Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

 

Title: Midnight Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: #5 in the Mythos Academy series

Genre: YA Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Kensington Books (July 30, 2013)

Source: NetGalley

Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis:  Here we go again …

Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there … 

My Thoughts: Another installment of the never-ending battle between good and evil.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything In Between: So, the thing with this book, or rather Jennifer Estep's writing in general, it is a bit repetitive. Reapers attack. A bunch of kids training to be warriors kill most of them. Rinse. Repeat. Don't get me wrong. That doesn't make this a bad book. There are enough new additions between slightly different scenarios and new characters being brought in that the book has enough of a difference between it and it's predecessors to keep us interested. I have to admit though I am glad there is only one more book in this series though. I'm ready for this story arch to end. Last year I read the first book in her spin off series and enjoyed the newness of the new setting and new characters but even it is still all about a bunch of kids battling Reapers. I'm honestly not sure how long Estep can continue with this same theme with the same bad guys.

With that said I did like the forward movement Gwen had in her life by finding a cousin and learning more about her own dad who was an unknown to us and really to her. I liked Rory and Rachel (but then I already met them when I read the first book in the spin off series last year) and really liked the Colorado setting. I liked the return of Logan even though it was almost at the end of the book. I also liked how Gwen was coming into her own person. She has learned to be just as much of a warrior as the Valkyries and Amazons and has stopped doubting herself. 

In a Nutshell: I enjoyed this book a lot and even though I'm ready for this series to come to an end I'm still looking forward to reading book 6 and the conclusion to this chapter of the Mythos Academy.

The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost

Title: The Beautiful Ashes
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Narrator: Tavia Gilbert
Series: #1 in the Broken Destiny series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Blackstone Audio (August 26, 2014 )
Source: Purchased/ Kindle Freebie
Rating: ☕☕☕

Synopsis: In a world of shadows, anything is possible - except escaping your fate.

Ever since she was a child, Ivy has been gripped by visions of strange realms just beyond her own. But when her sister goes missing, Ivy discovers the truth is far worse - her hallucinations are real, and her sister is trapped in a parallel realm. And the one person who believes her is the dangerously attractive guy who's bound by an ancient legacy to betray her.

Adrian might have turned his back on those who raised him, but that doesn't mean he can change his fate, no matter how strong a pull he feels toward Ivy. Together they search for the powerful relic that can save her sister, but Adrian knows what Ivy doesn't: That every step brings Ivy closer to the truth about her own destiny and a war that could doom the world. Sooner or later, it will be Ivy on one side and Adrian on the other - and nothing but ashes in between.

My Thoughts: For a character who is 20 years old she acted like a teenager in lust rather than a mature adult. What a shame.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything Else: This book was, unfortunately, bogged down with an immature heroine, inst-love, and too many "really?" moments to be a great book. So many people have labeled this a YA novel but with a 20 year old heroine it is more in lines with a New Adult rather than it's younger counterpart. The best part of this book was Frost's world building. Sure the angels and demons trope has been done repeatedly but I really liked the spin she put on it.

I think the biggest flaw of this book is the hero. He is a typical anti-hero in statue and attitude. He refuses to communicate with Ivy yet expects her to be forthcoming. He kidnaps her...at which she bats her eyelashes at him and thinks about his good looks and how she should be worried about being kidnapped but he is soooo handsome. Barf. Ok so he's not the biggest flaw...they both are.

I chose to listen to this book on audio and Tavia Gilbert did an Ok job. I was able to listen at a faster speed than normal but not quite my usual of 2x because she gets a little chipmunkie.

Besides the world building, the action was really good and nonstop. Oh and the gargoyle was amazing.

In a Nutshell: Even with Jeaniene Frost's wonderful world building and action I'm way too character driven to really like this book. Eventually I'll finish the trilogy but I'm not in a hurry to do so. Even though I purchased the first one...because it's Frost after all, I will look towards my local library for the rest.

