Eight years ago Serenity and her twin sister Savannah were captured by a serial killer. Serenity escaped, but not before she was forced to watch her sEight years ago Serenity and her twin sister Savannah were captured by a serial killer. Serenity escaped, but not before she was forced to watch her sister die. Although she's tried to move on with her life Serenity has always felt like a piece of her is missing so after her husband dies she's returned to her hometown with her young daughter Harper. Just when she was starting to feel settled again someone starts leaving her gifts, starting with a bracelet that used to belong to her sister, one that was never recovered even after her killer was brought to justice. The murderer is still in jail but as the threats against Serenity increase in both frequency and severity it quickly becomes clear that she is a target once more.
Lucas has been friends with Serenity since she returned home and always had hope that eventually they could become something more so when he realises she's in danger he will stop at nothing to keep her safe. The only question is how many people will get hurt before the police can figure out who Serenity's stalker is.
I really enjoy Katie Reus' stories, they have just enough suspense and action to keep me turning the pages but also a strong focus on the romance. In this case it's a friends to lovers trope which I always enjoy, Lucas has always known what he wants but Serenity has very good reasons for keeping him at arm's length. She's learned the hard way that anyone she gets close to ends up dying and she's scared to let anyone but her daughter get close enough to hurt her in that way again. She's also wary of introducing a new father figure into Harper's life and potentially have her heart broken too if the relationship ends badly and she worries about damaging her friendship with Lucas when he's one of the few people she can rely on.
As things quickly escalate with the stalker Lucas and his family are amongst the first to stand up and look out for her. Like in any small town there is a fair share of gossip but in general people seemed to be pretty supportive and I liked that Serenity had a good group of friends outside of Lucas. I'm not always a fan of kids in books but Harper was pretty cute and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Lucas as well as with her mum. The identity of the stalker kept me guessing right until the big reveal as there were several possibilities all the way through. Dark Memento was a great start to the series and I'm really hoping the other books will give Lucas' brothers Lincoln and Easton their chance at a HEA.
Merged review:
Eight years ago Serenity and her twin sister Savannah were captured by a serial killer. Serenity escaped, but not before she was forced to watch her sister die. Although she's tried to move on with her life Serenity has always felt like a piece of her is missing so after her husband dies she's returned to her hometown with her young daughter Harper. Just when she was starting to feel settled again someone starts leaving her gifts, starting with a bracelet that used to belong to her sister, one that was never recovered even after her killer was brought to justice. The murderer is still in jail but as the threats against Serenity increase in both frequency and severity it quickly becomes clear that she is a target once more.
Lucas has been friends with Serenity since she returned home and always had hope that eventually they could become something more so when he realises she's in danger he will stop at nothing to keep her safe. The only question is how many people will get hurt before the police can figure out who Serenity's stalker is.
I really enjoy Katie Reus' stories, they have just enough suspense and action to keep me turning the pages but also a strong focus on the romance. In this case it's a friends to lovers trope which I always enjoy, Lucas has always known what he wants but Serenity has very good reasons for keeping him at arm's length. She's learned the hard way that anyone she gets close to ends up dying and she's scared to let anyone but her daughter get close enough to hurt her in that way again. She's also wary of introducing a new father figure into Harper's life and potentially have her heart broken too if the relationship ends badly and she worries about damaging her friendship with Lucas when he's one of the few people she can rely on.
As things quickly escalate with the stalker Lucas and his family are amongst the first to stand up and look out for her. Like in any small town there is a fair share of gossip but in general people seemed to be pretty supportive and I liked that Serenity had a good group of friends outside of Lucas. I'm not always a fan of kids in books but Harper was pretty cute and I enjoyed seeing her relationship with Lucas as well as with her mum. The identity of the stalker kept me guessing right until the big reveal as there were several possibilities all the way through. Dark Memento was a great start to the series and I'm really hoping the other books will give Lucas' brothers Lincoln and Easton their chance at a HEA....more
This instalment sees Kam, Tahm and Ash sent to investigate suspicious soul activity at a riverboat casino. It should be a fairly easy job with plenty This instalment sees Kam, Tahm and Ash sent to investigate suspicious soul activity at a riverboat casino. It should be a fairly easy job with plenty of leisure time built in but things quickly go downhill when they find out the leprechaun mafia are running the show. It gets even worse when Tahm gets himself captured and now it's up to Kam to find a way to rescue him while keeping herself and Ash out of trouble.
To Free a Captured Heart is the final book in the Djinn Haven series and while I'm glad that Kam finally gets her happily ever after I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this instalment. There was a lot to like about this story but it didn't quite have the humour of the earlier books and I felt the pacing was a little off. I also would have liked a bit more focus on the relationship between Kam and Tahm since that has been building for three books now.
