Written in Red by Anne Bishop

Title: Written in Red
Author: Anne Bishop
Series: The Others
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Roc; 1 edition (March 5, 2013)
Source: Purchased
Rating: ☕☕☕☕☕
Synopsis: As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.

Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.

My Thoughts: Going into this book I had high expectations because so many of my trusted bookie friends loved it and recommended it. They were so right! I not only loved this book but I found myself unable to rush through it. I took my time to savor it and I don't regret it one bit.

The Good Stuff: The world building was top notch. Bishop has created a world beyond the typical Urban Fantasy world. In most UF books werewolves, vampires, etc live in our world. A world the humans created. One where the bump in the night beings are "allowed" to live in. In this book the Others created the world. The humans are allowed to be in the world...mostly to be food...but also to create things the Others never felt necessary (like technology). Because the Others are in control of everything it does make for extremely interesting dynamics when it comes to the characters.

The Really Good Stuff: The characters are amazeballs. Bishop did a fantastic job of creating them. Meg is complex and Beta enough that I never expected her to be able to stand up for herself but was pleasantly surprised to see her growth through the book. Simon is pure Alpha Wolf. His confusion on how to deal with a human he actually liked was comical and endearing. I could gush on and on about the characters but just know that even the secondary characters made an impact on me.

In a Nutshell: I cannot wait to see where the author takes us next. The main storyline was wrapped up nicely with several underlying plots left open for future books. Normally this would annoy me but in this case it excites me. I seriously am excited to see what happens next to "The Meg".

Dying Bites by DD Barant

Title: Dying Bites
Author: DD Barant
Series: #1 in the Bloodhound Files series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: St. Martin's (June 30, 2009)
Source: Library Audio
Rating: ☕☕

Synopsis: Jace is an FBI agent who is sucked out of our world and deposited into a parallel universe where gods, vampires and werewolves exist on the premise of helping the NSA to eliminate a global threat of terrorism targeting vamps and weres.

What I Thought: I wasn't sure what to expect with this book but someone somewhere recommended it to me. I didn't exactly hate it but it wasn't exactly good either. I listened to the audio and I think the narrator did a decent job but the heroine's attitude came across as a total B. She screams all the time. She is insubordinate. She has attitude on top of attitude. NOT a good thing. Since I didn't read the book I didn't know if it was more of the narrator's interpretation of Jace or if she really was written this way. I hated her.
I also had issues with why the parallel universe needed Jace. With an entire world of expertise full of races who are faster, stronger and longer lived than mere humans, why did they need her? This was, by far, my biggest issue with the book (even factoring in that I hated the heroine.) This point is not explained. It compromises the entire book/series's integrity, if you ask me.

In a Nutshell: So, will I read book 2? I can't get it in audio from my library so I'd have to actually invest complete focus on it and I'm not sure it would be worth it.

Dangerous Games by Keri Arthur

Synopsis: In Melbourne’s urban underworld, there’s a nightclub for every fantasy and desire. But for Riley Jenson, one such club has become an obsession. Riley, a rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, hasn’t come in pursuit of pleasure but of an unknown killer who’s been using the steamy nightspot as his hunting grounds. Leave it to Riley to find the only ticket into the heavily guarded club: Jin, a deliciously hot-bodied bartender who might just provide the key to unmasking a killer unlike any other in the Directorate’s experience. Taunted by a former colleague turned rogue, distracted by an ex-lover’s attentions, Riley follows Jin into a realm of pleasure she could never have imagined. And as danger and passion ignite, a shocking mystery begins to unravel—one where Riley herself becomes the ultimate object of desire....

My Thoughts: While not quite as engaging as the previous installments it still held my attention long past the time I should have gone to bed.

What Worked: I liked the introduction of demons and the Aedh beings in this book. Although we didn't get a whole lot of information about either it was nice to see something other than weres, shifters, vampires and lab creatures. The introduction of an interesting wolf shifter added to the cast of characters nicely and the bane of Riley, Sal, provided a measure of comic relief that the series needs to counter it's darker side. I thought the plot thread of Riley's investigation into the mutilated corpses was well done but a little less primary than I'd have liked.

