LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE…

Will Carver

Name: Will Carver

Book Series: London Steampunk

Job: The Devil of Whitechapel’s bodyguard and all-round enforcer. Keepin’ the streets of Whitechapel safe and making sure the blue bloods of the Echelon don’t dare enter.

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 270lbs of pure muscle

Hair Color: Shoulder-length, tawny brown

Eye Color: Amber – shines gold when his ‘beast’ is in ascendancy

From (Location): Whitechapel, London

Significant Other: He doesn’t have a significant other. However, the flirtatious Lena Todd drives him halfway to Bedlam.

Signature Move: To rend. He’s verwulfen, which means he’s physically stronger and faster than any other mortal being, and impossible to control when he goes into the state known as berserkergang. Sound a little familiar? Vikings anyone? When they’re in such a state, verwulfen are impervious to pain or injury and have been known to walk through fire. If you know what’s good for you, get the hell out of the way.

Kill Highlights: Doesn’t bother to remember. A dead enemy’s no longer an enemy and he doesn’t give a shit about trophies.

Enemies: Any blue blood apart from Blade, the Devil of Whitechapel.

Favorite Pastime: Making sure a certain brunette keeps her fingers out of trouble, avoiding said brunette and patrolling the rookeries for threats.

#

Caught the loupe at the age of five when me mother sold me to a travellin’ showman. Spent most of me life in a cage, being stabbed with cold iron to prove how well I could heal for the audience, so you better be sure your first strike’s good and true ‘cos you won’t get another. And now I’m out of the cage… Let’s just say, I don’t believe in holdin’ anythin’ back.

Do I think it will be tough? When you come from streets where you’re as likely to get a shiv in the back or get roasted by one o’ the Echelon’s automaton spitfires, then this is child’s play. I don’t kill for sport, but that ain’t goin’ to slow me down none and Blade’s been teachin’ me all about buildin’ a reputation, makin’ others wary of you. That’s why I’m enterin’ this so-called contest.

Some might say I’ve already earned that reputation. They don’t call me the Beast of Whitechapel for nothin’. But I says you can never be too careful.

Extract from Heart of Iron:

Will crawled out of the water with a snarl, his hands coated with grease and blood and a steel tentacle in his fist. His ears still rang and the pain in his cheek told him he might have broken something. Fury boiled in his blood, along with the creeping lassitude of the aftermath of a rousing fight. He ignored it.

Forcing himself to his feet, he stared down at the limp steel tentacle. Whatever the hell that had been, it was vicious. He’d barely found himself in the water before it was on him, steel limbs thrashing and reaching for him.

He couldn’t remember much of the fight – he never could, really, beyond flashing images of sight and sound – but he could vaguely recall the gaping maw that sucked in water to fuel its steam-driven core, and the razor-sharp threshing blades of its teeth. Smashing his fist straight through the thin steel sheeting of its body. The burning exhale of steam in his face as he tore a tentacle off it, using the weakness of the rivets to his own advantage.

That was where inventors made their fatal flaw with the metal monsters and automatons they created. For a metaljacket, it was the hinge of their knees and arms; for the steel-squid, it was the segmented join of the tentacles to its body. Tear that apart and all you had was a wounded shell that flopped around like a turtle on its back.

Destroying it hadn’t been without cost however.

Will staggered against a stalactite and pressed a hand to his side. His fingers came away sticky, a result of those iron teeth. Every muscle in his body throbbed with the ache of the fall and the way the smooth surface of the water had felt like he plunged onto heavy cobbles.

He wanted to stumble to the ground and sleep away the hurt. A fatal weakness for his species. Almost unstoppable once they were in a full fury, barely cognizant of injury or pain, verwulfen dropped like stones after the excitement wore off.

Will wiped the blood out of his eyes and staggered forward. Couldn’t sleep. Not yet. Lena was out there. He’d heard her scream as he plunged toward the water, heard the soul-shattering loss in her voice as she cried out.

Whoever had her – and he was starting to get an idea of their identity – they were going to wish they’d never dared touch his woman…

For a sneak peek at the London Steampunk world, I’m offering an e-novella called Tarnished Knight (set after Kiss of Steel and before Heart of Iron) for free download for the month of May. See here for details.

VOTE HERE!!!

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About Bec:

Award-winning author Bec McMaster lives in a small town in Australia and grew up with her nose in a book. A member of RWA, she writes sexy, dark paranormals and steampunk romance. When not writing, reading, or poring over travel brochures, she loves spending time with her very own hero or daydreaming about new worlds. The third book in the London Steampunk series, My Lady Quicksilver will be in stores in October 2013.

You can visit Bec around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Bec McMaster?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

This contest is provided by Bec McMaster

One lucky winner will win a signed copy of Kiss of Steel and Heart of Iron,
plus a packet of Tim Tams (delicious Australian chocolate biscuit)

Available May 7, 2013 from Sourcebooks Casablanca

About this Book:

In Victorian London, if you’re not a blue blood of the Echelon then you’re nothing at all. The Great Houses rule the city with an iron fist, imposing their strict ‘blood taxes’ on the nation, and the Queen is merely a puppet on a string…

Lena Todd makes the perfect spy. Nobody suspects the flirtatious debutante could be a sympathizer for the humanist movement haunting London’s vicious blue blood elite. Not even the ruthless Will Carver, the one man she can’t twist around her little finger, and the one man whose kiss she can’t forget…

Stricken with the loupe and considered little more than a slave-without-a-collar to the blue bloods, Will wants nothing to do with the Echelon or the dangerous beauty who drives him to the very edge of control. But when he finds a coded letter on Lena—a code that matches one he saw on a fire-bombing suspect—he realizes she’s in trouble. To protect her, he must seduce the truth from her.

