predominate in this sub-category of romance. It read primarily like a contemporary romance to me, though with a large dash of the paranormal thrown in to spice things up a bit. There's no insta-love here, and wedding bells aren't ringing yet at the end; instead we have two ordinary people who are simply willing to take a chance and see where their instant attraction will lead them.
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
Craving by Sofia Grey
A deal with a demon, a biker psychic and the girl who might just be his salvation… if the demon doesn’t get to her first.
Dante isn’t your typical medium. With his leather jacket, tattoos and piercings, he looks more at home on his motorbike than he does holding a sĂ©ance and Katherine has no intention of getting involved with him. He’s the complete opposite of the kind of man she wants and represents everything she’s tried to leave behind, but she needs a medium and he’s the best one around.
Dante’s never allowed himself to get close to anyone for fear of putting them in danger. His craving for Katherine is about to bring his worst nightmares to life.
Get this at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Indigo Books & Music (Canada)
Like the first book in this series, this one immediately sucks you in, getting you caught up in the lives of the characters and in trying to puzzle out what's going on around them. You'll quickly find yourself lost in all the labyrinthine twists and turns, sure that the answers are just around the next corner as it were only to find that they're still nowhere in sight. But you won't care because the tapestry that's being woven is so fascinating that half the fun is watching to see which threads will be chosen and where they'll be laid in at.
Dante isn’t your typical medium. With his leather jacket, tattoos and piercings, he looks more at home on his motorbike than he does holding a sĂ©ance and Katherine has no intention of getting involved with him. He’s the complete opposite of the kind of man she wants and represents everything she’s tried to leave behind, but she needs a medium and he’s the best one around.
Dante’s never allowed himself to get close to anyone for fear of putting them in danger. His craving for Katherine is about to bring his worst nightmares to life.
Get this at:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
All Romance eBooks
Indigo Books & Music (Canada)
Like the first book in this series, this one immediately sucks you in, getting you caught up in the lives of the characters and in trying to puzzle out what's going on around them. You'll quickly find yourself lost in all the labyrinthine twists and turns, sure that the answers are just around the next corner as it were only to find that they're still nowhere in sight. But you won't care because the tapestry that's being woven is so fascinating that half the fun is watching to see which threads will be chosen and where they'll be laid in at.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Showering with a Ghost by Genevieve Scholl
Samantha Hastings was never the shy type, but when it came to Mike Renaldi she hid behind her books and sealed her lips shut. Sick of never letting Mike know how she really feels about him, she decides that she is going to bare her heart and soul after their High School graduation. But, after they all receive their diplomas, Mike decides to head off to a party with his friends and Sam worries that it is not the right time to tell him the truth. So, she goes home without revealing her feelings. Almost exactly one year later, she gets a phone call from her best friend while she is sitting in her college dorm room. There has been an accident. After attending Mike’s funeral, she goes back to her dorm room and takes a shower before bed while she cries for the loss of the boy she had loved, and for the man he was never able to become. As she looks back on all of the times she could have told him the truth, something- or someone- wipes the tears away.
Where to Buy
A sweet short story about love and loss. It's reasonably well written, and the author does a good job of making you feel connected with her heroine. The heat when it comes is good, though somewhat brief. The ending is confusing, with no explanations given for what happened in the shower, or what happens at the end. Explanations would have helped a lot, and as it is, I felt the ending brought everything down since it comes out of left field and no real reason is given for it. A decent short story otherwise.
Sunday, August 4, 2013
Ghostwriter by Lissa Bryan
Newly single, unemployed, and with her savings dwindling to an all-time low, Sara thinks things are finally looking up when she lands a job ghostwriting a popular politician’s biography, and rents the affordable island home of her favorite author, Seth Fortner, who mysteriously disappeared in 1925. Strange things begin to happen as objects break, go missing, and terrifying visions appear, making Sara wonder if Seth ever left, or if she is slowly losing her mind.
She gets no answers from his family who closely guards the secret of his disappearance. Through an old trunk of letters Sara discovers in the attic of her seaside cottage, Sara unravels the mystery and becomes caught up in a tale of greed, lost love, and the horrors of WWI. Will she be the one to break the “Fortner Curse” by helping Seth conquer his demons, and heal both of their hearts in the process?
Where to Buy
An enchanting story of an improbable love between two people born nearly a century apart. While there doesn't always seem to be a lot of action going on, still there is something about it that keeps drawing you onward and turning the pages. Probably it is the way the author makes her characters come alive on the page, but also it's the emotions that the characters and their trials and tribulations evoke that work to hold you riveted to the page.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Come to Me by Sofia Grey
Summer Meadows is a gifted psychic, and used to seeing ghosts, but sexy cowboy Jack McKane is unlike any spirit she has ever encountered.