I do find the leprechaun mafia amusing though, they're always finding new ways to cause mischief and they've definitely come up with quite a scam this time around. I enjoy the friendship between Kam and Ash, they're more like sisters now and work really well together. I've been rooting for Kam and Tahm for ages now so I'm glad that things worked out for them but I did find the ending left me feeling kind underwhelmed.
Merged review:
This instalment sees Kam, Tahm and Ash sent to investigate suspicious soul activity at a riverboat casino. It should be a fairly easy job with plenty of leisure time built in but things quickly go downhill when they find out the leprechaun mafia are running the show. It gets even worse when Tahm gets himself captured and now it's up to Kam to find a way to rescue him while keeping herself and Ash out of trouble.
To Free a Captured Heart is the final book in the Djinn Haven series and while I'm glad that Kam finally gets her happily ever after I have to admit I was a little disappointed with this instalment. There was a lot to like about this story but it didn't quite have the humour of the earlier books and I felt the pacing was a little off. I also would have liked a bit more focus on the relationship between Kam and Tahm since that has been building for three books now.
I do find the leprechaun mafia amusing though, they're always finding new ways to cause mischief and they've definitely come up with quite a scam this time around. I enjoy the friendship between Kam and Ash, they're more like sisters now and work really well together. I've been rooting for Kam and Tahm for ages now so I'm glad that things worked out for them but I did find the ending left me feeling kind underwhelmed....more
These Incredibuild models seem to be getting easier and easier to make (not that any of them have been particularly hard!) but the Thestral only had aThese Incredibuild models seem to be getting easier and easier to make (not that any of them have been particularly hard!) but the Thestral only had about 20 pieces so it didn't take any time at all to put together. I will say you need to be extra careful removing the thinner pieces (the legs and tail in particular) from the board as it would be easy to break them but I managed fine so it only needs a little patience. I've been happy with all of the Incredibuild models I've made so far, they're simple but effective and I think they look great on my bookcases.
I don't usually talk a lot about the booklets they come with because they're so small but they always come with fun facts about the particular creature you're building and include both movie images and artist illustrations. Thestrals have made appearances in the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts movies so it includes some info about both.
I still think these are great gifts for Potterheads and I'm determined to collect them all eventually.
Mirror, Mirror is an anthology containing five stories inspired by fairytales and written by bestselling authors. I wanted to read this for J.D. Robb'Mirror, Mirror is an anthology containing five stories inspired by fairytales and written by bestselling authors. I wanted to read this for J.D. Robb's contribution but I enjoyed the other stories too and have found a couple of new to me authors who I want to read more from in the future.
Taken in Death by J.D. Robb
This story is J.D. Robb's take on Hansel and Gretel, normally Eve is only involved in investigating murders but after the body of a nanny is discovered the team quickly realise that the children she was looking after have been abducted. Eve finds herself in a race against time to track down missing seven year old twins Henry and Gala before they come to harm at the hands of the evil witch who stole them.
Taken in Death was a really creepy novella with a cannibalistic evil twin and a couple of pretty smart children who are able to leave a trail for Eve to follow. A perfect read-in-one-sitting story that'll give you your Eve and Roarke fix while you're waiting for the next full length book to arrive.
If Wishes Were Horses by Mary Blayney
Mary Blayney's contribution is a historical romance inspired by the tale of Goldilocks, it's not what I'd call a complete retelling but you can definitely see hints of the original tale in here. This was quite a cute story that had a feel of Downton Abbey to it, there were a few things that didn't feel particularly realistic about this story but I found it fairly easy to overlook those because I liked the main characters and was interested in seeing them get a happily ever after.
Beauty, Sleeping by Elaine Fox
Elaine Fox has written a clever and original take on Sleeping Beauty where Beauty is a man and he's not technically asleep. Instead he's been cursed to spend his life as a ghost that nobody can see, hear or interact with, until his true love comes along and is able to save him.
The Christmas Comet by Mary Kay McComas
Mary Kay McComas' story is inspired by two tales I'm not really that familiar with, The Little Matchstick Girl by Hans Christian Andersen and The Star Money by the Brothers Grimm, so I probably didn't appreciate it as much as I could have. I think my main issue with this one was that the main character was just too much of a saint, it's great that she tried to help so many people but doing it to the point where she couldn't afford to pay her own rent or buy herself food was a bit ridiculous.