River Marked by Patricia Briggs

Title: River Marked
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #6 in the Mercy Thompson series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group (March 1, 2011)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis: Car mechanic Mercy Thompson has always known there was something different about her, and not just the way she can make a VW engine sit up and beg. Mercy is a shapeshifter, a talent she inherited from her long-gone father. She’s never known any others of her kind. Until now.

An evil is stirring in the depths of the Columbia River—one that her father’s people may know something about. And to have any hope of surviving, Mercy and her mate, the Alpha werewolf Adam, will need their help…

My Thoughts: I really wanted to like this more than I did.

The Good, The Bad, and Everything in the Middle: So there were some really good things about this book. I complained (just a tad) about the lack of progression in Mercy and Adam's relationship so I'm really happy there was a wedding in this one and a honeymoon in this one. The wedding was over pretty quickly but it was so sweet and then the honeymoon starts. Where else would a werewolf take a coyote walker for a honeymoon but camping. I thought this was perfect but then I have a love of camper camping (don't give me a sleeping bag and a tent Hells no).

Of course Mercy finds trouble while camping...or rather trouble finds her. I loved the setting as they visited Multnomah Falls which I was lucky enough to visit in the 90's and would love to go back. It's so beautiful and seeing recognizable landmarks is fun as well.

Multnomah Falls

Despite the forward movement in the romance I'm just really surprised all the sexy parts happened behind closed doors. Is this new to the series or has it always been this way and I just never noticed until I powered through the Kate Daniels book and witnessed an amazingly passionate relationship? I am not one for sex scene after sex scene but I need more than just talking about their passion. I want to see it too.

I think the highlight of this book was our learning about Mercy's heritage and the American Indian lore. Sure we all knew she was part Native American but we got to meet her father, Coyote, and also meet several new characters to the series all deeply rooted in the Native lore. I really liked this but much of it was explained in dialogue I had a hard time keeping it straight. At one point Coyote was her father but yet he wasn't and in the past he was Joe Coyote but wasn't as well. Even Mercy had a tough time keeping up.

Although the pack was all but missing through this whole book, not to mention Zee, Gabriel, Samuel, etc., I did like the addition of Stephan's plot at the beginning and the end because I kind of like him...a lot. There will be more of him and Coyote because there is history there folks!

I listened to this book on audio and once again Lorelei King was a great narrator. I love everything she does but I'm currently knee deep in 2 UF series she narrates with 2 completely different protagonists. And to complicate that I just finished  the first book in a new series by Darynda Jones which Lorelei also reads. She's Mercy. She's Charley Davidson. She's Stephanie Plum. And now she's Sunshine Vicram but that is for another post.....

In a Nutshell: I'm so far invested into this series to give it up now. I'm hoping they get back to giving me some major book love like I had when I started this series. If you're new to this series don't start with this one....go back and pick up Moon Called and go from there.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Title: Silver Borne
Author: Patricia Briggs
Narrator: Lorelei King
Series: #5 in the Mercy Thompson series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Penguin Audio (March 30, 2010)
Source: Library Find
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, never knows what the day - or night - may bring in a world where "witches, vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters live beside ordinary people" (Booklist). But she is about to learn that while some secrets are dangerous whose who seek them are just plain deadly...

Mercy is smart enough to realize that when it comes to the magical fae, the less you know, the better. But you can't always get what you want. When she attempts to return a powerful fae she previously borrowed in an act of desperation, she finds the bookstore locked up and closed down.

It seems the book contains secrets - and the fae will do just about anything to keep it out of the wrong hands. And if that doesn't take enough of Mercy's attention, her friend Samuel is struggling with his wolf side - leaving Mercy to cover for him lest his own father declare Samuel's life forfeit.

All in all, Mercy has had better days. And if she isn't careful, she may not have many more...

My Thoughts: Another good installment of the Mercy Thompson series. I bought the e-book but chose to borrow the audio from the library. I love listening to Lorelei King and tend to enjoy everything she narrates.

