Anomaly by Tonya Kuper (ARC)

Anomaly (Schrodinger's Consortium #1)
Tonya Kuper
Pub.: Nov 25, 2014

Reality is only an illusion.
Except for those who can control it…

Worst. Birthday. Ever.

My first boyfriend dumped me – happy birthday, Josie!- my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening…

Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.

When hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead… 

Hmm. Anomaly was just okay for me; didn't love it, didn't hate it. I will say that I enjoyed the geekiness of Josie and the way she could refer to stories like Star Wars and Thor and compare them to the new version of her everyday life. I also liked that her superpower involved pushing and retracting objects in and out of existence. Definitely a cool ability to have. But the storyline of girl with new abilities training and falling for her hot new trainer has become a bit of a bore for me - I've read it too many times already, so it made the story really drag on until the last fifteen percent. She just spent way too much of this novel learning how to push things into reality. I prefer to read about spontaneous conflict, not the manufactured kind to teach a new skill.

 

Give it a go if you like, and so long as you don't go in expecting to be blown away, you'll probably be content enough with Anomaly.  2.5 Dreamcatchers.

ARC provided by Entangled Publishing for honest review.

My Wolf's Bane by Veronica Blade (Indie)

My Wolf's Bane (Shapes of Autumn #1)
Veronica Blade
Pub Date: January 28, 2013

Different species. Mortal enemies. It'll never work, but they'll die trying.

Autumn Rossi thought she was a normal teenager. Suddenly, she can outrun every critter in the forest, making her wonder if she’s even human.

When the new guy at school, Zack de Luca, witnesses a questionable scene, he unfairly pins her as stuck-up. He acts like he hates her, yet he keeps bailing her out of trouble. Not only is Zack both insufferable and irresistible, he seems to sniff her anytime he gets close.

As passion flares between them, Autumn isn’t sure which is more dangerous: her psycho ex-boyfriend, or falling for Zack — who’s risking his life just by being near her.
 

Freaky things are happening to Autumn Rossi. All of a sudden she can hear sounds in the distance, her smell is more refined and sensitive, she's able to run at speeds she shouldn't be able to reach, and her body heals way too fast. Even this teenager knows these aren't the kind of symptoms you go running to the doctor about, so she has no one to ask. Her parents, you ask? They've been suffocating her for years. Constantly in contact, even texting her in school, never leaving her alone for more than an hour at a time. And they move her several times a year. So telling them about these things when they're already itching to move once more, Autumn decides to deal with it on her own. She likes it where she is. She'll turn eighteen in less than a week and is ready to stop following her parents so she can graduate high school where she is. The only thing she doesn't like? The new guy who always seems to be behind her trying to be her freakin' savior.

 

Zack de Luca may be hot, but Autumn's getting whiplash from his mood swings. Always short and snippy with her, if he wasn't helping to fix her sorry excuse for a car or putting himself between her and her crazy of an ex, she'd think he completely hated her. But when Autumn negotiates with her parents to stay while they leave town for work for a week, she finds herself forced to spend more time with him. Not only has the local mechanic put Zach in charge of helping her find a new car within her budget, but her ex becomes more aggressive, and Zach feels compelled to sleep on her sofa and be a little more attentive at school. Which would be all fine and well if that jerk didn't start growing on her. And it seems he had the same problems with her. When she finds out neither she or Zach are even human, Autumn thinks she's finally found someone she can relate to. But there's an expiration on this so-called camaraderie, because both of their lives are in danger, and being together is not only forbidden but to puts a deadly target on both their backs.

If you're a fan of forbidden romance with a taste of the supernatural world, this is a goody to pick up. But these characters are still high school, so you better prepare yourself for some additional teenage drama. I'm curious to see what happens because there's something more going on with her parents, and I've got it in my head that they're either a part of a certain secret society or that they might just be guilty of having one of these forbidden relationships themselves.

Copy provided by Crush Publishing for honest review.

The Dark World by Cara Lynn Shultz (ARC)

The Dark World
Cara Lynn Shultz
Exp. Pub.: May 27, 2013 TOMORROW!!!

Paige Kelly is used to weird - in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer - and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons - and she might never make it home.

