Book Review: Nobody's Angel by Stacy Gail

Title: Nobody's Angel (Earth Angels #1)
Author: Stacy Gail
Release Date: January 21st 2013
Publisher: Carina Press
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

Investigative journalist Kendall Glynn is horrified when a friend and colleague signs off permanently during a live newscast, jabbing a pen into his jugular. Kendall's no expert, but judging by the strange white veil in the anchorman's eyes, she would swear he was a man possessed.

A descendant of the accursed Nephilim, Zeke Reece prowls San Francisco by night, keeping the city free from paranormal phenomena. But even he is no match for whatever malevolent force is behind a recent rash of murder-suicides. And when a beautiful tenacious reporter becomes the next target, Zeke has no choice but to stay close to her, until he can find the evil spirit and cross it over.

The closer Kendall gets to the truth, the more danger she's in. Fortunately, a sexy and mysterious masked stranger keeps swooping in to the rescue. Kendall's life depends on finding who or what is responsible for the killings, before it finds her.

My Thoughts
 
Nobody's Angel was an interesting and fast paced story, although the plot did feel a little too rushed in places. I found the story to be fun, flirty and a little dark but I couldn't shut off the cheesy 1960's Batman music playing in my head and the intermitant flashes of pow, zing, and boom etc that came along with it!

Don't get me wrong, I liked the storyline and the romance, but overall it was all just a little too simple a mystery/problem to solve. The ending kind of just fell together easily and without consequences - it was just too neatly packaged and lacked impact for my liking.

Stacy Gail's writing was pretty good and it's not a bad start for a story involving my favourite characters - angels; but I'm hoping for a bit more storytelling and character depth for Savage Angel (Earth Angels #2) which is due for a February release.

Nobody's Angel gets 3 stars from me :]

Book Review: The Water Witch by Juliet Dark

Title: The Water Witch (Fairwick Chronicles #2)
Author: Juliet Dark (Pseudonym for Carol Goodman)
Release Date: February 12th 2013
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Imprint: Ballantine
(note: previously released September 13th 2012 by Ebury Press)
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

After casting out a dark spirit, Callie McFay, a professor of gothic literature, has at last restored a semblance of calm to her rambling Victorian house. But in the nearby thicket of the Honeysuckle Forest, and in the currents of the rushing Undine River, more trouble is stirring. . . .

The enchanted town of Fairwick’s dazzling mix of mythical creatures has come under siege from the Grove: a sinister group of witches determined to banish the fey back to their ancestral land. With factions turning on one another, all are cruelly forced to take sides. Callie’s grandmother, a prominent Grove member, demands her granddaughter’s compliance, but half-witch/half-fey Callie can hardly betray her friends and colleagues at the college.

To stave off disaster, Callie enlists Duncan Laird, an alluring seductive academic who cultivates her vast magical potential, but to what end? Deeply conflicted, Callie struggles to save her beloved Fairwick, dangerously pushing her extraordinary powers to the limit—risking all, even the needs of her own passionate heart.

My Thoughts

I read and reviewed the first book in this series The Demon Lover more than a year ago, and was very interested to see where this story would be taken next.

At first I was a little disappointed with the slow, conversation heavy, introduction back into the world of Fairwick; however it soon picked up and I was once again captivated by this enchanting tale.
The reader is treated to many different supernatural beings and their varying quirks, all the while enjoying the mystery and intrigue of paranormal activity in a small and entertaining town shrouded in secrets.
The plot was a little predictable overall, and I knew right off who Bill was and what it meant for Callie, but the lovely imagery and vast array of colorful characters kept me entertained.

Another beautifully written installment to this engaging story of faery, witches, succubi, nephilim, and more...
4 out of 5 stars ;]

Spotlight on...The Peculiar Blog Tour

The Peculiar Blog Tour starts today and I just thought I'd help kick it off with a bit off a Spotlight post :)

Title: The Peculiar (The Peculiar #1)
Author: Stefan Bachmann
Release Date: September 18th 2012
Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Blurb:
Don't get yourself noticed and you won't get yourself hanged.

In the faery slums of Bath, Bartholomew Kettle and his sister Hettie live by these words. Bartholomew and Hettie are changelings--Peculiars--and neither faeries nor humans want anything to do with them.

One day a mysterious lady in a plum-colored dress comes gliding down Old Crow Alley. Bartholomew watches her through his window. Who is she? What does she want? And when Bartholomew witnesses the lady whisking away, in a whirling ring of feathers, the boy who lives across the alley--Bartholomew forgets the rules and gets himself noticed.