The Good: While I really like Mercy I really think, for me anyway, Samuel's storyline stole the show for me. What a turn of events and I liked the notable difference in characteristics between Samuel and Sam, his wolf. Although there was not a large forward movement in Mercy and Adam's relationship I did like the information we learned about the pack/mate bond between them. I just hope Mercy and Adam become an epic couple like Kate and Curran. They have all the chemistry. I'm just hoping Briggs does them justice.

The Bad: Why are almost all the women in this series proving to be bitches? Mercy is the only one who seems consistent in character. Sylvia, Auriele, Mary Jo...yes even Mary Jo who should be a little bit more courteous since Mercy saved her life in the last book. As I mentioned earlier I did think Samuel's story took more of my attention than Mercy's did but I am not sure about the way his reason for, well, being can about. I don't want to give too much away but it felt very quickly wrapped up for a major storyline.

In a Nutshell: I still love this series and will definitely listen to the next one. I wouldn't recommend this book to newbies to the series as there are incidents that have happened in previous books that are not only mentioned in this one but understanding Adam and Mercy's tiptoeing around their relationship will make more sense if the books are read in order.

Memory Zero by Keri Arthur

Title: Memory Zero
Author: Keri Arthur
Series: #1 in the Spook Squad series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Originally released by ImaJinn Books (June 15, 2004) re-released by Dell (August 26, 2014)
Source: NetGalley
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

Synopsis: MORTAL RECALL

For Sam Ryan, life began at age fourteen. She has no memory of her parents or her childhood. In a decade of service with the State Police, Sam has exhausted the resources of the force searching for clues to her identity. But all mention of her family seems to have been deliberately wiped off the record. Everything changes the night Sam’s missing partner resurfaces as a vampire . . . and forces her to kill him in self-defense. Now Sam is charged with murder. Suspended from the force, and with no one left to trust, Sam accepts some unexpected help from Gabriel Stern, a shapeshifter who conceals startling secrets.

While investigating the circumstances surrounding her partner’s strange behavior, Sam discovers that Garbriel’s been involved with a dangerous organization that’s planning a war on the human race. More immediate, someone is guarding the truth about Sam’s past—someone who’d rather see her dead than risk her knowing too much. To stay alive, Sam must unravel the threads of her past—and find out not only who she is but what she is.

My Thoughts: Being a fan of Keri Arthur's Riley Jensen series I knew I was in for a treat with this one!

The Good and The Bad of it all: A lot of my good points could also be construed as bad so I'm lumping everything together. This book is non-stop action. It takes off from the beginning with Sam meeting her missing partner after a surprise call from him one night and it never lets up until the last few pages. This, for me, was great. It kept me turning the pages. I hated having to put the book down to go to work. I needed to see what would happen to Sam! Too much action can be a bad thing as well. There seems to be a trade-off with the action and developing the characters. Sure things went breakneck fast but perhaps at the expense of getting to know Sam and Gabriel better. I think the mystery of Sam worked out well though. Sam doesn't know who or what she is anymore than we, the readers do. She will become a full fleshed out character in due time. Gabriel is still quite a mystery but I like me some mysterious men!

There is no romance within this book. I like that this book left out sex and romance to focus on the world building and action. Although there isn't a specific timeline listed within this book it had a futuristic feel to it with the types of technology being used. This was cool but left me a little confused as the weaponry was high-tech, as was the communication/wrist units and crime scene locks, yet the cars and other aspects were closer to our current time frame. I think having a futuristic world feel could have been more consistent. Either go full on futuristic (like the JD Robb In Death series) or keep things in the now.

In a Nutshell: Overall, this was a good book, bordering on great. I'm intrigued with Sam and knowing she isn't exactly who she thought she was and is becoming more is motivation to read more in the trilogy.

