Castle Hill by Samantha Young
Book #2.5 in the On Dublin Street series
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Christal’s Review - 2.5 Skulls – C-

I liked Joss and Braden’s story in On Dublin Street, but this novella just didn’t work for me.  Castle Hill tried to pack too much into such a short story.  We get Joss and Braden’s engagement, wedding, honeymoon, and first few months of married life all in less than 100 pages.  Everything moved so swiftly and didn’t feel like it had the needed detail to make the events really resonate.  There were some really cute moments in the wedding and the honeymoon though.  I probably would have given this story 3.5 or maybe even 4 skulls if it had stopped there, but what happened afterwards left a bad taste in my mouth.  Be warned, from here on out there are unavoidable spoilers.  If you don’t want to know what happens to Joss and Braden, please don’t click the link below.  Just know that my disappoint with this novel stems from the way Braden acted towards Joss when she found out some very unexpected and emotional news.

Hey people? This is a spoiler--Fair Warning!

Even though I wasn’t very pleased with this story, I did enjoy the next book Before Jamaica Lane.  Check back later in the day for a much more pleasant review of that novel!

Thank you to Netgalley and NAL (Intermix) for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠ +½

Series Reading Order:
0.1. On Dublin Street
1.5. Until Fountain Bridge
0.2. Down London Road
2.5. Castle Hill
0.3. Before Jamaica Lane
0.4. Fall From India Place (Expected publication: June 3rd 2014 by NAL)

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

D.G.’s Combined Rating: 3.5 skulls = B

The I-Team series is the ONLY romantic suspense series I read. This may seem surprising to those who know me; after all, I love both romance and mysteries so how couldn’t I love a genre that meshes both? In theory I should, but I find that most romantic suspense does a terrible job with the mystery part. Either they are all about serial killers (which I think is a cop-out) or with phantom killers that never leave clues and do impossible things that would need them to teleport, be invisible and not sleep, all while acting like nothing’s wrong (because you know it’s always “one of them”.) The I-Team series, however, has real life issues, great investigations and the villains’ motives are the usual: power, money, revenge.

First Strike is the prequel novella that sets up the events in Striking Distance. It’s all about the relationship between Javier and Laura, giving us a glimpse of who they were before. It’s really steamy and can be skipped if needed but I think it provides a good balance for the emotionally heavy full novel.

Striking Distance is a solid romance suspense novel but too crowded for my taste. Laura was dealing with 3 different issues, anyone of each could have made her own book together with the romance and Javier’s problems. There’s her recovery from her kidnapping and her learning to live and trust again, the threat from the villain plus a third issue I’ll call the K-plot (I don’t want to give spoilers.) I object the most to the K-plot because it bogged down the story and it wasn’t developed fully. Given the magnitude of this side plot – probably involving hundreds of laws, different countries and cultures plus the emotional component which was HUGE – it was resolved very conviniently.  Worse, Laura’s final decision about this matter was portrayed as selfless but I’m not convinced this was the case. This was something she never wanted, which was forced upon her. As a person who has made the same decision about her life, I would have very dark thoughts if something like this where to happen to me and given Laura’s kidnapping and abuse, she had way more baggage than I ever would. How can I believe that her feelings were all rainbows and roses? Please note that this side plot doesn’t offend me – one of my favorite books deals with something similar – but I just don’t like how it was handled here.

Most of the action in this book deals with the current threat against Laura’s life. I have to say that this was my most dissapointing I-Team villain. He could have simply killed her at the beginning, when the FBI didn’t believe the threat against her. But instead of going the simple route, he created elaborate plans with a good likelihoood of failure (which of course failed), warned law enforcement that something was up and made life more difficult for himself. You would think that a person this dumb wouldn’t succeed at anything but surprisingly, he was brilliant at covering his tracks.  That didn’t ring true for me. A person who could plan like this sounded very efficient, so his mistakes didn’t make much sense to me.

There were two things I enjoyed about this book: Javier and the portrayal of Puerto Rican, Swedish and Middle Eastern culture. Javier was supper hot, caring and with such a swagger! The differences in how Swedish and Puerto Rican culture see sex were both enlightening and funny. And I liked how Laura had a clear understanding that not all Middle Eastern people were evil, even after her ordeal. I also have to thank Ms. Clare for taking the time to get the Puerto Rican expressions right – in Latin America we may all speak Spanish, but we speak it differently. And yes, the coquí is real.

I’m not sure how long Ms. Clare plans to continue with the I-Team series but I think it’s getting close to the end. Although I love how past heroes are included in new books, there’s just too much detail about past couples. I think Ms. Clare should definitely consider writing a spin-off, where some of the men make an appearance now and then. Maybe a good place to start would be the Cobra agency…all those SEALs sound too yummy for words!

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Title: Wildfire Gospel
Author: Kenya Wright
Series: Santeria Habitat
Book #: 3
Expected publication: December 19th 2013 by Dragonfairy Press

Other Books in Series:
- Fire Baptized, book 1
- The Burning Bush, book 2

Michelle’s Review – 5 Skulls – A

I have reviewed Fire Bapitized, book 1 in this series, and so did my fellow blogger Regina. That should tell you how good book 1 is. We both loved book 1 enough that we reviewed it individually for the blog. I also reviewed book 2, The Burning Bush, in the same series on this blog. I have raved about how well the books are written, how the story keeps the readers engaged from beginning to end and how the author, Kenya Wright, holds nothing back in creating this outstanding believable world in her urban fantasy. I talked about how I enjoyed book 1, but thought book 2 was even better (though I wanted to scream at the ending). Well everything has changed. Why?

Wildfire Gospel is incredible. It simply kicked ass and it is the best in the series. However, Kenya Wright fucked up. How the hell am I supposed to review the book? Anyone who read book 2 knows something bad happens at the end. How the hell am I supposed to say anything without ruining the surprise? So, Kenya, did you think about your reviewers when you devised your evil plan while writing book 2? I think not. Oh well. I guess I will just have to convince people to read it regardless.

Read this series….

If you love a good, well written story,
with vampires that do not sparkle,
shape shifters that eat first and ask questions later,
a skin collecting dad that can’t remember why he wasn’t suppose to torture you,
and a heroine that has no problem lighting your ass on fire if you piss her off or hurt the people she loves.

If this series doesn’t sound interesting to you, something is wrong and well, you need to read it anyways.

Kenya Wright is a talented writer that deserves more readers and the only thing you’ll regret after reading this series, is that you waited so long to start it.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

War for the Oaks by Emma Bull
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: July 1st 1987
Book Borrowed from Local Library

Christal’s Review - 5 Skulls – A

War for the Oaks is one of the grandaddies of the urban fantasy and should probably be read by every fan of the genre!  I loved the story and the characters; I do think modern UF fans will still find it to be a compelling read, even though some of the references are a bit dated.

Eddi was a great main character. She didn’t immediately buy into all the faerie stuff, but she also wasn’t too close-minded. She was strong, but flexible when she knew it was in her best interest.  She wasn’t stupid or stupidly overpowered either.  She was just a normal girl who happened to be wry and smart and accepting of consequences.  When Eddi finds herself involved in fae matters, she is assigned a bodyguard to watch over her.  Phouka was clever and sarcastic, but he was also very caring and came to be an endearing character.  I really liked him and the way his romance with Eddi developed.  I believed that he was trustworthy and could easily see why Eddi started opening her heart to him.  This was no insta-love; instead, we had two characters coming together based on mutual admiration that was possibly accelerated because of the danger in their lives.

While Eddi and Phouka were my favorite characters, I liked all of Eddi’s band members as well.  Each character had a role to play and added dimension to the story, especially poor Willy.  I loved the music aspect of the story; that was probably my favorite part. Everything was so beautifully described and the characters were just immersed in it. It wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine Eddi’s magic flowing through her music.  Ms. Bull did an excellent job infusing the music directly into the storyline.  It didn’t feel forced nor were there any incongruent moments.  Eddi’s life was music, therefore, music gave this book life.