Ever since Paige Kelly rescued a little boy and ended up dead herself before being brought back to life, she's been able to see things beyond her realm. Unfortunately, she can't always tell when the person in front of her is living or dead, so everywhere she goes, she's labeled as the weird girl and forced to shove endless pills down her throat to soothe the minds of her ever-worried parents. Now at a new school, she's slipped up a few times talking to the one person who doesn't see her as a freak - her ghostly best bud Dottie, who keeps her company through the long, lonely school days. Unfortunately, interacting with a ghost from the Dark World has lit a beacon for all things demonic, and it doesn't take long for a group to track her down and try to take her back to their world. Turns out Paige is now a desirable Traveler - one whose energy can open portals freely into the opposite world. And now, everybody seems to want a piece - except Logan, who can't help but try to keep safe the one girl who's ever caught his eye.

 

The Dark World surprised me. Shultz's Spellbound novels were just okay for me, but I see a world of difference between these series and finally I've been captivated - and I need the next book like now! You can't help but feel for Paige as she merely tries to survive her teenage years under the constant scrutiny of her extraordinary-phobic parents and the endless belittling by her classmates. Once a fiery demon attacks her on school grounds and Logan finally reveals his demon-slaying abilities, you can't help but root for the girl to finally have a living, breathing someone accept her for all she truly is. And Logan might be a sword-wielding hottie that's placed on protection detail and training her to defend herself, but this protector is totally swoon-worthy too. Unfortunately for Paige, she knows he'll be gone again as soon as the demons are dead, so what's a Traveler to do when she falls in love with a demon-slayer?

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

The Forever Song by Julie Kagawa (ARC)

The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3)
Julie Kagawa
Exp. Pub.: April 15, 2014 TODAY!!!

VENGEANCE WILL BE HERS

Allison Sekemoto once struggled with the question: human or monster?

With the death of her love, Zeke, she has her answer.

MONSTER

Allie will embrace her cold vampire side to hunt down and end Sarren, the psychopathic vampire who murdered Zeke. But the trail is bloody and long, and Sarren has left many surprises for Allie and her companions—her creator, Kanin, and her blood brother, Jackal. The trail is leading straight to the one place they must protect at any cost—the last vampire-free zone on Earth, Eden. And Sarren has one final, brutal shock in store for Allie.

In a ruined world where no life is sacred and former allies can turn on you in one heartbeat, Allie will face her darkest days. And if she succeeds, triumph is short-lived in the face of surviving forever alone.

Allie, Jackal and Kanin have united once more to chase down Sarren, who before torturing and killing Zeke, learned of Eden's location. Now he's set his course to let loose a virus that will eradicate vampires and humans alike. A good half of the novel is them on the road chasing down Sarren, with a few stops along the way to deal with the traps left behind - one of which is completely devastating for Allie to deal with. But seriously? She should've seen that one coming. This is Sarren, after all.

 

Eden is in far better shape than expected, but many lives were lost when a barge filled with spastic, twitching vampires is let loose on the population. The people flee, leaving Sarren and his misfits free reign of the island at night, but return during daylight hours to dig up as many as possible to kill off. But there's still way too many to deal with by the time Allie and company show up, and now they've been infected by Sarren's virus, making them even harder to deal with. And now that the outbreak is beginning, things look bleak in righting Sarren's wrong.

Overall I loved the series, but I preferred the other two to this one. It may be the tone of the novel, as Allie's miserable and suffering with the loss of her lover, and she's allowed the monster inside her to overtake her actions. Jackal's still a pain in the ass but continues to steal the spotlight for me. Kanin's all business and constantly annoyed by his bickering children, and Sarren's so screwed in the head even his marbles have lost their marbles - which he proves over and over again leaving messed up messages as the trio struggles to catch up. Still a good conclusion to the series though.

 

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

Consume by Melissa Darnell (ARC)

Consume (The Clann #3)
Melissa Darnell
Exp. Pub.: August 27, 2013

These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which, as they kiss, consume.
—William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet

Tristan Coleman has survived the change from Clann magic user to vampire, much to Savannah Colbert's joy—and despair. By changing the Clann's golden boy and newly elected leader, even to save him from death, she has unleashed a fury of hatred and fear that they cannot escape.