Archangel's Blade by Nalini Singh

Title: Archangel's Blade
Author: Nalini Singh
Series: #4 in the Guild Hunter series
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Berkley Sensation  (May 8, 2011)
Source: Library ebook
Rating: ☕☕☕☕1/2

Synopsis:The severed head marked by a distinctive tattoo on its cheek should have been a Guild case, but dark instincts honed over hundreds of years of life compel the vampire Dmitri to take control. There is something twisted about this death, something that whispers of centuries long past...but Dmitri's need to discover the truth is nothing to the vicious strength of his response to the hunter assigned to decipher the tattoo.

Savaged in a brutal attack that almost killed her, Honor is nowhere near ready to come face to face with the seductive vampire who is an archangel's right hand, and who wears his cruelty as boldly as his lethal sensuality...the same vampire who has been her secret obsession since the day she was old enough to understand the inexplicable, violent emotions he aroused in her.

As desire turns into a dangerous compulsion that might destroy them both, it becomes clear the past will not stay buried. Something is hunting...and it will not stop until it brings a blood-soaked nightmare to life once more...

My Thoughts: I was a tad disappointed that the 4th book in this series would not continue with Elena and Raphael's story but that disappointment was short lived. Dmitri's story was pretty amazing.

The Good: I never really warmed up to Dmitri in the first 3 Guild Hunter books. He was cocky and came across as cruel and just a bully especially when he went toe to toe with Elena. Yet in this book Singh does an amazing job at keeping Dmitri true to who he was but rounding him out by creating such a tragic back story the reader can't help but fall in love with him. Honor is the perfect person to balance out Dmitri. With her backbone of steel and her refusal to wither away after experiencing an event that would make Superman himself check out of life, she turned into one of my very favorite female characters of all time. Together they make a near perfect couple. I loved every minute of them and their sizzling chemistry.

During the course of the book we experience 2 different plot lines inner-twinning. The mystery of the one who killed the young vampire and the mystery of the one who attacked Honor months earlier had equal time throughout the book where one didn't feel overshadowed by the other. Once again I have to sing Singh's praises on her ability as a writer. Not just anyone could accomplish two full story lines in one book while giving just as much attention to the building of a believable relationship between two broken people.

The Bad: The only thing I found to really be a negative in the book was the number of characters introduced. There are a whole slew of baddies we got to see while Honor and Dmitri investigated and I got a bit lost a couple times trying to figure out if I was supposed to already know who they were talking about. Plus there are characters mentioned who didn't make appearances at all to muddy it all up a bit in my mind. Other than that I got nothing but praise to say about this book!

In a Nutshell: This is a book I'll totally recommend to my friends. Oh, I'm sorry, you haven't read the first book (Archangel's Blood) yet? Why not!?!? Put this series on you're "I need to read this series STAT" list. Do it. Do it NOW!

Angel's Ink by Jocelynn Drake

Title: Angel's Ink
Author: Jocelynn Drake (narrated by Michael Urie)
Series: The Asylum Tales #1
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: HarperAudio (November 13, 2012)
Source: Scribd Audio
Rating: ☕☕

 

Buyer beware....
Looking for a tattoo - and maybe a little something extra: a burst of good luck, a dollop of true love, or even a hex on an ex? Head to the quiet and mysterious Gage, the best skin artist in town. Using unique potions - a blend of extraordinary ingredients and special inks - to etch the right symbol, he can fulfill any heart's desire. But in a place like Low Town, where elves, faeries, trolls, werewolves, and vampires happily walk among humanity, everything has its price.
No one knows that better than Gage. Turning his back on his own kind, he left the magical Ivory Tower where cruel witches and warlocks rule, a decision that cost him the right to practice magic. And if he disobeys, his punishment - execution - will be swift.
Though he's tried to fly under the radar, Gage can't hide from powerful warlocks who want him dead - or the secrets of his own past. But with the help of his friends, Trixie, a gorgeous elf who hides her true identity, and a hulking troll named Bronx, Gage might just make it through this enchanted world alive. 