With the humanists looking to start a war with the Echelon, Lena and Will must race against time—and an automaton army—to stop the humanist plot before it’s too late. But as they fight to save a city on the brink of revolution, the greatest danger might just be to their hearts…

Click HERE to read an excerpt

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GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE…

Cearnach MacNeill

Name: Cearnach MacNeill

Book Series: Heart of the Wolf

Job: 2^nd in Command of gray wolf pack and MacNeill Clan at Argent Castle

Height: 6’1”

Weight: 180

Hair Color: Dark Brown

Eye Color: Brown

From (Location): Argent Castle, Highlands of Scotland

Significant Other: Elaine Hawthorn

Signature Move: Fighting in a kilt with a claymore, or with his teeth in wolf form.

Kill Highlights: Highland warrior who has fought in battles for years.

Enemies: Kilpatrick and McKinley brothers and Kelly Rafferty

Favorite Pastime: carves dagger handles with Celtic symbols.

Other Facts: He is their ghostly cousin Flynn’s best friend, and he loves to train and take care of the pack’s Irish wolfhounds.

A Day in the Life of a Highland Warrior Living in Contemporary Times 

By

Cearnach MacNeill

I, Cearnach MacNeill, am named such as Cearnach means victorious in Gaelic. And aye, I live up to my name to fight for what’s good and right, for my Highland wolf pack and the MacNeill clan. And for the bonny lass who has stolen my heart, Elaine Hawthorn, and any who suffer the abuse of others.

Is there nothing more sacred than taking care of those you love? Nay. I will share with you that I once nearly drowned as a wee lad and a bonny lass saved me. Aye. ‘Tis true. I will forever be in her debt and it is not a bad thing at all. A man can be strong in battle strength, but can also show another side of him that is meant to be caring and loving. More recently, a lass stepped in between me and a rogue I would have fought, blade to blade. But the lass wished to protect me and the sanctity of the wedding in progress and how could I find fault in that?

Yet it is my place in life as second in command of a gray wolf pack and the MacNeill clan of Argent Castle to protect those who need protecting. I cannot tell you how much anger I had to eat when I witnessed such a happening. But the wee lass proudly left the church, dragging me, a Highland warrior of auld! out of the church to diffuse the situation.

It gets worse, I tell you. Sometimes a man has to fight a man’s battle. Or…wolf as it were. Either with my handy claymore in hand, or wearing my wolf coat, I will put my enemies down like the dogs they are.

But always, the urge to fight has to be tempered with the knowledge the one’s you protect will not be harmed by a need to battle with your enemy. There in shows a man’s real strength. When he can back down to keep others safe.

In battle strengths I handle a claymore sword well and beyond that, my sgian dubh, a single-edge bladed knife. But when fighting wolf to wolf, my size, agility, and cunning are enough to help me win against my enemies.

After ridding the world of the kind of men who are a pox on mankind, it is time to truly show a man’s strength. Loving a lass.

VOTE HERE!!!

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About Terry:

Bestselling and award-winning author Terry Spear has written a couple of dozen paranormal romance novels and two medieval Highland historical romances. Her first werewolf romance, Heart of the Wolf, was named a 2008 Publishers Weekly’s Best Book of the Year, and her subsequent titles have garnered high praise and hit the USA Today bestseller list. A retired officer of the U.S. Army Reserves, Terry lives in Crawford, Texas, where she is working on her next werewolf romance and continuing her new series about shapeshifting jaguars.

You can visit Terry around the web here: Website | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Terry Spear?

______________________________________________________________________

This contest is provided by Terry Spear

One lucky winner will receive a copy of A Howl for a Highlander

Available May 7, 2013 from Sourcebooks Casablanca

About this Book:

Elaine Hawthorn is a gray American werewolf, currently out of work, and on a mission to share in a family treasure. When she arrives in Scotland, she nearly has a head-on collision with one hot, kilt-garbed Highlander, and runs him off the road.

Werewolf laird Cearnach MacNeill isn’t happy Elaine ruined his car, but he quickly becomes her protector after a misunderstanding lands her right in the middle of two feuding clans. Now he’s out to ensure that this sexy female wolf gets her fair share of her clan’s treasure. He knows he should leave well enough alone, but it’s too late to leave his heart out of it.

Click HERE to read an excerpt

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GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Title:

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Elemental (Book 2.5)

Publication Date: April 30, 2013

Format: ebook, 65 Pages

ISBN-10: 0758285531 (Kensington)

ISBN-13: 978-0758285539 (Kensington)

Reviewed by: Bridget

Synopsis:

Too many secrets. Not enough time.

Nick Merrick is supposed to be the level-headed one. The peacemaker. Since it’s just him and his three hotheaded brothers against the world, that’s a survival tactic.

But now he’s got problems even his brothers can’t help him survive.

His so-called girlfriend, Quinn, is going quick as mercury from daring to crazy. Meanwhile, Quinn’s dancer friend Adam is throwing Nick off balance, forcing him to recognize a truth he’d rather shove back into the dark.

He can feel it—-the atmosphere is sizzling. Danger is on the way. But whatever happens next, Nick is starting to find out that sometimes nothing you do can keep the peace.

Quick & Dirty: This is a novella that was a fun addition to the Elemental Series.  You get to see a little piece of Nick’s life and some of his struggles.

Opening Sentence: Nick Merrick sat on his bed and ran his thumb along the edge of the sealed envelope.

Excerpt: No

The Review: 

Nick Merrick is the peace marker in his family.  Living with his brothers and no parents, Nick has been the one that everyone relies on.  He tries to help his family in any way that he can but he also has kept secrets from them.  Nick has been dating Quinn for a little while now and he really likes her, but he doesn’t feel any electricity with her or any other girl for that matter.  He soon meets Quinn’s dance partner Adam, and Nick starts to have feelings that he has always tried to hide.  No one will understand how he is feeling, especially his brothers.

Nick is a sweet character and I feel bad for him.  He has spent his whole life being something he’s not because he is scared of what others will think.  He seems like a really nice guy and a good friend.  He treats Quinn really good and I thought that their relationship was really cute, even if there wasn’t really any chemistry between them.  I liked Nick, this just gave us a taste of his story and I am interested to get to know him better in his own book that is coming in the future.

