Sunday, September 26, 2010

Sweep, Volume 2, By Cate Tiernan

Volume 2 covers books 4-6

Dark Magick

This is a very confusing time for Morgan Rowlands. Everything is happening so fast lately. She found out she was adopted, a blood witch, her birth parents were murdered, she found her soul mate Cal, and she lost her best friend Bree. What more could happen? Oh yeah, at the end of the last novel Cal's half brother, Hunter, revealed he is a Seeker with the International Council of Witches sent to investigate Cal and his mother Seline for practicing dark magick. Cal and Hunter have a battle that ended with Cal being kicked off a cliff and disappearing making Morgan agonize over his death.

When Morgan finds out that Hunter is still alive strange things start to happen. She begins to question everything. Her strange attraction to Hunter, her relationship with Cal, her broken friendship with Bree. She's even drawn to the dark side of magick which scares her. Things come to a head at the end and Morgan faces the biggest betrayal of her life when someone locks her up and sets the place on fire. Will she be able to escape the same fate as her birth parents? Read on and find out or stop here to avoid a spoiler.

Awakening

Morgan is crushed and her heart is broken. How can she possibly go on. Cal tried to kill her! Her Soul mate, her muirn beatha dan. She starts to study with Hunter to develop her abilities for her own protection. Someone is using dark magick and Hunter suspects Morgans friend David Redstone, owner of Practical Magick. Morgan does everything she can to prove David is innocent. Hunter and Morgan get close as they try to find the source of the dark magic.

Spellbound

The coven of Cirrus (Formally led by Cal) and the coven of Kithic (Led by Sky, the one developed after Bree left Cirrus) join together to form one coven. Morgan and Bree begin to repair their friendship. Morgan starts to realize her developing feelings for Hunter. Cal tries to convince Morgan he still loves her. Mary K., Morgans sister gets kidnapped by Seline. Someone dies at the end. But who? Dum, dee, dum, dum. You will be dieing yourself when you find out! Happy reading!

These three books were amazing. I loved the plot twists and tension. Unbelievable! I love it when a story takes me by surprise. :)

Sweep Series

Read an Excerpt from each book by clicking the corresponding book title links! If you click the Volume it will take you to the review of that volume.

Volume 1 (re-release)
Book 1 Book of Shadows
Book 2 The Coven
Book 3 Blood Witch

Volume 2 (re-release)
Book 4 Dark Magick
Book 5 Awakening
Book 6 Spellbound

The rest of the series in the old one book format
Book 7 The Calling
Book 8 Changeling
Book 9 Strife
Book 10 Seeker
Book 11 Origins
Book 12 Eclipse
Book 13 Reckoning
Book 14 Full Circle
Book 15 Night's Child

Saturday, September 25, 2010

I'm the Vampire, That's Why, By Michele Bardsley

The first in a series of vampire novels by Michele Bardsley. I enjoyed the writing style, witty humor and the fact that she appeals to the older age group and not the teens. The cartoon cover may fool you into thinking it's a teen novel but trust me, it's NOT, although teens may enjoy it as well, I'm sure.

The book opens with a mom named Jessica Matthews who has two kids named Bryan 14 and Jenny 5. She's dragging the garbage pails out to the curb because her son conveniently forgot to do his one chore. Before she could finish the deed she was attacked and killed by a beast. She awakens in a room sucking on the thigh of a 4000 year old vampire who was stark naked and chained to the wall. Much to her surprise he has a full erection and offers it to her. She almost takes him up on that offer since she's been sex starved for 18 months. Her husband left her for his much younger secretary and was expecting their first child when he perished in a car accident. She never did get that divorce, now instead she's a widow. A voice comes over a loud speaker "Do not have sex with Mr. O'Halloran. If you have sex with Mr. O'Halloran, you will be mated to him for the next hundred years."

