The Rest Falls Away by Colleen Gleason

#1 Gardella Vampire Chronicles
Copyright: 2007
Publisher: Signet
Genre: Fiction/Urban Fantasy
Pages: 368
Challenges: Off the shelf, New Author, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal/Fantasy romance
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description
The Gardella family have been Venators (vampire Hunters) for generations.  Victoria is about to have her debut when she realizes she is next in line to be a Venator.  Her aunt is the only other living family member who was chosen and accepted the challenge.  She coaches Victoria and gives her some of the background on vampires.  Victoria agree’s to accept the family legacy and is soon killing vampires whenever she comes across them.

Things get rough when she falls in love with Philip, the marquess of Rockley.  How is she going to hunt vampires at night and be expected to stay at home safe and sound with her husband?

It’s also bad that Lilith, queen of the vampires, is set on getting a book that will make her even more powerful than she is.  Victoria needs to somehow get her hands on this book before Lilith can.  Of course, Lilith also wants to destroy Victoria and all other Venators and sends her most powerful vampires after them.

My Thoughts
This book is a vampire novel that takes place in Regency England…and it works.  I like historical fiction and I like my vampire/urban fantasy books.  I wasn’t sure how I would like the two of them together in the same story.   Gleason really makes this story work.  I enjoyed reading about the issues Victoria had trying to be a female vampire hunter during a time period when she was expected to be home and submissive.

I thought Victoria was a good character, she had a lot of spunk and I liked her determination.  I also really enjoyed her maid, what a great secondary character.

Overall this book was a lot of fun.  I think fans of urban fantasy will enjoy this one.  There are several books in this series and I look forward to seeing the characters grow and seeing what kind of trouble they get in to.

Eternal Kiss of Darkness by Jeaniene Frost

#2 Night Huntress World
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Mystery
Pages: audio
Challenges: Strong Heroine, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal/fantasy reading challenge, audio book challenge


This particular installment allows us to get closer to Mencheres.  Mencheres is a master vampire who is pretty close to being done with life.  Then he meets Kira Graceling.  She's a human and a private investigator.  She happens to come across Mencheres being tortured by some ghouls and tries to save him, endangering her own life.  Mencheres rescues her and saves her, only to fall in love with her.  He tries to let her go back to her life, knowing that things are coming to an end for him.    However things quickly make a turn for the worse and Mencheres is forced to make Kira into a vampire.   Together they set out to save Mencheres from the one vampire who wants him dead.

Ok, yeah, so it's another vampire book.  By now you know I love my vampire books.  Jeaniene Frost has created a wonderful world.    I'm really enjoying this spin-off series.  I love that we learn more about some of the secondary characters in the Night Huntress series.  I think it's going to make the Night Huntress books that much more interesting since we'll have background on more of the characters.    Of course, I love that Bones and Cat also make an appearance in this book.

I suppose I should touch on the story itself huh?   I enjoyed the story and found that it kept my interest.  I think Kira is a very strong character and I hope she shows up in more books.  I did listen to the audio version of this book and the narrator did a wonderful job.   And that's all I've got.  Another short review, but I'll be caught up soon and hopefully things settle down and I'll have time for things to go back to normal soon.

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

#5 Mercy Thompson
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Ace
Genre: fantasy
Pages: 304
Challenges: Strong Heroine, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, Buy 1 Book and read it
Author's Website
My rating: 3.5/5

I wasn't creative enough to come up with my own description so I took the following from Amazon.com:
Coyote-shifting garage mechanic Mercedes Thompson, now mated to Adam, the Alpha of the local werewolf pack, embarks on her exciting fifth dark fantasy adventure (after 2009's bestselling Bone Crossed). Three subplots—Mercy's attempt to return a magical book to a fae friend-of-a-friend, her difficulties integrating into Adam's pack, and her roommate Samuel's misery over being a lone Alpha—come together seamlessly, and excitement builds as Mercy and her loved ones go through ever more intense experiences, including a house fire, a suicide attempt, a death sentence, and a reunion between long-ago loves. Briggs creates both well-rounded characters and a complex mythology, resulting in a rich read that's far more than a series of action adventures strung together. Fans of the series will be thrilled; new readers should start at the beginning or risk drowning in the immersive world-building




My thoughts:
I love this series..one of my favorites.  This book did not disappoint.  I like that you saw more of Mercy and Adam's relationship and how they are trying to deal with everything. Mercy is her own woman and does her own thing and that can be hard for a pack leader.  Adam is a great guy and he loves Mercy though.  I love the two of them together.   I like that Mercy stuck by Samuel when things got rough and he just wanted to be left alone.  It shows how great she really is. 