Emma Bull’s writing was beautiful.  It is flowing and lyrical without being overdone, romantic and lovely without veering towards purple.  She writes in a very lyrical fashion and has a true gift for description.  She doesn’t spoon feed the reader every detail though; she trusts that we are smart enough to make deductions and come to conclusions on our own.

I highly recommend this book to all urban fantasy readers, especially those who are interested in music or want to see how the genre has developed .  War for the Oaks is a very accessible stand alone novel and would also be perfect for someone who wants to give this genre a try. I checked this copy out from my local library, but I plan to hunt down an older edition of it very soon to add to my collection.  I can see this book becoming one I read over and over again.

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Early Review: The Spider by Jennifer Estep
Book 10 in The Elemental Assassins series
Release date: December 24, 2013
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Book provided by Edelweiss and Pocket Books

AH’s Review – 4 stars – A-

I’ve often wondered about Gin’s early days and how she learned how to be one of the most lethal assassins in the Ashland area. The Spider goes back 10 years as we watch a young Gin Blanco go after her first target.

The story begins in the present when a mysterious package arrives. When Gin finally opens the package (after checking for magic, explosives, and explosive magics), she finds a bouquet of black roses inside with a cryptic “Happy Anniversary” message. Only one person would send Gin those roses and Gin begins to reminisce.

Gin tells the story of her first hit on the Vaughn family. Gin was still living with Fletcher and was learning her trade from The Tin Man himself. Finn provided the financial background and assisted during fight training. When Fletcher is approached for the hit, something just doesn’t feel right, but Gin continues to tail her mark.

What follows is the story of Gin’s early days when she was younger and more naïve. Gin gave her heart easily to Sebastian Vaughn, the son of her target. It was nice seeing a happy and more care-free Gin. As an added bonus, many of the supporting characters from the present day series appear in cameo roles. Owen appears as a knight in shining armor (well, he had a car and he was in the right place at the right time). Gin even meets a young girl who was a dead ringer for Bria.

You can really see the growth in Gin’s character from this book. Gin is young and more impulsive. She really wants to prove herself. Now she is much more meticulous and takes the time to properly research her marks.

The writing is kind of fun. The author likes to describe everything, so if that’s not your cup of tea, you may want to skip this series. Gin likes to cook and some passages read like recipes. Have a snack ready as you read. I wish the author would go ahead and publish the Pork Pitt cookbook already. There is still a lot of repetition of eye colors but that’s just the charm of this series. The story is good and it should keep the reader engaged.

The Elemental Assassins series is full of magic, corrupt officials, and really good barbecue. If you have not yet had a chance to start this series, give it a try. Gin is one kickass heroine.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Spider’s Bite
2. Web of Lies
3. Venom
4. Tangled Threads
5. Spider’s Revenge
6. By a Thread
7. Widow’s Web
8. Deadly Sting
9. Heart of Venom
10. The Spider (Dec. 24, 2013)
11. Poison Promise (July 29, 2014)

+ many novellas, too.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Pocket Books for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Early Review: Sempre by J. M. Darhower
Book 1 in Forever series
Release date: February 25, 2014
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Book provided by Edelweiss and Simon and Schuster

AH’s Review – 3 stars – C+

Disclaimer: I read and loved this book when it was a fan fiction called Emancipation Proclamation. It was so very different from canon and the author highlighted the very real social issues of human trafficking, slavery, and organized crime.

Sempre is a very long story. In fact, you could probably call it a family saga. It’s a little bit The Godfather mixed in with a lot of teenage angst. Sempre is the story of two teenagers raised in very different circumstances: A mafia prince named Carmine DeMarco and his love interest Haven Antonelli.

Haven was raised as a slave living with a mafia family on a remote ranch in California. Until she is “rescued” by Dr. Vincent DeMarco, Haven endures all sorts of abuse by her “owners.” She is worked to the bone, malnourished, scarred, and has even witnessed the repeated rape of her mother and the murder of another child.

When Haven is brought to the DeMarco home in North Carolina, she is understandably skittish. It’s kind of odd, how she arrives, as if she is to be their servant. Dr. DeMarco is very cryptic about why Haven has come to live with the family, never telling his boys anything about her. Slowly, Haven adjusts to life with the DeMarcos, cooking and cleaning for the family. She soon attracts the attention of youngest son Carmine, even though she is more skittish around him.

Carmine is an interesting character. Essentially, he is a loose cannon, full of anger and rage. Carmine takes teenage angst and brings it to a whole new level. He’s loud, brash, and impulsive. Carmine believes in punching first, asking questions later. Carmine wallows in self-destruction and his is constantly at odds with his father. In contrast, Carmine’s older adopted brother Dominic is his total opposite. Dominic is calm and easy going.

Dr. DeMarco’s character is very compartmentalized. In North Carolina, Dr. DeMarco is a devoted father, doctor, and respected member of society. When he goes to Chicago on business, Dr. DeMarco becomes a totally different person. He holds a high position in the mafia and must follow the instructions of the Don who wants Carmine to join the organization. We do see the darker side to Dr. DeMarco in the North Carolina home and unfortunately, Haven bears the brunt of that moment.

I liked how the author reworked the original fan fiction. This was not just a replace names with new names, there were some editorial changes which helped move the novel along. I did find that the book was very long and at times the pacing was a little slow, almost a slog to get through until the last third of the book when the bullets started flying everywhere. I think that this book would benefit from another editorial pass before publication.

Sempre would appeal to those who enjoy family sagas and angsty teen romance. I’m looking forward to reading the next book Sempre: Redemption coming out in April 2014.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Sempre (Release date: February 25, 2014)
2. Sempre: Redemption (Release date: April 2014)

Thank you to Edelweiss and Simon and Schuster for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen
Book #4 in The Secret series
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Christal’s Review - 3.5 Skulls – B+

The Ever After of Ella and Micha was a good ending for the couple, but I must admit that Lila and Ethan have stolen my heart. I’ve enjoyed all of Ella and Micha’s books but I found this one to be a little repetitive and thought most of the story could have been wrapped up in a novella. I did like learning more about Ella’s mother and her relationship with Ella’s father, but there wasn’t a whole lot of other development in this story. It truly was just an Ever After for Ella and Micha.

Ella left Micha at the altar in The Temptation of Lila and Ethan and this book picks right up with him running into their house to find her. Ella had received a box from her grandmother with some of her mother’s things in it and it has her questioning her relationship with Micha and her family. They decide that the right thing to do is return home to Star Grove so that they can get married in front of their families. When they get there, the wedding planning begins in earnest, but Ella realizes she has some last demons to slay before she can give herself completely to Micha. By the end, the couple is stronger than ever and ready to begin their life together.

Ella actually seemed to regress a little bit to me in this book. She was very strong in The Forever of Ella and Micha, but here I felt she was back to doubting herself and Micha more than ever. While I’m glad she snapped out of it, I do admit to getting a little annoyed now and then. Micha has the patience of a saint. He supported Ella and never pushed her into doing anything unless she was 100% sure it was what she wanted. He never walked away from her or got angry at her indecision. He was just always there for her. I enjoyed seeing the wedding finally take place and I loved the vows that Ella and Micha had for each other. It was a nice cap to a sweet story.

Lila and Ethan stole the show for me and I still find their relationship so fascinating. I loved being in their heads in The Temptation of Lila and Ethan and missed the open frankness they projected. I’m glad that we did get a little more development and insight into their relationship though. Micha’s mother was very sweet and supportive in this story and I am glad to see it looks like she is getting a happy ending as well. Ella’s dad made a lot of progress throughout The Ever After of Ella and Micha, but I do think there are a lot of unresolved issues left between Ella, her father, and her brother.