Quinn was my favorite part of this story.  She is spunky and has a temper, but underneath that she is very insecure.  She has quite a reputation with the boys and she likes that Nick has always been a gentleman around her.  She has some serious family and self- esteem issues that she needs to work out, but that made her interesting to me.  I hope to see more of her in future books.

This was a really fun read.  I enjoyed the characters and the story was cute.  I really enjoy novellas in series because it gives you something to tide you over while you wait for the next book to come out, and this did that perfectly.  I would highly recommend this to anyone that enjoys this series, it’s a fun addition.

Notable Scene:

Adam smiled again, that slow smile that pulled a little crooked because of the scar. His dark eyes shined in the overhead lights, and his voice was just a touch suggestive. “You volunteering?”

The breath rushed out of Nick’s chest.

Shit. Now he was blushing.

If Gabriel were here, there would be no end to the mockery.

Well, that shut it down, whatever it was. Flustered, Nick shoved Quinn in the shoulder. “No,” he growled. “Quinn is.”

“What?” said Quinn, sounding like she wondered when Nick had lost his mind. “I’m not good enough to dance with him.”

“Sure you are,” said Adam. He walked across the studio and stuck out a hand to Quinn.

But his eyes were on Nick. Nick wasn’t even looking at him, but he could feel it.

He just wasn’t entirely sure how he felt about it.

Nick nodded at the ?oor, then looked at Quinn. “Stop doubting yourself. Give it a try.”

She let Adam pull her to her feet, and Nick was glad they were moving away. Adam’s presence left him doubly off balance somehow, like trying to walk a narrow beam during an earthquake.

Adam and Quinn were talking now, going through the choreography or the music or whatever. Nick had no idea. His brain could barely process the conversation.

No, his thoughts kept replaying the moment two minutes ago.

You volunteering?

He wasn’t offended. He wasn’t shocked. He was—

The Elemental Series:

 0.5 Elemental

1. Storm

1.5 Fearless

2. Spark

2.5 Breathless

3. Spirit (May 28, 2013)

4. Secret (January 28, 2013)

FTC Advisory: Kensington Teen provided me with a copy of Breathless. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE…

Silver (Selene Powell)

Name: Silver (Selene Powell)

Book Series: Silver

Job: Alpha challenger

Height: 5’8”

Weight: 130

Hair Color: White

Eye Color: Blue

From (Location): Seattle

Significant Other: Andrew Dare

Signature Move: Wounded bird (who lures you in and turns on you)

Kill Highlights: She and Andrew killed the man who murdered her pack together.

Enemies: Rory, current Roanoke alpha

Favorite Pastime: Playing with kids

Other Facts: Can’t use her left arm or shift to wolf form.

#

Silver sits confidently, at ease with her left hand tucked into the hip pocket of her jeans. There’s nothing to draw the eye until a two-handed gesture is made only with the right. Then, if you watch carefully, she never moves her left arm. “You should know that I’m not one who fights for the enjoyment of it. I’ve killed before, yes, with help, but that was to protect myself and my mate. And others later, because if the monster who killed my pack and injected silver into my veins had gone free, he would have hurt others. But you can see I am not one who looks dangerous.”

She holds her right hand wide, inviting observation. She’s slim, a little sharp at collarbone and cheekbone, pure white hair pulled back into a casual tail. She leans forward, conspiratorial. “The trick, you understand, is to use that appearance of weakness against your opponent. Let them underestimate you. Better yet, force them to underestimate you: drop your eyes, hide you face, slump your shoulders. Think on fear until you smell of it, and tears slip out. Then, when they are close, contemptuous of you…strike.” She sits back, lips curving in a smile. “One blow to the vitals of someone unsuspecting is worth a dozen powerful blows that fall on the guard of someone expecting them.”

She lets a long breath trickle out. “You want to know about who I am, then?” She tips her head, throwing much of her expression into shadow. “I was a beta, once. To my brother’s alpha. He and his family and our pack are all gone, and I will say no more of that. It hurts too much. But when I ran from the monster, my mate found me, helped me. Together, we tracked the monster that did it, and we ended him.” She smiles, thinly. “Dare and I, we do what’s necessary. This test of skill is apparently necessary, so I’ll do it too.”

She lifts her chin, confident. “You may ask how I can win, without a wild self. True, I cannot shift, but that has never stopped the humans. They are the ones who rule the world, you may have noticed. It is not purely because of numbers.” She reaches into her right pocket and draws out a delicate silver necklace chain. “In part, it is because of their weapons. I have my own.” She settles several lengths of chain around her hand, makes a fist to display them like brass knuckles. “I can touch silver without harm, to use it against another of my kind.”

She shakes out the chain, and tucks it away. Her face is half-hidden again, but this time she’s smiling. “I can guess what you’re thinking. ‘Still, what chance does she have?’” Her smile widens, showing too many teeth. “Remember this: I walk with Death. Once he chased me, now he accompanies me. Who else in any contest can claim that?” Her hand drops to pet the head of something that doesn’t exist. Or at least, it cannot be seen. Her hand moves through apparently empty air, but Silver seems certain enough of what force sits there, blacker than black.

VOTE HERE!!!

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About Rhiannon:

Rhiannon Held is the author of SILVER, the first book in an urban fantasy series from Tor. The second, TARNISHED, will be out in 2013. In her day job she works as a professional archaeologist. Unfortunately, given that it’s real rather than fictional archaeology, fedoras, bullwhips, aliens, and dinosaurs are in short supply. Most of her work is done on the computer, using databases to organize data, and graphics programs to illustrate it.

You can visit Rhiannon around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Rhiannon Held?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

This contest is provided by Tor/Macmillan

One lucky winner will receive a copy of Tarnished

Available May 21, 2013 from Tor/Macmillan

About this Book:

Experience the romance and danger of running with the werewolves in this urban fantasy

Andrew Dare has found his mate in Silver, but they haven’t found the pack they can call home. Some of his old friends think he should return and challenge Roanoke for leadership of all the werewolf packs on the East Coast. But Andrew has baggage—his violent history with the packs of Spain and the rumors of his lack of control. And then there’s Silver—the werewolf who has lost her wild self to a monster’s assault, and who can no longer shift forms. But perhaps together they can overcome all the doubters.

