Something to Howl About - Christine Warren (Review)

Something to Howl About by Christine Warren
Series: Alphaville #0.5
Genres: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romanace 
Publisher: Swerve
Published Date: January 2nd 2018
Format: ebook, 86 pages
How I got it: Netgalley for an honest review
Buy it:  Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 4/5 


WELCOME TO ALPHAVILLE, where the she-wolves and alpha-males play. . .for keeps, in a brand-new paranormal romance series from New York Times bestselling author Christine Warren.

Dr. Annie Cryer has been called many things: Genius. Child prodigy. Scientific wonder.

Wolf Shifter.

Banished from her pack years ago, Annie’s lone wolf wandering has brought her to Alpha, Washington, home to all shifters who don't quite fit in in the "normal" shifter word. Now Annie has the chance to go back home...if only she can make good on a favor her alpha owes the mayor of “Alphaville.” But it's not much of a favor when you're helping the hottest shifter in town...

Grizzly shifter Jonas Browning has a clan in trouble. They haven't had a child born in over a hundred years...and their clan faces going completely extinct. Genetic scientist Anne Cryer has been sent to help save them. But what Jonas doesn't count on is being irresistibly drawn to the small wolf shifter, and his bear isn't about to let her go...

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My thoughts:

This short novella does contain adult scenes towards the end.

This novella follows Dr. Annie Cryer who is a wolf shifter that has been banished from her pack years ago.  She has been wondering about trying to help people.  Annie’s pack leader calls and asks for her to help Grizzly shifter Jonas Browning whose clan is in trouble and in return she will be let back into her pack.

For being just a novella, it has enough background information that the story felt very complete.  After finishing the book, I did want more from Annie and Jonas, but it did have a natural stop.

Annie has been banished from her wolf pack, which is a big deal since wolves are always in packs.  Annie has been looking for a way back to her pack and get her life back on track.  Jonas is concerned that his pack is no longer producing offspring’s.  Jonas has hired Annie to figure out a solution to this problem his clan is having so they will survive. 

Annie is a strong character since she has been cast off and on her own for a while she has developed a tougher skin.   Annie is extremely smart and tries to keep her inner wolf at bay.   Jonas has his own intentions when he meets Annie and is surprised how much they like one another, it is a instalove idea, but it works with this story.   Jonas needs to focus on his issues to figure out exactly how he feels.  I enjoyed that we got both Annie’s and Jonas’s POV while reading it helped bring the book together for me.

I would suggest this as a weekend read.  It was so quick to read it could easily be read in one sitting and it kept me entertained the entire read.  The story is very compact and has a lot going on in it that it was a perfect quick read.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book. 

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About the Author

Born and raised in coastal New England, Christine Warren lived in the South and the Mid-Atlantic before hopping to the other side of the country to take up the life of a transplant in the Pacific Northwest. She completely bypassed those states in the middle due to her landlocking phobia. Hmm, need to research a scientific term for that...

When not scrambling frantically to complete her latest writing project, Christine spends most of her time as a crazy animal lady, hanging out with her dog Levi (he’s the one with the hair) and pretending to train him to have some manners. She also hangs out with her horse, Cal—a thoroughbred with a craving for strawberry licorice twists—her goddog, Merlin; and her best friend, fellow author Hannah Murray. In addition to playing with her pets, Christine’s hobbies include identifying dog breeds from photos of their underbellies, appreciating fine and not-so-fine wines, shopping for the perfect pair of Christian Louboutin shoes, and most of all reading things someone else had to agonize over.

She enjoys hearing from readers and can be reached via email sent to Christine@christinewarren.net or by postal mail to Christine Warren, PO Box 871900, Vancouver, WA 98687-1900.

Author Links:

      

The Wicked Vampire - Kate Baxter (Review)

The Wicked Vampire by Kate Baxter
Series: Last True Vampire #6
Genres: Paranormal, Romance
Publication date: December 5th 2017
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Format: ebook, 384 pages
How I got it: NetGalley for an honest review
Buy it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
My rating: 4/5 
He was one of the most feared creatures in the supernatural world, and yet, she was drawn to him unlike any other. His scent ignited her thirst. The sight of him drove her mad with want...

Lovers forever--or enemies to the death? 

Sasha Ivanov was born to be wild. A vampire party girl, she stalks the L.A. clubs at night. Dancing. Drinking. Indulging her darkest appetites. Never sated, she's always looking for more: more danger, more excitement, more blood. But when she enters a supernatural fight club--and is tethered to her mortal enemy--Sasha realizes she's playing the most dangerous game of all...

Ewan Brun was born to kill vampires. A powerful berserker and unbeaten champion, he doesn't need a weapon to be deadly. He is the weapon. But when his soul becomes captive to the most beautiful vampire he's ever seen, he is all but powerless. He cannot resist Sasha--and cannot fight his desires. Is their love strong enough to defeat the gathering forces of darkness that threatens to destroy them both?

