ARC Review: Blood Warrior by Lindsey Piper

I want to begin this review by stating that Piper seems to have a knack for writing some of the strongest and amiable heroines I’ve ever read. The following female Dragon Kings instantaneously stationed themselves in my list of favorites; Silence from Silent Warrior, Audrey from Caged Warrior, and now Kavya from Blood Warrior. Not to say that their male counterparts lack in their presence, but after all the titles I’ve read recently these gals are just icing on the cake.

Blood Warrior moves this series away from the Mafia run cage fights and give us some insight into the lives of the Dragon Kings living outside the interactions with humans in their world. Kavia of the Indranaan Clan, the Heartless Ones, is fighting to bring an end to the war between the two factions of her clan. Being born one of a set of triplets she enjoyed her early years spent with her sister and brother, but her siblings giving into the Curse of their clan instantly threw her life into chaos when one murdered the other to absorb that third of their Dragon gift into himself. Upon this knowledge Kavya fled her family and her life and began her calling as the one who will fight to unite the Clans and bring peace to those of her kind. Being cast as a creature of light and love she is given the title ‘the Sun’ from her numerous followers.
Tallis Pendray has long been labeled ‘the Heretic’. Driven by a beautiful spirit who haunted his dreams and promised him his dreams for his kind if he aided her in fulfilling her prophecy. She referred to herself as ‘the Sun’ and tasked him with assassinations of men and women that were proving danger to the Dragon Kings. Through temptation and loving whispers she tasked him with leading one of the most dangerous Mafia families to his niece’s doorstep on the assurance that she would go unharmed. After hearing of her treatment upon helping her escape the Hell he’d led her to he finally began to question the leadership and intent of his beautiful ‘Sun’. Then after hearing murmurs of said woman holding a rally where she would speak in front of her followers he had no choice but to attend, and prove her to be the con artist he’d learned her to be.

Just a few short chapters into this story we find our hero and heroine banded together in a fight for survival. Though both have different reasons to do so, they both realize that in order for them to reach their final goal they’d have to work together. During their journey many falsities come to light, and the smoldering embers of their instant attraction build to a steamy heart racing burn. So much world building and action keeps you engaged throughout this tale and leaves you well satiated at its end.

Blood Warrior is another great installment in the Dragon King series and I’ve said it before but I will do so again. The Dragon King’s series has been a true treat to read and has more than earned its spot on my favorites list. I can easily suggest that anyone who is a fan of a solid plot, a harsh world of beauty and fantasy, and characters you can’t help but root for should pick up these titles for themselves.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Caged Warrior by Lindsey Piper

This story was by far one of the most brutally emotional titles I’ve read. From the first page I was unable to put it down. I immediately connected with Audrey and was her not-so-silent cheerleader from start to finish. When I read the prequel to this series, Silent Warrior, I was unsure of a lot of aspects surrounding the settings of Piper’s Dragon Kings world. After finishing book one I felt fully aware of the harsh reality these characters call home.

Audrey is a Dragon King, but one who’s powers have never surfaced. After being exiled from her Clan she successfully integrated into the human populace. Found a new life, a man to share it with, and eventually a son. The first natural born dragon king child in generations. A truly blessed and happy life, but the fates had never been on our Audrey’s side.

Seemingly out of nowhere members of one of the leading Mafia families shatter her life in an instant. Her husband murdered, both her and her son being subjected to numerous scientific experiments, accompanied all by physical and emotional torture. Eventually Audrey is thrown into a private cell. Her new assigned task to be trained for the Cage Fights that keep the Mafia boss’s pockets padded. Fearing for the life of her son and expecting to hold her captors accountable for their proffered deal of setting them free in one year’s time, Audrey agrees to do what she must to survive. Upon meeting the cold hearted Cage Warrior intended to train her she understands that she will have to use every ounce of strength to keep hope alive.

