BOOK REVIEW ~ THE DEMON'S SONG BY KENDRA LEIGH CASTLE

Title: The Demon's Song (Hearts of the Fallen, Book One)

Author: Kendra Leigh Castle

Release Date:  April 21, 2013

ARC provided by NetGalley

The road to Hell is paved with good intentions. At least, that's how it seems to Sofia Rivera when her attempt to help a friend ends in a blood-soaked confrontation with creatures that aren't even supposed to exist. With a group of rogue vampires determined not to leave a single witness to their violence hot on her heels, Sofia finds herself saddled with an immortal bodyguard—Phenex, the fallen Angel of Song.

While the vampire king roots out the corruption threatening to take down his underworld kingdom, Sofia will have to deal with a fallen angel whose dark beauty is often at odds with his ornery nature. Slowly, Sofia and Phenex give in to the strange attraction neither can deny. And as the darkness closes in around them, Phenex begins to wonder whether even the wickedest Fallen might find his own happy ending...and his heart.

Book Review

Phenex, once the Angel of Song, now has wings black as night--a Fallen. He no longer composes the beautiful music that flowed from his very depth and was his entire existence. Everything that once brought him joy leaves him hollow and jaded. He loathes the humans that took his gift for granted-used it for nefarious purposes. And now, he is Fallen. He and six of his brothers work for Uriel, protecting the secret world of the paranormal: Vampires, Witches, Fae, and those scary unidentified things that go bump in the night. Killing the demons determined to tip the scales in favor of evil. 

Although he no longer composes, he plays his guitar for the crowds at Amphora--a night club owned by a vampire king. And it is within the club walls that his salvation walks in, unexpectedly, and a human. A female human who intrigues him like no other. 

Sofia and her friend, Amy, have snuck inside Amphora, searching for their other roommate, Sara. And when Sofia finds her in the bathroom being sucked by a vampire, the world that Sofia thought she knew, crumbles beneath her. She is now being hunted and someone wants her dead. 

Phenex aligns himself to protect her and the coldness inside him melts with every minute he spends with Sofia. He wants her. To keep her, hide her away with him. He is used to taking want he wants, but Sofia may be the one thing that he cannot have. She is a human. And her mortality is something that may be a gap too wide to cross. Because Sofia's life is in danger, all of her choices have been taken away--and she forced to hide deep underground in the hidden city of Terra Noctem. A city full of paranormal creatures, no sunshine, no beaches, no family, no friends. And she cannot fathom giving up her humanity to spend her life in the dark. 

How can two different beings have a life of forever when one of them is human and the other a Fallen Angel. 

The Demon's Song is a great paranormal tale with a broken hero who finds redemption and love.  I cannot wait to read about the rest of the Fallen in the other books to come. 

BOOK REVIEW ~ BLOOD OF GOLD BY B.V. LARSON

Title: Blood of Gold (Seeker, Book One)

Author: B.V. Larson

Release Date: June 3, 2010

Reviewer bought own copy of eBook for review 

Her young man stepped out of nowhere onto a mountaintop... 

Her high school counselor came from Hell. Literally... 

Haley learns she has a unique gift. She normally lives her life escaping notice, but now two gorgeous strangers are interested in her. Very interested. Seth is the best-looking young man she (or anyone else) has ever met. Every girl in school is after him and the competition turns strangely vicious. She soon realizes that he is not fully bound to this world. Although they both feel the mutual attraction, there’s something holding him back... The second stranger is equally attractive, but more frightening. When she is with him, she somehow loses her self-control. To say more would give away too much, but Las Vegas will never be the same... 

Book Review

Blood of Gold is the first book of a Young Adult series that left me feeling a little cheated and a little disappointed. I had this book on my kindle for a while and decided to finally check it out. 

Unfortunately, there was nothing original in this dark fantasy novel involving a mysterious teenager who shows up at school and seems to be more than..human. Sounds very familiar and very predictable.  

In spite of the cliches and the predictability of the plot, I did continue to read, hoping for an unexpected twist or a compelling climax that would make me yearn for more. Unfortunately, it never happened.

Haley is the heroine of the story who has self-esteem issues and the best friend who seems to have it all--looks and a healthy dose of confidence. But when the new boy, Seth, shows up at school, the two best friends become estranged. And when Seth shows his favor for Haley, things turn a bit nasty. 

Haley's sudden attraction to Seth just seemed way overboard and I never felt a connection to either character. Their relationship never really developed-it was more like an instantaneous thing that I would have loved to see grow over time. 

When you finally get some answers as to what exactly Seth is and how Haley plays an important role in it, I felt a bit cheated. Haley's role wasn't really developed enough for my tastes. I was left with more questions than answers. 

Overall, Blood of Gold lacked originality, depth, and its shaky plot  with little answers left me disappointed.  

BOOK REVIEW ~ WHERE THERE'S A WILL BY KAREN KELLEY

Blurb from Goodreads

ARC provided by NetGalley

When good girl Haley Tillman is stood up (again), she prays for a dating miracle— and then slams the front door in its face when it appears! Ryder is half angel, half mortal, with powers to do whatever the hell he wants. When he hears Haley’s prayers, he is bound and determined to answer every single one of them.