What Didn't Work: As always I'm going to add the sex to what didn't work. The beginning had Riley acting like a petulant child after a tiff with her main squeeze. When she didn't get her way she responded by running to her second choice to hump like bunnies (or werewolves as it were.) I thought this was pretty ridiculous and immature. So far Keri Arthur has not fully convinced me that her werewolves HAVE to have sex...I concede that they do during the fully moon phase but the other 3 weeks Riley should be able to keep herself under control. She doesn't WANT to though. In addition to the sex I just didn't feel that there was as much action as in previous books. The mystery/thriller plot thread took a back seat to the sexual (dare I say perversions?) aspect. Mostly because the sadistic nature of the killer/s tied in with BDSM. So with so much sex and/or sexual situations I had a harder time setting them aside as I did with the three previous installments. Also, even though there was some recap on what happened in previous books, I don't think enough information was given to allow this book to stand alone or to be read out of order. Since I'm reading the books in order this wasn't an issue for me but as a reader, I should have the option to read a book in publication order or to just grab one off the shelf and start reading without worrying that things won't make sense. I really believe that if I'd started with this book instead of Full Moon Rising I'd have been lost and refused to read any more in the series.

In a Nutshell: With some positives and some negatives the book balanced out to an average read. However, I'm still enjoying the series and am looking forward to continuing on to the next one. I would recommend to new readers that they not start out with this book though. I'm finding with continuing story lines from book to book and not enough of a recap on past happenings a new reader would not find this book as enjoyable as I did. Read them in order people!

Tempting Evil by Keri Arthur

Synopsis: In a world of sorcery and seduction, the nights bring out the beautiful, the damned, and the desired. Here, Riley Jenson is on her own–half werewolf, half vampire, working for an organization created to police the supernatural races. Trusting her superiors and lovers barely more than she trusts her worst enemies, Riley plays by her own set of rules. Her latest mission: to enter the heavily guarded pleasure palace of a criminal named Deshon Starr–a madman-scientist who’s been messing around in the gene pool for decades. With two sexy men–a cool, seductive vampire and an irresistibly hot wolf–vying for her attention, Riley must keep focused. Because saving the world from Deshon Starr will mean saving herself–from the trap that’s closing in around her. . . .

My Thoughts: Jumped right into this book when I finished the second in the series because for some reason I just can't get enough of Riley.

Spoiler Warning: Due to a controversial scene in the book where many readers want to be told about it I'm including a spoiler within my review. I will not give away pertinent plot twists or anything like that but continue with caution.

What Worked: Even though I find Riley very flawed I'm enjoying her immensely. She rarely jumps into trouble without thinking first and I have yet to label her TSTL (if you've read any of my reviews in the past you know this is a major issue I have with many heroines.) Her abilities stemming from her being a Dhampir are notable as are her growing psychic talents. I can't wait to see what is in store for those! What also worked was the ending of a 3 book underlying plot thread. I don't think I would have continued on with a 4th book if the DNA/Cloning plot thread had not ended.

What Didn't Work: While undercover, Riley was given the choice to wear clothes or not while in the Starr complex. She opted to run around naked. As a werewolf she has very few inhibitions but as a reader I found it really weird. Perhaps if I were a nudist it wouldn't have felt so awkward but as I'm not I couldn't get that point to flow well while reading.  (((((SPOILER)))))In addition to the nudism what also didn't work was there is yet another instance of rape in this book. Poor Riley gets knocked out and finds the man she figured she'd have to sleep with to get info from has actually been having sex with her unconscious body for hours. Once again Riley is barely phased other than complaining about how sore she was. I really hope this isn't going to be a trend in these books because even though Riley isn't crying rape that is exactly what happened.((((((END SPOILER)))))

In a Nutshell: Despite what didn't work, I thought, once again, the positives outweighed the negatives. My recommendation, as with the other two books in this series, is to ignore the sex and focus on the action. That is really where this book shined for me. A kick butt woman and some serious nail biting action.

