All posts tagged: review

ODD THOMAS

Saint Odd: Review

Published by

Saint Odd is the final book in Dean Koontz’s Odd Thomas series, and I can’t imagine a more satisfying ending. This is definitely a series to read in order, and each book is well worth it. Share this on Facebook>>> Odd is back where it all started, in Pico Mundo, California. His psychic senses tell him something bad is coming, and tens of thousands, if not more, will die if he can’t stop it. But he doesn’t know the what or the who. As usual, this journey into the nature of reality, good, and evil is a non-stop thrill ride. The usual cliches apply: page-turner, couldn’t put it down, up reading late into the night. But nothing in this book is a cliche. Dean Koontz can write. I marvel at his prose, but it’s not so weighty as to get in the way of the narrative. (If you want to improve your writing – reading Dean Koontz isn’t a bad way to start). Buy it, read it, savor it. But start from the beginning of the series. Can I …

paranormal romance

Timeless: Review

Published by

When Beth Abbot receives a surprise inheritance, she travels to the family’s 19th century B&B in Old Louisville and encounters a resident ghost… Reading Timeless, I was reminded of the old Barbara Michael’s novels. Gothic mansion. Young, plucky heroine. A ghost story to unravel before disaster strikes. And of course, a dour, handsome caretaker thrown into the mix. I miss curling up with those old stories, so it was a treat to immerse myself in this one. But this is the 21st century, so the sexual heat quotient here is a good bit warmer. The story hooked me from page one. The characters were entertaining, the scene setting delicious. It’s a well-plotted page-turner, with a satisfying conclusion I won’t spoil. Timeless is a terrific choice for someone looking for a softer romance and who enjoys a Gothic novel in the Barbara Michaels vein. 4 Stars! Here’s the blurb: Splintered Category Romance #104 When Beth Abbott receives a surprise inheritance from her birth mother, she travels to the family’s nineteenth century mansion in Old Louisville, now a bed and breakfast. …

Don’t Blackmail the Vampire: Review and Giveaway

Published by

  Tour Giveaway: $50 Gift Card for Amazon  DON’T BLACKMAIL THE VAMPIRE A Sons of Kane Novel, Book Two Genre:  Light Paranormal Romance Print Length: 156 pages Publisher: Entangled: Covet Publication Date:  April 28, 2014 ASIN: B00JI0KDXM Don’t Blackmail the Vampire is an engaging paranormal romance about a woman and a vampire with a shared goal: take down her sister’s fiancee. The romance develops nicely, with the heroine, Rachel, understandably wary when she learns the business associate on the family sky trip is a vampire. Sometimes the language is a little clunky. I think it’s because the heroine has a strong voice, and it’s the same as the narrator’s. And I think initially raising the stakes a bit higher would have improved the suspense. But all in all this doesn’t detract from this pleasing romance, or the steamy sex scenes. And I appreciate that although the vampire fits the alpha hero mold, he’s respectful of the heroine, developing a loving relationship. Here’s the blurb! Rachel Davis will do anything to get her sister out of …

Review: The Dream Jumper’s Secret

Published by

Title: The Dream Jumper’s Secret Author: Kim Hornsby Publisher: Top Ten Press Number of Pages: 249 The Dream Jumper’s Secret is the sequel to The Dream Jumper’s Promise, and both are paranormal romances. It’s tough to write a sequel to a romance novel. When you’ve achieved-happily-ever after, what comes next? Well, of course in reality happily-ever-after doesn’t actually exist, and in The Dream Jumper’s Secret the romance tightens with the revelation of new secrets that strain the relationship and the introduction of more family issues. The book gets off to an unhurried start, with most of the tension within the romance and the families. The action really begins in Chapter 17, when the hero, Jamey, goes to Afghanistan and Tina follows – first psychically and then physically. Since I’m more of a suspense than romance fan, I wish this had all happened sooner, but that’s just a personal preference of mine. For fans of romance, the slow build and tension-building within the relationships works. The Dream Jumper’s Secret is a good match for paranormal romance readers looking …

vampires

SNAP: Happily Ever After?

