Sunday, July 7, 2013

Week in Review: 6/30- 7/6


Books Ive Bought/received

* Silence of the Wolves by Hannah Pole- eCopy- Author via Netgalley

* Consume by Melissa Darnell- eArc- Netgalley

Books I Read

Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews
Affliction by Laurell K Hamilton

Reviews Posted

Justice by Jennifer Harlow
A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson
Forsaken by the Others by Jess Haines

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

* Monday- guest blog and giveaway for Seeing Ghosts by James Garcia Jr. went up.

*Tuesday- A guest blog and giveaway for Demon Possession by Kiersten Fay was posted.

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

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Review: Justice by Jennifer Harlow

Justice
Release Date: May 18, 2013
Publisher: Devil on the Left Books
ISBN:  0989394417
ISBN13: 9780989394413
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author

It’s hard being a regular police officer in Galilee Falls, a city with the highest concentration of superheroes and villains in the country. It’s even harder watching your best friend, the man you’re secretly in love with your whole life, planning to marry another woman. Detective Joanna Fallon has to contend with both. When the vilest supervillain in the city’s history, Alkaline, the former crime boss who can shoot acid from his wrists, escapes from the maximum security prison, the whole city is gripped by panic. Leading the pursuit is Captain Harry O’Hara, Joanna’s boss and secret lover, and the city’s champion superhero Justice, who caught the villain last time, much to Joanna’s chagrin. Before her father was murdered in a mugging twenty years earlier, Joanna worshiped the hero, but when he disappeared and failed to save her father, that adoration turned to contempt for all supers. After Alkaline attacks too close to home and targets Joanna as his next victim, tough-as-nail Joanna has to contend with her increasing fear while struggling to choose between her life-long crush and her new-found love.

At turns vulnerable and fierce, equally mordant and winsome, Joanna is an earnest yet emotionally damaged heroine, who despite the tough breaks of her childhood sees the good in people and vow to protect her beloved city at all costs. An ass-kicking petite firecracker with no superpowers of her own, she charges after supervillains unflinchingly, never losing her wit even when facing her toughest fight. With a coy blend of whimsy and vivid imagination, she delivers both humor and thrills in an action-packed and edgy blend of comic book cool, fantasy-noir, and bitter-sweet romance.

JUSTICE is full of action, adventure, conflict and emotion. The story was addictive, the characters are flawed and likeable and I could not put the book down.

I really enjoyed the comic world feel of the book. The action is non stop and Joanna really can kick ass when it is needed (and trust me it always seems to be needed). Joanna was an interesting character. She met her best friend Justin after he stopped her from committing suicide as a child and has been in love with him ever since. Unfortunately he does not know that and is getting ready to marry another woman. Justin is the rich boy to her poor girl. They are like water and fire but depend on each other at every turn. Then there is Joanna's secret lover/boss Harry. Even though Harry is older, they fit well together. They don't seem to expect the world from each other but they are happy with each other and grow together throughout the book.  Although things tend to be completely obvious to you, you can see why Joanna does not see what is right in front of her most of the time. I don't want to dive into much more about the story or the world because I think you will enjoy the book more without guessing what will happen beforehand.

I always get excited when I see a new book coming out in Jennifer's F.R.E.A.K.S. Squad Investigation series. I was a little skeptical when she contacted me to review JUSTICE because I am not a comic type of girl. JUSTICE was so much more than I thought it would be and I do not see myself turning down any book that Jennifer puts out in the future. I have loved everything I have read from her and I know you will too.

I gave it 5/5 stars

Friday, July 5, 2013

Review: A Cursed Embrace by Cecy Robson

A Cursed Embrace
Author:Cecy Robson
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Signet
Weird Girls Book #2
ISBN:   0451416740
ISBN13: 9780451416742
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Publisher via Netgalley

Celia Wird and her three sisters are just like other twenty-something girls—with one tiny exception: They are the products of a curse that backfired and gave each of them unique powers that made them, well, a little weird…

After Celia Wird and her sisters help master vampire Misha save his family, their powers are exposed to the supernatural community of the Lake Tahoe region. But fame comes at a price, and being “weird” isn’t always welcome.

