Touch the Dark (Cassandra Palmer, #1) by Karen Chance

Touch the Dark by Karen Chance

My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars


This is an adult urban fantasy series. (NC-17 for the sexiness of it all.)

Book Summary

Like any sensible girl, Cassie tries to avoid vampires. But when the bloodsucking Mafioso she escaped three years ago finds Cassie again with revenge in mind, she's forced to turn to the vampire Senate for protection.The undead senators won't help her for nothing, and Cassie finds herself working with one of their most powerful members, a dangerously seductive master vampire- and the price he demands may be more than Cassie is willing to pay.

My Review

First, let me say that Karen Chance writing is good along with her imagination and world building. My major problem is with writing style.

I just don’t get why in the middle of an action scene with get paragraphs that turn into pages of introspection and history. It seems out of place. If someone is throwing a punch, I should haven’t to wait several paragraphs to find out if the punch landed. Finish the action then have her reflect. Is that too much to ask. Action starts, then a history lesson and when the action begins again, I’ve already forgotten what was happening.

Okay, this book reads like fanfic of Laurell Hamilton’s Anita Blake series and not in a good way. I thought if one more guy in this story’s hair was referred to as “curls”, I would scream. Could no man have straight or wavy hair or even shorter hair? Not every good looking man has auburn or dark long curly hair. This was presented in present time. Her obsession with hair rivaled that of the Anita Blake series.

You all know, I don’t have to like the main character to enjoy a story. But that mean that everything else should be flawless or there should be compelling reasons why the character is the way they are. This is not the case. I do not like Cassie Palmer at all. Let me count the ways.

1. She’s full of herself with nothing to back it up.
2. She expects everyone to do her bidding and not do anything for themselves. Good example Billy Joe.
3. She thinks no one should make mistakes and is unforgiving of anything anyone does to her like she’s perfect. Good example Tomas.
4. She forgave one person who purposefully did something to her for his own gain yet she condemns another who was under orders with penalty of death to do what he did.
5. She’s selfish and not selfless with a few exceptions.

There are plot holes a many in this story as well. SPOILERS coming so don’t read on unless you’ve already read.

If you have the power to go back and change time and they did, why wouldn’t she go back and save her parents? You can argue that she didn’t want to change time. But she did and didn’t go back to fix it. So why wouldn’t selfish Cassie go back and protect her parents and not allow Tony to have her????

The men.

Tomas, I liked him a lot. I think he got the raw end of the deal in this story. All he did was trying to protect her and she condemned him for doing his job. Okay towards the end he made bad choices, but up to that point she didn’t know that. And frankly, I didn’t blame him for anything he did.

Mircea, was okay to me. I had my reservations. And it was kind of creepy that she saw him like an uncle when she was younger. Ignoring that, it was nice that he seemed to have genuine feelings for her. But of course, she was too good for him too in the end.

It also was infuriating with the whole reluctant virgin, Urgh! Be one or not, there is no in between.

I should mention that the sexy scenes were hot especially the out of body ones. The first and the last, YES! There was something good.

END of SPOILERS.

Overall, I’m planning to read the next audio book because I already purchased it. Goes to who never to buy the second in a series without reading the first one. But there was an audible sale…..

Audio Review
Cynthia Holloway is a good narrator. But I don’t like her in this series. I found myself losing focus and where most of that is the writing, I also have that problem with Morganville with Cynthia also reads. It could be she got the bad in the stick with two series that aren’t that great, but I’m not totally sold on that theory.

My book boyfriend is Tomas. The scowl is for Cassie, lol.









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Ecstasy Unveiled (Demonica, #4) by Larissa Ione

Ecstasy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is an adult paranormal romance novel. (NC-17 for the sexiness of it all).

Book Summary

A DEMON ENSLAVED
Lore is a Seminus half-breed demon who has been forced to act as his dark master's assassin. Now to earn his freedom and save his sister's life, he must complete one last kill. Powerful and ruthless, he'll stop at nothing to carry out this deadly mission.