Stroke of Midnight by R.C. Ryan
The final story by R.C. Ryan is inspired by Cinderella. I really liked the way Sydney refused to be a victim and chose to live life on her own terms in spite of her step-mother. She and Cullen made a cute couple and I was really enjoying their romance but I have to admit the rushed proposal at the end did spoil it a little. I'd have preferred it if the romance had been developed over a longer time before getting to that point. Still a cute read but not my favourite in the anthology....more
Taken in Death is an In Death series novella that is available in the Mirror, Mirror anthology or as a separate ebook. I read it as part of the antholTaken in Death is an In Death series novella that is available in the Mirror, Mirror anthology or as a separate ebook. I read it as part of the anthology (which I'd happily recommend to fans of fairytale retellings) but I'm reviewing it separately too as I know some people aren't interested in anthologies.
This story is J.D. Robb's take on Hansel and Gretel, normally Eve is only involved in investigating murders but after the body of a nanny is discovered the team quickly realise that the children she was looking after have been abducted. Eve finds herself in a race against time to track down missing seven year old twins Henry and Gala before they come to harm at the hands of the evil witch who stole them.
Taken in Death was a really creepy novella with a cannibalistic evil twin and a couple of pretty smart children who are able to leave a trail for Eve to follow. A perfect read-in-one-sitting story that'll give you your Eve and Roarke fix while you're waiting for the next full length book to arrive.
1st read - December 2019 2nd read - November 2021 3rd read - March 2023...more
Snowspelled is a novella set in 19th Century Angland, a kind of alternate history of our own world but with added fae and magic. Also this is very mucSnowspelled is a novella set in 19th Century Angland, a kind of alternate history of our own world but with added fae and magic. Also this is very much a matriarchal society so if you've been looking for a feminist historical romance this will hit the spot perfectly!
It was a truth universally acknowledged that women were the more pragmatic sex; that was why we were expected to run the government, while the men attended to the more mystical and imaginative realm of magic.
In this world the women are the politicians, they make the rules and govern society while the men engage in more frivolous pursuits like magic. Cassandra Harwood's mother was a respected politician and Cassandra was expected to follow in her footsteps but she was always more interested in magic. It took hard work but she finally achieved her lifetime dream of becoming the world's first female magician, she had everything she wanted in her career and was engaged to the love of her life, fellow magician Wrexham, but when a spell went horribly wrong her world came crashing down around her. Now unable to use magic Cassandra has lost her purpose in life and she broke off her engagement because she didn't want to bring Wrexham down with her.
Several months later Cassandra finds herself trapped at a house party and completely out of her comfort zone surrounded by lady politicians, who should be her peers but aren't, and male magicians, who used to be her colleagues. To make matters worse Wrexham is stubbornly following her around trying to convince her to change her mind about their relationship and she also seems to have caused a bit of bother with the local elves that could cause a political nightmare.
Snowspelled was an utterly charming story by Stephanie Burgis, the world building was fabulous, full of diverse characters and feminist themes, the characters were fun to spend time with, there was a good amount of action and the romance was incredibly sweet. I was amazed how much the author managed to pack into a relatively small number of pages and I'm already looking forward to continuing the series....more
Girls' Night Out is a short story that was originally available through Kit Rocha's Patreon page where you can sponsor the author and read a short stoGirls' Night Out is a short story that was originally available through Kit Rocha's Patreon page where you can sponsor the author and read a short story every month. After six months these stories become available on Kit Rocha's website so you can now read this one for free. These stories aren't meant to be standalone, they're written to give fans of the series a chance to catch up with favourite characters and just give us little glimpses into what's happening in this world now that the main series has finished.
In Girls' Night Out we see a bunch of the women from Sector One head to the O'Kane Fight Night. They're on a mission to find a suitable venue for Maricela's bachelorette party, I'll let Nita explain exactly what they're looking for in this quote:
“So, I don’t know what a bachelorette party is supposed to be like. What are we looking for?” “It’s not really a Sector One tradition,” Nita replied. “But it should be. I have researched this extensively and according to all vids we need intense fun, mild debauchery and maybe some light crime.”
This was a really fun snippet & I hope we get to see the girls try out a few of the other venues mentioned, as well as the actual hen night, in future stories!...more
Willow and Reid have been best friends for years, they spend pretty much all of their time together outside of work. They eat together, go out togetheWillow and Reid have been best friends for years, they spend pretty much all of their time together outside of work. They eat together, go out together, chill at home watching TV together, but there is absolutely no romance involved - they're just friends. Honest! Willow works for her mother's matchmaking business but so far she's not been very good at picking matches so in order to prove herself she decides she's going to find Reid his perfect girlfriend.
Reid isn't too sure he actually wants a girlfriend but he agrees to go along with Willow's plan just to stop her nagging him. Then something strange starts to happen between them when she starts sending him on dates. Suddenly Willow finds herself jealous that he's spending time with other women. And Reid realises that none of the women she's setting him up with have anything on Willow. The last thing a matchmaker should do is fall in love with her own client, but would it be so bad if he's starting to fall in love with her too?