To make matters worse, Celia desires the love of Alpha werewolf Aric, but his pack is bent on destroying their relationship to preserve his pureblood status. And once weres start turning up dead—with evidence pointing to the vampires—she must face the prospect of losing Aric forever. But the chaos only masks a new threat. An evil known as the Tribe has risen—and their sights are set on Celia and her sisters.

Where to start, where to start ...What happens when an Alpha werewolf is forced to choose between the woman he loves and his race that is dying out? A WHOLE lot of hurt, betrayal and hasty decisions.

The characters of this series keep me coming back for more. I really love Celia and her sisters. They are so fun and quirky. They each have their own personalities and are so different from each other,but are still so close and supportive of each other. Aric is strong alpha male. His group of weres are all protective and easy to like. Misha is still trying to win Celia over. He is there at every turn trying to seduce her and steal her away from Aric. Each and every one of them grow and change in A CURSED EMBRACE in some way. While Celia's sisters are enjoying their new-found love Celia's world is falling down around her. There is a lot of joy and an equal amount of pain. Aric's pack (besides the guys we know and love) are a bunch of ass hats. That is the best way I can describe them. There were many points that I wanted to jump into the pages and beat them over the head. The storyline for book 2 is pretty dark and sometimes creepy. There are demon babies clawing their selves out of human tummies. Fair warning!

There are a lot of situations that you just are not sure who will survive and who will be lost. The action is crazy, the situations leave you shocked and the choices will have you screaming at characters to open their eyes. The ending you ask? I don't even know what to say. I am heartbroken, I understand Celia's decision, I want to punch a certain alpha, I want to cry. Where is book 3? If you are an emotional reader A CURSED EMBRACE will leave you in tears at many points so keep the tissues handy.

I gave it 4/5 stars

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Winners

Thank you to everyone who entered!!
Prize: multiple, see below
The Winners chosen by Rafflecopter are .....
Congrats!! I have emailed winners who has 48 hours to respond with mailing address or I will pick another.

Happy 4th of July

What does everyone have planned today?

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Review: Forsaken by the Others by Jess Haines

Forsaken by the Other
Author: Jess Haines
Release Date: July 2, 2013
Publisher: Zebra
ISBN:   142012403X
ISBN13: 9781420124033
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Review Copy Source: Author/Netgalley

The Others–vampires, werewolves, things that go chomp in the night–don’t just live in nightmares anymore. They’ve joined with he mortal world. And for private investigator Shiarra Waynest, that means mayhem…

Have a one night stand with a vampire, and you can end up paying for it for eternity. P.I. Shiarra Waynest, an expert on the Others, knows that better than most. Yet here she is, waking up beside charismatic vamp Alec Royce with an aching head…and neck. Luckily, Shia has the perfect excuse for getting out of town–namely, a couple of irate East Coast werewolf packs who’d like to turn her into a chew toy.

On Royce’s suggestion, Shia temporarily relocates to Los Angeles. But something is rotten–literally–in the state of California, where local vampires are being attacked by zombies. Who could be powerful enough to control them–and reckless enough to target the immortal? Following the trail will lead Shia to a terrifying truth, and to an ancient enemy with a personal grudge…
*Contains minor spoilers*

With all the danger focused on Shia, Royce sends her and Sara off to California to what he thinks is safety to investigate a slight zombie problem. Unfortunately what they think they are walking into turns out to be much more dangerous than they thought.

I didn't feel that there was as much action as I have grown to expect. There were a few sticky situations but the book as a whole felt more like a filler/lead up to book 6 type book to me. I was disappointed with the lack of Royce time. They finally get together and they are separated? Sigh ... and what was up with him not trying harder to bring her back? Just didn't feel like the Royce I have come to know. Arnold is missing as well. With his and Sara's relationship so strong it just felt odd. I missed the other characters and settings I have grown to love about the series as well. The zombies were fun and we meet some interesting people, old and new. The cliffhanger ending definitely makes you want to read what will come next.