AN ANGEL TEMPTED
Idess is an earthbound angel with a wild side, sworn to protect the human Lore is targeting. She's determined to thwart her wickedly handsome adversary by any means necessary-even if that means risking her vow of eternal chastity. But what begins as a simple seduction soon turns into a passion that leaves both angel and demon craving complete surrender.
Torn between duty and desire, Lore and Idess must join forces as they battle their attraction for each other. Because an enemy from the past is rising again-one hellbent on vengeance and unthinkable destruction.

My Review

The fourth installment of the Demonica series was one I was looking forward to maybe a little too much. I had high hopes. This book was really good, and brought the brothers back together with more interaction although Wrath wasn’t in it much. Maybe because he was the focus of the last book. But we also got a lot of Sin.

There was so much bad boy in Lore in the previous installment, I was looking for that in this book to all come out. I have to say, he was more of a teddy bear than I expected. Don’t get me wrong, my guys don’t have to be bad. It’s just a letdown when the set up is that he was. Then again, I could have been reading more into that.

Otherwise, the sexual tension is in the book in spades. So the heat is in the story as expected. I must say I was taken with Collan and hope he lives up to his reputation in the next book.

Overall, great read. If you love the series, it won’t disappoint. If you haven’t read and enjoy Black Dagger Brotherhood, Lords of the Underworld, or the Highlander series, you’ll love this series as well.

Audio Review

Paul Boehmer seems like he would be a fantastic narrator. However, I didn’t feel his abilities suited this particular story. He didn’t have enough menace for what I felt the main character should have. Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t feel as though it was money not well spent getting this audio book, I just thought I’d rather hear him read a different story. He is a very good actor and all the feelings came through. I just thought it was Mr. Robinson reading West Side Story. A little too proper or nice and not gritty enough. Oh, well. I still recommend listening. It wasn’t as bad as some have said.

My book boyfriend Lore.



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Night Reigns by Dianne Duvall

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars


This is an adult paranormal romance (rated NC-17 for sexiness of it all)

Book Summary

Ami isn't much for trusting strangers. She has a hard time trusting anyone. But she's no coward, and she's no pushover in the protection department either. So when she comes across a mysterious warrior taking on eight deranged vampires on his own, she doesn't hesitate to save his bacon. Of course, that was before she realized what one little rescue would get her into . . .

Marcus Grayden has been an immortal protector of humanity for eight hundred years, and at the moment he's not interested in backup. From the moment Ami arrives in his life, he can't deny that she's strong, smart, and extremely skilled at watching his back. But she's also destroying his protective solitude and stirring desires he can't bear to awaken. After all, whatever her secrets — how can she defeat death itself?

My Review

Don’t get me wrong, this story was good and I don’t regret the purchase. But the beginning of the story was okay for me. I think it was because we were left on such a huge cliffhanger, I wanted answers right away. And we just didn’t get them.

But with that said, I did fall in love again. I was intrigued with Marcus from the first book so it was an easy transition into this book. But Amy was a different matter. Certainly it made for tension wondering what was going on with Amy and a different character I won’t mention for spoilers.

So, overall, this book was a mesh of non-human characters I don’t think was every done which makes this a success because I believe she pulled it off. All I can say is vampires and this other creatures have to be my favorite topics to read or watch on the big screen.

The cliffhanger isn’t as earth shattering as the last, but certainly we are left wanting more. I hope and I think Mr. Reluctant Immortal is the next sexy guy up. If not, I’d love it to be their fearless leader.

AUDIO REVIEW
Kirsten Potter continues to do this series justice. What I like most is that she continued with the choices in voice for the characters from the previous installment. She didn’t recreate them because maybe she was more comfortable speaking a certain way. This made it easier to continue with the story although different characters were the main focus.

Still loving Roland and wishing he were more in this story, my book boyfriend is Marcus.






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Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



This is an adult thriller (rated NC-17 for subject matter)

Book Summary

On the day she was abducted, Annie O’Sullivan, a 32-year-old realtor, had three goals—sell a house, forget about a recent argument with her mother, and be on time for dinner with her ever-patient boyfriend. The open house is slow, but when her last visitor pulls up in a van as she's about to leave, Annie thinks it just might be her lucky day after all.