If you are a fan of this series already, I'm sure you will enjoy book #5.  If you haven't started this series yet but like urban fantasy, I highly recommend this one. 

The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong

#3 Darkest Power trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA
Pages: audio
Challenges: urban fantasy challenge,  Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, Young Adult, Audio Book
Author's Website 
My rating: 2/5

Simple Description:
This is the third and final book in the trilogy.  There are a group of kids who have special powers and they are on the run.  They are running from the company who gave them these powers and, as it turns out, now want to kill them.    They meet up with a man who they think is on their side and they get to the safe house.  Except as the kids stay longer they learn that maybe they aren't as safe as they think they are.

My Thoughts:
I didn't think this was the best book.  Here's the thing, I think that all three books could have been made into one.  I feel like this is one of those cases where the books were split into three in order to make more revenue. It felt like, even though a lot happened, enough didn't happen to make this a satisfying book.   I found myself listening to this and not really carrying about what happened.


Audio Review:  
The audio version is read by Cassandra Norris.  While I think she did well, for the most part, there are some issues I had with it. I believe I voiced these opinions with the last review too.  I realize these are teenagers but Norris put in too much sarcasm in her voice.  To the point that I found it annoying.

Grave Secret by Charlaine Harris

#4 Harper Connelly
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Berkley Prime Crime
Genre: mystery
Pages: 274
Challenges: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Challenge, Buy 1 book and read it
Author's Website
My rating: 2/5


Simple Description:
Harper Connelly and her boyfriend/partner Tolliver make a living talking to the dead, thanks to a lightening strike Harper suffered when she was a teenager. This left her with the ability to "hear" the dead and be able to find buried bodies and tell how they died.

Harper and Tolliver work a case for a rich family where Harper gives them more info than they expected.  They then take some time off to visit their younger siblings (Harper and Tolliver are step-siblings).  This visit makes a turn for the worse when they find out Tolliver's father is out of jail.  Then it makes another turn for the worse when Tolliver is shot and then the police man guarding Harper is shot.

Mix into this the fact that Harper and Tolliver are still searching for their missing sister and they are getting closer.

My Thoughts:
Hmm..what to say about this one.  I had actually thought I would stop with the series after book #3.  I just didn't feel the relationship change between Harper and Tolliver. Sure..they aren't blood related but it was still weird.   I decided to give the series another chance and read this one.  While the relationship between the two didn't bother me..I didn't like the book any more than I did the last one.

One of the issues I had is that it seems the author is forcing the relationship between the two.  Sure..it's weird for them still and weird for their family but it's constantly brought up and constantly talked about. That's not needed.  Then the author adds in some sex..nothing graphic, just enough so you know they did something. However it doesn't flow. It totally feels forced and out of place.    After each time I was left going..ok..that seemed really odd and out of place for the story.

As for the rest of the story, I don't know. I just didn't feel it. I wasn't totally in to it.  I did finish it, I did want to know what happened, but I didn't like it enough to plan on continuing with the series (if the author writes more).  I think the series could have promise, but for me the writing needs to really improve before I give it another chance.

I've read several positive reviews of this one though, so don't just take my review.

Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham

#1 Bone Island trilogy
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Mira
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 368
Challenges: Off the Shelf, Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, 1st in a series, Audio Book
Author's Website 
My rating: 3/5

Simple Description:
This book takes place in Key West.  Katie is in her 20's and her family has lived in Key West for as long as anybody can remember.   She is about to finalize the purchase of a museum that closed 10 years ago when a murder victim was found there, when one of the owners comes back in town and puts a stop to it. David was the ex-fiancée of the girl who was found murdered and he wants the museum to stay closed.   While he is in town he begins to dig into his ex-finance's murder, it's been 10 years and he hopes to finally find the guy who did it.