"The chemistry is electric."
--San Francisco Book Reviews on The Last True Vampire 

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My thoughts:

This book contains adult themes.

This book follows Sasha who is a vampire living on the edge with her nightlife habits and Ewan who is a berserker, which are vampire hunters.  Ewan has been fighting at night to make some additional money and Sasha randomly meets up with him at a fight.

The author does a great job creating the chemistry between Sasha and Ewan.  The chemistry felt almost instant from page one between the two characters.  I enjoyed that we got POV of both Sasha and Ewan during their relationship.   The big conflict is that berserkers are supposed to be killing vampires not getting into a relationship with one.   Sasha and Ewan must get past a lot of their chemistry to establish a deeper relationship.

Sasha wasn’t trying to get to invested in Ewan in the beginning and most of the book since she had her heart broken in the past.  I loved that she tried to remain as rational as possible during the relationship.  She knew her limits and what she was expecting out of the relationship.  Sasha stayed very level headed during the entire book and her insight during her chapters helped establish her as a strong character.  I loved that we got to hear about Sasha’s life in the past as well as how she became a vampire. 

Ewan was a completely different male lead.  Ewan’s temper could get the best of him in a lot of situations and it was hard for him to control what was going on.  I felt most of the book was centered around Ewan’s complicated life and the decisions that he had to make.  I enjoyed being able to get Ewan’s perspective during his chapters because it gave a lot of insight onto what was going on with him.  I enjoyed getting to learn more about Ewan’s world as I read and what he wanted to run from.

My major complaint would be that I read this as a standalone novel and felt like I was missing bigger pieces of the story.  I could follow along what was happening between Sasha and Ewan, but there are chapters in between from other perspectives that I was not understanding at all.  I get that this was building to a bigger picture so I would suggest reading this series from the beginning.   The story switched to many POV’s so it was hard to follow when a random character was introduced with little to no background information.

I would suggest this as a great nighttime read.  It was easy to get transported into this book and want to read a little bit each night.  There were portions that were harder to put down, but I did find some natural stopping points when we were switching POV’s.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my review of this book. 

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About the Author

Kate Baxter is a die-hard romantic with a thing for Shakespeare. She lives in the great northwest where she hides away to write about all things fanged, furry, and undead.
http://facebook.com/AuthorKateBaxter

Author Links:
   

{Blog Tour} Rowan Wood Legends (The Lost Clan #2) - Olivia Wildenstein (Review)

YA Bound Book Tours is organizing a Blog Tour for: Rowan Wood Legends (The Lost Clan #2) by Olivia Wildenstein. This tour will run from August 14th to 18th. Check out the tour schedule.

*Rowan Wood Legends can be read as a standalone but does continue the story from Rose Petal Graves. Rose Petal Graves will be available to anyone who wants to read it first!*

Rowan Wood Legends (The Lost Clan #2)

by Olivia Wildenstein

Genre: Paranormal/Faeries

Release Date: August 14th 2017

Summary:

SOME LEGENDS ARE BETTER LEFT UNTOLD.

I wasn’t the sort of girl who believed in fairytales, let alone tales about faeries. But that changed the day Faeries came to my small town and Hunters rose from their graves. 

On that fateful day, I received a book, a peculiar collection of myths and legends. Turns out it was so much more than stories. And just as I was on the verge of unlocking its secrets, it was stolen from me by someone I called a friend. 

Now, I don’t know whom I can turn to, whom I can trust. All I know is that there are two sides, and I am straddling the great divide because I am both Faerie and Hunter. And although I swore I would never choose, I am slowly falling for one of those sides…

Fans of Karen Marie Moning's Fever series will adore Wildenstein's Lost Clan series.

  

Previous book in the series (click on image for Goodreads link):

Review:

This is the second book in The Lost Clan series and continues to follow Catori as she learns more about her history and the legends of Rowan Wood.  My favorite part about this book was I felt like I could jump right back into these series and it picked up right where it left off. I love the authors writing it is very descriptive and she does a great job creating a story that I don’t want to put down.

Catori seems to have matured a lot from the first book.  Although it doesn’t feel like much time has passed in the series she seemed to have learned the importance of not trusting everyone.  I feel Catori is a lot more questioning of things this time and less reactive to situations.  Catori wants to learn about her past and see where her future can go. 

The author does a great job with all the other characters in the book.  The story is told from Catori’s point of view and I love that she has doubts about so many people, but still is trying to move forward.  It really kept me reading and wanting to figure out exactly what was going on.  I enjoyed that we got to see more of a few smaller characters in the first book in the second book of the series.  I loved how the author expanded on Catori's friendships in this book.  We get to see Catori's relationships with several characters in the book and the author does an amazing job bringing them to life.  I love when you get to see a relationship go through different stages I feel like you learn a lot more about the characters. 

My one complaint would be I would have loved a little bit longer of a prologue just giving a quick recap of the characters.  After reading the first few pages I could recall most of who everyone was and what previously happened, but I did feel like there could have been more background on it.  I don’t think this book could be read on its own I would suggest reading the first book in the series first, which is another can't put down book.  I also can't wait for the next book in the series I wish it was out now.