After really enjoying Corinne Michaels & Melanie Harlow's novella in the Christmas in the City anthology (which is currently free to download from amazon so if you haven't already got your copy grab it now!) I was really looking forward to reading Imperfect Match. This was a really fun and light hearted contemporary romance that definitely left me with a smile on my face.
I really enjoyed the friendship between Willow and Reid, friends to lovers is one of my favourite tropes because I love the fact that the couple know each other inside out before they even start dating. They know all of each other's good points but also don't mind their bad habits either. This kind of story can be so much more satisfying because there is a real sense of history between them and it doesn't feel like insta-love even when the relationship goes from friendship to something serious really quickly.
Willow and Reid were both realistic characters, they had flaws and hang ups from previous relationships that made them both wary about diving into something serious. They also both wanted different things from life so although they're perfect for each other in a lot of ways and have fantastic chemistry to boot there were a lot of things going against them too so they needed to do a lot of soul searching before committing to a full term relationship. It was fun spending time with them both, the banter kept me smiling and I was rooting for them to figure things out. This was my first full length novel written by these two authors but it definitely won't be the last and I'm looking forward to checking out more of their books in the future....more
Every so often Eve finds herself investigating the death of someone who almost brought it on themselves and that's definitely the case with personal tEvery so often Eve finds herself investigating the death of someone who almost brought it on themselves and that's definitely the case with personal trainer Trey Ziegler. The more Eve and Peabody find out about their victim the harder it is to have much sympathy for him but Eve is strong believer in justice and as much as she'd have liked to lock Trey up for his crimes he didn't deserve to die for them. The trouble with finding his killer is that so many people had a good reason to want Trey dead and it's hard to narrow down the suspect list.
I happened to read this book at the perfect time of year since not only is Eve hunting a killer but she's also having to shop for Christmas presents and preparing to help Roarke host the party of the year at their home. Eve is never the best at social gatherings so I always find it really amusing to see her out of her comfort zone, especially as Summerset ropes her into helping with the party prep this year and she's forced to deal with arguing party planners and floral arrangements. Present buying isn't her forte either and I appreciate her skill of pretty much one stop shopping and buying gifts for all her friends in one fell swoop. She always puts more thought into the gifts she buys Roarke though and their private celebration and gift swap just made me smile.
It was fun to see all of the familiar faces at the party, especially as we get to see Roarke's friends starting to mingle with Eve's, but it's the quieter moments that have more meaning. Eve definitely appreciates her friends more these days than she did in the beginning, there was a really sweet father/daughter type moment with her and Feeny, Peabody made me laugh with her reaction to a certain gift and I love seeing how happy Mavis and her little family are.
I was less invested in the murder investigation simply because I hated the victim but I had to agree with Eve that he deserved to be locked up for his crimes rather than murdered. I will say that I'd figured out the twist of the killer long before the big reveal but it's very unusual for me to be one step ahead of Eve like that. It's hard to believe that 39 books in I'm more addicted to this series than ever, especially if you look at how many of these books I've binge read this year alone, but I'm totally hooked and already jonesing for my next fix.
1st read - December 2019 2nd read - November 2021 3rd read - March 2023...more
Sex Criminals is a comic that is completely bonkers but in the best possible way. Just imagine as a teenager that you discovered that every time you hSex Criminals is a comic that is completely bonkers but in the best possible way. Just imagine as a teenager that you discovered that every time you had an orgasm you were able to stop time, what would you do with that power? Well, Suzie and Jon go down very different roads after discovering their ability but once the two of them find each other it's not a big leap for them to decide to become criminal masterminds and start plotting to rob a bank. They're not even doing it for their own gain, they actually want to use the money to save the library that Suzie works at, they're just doing charity work really!
I don't want to say too much about the plot for this so I'm just going to tell you that the story was full of humour (you probably want to skip this if you don't like dirty jokes!) but also some surprisingly cute moments between Suzie and Jon when they're not busy trying to stop time. I loved the artwork, especially when they're in The Quiet (that moment of postcoital bliss) the colours become really vibrant with a dreamy kind of quality to them but the whole comic was great. I'm definitely looking forward to reading the rest of the series.
Roarke's latest project includes renovating an old building which is nothing unusual but finding the bodies of 12 murdered girls hidden in the walls iRoarke's latest project includes renovating an old building which is nothing unusual but finding the bodies of 12 murdered girls hidden in the walls is definitely unexpected. They may have been killed five years ago but that isn't going to stop Eve from doing everything in her power to find out what happened to them and bring their murderer to justice.
Concealed in Death was a bit different to Eve's usual case because it involves historical murders and the killer seems to have dropped off the radar. Usually a killer like this would have continued to escalate so Eve needs to find out why they stopped, perhaps they left the area and have continued their killing spree elsewhere, or perhaps they're in prison on a different charge. Either way Eve wants to find justice for the victims and to give their families a little peace knowing that the killer won't be able to harm anyone else in the future.