Kissing Sin by Keri Arthur

Synopsis: From Melbourne’s gleaming skyscrapers to its throbbing nightclubs, Riley Jenson’s world is raging with danger and desire. A drop-dead-gorgeous werewolf–with a touch of vamp coursing in her blood–Riley works for an organization created to police the supernatural races. But when she wakes up naked and bruised in a barren alley, she knows only that she must run for her life. Within moments Riley collides with the sexiest man she’s ever seen: steely, seductive Kade, who is fighting a life-and-death battle of his own. With old lovers and enemies gathering around her, Riley knows she is being pursued by a new kind of criminal. Because in Riley’s blood is a secret that could create the ultimate warrior–if only she can survive her own dangerous desires….

My Thoughts: Originally I was going to review this second book in the Riley Jenson series along with the 3rd book all in one review because I read both books back to back making it hard to separate them. I ultimately decided to just go ahead with separate reviews. So.....

Spoiler Warning: While writing my review I decided that I was going to give away a spoiler. It does not effect the balance of the book. I will not give away anything like Col. Mustard in the Library with the Candlestick but this spoiler is necessary to know for many readers.

What Worked: The opening sequence was straight up thrilling. Reminded me of a mystery/thriller which was totally an awesome beginning. Also through the course of the book the lines between friends and enemies are crossed which makes for some really interesting situations. Riley, herself, is proving to be a strong stand up woman who takes no grief from anyone, even her boss. Although still struggling with her path towards becoming a guardian she is finding that it might just be inevitable.

What Didn't Work: Once again we are bombarded with the werewolf needing sex thing. Arthur's werewolves are sensual creatures who have no sexual hang ups what-so-ever. Meaning what we, as humans, might deem morally wrong (like sleeping with a man you just met 15 minutes ago or having sex with a different man every night) werewolves wouldn't. They are all about free love and sex is just sex. No emotional attachment except to their soul mate once they meet them at which point they would become monogamous. To tell the truth I thought about quitting this book 50 pages into it when I'd already read 2 sex scenes, one of which was with a stranger. (((((SPOILER))))))Speaking of sex, a deal breaker for many readers would be rape. More specifically in this book Riley finds out she has been date raped. Although Arthur never came out and labeled it, when a woman is drugged and unconscious and a man has sex with her anyway (or purposely I should say) this is rape. The only reason I was able to just gloss over this while reading was because Riley didn't seem to be effected overly much other than to be pissed off. I chalked it up to her being a werewolf but it nagged at me anyway. Speaking of the sex if you're looking for some sort of meaningful sex this book isn't it. (especially after a date rape...right?) ((((((END SPOILER))))))Since Arthur's werewolves have sex whenever and with whomever without an emotional attachment the sex is just unsexy. Nothing about any of the sex scenes could be considered sensual IMHO.

One more thing that I thought didn't work was the continuing storyline from book 1 to this one. That storyline still had no closure and will continue into book 3.  I prefer books with full and complete story lines only because many people don't read books in order. I actually prefer to read in order but I like the option of doing just the opposite. Continuing story lines make this not an option even though most authors do a decent job of recapping.

In A Nutshell: Despite some really negative points the awesome sauce of a heroine that I believe Riley to be outweighs the bad. I basically had to ignore all the sex and focus on the rest which really made this book a winner for me. Will I read it again? Eh...maybe. Will I read the next...already did. These books are compelling and addicting. Reader beware though on what I've outlined in the What Didn't Work area.

A Touch of Darkness by Tina Moss and Yelena Casale

Synopsis: Cassie’s working for a tightwad boss at a pretentious NYC diner, dealing with paralyzing pain that doctors can’t diagnose, and trying to hide her hands that glow purple whenever she ...well, whenever.

So, when a mysterious stranger walks out of her dreams and into her life to spout some nonsense about her being a mythical creature, she chalks it up to one more crazy thing to add to her it’s-a-crappy-life list. Yet, when the stranger’s predictions start to come true, she discovers a world that could shake up her humdrum existence.

My Thoughts: Although the synopsis does have to do with the book it is almost misleading as the events highlighted, in most cases, are so underplayed that they are virtually non-existent during the course of the book.