Published by

Title: SNAP: Happily Ever After? Series: The Kandesky Vampire Chronicles, Book Six Author: Michele Drier Genre: Urban fantasy/vampires Buy links: Amazon, B&N Book six in the Kandesky Vampire Chronicles picks up right where book five left off.  Our heroine, Maxie Gwenoch, is settling in to her new digs in Kiev with her vampire lover, Jean-Louis. But there’s one outstanding problem: the vampire who wants them all dead, Leonid. It’s Leonid or Maxie and everyone she loves. But what about that love? In book five, Maxie told Jean-Louis that she doesn’t want to be changed into a vampire. So what does this leave for them? This book takes a delightful stroll through the continuing kinks in the vampire/human relationship, alongside the fashion scene of the “Wild East.” And if you haven’t picked up a hint from the book cover, we get to explore the fascinating question of just what happens when a vampire goes nuclear. Readers who love a light vampire/fashion/romantic suspense will enjoy this book. About the Author Michele Drier was born in Santa Cruz and …

tarot

Review and Giveaway: Allegories of the Tarot

Published by

Title: Allegories of the Tarot Genre: Mixed Editor: Annetta Ribken Publisher: Word Webber Press Number of Pages: 238 It’s not easy reviewing an anthology of stories by multiple authors. Allegories of the Tarot is a collection of 22 short stories in multiple genres. Since the stories are all themed around the cards in Tarot’s major arcana, they do tend to be weighted toward the paranormal. Some of the stories take the loose ideas around a card – i.e. the journey of the Fool, and turn it into a story about a hitchhiker whose ride takes an unexpected turn. Others are more concretely rooted in the world of Tarot, such as a world where characters in the major arcana come to life. One thing all the stories have in common is quality of writing. The authors all know their stuff. The prose tends to be clean, the plotting tight. Allegories of the Tarot is a mid-length book, suitable for adult readers. It includes some erotica. While you don’t need to know anything about the Tarot to …

paranormal book

Plague Nation: Review

Published by

Title: Plague Nation Author: Dana Fredsti Genre: Thriller (zombies) Publisher: Titan Books A virus. A mutation. A conspiracy. I received Plague Nation, the sequel to Plague Town, from the publisher Monday afternoon. Bleary eyed and jittery, I finished it at midnight. And that night, I had zombie-fueled nightmares. Which pretty much tells you everything you need to know about Plague Nation: non-stop action, engaging characters, and zombies, zombies, zombies. [Tweet this!] Ashley and her crew are doing zombie cleanup in the small northern California town of Redwood Grove, seeking out stray zombies before they can infect others. But outbreaks are popping up around the country, and it becomes apparent that there is a sinister hand at work, one which may have reached inside the zombie-hunting organization Ashley is a part of.  Complicating matters, Ashley’s teammate and on-again/off-again lover, is acting bizarrely. The action eventually shifts to San Francisco and the scenes in Golden Gate Park are… amazing. The author lives in San Francisco, so she’s nailed the feel of the place. If you like action and …

paranormal romance

Review: Esmerelda by Judith Leger

Published by

Title: Esmerelda Author: Judith Leger Genre: Paranormal Romance Length: Novella A lonely home in the mountains, a mad caretaker, and a haunted, life-size woodcarving. This historical paranormal romance has plenty of twists for a novella-length story. A widow named Glory and her daughter live together on haunted Witch Mountain. Glory owns a family heirloom, a life-size carving of a female ancestor, which is kept in the shed where it slowly deteriorates. When her daughter claims the carving moves, Glory chalks it up to childish imagination. When her caretaker claims it attacked him, she suspects he’s mad or drunk. But when she sees the statue move, she begins to wonder just how safe her childhood home remains. Add to this a tangled romance with her late husband’s best friend, and this makes quite a nice little ghost story. If you like romance and a bit of paranormal creep, you’ll enjoy Esmerelda.

mystery novel,paranormal mystery

The Infernal Detective: Book Review

Published by

The Infernal Detective by Kirsten Weiss Genre: Paranormal mystery Rating: 5 out of 5 stars The Infernal Detective is the fourth book in the Riga Hayworth paranormal mystery novels and it may just be my favorite. I don’t want to give away too much of the plot and spoil the small surprises sprinkled throughout, so I’ll just say that the story opens with a pre-celebratory wedding bash for Riga and Donovan that leaves them both in a terribly sticky situation. There’s a dead photographer that walks away from the party and a groom-to-be that disappears. Riga not only has to worry about who murdered the photographer but what has happened to the man she’s about to marry. Some of my favorite scenes involve Riga’s aunts, two colorful characters who provide comic relief. I also enjoyed the descriptions and explanations of the magic used and Riga’s growth in her magical abilities. Yeah sure there’s crazy mob bosses, witches and necromancy, but at the heart of this story, it’s still about the strength of the human spirit …