The second book in this wonderful urban fantasy series plunges readers into the world of the shape-shifter packs who live hidden among us.

Click HERE to read an excerpt

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GIVEAWAY GUIDELINES:

Title: The Savage Blue

Author: Zoraida Córdova

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: The Vicious Deep (Book 2)

Publication Date: May 7, 2013

Format: Hardcover, 416 Pages

ISBN-10: 1402282060 (Sourcebooks Fire)

ISBN-13: 978-1402282065 (Sourcebooks Fire)

Reviewed by: Bridget

Synopsis:

A storm is coming…

The ocean is a vicious place. Deeper and darker than Tristan could have imagined. Beneath its calm blue surface, an ancient battle is churning —and no one is safe.

In the quest for the Sea Throne, Tristan has already watched one good friend die. Now he must lead the rest on a dangerous voyage in search of the trident that will make him king. But while Tristan chases his destiny, the dark forces racing against him are getting stronger, and the sea witch of his nightmares is getting closer.

Battling sea dragons and savage creatures of the deep, Tristan needs his friends’ support. But they each have their secrets, and a betrayal will force Tristan to choose between his crown and his best friend Layla — the only girl he’s ever loved.

Quick & Dirty: This was a good sequel filled with action, betrayal and adventure.  I felt that the romance was a little lacking and I was a little disappointed with some of the characters.

Opening Sentence: For a merman, I’ve done very little deep-sea exploration.

Excerpt: No

The Review: 

Tristan is in a race to find all the pieces of the trident so he can become the next Sea King, but he is running out of time.   He just recently found out that he is a merman and the grandson to the current Sea King.  There have been champions picked from each region of the ocean to go on a quest to collect the 3 pieces of the trident and whoever collects them first will become the next king.  Tristan has one piece of the trident but he needs the other two before time runs out.  As he searches for the Oracles that possess the pieces that he needs, he is hunted by the evil Sea Witch — Nieve and her savage sea creatures.  She will stop at nothing to take over the ocean and the throne.  Tristan will need all the help he can get, but betrayal and secrets put everyone he cares about in danger.

I really liked Tristan in the first book but I felt a little bit of a disconnect with him in this one.  In the first book he had so much confidence that he was border line cocky, but it made him a unique character and it made him feel like a real teenage boy.  In this book he was so unsure of himself and I felt like he really aged to fast.  He had a little bit of a downer attitude at times and he seemed confused a lot.  He still had his funny and snarky attitude most the time which I loved, and he is a really sweet, loyal guy.  He cares a lot about his friends and family and he always tries to do what is right.  Overall, I still liked Tristan, but I hope that in the next book his confident side returns.

Layla has been Tristan’s best friend pretty much his whole life.  They grew up doing everything together and they haven’t ever been more than just friends.  But the last year or so Tristan has secretly been totally in love with Layla.  I loved Layla, she is very independent with lots of spunk and attitude.  In the first book she and Tristan exchanged a lot of fun banter back and forth, but Layla was more of a minor character in this installment and that made me really sad.  Their relationship didn’t really develop like I hoped it would, and the romance was just so-so for me.  I really loved the tension and chemistry they had in the first book but it was missing in this one.  I hope that the last book improves in the romance department.

Even though this book has some flaws it was actually a pretty good read overall.  The action and adventure really make up for some of the lack of romance and character development.  The plot was very intriguing and there were some twists that I really wasn’t expecting.  The world that Cordova created is fun and magical.  There were a few times that the writing got a little confusing and I wasn’t sure who was talking, but hopefully in the final installment this is fixed.  Overall, I really did enjoy this book and there is quite a cliffhanger at the end so I am eagerly waiting for the last book to come out.  I would recommend this series to anyone that enjoys a good mermaid book and like male protagonists.

Notable Scene:

The thing—the makara—is undulating in wide arcs, eating. It shakes its head back and forth with a twelve-foot-long shark in its mandible.

“I think I just peed myself,” I say. “How can you tell down here?”

Kurt shakes his head, gripping his sword even tighter. “If we live through this, I’ll point it out to you.”

As it swallows the shark like it’s munching on an Oreo, the makara is unaware of us watching. It’s curled up on a jagged black rock. Its head could belong to a crocodile—the long snout, the raised bumps that start on its nose and continue all the way down to the sharp tip of the tail. Crooked claws grip the bits of shark meat that fall from its mouth. It reminds me of a T. Rex, arms short and close to the mouth. Chomp by chomp, the great white shark disappears inside the makara. There’s a dorsal fin off to the side, but nothing else.

Then the demon’s head snaps up. Maybe it can smell us. Maybe it caught the glint off our weapons. Whatever it was, two yellow eyes lock on us.

“No matter what,” Kurt tells me, “I will get you to the cove.”

“Don’t talk that way now,” I say, wracking my mind for something—anything. The makara is twice as long as our ship. Its body retracts, watching us carefully before it lurches forward. “You go left. I go right. On my go.”

“What?”

“Just do it!”

The demon drops the rest of its meal, blood billowing around it.

The makara snaps its mouth once, twice. The sound of the crunch is so hard that the shock vibrates all the way to us.

“Now!” I dive to the right, up, and arc around.

But the demon isn’t following me.

It’s following Kurt.

The Vicious Deep Series:

1. The Vicious Deep

2. The Savage Blue

FTC Advisory: Sourcebooks Fire provided me with a copy of The Savage Blue. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title

Author: Suzanne Young

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: A Need So Beautiful Series (Book 2)

Publication Date: June 26, 2012

Format: Hardcover, 288 Pages

ISBN-10: 0062008269 (HarperTeen)

ISBN-13: 978-0062008268 (HarperTeen)

Reviewed by: Kayla

Synopsis:

In the sequel to Suzanne Young’s A Need So Beautiful, seventeen-year-old Elise wakes up in a desert park with no idea who she is. After that episode, her life takes a bizarre turn. She’s experiencing unexpected flashes of insight into people’s lives—people she’s never met before. Strangers frighten her with warnings about the approaching Shadows.