Where There's A Will had a very weak start for me; one that bordered on the ridiculous and unbelievable at times. 

Haley has just prayed to the heavens for a answer to her prayers--specifically a man-regarding the pitiful lack of sex in her life. She wants to get laid.  She has been stood up the night before and self esteem has hit rock bottom.

Minutes later, her doorbell rings, and a sexy man sporting a black Stetson with a wicked grin stands on her front porch. He says he is the answer to her prayers.

What follows is a jumble of a mess-the unbelievable part-until I almost stopped reading.

Yes, Haley is instantly attracted to this sinfully delicious man. No news there. That's kind of expected in this genre. But the fact that she lets him remain in her house left me with a huge WTF moment. Seriously, who would let a man stay in her house for even a smidge of a second when he states such unbeliveable garbage. And yes, she shuts the door in his face. (Smart girl). At first. But there were times when I thought her actions bordered on the stupid side. But this is fiction, so I let it slide.

There's also the predictable plot and the secondary character--Chelsea, the hose beast skank and co-worker that snagged Ben (Haley's supposed date the night before), is mean, catty, and an out right bitch. The reader wants her to get her dose of revenge that we know is coming to her. And boy howdy does it ever. That little scene was the highlight of the book for me. HILARIOUS!  I must admit, I loved hating Chelsea.  Bad, C.S., Bad.

But at about half way through the book, I realized that I was starting to like these two characters.

I have always been a sucker for the Cinderella kind of story in romance. I love it when the Ugly Duckling turns into the beautiful swan and wins the prince. And that was what made me stick around for as long as I did.

And I love it when some of my dirty little fantasies come true by a hunk of burning love like Ryder. This fallen angel has discovered Haley's hidden diary. A naughty little book where she has penned all of her fantasies that she has never had the courage to act out. Ryder is one determined fallen angel to have these fantasies come to life for Hayden.  

But then I started to develop an emotional connection to both Ryder and Haley--I could sympathize with their back stories.

And the way Ryder shows Haley just how beautiful she is was such a tender, heart felt moment. With his words, with his eyes, with his actions, he shows Haley what it is to be loved, to be cherised, and to embrace her inner desires and --- as a result, she not only feels beautiful, but she realizes just what true beauty means.  

The lies mortals told, all in the name of what they thought was right or wrong. It always amazed him. "The body is a beautiful thing to look at, to touch." He brushed his fingers across her nipples. She jumped, like a nervous filly taking her first steps. But Haley's nipples betrayed her desire when they turned to hard nubs. "See how easily you respond to my touch."

And my favroite quote?

"All women are beautiful if they have a good heart. Every woman has something special about her. Her scent, the way she laughs, each nuance is hers and hers along."

So, yeah. I fell hard for Ryder. He knows just what to do to a woman and speaks from his heart. What a one-two combo that left me weak in the knees.

ARC BOOK REVIEW ~ DEATH AND THE GIRL NEXT DOOR BY DARYNDA JONES

Blurb from Goodreads

ARC provided by NetGalley

Ten years ago, Lorelei's parents disappeared without a trace. Raised by her grandparents and leaning on the support of her best friends, Lorelei is finally beginning to accept the fact that her parents are never coming home. For Lorelei, life goes on.

High school is not quite as painful as she thinks it will be, and things are as normal as they can be. Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, night after night. Things get even more complicated when a new guy—terrifying, tough, sexy Jared Kovach—comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity. What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Darynda Jones's first foray into the world of teens will leave readers eager for the next installment.

I will admit to being a die-hard fan of Darynda Jones ever since discovering her Charley Davidson series a while back. She writes with such charm and addictivness that keeps me coming back for more.

Death and the Girl Next Door is her first book in the new series, Darklight--and it's a Young Adult book to boot.

Right off the bat, I loved the three Amigos--bffs x 3--Lorelei, Glitch, and Brooklyn. Their conversations were humorous and their bond is a strong one that is envious. And I think I may have fallen in love with Glitch a little. He seriously stole the show a few times with his snarkiness.

At first glance, DatGND starts out like most YA paranormals:

*Lorelei can touch people and see things that no one else can.
*skanky girls you love to hate that give heroine a hard time.
*Twilight-y feeling in cafeteria when mysterious dark haired bad boy enters and can hear heroine thoughts.
*a possible love triangle (at first) where you're not sure who the bad guy is.

So what makes this story so different? Two words: Darynda.Jones.

I can't explain it, but her writing flows so effortlessly. Her characters are three-dimensional and full of flaws. Her humor is contagious. And man can she write a kiss scene that literally curls your toes.

She gives you a little to barely whet your appetite and leaves you wanting more--some secrets are revealed (and a little somewhat predictable), but there are so many more secrets left yet to discover and be revealed. Like what in the hell happened during the Boy Scout camping trip, D?  Seriously--it's killing me.

I simply loved the animosity between Cameron and Jared. Those two boys love to hate each other.