The Good: An interesting concept based on the synopsis. Yep, I've used that "concept" line before but I truly mean it no matter how many times I say it when speaking about books. The synopsis pulled me in. I was intrigued by why Cassie's hands would glow purple and what exactly she was, if not human. The authors had some good ideas.

The Bad: The execution of the ideas could have been written better. The world building only appears to be halfway complete and the characters are poorly drawn. For example our *ahem* hero, Gabe, mentions that he and another "Fallen", Rafe, are bitter rivals yet the reasoning was never mentioned. In addition, the reason Gabe "Fell" was never covered even though he constantly talked about working toward his redemption. The addition of some over the top violence in the last half of the book that was completely absent in the first half made the sections a bit disjointed as if one author wrote the first half and the other wrote the last. Plus one torture scene appears to have been added just for shock factor. Gabe is tortured by the bad guys for information on Cassie. Yet the bad guys already HAD Cassie. Why they would have to torture him when they had her is beyond me. The lack of real romance within the book makes the H/h's devotion to one another towards the end of the book seem entirely out of place and a bit weird. And finally (not that this is the end of the issues but the end of what I'd consider "The Bad") the character's had an annoying habit of talking to themselves. Meaning, a book written in the third person narrative would utilize inner musings where we, the readers, would be able to see what they were thinking. This book had those thoughts spoken out loud as if the characters were in some weird soap opera.

The Ugly: These are more personal issues I have and might not be something another reader might find to be worse than those mentioned above. However, for me, they are deal breakers.....1)What looked like an interesting idea for a book based on the synopsis proved to be nothing more than an Angels against Demons trope. Been there. Done that. Cassie's "abilities" are so under explained that they barely had any significance within the story to make this book an original. 2)Basic editing errors are more than annoying. Any editor, no matter how seasoned, should have picked up the usage of "peak" instead of "peek" and "dear" instead of "deer". 3) Cassie was TSTL. She has demons trying to capture her and the Angels want her dead. So what does our *ahem* heroine do? She decides she is her own woman and purposely heads out to the Las Vegas strip on her own, without the man who has sworn to protect her from harm, just because she could. Ugh.

In A Nutshell: Unfortunately, this book has way too many issues for this to be a truly enjoyable read. For this reason I will not continue on with the series even though this is only the first book in what will be a series.

Dancing With the Devil by Keri Arthur

Synopsis: Private Investigator Nikki James grew up on the tough streets of Lyndhurst and believes there's nothing left to surprise her. All that changes the night she follows teenager Monica Trevgard into the shadows-and becomes a pawn caught in a war between two very different men. One fills her mind with his madness, the other pushes his way into her life-and her heart. Nikki knows how dangerous love can be, but if she wants to survive, she must place her trust in a man who could easily destroy her. Michael Kelly has come to Lyndhurst determined to end the war between himself and another brother of the night. For 300 years he has existed in life's shadows, gradually learning to control the life from death cravings of a vampire. Nikki not only breaches his formidable barriers with her psychic abilities, but makes Michael believe he may finally have found a woman strong enough to walk by his side and ease the loneliness in his heart. But will his love be enough to protect her from a madman hell-bent on revenge? Or will it drive her into his enemy's deadly trap? Only together can they overcome the evil threatening to destroy them both. But the secrets they keep from each other might prove to be the greatest threat of all.

My Thoughts: While the concept of this book was actually to my liking, a psychically gifted PI being caught in the sights of an evil vampire and a vampire hero comes to her rescue, I found the execution was a bit off. Finding the positives to point out has been difficult for me because every instance had both pro and con to it.

What Worked: Our heroine, Nikki, is both determined and strong....yet flawed. This will allow for future character development....and believe me, this character needs some because although I've listed Nikki as a plus she was also the biggest disappointment I had in this book. (more on that later)

In addition to the character of Nikki, her boss, Jake, although completely human with no special abilities is actually the glue that holds Nikki together and essentially the book itself. He lent a calmness and logic to the story that it truly needed it as Nikki seemed to go off half cocked most of the time.