Leto Garnis, for all intents and purposes, is the Alpha Cage Warrior. Winning is just what he does. Collared and battling for his Mafia Boss for the opportunity to breed and continue his bloodline. Something many Dragon King’s find worth fighting for in any manner. Being saddled with a neophyte or trainee is nothing new to his life, but having her be so completely green and stubborn to their lifestyle was both a surprise and annoyance. Her failure not being an option in order to keep him from losing both his standing among the other warriors, but as his owner’s number one man. Leto will have to dig down deep, and use every trick in his book to get Audrey in top shape for the battles ahead. Both of them having too much at stake to lose.

The relationship between these two characters grew slowly. Stewed, flash froze, simmered, flash boiled, cooled, and then exploding in an inferno of passion. A roller coaster of relationship baggage, trust, teamwork, understanding, angry and violent outbursts, and small snippets of raw emotional vulnerability. Though I had an idea of how the story would end, or at least my hopes on the topic, the journey there never left me unsatisfied. Page for page I grew more tied to Piper’s world and upon finishing it couldn’t wait to jump into the next installment of the series. Audrey and Leto grew together and while both individually brace and strong willed...together they became a true force to be reckoned with. I have to say that it has been ages since I fell for a couple as much as I did these two.

Hark and Silence, from Silent Warrior (Dragon Kings #0.5), had a lot of moments in this title. Having read the prequel it was really nice to get the opportunity to see how they are faring together. Hark of course made me laugh giving a little comic relief to bring my blood pressure back down, and Silence was herself. Mysterious and a total butt-kicker! I really enjoyed the story these two were in, and getting to spend more time with them was a total treat.

I don’t want to delve into the meat of this story much. So much happens and everything comes together so well that I couldn’t help but add this to my ‘Favorites’ list and in turn want you to have the opportunity to experience this story as I did. If you are looking for a fully fleshed out story of hellish trials, unquenchable passion, and strong characters that enmesh themselves in your heart you need to get this title in your hands as soon as possible. Piper most definitely won’t dissappoint.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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ARC Review: Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! by Candace Havens

A quirky fun read to go along with its quirky and fun title. Though the beginning of the story gives you the feeling of something leaning towards a suspense or thriller, the plot never quite gets you there. Instead you have a light read laced with a bit of action, humorous moments and dialogue, and some heady chemistry.

Ainsley McLeon is on the run after accidentally stumbling into the wrong place at the wrong time. Her Uncle and Brother seem to be taking part in criminal activities regarding her family’s company, and out of the blue she finds herself on the receiving end of gun fire. Fleeing for her life she takes off to a place no one would think to find her.

Luc not only runs the local watering hole...but is one bear of an attitude. No one deliberately stands in his way, or questions his orders. That is until the night a high-heel clad young woman walks into his establishment looking for a job. Her being human and all too easy on the eyes, especially his eyes, he turns her down believing that getting out of town would be best for everyone. Upon returning from the kitchen to see her waiting on his customers regardless of his wishes sparks his ire, as well as deepens his intrigue regarding this mystery woman.

This story was a smooth and quick paced read. Ainsley and Luc’s relationship can be categorized as leaning towards ‘insta-love’ but in such a light read it wasn’t a poor choice. There were a few really steamy moments and the dialogue between these two shifted often between emotional vulnerability and hilarious wit. Ainsley made several quick comebacks that had me in tears. I find strong-willed and sharp-tongued heroines are a favorite treat to find in a read, and on that front this story most definitely delivered.

The ‘thriller’ aspect of this story involving the hired henchmen on her tail seemed to be an afterthought to the plot. It served the purpose of getting her into Luc’s bar but that seemed to be the extent of it until the very end where things wrapped up quick and easy. I guess I personally felt there could have been more to explore in that area.

In summary I found that Lions, Tigers, and Sexy Bears Oh My! was an enjoyable read. A sweet romance with some laugh out loud dialogue, and a sexy bear of a man. If you have a taste for shifters, strong and independent heroines, and a tale that won’t wear too heavy on your emotional state then this might be the next title you should pick up.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Deja Voodoo by Elle James

Reading the synopsis of this title I knew I was in for something quirky and different than most of the other PNR’s I generally read. It definitely proved true. Deja Voodoo being the third installment in her Cajun Magic series it provided sufficient enough back-story to connect the books, but not too much that it hindered the reading of Alex and Ed’s story.