The Secret series paints a very sweet new adult romance, filled with compelling characters and likeable leads. While this book wasn’t my favorite in the series, it was still a nicely done and satisfying ending. Other than the Lila and Ethan short story coming later this month, I don’t know if we will see these characters again in the future or not. If Jessica Sorensen does decide to write more about Ella and Micha, or especially about Lila and Ethan, I would love to return to their world.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Bonus Review!

Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always by Jessica Sorensen
Book #4.5 in The Secret series
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: December 24th 2013
ARC Provided by Netgalley and Forever Yours (Hachette)

Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – A

Lila and Ethan: Forever and Always was a short but extremely sweet story that takes places during Lila and Ethan’s month-long camping adventure.  Lila isn’t looking for marriage, but she is scared that Ethan doesn’t see her as part of his future.  She’s afraid that she could lose this wonderful relationship they’ve cultivated at any time.  Ethan is afraid of him and Lila turning into his parents and making each other miserable.  He loves Lila but has no interest in marriage.  When it seems like Lila might be thinking of other possibilities for her future, possibilities that don’t include him, Ethan realizes just how much she means to him and how he couldn’t bear not to have her in his life… forever.

I love the dynamic between Lila and Ethan and this story was no different.  They face very different obstacles from Ella and Micha and tackle them in different ways.  I enjoyed seeing them both open up about their dreams and plans and talking to each other about how they fit into their futures.  Lila and Ethan have smoking hot chemistry and this short did not skip on the lovin’.  The physical and emotional pay off was delicious.  While I am sad about how short this story was, it left Lila and Ethan in an organic place and gives readers hope about the state of their relationship in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever Yours (Hachette) for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Four Seconds to Lose by K.A. Tucker
Book #3 in the Ten Tiny Breaths series
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Christal’s Review - 4.5 Skulls – A

Four Seconds to Lose was finally the knock out I was hoping for in K.A. Tucker’s series. It is easily my favorite of the three books and I found it to be the most mature relationship represented so far. I hesitate to even call this New Adult – it was pretty much a traditional adult romance. Most of the typical NA tropes were missing and both of the main characters made relatively level-headed decisions for the most part. I almost gave this one five stars, but there are a few small things that bothered me. This book was a fabulous read though and I definitely recommend it to those looking for a great romance. It works as a standalone as well; the previous books will give you some background on the characters but are not necessary to enjoy this story.

I absolutely loved Cain. At first, I didn’t think I would be able to buy into his “strip club owner with a heart of gold” persona, but K.A. Tucker gave him a great background story that helped support his decisions. I also appreciate seeing Cain struggle with his choices in his POV; he questioned himself and whether or not what he was doing was actually helping anyone. I thought Charlie was pretty interesting as well, but I have one small complaint. She assumed the identity of a 22-year old for the majority of the story even though she was only 18. I didn’t buy her as an 18-year old; she seemed much older. I know we were supposed to assume that she had to grow up fast, but I still think her character would have worked better as a twenty something. Other than that, she wasn’t super whiny or clinging and she had a smart mouth and a sense of humor. It was hard to sympathize with her background just because it was a little outlandish, but I did sympathize with her over the emotional and physical abuse she experienced. I liked Cain and Charlie together and thought that their relationship was fairly healthy for the most part. Of course Charlie is keeping a huge secret from him, but other than that they stood on equal footing with one another. Obviously I think their relationship is much better now that everything is resolved, but the slow reveals throughout the story were very well-done and the tension between the two was sizzling.

I liked the side characters in this novel, especially Ginger and Nate. I would love to see stories about them in future installments. Ginger especially could be an interesting read because hers would be the first same-sex love story in the series. Nate is Cain’s right-hand man and was a great friend to him. I think we will be seeing more of him since he took over ownership of Penny’s at the end of the novel. I’m not a super fan of Ben because he always comes off a bit obnoxious (he was dialed up to 10 in this book), but I hope to see him humanized a bit in the next book. It was also nice to get a little deeper look into Storm’s husband Dan’s life and I wonder if the DEA angle will come up in future books. Four Seconds to Lose ran concurrently with the timeline in One Tiny Lie so we saw very little of Kacey, Trent, and Livie.

The drug trade angle in Four Seconds to Lose was brutal yet fascinating. I kept hoping that Charlie would turn on her father and go to the DEA, but I understood why she did what she did. The biggest thing I didn’t like about this book was how easy her stepfather was taken down in the end. He had been built into this monster that could wipe Charlie and Cain out with a single word, but it just took one conversation for him to be taken out. It was a bit unbelievable and happened too quickly, but I’ll take it if it gets Cain and Charlie back together.

Again, I highly recommend this book to all romance readers. It is definitely more adult and explicit than the previous two books in the series, so do know that going on. I think that is actually beneficial to the story though and we end up with characters that are complex, yet believable. If this book is any indication of the quality of future books, I will happily pick them up as soon as K.A. Tucker can write them.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Review: How to Run with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #3) by Molly Harper

*early review copy received from Pocket Books and Edelweiss*

Regina’s Rating:

3.5 stars/Grade B+

Release Date: 12/31/13

Book Summary:

I think I say this every time I read a Molly Harper book. Molly Harper is an easy go-to read for me, one that I know will make me laugh, I know the path and trajectory of the novel and characters but it still keeps me smiling. How to Run with a Naked Werewolf is no exception. This is a quick, easy and fun read. There are no big surprises in storyline, just a good and slow building of sexual tension and romance, funny and sarcastic flirting, and the quirky atmosphere of a Molly Harper storyline.

“In my time with the valley pack, I’d met werehorses, were-bears, and even a tragically less cool wereskunk named Harold.”

“I shook off the Norman Bates flashbacks and told myself it was just like any of the other crappy indigent motels I’d stayed at in any number of cities, and I hadn’t been stabbed in the shower yet. There was that one time a crazy lady kicked down my door and accused me of sleeping with her husband, but it turned out she’d meant to break into the room across the hall.”

“I sprang up from the floor and jumped on her back to slow her down, but man, she was fast on those big plastic heels. “Get off me!” she shouted as I dragged her backwards. “No!” I said. “ Give us the ring.” OK, now I definitely felt like Gollum.”

Run with a Naked Werewolf deals with a heavier story line than many of Harper’s books. The heroine is on the run from an abusive ex-husband and she is dealing with the emotional trauma of having suffered for years with him. Harper deals with this topic fairly, but still manages to keep the story upbeat and funny.

“So, with the portable wireless hot spot I persuaded him to buy from the cellphone store, I was able to (a) help with Internet research and (b) avoid the Alaskan version of hipsters who frequented Internet cafes.”

If you haven’t listened to the audio book version of Molly Harper’s books, I would suggest to go out and start – start with this series in fact. Having listened to the majority of her books and read only a few, I think Harper’s books were meant to be performed. They are laugh out loud – ugly snorts – funny. The humor carries over in the books, but the delivery is just better when narrated.

The first book in this series is the strongest, it is hard to top Mo and Coop’s story (and they appear briefly in this book). But How to Run is a decent book, good fun and a solid 3.5 stars.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  3.5 Skulls

Series Reading Order:
1.How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf
2. The Art of Seducing a Naked Werewolf
3. How to Run with a Naked Werewolf (Release Date 12/31/13)

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Sorry I’m late this month everyone but welcome to our monthly feature where we take a look at the new books releasing this month and offer up our top picks and opinions. We have chosen 20 of the most anticipated new releases. The release dates are on a best known basis and are not guaranteed. Books may get delayed or sometimes even released earlier so please check with your favorite store to ensure availability. Also, check the Calendar to see when many of these books will be reviewed on the blog. Now, on to the books!

