In My Mailbox! (25)

I totally missed last week's IMM post due to the fact that I had the most hellacious weekend ever but now, I'm back! So I'm going to cover the past two weeks' worth of books.

Xombies: Apocalypticon by Walter Greatshell

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Mad, Bad and Blonde by Cathie Linz

Marked by Elisabeth Naughton

Anastasia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap

Velvet Haven by Sophie Renwick

Deadtown by Nancy Holzner

White Witch, Black Curse by Kim Harrison

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole

Dead Matter by Anton Strout

Where Angels Fear to Thread by Thomas E. Sniegoski

Whew! Anyway, these are my new books and I'm so excited to read them all! Especially Cole's because her books are my crack. Seriously. GARRETH, HERE I COME! Er..

- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Review! The Highlander's Sword by Amanda Forrester

The Highlander's Sword
Amanda Forrester
Sourcebooks Casablanca 
March 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 1402229488
ISBN-13: 978-1402229480

Swept up in the turmoil of 14th century Scotland, Lady Aila Graham is destined for the convent until her brother’s death leaves her an heiress.  Soon she is caught in the conflict between the hastily arranged marriage with a Highland warrior, the Abbot’s insistence that she take her vows, the Scottish Laird who kidnaps her, and the traitor from within who betrays them all.  Yet none realize this quiet, flame-haired beauty has secrets of her own.

Padyn MacLaren, a battled-hardened knight, returns home to the Highlands after years of fighting the English in France.  MacLaren bears the physical scars of battle, but it is the deeper wounds of betrayal that have rocked his faith.  Arriving with only a band of landless knights and war-weary soldiers, MacLaren finds not a hero’s welcome, but his land pillaged and his clan scattered.  Determined to restore his clan, he sees Aila’s fortune as the answer to his problems.  Yet this outwardly shy lass is nothing he expected and everything he needs.

As most of you know, I'm not big on reading historical romances unless they have hot men in kilts and then I'm totally up for it. (What? I admit it..) So when I first heard about The Highlander's Sword, I just had to read it.  The best way I can describe the story is sweet. Aila and MacLaren are practically two complete strangers to each other, even though they grew up around each other, and now they find themselves married to each other. And not even for love! Aila's father gave her to MacLaren in exchanged because he needs more men to guard their village and MacLaren needs Aila's dowries.

Aila is incredibly naive. I can't really fault her this because ever since she was a wee girl, she was promised to be a nun and now she finds herself married to pretty much a guy she hadn't seen in years. That would freak anyone out! But while I understand that she's really sheltered and all, some of her decision were down-right idiotic. However, she definitely grows as a character and a woman so her TSTL* tendencies didn't bother me a whole lot.

MacLaren, or Padin, his first name and I really didn't like it because I kept thinking he was going to appear out of a bottle in a scene - is a very scarred man. He was burned by a woman a little while back and understandably thinks we're all a bunch of evil, black-hearted wenches. However, he just married the one girl that is actually really innocent yet because of miscommunication and misconceptions of each other, their relationship is off to a rocky start.

I really enjoyed The Highlander's Sword, it's the debut novel by Forrester and a highly entertaining one. The budding romance between Aila and MacLaren is beyond sweet and seeing them not only get to know each other more but also themselves was fun to read. I'll definitely be checking out Ms. Forrester's future books.

Lush Rating: 3!


*Too stupid to live for you guys who don't know.

Quickie Review! Spellbent by Lucy A. Snyder

Spellbent
Lucy A. Snyder
Del Rey
December 29, 2009
ISBN-10: 034551209X
ISBN-13: 978-0345512093

In the heart of Ohio, Jessie Shimmer is caught up in hot, magic-drenched passion with her roguish lover, Cooper Marron, who is teaching her how to tap her supernatural powers. When they try to break a drought by calling down a rainstorm, a hellish portal opens and Cooper is ripped from this world, leaving Jessie fighting for her life against a vicious demon that's been unleashed.

In the aftermath, Jessie, who knows so little about her own true nature, is branded an outlaw. She must survive by her wits and with the help of her familiar, a ferret named Palimpsest. Stalked by malevolent enemies, Jessie is determined to find out what happened to Cooper. But when she moves heaven and earth to find her man, she'll be shocked by what she discovers—and by what she must ultimately do to save them all.