Jessica is wearing a ring that's been passed down from generation to generation in her family. A ring that Patrick O'Halloran claims is his, and only his soul-mate can wear the ring. Ahem...that would be her. She also finds out that his brother Lorcan is the beast that killed her and Patrick saved her by turning her into a vampire. Lorcan is a vampire too but has a vampire disease called the taint, which the Consortium is currently searching for the cure. It turns out that Jessica was not the only person Lorcan attacked and there are 10 more like her including her nemesis Charlene, the secretary that her husband Rich left her for. It just so happens the vampire that turns you is also your protector and Patrick also turned Charlene.

I loved this book. It was action packed and full of lust and desire. It will have you squirming in your seat wanting more. You'll love it.

Read a small Excerpt from I'm the Vampire, That's Why Click Here!

Broken Heart Series:

Book 2 Don't Talk Back to Your Vampire
Book 3 Because Your Vampire Said So
Book 4 Wait Until Your Vampire Gets Home
Book 5 Over My Dead Body
Book 6 Come Hell or High Water
Book 7 Cross Your Heart
Book 8 Must Love Lycans (Coming 2011)

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

A Bite to Remember, By Lynsay Sands

Vincent Argeneau is a 400 year old vampire and is in need of a private detective. One that knows about his special situation. His cousin set up a PI to take care of his problem with his production company but the person that arrived on his doorstep was a woman and a mortal and she brought a giant with her.

Jackie Morrisey is a detective that is in the know when it comes to vampires. When she was younger a vampire named Cassius took control of her mind and made her think and do things she otherwise would not have done. Jackie learned the hard way what vampires can do. That's why she will never get involved with someone that won't be there for her when the sun comes up. She brought her very tall assistant and best friend Tiny McGraw to help her with this case.

Vincent's production company has come under attack. What seemingly started out as a few freak accidents and some actors falling ill has turned into murder and mayhem forcing Vincent to stop all productions until whomever is out to get him is caught.

Jackie and Tiny take over Vincents house, moving in and having alarms and gates put in. They took over his kitchen and refrigerator. Tiny has taken the cover of his personal chef and housekeeper and Jackie took on the cover of Personal assistant. Living in such close proximity and with Vincent walking around half nude is not helping Jackie to resist his charms. So what if he's the hottest guy she's ever met, living or dead. She's been hired to stop a killer, not jump into bead with him.

What I like about this book is the mystery and action part more so then the romance part. It's kind of a mystery novel with romance thrown in. The book builds up slowly but has a really nice ending. It was a good book but not great.

Read an Excerpt from A Bite to Remember Click Here!

The Argenaeu Vampire Series

The Argenaeu Family Tree

Book 1 A Quick Bite
Book 2 Love Bites
Book 3 Single White Vampire
Book 4 Tall, Dark & Hungry
Book 6 Bite Me if you Can
Book 7 The Accidental Vampire
Book 8 Vampires are Forever
Book 9 Vampire, Interrupted
Book 10 The Rogue Hunter
Book 11 The Immortal Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel
Book 12 The Renegade Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel
Book 13 Born to Bite: Avon
Book 14 Hungry for You: Avon (releases Nov 30, 2010)

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

The Vampire Diaries: The Return Vol 1:
Nightfall by L.J. Smith

Elaina sacrificed her life for Damon and Stefan and made them promise to look out for each other as the last breath left her mortal body. Elaina was drawn back to earth by a supernatural power and given her human body back but it still carries the gifts bestowed her in the afterlife. Even more alarming is the blood that courses through her veins is like a drug to vampires. Once Stefan tastes it he becomes even more powerful causing him to worry and covet Elaina. He says he wants to keep her safe and make a life together, but Fells Church is in trouble again.

Two magical fox spirits felt the power of Elaina's rebirth and were drawn to Fells Church. Theses two creatures called the "Kitsune" are brother and sister and are named Shinichi and Misao. They decide to have fun in town and place a "Malach" inside Damon that slowly grows taking control of his body and mind. Misao appears to Caroline as her brother Shinichi in her bedroom mirror and promises to take care of her enemies and promises to love her. The Kitsune cause all sorts of trouble and residents start to exhibit strange behaviors.

Damon under the control of the Kitsune lure Stephan away from Fells Church with a promise of becoming mortal. Stephan leaves a note in Elaina's electronic diary, which Damon conveniently changes. He makes the note say he's left Elaina for good and to trust Damon to look out for her.