My Thoughts:  This is my first attempt at Jocelynn Drake's writing and I'm not sure she pulled it off. She wrote this from Gage's perspective but his internal musings were a bit too soft for me. He mentioned several times how much he adored Trixie because she was just so wonderful. I had issue with this because we didn't know why Trixie was just wonderful other than Gage telling us she had a kind heart amongst other things. I like to come to my own conclusions about the characters in the book rather than being told how I should feel. Another issue with this is that it was hard for me to see Gage as an Alpha type character since he one step from writing poetry about Trixie. Overall, the romance fell flat because it wasn't believable since we never saw the characters fall in love.

The action was decent but there was also an issue with believability. I had problems believing that Gage's life was bombarded with one life changing event after another all within a day. There was way too much happening in this book. His old mentor (the warlock mentor not the tattoo artist mentor) wanted to kill him forever and finally made his move to do so. This would have been sufficient plot device in addition to a believable romance to carry the book forward. But noooooo Drake threw in a scary mob boss, a faerie king who complicated Trixie's life, the betrayal of a friend, a talking magical cat, a dying woman whose last request is to be tattooed with angel wings, a hall monitor type warlock keeping Gage in check and a past tattoo client who keeps popping into the book like a bad penny. Throw in a 3 day time limit and you've got just too much going on.

If those had been my only issues this book would have been worth 3 stars but I actually listened to this book and absolutely hated it. The narration for Gage was ok. The narrator (Michael Urie) was able to have many different voices for the plethora of men in this book. Unfortunately some of them sounded a bit too alike because when I say plethora, I mean PLETHORA. OK maybe there were only 9 or 10 men who had dialogue but to come up with voices for all of them had to be hard and Urie just didn't pull all of them off. In addition his voice for the female characters was not pleasing to the ears. Trixie came across sounding like a drag queen. This in itself wouldn't be horrible if this were a romance between two men but as romance between a man and woman it made it a bit awkward to listen to.

On the upside, Urie's voice for Gideon was kind of hot. Think Christian Bale in The Dark Knight hot. Unfortunately this was not Gideon's story but Gage's. Urie's voice for the talking cat, Sophia, was pretty decent too but it didn't save me from hating the narration aspect of this book.

In a Nutshell: An interesting idea for an Urban Fantasy series as Warlocks are generally not front and center in a series...except for that particular idea came to Jim Butcher's mind over a decade before Drake thought it up. Well, at least there is that tattooing part to help with some originality. Despite my issues with the book I'll put the second one on my BOLO list. Meaning if I happen to see it for a quarter at a  thrift store I will pick it up but for sure I'll not be listening to any more of these unless there is a different narrator.
 

 

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene frost

Title: This Side of the Grave
Author: Jeaniene Frost
Series: Night Huntress
Published: 2011 by Avon
Source: Purchased Paperback
Rating: ☕☕☕☕

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.

My Thoughts:While I love spending time with Cat and Bones I have to admit that I've lost a little bit of love for this series only because Vlad is so much hotter (literally) than Bones. There I said it. I'm superficial. I love Vlad. Luckily he was in this book a lot. As was Mencheres with special appearances by Spade. How could I not love love love this book? Well, I'm not sure, to be honest.

Cat continues to be intriguing and her ability to absorb powers from those she drinks from is interesting. I just wasn't absorbed into this story. The power play between the ghouls and vampires, although...dare I say interesting, failed to capture my undivided attention because it felt too political to me (which I hate in my reading). The big bad baddy failed to provide me with heart stopping nail biting suspense and the final battle crested to a disappointing conclusion. No head explosions or anything. Bummer.

Despite my complaints the rest of the book was solid. It was nice to see so many of my favorite characters again and the relationship between Cat and Bones continues to stride towards something most people can only dream about. Granted some of it was a bit sappy but thankfully Vlad was there to point out their lovey dovey ways were pukey.

 

Spider's Revenge by Jennifer Estep

Synopsis: Old habits die hard for assassins.

And I plan on murdering someone before the night is through.