I don't know why it took me so long to finally pick up this book, I absolutely loved it! From the beginning, Jessie's in a world of trouble and she can't seem to catch a break in trying to find her boyfriend, Cooper, who is now stuck in Hell. But she's definitely determined to get him back and not even being turned into an outcast will stop her. She's got her new familiar by her side to help her, it's a ferret named Pal who easily became my favorite character!

Spellbent is a never-ending blast with the most ballsy heroine I've ever read. I love Jessie and Pal, and the secondary characters just really add more richness to the story. The only thing that sort of had me going "Huh?" was the jizz kids. I don't even know how to explain these things and I kept imagining them to be little fish-humanoid...things and they seemed really creepy. I don't see how they were that important to the story, anyway. Unless Snyder will make the things have an actual role in the next book? I'm not sure. I totally loved Pal, he's described as a Canadian librarian ferret, just how cool is that?! All-in-all, I really, really liked Spellbent and I can't wait to read Jessie's next book, Shotgun Sorceress!  

Lush Rating: 4!

Review! Naked Dragon by Annette Blair

Naked Dragon
A Works Like Magick Novel

Annette Blair

Berkley

January 5, 2010
ISBN-10: 042523200X
ISBN-13: 978-0425232002

In Salem, human magick has thinned the veil between the planes to a permeable mist, forming a portal into the city, allowing time travelers and chameleons of the universe to enter there.

 Bastian Dragonelli, once a Roman warrior turned dragon, is the first of his legion to be returned to earth, a man. So his brothers can also be saved and sent to earth, Bastian must reclaim the magick of Andra, Goddess of Hope, who sacrificed hers to transform him. He must seek his heart mate and make her quest his own. But the dark, powerful Killian, Sorceress of Chaos, who turned his legion into dragons and skewed his transition back into a man, is hot on his heels.

 McKenna Greylock, the last non-magickal descendant of Ciarra, a witch who survived Salem's hanging times, needs a jack-of-all-trades to help turn her dilapidated Victorian into a bed and breakfast so she doesn't lose her home and her family's centuries-old legacy.

 Enter McKenna's cousin, Vivica Quinlan, Ciarra's most magickal descendent, owner of the Works Like Magick Employment Agency. Vivica has a gift for matching human employers with magickal employees. Like Ciarra before her, Vivica knows when magickal supernatural ancients are about to arrive. She greets them and acclimates them to life, and to making a living, in Salem.

 Besides Killian's threatening presence, Bastian's life is also complicated by McKenna, his guardian dragon, a troublemaking fairy, and a case of culture shock. Bastian also has a problem with his man lance. It won't behave at all the way he remembered it should.  Not at all...

McKenna Greylock is pretty desperate for a handyman. She has ninety days to turn a crumbling Victorian house into a bed-and-breakfast or she'll lose the property that has been her family's for centuries. She goes for help to her distant cousin, Vivica, who runs Works like Magick, an employment agency in Salem, Massachusetts, because she needs a man who's willing to work hard and take orders from her and Steve, her contractor, for minimum wave and room and board. Vivica sends over Bastian Dagronelli to help McKenna. He's a hunk of man who definitely has the strength and agility to help her get the house in order. But Bastian is not only a man, he's kind of a dragon in human form. Turns out, he's from another dimension and was sent over by a goddess to defeat an evil crone so his other dragon brothers can come to Earth, too.

And the plot thickens.

But the only way Bastian can accomplish this is by finding his heart mate and from the second he lays eyes on McKenna, he think it's her. However, wooing her won't be easy. She has been hurt in the past and is skittish around men as can be. She hides her emotions behind a wall that Bastian is determined to crumble in whatever way it takes. McKenna might be attracted to her new handyman but she's determined to get her house ready for the inspector and Bastian has his work cut out for him because if McKenna can't open herself to him and accept his true self - dragon scales and all - the least of their problems will be turning the house into a B&B.

Naked Dragon was one of those books that from the beginning I was confused about. It wasn't that the plot was too confusing to follow, not at all, but that I didn't know how to feel about it. I didn't hate it but I never felt quite that interested in what I was reading. I didn't feel emotionally invested in the characters, nor did I particularly care about what was happening to them. I feel like there was something missing, that connection between the reader and the story that makes us cheer for our favorite characters, which I didn't have, and makes us want them to live happily ever after. However, I did enjoy some parts of the story. McKenna's interaction with her friends, for one. She's very caring and will do anything to help them. Unfortunately, Naked Dragon didn't do it for me. The end does set up the next book rather nicely and I'm hoping I'm able to enjoy the next installment much more.