Then another girl goes missing.  Then a suspect goes missing.  Katie and David form a relationship but there is one thing she is keeping from him, she can see ghosts. In fact, she can see the ghost of the three murder victims.  Unfortunately they aren't able to tell her who killed them but she's hoping to get some clues from them so they can find the killer.

My Thoughts:
I'm a huge Heather Graham fan. I don't always read her books when they are first published but I always get excited.  I love how she weaves mystery and paranormal and romance.  I really liked Katie and David, individual and as a couple. They each have their faults but they are both likable characters.

The mystery aspect of the story kept me guessing.I had figured out who it was, but not by clues. Rather I tried to guess who wouldn't be an obvious choice and my guess worked.

Overall, an enjoyable read and another good story by the author.  I have the other two books in the series already so I hope to get to them within the next couple of months.


Audio Review:
The audio version of this book is read by Angela Dawe.  Overall I think she does a good job, I just have one complaint.  When the characters are talking to each other or thinking, she lowers her voice.  Which means I have trouble hearing it. I'm either stuck constantly messing with the volume or struggling to hear some parts.  Suppose this might not be an issue if listening to it at home when other noise is at a minimum but driving in the car on the highway it was an issue.     So..while I think Dawe did a great job, I'm not sure I'll listen to the rest of the trilogy.

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene frost

#1 Night Huntress World
Copyright: 2010
Publisher: Avon
Genre: Fiction
Pages: 371
Challenges: Off the Shelf, Urban Fantasy Challenge, What's in a Name? (number), Paranormal/Fantasy, 1st in a series
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description: 
This book focuses on Spade and Denise.  These are two characters who are in the Night Huntress novels by the author but they are secondary characters.  This book is the first in a new series, Night Huntress World, which is a spin-off of the other.  In this one, Spade and Denise become the main characters.

Denise has sworn off vampires and ghouls. She's done with them.  Unfortunately, they aren't done with her.  Members of Denise's family keep ending up dead and then she witnesses the death of her cousin. Later when a demon shows up at her door and brands her, Denise has to call the only vampire who's number she still has. Spade. She has to beg for his help.  Spade, on the other hand, knows that helping Denise will cause problems for him but he's always been attracted to her.

Somehow Spade and Denise must find one of Denis' long lost relatives who tricked the demon years ago, deliver this person to the demon so the demon will remove the bonds he placed on Denise, but at the same time keep it secret what they are doing.  You just know that's not going to work out as planned.

My Thoughts:
I thought this was a great book!  It was the perfect book for me, for the mood I was in when reading it.  I love the Night Huntress series and was both very interested in this one and worried about it. Would it live up to my expectation?  I'm happy to announce that it did.   It was a lot of fun to learn more about two of the secondary characters and then to have the other characters we know also play a part in the series.
If you like the Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost, I think you'll thoroughly enjoy this one too.  In fact, if I'm not mistaken the 2nd book in the Night Huntress World series was published last month, I might just stop at a bookstore tonight and look for it.


 Audio Review:
I did listen to part of this book. I actually forgot I had requested it on audio and started reading the paper copy.  Then I went to the library to get a different audio book that was on hold for me and this one was there too. Bonus.  So I listened to it in the car and then read the book when not driving, of course.  I read the majority of this book in paper form though, I pretty much plowed through it.  So while I'm not counting it for my audio challenge or my stats, I did want to mention it  in my review.

What I did listen to..was excellent. Tavia Gilbert is the narrator and I feel she did a fantastic job. I wouldn't hesitate to listen to more books in this series.

Doom With a View by Victoria Laurie

#7 Physic Eye series
Copyright: 2009
Publisher: Obsidian
Genre: Mystery
Pages: 314
Challenges: Paranormal fantasy Romance, series challange, Cruisin through the cozies
Own
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Simple Description:
Due to the economy people aren't spending as much on extra expenses and this means Abby's business is suffering.  When the FBI asks for her help with a case she accepts, as long as her PI friend Candice can also help.  While Agent Gaston believes in her and wants her help, the lead Agent in charge (and Dutch's boss) Agent Harrison does not believe in what Abby can do, even when she proves herself time after time.

The FBI is trying to find three kids who have disappeared, all of them are the kids of Senators from different states.  They are trying to find the kids before more disappear.