Darkwalker by E.L. Tettensor – Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Roc
Alien Research by Gini Koch – Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by DAW
Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews – Expected publication: December 2nd 2013 by Ilona Andrews
Castle Hill by Samantha Young – Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by NAL (Intermix)
Forged by Jennifer Rush – Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

*********************************************************************

Proxy by Mindee Arnett – Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Balzer + Bray
The Ever After of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen – Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Forever [REVIEW]
Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally - Expected publication: December 3rd 2013 by Sourcebooks Fire [REVIEW]
The Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner – Expected publication: December 10th 2013 by Disney Hyperion [REVIEW]
The Professional by Kresley Cole – Expected publication: December 16th 2013 by Pocket Star

*********************************************************************

Reaver by Larissa Ione – Expected publication: December 17th 2013 by Forever
Dragon Awakened by Jaime Rush – Expected publication: December 17th 2013 by Forever [REVIEW]
Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan – Expected publication: December 17th 2013 by Forever [REVIEW]
The Spider by Jennifer Estep – Expected publication: December 24th 2013 by Pocket Books
Deadshifted by Cassie Alexander – Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by St. Martin’s Paperbacks

*********************************************************************

The Grendel Affair by Lisa Shearin – Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Ace
The Sharpest Blade by Sandy Williams – Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Ace
The Cormorant by Chuck Wendig – Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Angry Robot
Taste of Darkness by Maria V. Snyder – Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Harlequin MIRA
How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper - Expected publication: December 31st 2013 by Pocket Books [REVIEW]

*********************************************************************

AH: I’m so excited for 2 5-star reads for me!  Reaver by Larissa Ione is the 5th book in her Lords of Deliverance series and it delivers awesomeness!  We learn more about Reaver’s background and about his former love who still carries a torch for him after all this time.  This is a romp through all the areas of Sheoul with very scary demonic beasties and other deadly obstacles in the way.  Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan is the 4th book in her Darkest London series and a much anticipated addition to the series.

CHRISTAL: I can’t wait for Lisa Shearin’s new series that starts with The Grendel Affair.  I’m also excited to read Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews in its finished form and to see all the beautiful illustrations.  The Ever After of Ella and Micha and These Broken Stars were both fantastic reads that I highly recommend!

D.G.: Taste of Darkness is defintiely my most awaited book of December. I loved every book in this series so I cannot wait to see how everything ends!

MICHELLE: I think Darkwalker by E. L. Tettensor looks interesting. These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman was fantastic.  Can’t wait to see the book made into a movie. Holy cupcakes,  The Professional by Kresley Cole has me wanting to hunt down an advanced copy.  And finally,  I cannot wait to read Reaver by Larissa Ione.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Christal and AH were very excited to receive a copy of These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner to review. We figured that a regular review just wouldn’t do – we had to share our thoughts on the book with you.

Group Review: These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Book 1 in the Starbound series
Release date: December 10, 2013
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Romance
Book provided by NetGalley and Disney Hyperion

AH and Christal’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

First Impressions:

AH – I didn’t particularly like this book when I first started reading it. In fact, I was almost ready to DNF it for a while, but I plodded on and I’m happy I did. I ended up loving this book. The characters were intelligent and true to their upbringing and circumstances. The story reminded me a little of The Knife of Never Letting Go, however without the crazy men and the cute dog. This is the story of survival on an alien planet and learning to depend on someone for companionship and safety.

Christal – I found the beginning to be a bit slow as well. I actually skimmed a little bit until the problems with the ship started. Once the story was limited to Tarver and Lilac, it picked up immensely. I agree that both the characters were very smart and always acted in a believable way. I can’t really think of anything I would compare this story to, but I did really really enjoy it.

Plot Thoughts:

AH – I liked how the plot unfolded. At first it just seemed like a story about a girl and a boy from different backgrounds.  As the story progresses, it becomes more. The two main characters learn to depend on each other for survival and companionship.

Christal – I thought the plot was paced nicely once Tarver and Lilac landed. The development between them wasn’t rushed and they found information at a believable rate. The only thing that I felt was a little convoluted was the aliens at the end. I can’t put my finger on exactly why, but something about them was confusing for me.

AH - So true. The pacing was perfect once they were on the planet. I do agree with you about the alien thing – but then I just imagine something similar from a Star Trek episode.

What did you think about Tarver and Lilac?

AH – Tarver and Lilac come from completely different backgrounds and the two of them would probably not have met if he was not treated as a war hero. Tarver is down to earth, almost a reluctant hero, whereas Lilas starts off quite haughty and bitchy, almost willing Tarver away from her. Tarver has excellent survival skills due to his military training. Lilac has surprising engineering and demolitions experience – she’s kind of a MacGyver character, which considering her background is a little out of character.

Christal – I actually liked both Tarver and Lilac right from the beginning. They both had authentic voices and felt like they stayed true to themselves. I think if we hadn’t gotten Lilac’s POV, it would have been easy to hate her. Being in her head and learning just how hard she was trying to hold it together helped humanize her and made her infinitely more relatable. Tarver was almost too perfect at times, but then he would mess something simple up, albeit in an endearing way. I think that they are good for one another and I’m rooting for them.

What about the romance aspect?

AH – I liked that this wasn’t a straight out romance. Both Tarver and Lilac are too busy trying to figure out how to survive and how to get rescued until they realize that they are dependant upon each other. Then, the romance blossoms.

Christal – I like that aspect of the story too. It makes more sense than them just having lust at first sight. They experienced high levels of stress and trauma and it would either drive them together or drive them to kill each other. I’m very glad that it brought them together and I think they both bring unique skills and abilities to their relationship.

What about the spectre of Lilac’s father?

Christal – Lilac’s father creeped me out from the very beginning. I mean, what kind of father would keep their  seventeen year old girl from speaking and being friends with any male?  His was a very unhealthy attachment. I wasn’t surprised to see that his involvement in the story was much deeper than we first expected. I don’t think we’ve seen the last of him and his shady company though.

AH - Completely agree with you on that. It just seems wrong that someone could have that much power, not only over his daughter but essentially over the entire universe.  I think that we will be seeing more of him in the next book.

What about the writing?

Christal – I thought the writing was quite nice. There were some very poetic parts mixed in with the more straightforward prose. I thought the interactions between the characters were smoothly handled and the internal POV sections never felt choppy compared to the narrative.

AH – The writing was beautiful. Ms. Kaufman and Ms. Spooner are very talented writing. I found myself rereading passages, just because they were so nicely written. The interesting thing is that I could not tell that two authors wrote this book. Everything flowed smoothly. Even the interrogation sequences fit the narrative well.

AH -How many tissues did you need? (I just had to ask).

Christal – I have to say that a certain event was very unexpected, but it didn’t hit me as hard as I would have thought. Maybe because it was pretty much remedied within the next ten pages?

AH – I know, right? That was kind of strange.

AH- Overall, Christal and I loved this book and we can’t wait to read more about Tarver and Lilac and their adventures.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. These Broken Stars (December 10, 2013)
2. This Shattered World (expected publication date 2014)
3. Untitled (expected publication date 2015)

Thank you to NetGalley and Disney Hyperion for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Early Review: Dragon Awakened by Jaime Rush
Book 1 in The Hidden series
Release date: December 17, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Urban Fantasy
Book provided by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – B+

After a slow and shaky start, Dragon Awakened hit its stride and became quite the enjoyable read for me. I had a little difficulty getting my bearings at first – the lingo was a little different from what I am used to in paranormal romance and urban fantasy. As soon as I figured it out, (and this could just be me) I was captivated by the story.

The author builds an intriguing world that is hidden from the Mundanes (that would be us regular folks). Dragon Awakened has a population of Crescents who are people with magickal abilities. The Crescents originated from a sunken island in the Devil’s Triangle. They must live close to the Devil’s Triangle in order to replenish their magick through the Deus Vis. Conveniently, most of this magickal population lives near Miami.