This was an interesting book and the author changes direction from the previous books. This one was more sci-fi than paranormal but it wasn't bad. I wish there was more of an explanation on who or why that supernatural force put Elaina back on earth. Stephan is out of the picture most of this book which is also different than the previous novels. Things do heat up between Elaina and Damon which I enjoyed immensely.



Book 1 and 2 The Vampire Dairies: The Awakening and The Struggle
Book 3 and 4 The Vampire Diaries: The Fury and Dark Reunion
Book 6 The Vampire Diaries: The Return Vol 2: Shadow Souls
Book 7 The Vampire Diaries: The Return Vol 3: Midnight (Releases March 15, 2011)

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Vampire Academy Series:
Blood Promise, By Richelle Mead

This novel takes off right where we left off in Shadow Kiss with Rose taking off to hunt down Dimitri, her love turned strigoi. Making the hardest decision she's ever had to make by abandoning Lissa her best friend and Dragomir Princess she had sworn to protect.

Rose has no clue where to begin to look for Dimitri but she feels she has to fulfill his last wish. Kill him if he ever became strigoi, a soulless vampire, which he has. She travels to Russia, hoping he might have been drawn back to his home country. Rose kills every strigoi she comes across in her search which draws the attention of a local Alchemist named Sydney. It's her job to clean up any mess that might draw attention to the supernatural community. Sydney helps Rose travel to Dimitri's home town where they meet a mysterious man who want's Rose to leave Russia at all costs. But who is this guy, Abe, and why is it so important she leave?

Dimitri's family welcomes Rose with open arms and Rose is sad to tell them the news of what has become of Dimitri. They hold a small ceremony for Dimitri and everyone tells stories about him and his life. While in Dimitri's town of Baia, Rose meets another couple who is also shadow kissed.

Abe finally gets Rose to leave but instead she travels to a town called Novorsibirsk with a group of other unpromised Dampires on a quest to kill all the strigoi they come into contact with. Rose convinces the others in the group to torture strigoi for information on Dimitri. Eventually word of Rose reaches Dimitri and there is a crucial confrontation in which Rose disobeys the one rule Dimitri always taught her: Never Hesitate. Rose is struck by how much Dimitri still looks like his old self giving Dimitri the opportunity to kidnap Rose! He refuses to kill her and does everything to convince her to become strigoi so they can be together. Things get interesting from her on out. Find out what happens next. Read Blood Promise and I promise you will be captivated by an enthralling story of love and loss. One of the few book series that never disappoints me. A GREAT READ!

Read an Excerpt from Blood Promise Click Here!

Book 1 Vampire Academy
Book 2 Frostbite
Book 3 Shadow Kiss
Book 5 Spirit Bound
Book 6 Last Sacrifice (releases Dec 7, 2010)

The Immortals Series:
Blue Moon, By Alyson Noel

The second book in the Immortal series continues the story of Ever and Damen. There is a new guy at school named Roman who everyone seems to like except Ever. She senses something wrong with him. Even Damen seems to like Romen. Things start to get interesting when Damen suddenly starts falling ill and becomes unable to access Summerland, the mystical in between place of the living and the dead. Ever of course thinks Romen must be involved but has no proof.

Damen and Ever decide to finally consummate their relationship after countless lifetimes of Ever being killed by Drina, Damen's ex-wife. In the last book Ever kills Drina ending the cycle, leaving Damen and Ever finally able to explore their relationship. The night of the special date Damen takes off leaving Ever to wonder what happened. Romen shocks Ever telling her he seen Damen deliberately leave without her. Ever denies it but is proven wrong a few days later at school. Damen suddenly has a new personality and calls her a freak and a stalker. The whole school seems to hate her. And to top it all off Damen is flirting with Ever's sworn enemy, Stacia. To further confuse Ever, Damen suddenly has an aura, something he never had before.