As the Clann and the vampire council go to war, Tristan and Sav face a new threat—a fracturing of the all-consuming bond they share. To fight for peace, they must forge a new trust and risk everything to take down their deadliest enemy, even as they must run for their lives. Soon they will learn that some bonds are stronger than love—and some battles cannot be won without sacrifice.  

Sniff - hard to believe this trilogy has come to a close. Tristan and Savannah are one of my all-time favorite power couples. It had everything. Paranormal powers. Check. Forbidden romance. Check. Kick-ass hero and heroine. Check-check. Awesome author. Check.

Consume killed me. Not because of the story, although a few loop-de-loops did take me by surprise. But because after everything Tristan and Savannah had gone through, to the point Sav was forced to save Tristan's life and alter his genetics forever, it killed me that so much indifference came between the two that the stability of their relationship teeter-tottered, and you're left worrying if these two could make it through to the end. The only thing I felt Consume lacked was the angst that drove the first two novels so well, keeping me glued to the pages, waiting for these two to find a way to be together. And here they were, finally together but still apart, both so stubborn they wouldn't budge - hence the lack of angst. I sort of wish one of them (or both!) would pine hard enough for the other we'd get that, but since they could read each other's mind, it would have made it appear the other would cave, so no go.

I'm not going to get into the story anymore than the synopsis allows, but fans of The Clann series will be happy with the way it all pans out, but still wishing they could get a little more of Savannah and Tristan.

ARC provided by Harlequin Teen for honest review.

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forest (Indie)

A Shade of Vampire (A Shade of Vampire #1)
Bella Forrest
Pub: December 14, 2012

On the evening of Sofia Claremont's seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake. A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood. She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine. An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince. Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night. Will she succeed? ...or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

  

Sofia's life just went to crap, on her seventeenth birthday no less. Crushed to see her best friend and guy that she loves paying attention to someone else, she goes for a long walk on the beach by herself. Never a good idea ladies, and it proves costly for this heroine once she's whipped away by a vampire. She's taken to The Shade, an island populated by vampires and their slaves where a magical spell protects them from the sun 24/7. Turns out Sofia has been selected to be one of five girls in the Prince's new harem. He's freshly awakened and none to happy about it. Neither is Sophia, who's humanity is threatened at every fork in her newly paved road.

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (ARC) & Giveaway

NOBODY
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Pub.: January 22, 2013

There are people in this world who are Nobody. No one sees them. No one notices them. They live their lives under the radar, forgotten as soon as you turn away.

That’s why they make the perfect assassins.

The Institute finds these people when they’re young and takes them away for training. But an untrained Nobody is a threat to their organization. And threats must be eliminated.

Sixteen-year-old Claire has been invisible her whole life, missed by the Institute’s monitoring. But now they’ve ID’ed her and send seventeen-year-old Nix to remove her. Yet the moment he lays eyes on her, he can’t make the hit. It’s as if Claire and Nix are the only people in the world for each other. And they are—because no one else ever notices them.

How can someone want me dead if no one knows I'm alive?

Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep (ARC)

 

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)
Jennifer Estep
Pub.: December 24, 2012

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…

Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

Ember by Jessica Sorrensen

Ember (Death Collectors #1)
Jessica Sorrensen
Pub.: August 29, 2012

What if you knew when someone was going to die?

For seventeen-year-old Ember, life is death. With a simple touch, she knows when someone will die. It’s her curse and the reason she secludes herself from the world. The only person who knows her secret is her best friend Raven.

Then she meets Asher Morgan. He’s gorgeous, mysterious, and is the only person Ember can't sense death from. So when he pushes into her life, she doesn’t mind.

But when unexplained deaths start to haunt her town, Ember starts questioning why she can’t sense Asher's death and what he may be hiding.

Haunted by death with just the slightest touch, it's no wonder poor Ember's become quite the recluse.

Covet by Melissa Darnell (ARC)

Covet (The Clann #2)
Melissa Darnell
Exp. Pub: September 25, 2012 TOMORROW!!!

Dangerous to be together. Painful to be apart.