While this story seemed a little slower paced than most of J.D. Robb's books I actually enjoyed seeing Eve work on a historical case, she has much less evidence to work with and it's not so easy to find witnesses but Eve and Peabody put the effort in and are rewarded for that. It's hard to call the ending satisfactory but I can't really say why without giving spoilers, I'll just leave it by saying the victims get a different kind of justice than normal and leave it at that. As always I loved the interactions between Eve and Roarke, Peabody brings her usual humour to the series and I liked the introduction of a new forensic anthropologist too, Dr DeWinter did a great job of pushing Eve's buttons. I think what I appreciated most about this book is that J.D. Robb is still finding new ways to shake the series up even though we're 38 books in now, it's not easy to keep a series fresh for that length (I can't think of any other author's who have managed it!) and I'm still as excited as ever to carry on reading.
1st read - December 2019 2nd read - November 2021 3rd read - March 2023...more
When accountant Marta Dickenson is murdered it initially looks like a mugging gone wrong, but something just doesn't quite add up for Eve and Peabody When accountant Marta Dickenson is murdered it initially looks like a mugging gone wrong, but something just doesn't quite add up for Eve and Peabody so they decide to take a closer look. They quickly discover that Marta was specifically targeted but what reason would anyone have to kill a normal woman who just did her job to the best of her ability before going home to spend time with her family? The deeper Eve digs the more she starts to see there has been a cover up and it looks like someone powerful will stop at nothing to avoid getting caught.
I don't know how J.D. Robb consistently manages to come up with such different cases for Eve to investigate. The mystery in each book is different to the last and she always manages to find new ways to surprise me. I really enjoyed watching Eve and the others work this case, we know from about the halfway point who is ordering the murders but it takes longer to pin down who is actually carrying them out. We get to see Eve test out the strength of her special Roarke designed coat, Peabody gets to do a little play acting and we also see the whole team invited to the premier of the movie about the Icove case.
There's a lot going on in this book but we still have all the banter and fun moments I've come to expect plus plenty of time with my favourite book boyfriend Roarke. I just love spending time with him and Eve, they never ever disappoint. 36 books in (although that's probably closer to 45 stories by the time you add in all the additional novellas I've read up to this point!) and I'm still totally addicted to this series and I seem to be reading them faster and faster the closer I get to the end.
1st read - December 2019 2nd read - November 2021 3rd read - March 2023...more
It isn't often that Eve Dallas knows almost instantly who her murderer is but this one has done very little to hide his tracks. Jerald Reinhold brutalIt isn't often that Eve Dallas knows almost instantly who her murderer is but this one has done very little to hide his tracks. Jerald Reinhold brutally murdered both of his parents, stole their money and is now hiding from the police. At the same time he is working through a very long list of people who have ever wronged him, from the teacher who didn't give him a passing grade because he failed to put the work in, through to the girlfriend who dumped him after she caught him stealing from her, Jerald has a list and everyone on it needs to die. Eve knows who the killer is but he's already changed his appearance and got hold of a fake identity so finding him isn't going to be quite as straightforward as it should be but she needs to work fast before he can kill anyone else.
I love the way each of Eve's cases are so different, sometimes the reader knows who the killer is before Eve does, sometimes it's a surprise right until the big reveal and other times we all know from the beginning just who the bad guy is and we're just waiting for Eve and her team to bring him down. If I have one complaint about this instalment to the series it was that I really didn't enjoy spending so much time in the killer's head. We usually see the results of the murders but it's not so often that we have to suffer through the torture and death alongside the victims and that made for quite difficult reading.
I know we're not supposed to like any murderer but I really couldn't stand Jerald, he's such a whiny little man-baby who refuses to take responsibility for a single thing that has happened in his life. He fails at school and it's obviously because the teacher hated him, his girlfriend dumps him and she's a bitch, it's got nothing to do with the fact he stole all her money and punched her after she confronted him about it. There really was nothing redeemable about his character which made it all the sweeter when Eve and the others FINALLY brought him down. I was definitely cheering at the thought of him in an off-planet prison for the rest of his miserable life.
Skipping all the scenes from the killer's point of view this was just as fantastic as any other instalment of the series. We have all the humour and team banter that I've come to love, Roarke's family is in town for Thanksgiving and they're always a hoot and we even had a medal ceremony that was both really funny and very touching. Eve and Roarke continue to be my favourite power couple and I'm getting nervous that I'm going to run out of books soon.