Alex grew up in a large family of nineteen kids. Being one of the eldest she helped raise her younger siblings while work to carve a life of her own. Owning a gym and working double-time to prove to her overly concerned Mother that she did not have to have a steady man in her life to be happy took up most of her time. After receiving an interesting gift from her concerned friend she absent mindedly makes a wish only to see it come to fruition the following morning. Call this the proverbial wrench thrown into the works of her well constructed life as her world takes a sharp right into wacky-town.

Ed is on assignment keeping an eye on a witness for a high profile case. Not typically his choice to hang out posing as a fisherman in Bayou Miste, but his partner asked for his help and he had no great excuse for getting out of it. At the time he believed his partner was trying to make it a bit easier on him getting his Mother to rent out a cabin for him, but after being confronted with two sets of twins in a family of nineteen, and request to come to dinner where there was hardly a chance of refusal, and struggling to figure out how to appear as if he’d ever fished in his life as well as enjoyed the activity, he quickly found himself in over his head.

The initial meeting between Alex and Ed was hilarious and there were many other moments in this story that caused me to hold my sides and breathe through a giggle-fit. The romance was sufficiently steamy as well as the characters giving off the feeling of a great match. Ed’s job brought some action to this story and quicken the reading pace a bit. The supporting characters helped to round out the story to make this one a complete package.

In summary I found this title to be a light and quick read. The quirky aspect of the voodoo magic and small town setting worked to give you a little different flavor to the PNR dish. I would have liked to see a little more fleshing out of Alex and Ed’s characters. Don’t get me wrong I liked them, just wasn’t able to connect with them as easily as I’d like to have. Also there were some moments in this story that just kind of left me confused and slightly creeped out. To put these moments in the review would cause some spoilers so I’ll just say that when you come across them I’m sure you’ll be able to know what ones I’m referring to. In general this was a fairly fun read and if slightly oddball PNR is your thing then I believe you will enjoy this title.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Dancing With the Devil by Keri Arthur

Dancing With the Devil is one of Arthur’s earlier works and while finding this book not as cleanly written as her later titles it was still a very entertaining beginning to her Nikki and Michael urban fantasy series.

Nikki James grew up on the streets. A tough life made even more so by her telekinetic gift. Working as a PI now gives her the opportunity to use her power for good. Accepting a case from a wealthy father looking for his daughter Nikki quickly discovers that she’s passed through a door into a world in which her idea of evil pales exponentially to the reality that threatens to take her mind, body, and soul.

Michael Kelly is a vampire, of the non-human blood drinking sort. Being three centuries old and working endlessly to curb his bloodlust has left him in control of his urges, but in turn viewing the world in dim interest. Hunting down a dangerous and vicious vampire named Jasper was one of the drivers in his existence to keep him going. Working for the Damask Circle, a ruling body over being of a paranormal nature, generally let him be. However seemingly times were changing and he found himself tasked with keeping a particular woman with powerful psychic gifts alive.

Drawn together by danger, duty, and simmering chemistry Nikki and Michael work together to solve the case of the missing girl Monica Trevgard. Both carry their fair share of baggage and trust issues. This plus the several obstacles the outside world throws between these two coming to realize and accept what their feelings for each other mean is a long and arduous process. There are a few moments of sizzle and brief glimpses of emotions that lead me to believe that their romance beginning at a slow burn will grow to something solid and steamy as the series progresses. Personally in urban fantasy laced with romance I prefer the natural build up and though there were several moments when I wanted to scream at these characters to ‘get over it already’ I truly did enjoy reading their journey so far and continue to wish for their happiness in the future.

If you are a fan of Keri Arthur and urban fantasy in general I definitely suggest you check out this book. It’s not as well fleshed out and crisply written as her later works but it was a really good read. Also, it is always a treat for me to see how authors grow in depth and skill throughout their career and for being one of her first I think it is great to get such a sense of potential in early publications. I am looking forward to reading the next installment in this series and see how these characters grow.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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ARC Review: Vicious Moon by Lee Roland

Vicious Moon is the third book in the Earth Witches series by Lee Roland. The story centers around Nyx Ianira. An ex-mercenary who found work in the field of private investigations. She’s also an Earth Witch, but not having much interest in devoting her life to mastering her craft as a child, and therefore a poor reaction from the local Coven leaving her with a sour taste in her mouth she tends to keep herself as far from that particular group of people as possible. All this however blows up in her face as out of the blue she finds herself being hauled home against her will by the Sisters of Justice. The police force of the Witch World.