What Didn't Work: The World Building. The addition of the Damask Circle was woefully under-explained. If not for Michael mentioning a few times that he worked for them I'd never know it existed. This was just one example of the lack of world building. Arthur has also failed to provide rules to her world. Nikki has telekinesis but apparently also has psychometry and precognitive skills too. I've never read a book where one person had so many different types of psychic skills. Usually a person is only gifted with one. In addition it is mentioned so many times that while battling vampires or the zombies Nikki had depleted her psychic gift yet a moment later she is pooling more energy to attack or defend again. It is not explained where her reserve is coming from two, sometimes three times after it's mentioned she's essentially empty of her gifts. In addition to this it appears Arthur's vampires have even greater psychic gifts than Nikki as they have telepathy and can control anyone with their minds in addition to having telekinesis. They also can raise the dead and become invisible by blending into the shadows. And can someone tell me how a vampire 1/3 of the age of our hero could be continually best our hero? In every vampire romance I've read, the older the vampire the greater the strength and the speed and the everything....not so much in Dancing With the Devil.

The romance between Nikki and Michael didn't work either as it rang false by basing itself on a psychic connection that readers had to believe in without any actual romantic gestures from either character. When all was said and done I was still wondering how the characters fancied themselves in love.

The biggest flaw of the book would have to be Nikki herself. She came across angry with the world and self sacrificing to the point I really was rooting for the bad guy to kill her and get it over with. I have a hard time liking a character who completely ignores all of her own instincts, runs headlong into danger every other page knowing it was probably not a good idea and practically gift wraps herself for the bad guy to kidnap her (after already having been kidnapped by him once.) She was BTSTL (Beyond Too Stupid to Live!)

In a Nutshell: Despite the numerous negatives I did give this book 3 stars because it has potential and room to grow. Jake was a very interesting secondary character and I'm interested in seeing what the Damask Circle is all about.

Two Weeks' Notice by Rachel Caine

Synopsis: Bryn Davis finds out that making a living can be rough if you’re already dead...

After dying and being revived with the experimental drug Returne, Bryn Davis is theoretically free to live her unlife— with regular doses to keep her going. But Bryn knows that the government has every intention of keeping a tight lid on Pharmadene’s life-altering discovery, no matter the cost. Thankfully, some things have changed for the better; her job at the rechristened Davis Funeral Home is keeping her busy and her fragile romance with Patrick McCallister is blossoming— thanks in part to their combined efforts in forming a support group for Returne addicts. But when some of the group members suddenly disappear, Bryn wonders if the government is methodically removing a threat to their security, or if some unknown enemy has decided to run the zombies into the ground…

My Thoughts: No sophomore blues when it comes to the second book in Caine's Revivalist series. I enjoyed this one more than I did the first one.

What Worked: Bryn's personal growth from the first to the second book is tremendous. One of my biggest complaints of the first book was that if Bryn didn't have a gun she was nothing more than a punching bag for every Tom, Dick or Freddie to abuse. She got her butt kicked more than a bad MMA fighter in the first book. With this book she took her military training to a whole new level. She exuded confidence in bulk and could back it up. She was no one's victim even while tied up and tortured.

The relationship between Bryn and Patrick reached a whole new level in this second installment. Bryn being, technically, dead and Patrick being, well, not, a sexual relationship could have been an urpy concept however, Caine wrote it in a way that I completely believed it and liked it. Actually the complexity of relationships between all the characters was very well done. Including Joe Fideli's contribution to Bryn and all of her jobs and Liam, the Alfred to Patrick's Batman and his contribution to everything.

What Didn't Work: Parts of the book did drag a bit especially in the first 1/3 and I found it easy to set this book aside for something else until I got past page 100. Also even though I did love the advancements Bryn made towards being a bad-ass I would have liked some explanation on how she went from perpetual victim to thwarting professional kidnappers without (barely) breaking a sweat. Something like a rigorous training schedule for hand to hand combat or weapons training would have been an asset.

I didn't care for the Revived being called addicts either. To survive they all needed a shot on a daily basis. To me, addiction is the abuse of something, whether it be drugs, alcohol or gambling an addict would use to the point of abusing it. Having to have a shot once a day does not make an addict any more than a Diabetic reliant on daily insulin would be.