The magickal people are called Deuces. Think sorcerers or mages. There are also all kinds of dragon shifters as well. To further complicate things, a bunch of deadly demons have been summoned to Miami in order to kill off one of our main characters.

The story begins as Ruby Salazaar witnesses the murder of her uncle and guardian by magickal means. Ruby has no idea that she possesses any magickal abilities and is surprised to find out that she needs to awaken her dragon. Cyn Valeron takes Ruby under his wing to mentor her in all things dragon. Only this relationship is about to get complicated. It seems that dragons are a lusty lot, especially newly awakened dragons. Ruby’s dragon is very much attracted to Cyn. Cyn feels as if he has found his soul mate, however there is a little complication to the relationship.

The story is told with excerpts in between chapters from the Book of the Hidden. The Book of the Hidden is a kind of history book which tells the story of the Princess Garnet and her Dragon prince. The events in The Book of the Hidden mirror the events in real life and it follows the progression of Garnet’s (Ruby’s) and the Dragon prince’s (Cyn’s) relationship.

I loved the main characters. Cyn was so strong and tough, yet he had feelings of remorse for the events of his past. Cyn’s dragon was magnificent and lethal, a real fighter. Ruby was a quick learner, embracing her dragon and running with her. I loved Ruby’s fiercely independent side and how she fought alongside Cyn. Cyn and Ruby’s relationship was nicely done. No insta-love, mated pair, soul mate moments. Rather, a yearning by their dragons for each other while their human sides got to know each other. And whoa, when they do get together, it’s pretty hot.

Dragon Awakened is a solid start to Jaime Rush’s new Hidden series. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series. (And I just found out that there are 2 prequels which I need to go back and read!).

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Dragon Mine (prequel 0.5)
2. Dragon Rising (prequel 0.6)
3. Dragon Awakened (release date Dec 17, 2013)
4. Magic Possessed (release date January 28, 2014)
5. Angel Seduced (release date February 25, 2014)

Note: I was unaware that there were two novellas available before I started this book. I probably would have been less confused at first had I read the prequels.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Realm Walker by Kathleen Collins
Book #1 in the Realm Walker series
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance

Christal’s Review - 3 Skulls – C

Realm Walker had some interesting ideas, but I felt like a lot of the background explanations were missing.  The book read like there should have been a prequel novella that set everything up.  I do think I will check out the next book to see if it fills in the missing information because I did enjoy Juliana and would like to learn more about her.

Juliana is part dark fae and part mage.  She works for a supernatural police department called the Agency and spends her days preventing the human world from magical destruction.  In this book, her vampire husband Thomas has returned after a seven-year absence and his appearance just happens to coincide with a demon attack.  Juliana must stop the demon and figure out if she has room in her heart to take Thomas back.

Juliana was reminiscent of the best urban fantasy heroines – snarky, kick ass, strong, and a little bit damaged.  I really liked all the different supes that inhabit her world and the ways she dealt with them.  It was also refreshing to see her familial secrets laid out in the first book instead of keeping them a secret and drawing out that plot line.  I thought Kathleen Collins did a very good job of showing us why Juliana was the top Walker instead of just having the other characters constantly tell us.  There was an episode with a demon possession and a blessed pool that I thought was pretty ingenious.

Now Thomas, I didn’t like him so much.  He was the typical alpha vampire with the typical alpha bullshit.  He left Juliana for seven years because she told him she needed a little time to get used to their relationship before they shouted their marriage from the rooftops.  She meant like a day or two and he left for seven years…. seven years.  I just didn’t buy his explanation at all and didn’t really feel the connection between him and Juliana.

I do think the world that Ms. Collins has created was very interesting and she filled it with side characters that I would love to learn more about.  I just hope that she fleshes out some of the details behind Juliana’s past and the situations that shaped her.  Events and characters were mentioned in passing without being fully explained and they seemed very important to the development of Juliana’s character.  I hope to see these issues cleared up in the next Realm Walker installment.

Thank you to Netgalley and Carina Press for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠ 

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Early Review: Shadowdance by Kristen Callihan
Book 4 in the Darkest London series
Release date: December 17, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Historical, Steampunk
Book provided by NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing

AH’s Review – 5 Skulls – A

Just awesome! Darkest London fans are in for a real treat!

I’ve been a fan of Kristen Callihan’s Darkest London series from the first book Firelight. The author creates an intriguing world of 19th century London and adds original elements of the paranormal with just the right touch of steampunk. The writing is beautiful, evoking all of the senses. The featured couples are incredibly interesting and in the spirit of 19th century England, the sexual tension between the main characters is delectable. When these characters finally get together, they sizzle.

Shadowdance focuses on Ian Ranulf’s mysterious ex-valet Jack Talent and his love interest Mary Chase. Both characters had supporting roles in the previous books. Jack has been through a lot. The events of Winterblaze have deeply scarred him, both physically and mentally. Mary is a Ghost in a Machine, or a GIM, a person who has a clockwork heart and can leave her body and travel in spirit. This unlikely pairing is fraught with problems, namely that these two characters try to fight off their mutual attraction.

Jack and Mary are forced to work as a team in order to find the serial killer known as The Bishop of Charing Cross. Mary and Jack are hesitant to work together. Both are suspicious of each other. In fact, Mary suspects that Jack is the killer. There’s no insta-love here. These two bicker like little children. The banter and competitive nature between these two is quite entertaining. There is an underlying attraction, however they don’t trust each other and are quite annoyed that they have to work together.

A few words about the writing: I loved how the author was able to convey the atmosphere of London during the late 19th century. As I was reading the book, it felt as if I was right there in London, I could see, smell, and even hear the sounds of the city. Ms. Callihan can take a simple scene and add texture and dimension to it. I love the sense of humor that the author inserted into narrative and the cute double entendres which made me chuckle.

I’m a sucker for all things steampunk. I liked how the author integrated her own elements of steampunk into the story. In addition to the Ghosts in Machines, there were some freaky mechanical men as well as some other interesting devices.

The Darkest London series is a fun historical paranormal romance. There’s plenty of action, humor, and sexy times to keep you entertained. The books get better and better as you read on in the series. The books are best read in order starting with Firelight. Shadowdance is now my favorite and I’m very excited to hear that there will be more books in this series.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Firelight
2. Moonglow
3. Winterblaze
4. Entwined (book 3.5)
5. Shadowdance
6. Ember (prequel – best read after Firelight)

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

I’m trying to finish off all my 2013 ARCs before the end of December so this month I tackled some of the Young Adult (YA) and New Adult (NA) contemporary romances I had waiting for me. I wasn’t super successful at finding a winner, but read on to see what I liked best out of K.A. Tucker’s One Tiny Lie, Jennifer Echol’s Dirty Little Secret, and Teresa Mummert’s White Trash Beautiful.

White Trash Beautiful by Teresa Mummert
Book #1 in the White Trash Trilogy
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: July 9th 2013
ARC Provided by Edelweiss and Gallery Books

Christal’s Review – 2.5 Skulls – C-

White Trash Beautiful suffered from a terrible case of insta-love. I didn’t buy into the connection between Cass and Tucker so that made it hard for me to enjoy the book as a whole. Being from Georgia myself, I did enjoy the setting of this book and the descriptions of Savannah. I hate the term “white trash” and was worried that it would be thrown around in this book because of the title, but it actually wasn’t.

Cass had a terrible home life and I did feel bad for her, but at certain points I just couldn’t take her whining anymore. I stopped feeling sad for her and started feeling annoyed by her refusal to act for herself. Even though I didn’t love Tucker, I also became annoyed with Cass’s push and pull relationship with him. She would pull him close and then get scared and push him away. For two people who were supposed to love each other, they sure never thought that the other could make their own decisions. There was very little background and character development to Tucker so I never felt like we had a handle on him. While Cass annoyed me, I did feel like she was a fully formed person and it was easy to picture her in my head.