First he's noticed by the lady in plum herself, then by something darkly magical and mysterious, by Jack Box and the Raggedy Man, by the powerful Mr. Lickerish . . . and by Arthur Jelliby, a young man trying to slip through the world unnoticed, too, and who, against all odds, offers Bartholomew friendship and a way to belong.

Part murder mystery, part gothic fantasy, part steampunk adventure, The Peculiar is Stefan Bachmann's riveting, inventive, and unforgettable debut novel.

Link to blog tour schedule

Here's the book trailer:

...HarperCollins is giving away 5 SIGNED, HARDCOVER COPIES of The Peculiar, and the GRAND PRIZE of a SIGNED COPY AND a SKYPE CHAT with the author himself, Stefan Bachmann!
(please note: this giveaway is being run by the publisher not me, please check terms and conditions)
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Quickie Giveaway!

I recently had the chance to read and review Bonded by Michelle Davidson Argyle, and as a thank you, Michelle very kindly sent me some gorgeous bookmarks to share with my readers :)

If you are anything like me, you love all the swaggy goodness that authors use to help promote their books; and Michelle's are particularly nice!

So...all you have to do for your chance to win one of four prizes of bookmarks is enter using the rafflecopter form, it's that easy - although there are more chances to win if you want :)

(giveaway is open internationally)

4 sets of these bookmarks to be won

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Best and Worst of 2012 as Read By Me!!

So I guess most, if not all book bloggers are doing some kind of Top Ten or Best Reads list to finish of 2012, and so I decided to throw my hat in the ring also!
It sounds fairly easy I know, however it has taken me an absolute age to wade through my pile of books to find the true standouts; here are some of the books I have loved in 2012...

A fellow Kiwi, I first heard about Melissa Pearl via an online newspaper article in March. I bought Golden Blood for my kindle, and fell in love! The characters, the plot, the writing - I was completely blown away, and quickly read book 2 in the series (Black Blood) and desperately waited for book 3 (Pure Blood) to be released.
I have also read Forbidden Territory which Melissa co-authored with Brenda Howson, and Melissa's most recent release, Betwixt
I am now eagerly awaiting her latest trilogy, with book #1 Unknown, tentatively scheduled for a June 2013 release.

I discovered T.G. Ayer (also due to the internet article mentioned above), and what a discovery she has been!
I read, and fell in love with Dead Radiance. Its beautifully written story of Norse mythology threaded into an intricately woven teenage tale of loss and hardship, mystery and intrigue, first love, deceit, self discovery and more. Just as wonderfully written was Dead Embers, the second in the series and I am impatiently waiting for book #3 Dead Chaos which is scheduled for a March 2013 release.
T.G. Ayer also has a new series (The Hunter trilogy), with book #1 Skin Deep, scheduled to release in February 2013, which I can't wait to read too!

Pushing The Limits by Katie McGarry completely took me by surprise.
This was a story I expected to like, but I very quickly found myself enraptured by Echo and Noah's story. I loved this book, and I can't wait for the follow up book Dare You To which is set to release in May 2013.

Vengeance Born had been on my list of books to get from the first moment I saw the cover! Australian author, Kylie Griffin did not disappoint with her beautiful and creative world building, bringing this story and her characters to life, etching a place in my heart. The second book in this series Alliance Forged just confirmed for me what a talented writer Kylie Griffin is, and her books are on my keeper shelf.
I have pre-ordered the third book in this series, Allegiance Sworn and I really can't wait for its release in April 2013.

Zombies are not my thing, but Flesh came highly recommended by a friend so I thought why not. Why not indeed! - not only was this a great zombie story full of snappy writing and addictive characters, but it was a really great erotic read too!
A convert to the zombie theme, I look forward to more books from Kylie Scott, especially book #2 in this series Skin, which is set to release in February 1st 2013.

I loved the amazing world that Merrie Destefano created for Fathom
This beautifully crafted story with a watery twist and shrouded in Celtic myth was addictive. For her first foray in the YA genre, Merrie Destefano has definitely made her mark, I cant wait to see what she has to come in 2013.

A beautiful and sweetly engaging story, Ransomwood by Sherryl Jordan will melt your heart. Simply put, this book was an absolute pleasure to read.