1st read - December 2019 2nd read - November 2021 3rd read - March 2023...more
Although this story is set decades or centuries before the start of Skyward I would recommend reading it after that novel as it does contain answers to questions that are only raised in that book. I don't want to go into too much detail because it's far too easy to accidentally spoil a 40 page short story but I will say it gives more information about humanity's first interaction with alien species and it definitely explains certain things that we find out towards the end of Skyward.
Having really enjoyed this short I'm now even more excited to start the second book in the series, Starsight, I can't wait to see what happens next for Spensa and her friends....more
There's only one demon left on this side of the portal and it's clear that Janie is it's main target. Larissa doesn't know why it is so determined to There's only one demon left on this side of the portal and it's clear that Janie is it's main target. Larissa doesn't know why it is so determined to take her friend but when the worst happens she is determined to do whatever it takes to save Janie's life. Luckily Roman and the other Stone Sentries are willing to help but this is one battle that won't be easy to win.
Captivated by the Gargoyle is the final instalment in Larissa and Roman's trilogy and it was just as action packed as you'd expect. The stakes are higher than ever here when Janie is abducted by the demon king and trying to save her could end up costing Larissa and her friends everything.
I've really enjoyed seeing Larissa come into her powers, she's still learning exactly what she's capable of but she's come a long way and is getting stronger all the time. I was also pleased with the way the romance has developed between Larissa and Roman, they've both made mistakes along the way, and Larissa in particular had a lot of growing up to do but by the end of the book it felt like they were in a great place relationship wise. It was fun seeing the beginnings of a romance start to blossom between Janie and Arto, Roman's second in command. I think they are really cute together and I'd love to read a book about them both!...more
Enticed by the Gargoyle picks up Larissa's story as she tries to explain a demon attack to her bosses, it goes down about as well as you can expect anEnticed by the Gargoyle picks up Larissa's story as she tries to explain a demon attack to her bosses, it goes down about as well as you can expect and she quickly finds herself placed on leave until further notice. It's not like she doesn't have plenty of other things to deal with though, she's just found out that she comes from a long line of witches but has no training on how to use her abilities, and she's still got to try and figure out a way to save her best friend Janie from the incubus induced coma she's currently in.
Roman and the rest of the gargoyles are also on high alert as they're still sensing demon activity in the city even though the portal has been closed. He is determined to keep his mate safe but when Larissa starts pushing him away he's forced to watch over her from a distance.
This is another action packed instalment of the Stone Sentries Boston series, there is plenty of danger from demons and we also get to learn more about Larissa's family background and see her start to embrace her abilities.
The one thing I didn't like so much was the way Larissa and Roman's relationship seemed to take a step backwards. They lost the chemistry from the first book and spent most of this one bickering which was disappointing since you'd really expect them to be in that honeymoon period. I was really annoyed by Larissa, she says some incredibly hurtful things to Roman when she was under the influence of dark magic that left him questioning everything about their relationship. That was completely out of her control but when she starts to come back to herself and realise what she'd done her first move should have been to immediately call Roman and apologise. Instead she just ignores it leaving him heartbroken for longer than necessary.
I do want to see them work things out though so I'm hoping the next story will be the best one yet....more
Just imagine that Santa's reindeers are Sleigh Bells Ring is a short but spicy free Christmas story that you can read on Jodie Griffin's website here.
Just imagine that Santa's reindeers are actually shifters and think about all the kinky things they could get up to with Master Elf Nic during all those long winter days while they wait for Christmas.
The trouble for Vixen is that she's fallen in love with the immortal elf and she knows she'll never be happy when she's finished her time working for him and has to return to her mortal life and the real world. Luckily for her Nic has no plans on letting her go.
Like I said before this was a really quick read but it was also a really fun one with lots of interesting uses for peppermint candy canes and icicles. It's not for the faint of heart - these reindeers all have their kinks and there are lots of multi-partner situations going on not to mention some BDSM elements but I enjoyed the story and thought reading it was a fun way to pass 20 minutes....more
All Wrapped up for the Holidays is a collection of six short stories offered for free to fans of the authors involved. You can download your copy via All Wrapped up for the Holidays is a collection of six short stories offered for free to fans of the authors involved. You can download your copy via BookFunnel here for a limited time.
The Merry Mistake by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward - 4 stars
I've heard great things about both Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward but this is the first time I've read one of their books. I'm not sure if The Merry Mistake is linked to any of their other books but it worked perfectly as a stand alone. It's a really cute romance between Piper and Mason, two characters who meet when Piper mistakes Mason for a homeless man and buys him lunch. He is rather insulted by her assumption and calls her a self-righteous do-gooder so they don't get off to the best of starts! However fate has a way of throwing them back together and they find they have a lot more in common than they could have imagined.
I really enjoyed this one, it was the right amount of sweet without being over the top, there was a good amount of humour and both characters were extremely easy to like. I definitely plan to check out more books from both of these authors in the future.