He doesn't know he's dead.
Where to Buy
A great little short story that keeps you a bit off balance, wondering just what is really going on. Summer is a great character and it's easy to relate to her and her longing and confusing regarding Jack, though some might wonder at the fact that she can accept a ghost as a lover so readily. She's obviously used to dealing with spirits, however, so it's not that far of a stretch to think she'd be ok with having one in her bed as well. As for Jack, well, what's not to like about a gorgeous, loving, attentive, and endowed lover? I'd think that such would be many women's fantasy whether it's with a ghost or a real person. The action between them is hot, and the ending will probably leave you going "awwww!". 4½ stars to a wonderful story.
He doesn't know he's dead.
Where to Buy
A great little short story that keeps you a bit off balance, wondering just what is really going on. Summer is a great character and it's easy to relate to her and her longing and confusing regarding Jack, though some might wonder at the fact that she can accept a ghost as a lover so readily. She's obviously used to dealing with spirits, however, so it's not that far of a stretch to think she'd be ok with having one in her bed as well. As for Jack, well, what's not to like about a gorgeous, loving, attentive, and endowed lover? I'd think that such would be many women's fantasy whether it's with a ghost or a real person. The action between them is hot, and the ending will probably leave you going "awwww!". 4½ stars to a wonderful story.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Phantom Lovers by Marie Medina
Lyndsay never believed in ghosts and always nodded indulgently when the old timers in the theater tried to convince her otherwise. But two sexy ghosts have been watching her, and waiting. When they appear to her, she hesitates despite the desire that immediately burns in her veins. At first she wonders how she can trust the two mysterious men, but soon she convinces herself how foolish it would be to resist them. Yet even as she indulges in all the pleasures they offer her, she doesn’t confess her true feelings. She never imagined giving her heart to more than one man in the first place, so how can she give it to two men who aren’t even alive?
Be Warned: menage sex (MMF), anal sex, m/m sex.
Where to Buy
A surprisingly sweet short story that's also smoking hot and unexpectedly developed. Despite the short length, the characters aren't flat stereotypes but have definite personalities of their own, something that is always pleasant to find. We learn the essential parts of John and William's backstory, but not much of Lyndsay's, though that doesn't seem to matter much as there is the sense that her life has been fairly ordinary up until now. From their first encounters it is easy to feel the heat between these three, and when the guys finally reveal themselves to her it quickly becomes electric. I'd expected them to start having sex almost right away after they revealed themselves, but surprisingly it doesn't. Instead, the guy's introduce themselves, kiss her rather thoroughly, but then back off to give her time to get to know them, only gradually easing into a physical relationship. After that, whether it's just John and William together or all three of them, the action is so hot you can almost see steam coming from the screen. Definitely a recommended quick read for anyone that likes menage erotica or paranormal erotica.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Bound by Night by Naomi Clark
Fleeing her arranged marriage, Adeline seeks sanctuary in Geistheim Abbey. Within its cursed walls she finds the beautiful, scarred monk, Daghan, who offers her shelter—for a price.
Daghan needs a pure soul to break his curse. Adeline isn't sure how pure she can be when she lusts after this stranger so badly. But before they can find out, Adeline's cruel fiance arrives at Geistheim to reclaim her. And he won’t leave without a fight.
Where to Buy
Evernight Publishing - FREE!
An excellent short story that sizzles with heat and has just the right amount of threat to make it interesting. It's something of a pity that the story isn't longer, and that we don't get to know the characters more, but at the same time it didn't really need much more length to tell it's tale. We may only become briefly acquainted with Adeline and Daghan, but the characterization is still quite rich and they are far from being two-dimensional stereotypes as so often is the case in stories this short. It's easy to really feel their passion for one another, as well as their heartbreak when they think their loving might not have been enough to break the curse. I'd recommend this to anyone looking for a quick, hot read.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Tragedy of the Virgin Bride by Xavier Edwards
After centuries in the extended family, the old manor — once a castle — looks like it is to finally pass from the family line. For Josephine, this is just the latest tragedy she has had to face and, from her point of view, there is nothing but heartbreak in her future.
All it not as it seems — leaving Josephine struggling with the massive upheaval to her normal routine. Amongst this, she continues to hope for final redemption with her husband.
Where to Buy
A sweet story of a love that was thwarted in the past, and the trials (at least some of them) that the ill-fated lovers have endured in spirit form since their death as they have sought a way to be together again. The location and time periods involved are left rather vague, so it's a little hard to form precise mental images of the setting and characters, though the bulk of the narrative does take place essentially in modern time.
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