Killing used to be my regular gig, after all. Gin Blanco, aka the Spider, assassin-for-hire. And I was very, very good at it. Now, I’m ready to make the one hit that truly matters: Mab Monroe, the dangerous Fire elemental who murdered my family when I was thirteen. Oh, I don’t think the mission will be easy, but turns out it’s a bit more problematic than expected. The bitch knows I’m coming for her. So now I’m up against the army of lethal bounty hunters Mab hired to track me down. She also put a price on my baby sister’s head. Keeping Bria safe is my first priority. Taking Mab out is a close second. Good thing I’ve got my powerful Ice and Stone magic—and my irresistible lover, Owen Grayson—to watch my back. This battle has been years in the making, and there’s a good chance I won’t survive. But if I’m going down, then Mab’s coming with me . . . no matter what I have to do to make that happen.

My Thoughts:The fifth book in the Gin Blanco series finally puts to bed the underlying story arc of the Spider vs. Mab Monroe. Although I didn't mind this particular continuing plot I am glad that it is finally at a close and am looking forward to what is in the future for a retired (semi-retired?) assassin.

The romance is minimal in this book but well played out as Gin and Owen's relationship continues to build. To tell the truth the relationships between Gin and her entire makeshift family moved forward in this book which I enjoyed.

My only complaints are the unnecessary repetitions. Estep does a remarkable job of recapping what has happened in previous books for those just jumping on the Gin bandwagon (why would you do this? Go back and start at the beginning!) However, for those of us who are extremely familiar with the series reading that Mab Monroe super heated Gin's metal rune melting it into the palms of her hands, oh, 5 times....is a bit much.

Overall this book was an exciting addition to the series and at this point I hope they remain this good because I look forward to many many more Elemental Assassin books. Plus I can't get enough of Owen.

 

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Synopsis: A rare hybrid of vampire and werewolf, Riley Jenson and her twin brother, Rhoan, work for Melbourne’s Directorate of Other Races, an organization created to police the supernatural races–and protect humans from their depredations.
While Rhoan is an exalted guardian, a.k.a. assassin, Riley is merely an office worker–until her brother goes missing on one of his missions.
..The timing couldn’t be worse.
More werewolf than vampire, Riley is vulnerable to the moon heat, the week long period before the full moon, when her need to mate becomes all-consuming.… Luckily Riley has two willing partners to satisfy her every need.
But she will have to control her urges if she’s going to find her brother….
Easier said than done as the city pulses with frenzied desire, and Riley is confronted with a very powerful–and delectably naked–vamp who raises her temperature like never before.
In matters carnal, Riley has met her match.
But in matters criminal, she must follow her instincts not only to find her brother but to stop an unholy harvest.
For someone is doing some shifty cloning in an attempt to produce the ultimate warrior–by tapping into the genome of nonhumans like Rhoan.
Now Riley knows just how dangerous the world is for her kind–and just how much it needs her.

My Thoughts: Despite a major downfall (I'll discuss this issue later) this was a very good Urban Fantasy with an interesting female lead.

What Worked: Arthur did a great job of introducing us to the Riley Jenson world. I was never confused by the rules in play which follow some basic known "facts" about creatures like vampires and werewolves but there was enough originality to keep this Urban Fantasy fresh and not tired.

Riley is such a strong force to be reckoned with that I couldn't help but admire her strength and intelligence. Despite her ending up in dire circumstances (multiple times) I never thought she fell into the dreaded TSTL category.

What Didn't Work: The sex. In Keri Arthur's world, werewolves are sensual creatures that do not adhere to the standard morals and values ideal. Therefore they tend to have sex....a lot. AND that isn't even counting the "Full Moon" cycle when they absolutely have to have sex or go ape shit crazy. Like rabid-werewolf-killing-everything-in-sight crazy. They also only become monogamous when they find their soul mate so they often have multiple sexual partners that they use on a regular basis until they find their "forever" mate. So, I get it. Keri decided her werewolves were going to be free loving hippie children. Unfortunately she felt the need to have Riley explain this repeatedly to one of her sex partners who had a problem with all the free lovin' going on. He thinks werewolves are nothing more than whores. A little harsh but maybe not completely out of line. Riley has to tell him that werewolves are not human and should not be boxed into human ideals of sex and morality. My problem with this is that Keri somehow forgot that her readers ARE human and just might have a bit of an issue with a woman who has sex with several different men all in the same night.