Finding Perfect by Colleen Hoover - No Rating
Colleen Hoover recommends reading this story after her books Finding Cinderella and All Your Perfects so, since I've not read either of those books yet I skipped this one. I will come back and update this review at a later date when I get around to reading it though.
A Rock Chick Christmas by Kristen Ashley - No Rating
This story is about characters from Kristen Ashley's Rock Chick series. I did try to read it but there were so many different names dropped in the first few pages that I was totally confused. I'm sure this is brilliant for fans of the series who get to catch up with familiar characters but it didn't really work as an introduction to the world so I didn't even finish reading it. Again I'll come back to it at a later date if I ever read the Rock Chick books.
Just Say When by Jill Shalvis - 4 stars
Just Say When is part of Jill Shalvis' Heartbreaker Bay series so I'm sure anyone who has read this series will already be familiar with the characters involved but I'm happy to say it's still a really enjoyable read even if you're new to the series.
James and Julia have been dating for several months but he's becoming increasingly frustrated by the way she always sneaks out of his bed in the middle of the night. He wants more from their relationship but he's scared to push her as he knows she's been hurt before and it's made her gun-shy. I won't say any more than that but I thought these two made an adorable couple and I really enjoyed seeing them figure out what they both want from the future. I hope we get to discover what happens next for them in the main series and this story has definitely given me a kick to get reading the rest of the Heartbreaker books.
The Pact by Elle Kennedy - 4 stars
The Pact is part of Elle Kennedy's Off-Campus series and is all about characters Logan and Gracie who feature in the second book of the series, The Mistake. I've not actually read any of the books in that series so I was a bit worried I wouldn't enjoy this story but I couldn't have been more wrong. I loved both of these characters and reading this has DEFINITELY made me want to read the other Off-Campus books.
Logan and Grace are already a couple here but they're finding it increasingly difficult to spend time together as she's busy with her studies and he's travelling the country as a professional hockey player. This story is about putting in the effort to keep a relationship alive, it's about making time for each other even when you're exhausted and basically it's just about remembering what's important. I'm sure if you'e already read The Mistake you'll love the chance to catch up with these two but even if you're new to the characters it's still a really sweet and pretty hot read.
The Package by K. Bromberg - 3.5 stars
K. Bromberg is another new to me author that I've heard good things about but never got around to reading. I'm not sure if The Package is linked to any of her other books or series but I was able to enjoy it as a stand alone so it wasn't an issue.
This was the very definition of a meet cute as characters Julia and Archer bump into each other when they get trapped in a broken down elevator. Julia is having the worst day ever and ends up ranting about the company and her job to Archer completely unaware of the fact that he owns the company. I found both of these characters likeable and I was left feeling that they could become a great couple in the future. I did find a couple of things completely unbelievable (like her job offer and bonus cheque) but overall this was a cute and funny read....more
Tempted by the Gargoyle is our introduction to this world and both of the main characters Larissa and Roman. Larissa is a police officer who has been Tempted by the Gargoyle is our introduction to this world and both of the main characters Larissa and Roman. Larissa is a police officer who has been suffering with PTSD ever since the Boston Marathon bombing, she loves her job but feels guilt over the people she couldn't save that day, especially her best friend Janie, a fellow officer who was badly injured in the explosion. Larissa has always been sensitive and long ago learnt to trust her gut instincts but while her ability may warn her trouble is coming it doesn't always give her enough information to stop it from happening.
Roman is the Commander of the Stone Sentries in Boston, they are a group of gargoyle shifters who do their best to watch over the city and protect the innocent humans living there. The eclipse of the red supermoon has them on high alert, they sense danger is coming but are still trying to tract down the source. Roman senses something about Larissa and he's not sure if she's involved with what's about to go down or an innocent bystander so he decides to follow her.
This was a really fun introduction to this series, I really liked both of the main characters and what we've seen of this world is really interesting so far. I've not read many books with gargoyle main characters so that was a bonus and I found Roman's abilities really intriguing. I hope we'll find out a lot more about him and the rest of the Stone Sentries as the series continues. I thought they had great chemistry from the minute they met and I was totally on board with Larissa's idea to take a walk on the wild side and have a one night stand, the night they spent together was hot and I could easily see them wanting to spend more time together.
If I have one complaint it was that some things felt a little rushed. I get that this is a relatively short instalment but since there are three books about these two characters I would have liked their romance to have been drawn out a little longer, things are quite serious between them already and that didn't feel realistic with them knowing each other less than 24 hours. I also felt like Larissa accepted what she learned about herself and her heritage a bit too easily and I definitely struggled to believe the way she was able to gain control of abilities she didn't even know she had pretty much instantly. In spite of those issues I do have high hopes for this series and I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with Larissa and Roman in the next two stories....more
Rise of the Fire Witch is a bind up collection containing the first three books in the Stone Sentries Boston series by Lisa Carlisle. I'm going to revRise of the Fire Witch is a bind up collection containing the first three books in the Stone Sentries Boston series by Lisa Carlisle. I'm going to review each of these stories separately below but this was a fun paranormal romance series that you should definitely check out if you're curious about gargoyles!