"You know," Jared said in a husky whisper I could barely hear, "your heart's beating a little fast." His smile disappeared. " I can take care of that for you."

Overall, Death and the Girl Next Door is a story about sacrifices, forbidden love, and apocalyptic possibilities when demons threaten the peace of mankind. Throw in some snarky humor, steamy first kisses, and a small town ready to do battle, you have a recipe for a great young adult series.

I'm hooked Mrs. Jones. Again. You slay me. And I am yours.



 

ARC REVIEW ~ SOUL WEAVER BY HAILEY EDWARDS

Title: Soul Weaver (Wicked Kin, Book One)
Author: Hailey Edwards

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Expected Release Date: August 7, 2012

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy RomanceARC provided by NetGalley

ISBN: 978-1-45552-346-7 (ebook)
ISBN: TBA (print)

Pre-order links:

B&N / Amazon / iTunes / Hachette

Links for author:

Website / Goodreads / Blog

Since the accident that nearly took her life, Chloe suffers from acute agoraphobia. Living alone above her family's bookstore, she spends restless nights terrified by strange visions . . . until a mysterious stranger appears and offers her salvation. Chloe is drawn to the ethereal, gorgeous Nathaniel-but her haunted soul warns her there is more to him than meets the eye.

An archangel who roams Earth collecting souls of the newly departed, Nathanial is the sole witness to the accident that should have taken Chloe's life. Seduced by the purity of her soul, he defies Providence by saving her life. But his attempt at kindness marks Chloe for damnation, and makes her an unwitting pawn in a game of unholy ambition. Now together they must fight the demons of Hell itself-for a love that defies the boundaries of Heaven and Earth.

Click here for Soul Weaver Excerpt from Author's Website.

Book Review

Nathaniel is a Fallen Angel, now charged in the role as WEAVER--taking those souls marked for the pits of hell and weaving them to use as the Fallens wings he and his breathern now wear upon their backs.

He has just collected the soul of one human damned for hell and while on earth he witnesses the brutal accident that SHOULD have killed one fragile human--Chloe.  Instead he is mesmerized by the colorful beauty of her soul and cannot understand why the Angels do not come to take her rightful place in paradise. Not able to really explain his actions, he takes his powerful shears, cuts a piece of his soul and binds it with hers--placeing  the now combined soul back inside Chloe's body and saves her soul from being forever lost.  

Chole has been left with no family and suffers from agoraphobia. After her near-death accident, she suffers horrible nightmares and struggles with the threatening addiction of her anxiety medications. Alone and isolated in the town of Piedmont, she has no choice but to hire someone to help her with the small bookstore she owns--Neve, a woman who has her own secrets but is desperate for the chance of a new life.

Chloe and Neve bond, the two women helping each other more than just as employee/employer. And a stranger, one who Chloe feels an undeniable attraction to, shows up at her store offering to help with much needed repairs.

The stranger is, of course, Nathaniel. And he is determined to see Chloe form attatchments while on earth--and the time she has left has been numbered. It seems that Chloe's combined soul has been marked. Marked like those damned for the pits of the fiery hell Nathaniel has sent thousands to as punishment for their sins.

A place that Chloe doesn't belong and he will do everything, even risk his own fate, to make sure that doesn't happen.

SOUL WEAVER is the start of a new series, and its world building is somewhat difficult to follow. There are a few number of players and trying to remember each ones role was a bit perplexing at times. The pieces of the story's puzzle really didn't start connecting for me until the last third of the book. But some the characters were facinating, despite the complexity of this paranormal world.

The romance between Chloe and Nathaniel is a sweet one with a slow start that builds over time, but one I just never truly got a great feel for. In fact, I felt more of a connection between Chloe and Neve (which was written very well-loved their friendship).
Her agoraphobia makes their relationship tough and not much of a joy to read. I thought it limited the possibilities of growth in their relationship. Besides the paranormal realm of hell and Chloe's bookstore, there are no other settings--I was really hoping to see more with Chloe's character and how she dealt with her illness. It was too much of a quick fix at the end.

Then there is Saul. Sigh...

Saul is a harvester, fallen from grace just like his brother, Nathaniel. I was really, REALLY, hoping for Saul to see the error of his ways. He had such great potential as a secondary character. But Hailey Edwards had different plans for him, lol. I don't want to give too much away as Saul is a pivotal player in Chloe and Nate's future.

One thing that I never fully understood and was never explained  was the fact that Chloe's soul had no attatchments to anyone. Which was the reason why no Angel came to collect her soul. What about her parents, who she seemed to be close to when they were alive? Surely, her father, who she loved and adored would have been waiting for her. And I am also still not clear what exactly was wrong with Chloe's mother. Did she too, suffer from agoraphobia? The way it was written, she seemed to suffer from some sort of illness? Maybe I missed something along the way.

Because I never truely lost myself in the book, I was slightly disappointed. There were some holes in this very unique world and along with the unclear roles of the secondary characters and how they exactly they fit, the confusing plot, I can only give it 3 Stars.