I hate to say it because I love Jess Haines and the H&W Investigations books but FORSAKEN BY THE OTHERS was my least favorite of the series. I will still be looking forward to book 6 so bring it on Jess.

I gave it 3/5 stars

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Guest Blog & Giveaway: Demon Possession by Kiersten Fay

UFI welcomes Kiersten Fay Author of Demon Possession. Thanks for Joining us!!



When I’m developing a character, one of the first things I do is search for an image that matches what’s in my head. Some authors chose images of well-known actors, but I prefer anime or drawn figures. This way, I find it’s much easier to imprint my character’s personality onto the image. Below are a few characters from Demon Possession. Search for Kiersten Fay on pinterest.com for more characters.
  

Sebastian:
Sebastian is a demon without a home. He is the captain of Marada, a ship that has carried him and his family throughout space as they make their living as merchants.

Long ago, at the beginning of the Great Demon War, Sebastian's mother betrayed him, An act that nearly cost the lives of Sebastian and his two siblings, Calic, and Sonya. As a result, Sebastian keeps himself emotionally distant from anyone but his last remaining family. He is fiercely protective of them.


 Analia:
Analia is somewhat withdrawn, shy, and self-conscious, but she has an almost childlike excitement for life, and an inner light that people are drawn to. She has lived as a slave since childhood, and cannot remember her people. Her unusual gift and pointed ears are her only clues to her past. And although she had been abused by her captors, Analia proves to be extremely resilient and retains her sweet and caring disposition. 


Calic:
Calic, brother to Sebastian and Sonya, is second in command of Marada. He is a viscous fighter, and often, shamelessly, fights dirty. His talent is in his swordplay and speed, but he often uses his body as a weapon—as well as whatever he can get his hands on.


During the war that destroyed his home planet, Cale was devastated by the betrayal of his mate, Velicia. Demons mate for life, and Calic knows he will never have a second chance at love. He is a brooding alpha male, and a borderline womanizer. As a defense mechanism against most everybody, he uses snarky comments and dark humor. My favorite kind.
 
Sonya:

Sonya is the youngest of the three demon siblings. Though she often suffocates under her brother’s fierce overprotectiveness, she doesn’t take crap from anyone and can hold her own in a fight. Sonya thrives on being self-reliant. Aboard Marada, Sonya owns and maintains her pub, which she calls The Demon’s Punchbowl.


When she was very young, Sonya witnessed her father’s murder. As a result, she threw herself into learning the art of combat. Her greatest ability is her speed, which has so far remained unmatched. 

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Kiersten Fay is the author of the steamy paranormal romance series, Shadow Quest, which combines paranormal and sci-fi romance and is loosely based on mythology and lore. Like many authors, she loves creating new worlds with the power of her mind, along with brooding alpha males and strong, yet vulnerable, female leads.

In 2012, she received a nominated for favorite author of 2012 via gravetells.com, and that same year, won Favorite Story of August for Demon Retribution, the third book in her Shadow Quest series. Before becoming an author, Kiersten worked as a graphic designer, and now enjoys creating her own book covers.

Find Kiersten and her books
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Demon Possession
Shadow Quest #1
 After being enslaved on the spaceship Extarga for most of her life Analia has no memory of her life before, and has lost all knowledge of her people. Her mysterious gift and pointed ears are the only indication that she is different.

Analia is alone, and for all she knows, she's the last of her kind. By chance Analia escapes her captors, and hides herself on the merchant ship Marada, planning to get off at the very next stop.

Unfortunately for her, there is no next stop. The crew is planning a delivery that could take months, and according to a stipulation in the newly signed contract, no one is allowed on or off the ship until the package is delivered.

When Analia is found by a handsome demon, and captain of the Marada, she must adapt to her new role on the ship, and try to control her newly awakened desire for the brutal, and devastatingly erotic demon.
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