Review: Croak by Gina Damico

Croak
Author: Gina Damico
Release Date: March 20, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Croak Book #1
ISBN:  0547608322
ISBN13: 9780547608327
Genre: Young Adult
Review Copy Source: Netgalley/Teen Book Scene

Teenage delinquent Lex's parents ship her off to her uncle's house for the summer, where she discovers a surprising family business as a grim reaper and gets caught up in a mystery, in the first installment of a morbidly hilarious new series.

CROAK is a little town in the middle of no where that cheats tourists out of money, names their establishments after death and oh yeah, all of its residents are grim reapers. Lately Lex has been getting into trouble and her parents send her off with her Uncle Mot for the summer. She quickly realizes that her Uncle is not who she always thought he was and she is following in his footsteps. 

Lex really had no clue as to why she was suddenly getting into so much trouble. Her temper was all over the place, she would hit people for no reason and argue with everyone. When her parents told her she was going to her Uncles for the summer she was angry and a little scared that she was going to have to leave her twin sister behind. Lex quickly fell into her new role as a grim reaper and jumped into new friendships and situations. I enjoyed all the other teen grim reapers and it was interesting to learn about the different roles they played. Everyone but Lex comes from tragedy somehow and that makes Lex a bit different from them. From the beginning she can do things that no one else can and that plays a big role in the events of CROAK.

There was a great amount of humor, complex characters and an interesting town that was fun to navigate. The world building was neat. The Grim's source of travel and power was unique. There were a few slow parts but they in no way took away any of my interest in the story. The events at the end of CROAK were a bit easy to predict. I know it will play a huge role in the events of book 2. I have a few theories on why Lex is how she is that I'm hoping will be revealed quickly so I'm excited to get a hold of SCORCH to see if I'm right. 

I gave it 4/5 stars 

Review: Wicked as They Come by Delilah S. Dawson

Wicked as They Come
Author: Delilah S. Dawson
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Pocket
Blud Book #1
ISBN:   1451657889
ISBN13: 9781451657883
Genre: Steampunk/Paranormal Romance
Review Copy Source: Publisher

Have you ever heard of a Bludman? They’re rather like you and me—only more fabulous, immortal, and mostly indestructible. (They’re also very good kissers.)

Delilah S. Dawson’s darkly tempting debut drops her unsuspecting heroine into a strange faraway land for a romantic adventure that’s part paranormal, part steampunk . . . and completely irresistible.

When Tish Everett forces open the ruby locket she finds at an estate sale, she has no idea that a deliciously rakish Bludman has cast a spell just for her. She wakes up in a surreal world, where Criminy Stain, the dashing proprietor of a magical traveling circus, curiously awaits. At Criminy’s electric touch, Tish glimpses a tantalizing future, but she also foresees her ultimate doom. Before she can decide whether to risk her fate with the charming daredevil, the locket disappears, and with it, her only chance to return home. Tish and Criminy battle roaring sea monsters and thundering bludmares, vengeful ghosts and crooked Coppers in a treacherous race to recover the necklace from the evil Blud-hating Magistrate. But if they succeed, will Tish forsake her fanged suitor and return to her normal life, or will she take a chance on an unpredictable but dangerous destiny with the Bludman she’s coming to love?

Tish falls in love with a locket at an estate sale and ends up taking it home. She gets it open, goes to bed and finds herself dreaming of a man and a world not like her own. 


Tish is a bit broken when it comes to relationships. She previously escaped from an abusive relationship and is content to be on her own taking care of her elderly patients and grandmother. From the start she is attracted to Criminy but refuses to let him close for fear that she will lose herself again. Criminy was a fun character to get to know. He is a gypsy musician and he claims Tish is his soul mate from the start. There relationship slowly builds and Tish finds herself torn between worlds. Sang ended up being one of the more original worlds I have read lately. Everything was well described from the landscape to the different people to the unique and deadly wildlife. We meet a wide array of characters that were well developed and brought their own something to the story. I very much hope that even though each book in the series will revolve around a different budding relationship, that we will be able to follow Tish and Criminy a bit more so that we know what their future holds.

I found WICKED AS THEY COME to be superbly unique and fun to read. The characters were all full of spunk, the plot was nicely paced, and the world was original and easy to fall into. I will definitely be looking for more from debut author Delilah Dawson. 


I gave it 4/5 stars

Winner: Wide Open by Deborah Coates

Thank you to everyone who entered!!
 

Prize: Finished Copy of Wide Open

The Winner chosen by Rafflecopter is.....