Ever sets off to find a cure for the ailing Damen and turns to Ava, a psychic. To Ever's surprise, Ava is not only aware of Summerland but has been attempting to get there for years. Together, they are successfully able to enter Summerland, allowing Ever to seek out the Great Halls of Learning to find a solution to cure Damen. She meets two twins there who show her around. However instead of being given a direct answer, the Great Halls of Learning show Ever Damen's true past.

This was an interesting read and left me eager to read the next book in the series.

Read an Excert of Blue Moon Click Here!

The Immortals Series:

Book 1 Evermore
Book 3 Shadowland
Book 4 Dark Flame
Book 5 Night Star (releases Nov 16, 2010)

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Single White Vampire, By Lynsay Sands

Kate C. Leever just got promoted to editor at Roundhouse Publishing. Thinking she has to prove herself to keep the position she set her sights on Lucern Argeneau a successful Paranormal Romance writer. The previous editor was never able to get him to do any book signing tours or romance conventions. However Kate thinks she can get it done with her persuasive personality and her refusal to accept a no.

Lucern Argeneau is a vampire over 600 years old and not about to be thrust into any book signing or conventions, interviews or anything else public. No. And that's just what his response was to his new editor every time she wrote. He refused to give her his phone number or his e-mail address too.

Kate, desperate, decides to make a personal visit to Mr. Argeneau but he refuses to let her in so she sticks her foot in the door and stands her ground. She gets in only after he walks away leaving the door ajar. So Kate takes that as an invitation and follows him into the kitchen where he was sucking on a bag of blood bent over in the fridge. He gets startled and bumps his head spilling blood all over his face. Kate sees the blood and thinks he got a head wound. Lucern insists he is alright but Kate decides to not leave him in his time of need and says she's staying to make sure he's alright but really is just looking to buy more time to convince him.

This book is very comical and easy to read. It doesn't have any dull moments and is hot and steamy too. This book is laugh out loud funny and dark and delicious. You gotta love Lynsay Sands, I do! Don't ever stop writing, you have true talent.

Read an Excerpt from Single White Vampire click here!

The Argenaeu Vampire Series

The Argenaeu Family Tree

Book 1 A Quick Bite
Book 2 Love Bites
Book 4 Tall, Dark & Hungry
Book 5 A Bite to Remember
Book 6 Bite Me if you Can
Book 7 The Accidental Vampire
Book 8 Vampires are Forever
Book 9 Vampire, Interrupted
Book 10 The Rogue Hunter
Book 11 The Immortal Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel
Book 12 The Renegade Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel
Book 13 Born to Bite: Avon
Book 14 Hungry for You: Avon (releases Nov 30, 2010)



Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Morganville Vampires:
Glass Houses and The Dead Girls Dance
By Rachel Caine

A re-release of the first 2 books in one volume. Glass Houses and The Dead Girls Dance are about a vampire town called Morganville. A place where vampires and humans co-exist in a one of a kind town. Humans are encouraged to buy protection from the vampires to ensure their safety. If you are under contract you are required to wear a bracelet indicating your Vampire protection status at all times. Every resident is required to make a weekly blood donation as part of the deal. No one walks the streets at night in Morganville.

Glass Houses

Claire Danvers is an extremely smart young lady and graduated High School rather early for her age and is eager to attend a great college. The only problem is her over protective parents who cannot bear the thought of their little girl moving so far away to a huge University. They insist she start college close to home then transfer when she gets older. They send her to a College in a town not far from home in Morganville. Claire likes the classes but the students are downright cruel. This one girl named Monica has totally got it in for her harassing her to the of point of serious injury. Claire decides to look off campus for housing. Answering an ad in the paper she is led to the Glass House. Michael Glass the owner of the house is out but she meets a goth chick, Eve, who lives there and welcomes her with open arms after seeing the awful shiner Claire got from the bullies at school. Michael, Shane, and Eve are all roommates in the house and Claire is the forth. It's here that she learns all about Morganville and it's special kind of residents. The First Book leaves off on a cliffhanger but lucky for you the second book is right at hand.