And although Elise has never had a boyfriend, she suddenly finds herself torn between two handsome but very different young men: Abe, the charming bad boy whose effect on her both seduces and frightens her, and the mysterious Harlin, who’s new to town but with whom Elise feels an urgent, elemental connection—almost as if they are soul mates.

Quick & Dirty: A much better, less boring repeat of A Need So Beautiful. Young comes back with her heart-wrenching scenes and a determined female protagonist.

Opening Sentence: I hear an echo as sound hums its way into my ears.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Elise remembers everything from her childhood – from her mom’s death to her sister’s late night escapes – but none of it actually happened. As Elise and her sister settle into their new home, they both discover new things, but handle them in entirely different ways. Elise starts a new job at a Mexican restaurant where she meets the alluring Abe, who dares her to be a little wild. But there’s also the stranger on the motorcycle that keeps appearing randomly. Of course nothing is stranger than the random impulses to help people she experiences – a warming and yet disconcerting experience that precedes flashes of someone else’s life. Forced to reconcile with what she is and face whatever these Shadows people keep warning her about, Elise must choose once again whether to fight for the good or succumb to the evil.

This book is almost the exact arc of A Need So Beautiful. Only more enjoyable and entertaining. The Needs are so much more heart-breaking and the memories are nostalgic, adding to the depth of the conflict. Although there were a lot of abrupt developments – Harlin and Elise’s whole relationship is insta-love (literally) once they finally start talking – and this was even before she remembers who she is. Their whole relationship is confusing, but that just started in the first book. Abe on the other hand, was pretty well-developed, pretty basic, but he had more depth than Harlin. Where Harlin was just a broken mourning mess, Abe had motives (not just feelings/attraction) to become close to Elise. The love triangle’s conclusion was also very abrupt (can’t go into detail without spoilers).

I’ve always loved Young’s writing and themes in this series. The importance of family and responsibility are shown throughout the books. From her heart-wrenching, sob-story, to the development of the main character’s inner-war, Young’s writing has always be able to express the turbulent emotions the characters face.

Yet this ability to pull the reader’s heart-strings cannot overshadow the confusing character developments and the odd plot. Although most of the character development started in the first book, there were still new characters that seemed inconsistent and flat. As I said before, Harlin is such a confusing character from the beginning. His actions do not always coincide with his personality and in this book, he is a very wimpy and depressing all the time. Abe on the other hand is a deliciously complex character that has snark down to a T. Although he is also very confusing, Abe was still more developed than Harlin.

Despite its rocky journey, the Need series is pretty good. If you have patience with odd character arcs but love a good heart-tugging story, I suggest these to you.

Notable Scene:

“Wait,” Harlin whispers, reaching to take my hand. Startled, I turn to him. He studies me with what can only be described as absolute pain. I nearly reach for him, but he lets my hand drop.

Harlin leans to put his elbows on his knees, his face in his palms. Marceline slides the bowl of mints toward him, but he doesn’t lift his head.

The wrinkles in Marceline’s skin seems to deepen. When her eyes meet mine, she shrugs apologetically. “You’re the reincarnation of his girlfriend. A Forgotten.”

I stumble back a step. “I’m a what?”

“Your name was Charlotte Cassidy. Beautiful soul–very loving. In the end, you–”

Harlin jumps up then, rushing past us. He doesn’t say a word, and when the front door closes, I know he’s gone. Tears begin to gather in my eyes.

“He’s never learned to handle his grief,” Marceline explains. “He’ll find you when he’s ready. He always does.”

A Need So Beautiful Series:

1. A Need So Beautiful

2. A Want So Wicked

2.5. A Desire So Deadly (November 5, 2013)

FTC Advisory: HarperCollins provided me with a copy of A Want So Wicked. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

LET’S GET READY TO RUMBLE…

Hunter

Name: Hunter (Yeah, I don’t need a last name, so don’t ask)

Book Title: Obsession (An Arum Novel: Adult companion novel to the Lux Series)

Job: I work for the Department of Defense to help protect the world from the Luxen.  The DOD seems to think I’m their bitch.  They would be wrong.

Height: 6’6”

Weight: My weight doesn’t matter.  Just the fact that I’m a solid wall of rock hard abs and pure muscle.

Hair Color: Wavy and black as sin

Eye Color: Extremely pale blue

From: I’m an alien, so obviously not from this planet.

Significant Other: Serena Cross

Signature Move: There’s not any kind of trouble I can’t ass kick my way out of, but I guess I’m fond of neck breaking.  It seems to get the job done.  I can also feed off of the Luxen and humans which can be a pretty cool party trick.

Kill Highlights: I’ve killed so many of the Luxen that I’ve lost count.  Not that they’re even worth counting.   I do take great pleasure in killing anyone—Arum, Luxen, or human—that messes with Serena.  Nobody, and I mean nobody, touches her.  Ever.

Enemies: The Luxen are my biggest enemy, and now that I’ve met Serena, the government may be a close second.  Too bad I don’t care.  I can take any of them.  Try me.

Favorite Pastime: I like to do things with my hands….yeah, those things.   When I can’t find Serena to keep my hands busy, I like to use them to build and carve.

Other Facts: I can make some kickass bacon, I can speak to you in my true form by projecting my thoughts into your mind, I like to covet pretty things, I expect everyone to do everything my way, and I love blow…pops.  I have bowls of them all over my house.

#

Hunter: So, I was asked to be a part of the Supernatural Smackdown and I knew I was the perfect fu–

Daemon:  What. The. Hell.?  You were asked to be a part of the Supernatural Smackdown?

Hunter:  Seriously, Luxen? You think you can interrupt me?  I’m gonna kick your–you know, what are you even doing here right now?  You have your own books, so stay outta mine.