Savannah Colbert knows she broke up with Tristan Coleman for the right reasons. Most of all, to keep from killing him with her new vampire abilities. But try telling her heart. Now, lost in a sea of hostile Clann faces, Sav tries to come to terms with what she's becoming and what that means for her future. And that someone is doing their best to bully her into making a terrible mistake.

Tristan can't believe Sav won't even talk to him. If being apart is her decision, fine. Just don't expect him to honor it. But even as he prepares to fight for the girl he loves, forces beyond their control take them both in directions neither could have foreseen or prepared for.

A reckoning is coming...and not everyone will survive.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Romeo and Juliet had it easy compared to these two. If you can't find it in your heart to root for Savannah and Tristen, me thinks it's made of stone.

Auracle by Gina Rosati - ARC Tour

Auracle
Gina Rosati
Pub: August 7, 2012

16 year old Anna Rogan has a secret she's only shared with her best friend, Rei; she can astrally project out of her body, allowing her spirit to explore the world and the far reaches of the universe.

When there's a fatal accident and her classmate Taylor takes over Anna's body, what was an exhilarating distraction from her repressive home life threatens to become a permanent state. Faced with a future trapped in another dimension, Anna turns to Rei for help. Now the two of them must find a way to get Anna back into her body and stop Taylor from accusing an innocent friend of murder. Together Anna and Rei form a plan but it doesn't take into account the deeper feelings that are beginning to grow between them.

Talk about a bad case of the body snatchers!

Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep (ARC)

Dark Frost (Mythos Academy #3)
Jennifer Estep

I’ve seen so many freaky things since I started attending Mythos Academy last fall. I know I’m supposed to be a fearless warrior, but most of the time, I feel like I’m just waiting for the next Bad, Bad Thing to happen. Like someone trying to kill me—again.

Everyone at Mythos Academy knows me as Gwen Frost, the Gypsy girl who uses her psychometry magic to find lost objects—and who just may be dating Logan Quinn, the hottest guy in school. But I’m also the girl the Reapers of Chaos want dead in the worst way. The Reapers are the baddest of the bad, the people who murdered my mom. So why do they have it in for me?

It turns out my mom hid a powerful artifact called the Helheim Dagger before she died. Now, the Reapers will do anything to get it back. They think I know where the dagger is hidden, but this is one thing I can’t use my magic to find. All I do know is that the Reapers are coming for me—and I’m in for the fight of my life.  

Oh, Logan. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I was ready to magically transport myself into this novel just to kick your @ss if you didn't get your shiz together. Thank God you finally did!

Demons by Heather Frost (ARC)

Demons
Heather Frost
Exp. Pub: September 11, 2012

Kate’s life is far from normal. She can see auras, her boyfriend is immortal, and her powers make her a target. But now that the Demon Lord is hunting her, things are about to go from dangerous to truly deadly. Packed with action, mind-blowing plot twists, and characters you can’t get enough of, this is a fast-paced, heart-pounding read from cover to cover.

To recap, Kate's a Seer that sees ribbons of color in our aura's and can tell what our emotions are, and her boyfriend Patrick is her immortal guardian. The Demon Lord would love to get his hands on Kate cause she's a rarity amongst the Seer world, and he seems to like collecting them regardless. The storyline for Demons is more focused on the guardians when they discover that these immortal beings are suddenly susceptible to a strange new virus that's killing them off. Being a Micorbiologist myself, I'm intrigued. :)

Kindred by J.A. Redmerski (ARC)

Kindred (The Darkwoods Trilogy #2)
J.A. Redmerski
Exp. Pub.: July 20, 2012 TOMORROW!!!

***THIS FRIDAY, JULY 20th, KINDRED IS ONLY $1.99.***

  Isaac Mayfair is hiding a dark secret. And just when Adria Dawson thinks the worst of her life among the werewolf world is over, she learns the secret that can rip her and Isaac’s love apart. Adria must come to terms with what the truth means for her. What it means for her life and how much time she has left to live it. She must choose between two different fates, neither of which can offer life as a certainty.

As if Isaac’s betrayal isn’t enough, Adria learns that there are things out there older and more powerful than werewolves could ever be. An archaic entity known only to few as the Praverian, unlike anything Adria has ever known or heard of.