I would suggest this as a weekend read.  I got totally sucked in and couldn’t put the book down I just wanted to know what was going to happen.  

I received a copy of this book from YA Bound Tours to provide an honest review.  This does not affect my opinion of this book.

My Rating: 5/5

About the Author

Olivia Wildenstein grew up in New York City, the daughter of a French father with a great sense of humor, and a Swedish mother whom she speaks to at least three times a day. She chose Brown University to complete her undergraduate studies and earned a bachelor’s in comparative literature. After designing jewelry for a few years, Wildenstein traded in her tools for a laptop computer and a very comfortable chair. This line of work made more sense, considering her college degree.

When she’s not writing, she’s psychoanalyzing everyone she meets (Yes. Everyone), eavesdropping on conversations to gather material for her next book, baking up a storm (that she actually eats), going to the gym (because she eats), and attempting not to be late at her children’s school (like she is 4 out of 5 mornings, on good weeks).

Wildenstein lives with her husband and three children in Geneva, Switzerland, where she’s an active member of the writing community.

Author Links:

   

{Blog Tour} Rowan Wood Legends (The Lost Clan #2) - Olivia Wildenstein (Cover Reveal)

{Blog Tour} The Lightning Luminary - RS McCoy (Review)

Title: The Lightning Luminary

Author: RS McCoy

Genre: Urban Paranormal Romance

Cover Designer: Kit Foster Design

Now Available

Blurb: 

Talia Stanley may look like the typical wealthy New Yorker, but she's hidden her secrets for more than a thousand years. One of the last surviving members of an ancient race called Luminaries, Talia has suppressed her ability to control lightning in exchange for safety. 

And for generations it worked. Talia's hermit lifestyle protected her from strong Luminaries that want her power. All that changed the day Mason Rathbone walked into her life. 

A good-looking artist, Mason is just the guy to get Talia out of her penthouse apartment and show her what it means to live again. But just as she starts to get comfortable, Talia gets sucked right back into her vicious past.

Review:

This book jumps right into the action and follows several characters.  The chapters are broken up between characters and have minimal overlap so you get to see different sides.  The chapters continue during the same event so you get to see the different perspectives, but also you get to learn a little bit more of what is actually going on in the story.

I love that in the book we get to see so many different perspectives from different people, but we also get a bigger picture.  The story is told through the eyes of Mason having a seizure and ending up in the hospital, Talia who is having trouble with her accountant and might need to run again, Jamie who can track luminaries, Eudora a healer luminary who is trying to save people, and Larisa who is a wife of the Hadrian who only wants a son.  The book mainly focuses on Talia and Mason as they are trying to figure out their relationship, but we do get the overall story that Talia is being hunted by Hadrian because he wants her to give him a son.  This may seem overwhelming at first with so many characters, but the story is easy to follow along.  The different perspectives really allow the reader to get a complete picture of what is going on.

I love Talia as a character I felt really connected with her.  She has lived many years and has taken the precaution of staying away from people and always protecting herself.  Talia has seen so much in her life she is avoiding love and being hurt.  I love that during the book Talia is able to take a leap of faith with Mason and try to go back out into society.  She is very educated and a smart women who is just trying to stay safe and keep the people she loves safe.  

Mason was another great character the author did an excellent job with developing.  He seems so naive when we first meet him with the seizure and waking up disoriented, but he really picks up and accepts everything that is happening to him.  He is very real and adaptive to what is going on.  Mason is much stronger then he originally appears.

I love how the story jumped right into the action.  It made the book easy to read and a want to read.  I wanted to figure out what was going on with all of the characters and what was going to happen to everyone in the end.  This book is part of a series and the ending of this book sets up a great cliffhanger so I personally want to read the next book to see what is going to happen next. 

I would suggest this as a nighttime read.  It is easy to follow along in the book so it is easy to pickup and put down while reading.  

I received a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of this book. 

My Rating: 4/5 

Buy Links:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Amazon CA

Author Bio: 

Rachel McCoy is a Texan living in New Jersey. Between binge-watching MTV reality shows and baking gluten-free treats, she writes paranormal fantasy and science fiction novels.

She is the self-published author of the Sparks Saga trilogy, The Alder Tales series, and The Extraction Files. Back when she lived in the real world, Rachel earned a degree in marine biology, which contributed to her die-hard love of manta rays. 

To connect with RS McCoy (or swap recipes), visit her on her website (www.rsmccoyauthor.com) or check out her Facebook page (www.facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy). You can also join her newsletter to receive release updates, free stories, and bonus extras (http://eepurl.com/YItp1). 

Author Links: 

Website: http://rsmccoyauthor.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRSMcCoy

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RSMcCoy1

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7429464.R_S_McCoy

Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/rsmccoy

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rs-mccoy

Newsletter Sign-up: http://eepurl.com/YItp1