Every Day by David Levithan is the quintessential love story.
Although it didn't get a perfect 5 star review from me, it was a book I could happily read again...and again. I loved the voice with which this story is told and will definitely add the authors back catalogue to my to read list.

I love a good historical romance, and IMO Anna Campbell writes some of the best.
Seven Nights in a Rogue's Bed left me thoroughly enchanted with its dark and gothic retelling of a beauty and the beast themed love story. Another author on my keeper shelf, I can't wait for the next installment of Anna Campbell's Sons of Sin series.

Book #2 in the Witch Song series, Witch Born definitely has all the right things going for it and I eagerly await future stories from Amber Argyle as she has put me under her spell with the truly beautiful and lyrical way in which she writes. 







The following have not necessarily been bad books, but they have been books I did not enjoy; for whatever reason, they just didn't do it for me :(


Seven Day Loan was a couple of wasted hours of my life that I'll never get back!
Entirely too shallow for me :(

This story lacked character depth and a good editor; and through frustration and angst I gave up after reading less than a quarter :(









Did nothing for me, and (in my opinion) it was pretty crap!

I was bored beyond reason and gave up after 145 pages of Redemption :(

I hated the contrived characters and the authors overuse of a thesaurus. This Ember just fizzled :(










So that's it...
The Best and Worst of 2012 as read by me...
I know there will be people out there that completely disagree, and that's fine - I'll respect your opinion if you respect mine!!
(thats code for don't bother messaging me to rant about how wrong I am!!!)

Book Review: Angel In Chains by Cynthia Eden

Title: Angel in Chains (The Fallen #3)
Author: Cynthia Eden
Release Date: November 27th 2012
Publisher: Kensington
Imprint: Brava
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

As a fallen Angel of Death, Azrael is cursed to walk the earth alone in search of redemption. One night, as he wanders the streets of New Orleans, he discovers a woman surrounded by panther shifters. No longer able to contain the anger simmering within, Az summons his dark powers and attacks, determined to protect this innocent human from certain death.

Only Jade Pierce is no delicate flower. She's spent years learning to survive and fight the evil forces sent by her ex-lover who refuses to let her go. But after seeing Az in action, she figures she could use a little supernatural help. And so she plans a course of seduction guaranteed to arouse his interest and his angelic passions. . .

My Thoughts

You can read my review of Angel Betrayed, book #2 in this series here

Every great thing that I loved about the previous book has been repeated in Angel In Chains.
This story has been very well written, flows effortlessly off the page, and was a joy to read.
I loved the characters, the storyline, the writing, everything. There were a couple of bumpy patches at the beginning, but they were easily forgiven due to the level of reading pleasure I got from this book.

I really can't wait to read the next installment from Cynthia Eden's The Fallen series.
4 out of 5 stars ;]

Book Review: Harbinger by Peta Crake

Title: Harbinger
Author: Peta Crake
Release Date: September 2012
Publisher: Destiny Romance
Source: Received from the publisher via NetGalley

As an Olympic messenger, suburban Aussie girl Ophelia Lind is used to being at the beck and call of the gods. But when gorgeous demigod Aden moves into her neighbourhood and starts taking advantage of her services, Ophelia believes life could not get any worse. She's about to be proven very wrong.

Ophelia tries to enjoy a normal, everyday life while running messages for the Greek gods – but without warning an odious creature - evil incarnate - begins to stalk her. As a messenger dealing with the all-powerful and sometimes frightening gods, Ophelia is accustomed to adventures and scrapes. But this is different. Even Aden, who is madly and deeply in love with Ophelia, finds it difficult to protect her. Suddenly Ophelia is in a battle for survival and begins to question everything – her upbringing, her identity, and her true feelings for the alluring and entirely frustrating Aden.

My Thoughts

A rather enjoyable story but wow - what a lot there is going on, too much in fact. This book could really do with some refining and more direction, it's a bit all over the place, jumping from one scenario to the next.  
The writing flowed well and was easy to read but I was often left feeling dazed and muddled trying to figure out where the story was going, because it just didn't (go anywhere).
An interesting cast of characters with a mix of paranormals and Gods, but again, there was too much of all this other stuff, and not enough couple time for Ophelia and Aden. I never felt any kind of growing attraction between the MC's, they just kind of come together, there's no real progression of anything, and the ending was wound up into a nice tidy bundle that felt flat and too saccharin sweet.

Not a bad debut, but some definite work needed.
3 out of 5 stars