As Adria struggles with her own fateful dilemmas, she must also try to find out why the Praverian is so interested in her and do everything in her power to stay out of its way.

Fury's Fire by Lisa Papademetriou (ARC)

Fury's Fire (Siren's Storm #2)
Lisa Papademetriou
Exp. Pub.: July 10, 2012

Synopsis: At the end of Siren's Storm, the Sirens were defeated, and now the town of Walfang is once again a peaceful beach community.

Or is it? Gretchen and Will are still haunted by the memories of the night the Sirens were destroyed—Gretchen because she can't remember what happened and Will because he doesn't know how to tell Gretchen what he saw. He doesn't even understand what he saw, but he does know now that Gretchen is more than what she seems, more than a human girl. And at the same time, he is more in love with her than ever.

Gretchen knows there's something wrong, too. She feels like an alien in her own body, but she doesn't know why. And she feels a presence stalking her at every turn. Have the Sirens returned to Walfang? Or has some other force come to claim her?

Will is annoyingly overprotective of Gretchen. She just sent a group of malicious sirens to their death, but just like the time before, she doesn't remember anything other than the hints that come through in her dreams. Will was there and could tell her, but it's like he thinks she's too fragile to learn what she is, or maybe he doesn't want to admit that Gretchen's strong enough to take care of herself without his help. Sorry, but males that try to bottle up women 'to keep them safe' just really tick me off.

I read Siren's Storm and Fury's Fire back to back, but I have to say I enjoyed the first better than the second. There just wasn't enough suspense in Fury's Fire to really keep me captivated. What you just read in the synopsis...yeah, that pretty much sums up the whole story, sans learning what is plaguing Gretchen, so I can't really add anything more without giving away one of the book's two secrets, and if I do that, what's the point of you reading it? The characters came off a little blah to me, and I didn't really seem to care if Gretchen or Will died in the end. I just didn't feel connected with them. And I guess you could call this a paranormal romance, but it's a weak one. Although Gretchen and Will are interested in one another, neither of them seemed willing to step up and make a real go of it, because their relationship is filled with nothing but mistrust and unspoken truths. FYI...couples that don't talk things out and keep obvious secrets quiet, aren't likely to succeed, and can be incredibly frustrating to read about.

Sorry, this book just wasn't for me, but maybe it is for you. If you really liked Siren's Storm, there's a good chance you'll be okay with what was given in Fury's Fire.

ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley for honest review.

Darkness by Joann I. Martin Sowles

Darkness (Brookhaven Vampires #2)
Joann I. Martin Sowles

Synopsis: Not long ago, Laney Alexander was living a carefree life, that is, until she was thrown into a world full of creatures only the imagination thought possible. Now, after surviving a terrifying night, Laney and Oliver are lying low at Julz's place, relieved to be in each other's arms once again. But fate seems to have other plans...

Julz is not happy to have visitors in her home and emotions run high. Laney is pushed to her limits as she watches Carter fight for his life and her relationship with Oliver becomes strained as she discovers secrets about Julz that could tear them apart.

As she reaches her boiling point, disaster strikes and her life is shattered. Laney must come to terms with what has unfolded. Will she lose her way and let the darkness consume her or will she find her light in Oliver?

Secrets will be revealed. Hearts will be broken. Lives will be lost. Darkness will fall.

Picking up where Laney left off, Oliver and Laney have fled to the fortress that is Julz's house and is forced to just stay there with the crazy-@ss woman who is determined to rip her to shreds. And with Felix's insistence, Carter is also there, recovering from a werewolf bite, nervously awaiting the full moon to see what happens. The entire household is on edge, and it strains all their relationships. One night when left alone for once, Laney finally says screw it and goes out with Carter and gets completely drunk off her butt. Can't say I blame her really. But when you have a jealous boyfriend that can't stand anyone giving you the slightest attention, who always seems to know what you're doing and where you are, you'd better be ready for the repercussions, and the wrath of a seriously overprotective vampire.