Towards the end, unfortunately, Bryn kind of fell into the TSTL category by making a bad decision for not only herself but for her sister Annie as well. This point is a bit teetering because I could see why she made the decision she did but I thought it was a bad one. Her sister thought it was a bad one and even Bryn herself was not completely on board with it. The results were catastrophic to Bryn but did open up a whole new level of awesomeness for this series. So, a minus and a plus all rolled into one!

In a Nutshell: I love this series. Zombies, who aren't exactly zombies...but might as well be, bad guys who might be good guys, bad guys who are living in bad guy land so deep even traditional bad guys won't go there, torture sequences in which nothing more than a spoon is used (mostly off camera) and several OMG moments towards the end ensure I am going to read the latest installment of this series ASAP. This series is not for everyone as it is a bit more gruesome than a typical UF series but for me it's a winner!

 

Bite Me by PJ Schnyder

Synopsis: Few people walk the streets of London since the zombie outbreak, but that's not an issue for Seth. As a werewolf, he can handle himself and save humans reckless enough to take a nighttime stroll. While on patrol he comes across a group of people under attack. The one woman brave enough to take a stand against the zombies catches his eye—and not just because of her way with a gun. Learning the beautiful woman is homeless and fends for herself only intensifies his urge to protect and care for her.

Maisie can't help but admit that she's attracted to her werewolf rescuer. She's drawn to Seth's strength and ferocity, and finds herself opening up to him in ways she never imagined, even though she's determined to not rely on Seth or anyone else. She doesn't want another person to get hurt—or die—for her sake. She has enough scars, physical and emotional, from the last time…

But when Seth realizes something is drawing the zombies to Maisie, there may be nothing he can do to save her…

My thoughts: Despite this being a novella of less than 100 pages I thought this story was a great introduction to PJ Schnyder's writing and her new London Undead series. I love books with zombies and I'm so happy that this one didn't try to portray any zombie as a hero. They were dead disgusting buggers and I loved reading about them.

What Worked: I think Schnyder did I commendable job introducing us to her London Undead world. Although we might not have all the information we could have had if this had been a full length novel I think what she was able to accomplish was a great start.

Her characters are strong and intelligent. I really liked that our heroine, Maisie, could take care of herself without fear freezing her up. I liked that Seth recognized her strength and although it is in his DNA makeup to take care of her he knew she could do it herself.

I also liked that Schnyder doesn't have the characters falling into insta-love because there wasn't enough time to develop a longer courtship. I was quite satisfied with the way the characters came together in the end.

What Didn't Work: Just a few minor points actually. The length of the story really limited a longer courtship, the background on the characters and the world building. As I mentioned before, I think PJ really did a great job within the novella limitations but as a reader I just wasn't ready for the story to end. I could have happily settled in for another several hours worth of reading about these characters and the Undead world. Seth and Maisie's story is not finished. I hope PJ has realized this and plans to write more about them in the future. Oh and Seth's playful way of tossing Maisie up into the air repeatedly while carrying her was a bit much. Coming from someone with a bad leg, the jarring would have hurt. See, told you they were only minor points.

In a Nutshell: A new Urban Fantasy setting well worth the read but I'm begging you PJ, please, please, please give me more! Write that full Undead London novel. I'll definitely read it!

Working Stiff by Rachel Caine

Synopsis: Bryn Davis knows working at Fairview Mortuary isn't the most glamorous career choice, but at least it offers stable employment--until she discovers her bosses using a drug that resurrects the clientele...as part of an extortion racket. Now Bryn faces being terminated (literally) with extreme prejudice. 

With the assistance of corporate double agent Patrick McCallister, Bryn has a chance to take down the bigger problem--pharmaceutical company Pharmadene, which treats death as the ultimate corporate loyalty program. She'd better do it fast before she becomes a zombie slave--a real working stiff.

She'd be better off dead....

My thoughts: Although I wasn't completely blown away by this book it was a really good book with an interesting twist on the zombie trend within the Urban Fantasy genre. 