Daemon:  I just stopped by because there must be some mistake.   There is no way an Arum, you, would be chosen over a Luxen, uh me, to be in this Smackdown.

Hunter:  Oh, little boy, you must not have heard, the Supernatural Smackdown is for adults, not kids.  You might want to hurry along now because I think you are needed in the sandbox.

Daemon:  You sure you want to go there, man?  Because you aren’t really painting a great picture of yourself for this competition.  Picking on a little boy and all.

Hunter:  You know, I think you’re right.  You just sit there quietly and suck your thumb while I list all the reasons I can take anyone in this competition.  First, my badassery knows no limits.

Daemon:  Is badassery even a real word?

Hunter:  Shut up, Light Bright.  Or, I’ll show you that badassery is most definitely a word.

Daemon:  You know what?  I’ve got far more important things to be doing than sitting here listening to you talk about yourself.  Let’s just do this.

Hunter:  This is gonna be so easy, it doesn’t really seem fair.  But, you know what, Luxen?  I don’t ever play fair so get ready.

Serena:  Hey, Hey!  Boys, just cut it out.  Hunter, this is supposed to be a friendly Supernatural Smackdown and the Luxen isn’t even in the competition.   And, you, Daemon is it?  Just get out of here before this gets messy.  You’ve got your own issues to be concerned with right now.

Daemon:  You got your girl fighting your battles for you now, Hunter?

Hunter:  At least I know where my woman is at the moment.  She’s right here, right now, with me.

Daemon (turning to leave):  Touché, Arum, Touché.

Serena (sighs):  I wouldn’t say that went well.

Hunter:  Well, no, it didn’t.  I was just about to prove my badassery when you showed up.

Serena:  I may have kept you from trying to kill him during the Supernatural Smackdown!

Hunter:  If his mouth had kept running, there would have been no trying about it.

Serena:  I seriously don’t know what to do with you sometimes.

Hunter:  Oh, I know exactly what you can do with me…and it involves us getting out of here.  Right. Now.

VOTE HERE!!!

______________________________________________________________________________________________

About Jennifer:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russel Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

You can visit Jennifer around the web here: Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Want to read more from Jennifer L. Armentrout?

______________________________________________________________________________________________

Available May 31, 2013 from Entangled Covet

About this Book:

He’s arrogant, domineering, and… To. Die. For.

Hunter is a ruthless killer. And the Department of Defense has him firmly in their grasp, which usually doesn’t chafe too badly because he gets to kill bad guys. Most of the time he enjoys his job. That is, until he’s saddled with something he’s never had to do before: protect a human from his mortal enemy.

Serena Cross didn’t believe her best friend when she claimed to have seen the son of a powerful senator turn into something… unnatural. Who would? But then she witnesses her friend’s murder at the hands of what can only be an alien, thrusting her into a world that will kill to protect their secret.

Hunter stirs Serena’s temper and her lust despite their differences. Soon he’s doing the unthinkable—breaking the rules he’s lived by, going against the government to keep Serena safe. But are the aliens and the government the biggest threats to Serena’s life…or is it Hunter?

Pre-Order from

Title

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Paranormalcy Trilogy (Book 1)

Publication Date: August 31, 2010

Format: Hardcover, 335 Pages

ISBN-10: 0061985848  (HarperTeen)

ISBN-13: 978-0061985843 (HarperTeen)

Reviewed by: Emmy

Synopsis:

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only one who can see through glamours.

But now Evie’s dreams are filled with haunting voices and cryptic messages–and she’s realizing that she may be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Quick & Dirty: With a snarky, almost Buffy-esque heroine and fantastic supporting cast, Paranormalcy begins a fun series where our heroine slowly unravels the truth about herself and the paranormal world.

Opening Sentence: ”Wait—did you—You just yawned!”

Excerpt: Yes

The Review: 

From the first page, where Evie’s taking on a wanna-be Dracula and snarking about it, our heroine had me hooked. White’s narrative voice made this paranormal fun and funny, which is a totally different feel from other YAs. She reminded me of Nas in Immortal Beloved, ignorant about how the world really works, but White manages to convince the reader that our main character isn’t stupid for not knowing. She’s lived a very sheltered life, even if she does Tasey all things paranormal. Evie is innocent, but like any good heroine, she doesn’t stay that way.

She goes out to find the truth about who she is and what the faerie prophecy is all about. I can tell you that the mystery is perfect for this story. Though the who-dun-it is a bit obvious, I was still totally satisfied with the climax. How is Evie human if she has paranormal abilities? If she is other, should that change the way she looks at paranormals? If I tell you any more than that you’ll be able to unravel the whole book. It’s not a deep story line, it’s just plain fun! You have every paranormal character—vampires, faeries, mermaids — all fitting perfectly into one world without a hitch. Seriously good world building here. The pacing is perfect, as a reader you’re never bored, and it’s a really fast read.

Evie is half Valley Girl, half Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and 100% relatable. She’s got a Taser called Tasey and has a shop-til-you-drop mentality that should have annoyed me. I don’t usually get along with Valley Girls of any kind, but especially not the ones who’ve got their heads so deep in the sales rack they can’t see what’s really going on in the world.  Somehow Evie managed to draw even me in — I say somehow, but it was probably all her snarkiness — and it isn’t long before you get to see another more mature side of her as she begins to explore the real world. Evie’s worked for the International Paranormal Containment Agency forever, even though she longs for a normal teenage life. Her ability to see through paranormal’s glamour, no matter how strong, makes her a valuable asset to the Agency. We get to see her learn to be a normal teenager in Paranormalcy, and that’s probably what surprised me most — how normal the characters are surrounded by all things paranormal.