The relationship between Cass and Tucker happened so quickly and without any real growth that I just didn’t believe it. Tucker is this up-and-coming rock star that walks into a backwoods diner one day and sees a beautiful waitress. He decides he has to save her from her life and does whatever it takes to get her to leave with him. Ok, but why? I get that Tucker came from a broken home and that he recognizes that in Cass, but where is the development between them? Why would he risk everything in his life for her? He doesn’t even know her. I can believe Cass a little more because she see Tucker as an escape, a way to get out without being alone. I’m not saying she doesn’t care for him, but he was appealing to her because he represented a chance.

I don’t feel like there was enough established in this book to prove that these two are really in love, but I didn’t enjoy the story enough to continue on to the next to see if they develop. A lot of other reviewers loved this book, so if it sounds like your cup of tea, don’t let me discourage you. There was nothing overtly bad about the book, the writing and characterizations were pretty good, I just didn’t buy the romance.

Thank you to Edelweiss and Gallery Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. White Trash Beautiful
2. White Trash Damaged
3. White Trash Love Song (Expected publication: January 14th 2014)

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker
Book #2 in the Ten Tiny Breaths series
Genre: NA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: June 11th 2013
ARC Provided by Netgalley and Atria Books

Christal’s Review – 3.5 Skulls – B+

K.A. Tucker’s One Tiny Lie was a nice follow-up to Ten Tiny Breaths. I loved Livie in that book and I was excited to read her story. While One Tiny Lie wasn’t quite what I was expecting for Livie, I still enjoyed the story and thought she showed a lot of growth. These books don’t quite make my top YA/NA romance series list yet, but they do provide solid stories and great characters.

Livie has always been a perfectionist and a bit tightly wound. In this book Kacey and her psychiatrist Dr. Stayner try to get Livie to loosen up a bit and to figure out what she really wants out of life instead of just following the plan her parents had for her. Livie was a very interesting character and I loved seeing her find her way on her own at school. She did this grand plan laid out based on her dad’s wishes and thought that she would just coast to the finish line. When she did finally start immersing herself in life, she learned just how different and unexpected things could turn out. I thought she had great character development and moved from being Kacey’s little sister into her own woman. She didn’t lose the characteristics that made her Livie, but she did lose some of her completely unattainable ideals. She stopped living for the memory of her parents and started living for herself.

I thought Ashton was an okay love interest. I did not like him at all in the beginning but he did grow on me in the end. I thought his back story was very sad and I did feel bad for him when we learned the truth, but I think it almost came too late. I do think he and Livie are good together, they just need to worry about the messes they left in their wake. One character I thought was just hilarious was Livie’s fire cracker of a roommate, Reagan. I’m kind of hoping we see her again in her own book, even though it looks like she might have already found her “forever guy.” I thought Connor was very sweet the first time he and Livie meet cute, but after that he was just kind of bland. I get that K.A. Tucker had to make Ashton the obvious choice, but I thought Connor could have gotten a little bit more development.

I liked that Livie did discover who she truly was in this book (I wasn’t surprised that she had too gentle of a her to be a pediatric oncologist) and I did think her mistakes and bad decisions were realistic, but I couldn’t get behind all the cheating. That’s the thing that stops me from recommending this book more highly. Livie and Ashton were together in several scenes even though they were both seeing other people. You might be able to brush Livie’s cheating aside because she and Connor never said they were anything super serious, but Ashton was in a committed relationship with his girlfriend. Yes, there was a sinister reason for him dating her, but she didn’t know that and he was still treating her like crap. Livie and Ashton hit a lot of people on their road to being together, and the books seems to let them off a little too easy. That’s pretty much the only thing that left a bad taste in my mouth other than the ending was a little too dependent on Dr. Stayner fixing everything. Overall though, this was a very enjoyable read and I look forward to the next two books in the series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1. Ten Tiny Breaths
2. One Tiny Lie
3. Four Seconds to Lose
4. Five Ways to Fall (Expected publication: February 10th 2014)

Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols
Genre: YA Contemporary Romance
Publication Date: July 16th 2013
ARC Provided by Edelweiss and MTV Books

Christal’s Review – 1 Skull – D-

Dirty Little Secret wasn’t a unsalvageable book all in all, but it committed the one book sin I can’t forgive – a horrible, terrible, completely unlikable love interest. I thought Sam might be a cute flirtation at the beginning but the more we got to know him, the more I despised him. Yes, despised. He’s a user and a manipulator and the only reason I kept reading this book was because I was hoping Bailey would kick him to the curb at the end.

Let’s start with the few things I did like about this book. I fully enjoyed the Nashville rockabilly world Jennifer Echols created and thought the parts of the book focused on the music and the music industry were the most interesting out of everything. Also, I actually really liked Bailey herself when she wasn’t stupidly mooning over Sam. She was strong and driven, but racked by guilt over disappointing her parents. She half-heartedly tried to rebel, but she was ingrained to try not make her parents mad and that overtook her best bad girl intentions. I get that and I sympathized with her because her parents were pretty freaking awful.

I mean, really, bad parents in YA novels is not a new thing but Bailey’s parents were almost unbelievable. When their younger daughter Julie is discovered, they just sweep their other daughter under the rug and forbid her from playing the music she loves just in case the public gets wind of her and rightfully deduces that Julie left Bailey behind for the promise of a recording contract. Bailey is barely allowed to exist, let alone live, because her parents are so afraid of her “embarrassing” her famous sister. This was also basically without reason because Bailey was a pretty good kid. She wasn’t a druggie or a dropout; she was a normal, if slightly boring, teenaged girl.

When Bailey meets Sam and decides to play with his band, it seems things are starting to look up. There are two major issues though: 1.) the band id completely dysfunctional and 2.) Sam is a manipulative jerk. The band has these whole incestuous dating problems and they bicker and fight and make snide comments all the time. It’s not a healthy situation for anyone involved and would likely implode if they were ever discovered in real life. Sam is pretty much the worst and is the reason for most of the problems in the band. He’s pretty much a manwhore that just uses girls until he gets bored with them and then drops them, his drummer Charlotte included.

Charlotte even warns Bailey about Sam and tells her he’s had 50 girlfriends in the last year and quoted the lines he uses on all the girls, the exact same lines he used on Bailey. Does she run away as fast as she can? No, she decided to give Sam a chance to prove Charlotte wrong and it seems like he might for a hot minute. Though I always felt he was a bit smarmy, he does seem to sympathize with Bailey about her parents and encourages her to follow her dreams without them. Then, when he finds out just how famous her sister is, he pretty much back tracks and tells her she has to grovel to her parents and get them to introduce them to the record execs. When Bailey tells him no, he flips out on her, literally yelling and screaming. He did a complete 180° because he wanted to manipulate Bailey and use her connections to further his band.

You would think Bailey would be running at this point, but she actually tries to go and make up with him the next day. She takes him to see her sister at the Opry and thinks that even though they have their issues, she and Sam can make it work. She thinks they have an overwhelming connection that means more than the band. Sam takes her to his house and they have sex, both of their first times. Bailey thinks this reinforces her idea that they are going to work on things, but Sam pretty much says it was fun but if you aren’t going to talk to your parents then we can’t be together. Yeah, what a great guy right?

The book tries to humanize Sam by giving him an alcoholic father and a dead girlfriend, but it doesn’t work. The father never really seems to effect Sam in any overt way and Sam pretty much flat-out says the dead girlfriend wasn’t the love of his life and he doesn’t blame himself for her death. Wah wah… that was a total fail.

When Bailey ditches the band to help her sister out (I also didn’t care for the selfish sister but that’s a smaller gripe compared to everything else in the story), Sam is of course pissed and tells her not to bother coming back. But, everything is okay in the end because he comes to apologize and they play their gig and get a meeting with a record exec. Huzzah! Nope Jennifer Echols, it doesn’t work. You can’t just tie a neat little bow on the end and make everything better. Bailey is stupid for going back to Sam and he is still a terrible person who doesn’t truly care about her and will probably drop her as soon as he is offered a solo career.