Interwoven with the story of the year Annie spent as the captive of a psychopath in a remote mountain cabin, which unfolds through sessions with her psychiatrist, is a second narrative recounting events following her escape—her struggle to piece her shattered life back together and the ongoing police investigation into the identity of her captor.

Still Missing is that rare debut find--a shocking, visceral, brutal and beautifully crafted debut novel.

My Review

This story isn’t for the faint of heart. It deals with tough issues and is brilliantly written. You will feel what Annie felt through her gripping journey into the past and back to the present. Neither is any good. This is the kind of story that will stick with you long after you close the book.

I feel numb for a story that wasn’t about me but so real it could be me. And that is just scary in itself. I cringed and covered my eyes as I listened to the story unfold as if I could stop hearing the bad things that happened.

The author is brilliant in her execution of this story by telling it through Annie’s therapy sessions. It gives nothing away to say she survived the horrific ordeal because surviving didn’t me the bad things that happened to her or because of what she went through was over.

The characters are well crafted and I must say when you can feel all that Annie felt even the parts you shouldn’t feel, you understood why she could feel them. Some of the parts that brought me closest to tears is what Annie lost because of what was taken from her. None of it her fault, yet she was a loser in my mind all around. But the book isn’t all depressing. This story is a story about survival that doesn’t end when she was free from the freak (her words).

If you’ve ever been violated or held against your will this may not be the story for you. At the same time, some in that category may find it still to be a good read. So I will leave that decision to each individual with that warning. With that said, I do recommend.

Audio Review
Angela Dawe did a fantastic job with this story. It felt like she was Annie telling her own story. I’ve listened to a lot of great narrations and this is one of them.

It almost seems bad to have a book boyfriend. But if I didn’t the freak would win. So my book boyfriend is Gary. And there is so many reason why I chose him. You’ll have to read to find out.






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Intertwined (Intertwined, #1) by Gena Showalter

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


This is a young adult urban fantasy novel.

Book Summary

There’s something about the new guy at Crossroads High…

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can possess another human.
One can tell the future.

Everyone thinks he’s crazy, which is why he’s spent his entire life shuffled between mental institutions and juvie. All of that is about to change, however. For months Aden has been having visions of a beautiful girl—a girl who carries centuries-old secrets. A girl who will either save him or destroy him.

Together they’ll enter a dark world of intrigue and danger... but not everyone will come out alive.

My Review

So let me tell you a little about this story. There is a lot going on. But that didn’t bother me. In fact, I think that added to the appeal for me.

Step one. The writing was choppy and juvenile for me in the beginning. I guess the author was going for authentic teenage speak, but even the inner dialogue was the same. And for me, it made the story fall flat. Somewhere however, all that is eclipsed and the story really takes off for me. I was able to look past all of that.

Step Two. The characters. There are a lot of them. Despite the number, for the most part, the author does a great job of letting the reader to get to know enough about each to enjoy the story. Although only one really interested me.

Step Three. The plot. I have to say that this story is a mesh of all things paranormal. It may seem like a lot to some, but for me I found that the author did a really good job of putting it all together in an interesting way. There is a little paranormal for everyone. Because there was so much going on, I never really knew what was going to happen next. The author did a really good job of answering our questions not too soon or too late, but right before the reader might get frustrated which was good.

Overall, it was an interesting read. I would recommend for those paranormal readers who don’t mind reading a book with mini storylines that are unfolding and bringing in new aspects to the story with them along the way. But this story surely sets us up for the next one.

Audio Review
Jessica Almasy does an amazing job at keeping the high number of character straight with different voice inflections. I love her Julien. But I have to say, I probably enjoyed this story that much more because of her great narration.

My new hot book boyfriend is Riley.





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Indie Spotlight - Dark Matter (Elemental Enmity, #2) by Christie Rich

Dark Matter by Christie Rich

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



This is an older young adult paranormal romance novel.