Lend is exactly the kind of guy mother’s want their daughters to date — with just a touch of bad boy. And, minus the shape-changing bit. Dependable and noble — just protective enough to be sweet, but not smothering. He’s a partner to Evie. It’s great to see their attraction grow through witty banter and small moments. It’s not a insta-love, but a bond that the reader can see get stronger with every encounter.  I’ve heard some complaints about a love triangle, but honestly I didn’t see it. Just because the heroine has two guy friends doesn’t mean there’s a love triangle. Unless Reth, her faerie ex-boyfriend, seriously changes in the sequel, I can’t see him becoming a viable love interest for Evie.

I think the emphasis of this review is FUN. Fun premise, fun characters and conversations, fun to read. I laughed out loud more than once and flew through reading this novel because I didn’t want to put it down. For YA paranormal fans who’ve noticed the genre getting a bit dark, this novel is for you.

Notable Scene:

“So you like faeries?”

“Oh, heavens no. I think working with them is the dumbest thing IPCA could possibly do.”

“Why do they keep using them, then?”

“The first named command every faerie gets is to serve IPCA. They think they can control the faeries—I know they can’t,” I muttered darkly. I looked down at his sketch. “Man, you are so good at that.”

“Nice subject. And I like your outfit.” I couldn’t tell from his smile whether he was serious or poking fun at me.

“I can bring you some boots like this along with the shorts, if you want.”

He laughed. “Just because I can look like a girl doesn’t mean I want to dress like one.”

“You’re right. You probably don’t have the calves for them, anyway.” Standing, I stretched. “I’d probably better go. Technically I don’t even know where they’re keeping you.” I winked at him.

“You should take these, then. You can practice.” He handed me the sketchbook and pencils. “You’ll come back, right?”

“Sure. You’re the coolest person here.” He started to smile, so I shook my head, putting on a mock-serious face. “Don’t be flattered—most of your competition is undead.”

Paranormalcy Trilogy:

 1. Paranormalcy

 2. Supernaturally

 3. Endlessly

FTC Advisory: HarperCollins provided me with a copy of Paranormalcy. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title

Author: Michelle Rowen

Genre: YA Paranormal

Series: Nightwatchers (Book 2)

Publication Date: February 26, 2013

Format: Paperback, 448 Pages

ISBN-10: 0373210647 (Harlequin Teen)

ISBN-13: 978-0373210640 (Harlequin Teen)

Reviewed by: Kristie

Synopsis:

My kiss can kill.

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that’s changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone’s soul…or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don’t…I hurt myself.

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I’ll kill him. Then there’s another boy, one I can’t hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They’re both part of a team of angels and demons that’s joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I’ll be able to help Bishop—or if I’m just another part of the darkness he’s sworn to destroy….

NIGHTWATCHERS: When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising…

Quick & Dirty: Excellent wrap-up to a series that is action-packed and full of twists and turns.

Opening Sentence: Crave used to be a prime hangout for dangerous monsters, but tonight I seemed to be the only one here.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

Wicked Kiss is the second and final book in the Nightwatchers series. This book is long but it is action-packed from beginning to end and it wraps up this series on such a great note. There was just so much that happened in this book that it is hard to decide where to start with my review. Samantha Day is still battling with the fact that she can steal someone’s soul or their life with her kiss as a “grey”. Her best friend is gone and she has no one she can trust to help her get her soul back. She has help from the gorgeous angel Bishop and his equally handsome but dangerous brother Kraven but she doesn’t know that she can fully trust them.

Another angel falls to earth, a female, and she is tasked with keeping an eye on Sam at her home where the boys don’t really come around. Sam is really confused about Cassandra because she not only sees her as someone who wants Sam dead but as a potential love interest for Bishop. Jealousy flies for Sam on its’ little angel wings. Then Sam discovers that life as a “grey” is about to get more complicated in a life or death transformation.

If things aren’t already bad enough for Sam, she begins to see what Bishops sees, not just in the here and now but also in the far past. Bishop isn’t giving her the answers she seeks but her gift has allowed her to bypass all of Bishop and Kraven’s barriers letting her get the answers as to how they became an angel and a demon.

And wait for it…there’s more. An evil has come to town and it is killing off a bunch of students in apparent suicides. People who were happy and laughing not just ten seconds before they take their lives. After witnessing a schoolmate kill herself, Sam is drawn into this mystery with another schoolmate, Jordan, who hates her guts. Sam tries to play it off like its just a random strange event but Jordan knows something isn’t right and is determined to investigate on her own but then she is also drawn into the strange world Sam knows.

The mini love triangle continues with Sam in the middle. She wants Bishop but Kraven also messes with her emotions enough that she doesn’t know if she wants him or pities him. For the first half of this novel I did feel that Bishop was a little whiney and not very nice towards Sam except for when he wanted to kiss her otherwise it seemed like he didn’t want her around. Wicked Kiss is told entirely from Samantha’s first person point of view.

Overall, I enjoyed Samantha’s character in this novel. She came off a little stronger in character. She didn’t want to give up even though every path seemed to end with her dying. She does get frustrated at the lack of communication and she doesn’t seem to believe Jordan when she really should.

Wicked Kiss definitely needs to be read with Dark Kiss in order to understand Sam’s life as a grey. Wicked Kiss only skims past the events in the first novel since so much is happening with the storyline. Sometimes it was hard to figure out how things would tie together in the end but it did and I couldn’t have asked for a better wrap up to a series.

Notable Scene:

On the surface, word for word, it almost sounded like an insult. But the way he said it, low and throaty…me being problematic for an angel of death—it was the sexiest thing I’d ever heard in my entire life.

My hunger swirled around me, ever tightening like a cool silk scarf binding me in place. Everything else faded into the background—my future, my survival, the safety of everyone in the city, even the fate of my best friend trapped in the Hollow.

I didn’t care about anything else.

Only Bishop.

“Kraven’s right.” His breath was warm against my cheek. “When I’m this close to you…it’s like being a f ly trapped in a spider’s web. I can’t seem to free myself.”

“I want to kiss you right now.” I was completely unashamed by the truth spilling from inside me. “So much. It’s driving me crazy.”

He didn’t reply; he just nodded slowly, his gaze fully fixed on my lips.