As for the plot in Darkness, I'm still trying to figure that out. Don't get me wrong, I liked Darkness, especially the sexual frustration between Laney and Oliver and their impending bonding, but this novel seems to be made up of lots of little things and not really anything big. As I skimmed through the reviews afterwards, trying to see if anyone caught something I missed, I noticed others felt that way too.

I do wish some things would have been answered in this book, cause all I have in the end was lots of unanswered questions. Why does Felix know her grandparents, and what are the odds that he shares the same last name as Laney? How did Laney's illusive dad know something terrible happened in her life, and sent his regards in a freakin' flower arrangement? What's in the hidden room at Laney's Aunt's house, and why didn't Laney go after Carter after he went snooping around in it? Why does Oliver's tattoo seem so familiar? And why won't Oliver explain this whole Brookhaven vampire thing? Cause clearly Laney's family may be involved. Laney doesn't force the issue on any of these things and it's frustrating that she allows herself to stay in the darkness (no pun intended). The only thing I felt Darkness answered was how Carter would react to the werewolf bite come full moon, which was a little weird.

I also kind of wish a little more of the story was focused on Laney, since she's the only point of view we get. So much is going on around her and the novel is basically her dealing with everybody elses' issues, save some grief she has to work through herself. It's Laney having to deal with Oliver because of how he has to deal with Julz, and the secret work he's constantly running off to do for his organization that he can't tell her about. Or Laney watching over Carter as he awaits the upcoming full moon. Or Laney dealing with a frantic Keira cause Carter's shut her out and she doesn't know why (cause she's not in on the vampire/werewolf thing - or is she?...everyone around Laney seems to be some kind of vampire-in-waiting). Hopefully the next story will be more about what's happening directly with Laney cause she's definetly got some hidden family secrets, grandparents and a father she didn't know about, and dare I say a possible brother she never knew existed? And Oliver. I'm impatiently waiting for their bond to happen cause the sexual tension is driving me crazy! (in a good way, of course).

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Laney by Joanne I. Martin Sowles

Laney (Brookhaven Vampires #1)
Joanne I. Martin Sowles

Synopsis: In a small college town in Northern California, Laney Alexander leads a regular, uneventful life-that is, until the charming and alluring Oliver Knight enters her world. Who is this gorgeous and mysterious stranger? Or, rather, what is he? As Laney's sophomore year of college begins, so does an unbelievable adventure-including a love she didn't know she longed for. She soon learns that Oliver is not ordinary, nor is the rest of his family, including a sister who openly hates her and a brother who will stop at nothing for revenge. As she fights for her life, and Oliver's love, Laney discovers that the fictional world of vampires isn't so fictional after all. Nobody is safe, especially Laney, Oliver's most important priority, and he will stop at nothing to protect her. With her mortality at risk, and a commitment revealed that she, without a doubt, knows she wants, Laney's life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn...

Laney and her best friend forever, Keira, are roommates starting their second year of college. Apparently, this hottie has moved in down the hall, and surprisingly shows up in Laney's classes at school. The attraction seems mutual, and we meet Oliver Knight within the first few pages. But Oliver's slow to move into Laney's life, and it really frustrates her. What time the girls get to spend with Oliver and his roommate Carter, who Keira's been crushing on for years, the more Laney falls head over heels for Oliver. She catches some strange things, like Oliver constantly biting his lip and bleeding as he drinks from a silver canteen (gonna have to say Duh! here cause biting his lip wouldn't have been what I would have been thinking) and that he always seems to avoid the get-togethers involving food. It's not until he saves her from a vampire attack that she opens her eyes to what's right in front of her.

Oliver is a Brookhaven vampire, and his interest in Laney has drawn her into a violent family fued. His brother Oscar blames him for taking his love away from him, so he's determined to return the favor, making Laney number one on their Most Wanted list. Life couldn't suck more...literally. As she struggles dealing with fantasy becoming reality all around her, she's twisted and pulled in every direction as Oliver struggles to keep her safe.