Giveaway: How to Be Death by Amber Benson

*Now Available*

How to Be Death
Author: Amber Benson
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Calliope Reaper-Jones Book #4
ISBN:  1937007286
ISBN13: 9781937007287
Genre: Urban Fantasy

All Calliope Reaper-Jones ever wanted out of life was a fabulous job in New York City and a really hot boyfriend. But now, she's the brand-new President of Death, Inc. With the Board of Death breathing down her neck and her dad's copy of How to be Death (A Fully Annotated Guide) unopened, Callie's really feeling the tension. And when the guide book is stolen at a fancy formal dinner, Callie has to figure out how to be the boss--before the powers held within the book get out and destroy humanity forever...

 US Only

New Releases: 3/25-31

Tuesday March 27

Back from the Undead (The Bloodhound Files #5) by D.D. Barant

Bear Meets Girl (Pride, #7) by Shelly Laurenston

Blood on the Bayou (Annabelle Lee, #2) by Stacey Jay

Deliverance (Mortal Path, #3) by Dakota Banks

Fair Coin (Coin, #1) by E.C. Myers

Forgiven (The Demon Trappers, #3) by Jana Oliver

Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test, #2) by Aimee Carter

 Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #10)by J.R. Ward

Sacrificial Magic (Downside Ghosts, #4) by Stacia Kane

Shadow's Fall (Shadow World, #3) by Dianne Sylvan

Sins of the Son (Grigori Legacy #2) by Linda Poitevin

Slide by Jill Hathaway

Spellcaster (Spellbound, #2) by Cara Lynn Shultz

Temptation Rising by A.C. Arthur

The Kingdom (Graveyard Queen #2) by Amanda Stevens

Wanted: Undead or Alive (Love at Stake, #12) by Kerrelyn Sparks

Wicked as They Come (Blud, #1) by Delilah S. Dawson

Happy Reading!!!!

Review: Shadow's Fall by Dianne Sylvan

Shadow's Fall
Author: Dianne Sylvan
Release Date: March 27, 2012
Publisher: Ace
Shadow World Book #3
ISBN:   1937007383
ISBN13: 9781937007386
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher

For three years, Miranda Grey-Solomon has kept her role as Vampire Queen of the South separate from her Grammy-winning music career. But now, her dual lives are starting to collide, threatening everything Miranda and David, her Prime, have worked for.
The entire Signet Council has descended upon Austin for its ten-year summit, bringing with it Prime James Hart of the Northeast, a sworn enemy come to take his revenge on those who defied him. But Miranda and David receive an unexpected offer of help from David's sire, an ancient and powerful vampire with knowledge that may be their salvation-or their doom.

Talk about cliffhangers. Miranda just can not catch a break. SHADOW'S FALL is book 3 in the Shadow World series and I would 100% recommend that you start with book 1 QUEEN OF SHADOWS if you are new to the series. 

Miranda started out as a broken musician and has grown to the be the Vampire Queen of the south with her vampire king and love David beside her. They have had their ups and downs but are very much in love and rule together perfectly. I loved David in QUEEN OF SHADOWS, was really mad at David in SHADOWFLAME and fell back in love with him again in SHADOW'S FALL. Book 3 ended up being one of those books you wanted to yell at the characters and throw the book across the room at some of the awfully stupid decisions that were made and the bullheaded friends that keep things from each other. Having said that I still could not put it down. I had no clue what was going to happen and was completely shocked at the events that took place. We get to see some characters from book 2 that we loved and hated as well as meet new primes that we had not been introduced to.

The ending. I honestly have no words to explain it but........ WHAT??? WHAT??? NOOOOOO..... is what went through my head. There is a lot of unexpected loss in SHADOW'S FALL and I'm not sure how Miranda could possibly get through it. I'm still in shock and not sure what else to say without giving away spoilers. I couldn't imagine not reading book 4 when it comes out.

I gave it 4/5 stars 

Week in Review 3/18-3/24

Books Ive Bought/received

* Plague Town by Dana Fredsti- Publisher

* Nice Girls Don't Bite Their Neighbors- Publisher

* Elemental by Emily White- Publisher

* The Vicious Deep by Zoaida Cordova- Publisher




Books I read

Sins of the Angels by Linda Poitevin
Sins of the Son by Linda Poitevin
Wicked as they Come by Delilah S Dawson
Protectors Mate by Katie Reus

Reviews posted


Deliverance by Dakota Banks
Sacrificial Magic by Stacia Kane
White Witch by Trish Milburn
Pure by Jennifer Armentrout

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* New Releases for the week. Was there anything you were looking forward to reading?


* Deborah Coates Author of Wide Open was on UFI Monday with a Interview and Giveaway.

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*If you see something on my books Ive read list that you are dying to know about let me know I'm back logged on reviews and can move it up on the list if I know people are wanting one.

* I love comments so if you see something you like (or not) please comment away and let me know.