Lush Rating: 3

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

BROKEN

Shiloh Walker

March 2nd

Shattered

Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.

Desperate

Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.

Driven to desire…

But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…

LOVE the cover and it sounds really good! Check out a small excerpt:

He opened the door—

And stopped dead in his tracks as somebody all but fell into his arms. Somebody…a woman. And not Theresa.

He caught her just above her elbows, automatically steadying her.

“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft and low.

Then she lifted her face and Quinn found himself gazing into the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Feeling a little dazed, he studied her face while she stammered out another apology.

Quinn barely heard it.

He was too busy staring at her mouth. A very pretty mouth, a cupid’s bow mouth slicked with deep, vibrant red. Under his hands, he could feel silken smooth skin and unable to resist, he stroked a thumb along her inner arm.

Her skin was soft, soft and warm. He was also pretty sure she had the creamiest, most flawless skin imaginable. Her shoulder-length hair was a shade caught between blonde and brown, nondescript, but for some reason, he found himself thinking about tangling his fingers in that hair and holding her head still while he kissed that red-slicked mouth.

Well, hello…

Read more..

Review! Succubi Like it Hot by Jill Myles

Succubi Like it Hot 
(Succubus Diaries, book 2)
Jill Myles
Pocket Star 
January 19, 2010
ISBN-10: 141657283X
ISBN-13: 978-1416572831

Nobody said Sucking was easy.

 With a flirtatious new figure, her dream job as an archaeologist, and two  gorgeous boyfriends to scratch her seductive Itch—an angel and a vampire—Jackie Brighton is totally getting the hang of life as a succubus.

Then her need for sex spirals out of control, and she accidentally knocks the pizza guy unconscious with her touch. Great, she’s cursed. Unfortunately, neither of her jealous lovers is exactly talking to her right now.

So after Jackie strikes a deal with a crafty demon, she and her best friend Remy take a cross-country road trip to deliver a cryptic message to the nation’s oldest succubus (who doesn’t look a day over eighteen.) Their journey gets weirder with every mile—demonic possession, a charming stalker, a deadly hotel room warning—but when they get to New Orleans, Jackie discovers a dangerous catch to her supernatural bargain. Someone wants her dead (again), but has she been sleeping with the enemy?

Or do the forces of evil think they’re some kind of match for a vixen in a miniskirt?

Jackie Brighton is a brand-spankin' new succubus. Even though her whole life was turned upside down because of that, things seem to have settling down now. She's got a great job as archaeologist, a whole new makeover and two hot men at her beck and call, sort of. Her two boyfriends, a vampire named Zane and an angel named Noah are the ones who made her into a succubus. However, things seem to be going a little too well for Jackie, that is, until she knocks the pizza boy unconscious with a simple touch. As a succubus, she has the ability to get into other people's mind by making them go to sleep and when she tries to get the pizza boy back, she can't. It's as if in his head, the lights are on but nobody's home. 

But that's only the beginning of her problems. Turns out, she's cursed. And by that I mean that her power is amplified, which is why with a little touch, she's now able to knock any human unconscious and her Itch, that need for sex she gets every day or so, is rapidly intensifying until soon enough that she'll need sex constantly until she literally starves for it. Girl really can't catch a break!

Remy, her best friend who's also a succubus, is willing to do anything to help Jackie and she gets the idea that first they need to make sure that Jackie really is cursed. Well, they somehow end up in a graveyard in the middle of the night looking for an angel but managed to stumbled on to a demon. Jackie ends up making a deal with it who confirms she really is cursed but because dealing with demons have consequences, now Jackie has to go to New Orleans to deliver a message to the oldest succubus in existence, which coincidentally enough, is the one that Remy thinks will be able to help Jackie because she's also a voodoo priestess.

Road trip! Remy and Jackie, along with Remy's porn co-star, Drake, set out to New Orleans and because Jackie really does seem to have the worst luck in the world, neither Noah and Zane are talking to her at the moment so what's a girl to do when she's literally got an itch to scratch a lot more than normal? Add some demonic possession, a dude who seems to be stalking her and Remy's creepy little boy-toy who continues to try to put the moves on her and whom sadly, she's finding more attractive as the itch get worse and Jackie better get that curse lifted off before it's too late.