Upon reaching her childhood home she learns from her Grandmother that her sister has gone missing. Gran trusting only her to locate her and bring her home safe she quickly makes her way to Duivel, Missouri. A town which keeps many secrets. Being home to a couple Sisters of Justice, a handful of Earth Witches, a troublesome gang, an organized merc unit, and oh...a demon. Just to name a few. Nyx struggles against the maelstrom of characters and obstacles thrown into her path fighting to keep her away from finding her. Eventually she discovers that if she wants to get out of Duivel with her sister safe and sound, she’ll have to work to master her magic use the tremulous ties she’s made in the community.

One of these ties is Etienne. Head of the mercenary group who had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on her, and try to steer her clear of danger. If nothing else he was there to help her out of perilous situations. Etienne was also the love interest of our heroine and though there were some steamy moments, for the most part what I witnessed was his non-subtle hatred and mistrust of witches, as well as cold indifference to our heroine’s plight. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy experiencing characters grow throughout a story. Transcend their scars from the past and become the better for it, but for me this didn’t happen here. The romance was seemingly an afterthought to the main plotline that drove this story. It didn’t seem to connect our heroine and hero in anyway other than being in the right place at the right time to itch a particular scratch. I would have liked to see these two come together a little more naturally. Maybe then it wouldn’t have been such a struggle for these two to find some common ground to grow from.

There were some really interesting aspects in this story revolving around the world this town exists in. Magical practices and beings, portals to other dimensions and the creepy crawlers that call those places home, and a feeling of much more to come from this author in the future. If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy of the magically witchy variety then I can easily suggest you pick this one up and give it a go. If you like your reads to rate a little higher on the romance scale then this may not be the one for you.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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ARC Review: A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson

A Cursed Embrace was not a read for the faint of heart. It’s been a while since an author was able to pull me in and wrap me around the hearts of the main characters. I experienced both the highs and lows as Celia and Aric faced off against their feelings for each other, demon attacks, and various other obstacles thrown at them. I always try my best to avoid spoilers, so I’ll just warn you that if you are like me and get emotionally invested in well written characters...it’s going to be a rollercoaster.

Picking up just a few days after the previous novel, Sealed with a Curse, the Wird sisters are spending time with each other, their love interests, and trying to get back to their not so ordinary...ordinary life. After almost losing their lives fighting to help the Vampire Master Misha save his Family a brief respite is all they’re looking for. Well, except for Taran and Celia who’s Wolves of interest are leaving them in sour moods complete with stretched nerves and in Celia’s case...itchy claws. No word from Aric, Pack Alpha and Celia’s love interest, was truly eating her up and had her questioning whether there’d been anything there at all. Though the stint of silence ends ubruptly as a rather shady were-raccon ends up dead on the Sisters’ front porch.

We find that this occurrence has been linked to several murders in which Aric and his Pack were investigating. The Wolves being severely protective over the sisters decide that it is time for them to stick close and make sure those they care for are kept safe. Though, it isn’t just the Wolves who’ve decided it their responsibility to take care of the girls...but Misha and the local Vampire Family stand more than ready to take things into their own hands if the situation grows to require it. At this point in the story it became clear that there is a slight love triangle between Aric, Celia, and Misha. As far as triangles go however this one doesn’t stay staring you in the face through the entire book.

From this moment on the book picks up pace as danger and demons lash out at the gifted gals working to capture, use and abuse them for nefarious plans to wreak havoc on the world at large. With both Family and Pack at their sides they face each obstacle with strength, courage, and concern for their family and friends. I read this book in one sitting and though the ending left me with little closure, it surely had me itching to get my hands on the next installment. Also, I’m looking forward to reading the first book so that I can learn how this series began, how the characters I’ve grown to care for came together, and basically just have the opportunity to spend a little more time in the world Robson created.