Book Summay

Rayla Tate’s dreams for the future shattered when she discovered she was an Elemental capable of manipulating matter. Thrust, once again, into the magical fae realm of Faeresia, she has an important choice to make. But now that she has Heath to contend with, deciding between Zach and Luke is the least of her concerns. Tall, dark and lethal to her will, her attraction to Heath eclipses all she has experienced with any other lord, but he is using compulsion to wear her down. If only she could trust her feelings?

In a desperate attempt to escape Heath, she accepts the help of a little troll and finally gets what she wants; however, her relief is short lived. Things go terribly wrong when a dark force closes in on her, threatening to steal her burgeoning power before she even has a chance to test her abilities. Now, with Rayla as their captive, the Order will stop at nothing to create a male Elemental, and willing or not, Rayla is the key.

Caught up in the age-old battle for dominance between human and fae, only one question matters to her now—will she be able to save those she loves most without losing herself in the process? Or will she be forever haunted by the choices she alone can make?

My Review

Overall, I liked this story more than the first. We were immersed in Christie Rich’s Fae world throughout most of the story. There we learned just the extent to Christie’s imagination in a good way.

I wasn’t endeared more to Rayla in this story. But that is okay, I didn’t have to like her much to enjoy this story. She was wrought again with indecision and I wanted to slap her at times and hug her other ones. Okay, let me give her some slack, surrounded by hot guys, I think I would be just as confused if they all wanted me as well. We meet a new suitor in this story. For me the jury is still out on him.

The storyline was one, I don’t think I could imagine and that’s a good thing. We went places I hadn’t expected to go. And when I though all my questions were answered, something else would happen. All that did was help make this story a page turner.

Would I recommend yes. For those who love stories about the fae and don’t mind love triangle, give this story a shot. You may find a new series to love.

My book boyfriend, Finn. Since he wasn't on the menu, I guess you will have to read why I chose him.







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Indie Spotlight - Five (Elemental Enmity, #1) by Christie Rich

Five by Christie Rich

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars



This is an older young adult paranormal romance novel.

Book Summary

Rayla Tate was just a child when her mother disappeared from her life forever. Raised by her aunt Grace in a small town, she has lived a relatively uneventful but extremely sheltered life. She doesn’t know it yet, but she is special. She has been hidden from the fae who have lived secretly among us since the beginning of time. Descended from an ancient blood-line of Elementals, only she has the power to crown the first fae high-king.

Sick of provincial living and the dictates of her aunt, Rayla flees the safety of her home and runs away to college with her best friend. However, excitement over her newfound freedom is short-lived when she finds herself being chased by a mysterious stranger on her way to school. She is drawn to him immediately but resists the compulsion she feels. He disappears into the night, but she is certain he is following her.

Rayla struggles to deal with the encounter while she adapts to her new environment. To make matters worse, Aunt Grace reveals that Rayla will soon be hunted by a pack of fae lords, each hoping to claim her power for his own. She soon finds herself surrounded by stunning men. Are they fae, or is this just normal college life? More importantly, who can she trust when she can’t trust herself to be near them?

My Review

The second time around reading was better and smoother than the first. This story has a lot of potential and held a lot of good more so than bad. It really took off towards the end. There is a hand full of hot guys and I can’t hide my excitement for all the drama.

My biggest problem I had was with the main character, Rayla. She took the news that she was different a lot calmer and more accepting than I would have expected. She allowed a boy into her more private secrets a little easier than I would have thought. However, in some respects I understood some of her decisions.

My other problem was with the “insta love” between some of the character but especially Cassie and one of the Lords that was suppose to court Rayla. But that’s me.

Otherwise, the story was original and unique in a way that made me want to know more about the characters.

Towards the end of the book, things took an unexpected turn for the better. Once we got to see the world of fae spun my the author, things really took off. There is a really good story in there. Still with that said, being the curious sort, I will the next installment.

This story was better this time around. I’m giving it 3.5 stars.

My book boyfriend is Zach.


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