Succubi Like it Hot is the second book in the Succubus Diaries and even better than the previous book, if that's even possible! I literally read it in one sitting. Myles rocks the character development, Jackie's confidence grows as the story progresses and the reader gets a better glimpse at Noah and Zane' characters. Personally, I love Zane. I think he's a great bad boy and in this story, we see that he's more than just that and the end just about broke my heart! He is definitely my favorite character! The plot kept me on my toes, there wasn't a bored moment and I loved every minute of it. Succubi Like it Hot is a sexy and exciting read and I had a blast reading it! I'm absolutely looking forward to the next installment, I can't wait to read more of Jackie's adventures.

Lush Rating: 4!

In My Mailbox! (24)

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm staying in with lots of chocolate and movies 'cause all the lovey-dovey couples kissing and cuddling make me kind of stabby. Er, I kid. Mostly.

Anyway! Here's some covers for the books I got this week, my camera is acting wonky.

In The Warrior's Bed - Mary Wine
In Bed with a Stranger - Mary Wine
Strange Neighbors - Ashlyn Chase
I Love This Bar - Carolyn Brown
Slow Heat - Jill Shalvis
Boys That Bite - Mari Mancusi (Which came with the cover a little damaged 'cause it was half open. I HATE YOU POST OFFICE)

That's all! They all look pretty awesome, if I do say so myself!


-- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Review! Don't Kill the Messenger by Eileen Rendahl

Don't Kill the Messenger
Eileen Rendahl
Berkley Trade 
March 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 0425232565
ISBN-13: 978-0425232569

The first in a fantastic new paranormal series about a messenger from the supernatural underworld. 

Melina Markowitz is a Messenger, a go-between for paranormal forces and supernatural creatures. Problem is, when a girl's a go-between, it's hard not to get caught in the middle...

When ninjas steal an envelope from Melina, her search leads her to a Taoist temple in Old Sacramento, where the priests seem to practice Zen and the art of mayhem. Melina learns from the handsome ER doctor (and vampire) who gave her the envelope that it contained talismans created by the priests to control Chinese vampires, who are attacking gang members to spark a street war.

Although he may look more like a surfer than a cop, Ted Goodnight is dead serious about investigating the surge in gang violence. At every turn he runs into Melina, a very attractive-and very mysterious-young woman. Can Melina enlist his help to battle something he doesn't even believe in without blowing her cover? 

Melina is pretty much a glorified message-girl but instead of being the go-between with lawyers or your every day fighting couples, she's the messenger for the supernatural world. Meaning, when a troll needs to send a special item, he goes to Melina, or a vampire needs a package picked up, you guessed it, it's Melina who gets roped into doing this type of stuff. She deals with werewolves and vampires and all those things that go bump in the night. Melina's job is definitely not easy and when she's jumped by a group of ninjas and the envelope she's supposed to bring to the vampire boss is stolen, she's not exactly happy. Well, I guess a kick in the kidneys will do that to anyone. Throw in the fact that now she has to find the stolen envelope or things are about to get really nasty, and fast. And because it seems like Melina really can't catch a break, now she has a cop sniffing around her business and that's seriously the last thing she needs. 

Ted Goodnight knows something is going on. When random gang violence starts erupting all over Old Sacramento, and a girl fitting Melina's description is suspected to having called 911 anonymously right before they find bodies littering the streets with pieces missing, he knows she's somehow connected to the whole mess. What Ted doesn't know is that Melina is right in the thick of it. Turns out that the envelope the super hot ER Doc, who by the way, also happens to be a vampire, gave her to drop off has talismans created by Taoist priests in it and those are used to control Chinese vampires. It wouldn't seem like a big deal if those same Chinese vampires weren't the ones being used to murder a bunch of gang members. And murder is putting it mildly, more like eat and rip apart.

Melina has to find who's controlling the Chinese vampires and why they're attacking gang members before it's too late and it's her being hunted next. However, Ted is not going away anytime soon and even worse, they might just be developing the hots for each other. Throw in a cranky werewolf, a horny witch, a pissed off vampire, a nosy roommate and two human teenagers and well, Melina's got her work cut out for her.