If you are a fan of Urban Fantasy loaded with action, alpha males and kick butt females, and enough emotional turmoil for any romance junkie to sink their teeth into I suggest you pick up this title.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Guardian by Nancy Northcott

I was drawn into this story from page one. Our heroine, FBI agent Mel Wray looking over the crime scene where the victim had been one of her close friends. I’ve always been a fan of crime scene investigation shows and Northcott’s writing clearly displayed Mel’s character as the strong, independent, and courageous woman many of us love to read about as well as infused her character with roiling emotions and insecurities that most of us can easily connect with. While feeling the pain of Mel’s loss you can instantly recognize the telltale signs of a woman who will stop at nothing to do her job and take care of herself and her own.

Faced with the guilt of allowing her job to make her late to visit her friend, only to find upon arrival that she had been brutally murdered, Mel settles into the small town of Wayfarer outside the Okefenokee swamp. The local authorities agree to allow her to work the case with them as they are grasping at straws and feel that any help is better than nothing at all. What Mel wasn’t expecting however was that their on-call consultant happened to be Stefan Harper. Her college boyfriend and once upon a time love of her life. They’d parted ways with her suspecting him of being unfaithful, hiding a sizeable portion of his life from her, and they’d never spoken again. Just upon hearing his voice for the first time in years sent both her mind and body into overdrive, digging up deeply buried wounds and insecurities.

Dr. Stefan Harper is a Mage, a renowned healer and researcher working for the Southeastern Shire of the Mage society, and a consultant to the local police department. Living a double life as the Mage community keeps strict laws enforcing the keeping of secrets about their kind. Fighting against demons and ghouls to protect not only the human populace but the world in general being a full time job tends to take it’s toll, but it’s a calling that Stefan and those of his kind must answer. Generally carrying pride for his duties only cost him once in his mind, when he had to keep from telling the woman he loved what he was from fear of her possible lack of acceptance. Leaving her and his heart crushed all those years ago. Then, after being called in on a seemingly ghoul-related murder he finds himself face to face with the woman who’d never let go of his heart.

Mel and Stefan’s story comes together in a highly enjoyable cocktail of action, emotional turmoil, self growth, romance, and a love both find themselves willing to fight for. There is just the right amount of romantic tension threaded throughout their journey and this makes the case of argument that something you truly desire is worth fighting for. The action scenes were well written and both the crime fighting realism and magical supplements blended well giving you the opportunity to see it play out clearly in your mind. The supporting characters were a wonderful addition as they helped to aid Mel and Stefan in their development and growth throughout, as well as helped to fully flesh out the entire story.

This was the second full length novel in Northcott’s Protector’s series, third general installment. Book one being Renegade, followed by the novella Protector. Both of which I plan on purchasing so that I can read more about this world of danger, myth, and magic. If you are a fan of PNR and looking for a title that gives you the entire package I suggest you check this one out.

**ARC provided by NetGalley**

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ARC Review: Silent Warrior by Lindsey Piper

Silent Warrior was a quick paced, action packed prequel to Piper’s Caged Warrior, the first book in her new Dragon Kings’ series which released on June 26th.

The story began with a pulse quickening cage fight between the two main characters. Hark fighting to win money to pay off loan sharks has a lot of incentive to take the victory over his opponent. And though an arrogant, ever-babbling, alpha male he is also an incredible fighter. Honing his skills from a rough life on the streets. Through his non-stop blather he has perfected a shield to protect himself from the rough realities of his existence which had served him well until he happened upon this female opponent.

Silence, a mute by choice, was trained for this. Lived for battle. An intimidating fighter who’s skills earned her great respect in the cage, as well as standing in the Cartel who ‘owned’ her. Her lack of speech served to unnerve her opponents giving her more opportunity to discern their weaknesses. Also kept unwarranted attention from coming her way. Unlike the chatty warrior who she acknowledged as a sound rival she was not fighting for money, but rather to earn more trust and freedom to locate the item that would clear her name from a transgression perpetrated by her parents.

