Review: The Maker's Song Series (so far) by Adrian Phoenix

Holy moly are these books good. First off, I would like to say gobuythesenow!!! Second, give yourself some nice quiet alone time to devote to these books. Adrian has taken paranormal and urban fantasy to a whole new level of cool. Goth vampires, fallen angels, government conspiracy theories, mental illness, a hot younger man and the sexy older woman he falls for. This has a little bit of something for everyone...including some really sexy sex! Go buy the books, read them, and then get mad as hell when you reach the end of the fourth book, just like I did. (Yes, horribly suspenseful cliffhanger. Made me very antsy!)  I will attempt to console myself in the Hoodoo series, but I am watching you Ms. Phoenix!

Review: Hard Spell by Justin Gustainis

It is fairly rare to find a male protagonist in an urban fantasy book. Hard Spell is a breath of manly air. Markowski brings to mind Harry Dresden, a hard boiled, no nonsense kind of guy. The kind of man you expect eats a lot of pizza and kicks back with a beer when he finally goes home. Gutsainis has given us a world where the good guys are real, and the bad guys are really bad. The good doesn't always win, and the evil...well it is everywhere.

From the Angry Robots site:
“Like the rest of America, Scranton’s got an uneasy ‘live and let unlive’ relationship with the supernatural. But when a vamp puts the bite on an unwilling victim, or some witch casts the wrong kind of spell, that’s when they call me.
“My name’s Markowski. I carry a badge.
“Also, a crucifix, some wooden stakes, a big vial of holy water, and a 9mm Beretta loaded with silver bullets.”

Five stars!!!

Is summer almost over?

The past week has been so hectic. If you have been inside your local Walmart, Target, or office supply store you know why. Back to school time! Really? It is still July. Why should we be worried about back to school? Ah yes, because the school boards have decided school should start at the beginning of August. This means that, for parents, life becomes a whirl of back to school shopping and last minute vacations. I am no exception. I am homeschooling a 6th and 9th grader this year, and though we have a little more leeway, school starts in less than 3 weeks. I will continue to read, and do reviews, but they will be closer to one a week than the 3 a week I had hoped to get up to by now. Enjoy the rest of your summer while it lasts!

Review: Deeper Than Midnight by Lara Adrian

No upcoming releases to review so I have chosen the latest in the Midnight Breed series for your reading pleasure. I really like this series. It brings to mind the Dark Hunter series and the Black Dagger Brotherhood series. This particular book was one of the best in my opinion. It goes beyond the paranormal to bring in conflicts many women could face. Of course, we wouldn't have a handsome vampire to save us!

From the back cover: At eighteen, Corinne Bishop was a beautiful, spirited young woman living a life of privilege as the adopted daughter of a wealthy family. Her world was changed in an instant when she was stolen away and held prisoner by the malevolent vampire Dragos. After many years of captivity and torment, Corinne is rescued by the Order, a cadre of vampire warriors embroiled in a war against Dragos and his followers. Her innocence taken, Corinne has lost a piece of her heart as well--the one thing that gave her hope during her imprisonment, and the only thing that matters to her now that she is free.
Assigned to safeguard Corinne on her trip home is a formidable golden-eyed Breed male called Hunter. Once Dragos's most deadly assassin, Hunter now works for the Order, and he's hell-bent on making Dragos pay for his manifold sins. Bonded to Corinne by their mutual desire, Hunter will have to decide how far he'll go to end Dragos's reign of evil--even if carrying out his mission means shattering Corinne's tender heart.
This one gets 4 stars!

Review: Midnight Fear by Leslie Tentler

Leslie Tentler has really come through in her second installment of The Chasing Evil trilogy. The romance is believable, the thrills are chilling, and the pages turn almost on their own. First class whodunit! This book comes out July 26th.

When Reid Novak finally caught Joshua Cahill he thought the nightmare was over. The young Senator's son was locked away and everyone could start trying to get their lives back, especially Joshua's sister Caitlyn. For two years she dealt with the nightmares brought on by helping get her serial killer brother brought to justice. Then, in an instant, the terror came back. First a horse was found mutilated on her farm. Soon after women's bodies were once again being found in Washington D.C. with the same distinctive cuts and burns as before. Joshua was still locked away. Who could be the copycat, and why were they so intent on making Caitlyn a victim?

Four stars!

Review: Undead and Undermined by MaryJanice Davidson

Hurray for new Queen Betsy! I absolutely love this series, and I have been waiting on pins and needles after the ending of the last book. MJ does not disappoint her readers with this one. It may be a little confusing, but so it the situation we find Betsy in this time. If you find things seem a little wonky, take a second to reread the last sentence and you will get your head back in order. Even with the twists and turns this book earns a solid 4 1/2 stars!

Vampire Queen Betsy has it rough. She has just returned from the past, future, and hell to find that everything she thought she knew is different. Jessica is pregnant? Nick is a friend? Garratt is still alive? What else could happen? A twisty turny ride through hell (again) only adds more questions.

Playing catch up, and other excuses to read.

So many books, so little time! I have caught up on the books I have waiting in the wings. The reviews for them will be coming up, but I have to respect the publishers wishes and not spoil things by blogging about them too soon. You will see my reviews for another Heather Graham Krewe book, and a wonderful thriller by Leslie Tentler coming in the next month. With a little time on my hands I decided to catch up on a few series that have new books coming out this year. It gives me some background, and gives me a chance to feel like I am being useful. Hurray for new books! I will be back after the holiday to let you guys know what I am reading, and give a sneak peek of the books I hope to review this summer. Have a great Fourth of July!