Don't Kill the Messenger is the debut novel by Eileen Rendahl and I absolutely loved it! Melina's a super awesome heroine. She's kind of stuck with this gig that she can't get out of and trying to make the best of it. Yeah, she can be a bit of a hard ass but she's also really lonely and vulnerable and that makes her a more three-dimensional character who's easily to care about. At first I wasn't so sure about Ted, he was being his very nosy-cop self and I kept thinking that he would just get in the way and be useless but he totally surprised me. I think Melina and him make a very good couple and are able to work well together and let's admit, the sexy scenes are pretty hot but I also wondered about Alex, the vampire, because it seemed like he wouldn't mind getting with Melina. I'm still a bit torn about who to cheer for but thankfully, this is definitely not the last we've seen of Melina and her world.

Rendahl has a really distinctive voice. Her writing's nicely detailed and with a little sarcastic wit thrown in, I felt was great. I think this series has the potential to become awesome and definitely one of my favorites. Don't Kill the Messenger is a fantastic debut that I thoroughly enjoyed and I'm definitely looking forward to Rendahl's next book!

4 Lushies!

Review! Warrior Ascended by Addison Fox

Warrior Ascended
Sons of the Zodiac, book 1
Addison Fox
Signet
March 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 045122938X
ISBN-13: 978-0451229380

Millennia ago, the Goddess of Justice created a race of fierce Warriors, each imbued with a special power of the Zodiac, charged with protecting humanity from the darkest of evils.

Charming, proud, and impulsive, Leo Warrior Brody Talbot is fighting what may be his final battle. Enyo, the Goddess of War, plans to fulfill an ancient prophecy to destroy humanity by harnessing the dark power of the Summoning Stones of Egypt and there's only one person who knows enough about the stones to help Brody diminish their strength.

Since her father’s murder, museum curator Ava Harrison has continued his research of Egypt’s ancient treasures. She’s just landed the exhibit of a century, displaying the Summoning Stones at New York’s Natural History Museum. Used to working alone, Ava is suspicious of the arrogant archeologist who’s been brought in to ensure the stones safekeeping–but his presence ignites an unexpected blaze of attraction.

Never in all his centuries has Brody met a woman who enthralls him like Ava. But, bound to protect her, he struggles to deny his passion as they are drawn into a dark and dangerous final reckoning between good and evil.

Brody Talbot is one of the zodiac warriors. Each warrior was chosen by the goddess of Justice, Themis, thousands of years ago and given their own sign and now they fight together against Enyo, the Goddess of War and have been doing so for as long as they have been warriors. So far, they have managed to somehow balance the evil that Enyo inflicts on the world but there's a prophecy that has just been uncovered that says humanity will be destroyed if something called the Summoning Stones are brought together.

Those same stones reside in five different museums around the world. But before they can be used, you need the instructions, if you will, that Thutmose's high priest wrote down in tablets way back when and said tablets were just excavated recently. In them, it tells the prophecy of the Chosen one who will be the person able to harness the power the stones have to pretty much bring hell on Earth. Good times.

However, there's only one person that can help Brody and the other warriors prevent Enyo from getting her hands on the Summoning Stones and causing hell. Her name is Ava Marie Harrison and she's the museum curator that has one of the Summoning stones but before Brody can get her to help him, he has to prevent Enyo's henchmen from harming her. Brody and Ava have the hots for each from the get-go but Ava has no clue about this supernatural world that exists and they have to learn to trust each other - and fast, because they sort of have the save the world.

Warrior Ascended is the debut novel by Addison Fox, starting off her series the Sons of the Zodiac. I'm still not quite sure how I feel about this book, there are some things that I would overlook if there was good characterization in the story, but the main characters, Brody and Ava, really annoyed me at times. Brody, for one thing, sucked as a hero. He's a Leo so he's supposed to be super protective and yet under his watch, Ava manages to get snatched by the evil guys several times. So then he starts beating himself over it, then Ava strokes his ego and then he's back to normal. After a few times of this happening, I was just over it.

Another thing that I had problems with was the plot, or rather lack thereof. There were random jumps from one scene to another without a bridge between and it just really confused me. One second I'm reading about one thing and the next it's a completely different scene and I'm left trying to unscramble what's going on.