For people with pet peeves, there are a few things I should mention. The first half and the back half of this book don't match. It's almost like the author became a better writer as she advanced through, cause the first half needs a little rewriting. Why do I say this? Because the first half of the book is guilty of the following: 1) Very little substance. Everything interesting happens in the back end of the book and very little in the front. 2) Overly-descriptive. I don't really need to know how many feet there are between Laney's bed and the bathroom, and how many more to Keira's room. All these descriptions slow down the action and makes the story drag out. 3) Simple sentences. At times it actually reads like: Oliver smiles. I blush. Too many short sentences, not enough complex ones. 4) Laney's obsessed with Oliver. Once she meets him, you can't go one page without hearing about how handsome he is or how gorgeous some body part is. It's overwhelming, and her feelings just don't seem real to me, like what she's feeling is lust for his body and not love for who he is. Also, 5) Laney's college is weird. I've attended three universities and I've never experienced the scheduling block she has, nor had the same hottie I liked in all my classes, nor did the professors care whether or not I came to class. It almost felt like Laney was originally attending a live-in private high school and got changed later to make the characters older. Luckily, the second half of this novel seems to fix all these issues when the story becomes focused on the action, and the writing seems to fall into place and flow like it should.

Don't let my last paragraph scare you off of reading Laney. I was really happy with how the story came together by the end, I just felt it was a bumpy ride getting there. Once you pass 150 pages, the story hooks you and the writing flows a lot better. Now that the writing kinks have been smoothed out, I expect Darkness to get a higher rating from me. :)

Novel provided by author for honest review.

Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (ARC) - Blog Tour Stop

Hemlock
Kathleen Peacock
Pub: May 8, 2012

Synopsis: Mackenzie and Amy were best friends. Until Amy was brutally murdered. Since then, Mac’s life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac’s hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy’s killer: A white werewolf.

Lupine syndrome—also known as the werewolf virus—is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.

Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy’s murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy’s boyfriend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.

Four best friends with secrets up the wazoo, and Amy's death is the catalyst that crumbles their lives to pieces. Mac is left without a best friend, Jason without a girlfriend, and Kyle, well...he's got other issues to deal with, including a psycho ex that doesn't like that he's grieving over Amy, or how much time he's spending with Mac these days. In a world where werewolves were outed more than a decade ago, those found with the virus for Lupin syndrome get stripped of their human rights and shipped off to horrible camps to spend the rest of their lives.

When Amy, a senator's daughter, whose father was adamant about werewolf rights, is murdered by a white werewolf, the crime scene just doesn't look right. While the rest of the recent murders resemble murder by bloodlust, a few details make it seem Amy's death was carefully thought out ahead, perhaps by someone trying to change the senator's way of thinking. But for some reason the police are slipping the crime's details under the rug. When the lead investigator suddenly gets kicked off the case and a vigilante group called the Trackers show up in town, they claim they're going to track it down and kill it. But Amy's not so sure. After several run-ins with the Tracker's leader, she's not entirely convinced he has any intention of tracking down the white wolf. He seems more interested in making Jason, the son of one of the town's most wealthiest and influential citizens, his new protege. So it's up to Mac, and an protective Kyle, to investigate Amy's death and learn the identity of the white wolf, all while keeping Jason at bay, who's in route to join the vigilante's group.

Hemlock was filled with endless twists and turns, and danger around every corner. Ms. Peacock has interweaved an urban fantasy filled with mystery, intrigue and suspense - sure to keep your hands glued to the book until the very last page. Pick it up already!

ARC provided by Parafantasy ARC Tours.

The Lifeguard by Deborah Blumenthal (ARC)

The Lifeguard
Deborah Blumenthal

Synopsis: It's an unsettled summer for Sirena. Back in Texas, her family's splitting apart, but here in Rhode Island, at the cottage of her aunt, it's a different world. There are long days at the beach and intriguing encounters with Pilot, the lifeguard with shamanic skills. Sirena explores her obsession with Pilot and discovers his mysterious - almost magical - gifts.

Hmm...where to begin with The Lifeguard? Well, let's just say there was a better taste in my mouth going out than in. Cause for a good chunk of this book, Sirena really annoyed me, to the point I wanted to quit reading. And I guess you could call this a romance, but really, more pages were spent on her obsessive stalking than romance, and she was way to desperate to get his attention. This girl's so freakin' crazy she actually steals (yeah, that's right - STEALS) a painting of Pilot from a small town art gallery while the owner's out to lunch. A normal, albeit obsessive-crazy-person, would have simply taken out their phone and taken a snapshot of it...but with Sirena, she needs the actual painting.