The Dead Girls Dance

This book starts off with Shane's Dad arriving to annihilate all the vampires in Morganville. Hellbent on revenge and totally unstable killing off a vampire and getting Shane blamed for his murder. Shane is caged in the middle of the town square and is awaiting a beheading. Will Claire and friends be able to save him in time? Their only hope is Michael's grandfather a vampire they hope will help them. Eve and Claire hope to run into him a the Dead Girls Dance only Claire gets offered a drink that was drugged and then needs saving herself. This series is very interesting because it's a total different take on vampires with a lot of suspense, I enjoyed the Morganville Vampires, and I hope you do too.

The Morganville Vampire Series:
(click the links to read an excerpt from each book)

Volume 1: Glass Houses, The Dead Girls Dance
Volume 2: Midnight Alley, Feast of Fools

The rest of the series in old one book format:
Book 5 Lord of Misrule
Book 6 Carpe Corpus
Book 7 Fade Out
Book 8 Kiss of Death
Book 9 Ghost Town (releases Oct 25, 2010)
Book 10 Bite Club (coming in April 2011)
Book 11 (coming in Oct 2011)
Book 12 (coming in April 2012)

Monday, September 13, 2010

Love Bites, By Lynsay Sands

The thing I like most about this series is that each book is a stand alone book but each is also intertwined with all the other books as they are all about the same family, the Argeneau's. This one focuses on the brother of Lissianna Argeneau the main character of book 1, A Quick Bite.

Some background on vampires in this series:

They need blood but they use blood banks and only feed on cold bagged blood. Biting someone is just not practiced in this modern society, but if it were to be done they call it "feeding off the hoof".

Vampires are descended from the lost city of Atlantis where scientists were doing experiments and created nanos that live inside your blood and repair damaged cells. The problem is the nanos feed off blood and the more they repair the more you need. The human body just doesn't produce enough to sustain life so ingesting blood is required and through evolution they grew fangs among other abilities used to sustain their existence.

Being a vampire means you live a very long life and so some ground rules must be followed. You can only have one child every 100 years. Since you have nanos in you, your children are also vampires. You may only turn one person in your entire existence no matter how long you happen to live. Most vampires choose to save that privilege for a life partner. However that's not always the case.

This book opens with an assasin intent on killing Etienne Argeneau a 300 year old vampire. He manages to shoot the victim point blank, but vampires are hard to kill. Etienne ends up in the hospital morgue where the coroner is Rachel Garrett. She's absolutely exhausted and sick to death with the flu. She pulls the bullet out and Etienne regenerates. Rachel thinks she's hallucinating because of her high fever and passes out. Etienne makes a getaway destroying his paper trail. But as luck would have it he ends up in the morgue a second time as a burn victim. This time Rachel notices a heartbeat just as the assassin enters wielding an axe. Rachel instinctively jumped in front of the assassin to try and stop him from killing her burn victim only to end up getting the axe herself. Assassin freaks and flees the scene. Vampire regenerates completely and turns Rachel out of an obligation he feels since she did save his life.

Things heat up between Rachel and Eteinne and things do get sexually explicit so reader beware. The story was very well written and had me flipping pages like my life depended on it. I managed to read the whole book in one night! Whew. It's a good sign if that happens and a definite keeper. You will be sure to love this one. I know I did!

Read an Exerpt from Love Bites Click Here!

The Argenaeu Vampire Series

The Argenaeu Family Tree

Book 1 A Quick Bite
Book 3 Single White Vampire
Book 4 Tall, Dark & Hungry
Book 5 A Bite to Remember
Book 6 Bite Me if you Can
Book 7 The Accidental Vampire
Book 8 Vampires are Forever
Book 9 Vampire, Interrupted
Book 10 The Rogue Hunter
Book 11 The Immortal Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel
Book 12 The Renegade Hunter: A Rogue Hunter Novel
Book 13 Born to Bite: Avon
Book 14 Hungry for You: Avon (releases Nov 30, 2010)

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Tantalize, By Cynthia Leitch Smith

Ok, so this wasn't my favorite book. It started off slow and never really made me care too much for the characters. There really was never any kinds of relationships that meant anything either it was kinda weird for a book like this. I would say it was mostly about vampires even though there were werewolves in it. Ok enough about how little I liked it here is what it was about.