My Thoughts:
I believe I say this every time I review a book in this series and I'm going to say it again: I love this series and it's one of my favorites.   I really like Abby's character.  I think she's fun and has a good heart. I like a lot of the secondary characters as well, especially her boyfriend Dutch.

I thought the story for this book was good, Abby was faced with somebody who doesn't believe in what she does and I liked seeing her react to this.  Of course, she was also working with somebody that did and that helped too.

If I had anything negative to say regarding this specific story it's that the behavior of Candice and Agent Harrison was annoying, their reactions to each other was annoying.  They bickered a lot, with Candice trying to stand up for Abby and with Harrison being against using them.  It just carried on too much and could have stopped long before it did.

I still loved the story though, regardless of what did bother me.   I think by now we all know I like a bit of paranormal in my books and so of course I love that Abby is psychic, it really makes for a fun cozy.

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie

#5 Ghost Hunters series
Copyright: 2011
Publisher: Obsidian
Genre: mystery
Pages: 336
Challenges: Paranormal/Fantasy Romance, Crusin' Through the Cozies
Author's Website
My rating: 4/5

Description:
M.J. and the crew are on their way to Ireland for the latest ghost busting adventure.  They are still working on producing episodes for their upcoming tv show.  Their producer, Gopher,  has found one with a phantom even scarier than what they just encountered in Scotland.  They aren't too happy, until they find out it's also a treasure hunt.   Dunlow Castle is set on a rock out cropping that can only be arrived at by walking along a causeway during low tide.  If it isn't low tide, the walkway is buried by water.  The water itself is too dangerous for anybody by the coast guard to be in, and then only in dire emergencies.  The phantom itself is known to send people to their deaths over the edge of the cliff.   However, tourists still try to explore the castle because it's said that some Spanish ships crashed on the shore of the castle rock and one of the ships was carrying a lot of gold.  The gold has never been discovered.

M.J., Gilley, and Health aren't exactly excited to be investigating this one but they go along with it.  Unfortunately things go from bad to worse on their first encounter.  Not only do they realize the Phantom is the strongest thing either Heath or M.J. have come up against, Gopher goes missing.  Even though the last thing M.J. wants to do is repeatedly visit the castle, she knows she has to in order to find Gopher.


My thoughts: 
I've loved this series since book #1 and this one doesn't disappoint.  Sometimes I think M.J. is a little too harsh with Gilley, but at the same time you can understand why.  Plus, it never lasts long.  Gilley is always good for a laugh too.  I have to admit that I did figure out the mysteries before the characters did, but that didn't ruin it for me. I enjoy the characters enough and the story kept moving and was interesting enough for that not to matter.

If you haven't picked up this series yet but think the ghost busting aspect sounds fun, I highly recommend it.
For me, this is what cozy mysteries are all about.  A bit of mystery and a whole lot of fun.  While I'm glad to be caught up on a series, it's also sad to know I'll have to wait another year to hang out with these characters again.


Thanks to Penguin for providing this book in hopes I would review it.

Paranormal/ Fantasy Romance Reading Challenge 2011

Jamie at Nitty Gritty -Romance and Erotica Reviews is hosting the 2011 Paranormal/Fantasy Romance Challenge.  Seeing as how I love the paranormal and a lot of the books have a romantic aspect to it, I knew this was a challenge I had to sign up for.


The Rules:
1. Create a post for the challenge using the image above and link back to this post.
--Non-Bloggers: You are welcome to join too. Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. 

2. Sign up with the Mr. Linky.
--Link to your challenge post when you sign up please.

3. The goal of this challenge is to read at least 12 Paranormal/Fantasy Romances between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011. Books read before January 1, 2011 do NOT count towards the challenge.

4. Audio, eBooks, paper all count. Re-reads are ok but try to keep them to a minimum. Cross overs from other challenges are ok.

5. There is no need to create your list now. Please feel free to use your challenge post to keep track of your titles if you so desire.





Here's the tentative list of books I hope to read for this challenge:

Ghost Shadow by Heather Graham

Ghost Night by Heather Graham

Ghost Moon by Heather Graham

Dead Reckoning by Charlaine Harris

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Silver Borne by Patricia Briggs

Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr

Doom With a View by Victoria Laurie

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls by Victoria Laurie

Grave Secrets by Charlaine Harris