I can appreciate Ms. Blumenthal's attempt to weave in a culture involving people with the ability to draw from the earth and be able to heal people by doing so. However, I have a hard time swallowing the fact that this hottie of a white boy can be Shaman. I need this role to be handed down to someone that actually looks like his descendents came from the rain forest, not Malibu.

About two-third's of the way through, Sirena and Pilot both became more likeable and the story got a little more interesting, but it wasn't enough to rebound the feelings I'd already developed earlier for The Lifeguard. I'm not one to disencourage anyone from reading a book...some people are willing to five star this, I just don't happen to be one of them.

Novel provided by publisher via NetGalley.

Breathless by Cole Gibsen

Breathless
Cole Gibsen

Synopsis: Obituary-reading emo girl Edith Small is broken - the end result of forcing herself inside a mold that doesn't fit. All she wants is to conform to her strict sergeant stepfather's rules long enough to make it to graduation day.

But a boat accident threatens to unravel the life Edith has worked so hard to keep. After waking up in a hospital with a lacerated shoulder, Edith fakes amnesia. Because admitting she received her injuries from a blue-haired girl who breathes underwater is all the reason Sir needs to send Edith on the first bus to military school.

Safe at home, Edith struggles to put the nightmare behind her. But the mysterious creatures that live in the ocean aren't about to let her forget.

After meeting Bastin - a strange boy with silver hair and black eyes - on a secluded dock, Edith learns about the war raging undersea to end human existence. A war that Edith, unwittingly, has become the key to winning.

In a world where death is an ever-present shadow and motives are as dark as the bottom of the ocean, Edith must decide if her life is worth risking for a love that can't survive past the shore.

Poor Edith is just trying to make it to graduation so she can get the hell out of her dysfunctional home. Her little brother died some time back, but her family never recovered. And it seems to be Edith's fault...or at least they have no problem making her feel that way. Her step-father no longer allows her to call him father - it's Sir now - and the way he treats Edith and her mother was even emotionally draining on me as the reader. I was quite enraged with Sir, and it sometimes made it difficult for me to read at times, because I just wanted to beat the crap out of him since Edith and her mom were too emotionally damaged to do it themselves. It's kind of sad as a reader because Edith comes off as such a weakling at times, and I don't particularly care to read about characters that just roll over like that.

Luckily, Edith's new friend Morgan helps her become a little more defiant and shake loose some of this weakness. As does Bastin, a merman who begins appearing at her window soon after she's involved in a collision at sea where she's pretty certain she saw some things she shouldn't have - like mermaids ripping the people in the water a new one. Fear gets her to ignore him for a few nights, but once he leaves a gift for her, she's suddenly willing to speak to him. Uh - hello! Can you say bait? {Ladies! Never fall for a pretty trinket. It'll only get you into trouble later! As Edith will prove...}

Bastin's a little weird to me in the physical sense - like really long silver hair - so it's hard for me to relate to Edith when she finds herself so attracted to him...but hey, to each his own. He finds himself drawn to her as well and they spend every night hanging out. Of course this doesn't go unnoticed for long, not by his people - who detest humans and who ache to flood the world to drown them all - or by Sir, who's itching for any little mistake so he can validate shipping her off to military school. The jerk even has her bag packed and won't let her unpack it...he just leaves it in her room, taunting her every day and reminding her she's as good as out the door. But Sir's the least of her problems right now. Since the mermaids have become wise to his attraction for her, Edith becomes bait to force Bastin, the future king of one of the tribes, to trade something precious for her survival: the tool necessary to flood the world. So it leaves Bastin forced to choose between the life of the girl he's come to love, or life of all humanity. No pressure or anything...

Breathless is a pretty good read with an absolutely gorgeous cover. My only issues are the interactions with Sir and his desperation to get rid of his remaining child, and a mother that does nothing to heal their family dynamic. I look at my little boy and I couldn't ever imagine pushing him away and denying him love like that. I guess that's why the family interactions are so hard for me to stomach. But check it out anyway!

Novel provided by author for honest review.