Tempted by the Gargoyle:
Tempted by the Gargoyle is our introduction to this world and both of the main characters Larissa and Roman. Larissa is a police officer who has been suffering with PTSD ever since the Boston Marathon bombing, she loves her job but feels guilt over the people she couldn't save that day, especially her best friend Janie, a fellow officer who was badly injured in the explosion. Larissa has always been sensitive and long ago learnt to trust her gut instincts but while her ability may warn her trouble is coming it doesn't always give her enough information to stop it from happening.
Roman is the Commander of the Stone Sentries in Boston, they are a group of gargoyle shifters who do their best to watch over the city and protect the innocent humans living there. The eclipse of the red supermoon has them on high alert, they sense danger is coming but are still trying to tract down the source. Roman senses something about Larissa and he's not sure if she's involved with what's about to go down or an innocent bystander so he decides to follow her.
This was a really fun introduction to this series, I really liked both of the main characters and what we've seen of this world is really interesting so far. I've not read many books with gargoyle main characters so that was a bonus and I found Roman's abilities really intriguing. I hope we'll find out a lot more about him and the rest of the Stone Sentries as the series continues. I thought they had great chemistry from the minute they met and I was totally on board with Larissa's idea to take a walk on the wild side and have a one night stand, the night they spent together was hot and I could easily see them wanting to spend more time together.
If I have one complaint it was that some things felt a little rushed. I get that this is a relatively short instalment but since there are three books about these two characters I would have liked their romance to have been drawn out a little longer, things are quite serious between them already and that didn't feel realistic with them knowing each other less than 24 hours. I also felt like Larissa accepted what she learned about herself and her heritage a bit too easily and I definitely struggled to believe the way she was able to gain control of abilities she didn't even know she had pretty much instantly. In spite of those issues I do have high hopes for this series and I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with Larissa and Roman in the next two stories.
Enticed by the Gargoyle:
Enticed by the Gargoyle picks up Larissa's story as she tries to explain a demon attack to her bosses, it goes down about as well as you can expect and she quickly finds herself placed on leave until further notice. It's not like she doesn't have plenty of other things to deal with though, she's just found out that she comes from a long line of witches but has no training on how to use her abilities, and she's still got to try and figure out a way to save her best friend Janie from the incubus induced coma she's currently in.
Roman and the rest of the gargoyles are also on high alert as they're still sensing demon activity in the city even though the portal has been closed. He is determined to keep his mate safe but when Larissa starts pushing him away he's forced to watch over her from a distance.
This is another action packed instalment of the Stone Sentries Boston series, there is plenty of danger from demons and we also get to learn more about Larissa's family background and see her start to embrace her abilities.
The one thing I didn't like so much was the way Larissa and Roman's relationship seemed to take a step backwards. They lost the chemistry from the first book and spent most of this one bickering which was disappointing since you'd really expect them to be in that honeymoon period. I was really annoyed by Larissa, she says some incredibly hurtful things to Roman when she was under the influence of dark magic that left him questioning everything about their relationship. That was completely out of her control but when she starts to come back to herself and realise what she'd done her first move should have been to immediately call Roman and apologise. Instead she just ignores it leaving him heartbroken for longer than necessary.
I do want to see them work things out though so I'm hoping the next story will be the best one yet.
Captivated by the Gargoyle:
There's only one demon left on this side of the portal and it's clear that Janie is it's main target. Larissa doesn't know why it is so determined to take her friend but when the worst happens she is determined to do whatever it takes to save Janie's life. Luckily Roman and the other Stone Sentries are willing to help but this is one battle that won't be easy to win.
Captivated by the Gargoyle is the final instalment in Larissa and Roman's trilogy and it was just as action packed as you'd expect. The stakes are higher than ever here when Janie is abducted by the demon king and trying to save her could end up costing Larissa and her friends everything.
I've really enjoyed seeing Larissa come into her powers, she's still learning exactly what she's capable of but she's come a long way and is getting stronger all the time. I was also pleased with the way the romance has developed between Larissa and Roman, they've both made mistakes along the way, and Larissa in particular had a lot of growing up to do but by the end of the book it felt like they were in a great place relationship wise. It was fun seeing the beginnings of a romance start to blossom between Janie and Arto, Roman's second in command. I think they are really cute together and I'd love to read a book about them both!...more