In addition to the amount of sex (and sexual partners) that happen within the book it also has to be noted that there was a complete lack of romance surrounding the sex that it made it, well, unsexy. There was so much unsexy sex going on that when Riley did get with someone that she might have more of a connection to the reader is beyond caring and the scene ends up happening with no real fanfare.

In a Nutshell: Despite the HUGE issue surrounding all the unsexy sex and whatnot Riley, truly is a compelling heroine with an interesting background and a budding future as a Guardian in the Directorate.

Blood on Silk by Marie Treanor

Synopsis: The debut of a seductive new contemporary series of vampires, lust, and revenge. While in Romania researching historical superstitions, Scottish academic Elizabeth Silk comes upon the folk tale of Saloman, a seductive prince staked centuries ago, legend's most powerful vampire. Now, in the ruins of a castle crypt, Elizabeth discovers supernatural legends that have come alive. Her blood has awakened him. Her innocence has aroused him. But Elizabeth unleashes more than Saloman's hunger, and it's going to unite them in ways neither could have imagined.


My Thoughts: I seriously had trouble getting into this book. I started reading it in October 2011 and continually set it aside for something that looked better. I can't fault the writing or the plot though. They were solid and well done.

Saloman is an ancient vampire recently awakened after being betrayed 300 years ago and imprisoned (entombed) for all those years. He is not a warm fuzzy vampire (read this to mean completely different from Lynsay Sands' and Kerrilyn Sparks' silly vamps). He is judge, jury and executioner. He needs Elizabeth's blood to get stronger. He needs to kill her to return to his full power.

Elizabeth is a scholar. She sees things in black and white so she really has problems with Saloman who exists in those gray areas. She struggles with the new knowledge of vampires and her part in 'bringing' back a potential threat to humankind. But mostly she struggles with her attraction to Saloman. She doesn't want to want him but she does. Unfortunately she also wants to live. She knows when Saloman is done toying with her he will kill her.

I didn't have any issue with who the characters were. What I had issues with was the romance. It really is more of an Urban Fantasy and could have been better without any I Love Yous. Aside from some serious lustful chemistry and some mind blowing sex I am not sure how they fell in love. Clear up to the end Elizabeth was saying I Hate You. Matter of fact she said I hate you I hate you I love you practically all in one breath. I'm not a fan of "I hate you.... Please don't Leave me" romances. Matter of fact that is the title of a book on Boarderline Personality Disorder. Drawing any connections there?

I am fairly alone in my average rating of this book by the way. Several others have found it to be stunning and a favorite. I just wasn't blown away by it. I will try the second book in the series though. I firmly believe in giving a fair chance to every author.

Flip This Zombie by Jesse Petersen

Flip This Zombie  by Jesse Petersen
4.5 Stars
book 2 in the Living with Zombies series

Synopsis:
This book picks up a few months after the Zombie Apocalypse started and the couple David and Sarah has started ZombieBusters Inc a zombie killing service. They have been surprisingly adept at killing them. When approached by a scientist to capture zombies alive (or is that undead instead of dead dead?) instead of killing them they take the job but what happens if the scientist is more interested in making an army of Bionic Zombies instead of a cure for zombie-ism? David and Sarah may find themselves among the undead that's what....

My Thoughts:
So I have to say that I enjoyed this one as much as the first. I enjoy Sarah and Dave's banter and wicked sense of humor. I also like the emotional changes the characters have gone through from the first book through the second. In a book that has silly conversations and a lighthearted approach to an earth shattering plague there are some interesting and almost touching interactions. The two struggle with maintaining hope when greeted with death and destruction everyday. It would be very difficult to not give up when your world is bleak day in and day out.