Quincie Morris, the main character, is a young woman who lives with her Uncle D since her parents passed away. Her Best friend is a Half Werewolf, Half Human named Kieren. She pines after him wishing he would take their friendship from friends to something more, but he treats her more like a sister. This is the failed romantic relationship the author fails to make us care about.

Quincie is going to be the owner of her parents restaurant one day when she's old enough to take over. For now her Uncle D takes care of it for her. The Restaurant is in real trouble of closing due to the competition that's set up residence down the block. Uncle D comes up with a plan to revive the business by turning their quaint Italian restaurant into a Vampire Themed Dining Experience. This is where you meet Kieren's competition. The New head Chef at Sanguini's. Quincie gets involved with the Chef who turns out to be the perfect chef for a vampire restaurant. In the end the restaurant is saved and the conflicts are resolved with a truce robbing you of a climax and leaving open the possibility for a sequel. Let's hope not. OMG and not the good OMG the bad one!

Read an excerpt from Tantalize here!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Sweep, Volume 1, By Cate Tiernan

Three books in one. This one is a re-release combining the first three novels in one volume. This series is about discovering Wicca and Magick with a little mystery and love mixed in. Plenty of betrayal, spells, circles, rituals, jealousy, mystery and suspense. The first book starts out a little slow but it builds nicely. By the end of the first book I was hooked.

Book of Shadows

There is a new kid in town and he is smokin hot. His name is Cal and he is Wiccan and practices magick. No one is immune to Cal's charms including Morgan Rowlands. But before she can make it known that she has a thing for him her best friend, Bree, stakes her claim on him. Oh well she resigns to let Bree have him since she always gets what she wants anyway. Cal invites Morgan, Bree and some others to do a circle for Samhain. That's where Morgan discovers she has a special talent for magick and a Coven forms.

The Coven

So now that Morgan knows she's really a blood witch descended from one of the original clans, she confronts her family. They must be blood witches too, but they deny all of it. That's when she discovers she was adopted. Morgan and Cal's relationship starts to develop putting a rift between her and Bree. Bree even claimed to have slept with Cal. Morgan just thinks she's jealous because Bree didn't get Cal. Cal chose Morgan after all. Bree sets of with another clan member to form their own coven. While at Cal's house Morgan stumbles upon a secret door that leads to a library. There she discovers a secret kept hidden from her. Her mothers book of shadows.

Blood Witch

Morgan is coming into some pretty powerful powers. She scrys with fire and has a vision of her birth mother pointing under a house. The one her mother and father lived in before they were killed. She finds out they were murdered. Burned to death in a barn that was locked from the outside. She finds the house and under it a box with her mothers magickal tools. Now she has her mothers book of shadows and her mothers tools making her a very powerful blood witch. Cal and his mother seem overly interested in getting their hand on her mothers tools and Morgan begins to question her relationship with Cal. Cal's half brother, Hunter, is a Seeker for the International Council of Witches assigned to investigate Seline, Cal's mother, and Cal for using Black Magic. Hunter attacks Cal causing someone to fall off a cliff.

Sweep Series (click the links to read some)

Volume 1 (re-release)
Book 1 Book of Shadows
Book 2 The Coven
Book 3 Blood Witch

Volume 2 (re-release)
Book 4 Dark Magick
Book 5 Awakening
Book 6 Spellbound

The rest of the series in the old one book format
Book 7 The Calling
Book 8 Changeling
Book 9 Strife
Book 10 Seeker
Book 11 Origins
Book 12 Eclipse
Book 13 Reckoning
Book 14 Full Circle
Book 15 Night's Child

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Sorry I was gone, I'm Back!

Sorry for being gone so long. Well, I'm back! YAY!

To tell you guys the honest truth, I wasn't planning on continuing the blog. During my absence I have gotten plenty e-mails from some pretty awesome fans as well as publishers wanting me to do reviews, so here I am.

Let's start fresh. I may have left you for a while but I sure didn't stop reading! Oh I have so many reviews to write so you guys will love it. And I may change the look of the blog as well. Many exciting changes will be happening over the next few months. I have a lot planned. So stay tuned. :)