Dirty Little Secret had possibly the grossest, most manipulative, and most unhealthy relationship that I have read in a YA book lately. I don’t understand why a guy like this would be written as a romantic ideal. All I can hope is that any girl reading this book that is actually in the age range of these characters realizes what a douche Sam was and avoids anyone like him like the plague. Based on this experience, I don’t think I will be picking up any other Jennifer Echols books in the future.

Thank you to Edelweiss and MTV Books for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠ 

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

New Release Review and Giveaway: Long Live the Queen by Kate Locke
Book 3 in the Immortal Empire series
Release date: November 12, 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Alternate History, Steampunk, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy
Book provided by NetGalley and Orbit Books

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

I’d forgotten just how much I enjoyed this quirky little series. The vocabulary does take some getting used to, however there is a glossary at the end of the book which does explain quite a lot. Long Live the Queen is the third book in Kate Locke’s Immortal Empire series and I think that it is the best book so far.

The Immortal Empire series is based upon a slightly alternate history of the British Empire. Due to the plague, there have been some genetic mutations resulting in the aristocracy and their full blood status. These full bloods are either werewolves or vampires. At the top of the food chain are the goblins, a furry, mole-like population of creatures who love their meat, especially the human kind. The goblins are my favorite creatures just because of their presence everywhere. They make the best spies.

In this version of the British Empire, Queen Victoria is the monarch and has been for about 175 years. Yup, the Queen is a vampire. Humans are not too happy about the situation and The Human League has been wreaking havoc everywhere. Some historical figures do appear in this book and you should be able to recognize them, however they sure do behave rather differently in this book.

The steampunk elements are cleverly done. A rotary is a mobile phone, Tracknav is their equivalent of GPS, digigrams are text messages, and so on.

The main character Xandra Vardan has matured since the first book. She’s more at ease as to what she has become and has accepted her leadership role. She still sees herself as a monster and she kind of likes that aspect of her personality. Xandra’s relationship with Alpha werewolf Vex is progressing nicely and they seem very happy together. Xandra is not as impulsive as she once was and I was surprised by her diplomatic skills.

Xandra’s interactions with Queen Victoria were hilarious. Xandra walked a thin line between pissing off the monarch and working with her. Xandra is both snarky and badass and she gets away with a lot of things an average citizen would not get away with. The adversarial relationship was quite entertaining. What’s even funnier is when Xandra unwittingly rescues a human and creates a winning PR outcome.

There is a lot to like about the Immortal Empire series. If you enjoy steampunk with a touch of paranormal then this is the series to read. I can’t wait to read more books in this series.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. God Save the Queen
2. The Queen is Dead
3. Long Live the Queen

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books for a review copy of this book.

We have 1 copy of Long Live the Queen to send to 1 lucky US reader. Please fill in the Rafflecopter below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Early Review: Racing Savannah by Miranda Kenneally
Book 4 in the Hundred Oaks series
Release date: December 3, 2013
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Young Adult
Book provided by NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

Racing Savannah was a pleasant surprise for me. I had read Catching Jordan earlier this year and I was eager to try out another book by Ms. Kenneally. I’ll admit that I know nothing about horses and horseracing yet I still enjoyed this book.

I think that what I liked best about this book was the main character, Savannah Barrow. Savannah is a spunky 17 year old high school senior who is quite gifted when dealing with purebred horses. Savannah has not had an easy life. Her mother died of breast cancer and her father’s current girlfriend is pregnant. Money is scarce and Savannah desperately wants a job at the Cedar Hills farm where her father works and where she and her family live.

The story is told from Savannah’s point of view. Her character feels so authentic. Savannah is strong and caring, and she puts the financial welfare of her family first. Savannah also knows what she wants, even though it may not be possible. I loved how she was able to “tame” a crotchety purebred horse and how she determined the source of that horse’s discomfort.

Savannah’s love interest Jack Goodwin came across as a real player at first. Jack’s family owned the farm but his father put him in charge so he could learn the business. Jack is good looking and his father warns him about consorting with staff. Needless to say, there is an attraction between Savannah and Jack. At first Jack wants Savannah to be with him in secret. I loved how Savannah rejected that idea outright. This is a girl who is strong and who doesn’t put up with crap.

The secondary characters were also interesting. I loved the camaraderie between Savannah, Rory and Vanessa. Rory was a hoot and he made me laugh especially when he told Savannah that he couldn’t possibly date her because she was too short.

Racing Savannah was a fun peek into the world of purebred horse racing. Even though I’m not a horse racing fan, I was able to enjoy this book. I’ll have to make sure that I find the other books in this series and I am looking forward to reading more from this author.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. Catching Jordan
2. Stealing Parker
3. Things I Can’t Forget
4. Racing Savannah
5. Breathe, Annie, Breathe (July 1, 2014)

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Fire for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry
Book #3 in the Pushing the Limits series
Genre: New Adult Romance

AH and Christal’s Review - 4 Skulls – A-

Crash Into You is the third book in Katie McGarry’s Pushing the Limits series and continues the high quality story telling and sweet romances we’ve come to expect.  Today, AH and I discuss the book and the relationship between Isaiah and Rachel.

Christal: So, let’s start with Isaiah.  I thought his characterization took a bit of a hit in Dare You To; he was hurt and angry in that book and he lashed out a lot.  While some of the stuff with Beth was somewhat uncomfortable, I loved him in this book.  He still has a hard edge to him and can be a little scary at times, but I think he has a good heart underneath.  He could be bossy as well, but then he would turn around and be very sweet.  I really liked him in the first book and I am glad that Katie McGarry helped me recapture that feeling in Crash Into You.  What did you think about Isaiah?

AH: At first, I was skeptical that Isaiah could hold his own in a book. He was so very angry in Dare You To,  a really difficult character to like. There was always this bad boy side to Isaiah – the tattoos, the rough side – I think if I saw him, I would cross the street just to avoid him. I loved how the author took this character and his gruff exterior and showed what a kind and loving person he was beneath that persona.

Christal: Okay, on to Rachel.  I did like her, but I think the first emotion I felt for her was pity.  Her life was really rough, not in a monetary or “stuff” sort of way, but rough in an emotional way.  She reminded me of the “donor children,” the second or third kids that are conceived pretty much just to be a bone marrow or organ donor for their older sibling.  She was thrust into this role and life that her sister had led, even though it wasn’t who she really was.  I understand the grief her parents must have felt at the loss of their first daughter and I even get why they would try to use Rachel to fill that void, but that doesn’t make it fair to her.  She deserved to be who she really was and not just a carbon copy of her sister.  I was very happy when Rachel finally stood up for herself with her parents and told them that she was done living her sister’s life.

AH: It’s kind of amusing that on the outside, Rachel appears to have it all. She’s from a wealthy family, has a nice little sports car, and doesn’t seem to be lacking in anything. Appearances can be deceiving. Then when the author tells us about Rachel’s family circumstances and Rachel’s anxieties whenever she has to speak in public, my heart went out to her. No child should be put in Rachel’s position – I so agree with you about the donor child analogy. I understand the grief that Rachel’s mother had to bear – no parent should ever have to bury their child.  It was just unfair of Rachel’s parents to live for their deceased  daughter, rather than loving the children left behind.

Christal: What did you think of Rachel and Isaiah together?  While they don’t quite compare to Echo and Noah for me, I liked them as a couple more than Beth and Ryan.  Yes, I may be biased because of my Beth hate, lol, but I felt like Isaiah and Rachel just fit.

AH: Rachel and Isaiah were perfect together. Soulmates, lol. I can just imagine Rachel’s parents seeing Isaiah for the first time. Now that would be a shocker.