We also see additional growth in Dave and Sarah's marriage. In the beginning of book one the couple are on the verge of divorce. Though their need for survival they have reconnected and their relationship is stronger than it ever has been. Enter Mad Scientist who effectively puts a wedge between the couple. I thought the survival of the family unit was just as interesting as the survival of Dave and Sarah's lives.

Although at times this book has a lighthearted approach to zombie killing you should keep in mind that there is a lot of killing. Often with graphic detail. Both Sarah and David tend to swear frequently (as does The Kid who is introduced in this book) and is written in the first person narrative.

Married With Zombies by Jesse Petersen

Synopsis:
Meet Sarah and David. — Once upon a time they met and fell in love. But now they're on the verge of divorce and going to couples' counseling. On a routine trip to their counselor, they notice a few odd things - the lack of cars on the highway, the missing security guard, and the fact that their counselor, Dr. Kelly, is ripping out her previous client's throat.

Now, Sarah and David are fighting for survival in the middle of the zombie apocalypse. But, just because there are zombies, doesn't mean your other problems go away. If the zombies don't eat their brains, they might just kill each other.
 
My Thoughts:
I have to say that first off, zombies really freak me out. Not that I believe in zombies but knowing that the human mouth breeds more bacteria than, lets say, your toilet seat I can see why the bite of a zombie could potentially be so terrible. There is just something about a zombie that is beyond creepy. No higher brain functioning than a need to quench it's never ending hunger for brains....a zombie will just keep coming and coming regardless if they only have one arm and stumps for legs.
 
OK, so lets talk about the book.
 
Classified on the book's spine as a fantasy I would have to maybe disagree. Perhaps an Urban Fantasy but a classic fantasy...nope. Zombies are not what I think of when I think of fantasy. But then I don't think of Vampires and Werewolves as fantasy either. Oh well, not like it's a big deal or anything. I'm just super anal and had to point that out.
 
Perhaps not the next noble prize winning book for literature, Jesse Petersen's first book is fun. It's funny. And it has funtastic characters. Perhaps my favorite, although only for a short time, was Amanda, the lovable annoying cheerleader neighbor of Sarah and David. Sarah put up with her. David hated her. But that's OK because Sarah detested Mandy's boyfriend Jack. David was friends with him.
 
Mandy was one of those characters that you happen to know, for real. You know her. The bubble headed blond that probably couldn't tell you what 2+2 equals but does know the proper way to do a Kick Basket Toss.
 
Upon Sarah and David's arrival home after being almost eaten by their marriage counselor they explain to Mandy about the zombies. When Mandy still looked at them blankly they asked her if she had been watching TV. She replied that she got bored with TV because all the stations were playing the same show. Out of exasperation Sarah and David then explained that their marriage counselor was a zombie and tried to kill them. Mandy's reaction? "You're in marriage counseling?" which she delivered as if it saddened her.
 
Is it wrong to love a character that I would want to kick in the head in real life? I think my favorite Mandy-ism would have to be when Sarah apologized for killing Jack, Mandy said "That's OK. I was going to break up with him."
 
OK, so the book was funny. It cracked me up. But honestly it was a bit thought provoking too. Sarah and David are trying to get out of Seattle to go to his sister's house but the entire time they aren't sure if his sister is still there. If she is alive or if she is now a zombie. The couple have to work together to survive but also make some tough calls. It can't be easy to kill someone you know and love. This is what they go up against. It's one thing to shoot a zombie that you didn't know when they were not infected but something quite different when it is someone you know and like. Possibly even love.
 
As a first novel this book great. It had momentum that never really stopped. I understood the characters and empathized with them. I did think that the ending was more of a stay tuned for more later type as there is a second book and a third one(which  comes out in a few months). I am looking forward to the next book in the series for the further zombie adventures of David and Sarah.