Hark and Silence are both from the Clan Sath, and while you learn very little of what that actually pertains to in this novella I’m certain it is one of several unanswered questions that will be fully fleshed out in the full length novels of the Dragon King series. However, it is apparent that the Dragon Kings’ are known for being fierce warriors. And with both characters being fueled by a passion for what they do and are, their quick and steamy romance is something that leaves you wanting to follow these two far past the last page of this story.

To give any more details would possibly spoil the experience of reading this title so I will summarize in stating that I found this story a pleasant read. The action scenes were clearly detailed and well executed. The romance between the hero and heroine, though rushed, worked well in the pacing of the story’s plot and was not shy on emotions formulating their deep connection. My favorite part of Hark and Silence’s relationship was the clever and snarky dialogue between them. Several parts had me laughing out loud as well as a semi-permanent grin plastered on my face.

If you are interested in Piper’s Dragon King series, and you like a lot of action coupled with your paranormal romance I can easily suggest you pick up this title.

**ARC provided by Publisher**

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ARC Review: Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

Fifth Grave Past the Light is the fifth installment in Jones’ Charley Davidson series. While reading I asked myself over and over how it’s taken me so long to find this series? This book grabbed my attention from the start and is still refusing to let go. So of course I will now be heading straight over to my book dealer of choice to locate and purchase the previous installments.

Charley Davidson was born a Grim Reaper. Though life expectancy for one of her kind tends to run low she’s lived to see her mid-twenties and still kicking. Being a major feat in itself she still manages to be a walking trouble magnet to the Nth degree as well as a sense of humor that leaves those she meets with only two choices, love her or hate her. Personally I was immediately on team love as she had my cheeks aching from grinning like an idiot from one well placed ridiculous comment to the next. She keeps the power on by working as a PI and consultant to the local authorities. Cook, her quirky and also hilarious assistant, keeps her on schedule and generally coaxed into a positive mood with an endless supply of caffeine.

On top of Reaper duties, criminal investigations, and staking out cheating spouses she’s also got a man on her mind that won’t seem to stop leaving post-it notes on her door. Easy for him as he’s taken up residence in the apartment next door. Troublesome for her him not only being the son of Satan himself, but also a current person of interest in an arson case her Uncle brought her in on. Reyes is one sexy sonofa- well, let’s just say he’s hot in more ways than one. And to Charley’s delight seems just as fixed on her as she is on him. The chemistry between these two was scorching and left me extremely interested in going back to read the previous books to see how this relationship began and grew to the point I got to experience in this story.

From what I gathered there were several recurring supporting characters from the previous books. All of whom added a great amount of depth into Charley’s character as well as flesh out the varying plotlines sprinkled through the story.

This was an extremely entertaining read. A complete package containing a steamy-as-hell romance, mystery surrounding an apartment full of ghosts, danger, action, and enough quirky quips to leave the most stoic of readers with aching sides. If you have read Jones’ previous works then I am more than willing to bet this will be another must-read for you. For those new to Jones’ writing...if you are a fan of super quick witted strong female leads, and an alpha male that can make you melt this is a definite title to get your hands on.

**ARC provided by the Author**

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ARC Review: Roaring Midnight by Colleen Gleason

Roaring Midnight was a definite treat to read and a great addition to her urban fantasy series the Gardella Vampire Chronicles, though this is the first book in which we meet Macey Denton a.k.a. Macey Gardella on which this book in centered. This was my first opportunity to read Gleason’s writing and I’m delighted to say that I will definitely be checking out her other novels as well as the upcoming additions to this series.

The time period is set in Capone’s era. Flappers, spiffy spats, gangsters, and vampires. Gleason did an excellent job pulling you into the world she’s created including setting descriptions, clothing, and slang-filled dialogue. It was as if I could taste the boot-legged whisky and smell the cigar smoke as I followed Macey’s story.

Macey Denton began this tale as a small town girl who’d realized her dream and moved to the big city of Chicago. Working her dream job at the University Library and spending her evenings dancing the night away with her friends. She was in love with the city she called home, and pretty happy in general where her life was concerned. Then an extremely old book managed to end up in her hands, inside of which she read of vampires and those who hunted them. A far cry from the classic Dracula story which held her interest, then in turn gave her night terrors about all those creatures who go bump in the night. A few short days later a stranger approached her at the library asking for Macey Gardella, Gardella being the family name the untitled old book had centered around, and from that point on her life was irrevocably changed.