What worked for me: The tone of the book is set at a pretty dark pace which worked for this story. There are no rainbows and butterflies found in this book. It is a book about death and the corruption involved when humans control whether people die and stay dead or become undead. 

Our characters are quite complex from our heroine to our (maybe) hero. The bad guys are very nasty and the good guys live in a gray area where you constantly wonder if they are good or bad. Bryn is a capable heroine with a military background and an ability to  work with the dead from a mortuary standpoint. The secondary characters are well developed and I'm looking forward to seeing more of them in the second book.

There were enough twists and turns within the book to keep me more than interested and I couldn't help but connect with Bryn in her need to stay alive while other people used her as their puppet.

What didn't work for me: The fact that Bryn had quite a military background yet seemed to have no survival skills unless she had a gun in her hand. I was getting quite tired of her constantly getting smashed in the head or face, getting knocked out and/or walking into situations blindly with no apparent strategy. 

The fact that this book introduced a romance between reanimated Bryn and a fully alive man boarders on the ick. The only way I was able to go with it was to keep reminding myself that Bryn was not a traditional rotting brain eating zombie. The drug that Bryn has to take every day keeps her organs working or as Caine said "The drug maintains you. It doesn't bring you back to life, just supports your vital functions. If you wanted to get poetic, I'd say it replaces your soul." So, without getting into theological debates, essentially while Bryn is taking the drug she is, in fact, alive.

Overall: A book that won't appeal to everyone but for myself, it worked. I liked the darker path Caine took with this book and my inner psycho loved every gory scene. I am looking forward to the second book in this series.

Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles

Synopsis....Who Knew An Angel Could Get A Girl In So Much Devilish Trouble?


Jackie Brighton woke up in a Dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her familiar B-cups have somehow become double Ds, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her fi rst one-night stand ever...with a fallen angel. All she remembers is gorgeous Noah's oddly hypnotic blue eyes...and then a dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a sexy Itch. With help from Noah, Jackie begins to adapt to her new lifestyle -- until she accidentally sends Noah into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands herself in a fi erce battle for an ancient halo with the queen's wickedly hot righthand man. Who just happens to be the vampire who originally bit her. How's a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy's so hard to resist?



My Thoughts.....I finished Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles. I really really enjoyed this book. Not one usually for super steamy... I tend to cringe a little when the storyline contains an enormous amount of sex because in many cases the more sex the less actual romance the book contains. I love when a book makes me go Awwww but hate when a book makes me go Ewwwwww. With that said Gentlemen was really good. Yes there was a lot of sex but in this case the storyline supported the sex and the sex supported the storyline. Succubi are all about sex. It's how they live. It's how they survive. It worked for this book. Although there were little to no romance in this book I didn't find myself getting pissed because of the lack of it. Like I said, the book had an interesting storyline and it worked.

Jackie is a very good character who was thrown into the succubi world with no intro or anything. She struggles with who she has become and tries to fight it...she hates the thought of having to be a slut. The men in her life are ooo laaa laaa. Noah is a fallen angel. Zane is a vampire. Out of the two I have found my new obsession with Zane. A bad boy to the max. Perhaps with a heart...maybe not. His character is what I am looking forward to reading about in the next book.

Over all this might have been a 5 star read if it weren't the fact that Jackie's vampire master, when changing her left her in a dumpster in an icky alley. I don't think this was resolved well. If it were me I would definitely hold a grudge against the master. He left her in a dumpster!!! I wouldn't forgive that easily. She seemed to have forgotten in towards the end. Oh well. Still a 4.5 star read. Can't wait to get to the next one. Unfortunately with my reading schedule this month not sure if I can fit it in until April.

Nice Girls Don't Have Fangs by Molly Harper

I really loved this book. Not quite enough to bestow a 5 star rating on it but enough to run right out and get the second in the series. Jane is a super smart librarian who starts her day off(and the book) with getting fired from the library by the uni-brow sporting dictator she calls her boss. While wallowing in self pity at a local bar, spending her severance package (a gift certificate for potato skins at said bar) she meets a hottie named Gabriel. After way too many Mudslides and vicious circle ranting she leaves the bar to head home only to become the victim of a random hunting accident. Where, to save her life, Gabriel turns her into a vampire. And so she begins her undead life...on a day that turned out to be the worst day of her...well...alive life.