Christal: I really liked the inclusion of Abby and Logan in this story.  While at first I felt that Abby was shoe-horned in just to have another female character, I actually came to like her a lot and would love to know more about her.  I thought her friendship with Rachel felt genuine even if it might have developed a little suddenly.  I found Logan’s character to be interesting in Beth’s book and I liked the development we saw of him here.  I’m interested to learn what is truly behind his risky behaviors and why someone so smart continues to do things so stupid.

AH: Abby was such a cool character. I liked her attitude and it was nice for Rachel to have a best friend, even though it was a sham at first. Abby’s street smarts added a nice dimension to her character.

Christal: I didn’t really like Rachel’s brothers.  They all seemed like selfish jerks to me.  I think we were supposed to find their “protectiveness” sweet, but all their actions did was annoy me, especially when they just took Rachel’s money from her room without asking.  Actually, it was a little bit more than annoyance.  There were more than a few occasions where I wanted to punch them in the face for the way they spoke to Rachel or their actions towards her, especially where their mother was concerned.  I am actually not looking forward to the next book about West; I was hoping for an Abby and/or Logan story.

AH: Rachel’s brothers annoyed me as well. On one side, they were very protective of her – except – when it came to Rachel’s mother and all the stuff she expected of Rachel. Never once did they stand up for Rachel – they tiptoed around their mother even when Rachel became physically ill. And the money thing? That was reprehensible. Just awful.

Christal: There was a lot going on in Crash Into You and I actually could have done with fewer plot elements.  I get that the story with Eric and the money brought Rachel and Isaiah together, but I felt that this could have been done in a more organic way and still kept the street racer angle.  I must admit that, based on the synopsis, I thought Rachel was going to be an experienced street racer herself and was disappointed to only see her behind the wheel twice.  There were a few too many car crashes for my taste as well.  I get that this is the biggest risk with street racing, but they just felt a little clichéd, especially the one at the end.

AH: The plot line with Eric annoyed me. He did not seem to be an authentic character. He was just this background dangerous character who had something on everyone. I also found it odd that Rachel’s father bought her a standard shift car, not knowing how to drive one himself. The street racing aspect was OK, I guess – it’s not really something that I would have picked up to read had I just read that they synopsis was about street racing.

Christal: Even though this book didn’t live up to Pushing the Limits for me, I still thought it was a really great read and on par with Dare You To.  This book solidified that Isaiah and Beth didn’t belong together, while still drawing their worlds closer.  The overlap between the characters gives Katie McGarry even more characters to build stories around.  I’m still holding out hope for an Abby story, and even though I didn’t particularly like West, I know I will read the next book as soon as I can.

AH: I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. Isaiah and Rachel were very sweet together and I loved all of the side characters. I’d love to see an Abby story in the future – that girl has a good story to tell. I love the world that Katie McGarry created and I am looking forward to reading more of her books as soon as they come out.

Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin Teen for providing an ARC copy of this book!

Rating: ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:
1.1. Pushing the Limits
1.5. Crossing the Line (novella)
1.2. Dare You To
1.3. Crash Into You
1.4. Take Me On (Expected publication: May 20th 2014)

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

The everyday Joe…

How appealing is this for a main character, he is a contractor? I’m not talking about a person who takes contracts out to kill. Nope, just an everyday, hardworking house building contractor. If that doesn’t excite you, maybe you’ll find the lawn & garden guy more appealing. His exciting career is lawn maintenance.

These are some of the given careers of the main characters in Linwood Barclay books. They don’t have military training, secret CIA clearance or millions of dollars to buy the top surveillance gadgets. They are everyday people who gain their muscles from hard work, have seemingly normal families & their excitement for the day is usually a quick beer at the bar.

Now you might think this a turnoff, I mean we come to escape reality not read about monotonous, tame jobs of everyday people. You would be wrong.  Barclay takes the everyday man and the everyday family, and thrusts him or her into a plot so twisted,  and so intriguing, the reader cannot help but wonder, if it can happen to everyday Joe, it can happen to me.

Let’s talk plots…

Barclay books are slow, full of endless detail, & confusing in the beginning. In fact, every single Barclay book, I’ve almost stopped reading out of frustration. Things aren’t right, and as the reader, we know more than the main character (via additional points of view) and we still can’t figure out what is up.

Patience is your friend…

I have learned that you need to be patient in a Barclay book. Barclay writes with a purpose and the endless details of everyday Joe, become clues to what is really going on. The confusion becomes fascination when you as the reader start to figure everything out usually before the main character does.

But wait there is more….

Barclay books aren’t simple mysteries with a twist. They are flat out mindfucks. You think you have solved the mystery, and survived the plot twists when that crafty SOB Barclay throws an additional twist aka mindfuck at you so out there, you sit there and just think. And then you get mad because it all makes sense. You think, if only you were paying closer attention, you would have caught the twist within the twist (you wouldn’t).

Brilliant….

This is what makes me continue to love Barclay books. Every single time I thought I figured out the twist,  and every time I was wrong. Even when I was prepared for a twist within a twist, I still managed to be knocked off my I’ve-solved-it high horse.

Go try it out…

If you love to be wrong, and have the patience to see a mindfuck at work, read any Linwood Barclay book today.

Linwood Barclay Homepage

Linwood Barclay on Goodreads

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy

Review: The Angel Stone by Juliet Dark (Carol Goodman)
Book 3 in the Fairwick Chronicles series
Release date: September 3, 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Contemporary, Historical, Fantasy
Book provided by Edelweiss and Ballantine Books

AH’s Review – 4 Skulls – A-

I first fell in love with this series when I read The Demon Lover. I liked how the author created a magical world nestled in the Catskills Mountains at a fictional college. I could picture in my head the college buildings covered in ivy, the quaint little town surrounding the college and the lush green of the hills surrounding the town. Then, when I met the town’s inhabitants, I was intrigued. Fairwick was not your ordinary town. The inhabitants were quite special.

The Angel Stone picks up right where The Water Witch left off. Callie McFay is teaching a course at the “new” Fairwick College. Things just aren’t the same since the door to Faerie was closed. There’s a new Dean at the college and his agenda is a little sinister. Callie and her colleagues vow to defeat the Dean and his supporters who happen to be nephilim. Callie learns that she must retrieve the Angel Stone, an opal with special powers, in order to defeat the nephilim. Problem is, the stone was last seen in 17th century Scotland.

There’s a bit of a rich dark, Gothic feel to this book. The author layers myth and folklore together to form a compelling narrative. The story is told mostly from Callie’s point of view. There are some intriguing dream sequences that felt almost too real when Callie awoke to sprigs of heather in her bed.

I liked how the element of time travel was handled in this book. Callie realizes that since she is a doorkeeper, she can use the hallow door to travel to Faerie. In Faerie, she rescues William Duffy from the fae queen and they travel back in time to 17th century Scotland in order to find the Angel Stone. I loved the scenes in Scotland (yes, I am a sucker for a brawny highlander).

The magic was so cool, especially the weaving of the plaid. I loved how the witches worked together and combined their powers to help defeat the nephilim.

The Angel Stone had a diverse and eccentric cast of characters. Not only did it include the usual supernatural suspects – witches, vampires, fae, etc., the book also had a character with Down’s syndrome (go, Jessica!) and another who suffered from a mental illness.

I enjoyed The Angel Stone and I’m keeping my eye out for more books by this author, who also writes as Carol Goodman.

Rating:  ☠  ☠  ☠  ☠ 

Series Reading Order:

1. The Demon Lover
2. The Water Witch
3. The Angel Stone

Thank you to Edelweiss and Ballantine Books for a review copy of this book.

© 2013, Badass Book Reviews. All rights reserved Please do not copy reviews or content from this site

Share and Enjoy