“I won’t take it all. I can stop myself before it’s too late.” My hunger turned me into something other than myself, other than the shy and awkward kid who’d only allowed herself crushes on a couple of guys before. The girl who shielded her heart to keep it from being broken. The one who looked in the mirror and still only saw a skinny girl with long, wild hair and barely enough chest to stuff in the smallest bra on the rack.

But Bishop had never looked at me like I was that girl. He looked at me like I was something amazing. Something beau­tiful beyond words. Something he wanted more than any­thing or anyone else.

And, at the moment, with the sounds of Ambrosia now only a distant echo, I knew he was every bit as lost as I was.

He drew closer, closer until finally…finally, his lips brushed against mine.

Nightwatchers Series:

1. Dark Kiss

2. Wicked Kiss

FTC Advisory: Harlequin provided me with a copy of Wicked Kiss. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

Title

Author: Susannah Sandlin

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Series: Penton Legacy (Book 2)

Publication Date: October 9, 2012

Format: Paperback, 307 Pages

ISBN-10: 1612183581 (Montlake Romance)

ISBN-13: 978-1612183589 (Montlake Romance)

Reviewed by: Kristie

Synopsis:

With the vampire world on the brink of civil war over the scarcity of untainted human blood, battle lines are being drawn between the once peaceful vampire and human enclave of Penton, Alabama, and the powerful Vampire Tribunal. Mirren Kincaid once served the tribunal as their most creative and ruthless executioner—a time when he was known as the Slayer. But when assigned a killing he found questionable, Mirren abandoned the tribunal’s political machinations and disappeared—only to resurface two centuries later as the protector and second-in-command of Penton. Now the tribunal wants him back on their side.

To break their rogue agent, they capture Glory Cummings, the descendant of a shaman, and send her to restore Mirren’s bloodthirsty nature. But instead of a monster, Glory sees a man burdened by the weight of his past. Could her magic touch—meant by the tribunal to bring out a violent killer—actually help Mirren break his bonds and discover the love he doesn’t believe he deserves?

Quick & Dirty: Dark and intense sequel set in a fascinating world with remarkable characters.

Opening Sentence: Business was hopping at the Circle K convenience mart in Roswell, Georgia, a few generic suburbs north of Atlanta.

Excerpt: Yes

The Review:

The second novel in the Penton Legacy series continues with another dark and intense installment. Absolution begins with uber-bad guy Matthias plotting to destroy the town of Penton and the vampires within it. Vampires are having a hard time surviving after humans were inoculated for a disease that makes their blood bad for vampires to drink. Matthias is jealous of Penton, its’ leader and the fact that his son would rather live with that horrible group than him. Penton is a safe haven (of sorts) for a group of vampires that are lead by Aiden. Aiden also has a group of unvaccinated humans that they take care of and can safely feed from without any worry of perishing from bad blood.

One mystery that was left unanswered at the end of Redemption was where did Mirren go? He disappeared pretty quickly after the terrible events of the first book without telling anyone where he was going. It doesn’t take long to figure out what happened. Mirren was kidnapped by Matthias. Matthias takes this as a stroke of luck in his quest to destroy Penton. He hopes to return the great Enforcer to the Vampire Council by starving Mirren until his bloodthirsty ways return and he is once again the great killing machine he once was. Matthias also gains another pawn in Glory. He kidnaps her after realizing that she has some kind of magical/mystical powers that will aid him. But Glory doesn’t fall for his crap so he tries to feed her to a hungry Mirren and things don’t go as Matthias hoped.

Once back in Penton, Mirren, Aiden and crew have a better idea of who is after their destruction. They know Glory is a part of that plan (whether as Matthias’s pawn or victim) and just like Matthias they want to know what she can do. After being thrust into this world, Glory doesn’t know who to trust but she feels that she can trust Mirren, since he showed her kindness in a moment of weakness. She is also attracted to that huge hunk of man and it really doesn’t take long for her to act on it.

The sexual attraction between Mirren and Glory is turbulent. I enjoyed their interactions with each other as they both were a little to pig-headed to let the other get away, more-so Glory than Mirren. Mirren may not have felt that he deserved her but I did. I felt really bad for Glory from the very beginning. She was taken from a horrible situation with terrible things done to her and thrust into a world she knows nothing about. She easily could have gone insane but she didn’t, she decided to fight.

Absolution jumps around to many different points of view including people from the city of Penton to the bad guys. The story has many dark themes with drug use and physical abuse. The story also has quite a bit of action and a bit of mystery that helps propel the story along. It also helped that I really wanted to know Mirren’s story.

As a bridge between Redemption and Omega, Absolution‘s ending doesn’t look so good for those in Penton. I was left a little depressed for those people but I hope that in the next book their troubles will be over and can’t wait to read how this series will end. I will definitely be picking up a copy of Omega.

Notable Scene:

As she talked, Glory pulled on what she thought was her link to Mirren, concentrating to gather her focus. She visualized everything in the room but didn’t unleash her full power. It built inside her while she talked about going downstairs. It grew as she recounted Matthias’s plans to give her to Mirren to kill. Her powers coalesced around her when she described Mirren’s raw, bloody wrists where they’d been tied with the silver-laced rope, when she described how thin he was, and how hungry she realized he was because of his eyes.

Then she unleashed her powers with a shudder that bowed her spine. She visualized everything around her moving, spinning, breaking apart—with Lorenzo and Thomas at their center.

Both men shouted and ducked into defensive postures, but Glory held her concentration, opening her eyes to slam the heavy wooden dresser on top of Lorenzo, then propel the whole thing hard against the wall, with him underneath. Thomas was already on the ground clutching an arm bent at the elbow—going the wrong direction. Papers, glass, lamps,  video camera, spotlight, umbrella—all of it flew in a circle like one of those big tornadoes Glory had seen on the TV news.

Penton Legacy:

1. Redemption

2. Absolution

3. Omega

FTC Advisory: Susannah Sandlin/Suzanne Johnson graciously provided me with a copy of Absolution. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.