Jane is by far one of my favorite characters that I have read about in a while. Her humor is a blend of wit and sarcasm peppered with healthy doses of classic literature quotes. Each chapter opens up with a quote from The Guide for the Newly Undead. Which I found extremely informative even though I am not undead. A fact that I am pretty thankful for because Molly Harper's undead community sounds a little like high school. Not some place I would willingly go but it is fun to read about as long as it is happening to someone else.

Harper's secondary characters are also very interesting. Aunt Jettie is a ghost that "haunts" Jane's house, the house that Aunt Jettie willed to Jane despite the rest of the family. Dick is the ex-best friend of Gabriel who likes to torment him by hanging out with Jane making lewed and inappropriate comments to her. Zeb is Jane's best friend who tries to deal with Jane's turning by attending a 12 step program for family and friends of the undead.

I would very much recommend this to anyone who likes humorous paranormal books like MaryJanice Davidson, Kimberly Raye, or Lyndsay Sands.

Moon Called (Mercy Thompson, Book 1) by Patricia Briggs

I loved this book. Mercy Thompson is an excellent heroine. Her strengths are not defined by her mystical powers as a walker but as an adaptable person with special abilities. Raised by werewolves she understands the inner workings of being part of a pack without the bother of actually having to conform and be pack. It is the readers priviledge to get an inside look at Mercy's knowledge of "others" and things that go bump in the night.

Mercy is an auto mechanic who finds herself deep into a mystery which involves newbie werewolves invading the local alpha's territory, kidnapping, and a handful of vampires (everyone knows vampires cannot be trusted.) So what is a young headstrong woman to do? Get involved. Of course.

What I found completely fasinating about this book was that Briggs created a world that ties together basic "knowledge" of werewolves and vampires and her vision of the otherworld seemlessly. As a reader we get history 101 on werewolves without feeling like we just sat through a boring 8 hour lecture.

The other characters in the book are just as wonderful as Mercy. I can't wait to read more about them in future books.

Halfway to the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 1) by Jeaniene Frost

I loved this book. I have no idea why it took me so long to pick it up. Thankfully I have the next one in the series sitting waiting for me to dive into it.

What I enjoyed so much about this book was the two main characters Cat and Bones. Cat is a 22 year old half vampire/half human. She is one of a kind. No one has ever heard of someone who is technically half dead. When at age 16 she finds out how she came about she takes matters in her own hands and decided to take out as many blood suckers as she can.

Bones is a two hundred something master vampire who finds himself at the wrong end of Cat's stake. As kick butt as Cat is...she is still fairly new at killing vampires and is no match for a Master one like Bones. When Bones figures out what she is he decides to use her to his advantage...which is also killing vampires. Cat has no idea why a vampire would kill other vampires. In Cat's book all vampires are evil. What takes her by surprise is that not all vampires are bad.

This is a basic summary of the plot but don't think that is all there is to this book. It is also a very good love story. Cat must come to terms with who and what she is in addition to understanding her complex feelings towards Bones who she should hate but finds herself unable to. How can she have feelings for someone she has sworn to kill first and ask questions later?

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 2) by Jeaniene Frost

After reading the first book in the series and loving it I couldn't wait to pick up the second to continue my adventures with Cat. This book is a continuation of Cat's life where the first book stopped almost 4 years later. She is still using all of what Bones taught her to kill vampires but now she gets paid for it. She still has daddy issues and longs for the time she can meet him and stake him.

Honestly through the book I was thinking this was rather good book but not necessarily a 5 Cup of Coffee kind of book until the end. The end was what put the book into that category for me. I won't give anything away but just know that if you enjoy PNR/UF you absolutely have to pick these books up. Be warned that although many might tell you that you can read series books out of order you will want to read these in the order that Frost published them. There are a few things that might become spoilers should you read them backwards.