Macey was faced with many trials in this story and you were given the opportunity to see her grow in strength and character in both her failures and successes. She’s stubborn, loyal, and strong-willed yet remains aware of her weakness and has no problem admitting to them. She’s human, and her compassion and hopes and dreams for her future work to keep her grounded in her new world full of monsters. I really liked this heroine and am truly looking forward to seeing how she’ll grow into in the next installment and what affects it will have to her life and calling.

There were several male characters in this story that caught Macey’s eye. Sebastian and Chas were both drool-worthy in my opinion but Grady was the one who ended up stealing her heart. Their romance had the perfect recipe of banter, chemistry, and steam for a successful set-up to an on-going series. Immediately after finishing this book I had to go look to see when the next book would be released as I am definitely looking forward to reading more about these two.

To sum up I found Roaring Midnight to be a refreshing take on the ‘Vampire Hunter’ theme. I’ve always had a bit of interest in the twenties and Gleason did an excellent job bringing the city ran by Capone to life in my mind. If you enjoy relatable characters, vampires, those who hunt them, a sweet yet complicated romance, and of course gangsters toting tommy-guns I highly recommend you pick this title up.

**ARC provided by Author**

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ARC Review: Jax and the Beanstalk Zombies by Avery Flynn

This little treasure written by Avery Flynn was a fun and quick read. Packed with little details from several Fairy Tales that added levity to the fact that the main characters spent a lot of time facing down hordes of zombies.

Jax and Veronica begin this tale both weighed down heavily with their previous relationship status, which ended pretty badly. Now under request from their mentor to go on one last adventure together they both pull on their big boy/girl pants and just try not to make each other too miserable. It was fun reading from both points of view as you got to experience their inner turmoil at having to face their ever swinging feelings for each other. Not to mention some pretty humorous dialogue that had me giggling.

Veronica was quick witted and was easy to offer more than her fair share of snarky remarks. Jax, a good ol’ southern boy, was a little less snide but appeared to be a well meaning goof-ball. Other than hilarious repartee, this story had a lot of action. Mostly in the form of zombie battling, though there was a healthy dose of steamy romance, and even a game of fetch with an oversized avian.

If you are looking for something light and fun to read, with equal parts action, romance, and whimsy then this book could be exactly what you are looking for.


**ARC provided by Author**

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Review: Her Wicked Wolf by Kendra Leigh Castle

This novella takes place in the period of 2 days and though a really quick read it left me with a giant grin on my face when I set it down. I really enjoy Castle’s writing and though much shorter than the titles I generally pick up it was a sweet treat to read while finishing my morning coffee.

With looming deadlines and the threat of an upcoming rager of a storm Brienne is battling her truly wandering mind. Now mind you she’s not daydreaming of the characters whose story she’s trying to impart, or worrying over whether or not she’s got a healthy supply of food and batteries for the sure shot of her power being knocked out from the storm, but rather her subconscious remains steadfast in it’s obsession over her downstairs neighbor Alistaire Locke. Though he lives below her apartment he’s immensely antisocial and little more than a stranger to her. Thus her utter confusion over the call she feels whenever her mutinous mind gets free of it’s leash.

Choices he can’t undo have led Alistaire to what he feels is the right place and time to face the shadow of his past and put an end to what’s been five years of running. Though lonely spending years in self-induced solitary he knows that to do anything else would put innocent lives in danger, as well as giving his adversary another weapon to use against him. Things had been going well enough until coming face to face with his neighbor. The young woman his wolf has been tracking with a more than average interest. Realizing too late that what he’s discovered instantly throws a wrench into his well made plans. Now he has little time to set a new plan in motion that will assure him victory over his enemy, while keeping this new treasure in his life from coming to any harm.

As I said before this was a really quick read, but I loved every page. Brienne and Alistaire’s romance was flame inducing, and you can tell these two characters were meant for each other. Honestly I was a more than a little disappointed that it ended. I really wanted more time to spend with these two. So, if you are looking for something quick to pass the time and have a weakness for alpha males check out this book.


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