Those were my biggest complaints about the book. Overlooking that, the story has a very interesting premise based on Greek mythology which I really do like reading about and I really liked the other Zodiac warriors, like Zane, the Scorpio one. I will definitely be checking out Fox's next book, I think that while I did have issues with Warrior Ascended, the series sounds really promising and hopefully, I will enjoy the next book more than I did Warrior Ascended.

Lush Rating: 3.

Review! Roadkill by Rob Thurman

RoadKill
A Cal Leandross Novel, book 5
Rob Thurman
Roc
March 2, 2010
ISBN-10: 0451463196
ISBN-13: 978-0451463197

Once, while half-human Cal Leandros and his brother Niko were working on a case, an ancient gypsy queen gave them a good old-fashioned backstabbing.  They barely made it out alive.  Now, as their P.I. business teeters on insolvency, guess who shows up with a job?  

The gypsy crone wants them to find a stolen coffin. Cal would rather help her into one, but this coffin contains an evil known as the Plague of the World--and it makes the Black Death seem like a fond memory. 

But the thief has already left town, so the Leandros brothers are going on the road.  And if they're very, very lucky, there might even be a return trip...

Cal Leandros is not completely human. He's a mix between Auphe, an ancient race of nightmare-worthy beings and human. As such, he's pretty much hated by everyone and feared on sight. There's only one person who doesn't want him dead and that is his brother, Niko, who is completely human. They run a private investigation business together and are incredibly close.

Now, they have a new job. An ancient Gypsy queen, who by the way, almost got Niko killed in the past and Cal would be more than happy to shoot her in the head than anything, wants them to find someone. But we're not talking about an old boyfriend or someone who owes her money, but an antihealer locked in a coffin who is called the Plague of the World. That little nickname should give you a hint just how evil this guy is. He was stolen by someone unknown and Cal and Niko have to find them before the guy who makes the Black Death seem like children's play gets out of his coffin and makes the world one unhappy place.

Two words: Road trip! But this road trip won't involve crashing parties and skinny dipping with strangers, more like fighting dogs from hell, having to put up a horny puck, a man stuck as a wolf, and a grumpy healer. 

No one ever said saving the world was easy. 

First of all, let me say that if you want to read Roadkill without having read the previous books, you will not be lost! This was a huge plus for me as I haven't read the other books and I was really worried I was going to be super lost but I'm happy to report that I wasn't. Thurman gives enough back story for the reader to understand what's going on. 

I fell in love with Cal from the beginning. He's a trigger-happy smart ass who is more likely to shoot first, ask questions later and I loved his wicked sense of humor. The story is told in mostly his point of view but we do get some insight from Catcher, the guy who is stuck as a wolf. I would have liked to have read from Niko's point. He's a really interesting character and I just wished the story would have been told from his point, as well. The trickster Robin Goodfellow was hilarious! He easily became one of my favorite characters.The plot is just a never-ending thrill-ride, Cal and Niko just can't catch a break in trying to find Suyolak, the guy in the coffin, they keep getting roadblock after roadblock, no pun intended, but they're not giving up because that would mean buh-bye world! 

I really enjoyed reading Roadkill. The characters are kick ass, especially Cal, but there were certainly parts that had me tearing up. The plot was a blast to read and I will definitely be reading the previous and future books featuring the Leandros brothers.

In My Mailbox! (23)

I totally forgot about this week's IMM until ten minutes ago. Oops. Anyway, here are the books I got this week:

Succubi Like It Hot by Jill Myles (One word: Zane! Raawr)

Rogue by Rachel Vincent (My first PBS book!)

Half Past Dead by Zoe Archer and Bianca D'Arc

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (Super thanks to B&N First Look club! Also, this one is going to be part of DAC!)

Yay! They all look good.

That's all!

-- IMM is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Review! Dare to Surrender by Lilli Feisty

Dare to Surrender 
Lilli Feisty
Forever 
February 1, 2010
ISBN-10: 0446541931
ISBN-13: 978-0446541930

HE MEETS HIS MATCH.

SHE MEETS HER MASTER. 

Art gallery curator Joy Montgomery has never liked her body's generous curves. And she's always been too shy to explore her wild side. But tonight, everything is going to change . . . 

Desperate to save her job, Joy approaches bad-boy artist Ash Hunter and asks him to exhibit his erotic work at her gallery. Ash agrees on one condition: Joy must pose as his model. But business soon turns to pleasure, as Joy experiences a passion beyond her wildest imaginings and Ash finds more than just inspiration in his voluptuous new muse.

Let me just say that I LOVE this book. One word to describe it is hot. Really, really HOT. Ash's a bondage photographer and Joy's on a mission to get him to let her showcase his art but here's where things get a little complicated: Ash is done with art and refuses to do a show.. unless Joy poses for him! 

So things soon get really hot and steamy between Ash and Joy but she's holding something back that could totally destroy their blossoming relationship and she's willing to try anything to make sure Ash doesn't found out and end up hating her. 

Joy easily became my favorite character. She's so not put together, she loses her keys and her place is a mess but she's incredibly caring and lovely and that's what matters to me. I could totally relate to her. Ash is just too awesome for words. He's so damn protective about his family and would do anything for them. They both make a great couple 'cause while Joy is a little flaky and all over the place, Ash is crazy neat and organized and they seemed to balance each other really nicely.

Dare to Surrender is a fantastic story with realistic characters, a great plot and wicked hot scenes that had me blushing. I really had a blast reading it and I'm so adding Fiesty to my list of authors to be on the look-out for! 

Want more info on Ms. Feisty's books? Checkit:  website | blog 

Review! Original Sin by Allison Brennan [+ Giveaway]

And the winner is.. Bethie! Congrats! I'll email you in a sec with the deets. Thanks to everyone who entered!


Original Sin
The Seven Deadly Sins
Allison Brennan
Ballantine Books
January 26, 2010
ISBN-10: 0345511670
ISBN-13: 978-0345511676

Haunted by chilling memories of demonic possession and murder, Moira O’Donnell has spent seven years hunting down her mother, Fiona, whose command of black magic has granted her unprecedented control of the underworld. Now Moira’s global search has led her to a small California town that’s about to become hell on earth.

Tormented by his own terrifying past and driven by powers he can’t explain, ex-seminarian Rafe Cooper joins Moira’s dangerous quest. But Fiona is one devilish step ahead. Hungry for greater power, eternal youth, and stunning beauty, the sorceress is unleashing upon the mortal world the living incarnations of the Seven Deadly Sins. 

Together with a demonologist, a tough female sheriff, and a pair of star-crossed teenagers, Moira and Rafe are humanity’s last chance to snatch salvation from the howling jaws of damnation.

While I was reading Original Sin, I kept going from thinking "Oh, this is really good!" to "Why am I reading this?" and by the end, I was still somewhat confused on how I felt about the story. Some parts I really liked, I think the premise for the story was really interesting. These aren't supernatural super-talented men fighting demons, they're plain humans trying their best and that was a nice change of pace. 

I liked Moira but it was obvious that she didn't want to have such huge responsibilities. She had her good moments but I felt like she was stumbling about in the dark a lot. The romance between her and Rafe was sweet, but not much explored and Rafe was one of my favorite characters. 


In the end, I think Original Sin is a pretty good start to a series that has the potential to be really great. If it hadn't been for Meryl (thank you, Meryl!) who brought the book to my attention I probably wouldn't have given it a chance. I will definitely be reading Brennan's next book in this new series, I'm interested in finding out how Moira and company will save the world next! 


Giveaway time! 


I have a copy of Original Sin to give to a lucky reader! Just leave a comment to enter! Open only to U.S. (Sorry, guys) and I'll choose a winner Monday, the 8th!

On My Wishlist! (2)

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here. 

Flirting with Forever

Gwyn Cready

March 30th

Pocket Books

Ava Stratford has piqued more than reader interest with her sexy, tell-all biographies of seventeenth-century painters. She has also aroused the anger of the deceased in the art world. Unlike her readers, these dead artists know she uses a long-lost time portal to uncover the secrets of history's bad boys. When she sees the breathtaking and provocative portraits of half-clothed noblewomen produced by Sir Peter Lely, Ava dons her period travel garb, determined to dig up a great story. What she doesn't know is that Lely has been recruited to return to his life on Earth, intent on protecting his secrets and mastering the woman who has captured his heart.

I first heard about this book on Katie's blog and immediately added it to my wishlist! I LOVE the cover - the dress! the glasses! the SHOES! - it's just fabulous and the blurb sounds awesome so hello! I want this book and it sucks that I have to wait until March!